The new ships and an expanded cruise program mean Riviera Travel will carry a record 47,000 passengers – including more
Australian passengers – on 12 ships over 327 sailings in 2019.
The launch of three new river ships soon, a record number of passengers and a 68 per cent jump in Australian bookings
mark the launch of Riviera Travel’s 2019 program of five-star river cruises across Europe.
Following the launch of four ships in 2017, the luxury, 167-guest river ship, Robert Burns, was christened in Austria
last month, destined for cruises on the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers, while the 121-passenger Douro Splendour will be
launched in Portugal this August. Another two river ships, the 167-passenger William Wordsmith and 132-guest George
Eliot, will begin cruising in Europe in 2019, continuing Riviera’s tradition of naming vessels after famous British
authors.
The new ships and an expanded cruise program mean Riviera Travel will carry a record 47,000 passengers – including more
Australian passengers – on 12 ships over 327 sailings in 2019. Already the biggest river cruise operator in the UK
market, Riviera Travel is this year attracting 68 per cent more Australian bookings compared to 2017. The British company
first launched its European river cruises in the Australian market in 2016.
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.
In addition to the new ships, new for 2019 is the new Dutch port of Kinderdijk, a rustic village with 18th century
windmills which will feature on Riviera Travel’s five-day Dutch Bulbfields cruise. High demand will also see Riviera add
four more sailings in 2019 on its new 15-day Budapest to the Black Sea itinerary, introduced for the first time this
year. Australians can now also join add-on, overland tours to selected sailings.
Australian sales manager for Riviera Travel, Thomas Morgan, said the company’s recent efforts at promoting Riviera to
Australians as a new choice in river cruising were clearly paying off, with a new 2019/19 brochure, in Australian
dollars, to be released by early June, 2018.
“We are clearly growing our footprint in Australian market amongst some very strongly branded competitors but we know
Australians love the way we do things differently,” Mr Morgan said. “Our simple-to-understand fares are up to 50 per cent
lower, we look after solo passengers, 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.
“Although we started in 1984, we’re still the new kid on the block in Australia but we’re growing up quickly!”
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
