A Comparison Of Viva Cruises And Riverside Luxury Cruises

Viva Cruises and Riverside Luxury Cruises

By John Roberts

Riverside Luxury Cruises is the second new river line that I’ve tried in 2023.

Riverside and Viva Cruises are new German-owned entrants to the river market in Europe who are both trying to lure North American cruisers to their ships.

With so many options out there, why should you think about sailing on Viva TWO or Riverside Mozart?

Firstly, both offer programs that probably feel a little bit different to most cruisers because they are German/Swiss-owned companies.

John above the Danube River on a Viva TWO cruise

John above the Danube River. * Photo: John Robeerts

Viva Cruises is based in Dusseldorf, Germany, and is a brand that was started in 2018 by Swiss cruise ship company Scylla, whose primary business has been to charter out river ships to brands like Tauck River Cruises and Riviera River Cruises. Along with Riverside, which launched in late 2022, Viva has newly committed to courting the international and especially the North American cruise market.

Viva currently operates a fleet of nine river boats, including 190-pax Viva TWO.

The 190-pax Viva TWO. * Photo: John Roberts

Riverside Luxury Cruises was launched by brother and sister co-owners from Hamburg, Germany, who for a long time have been operating Seaside Collection, a portfolio of resort hotels in the Canary Islands, Germany and the Maldives.

Riverside purchased the five former Crystal Cruises river ships and started the business with the debut of Riverside Mozart in early 2023.

Here’s what I learned about Riverside Mozart and Viva TWO when I cruised with them this summer.

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An International Cruise Program with a German Flair

Each of the lines has a strong base of cruisers who come from Germany or German-speaking countries (like Austria, Switzerland and Belgium), so the menus, daily programs, announcements and other signage will be in both English and German.

That said, both lines however are very intentional in their push to be international river cruise lines, seeking to draw passengers from Europe, North America, Asia and South America.

On my Viva TWO cruise, I was among a small group of U.S. travelers. The ship mostly was filled with German cruisers.

While on my Riverside Mozart cruise there were only eight passengers, the company tells me that typically they’re getting about half of their customers from German-speaking countries, with the other half a mix of North Americans and other parts of Europe.

Viva TWO near Romania’s Iron Gates. * Photo: Viva Cruises

All-Inclusive Luxury at Mass-Market Prices

For now as they strive to make inroads into the competitive European river cruise market, both Viva Cruises and Riverside Luxury Cruises are offering fantastic value for their all-inclusive voyages.

Just like with Riverside’s all-inclusive package (note, Riverside also offers more pared-down fare options with fewer inclusions), Viva Cruises includes drinks (spirits, wines, beer and soft drinks), excursions, Wi-Fi and gratuities. You also get a stocked minibar in your cabin.

My week-long all-inclusive “Danube’s Great Cities” cruise on Viva TWO starts at $2,195.

A similar itinerary with Viking, for instance, costs $2,100, and you only get beer and wine and lunch and dinner. Otherwise, drinks are pay as you go.

In comparison, my week on Riverside Mozart’s “Treasures of the Danube”cruise starts at $2,917 per person, all-inclusive like Viva.

About Viva TWO

The public spaces include a beautiful lounge with good views through large windows.

There is a small but cozy bar at the front of the ship and three restaurants. Viva TWO’s Bistro seats 30 and serves seafood specialties for lunches and dinners.

The Viva TWO Bistro. * Photo: John Roberts

Riverside, the main restaurant, offers a mix of international cuisine, and a new concept, Moments, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This new eatery is a big plug for Viva Cruises.

For lunch, it has a nice selection of meals like lasagna al forno, a gourmet cheeseburger, fried chicken and charcuterie board that will make it a favorite for North American cruisers.

Viva TWO’s Main Restaurant. * Photo: Viva Cruises

For dinner, it seats 60 for its special five-course wine-pairing meals.

When it comes to cabins, my balcony stateroom measured up to the standard staterooms I would expect on the rivers. It measured 150 square feet and had a good walk-in shower. But no U.S. outlets or USB ports.

John’s Viva TWO cabin. * Photo: John Roberts

A Viva TWO suite. * Photo: Viva Cruises

The Sun Deck is your basic spacious turf area with loungers and a nice plunge pool.

Viva TWO’s sundeck. * Photo: John Roberts.

John aboard Viva TWO living the life. * Photo: John Roberts

I was impressed with the gym and the nearby spa, which features a massage room, sauna, steam room and shower. These are great amenities for a river ship.

Service was good, and I expect the space in the main lounge and bar would get crowded when the ship sails at full capacity of 190 (95 cabins). We had 125 passengers on for my cruise, so people had plenty of space all over the ship.

Viva Cruises has a passenger base that is about 50 percent German or German-speaking and 45 percent from elsewhere in Europe. The bulk of that group is from Scandinavian countries and then Israel, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain.

I had a wonderful time on each voyage, with the culinary programs on both Viva Cruises and Riverside Luxury Cruises as highlights.

It’s my opinion that North American travelers will really love these river boasts and cruise programs once they try them out.

Riverside and Viva are an especially good find for cruisers who are comfortable in international crowds and for those seeking a great deal for an all-inclusive, hassle-free voyage.