This Hospitality Brand Wants to Shake Up the River Cruising Industry

All images courtesy of Riverside Luxury Cruises

River cruising is 1 of the champion ways to acquisition respective large destinations connected a tranquil journey. But the manufacture has mostly been reserved for an older demographic, chiefly retirees, disconnected to spot the world. 

But 1 newcomer connected the scene, Riverside Luxury Cruises, is retired to elevate the full stream cruising acquisition portion attracting a younger demographic. Seaside Collection, a German hospitality institution that owns and operates luxury hotels successful Germany, Spain, and the Maldives, purchased the erstwhile Crystal fleet of ships successful 2022.

I sailed connected 1 of the Riverside Mozart’s inaugural sailings from Vienna to Budapest precocious to get a amended knowing of however this enactment plans to basal retired from the battalion of stream cruises. And I’ll admit, my expectations were exceeded. 

The Connoisseur Club aboard the Mozart

Prior to boarding, astir experienced stream cruisers volition enactment the sheer size of the Mozart. At 23 meters wide, it’s the widest vessel connected the rivers which is rather evident erstwhile you parkland tandem alongside different ships. The Mozart is doubly the width of different ships and that other abstraction adds for a much relaxing, luxurious experience. The vessel accommodates 158 passengers and sails with a hospitable unit of 82.

Riverside Luxury Cruises

Riverside Suite

Accommodations connected the Mozart

All staterooms connected the vessel are suites, ranging from the 219-square-foot Riverside Suite to the 883-square-feet Owners Suite. Amenities see French balconies, marble bathrooms, Toto toilets, Nespresso®machines, and in-suite hors d’oeuvres and regular canapé service. But the champion feature, by far, is having a idiosyncratic butler astatine your beck-and-call.

Dining connected the Mozart

I had work that 1 of Riverside’s objectives, successful summation to opening up the stream cruise marketplace to much (younger) travelers, is to basal retired for its culinary and vino offerings. The cook focuses connected serving meals à la infinitesimal with inspired section specialties that alteration with the destination. But Riverside is besides committed to giving guests much eating choices. The Mozart features 4 restaurants (yes, you work that correctly, 4!), including a pop-up barbecue connected platform with Big Green Eggs. But the exclusive Vintage Room is not to beryllium missed, wherever you and 11 of your friends (including newfound ones), tin bask a 7-course meal with vino pairings. I volition admit the ship’s country work besides came successful useful for those aboriginal greeting excursions.

The Vintage Room connected the Riverside Mozart

Onboard the Mozart

With each that other space, the Mozart truly offers immoderate astonishing onboard activities. The precocious prima platform is the cleanable spot for relaxing on the stream with plentifulness of platform chairs, legume bags and loungers. I particularly loved the ample angiosperm and herb gardens connected the platform which tin marque you hide you are on the water. The ship’s spa was my excursion of choice. The indoor excavation (with a existent for fittingness swimming if that’s your thing) was a large spot to chill disconnected aft a time of exploring. I utilized the blistery tub, sauna, steam room, and showers to make my ain hydrotherapy circuit. The indoor gym was well-equipped and spacious. The spa offers massages, assemblage treatments, facials, and salon services.

The bistro connected the Mozart

Excursions connected the Mozart

Although I recovered it beauteous hard to permission the spa, the stops on the Danube presented immoderate large opportunities for exploring. While the planned tours springiness you a small spot of everything, we rented e-bikes 1 time and took regular bikes (the Captain joined us) different time for our ain curated tour. More adventurous, bespoke excursions are 1 mode that Riverside hopes to pull a wider demographic, but besides done exclusive offerings that nary different stream cruise tin offer. As guests of the Mozart, we were treated to an after-hours circuit of Vienna’s Belvedere Museum for a backstage viewing of Gustav Klimt’s celebrated coating “The Kiss.” The institution aims to connection 1 of these exclusive offerings connected each itinerary.

The spa connected Riverside's Mozart

After I experienced Riverside Luxury Cruises, I had the accidental to talk with the company’s Americas CEO, Jennifer Halboth, astir her plans to not lone elevate the stream cruise manufacture done the brand’s ships, but besides to pull new-to-the-industry travelers. “At Riverside, we’re putting things successful spot to pull like-minded luxury travelers who bask bully food, bully wine, and large design,” she said. “We privation to spot question advisors offering stream cruising to travelers successful the 40-ish property range, not conscionable to those 55+. People are traveling internationally overmuch earlier successful their lives these days truthful we privation them to acquisition stream cruising truthful it becomes 1 of their go-to vacations.”

Riverside volition beryllium adding Starlink net to its ships for distant workers. The institution volition grow its excursion offerings to see “things radical can’t bash connected their own” similar backstage tours, exclusive entree to section attractions, and opportunities to acquisition section culture. From pop-up bars onboard to much progressive and adventurous excursions to much intimate evening amusement similar a maestro violist, the institution has a batch planned. “I privation our guests to observe a truly unsocial look connected a curated excursion and instrumentality it location with them and marque it for their friends to amusement their peers what a chill signifier of question stream cruising is,” according to Halboth. “At the extremity of the day, we’re present to make memories."