The launch today of a new Australian website and a bolstered partnership with the Australian travel agent sector are centerpieces of a growth strategy for 2019 and beyond spearheaded by luxury European river cruise company, Riviera Travel, which first offered its cruises to the Australian market in 2016.
The new dedicated Australian site – www.rivieratravel.com.au – boasts a fresh, new design with more comprehensive content, Australian dollar fares and new features including:
* a ‘wish list’ users can create of favourite cruises so they can email it to their travel agent
* a cruise planner function so users can download and print their itinerary
* an interactive 360-degree virtual reality tour video of Riviera Travel’s ship, Thomas Hardy, launched in 2017
* a dedicated solo cruisers page highlighting supplement-free cabins on every cruise and four sailings in 2019 reserved exclusively for solo travellers and free of solo supplements
The revamped platform follows the release earlier this month of a new, 108-page Australian brochure for Riviera Travel and news that bookings by Australians this year are more than double the 2017 figure.
Based in England, Riviera Travel offers five-star, shore-tour-inclusive cruises across Europe at fares up to 50 per cent lower than river companies more established in Australia. In 2019, Riviera will carry a record 47,000 passengers.
Australian sales manager for Riviera Travel, Thomas Morgan, who spent the last week in Australia visiting local travel agents, said the new website would make it easier for Australian consumers and agents to research the record 327 sailings Riviera would offer in 2019 across 14 itineraries on 12 river ships. These include two five-star ships launching next year – the George Eliot and William Wordsworth – continuing Riviera’s tradition of naming many of its vessels after famous British authors.
Mr Morgan said Riviera had also strengthened its relationship with Australian travel agents as more agents and consumers became aware of the line and its affordable fares. “Riviera proudly boasts a no-direct-booking policy, with all bookings by Australians made via travel agents and distribution handled here by wholesalers Cruiseco and Cruise Traveller,” Mr Morgan said.
“And unlike other lines, Riviera also offers a simple, transparent, low-cost fare structure, with no hidden costs, and a no-discounting policy which assists agents and saves guests from discovering fellow passengers have paid less than them for the same cabin. Accustomed to high fares from other river cruise lines, Australians welcome our attractive fares and the fact they can buy drinks packages if they want to and also pay staff their own tips which they love rather than gratuities hidden in fares.
“Riviera is enjoying a wave of recognition here in Australia and we expect that to grow as we invest more resources in this market, with exciting new announcements coming soon.”
Cruise fares for 2019 are available from $2079 per person, twin-share, for an eight-day European cruise on the Danube River from Budapest while Riviera’s four exclusive, seven-night solo passenger sailings in March and October, 2019, are available from only $2769 per person, solo.
Bonus offer on new Switzerland cruise tour package
One of Riviera Travel’s sailings for 2019 – the seven-night Rhine Cruise to Switzerland – has been packaged for Australians by small ship cruise specialist, Cruise Traveller, in a new 13-night fly, cruise and tour holiday.
The ‘Swiss Stunner’ package includes return flights to Europe from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth, the Rhine cruise from Cologne to Basel, a three-night, post-cruise, alpine tour in Switzerland headlined by a trip aboard the famous Glacier Express train from Chur to Zermatt and pre-and-post cruise accommodation in Cologne and Zurich. Cruise Traveller is also offering a complimentary onboard drinks package with a range of beers and wines with lunch and dinner – when you book this package.
Departures are available in May, June and August, 2019, on two ships, including the brand new George Eliot, which will be launched in April, 2019.
Cruise Traveller’s 13-night Swiss Stunner package is available from $7695 per person, twin-share. Bookings are available via travel agents or visit www.cruisetraveller.com.au/swi
New brochure
The new 2019 Riviera Travel river cruise brochure for Australia is available via travel agents, Cruise Traveller 1800 507 777 or Cruiseco on 1800 956 960 or visit the new-look website www.rivieratravel.com.au .
.jpg){kind=tracking}
