Why Sail on Riverside Luxury Cruises?
I’ve been unintentionally gatekeeping some travel information and I’m ready to release this information because you need to know. You’ve read my travel stories, you’ve seen my videos, you’ve seen my pictures. I’m usually really good about taking you on my journey, but there have been two trips where my full story didn’t go out. You are probably thinking, it was a bad trip that she didn’t want to share, but in fact it was the opposite. These two trips were so wonderful that I didn’t want to work. I didn’t want to write the stories. I didn’t want to take the pictures and videos. I just wanted to enjoy myself. I wanted to relax and be in the moment fully. The first time this happened I chalked it up to the fact that this was a real vacation. My husband was with me. I had just finished an intense week of learning and socializing in Amsterdam and I was enjoying a trip as a traveler and not as a travel agent. I told myself I would share more when I got home, but that didn’t happen to the extent that I had planned. The second time it happened, I had flown to Orlando spent some time at Disney, attended a conference, spent some time at Universal Orlando Resort, toured Utopia of the Seas, flew across the Atlantic, sailed on Viking, and then attended another conference. This was an epic month of travel and by the end, I was ready to relax again. Again, I told myself I would share when I got home. That didn’t happen. What made this trip so special that twice I had intentions of doing all this work to share about my trip and twice little happened. It’s something I’ve thought about every so often when the idea drifts into my brain sphere. I’ve come to the conclusion that it was because on both of these trips everything I needed from a trip was there. Everything was so perfect that I could relax. I could actually take a vacation and time to myself. And I did. So bottom line. It was so wonderful that I was too relaxed to get to work and tell you about it. Sure, there was some chatter about these trips, but not as much as usual.
Today I am sharing about my experience. It isn’t going to be as detailed as my normal travel write-ups because the details have become hazy over the years, but the memories and fondness for these two trips is still vibrant and I’m yearning to sail again. Are you curious about the trips? They were both with the same supplier and it’s probably one you don’t know. Riverside Luxury Cruises!!
My very first river cruise was on the Riverside Debussy back in 2024. I knew very little about river cruising, but Riverside caught my eye. They were pretty much brand new at the time and not much was known about them. I can’t remember what exactly made me want to sail them, but they were at the top of my list. This sailing was part of the ASTA River Cruise EXPO and it was an option to sign-up to sail them. All the sailings for this conference opened up on the same day and at the same time. Well they were supposed to. Riverside jumped the gun a little early, but I noticed the early registration and signed up right away. Unfortunately, ASTA made Riverside cancel all the early reservations without notice and all of a sudden I was out. Luckily, I noticed the cancellation and re-booked. I couldn’t get the cabin I originally wanted, but was fortunate to be able to re-book. Nearly everyone who had been in my shoes did not get to sail. I had to pay significantly more for the cabin I was able to get, but I still wanted to sail them.
After the conference, my husband flew into Amsterdam and we boarded the Riverside Debussy together. My husband had a difficult journey. A delayed flight caused him to miss his connection by minutes. He was re-routed and while flying, another leg of his new schedule was cancelled. It was an adventure for him, but he made it. His bag did not. Riverside was exceptional with helping us retrieve the bag. The bag didn’t arrive before we left Amsterdam, but Riverside worked with the airline and us to help arrange a meeting point. Having luggage catch-up to a moving target is not easy and in many cases people go the whole sailing without the bag. My husband’s luggage made it to us and this was the first experience where we saw the difference between a premium cruise line and a luxury cruise line. The crew onboard treated his luggage as if it were their own that was lost. It was with their help that we were able to resolve this issue and enjoy the trip.
You don’t know what you don’t know. This was my first river cruise experience so I didn’t have anything to compare it to at the time. I know a lot more about river cruising now and have sailed other river cruise lines. There are things uniquely Riverside and now I have the experience to articulate what makes them special. I thought I fell in love with river cruising, but really I fell in love with Riverside’s river cruising.
Sailing times are different on Riverside. The morning is leisure time because we’re sailing. Most excursions don’t start until the afternoon. This means you can sleep in, relax, enjoy the spa, or workout before the day begins. I really like to sleep in on vacation and on many cruises that’s not possible without missing out on excursions. Riverside lets you do both. Relax, sleep in, and enjoy the day. This can vary by sailing itinerary and isn’t always the case, but I found way more time to relax onboard than other river cruises.
The food is amazing. I didn’t need to sail other lines to notice how amazing the food is on Riverside. The food is fresh, delicious, and artistic. The wine is exceptional as well. Dinner feels like a special occasion for every meal. Breakfast and lunch are much more casual. Breakfast can be enjoyed in your room with room service included, at the Atelier if you want coffee, waffles, or pastries, or at Waterside Restaurant. Riverside describes the breakfast as a buffet at Waterside Restaurant, but I think buffet isn’t the right word. Yes, there are things available to take, but they also cook some things made-to-order and fresh. It is an upscale buffet with chef stations. Lunch is a similar setup as breakfast, but you may find the Vista Grill open on a nice day. This is available on the top deck and usually offered once per sailing if the weather cooperates. Riverside fires up the grills and you can enjoy steaks, shish kabobs, and more. Riverside Mozart also has a restaurant called Blue Bar & Grill where you can get a la carte lunch. There are plenty of places to find amazing food!
The experiences are well-curated. Think about one of your favorite weddings you’ve attended. A wedding where the bride and groom and their families have meticulously gone over every detail to make the day so special. That is what a Riverside Signature Events are like. The attention to detail from the linens to the wine selections to the venue to the music makes the experience extraordinary. They also have Unique Events. One of the unique experiences I had was in Slovakia. We were welcomed by locals into their homes. They taught us about their life and welcomed us like family. We ate homemade snacks and homemade wine. It was something truly different and honed in on the part of travel I love the most. The more you travel and meet people from other cultures the more you have an understanding for the world and people. You notice the similarities from places that seem so foreign and also discover better ways to live. Each culture’s collection of lifestyle choices are unique and the more you see, the more you can improve your life with choices you didn’t know about.
Suites are sweet. River cruise ships are much smaller than ocean cruise ships and I expected the cabins to be small too. It is true that some river cruise cabins are small, but not on Riverside. Riverside has ships that are all-suites and the cabins are spacious. Even the lead-in cabins are a nice size. The amenities inside the cabin are wonderful as well. You’ll probably want to leave the shampoo and conditioner at home because you’ll want to use the amenities onboard. Also, the chocolate each night feels like Valentine’s Day every day. High quality chocolates. Pro tip. Bring someone with you who doesn’t like chocolate so you can have double. On some ships, the toilet seats raises automatically which is pretty cool too. Heated seats. Yes please.
You feel like family after sailing once. The Riverside fleet is relatively small with only three of their ships sailings right now. That means you are likely to see familiar faces if you sail more than once. I still remember the people onboard by name and can’t wait to see them again!
There is flexibility to make the trip truly yours. Riverside Luxury Cruises offers four different cruise fares which allows you to customize the trip to your needs. Most suppliers simplify the booking process with an option that works for most people. The problem with this is that if you are not like most people, the pricing may not make sense. For example, you may not drink alcohol so including it with the fare may not provide value to you. Also, you may prefer private tours so including group tours make not work for you. The four pricing options are detailed below. Basically there is an option that includes food, basic drinks, and wi-fi, another option which includes the same food, basic drinks, and wi-fi plus excursions, a third option which upgrades the first option to premium drinks, and a fourth option that upgrades the second option to premium drinks. Read below for the full inclusions.
Full Board Without Excursions
INCLUSIONS:
* Meals of your choice in all restaurants and bars
* Access to the Atelier (dinner subject to additional cost)
* Pastries, waffles and ice cream
* Water, coffee and tea
* Room service available during restaurant hours
* Port and Service Charge, as well as VAT
* WiFi
DOES NOT INCLUDE:
* Excursions in each port
* Most beverages — available at an additional cost
* Dinner at the Atelier — available with € 25 per person cover charge
* Off-hour room service — available at an additional cost
Full Board With Excursions
INCLUSIONS:
* Pre-selected excursions in each port
* Meals of your choice in all restaurants and bars
* Access to the Atelier (dinner subject to additional cost)
* Pastries, waffles and ice cream
* Water, coffee and tea
* Room service available during restaurant hours
* Port and Service Charge, as well as VAT
* WiFi
DOES NOT INCLUDE:
* Most beverages — available at an additional cost
* Dinner at the Atelier — available with € 25 per person cover charge
* Off-hour room service — available at an additional cost
Premium All Inclusive Without Excursions
INCLUSIONS:
* Premium beverage package, including premium wines, spirits, and champagne
* 24-hour room service
* Meals of your choice in all restaurants and bars
* Pastries, waffles and ice cream
* Water, coffee and tea
* Port and Service Charge, as well as VAT
* WiFi
* Minibar
DOES NOT INCLUDE:
* Excursions in each port
Premium All Inclusive With Excursions
INCLUSIONS:
* Pre-selected excursions in each port
* Premium beverage package, including premium wines, spirits, and champagne
* 24-hour room service
* Meals of your choice in all restaurants and bars
* Pastries, waffles and ice cream
* Water, coffee and tea
* Port and Service Charge, as well as VAT
* WiFi
* Minibar
Do you want to sail Riverside? The next step is to decide where you want to sail. Riverside Mozart is the largest ship and sails on the Danube. Explore Austria, Hungary, and Germany. Find Riverside Debussy on the Rhine River where you can explore the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, France, and Germany. Riverside Ravel can be found on the Rhone and Saone rivers to explore France.
If you are interested in a Riverside Luxury Cruises Journey, please contact Amaris with Adventures by Amaris!
