Riverside Luxury Cruises: the back story

About Riverside Luxury Cruises: the back story

By the ULTIMATE the world’s cruise lines Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Riverside Luxury Cruises began sailing in 2022. Its four ships, Mozart, Ravel, Debussy and Mahler, are all-suite, with a butler for every guest and a crew-to-guest ratio of two to four.

A young line

Riverside Luxury Cruises is one of the newest names on Europe’s rivers. It launched in 2022 with a clear ambition: to offer suites rather than cabins, a level of service closer to a grand hotel than a river ship, and food good enough to be a reason to travel.

Ships named for composers

The fleet is named after composers. Riverside Mozart sails the Danube, from Passau through the Wachau to Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Riverside Ravel, named for the man in the dapper suit and silk tie of the famous photograph, glides along the Rhône and Saône. Riverside Debussy sails the Rhine, and Riverside Mahler the Rhine and the Danube.

Luxury is about choice.

Suites, not cabins

Every room is a suite, and every suite has a king-size bed, a marble bathroom, fabrics of velvet and leather in quiet natural tones, and the services of a personal butler, who will unpack your case, book the spa or reserve your table. On Riverside Mozart, the smallest suite measures 20 m² (215 sq ft); across the fleet, the largest reach 82 m².

A table for every mood

Riverside Mozart has four restaurants. The Waterside serves buffets by day and fine dining by night; the Atelier is the showcase for regional ingredients and culinary craftsmanship; the Blue Bar Grill at the stern does burgers, wraps and salads at lunch; and the Vista, under canvas on the top deck, grills fish and steaks and hosts barbecue evenings. On selected nights the Vintage Room seats up to 12 at a long table for six or seven courses paired by the head sommelier.

Our advice:

Our advice: try Riverside on one of its short Danube cruises before committing to a longer journey; the four-day Passau to Wachau escape shows the ship at its best. Check which dining package your fare includes: dinner in the Atelier and the Vintage Room can carry a supplement.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Riverside Luxury Cruises: the back story before you go.