5 Things We Loved About Riviera Radiance (& 3 We Think Need Work)

Sailing along the Danube River between Budapest and Vienna is a bucket list experience for many. This region is one of the most popular in Europe for river cruises, thanks to the Danube’s access to capital cities, breathtaking history, and lush, scenic views.

Riviera Travel’s newest river cruise ship, Riviera Radiance, just entered the market, offering a new, stylish way for travelers to experience this in-demand region. The river ship sails nine different itineraries along the Danube, including the standard eight-day cruise, a special solo traveler sailing, and Christmas Market holiday cruises.

Travel Market Report was invited by Riviera Travel to experience The Blue Danube River Cruise on board the new Riviera Radiance. Overall, the ship offered understated elegance, making for a charming week-long trip.

As Riviera Travel continues to push into the American river cruise market, more and more clients will have questions about what to expect from the British cruise line. Here’s what we think Riviera Travel got right with its new ship—and some feedback on aspects that could be improved.

Love: The Atrium

Riviera Radiance is the first ship in the river cruise line’s fleet that features an atrium. The split-level design between decks 2 and 3 (called Ruby and Diamond) includes a gorgeous chandelier that drips down from the ceiling. It’s a splendid visual that adds a level of awe the first time you walk on the ship, and the open space is pleasantly airy—great for the days when the Sun Deck is too cold and cabin fever is setting in.

On Ruby Deck, this area is the main hub, connecting the entrance, guest services, the travel desk, and the shop. On Diamond Deck, the space adds much-needed public space away from the crowds in the lounge. With multiple self-serve beverage options, comfortable wingback chairs, and plenty of natural lighting, it’s a welcoming spot to relax and decompress.

Needs Work: People Flow

The U.K. may be famous for its queuing culture—and Riviera Travel definitely caters to the U.K. market—but generally, there was a lack of planning put into managing the people flow, especially when disembarking the ship for the included shore excursions.

Often, there was very little, if any, direction from the crew telling people where to go, which was sorely needed, given the limited space. With a ship capacity of 178 guests, and only one narrow staircase in the atrium, this area became uncomfortably claustrophobic, especially when guests needed to scan their stateroom card on one deck and exit on another. And, in a post-COVID world, no one enjoys being shoulder-to-shoulder in an enclosed space full of strangers

Part of the issue is simply the way the stairs and atrium are set up. If the dining room were open outside of meal times, guests could use the staircase connecting to the Diamond Deck lounge, reducing congestion around the one in the atrium. Having guests congregate in a larger space, such as the lounge, and then lining up from there in a single file line also would have helped.

Love: Self-Serve Beverage Options

Guests on Riviera Radiance will never go thirsty. In addition to the bar on Diamond Deck and the three restaurants, the ship features hot beverage and water dispensers, where guests can help themselves to lattes, espressos, tea, and even sparkling water.

The coffee makers were a real highlight. Operating on a touch-screen interface, the stations could brew espresso drinks (including decaffeinated options) and hot chocolate, with a hot water option available for tea drinkers, providing a variety of teas to choose from. Guests can find such stations on the Diamond Deck outside the lounge as well as all the restaurants, and with Riverview Kitchen always open (even when not operating), there’s rarely a need to wait to use one.

The water dispensers are also a nice touch. Riviera Travel provides water bottles for guests to use and take home (a nice added touch), and the inclusion of a sparkling water option felt very elevated.

Needs Work: Limited Entertainment

Travelers don’t book a river cruise for the onboard entertainment. Having said that, the entertainment that is offered sets the onboard feel, and the energy on our sailing definitely skewed to a more sedate clientele, which we feel risks alienating travelers who might otherwise love the ship.

In short, Riviera Radiance isn’t living up to its full potential. The ship’s design is gorgeous, and at its price point, Riviera Travel offers the North American market an affordable yet high-value European river cruise experience.

With some slight tweaks to its entertainment—maybe a livelier music set one evening, or replacing the ice cream social with a wine and cheese tasting event—the experience could be more appealing to a wider range of travelers.

Credit where credit’s due: the Blue Danube cruise includes a classical quartet recital in Vienna and a Hungarian folklore show in Budapest (on all vessels). These shows were welcome additions that brought the destination on board the ship.

Love: Mosaic

Mosaic is a new restaurant that made its debut on Riviera Radiance. Set on the Emerald Deck (the lower deck), the restaurant is cozy yet stylish. The neutral tones found throughout are accented with pops of color from the jewel-toned seating. It’s the perfect counterpoint to the other two restaurants: less formal than the dining room, but more elevated than the Riverview Kitchen.

Mosaic is open for breakfast every morning (first-come, first-served) and for tapas-style dining in the evenings. Because there are limited opportunities to experience the restaurant for dinner, getting a reservation early is highly recommended.

On our journey, we made Mosaic part of our morning routine. The servers were phenomenal—not only were they quick to refill our coffee and bring us our food, but they remembered that my guest was celiac after just one visit, and went above and beyond to make her feel comfortable and accommodated.

Needs Work: Communication

This may be a gripe more about the river cruise industry at large than specifically Riviera Radiance, but it is something that needs to be addressed.

Riviera Travel, like most other river cruise lines, is lagging behind when it comes to digital readiness and communication. Instead of emailing or texting a confirmed port location for the ship on embarkation day, guests are instructed to call the ship and confirm. There is no app to track things like daily itineraries or a statement of account, and the daily port talks function as prep work for the upcoming shore excursion rather than enrichment lectures.

If Riviera Travel embraced digital technology, like creating an app similar to the ones used by the ocean cruise lines, it could be a real differentiator within the market segment.

Love: The Cabin Bathrooms

The cabins on Riviera Radiance were comfortable, functional, and stylish; however, the bathrooms, surprisingly, were the real highlight.

Riviera Radiance’s stateroom bathrooms feature bright (but not blindly so) lights, tasteful neutral tiles, and elegant basin-style sinks. Nothing felt cheap or flimsy. The overall decor was nice, understated elegance.

The showers in particular earn top marks. The stall’s double door makes it easy to get in and out of the shower, despite the small space. And with both a rainfall shower head and a handheld (both of which can be used at the same time!) the bathroom feels like a premium product.

Love: The Food

Given Riviera Travel’s all-inclusive price point, one would be forgiven for assuming the food would be mediocre. However, TMR’s experience was the opposite: across all meals, all dining venues, the food was consistently excellent.

From a delightfully indulgent cheeseburger in the Riverview Kitchen to the flavor-packed csirkeérmék (chicken skewers) in the dining room, Riviera Radiance’s food and beverage offerings were high quality, expertly prepared, and varied. There was always an interesting regional option in the dining room, while still having the classics like beef rib eye steak or slow-roasted lamb.

The versatile menus also balance out the available dishes for different dietary needs. The menu includes an allergens guide (dairy, gluten/cereals, etc.) as well as separate labels for vegan and vegetarian. In our experience, the servers were also very helpful about identifying which dishes could and could not be altered to accomodate an allergy, like substituting a gluten-free bun or leaving the croutons off a salad.