Is a Riviera Travel river cruise worth it?

No verdict of ours: the facts Riviera Travel publishes on its own website, read 10 November 2026, topic by topic, each with a link to the page it came from.

Is a Riviera Travel river cruise worth it?

It depends on what you want included. Riviera Travel's fares include all-inclusive drinks, free Wi-Fi and guided tours in every port; it says over 80% of its cabins have French or full balconies. Its booking conditions exclude gratuities; it publishes no fare tied to a sailing date on the pages read.

What is Riviera Travel?

Riviera Travel is a tour operator, Riviera Travel, LLC of Florida, trading as Riviera Cruises, that began in the early 1980s and launched its first river cruises in 2009; it sells European river cruises on ships it says it built, plus ocean cruises, yacht cruises and European tours. Source

Which ships does Riviera Travel sail?

Riviera Travel sails river ships it says it built, among them MS Geoffrey Chaucer, MS George Eliot, MS Jane Austen, MS Lord Byron, MS Oscar Wilde, MS Emily Brontë, MS Thomas Hardy and MS Douro Elegance, plus Riviera Radiance and Riviera Resplendence, with their five-star sister ship Riviera Reflection due in 2027. Source

How many guests are on board?

Riviera Travel carries 124 guests on MS Douro Elegance and 140 guests with 44 crew on MS Geoffrey Chaucer; MS George Eliot has 70 suites and cabins and, from 2027, every guest on it has their own cabin. Source

Which rivers does Riviera Travel sail?

Riviera Travel sells named sailings on the Rhine (Rhine Cruise to Switzerland; Rhine, Strasbourg and Heidelberg), the Danube (Budapest to the Black Sea; The Danube’s Imperial Cities and Yuletide Markets), the Rhine and Moselle (Rhine and Moselle River Cruise), the Douro (Douro, Porto and Salamanca), the Rhône and Saône (Burgundy, the River Rhône and Provence), the Seine (The Seine, Paris and Normandy) and the Dutch and Belgian waterways (Bruges, Medieval Flanders, Amsterdam & the Dutch Bulbfields). Source

How large are the cabins?

Riviera Travel says its largest suite is 29 square metres and that over 80% of its cabins have French or full balconies. Source

What does the fare include?

Riviera Travel's fares include all-inclusive drinks with unlimited tea and coffee through the day, free Wi-Fi, onboard entertainment, port taxes and guided tours in every port; its booking conditions exclude gratuities, baggage handling, excess baggage charges, fuel surcharges and items of a personal nature. Source

Are shore excursions included?

Riviera Travel includes expertly guided tours in every port, led by English-speaking local experts; guests can opt out of any included excursion, while Personalize Your Holiday excursions are optional. Source

What do solo travellers pay?

Riviera Travel waives the single supplement on select departures, so solo travellers pay the same per-person rate as those travelling with companions; from 2027 every MS George Eliot departure is solo-only, with each guest in their own cabin and no single supplements. No supplement figure is given. Source

How much is the deposit?

Riviera Travel does not state its deposit amount or when the balance is due; its booking conditions say the deposit is non-refundable once confirmed. Source

What happens if you cancel?

Riviera Travel keeps the deposit, which is non-refundable once confirmed; it charges a $20 administration fee on all cancellations and changes, including name and date changes. Source

Is your money protected?

Riviera Travel says on its general FAQ that it is fully bonded with the CAA and ABTA so that your money is safe in any eventuality, with no bond numbers given; its booking conditions also give Florida Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST40993 and do not say what that registration covers. Source

What happens if the water is too high or too low?

Riviera Travel: When a sailing is disrupted, says it may arrange coach excursions to the itinerary destinations or equivalent alternatives of no more than 2 hours each way, or swap ships to take guests past the affected part of the river; if no alternative cruise of equivalent quality is available, the vacation is cancelled. Source

What if your mobility is limited?

Riviera Travel has no wheelchair accessible cabins on any of its ships; guests should have a good level of mobility, as boarding may involve walking on gangplanks and crossing between double-moored ships. Source

Can children come?

Riviera Travel does not allow children under 12 at the date of departure on any of its ships; any minor must be accompanied by and share a cabin with an adult aged 21 or over. Source

When is Riviera Travel not the fit?

The limit below is published by Riviera Travel on its own website.

• Riviera Travel: not the fit if you use a wheelchair: there are no wheelchair accessible cabins on any of its ships. Source

Riviera Travel at a glance

Its card, as on every Uncompromised Travel river cruise page: what it sells, why to choose it, what to ask for and the limits it publishes.

Which other lines sail the same rivers?

The lines that sell sailings on the same rivers are compared on What are the best alternatives to Riviera Travel river cruises?

Richard Jasinski · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 10 November 2026 · updated 10 November 2026