Riviera Travel vs Scenic: which river cruise is better?

No score and no verdict of ours: what Riviera Travel and Scenic each publish on their own websites, read 10 November 2026, topic by topic, each line linked to the page it came from.

Riviera Travel vs Scenic: which river cruise is better?

Neither is better for everyone. Riviera Travel's fares include all-inclusive drinks, free Wi-Fi and guided tours in every port; Scenic's river cruises include a wide selection of daily excursions and list five dining options. Scenic publishes 2027-season fares for US residents; Riviera Travel publishes no fare tied to a sailing date on the pages read.

What is each line?

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

Scenic sells all-inclusive river cruises in Europe and on the Mekong, ocean voyages and land journeys; established in 1986, it is part of Scenic Group, which designs, builds and operates its own ships through its shipbuilding division MKM Yachts. Source

Which ships does each line 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

Scenic's river fleet is 13 ships, growing to 16 with additions planned for 2027 and 2028 in Europe, the Mekong and India; its Europe ships are the Scenic Space-Ships and its Mekong ship is Scenic Spirit. 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

Scenic carries up to 163 guests on its Scenic Space-Ships in Europe and 68 guests on Scenic Spirit on the Mekong. Source

Which rivers does each line 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

Scenic sells named sailings on the Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube, Seine, Rhône and Douro, wine cruises in Bordeaux and Mekong cruises through Vietnam and Cambodia. 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

Scenic's suites have a Queen-size Scenic Slumber bed, with Scenic Sun Lounge all-weather windows in all suites on its Mekong ship and in Royal, Junior and Balcony Suites on its Europe Space-Ships. 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

Scenic's river cruises include a wide selection of daily excursions and special events and list five dining options; spa treatments and optional tours such as helicopter and hot air balloon rides cost extra. 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

Scenic includes a wide selection of daily excursions and special events on all river cruises, with a choice of Scenic Freechoice excursions; optional tours, including helicopter and hot air balloon rides in selected destinations, may cost extra. Source

What does a sailing cost?

Scenic sells Castles & Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle, 8 days, from USD $4,528 per person, double occupancy, 2027 season, for legal residents of the United States. Source

Riviera Travel does not publish a dated price on the pages read.

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

Scenic: For US bookings, its Solo Program Select Fares carry a 75% single supplement and Preferred Fares give 50% single supplement savings, with a free single supplement on select dates, in Stateroom (E) and Balcony Suites but not Deluxe Balcony, Junior Balcony, Royal or Riverview Suites. 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

Scenic does not state its deposit amount; for US bookings on Europe and Southeast Asia river cruises it asks for the deposit within 48 hours of booking, with final payment 90 days before departure on Full Fares or 120 days on Select Fares; on Preferred Fares for sailings more than 10 months away, full payment is due 10 months before departure. 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

Scenic publishes no standard cancellation scale on its booking policies page; for US bookings its optional Flexible Booking Plan ($125 on river) lets you defer or cancel up to 90 days before departure, less third-party fees, for a Future Travel Credit valid 24 months; its optional Penalty Relief Program, $295 per person per river cruise, gives a refund or credit for eligible reasons when you cancel 31 days or more before departure (70% at 15 to 30 days). 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

Scenic does not publish this on the pages read.

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

Scenic does not publish this on the pages read.

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

Scenic does not publish this on the pages read.

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

Scenic does not publish this on the pages read.

When is each not the fit?

The limits below are published by each line on their own websites.

• Riviera Travel: not the fit if you use a wheelchair: there are no wheelchair accessible cabins on any of its ships. Source
• Scenic: not the fit if you are not a legal resident of the United States: its prices and offers apply to legal US residents. Source

The lines at a glance

One card each, as on every Uncompromised Travel river cruise page: what each sells, why to choose each, what to ask for and the limits each 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 Scenic river cruises?

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