A new, luxury river ship, two new cruise itineraries, a record number of passengers and a 73 per cent jump in Australian bookings mark the launch of Riviera Travel’s 2020 program of five-star river cruises across Europe.
As Riviera Travel prepares to launch two new, five-star river ships in April, 2019 – the 169-passenger William Wordsmith and 132-guest George Eliot – the rapidly growing cruise line has announced it will launch another 169-guest, five-star river ship in 2020 – the Geoffrey Chaucer, named after a renowned 14th Century poet. The new vessel will bring Riviera’s fleet size to 14 ships in 2020.
Riviera has also unveiled two brand new itineraries for 2020. The first is a seven-night ‘Seine, Paris and Normandy’ round-trip journey from Paris which takes in Claude Monet’s house and garden at Giverny and the D-Day beaches of Normandy. The new cruise is available from $2729 per person in a twin-share stateroom or a selected number of solo cabins reserved exclusively for single travellers supplement-free.
The second new cruise for 2020 is a seven-night ‘Vienna, Bohemia and Treasures of the Danube’ round-trip journey from Vienna, including the pretty medieval towns of Regensburg, Passau and Linz. The cruise is priced from $3199 per person, twin-share, or solo. Riviera’s solo-only cabins on every cruise are subject to availability.
Both cruises include nine complimentary shoreside tours each as well as free Wi-Fi. Onboard drinks packages are available from $199 per person in 2020.
The new ship and an expanded cruise program mean Riviera Travel will carry 45,000 passengers – including more Australian passengers – on 14 ships over 300 sailings on 15 different cruise itineraries in 2020. Already the biggest river cruise operator in the UK market, Riviera Travel is this year attracting 73 per cent more Australian bookings compared to 2017.The British company first launched its European river cruises in the Australian market in 2016.
A new 2020 brochure for the Australian market, and in Australian dollars, is now available.
Riviera Travel offers five-star cruises across Europe at fares up to 50 per cent lower than river companies more established in Australia, with a selection of supplement-free cabins on every cruise also available for solo travellers.
Australian sales manager for Riviera Travel, Thomas Morgan, said Riviera had quickly gained traction in Australia as a new choice in river cruising. “We have cemented our reputation here as an affordable, five-star river cruise operator that does things differently,” Mr Morgan said. “Our simple-to-understand fares are up to 50 per cent lower, we look after solo passengers with supplement-free cabins on very cruise, we don’t discount – so our guests don’t discover others have paid less than them for the same cabin – and we don’t automatically include gratuities in fares, allowing guests to tip as they like, which Australians love.
“Riviera Travel is also 100 per cent committed to Australian travel agents with all our Australian bookings here coming through agents via wholesalers Cruiseco and Cruise Traveller.”
Bookings are available via Australian travel agents, Cruiseco, Cruise Traveller, or visit www.rivieratravel.com.au
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