Rhine Cruise on the Riverside Debussy - August, 2024

Last month I had the opportunity to travel on the Rhine river with Riverside Cruises on a FAM (familiarization) trip. This was invite only, for travel advisors. I have sailed on many river cruises in Europe and although I've sent my clients on the Rhine dozens of times, I had not been on the Rhine myself yet so this was very exciting! 

Typically for new river cruise clients I suggest starting with the Rhine or the Danube because they are the most popular and the best ‘starter’ cruises to understand the style of travel. A lot of people choose the Rhine first because you can make it ‘short’ with the 7 day cruise and then adding at least one extra day in Amsterdam and have a fabulous experience without it being too long. The Danube is best done with 2 or 3 nights in Prague on one end and at least 1, but better yet 2 nights in Budapest on the other end. That makes it closer to a 2 week trip and of course then a higher total trip cost but that is really the best experience. 

A little bit about Riverside, they are a new cruise line and they purchased some of the Crystal ships after the company was bought out and/or went through some re-organization after the pandemic. I don’t really know all the details but it is my understanding that the parent company who started Riverside owns many hotels so is in a good & stable position to embark on this new venture! What’s also fun is that the CEO is a former colleague of mine from Avalon Waterways & the Globus family of brands and worked together for many years. So I had been in touch with her a bit about this new enterprise and was eager to experience & learn more since I specialize in European river cruising! 

Riverside is quite a bit different than my preferred river cruise lines like Avalon Waterways and AmaWaterways. Here are some key things that sets them apart and what I would like my clients to know so they can consider this cruise line in the future:

• The line is ultra-luxury, think 5-6* white glove service with a butler and exceptional attention throughout. There are some ways to customize the pricing so it won’t necessarily be ‘more expensive’ than other cruises. I will be quoting their premium all inclusive level to start because that is the best value and experience. But for example, if someone doesn’t drink there are some options to customize. 
• This cruise line allows children! There are different cabin configurations that other cruise lines don’t have like multi bedroom suites and adjoining cabins. Ideal for multi-generation families! 
• Zero single supplement on many sailings! They are capacity controlled, subject to availability but this is HUGE! So if you have single friends or family who want to tag along or solo travelers, this is great! Even couples who want their own cabin, can be adjoining! 
• They have three ships, the Debussy, the Ravel and the Mozart. The Mozart is unique because it is double the width of other ships, but it can only sail between Budapest and Passau because of the locks. Only AmaWaterways has one of these sized ships. The Mozart has TWO spa treatment rooms! 
• The ships are more of a destination as opposed to a floating hotel, more about that:

​A big differentiator between ocean and river cruises is the experience on the ship; river cruises are more like a floating hotel to get from point a to point b whereas ocean ships are a destination in and of themselves with the pools, casinos, shopping, activities etc. However, it was interesting that my experience with Riverside was that there were times I found that I kind of wanted to just stay on the ship instead of always doing excursions! They have a lovely pool, spa treatments, a top deck bar and lounge area and gym. They even have self-service laundry! Which obviously I wouldn’t skip an excursion to do laundry but maybe throw in a load and then go get a massage!

​That point is important for folks who maybe have done the Rhine or Danube before, they could go again and have a totally different experience. Spend a little time relaxing and enjoying the ship and then do some different excursions in port. 

The only really minor constructive criticism I had on this cruise was the operation of some of the excursions. I come from the world of the Globus family of brands which has been operating for close to 100 years I think! They are the best in the business. Excursions are handled meticulously. Riverside had some really fabulous and different excursions, but some of the timings and the way they fit into the days could use some work in my opinion. However, overall still excellent. They will work the kinks out over time. When my clients book, we will sit down together and go over the excursion options in detail so we can try to understand the best choices for their desired experience. I will also clarify some of the timings in advance. If for some reason the excursion doesn’t work or not what the client is wanting, I can arrange other tours independently of the cruise line. 

Also at this time, Riverside does not offer pre & post extensions and hotel nights like the other cruise lines. This is my specialty and I can arrange all of this for my clients. 

Dining was out of this world on this cruise, just exceptional. We did a galley tour with the chef and it was amazing. Aside from the buffets, they cook everything to order which is very different from other lines. So for their evening dining it’s not ideal for everyone to sit down at the same time, they need guests to stagger in for the best service. I would mention to guests if they have any strong preferences I would make a request with the staff up front. For example, I absolutely love upscale, elevated cuisine but there were a few raw things that were served that were beyond my decidedly distinguished palate! I love fois gras pate but RAW fois gras? No, that is way too Euro for me! LOL

Some other notes and highlights to mention:

• One of the excursions was a vintage automobile ride to a winery in the Alsace region which was really fun. The drive was long but the winery we went to was out of this world amazing, the winemaker is a gem of a man that I will never forget. Just fabulous!
• I loved riding bicycles in Cologne & Nijmegen! They have regular bikes and e-bikes!
• We did a really fun evening dessert cruise in Amsterdam with free flowing wine & beer! 
• I didn’t get any spa treatments but the other ladies I traveled with RAVED about the massage therapist, I am not kidding RAVED like she was magic. They got multiple treatments! I am now regretting it!
• Another super fun excursion was the Kölsch beer tour in Cologne. The guide was an ADORABLE 21 year old local who took us to 3 different spots to have a glass of beer and a yummy snack. Loved it! 
• The day we cruised through the Rhine gorge was absolutely fabulous, one of the best days of my life! They did a barbecue on the top deck that was beyond amazing. They served jumbo shrimp LEGIT the size of a dinner plate! They had the top deck bar open and we really had a blast eating, drinking, lounging and taking photos of all the amazing castles! Such a highlight! 
  
  

That wraps it up for now! LINK HERE to my iCloud folder for photos, I'm working on another way to share my photos with captions so stay tuned for that! 

Please contact me for quotes, there is still space on some of the 2024 cruises like the Christmastime cruises! Other cruise lines are already sold out, and even selling out already for 2025. The pricing is increasing in January so please contact me to book THIS YEAR! And of course we can book 2025 now! 

Thanks for reading! Happy Travels! 

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