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The Blue Danube with Budapest Extension

Free Superior Drinks Package on all European River Cruises
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The Blue Danube with Budapest Extension

From £2,488 pp

Explore this magnificent imperial city, its iconic Gothic Parliament Building and the superb National Gallery with its impressive collection of Hungarian masterpieces plus medieval Visegrad and the delightful Royal Palace at Godollo, before venturing out into the desolate beauty of Hungary’s Great Plain. Stepping aboard you will appreciate the superb surroundings of your floating luxury hotel for the next seven nights with spacious and well-appointed cabins or suites, private bathrooms and meticulously prepared fine cuisine.

What’s Included:

  • Return flights from the UK & overseas transfers
  • Full-board from dinner on your day of arrival until breakfast on your final day
  • Complimentary drinks with meals and from 6pm to midnight from the bar
  • A further three nights in an excellent hotel with breakfast
  • A full complement of guided tours and excursions, highlights include:
    • Tour the most historic towns and cities along the Danube, including guided tours of Vienna, Dürnstein, Budapest and Bratislava.
    • Visit Esztergom Basilica and Melk Abbey.
    • Explore Salzburg or Linz with an expert guide on a tour of the town’s most interesting sights.
    • Immerse yourself in the local culture on board with performances from a Hungarian folklore group in Budapest and a Classical String quartet in Vienna.
    • During your extension enjoy a lunch and horseshow on a tour of the Puszta, visit Budapest’s iconic Parliament building and the famous National Gallery.
  • Services of a cruise director and tour manager
  • Complimentary wifi onboard
  • Tea and coffee making facilities in every cabin

Riviera Plus 

Customers in all deluxe and superior suites and all upper-deck cabins will benefit from a wealth of unique, new benefits:

  • A bathroom stocked with luxury toiletries upon arrival
  • A bottle of champagne awaiting you when you arrive
  • Locally inspired gifts for you to take home
  • Enjoy a massage, spa treatment or hairdresser with a 10% discount
  • Receive 10% off our convenient onboard laundry services
Danube - Budapest-panorama-city-skyline,-Budapest,-HungaryLowRes
Day 1 - Budapest

On arrival, a coach will take you to your cruise ship. The dedicated crew are there to welcome you on board, ensuring you settle in and familiarise yourself with this first-class floating hotel.

There’s always a sense of expectancy and excitement on the eve of a cruise and, after an excellent dinner in the stylish restaurant, conversation is sure to revolve around the delights ahead.

Dinner

Day 2 - Esztergom

Overnight we have cruised upstream to Esztergom, one of Hungary’s oldest towns, a royal capital during medieval times and today the seat of the country’s archbishop. We have a guided tour of the famous neoclassical basilica, standing sentinel over the Danube on the border with Slovakia, and boasting one of the world’s largest altarpieces and a wealth of priceless religious artefacts.

The castle is also worth exploring; it was the seat of government until the Ottomans invaded in the 16th century.

Nestling below are myriad atmospheric churches resonating with the enchanting sounds of choir; this is the best of provincial Hungary and is little changed since Habsburg times. As you enjoy your first lunch on board we gently leave Esztergom in our wake, affording a fascinating opportunity to compare the different landscapes, towns and villages of Hungary on one riverbank and of Slovakia on the other.

Included experience
Visit to Esztergom.

Day 2 - Esztergom

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 - Bratislava

This morning we explore Slovakia’s fast-emerging capital city, Bratislava, on a guided tour. Until recently swathed in the drab uniformity of Communism, the city has rekindled the splendour of its imperial past in its beautifully restored Old Town. Equally impressive is the imposing 17th-century castle commanding expansive views across the Danube.

This afternoon we cruise into Lower Austria, a peaceful, bucolic region and home to some of the country’s best wines. By now the stresses of everyday life seem distant as you absorb the ever-changing scenes, we pass children playing on the riverbanks, young couples strolling arm in arm like generations before them, vignerons carefully pruning their vines, and cobbled quaysides lined by half-timbered buildings.

You’ll marvel as the Captain skilfully navigates the ship along the serene river and through locks whose mechanisms never cease to fascinate, as we cruise towards Dürnstein during dinner.

Included experience
Guided tour of Bratislava.

Day 3 - Bratislava

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 - Dürnstein & Melk

Dürnstein is known principally for the ice-blue tower of its abbey, which dominates the view, and the castle where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192 after being shipwrecked on his return from the crusades.

This morning we take a guided walking tour to explore this memorable city further. Set on a rocky outcrop high above the river, the castle is now ruined, but it’s easy to imagine England’s legendary monarch seething with frustration far from home, while waiting for his family to raise funds to pay his ransom.

Melk
After lunch you visit the remarkable Melk Abbey. Nothing quite prepares you for your first sight of this enormous honey-coloured building, standing resplendent above the surrounding countryside. Originally a castle, it was gifted to the Benedictine Order in the 11th-century and, although reconstructed in Baroque style during the 18th century, it has remained a monastic school and monastery ever since.

The Abbey is renowned for its 214-yard-long Emperor’s Gallery lined with portraits, many fine rooms and an ornate library. After we re-join the ship, dinner is served during the final part of our cruise upstream through the pretty Nibelungengau, immortalised in the music of Wagner.

Included experience
Guided tours of Dürnstein & Melk Abbey.

Day 4 - Dürnstein & Melk

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5 - Salzburg

Reaching Linz, you will have the choice to stay in the city and take a guided walking tour, exploring its charming baroque old town. At its heart you’ll see one of the finest squares in Austria, lined by grand pastel-coloured facades with an impressive central Trinity Column of white marble, crowned by a gilded sunburst. There’s also the fortress-like castle, built high above the city by Emperor Friedrich III, now a museum housing a fine collection of nineteenth and twentieth-century artworks.

Alternatively, we drive to Salzburg, once an independent state whose archbishops turned it into one of the most sophisticated cities north of the Alps. Dominating the skyline is one of Europe’s largest stone fortresses, the Hohensalzburg, while beneath its walls church domes and spires rise from the delightful Altstadt, or Old Town. Then there’s the wonderful Hellbrunn Palace and the splendid formal gardens of the Mirabell Palace – a must for horticulture fans.

This morning, discover some of the city’s main sights in the company of an expert local guide, then you’re free to explore as you wish. Everywhere there are sights associated with the city’s most famous resident, Mozart, who played the harpsichord aged three, composed rudimentary music at five and wrote his first opera when he was 11!

Please note lunch is not included on this full day excursion to Salzburg; however, the ship will offer a packed lunch. We return to the ship for another splendid dinner.

Included experience
Guided tour of Linz or Salzburg.

Day 5 - Salzburg

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 Vienna

For many, today’s visit to Vienna will be one of the highlights of the cruise. The city’s very name provokes images of elegance, fine music, wide boulevards, Baroque architecture and a rich tapestry of peoples who were drawn here from all corners of Europe.

For 200 years until the First World War, Vienna was the cultural centre of Europe and many of the showpiece buildings, galleries, aristocratic palaces and magnificent churches you see today were built to reflect its imperial status. The city’s most iconic monument is the breathtaking Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, whose striking multi-coloured roof and huge Gothic South Tower dominate the skyline.

There’s also the colossal Hofburg, the former royal court that is now home to a collection of museums, the Crown Jewels and the Spanish Riding School, and where the Vienna Boys’ Choir performs. Then there are the lavish Imperial Apartments and an outstanding collection of relics of the Holy Roman Empire, including, allegedly, the sabre of Charlemagne himself. The Kunsthistorisches Museum, which contains the world’s fourth largest collection of paintings, is just across the road.

This morning we have a tour with a local guide offering insights into why Vienna is one of Europe’s great capitals – the seat of the Habsburg emperors and home to some of the world’s finest classical composers, including Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and, of course, a whole family of Strausses.

During the afternoon you’re free to explore as you wish. Take a stroll in the Prater, notable for the huge Ferris wheel that features in several Cold War spy thrillers. Or, for something quite different, visit the Schönbrunn Palace, a former royal residence now housing a range of world-class museums and galleries. Perhaps, though, just take a stroll through Vienna’s atmospheric side streets, or enjoy a coffee and a slice of delicious Sachertorte in one of the lovely coffee houses.

This evening we’ve arranged truly the ‘icing on the cake’: no visit to Vienna is complete without a live musical experience, so after dinner hosted by the Captain himself we have a classical recital on board. To hear this exquisite music played in the city of its creation makes a wonderful finale to the day.

Included experience
Guided tour of Vienna & live classical recital.

Day 6 Vienna

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 - Budapest

Enjoy a leisurely morning as we cruise majestically through Hungary’s peaceful pastoral landscape towards Budapest. After lunch we enjoy a sightseeing tour of this captivating city, which truly lives up to its reputation as the ‘Pearl of the Danube’.

The twin cities of Buda, built around the hilltop fortress, and Pest, with its wide boulevards, were fought over through the centuries. The Ottomans ruled here for 150 years before being ousted in the late 17th century, but their legacy lives on in the many thermal baths fed by hot springs, giving rise to Budapest’s other sobriquet – the ‘City of Spas’.

After the end of Ottoman rule, Budapest became an imperial city of the Habsburg Empire, attracting great cultural and commercial wealth. Castle Hill is Budapest in microcosm: two churches, seven museums and a theatre among streets and squares with their own special atmosphere and a dramatic view across the river to the awe-inspiring neo-Gothic Parliament Building. Budapest’s endless galleries, museums, outstanding Art Nouveau architecture and excellent shopping offer a fittingly elegant end to your Danube cruise.

This evening’s Gala Dinner closes with a Hungarian folklore show, giving you time to bid farewell to your travelling companions and reflect on all the inspirational places, sights and sounds you have experienced on a truly ‘imperial’ cruise.

Included experience
Guided tour of Budapest & Hungarian folklore show.

Day 7 - Budapest

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8 - Budapest & Puszta

We leave the ship to explore some of the region’s hidden gems.

We take a scenic drive through the outskirts of the Puszta, Hungary’s Great Plain, which covers half the country. Although prone to flooding, the soil was rich with volcanic silt, and in medieval times vast numbers worked the land here. But in the decades of war that followed villages were deserted, the forests were destroyed, and the region became an inhospitable swamp. Today this flat expanse is a protected prairie stretching for miles into the horizon; romantically desolate, the wild, lonely silence of this landscape is broken only by the sound of livestock on the occasional whitewashed farm, where ruby-coloured peppers dry in the hazy sun before being ground into paprika.

We’ll visit a renowned Equestrian Park, where after a welcome drink, we enjoy a traditional lunch accompanied by the authentic sounds of Hungarian gypsy music. Later we sit back to watch a performance by some of the most skilled horsemen in the area, and you’ll have the opportunity to take a scenic carriage ride to experience this unique landscape from a different perspective.

We return to Budapest, where we stay for the next three nights, with breakfast, at the centrally located Courtyard by Marriott Budapest City Centre.

Included experience
Scenic tour of the Puszta with lunch and horse show.

Day 8 - Budapest & Puszta

Breakfast

Day 9 - Budapest

Budapest is truly a magnificent city – an alluring collage of palatial buildings and grand churches with dramatic spires and magnificent domes straddling the vast waters of the Danube. Numerous foreign powers have ruled here, reflected in the city’s eclectic architectural mix. However, the greatest influence on its architecture was Hungary’s union with Austria in 1867, which initiated growth up to the First World War. This resulted in some sensational buildings in a range of styles, including the elegant Art Nouveau Gellert Hotel and its thermal baths, resplendent with majolica tiles and colourful mosaics.

The iconic Parliament Building – the world’s third largest – was also built during this period. Constructed in neo-Gothic style and arguably grander than our own Houses of Parliament, it dominates the riverbank with its striking central dome and spires soaring into the sky above. Its cathedral-like interior is breathtakingly ornate, with fabulous frescoes, stained glass and mosaics. During an included tour, we’ll see the Domed Hall, home to the Hungarian Crown Jewels, the 16-sided Central Hall with its stunning gilded ceiling and intricate carvings, and the astonishing Golden Staircase.

Afterwards, why not enjoy lunch at our next stop, the Great Market Hall, a vibrant hub of Hungarian culture, history, and cuisine. Built in 1897, the neoclassical facade and brightly coloured roof hall are a must-see for travellers visiting Budapest – you can spot its roof tiles from across the city skyline. Inside the market, you’ll find a vast array of dining options and local products, from fresh produce and meats to traditional handicrafts and souvenirs.

We’ll then visit the Palinka Museum to learn about the production and consumption of this traditional fruit brandy and its special role in Hungarian culture. We’ll also enjoy a tasting experience in which a team of experts and pálinka sommeliers will introduce you to the distillates they hold in the highest regard. Enjoy some of their finest choices and gain insight into the consumption of palinka and the secrets of its distillation.

The rest of the afternoon is at leisure, you can explore the area or take a walk back to our hotel and take advantage of the hotel facilities.

Included experiences
Guided tour of Budapest’s Parliament Building & visit to the Palinka Museum.

Day 9 - Budapest

Breakfast

Day 10 - Budapest

Today, we’ll visit the impressive National Gallery, which is located in Buda Castle and includes a phenomenal collection of Hungarian masterpieces spanning the centuries as well as a crypt containing tombs of several members of the Habsburg dynasty. We enjoy a visit to this world-famous collection and then a short orientation walk of the surrounding area.

The rest of the day is at leisure to explore this fantastic city and its multitude of cultural attractions.

Perhaps, spend more time here in the Castle District admiring its panoramic views of the city and exploring its tiny winding passages, Gothic arches and colourful houses, mostly dating from the 17th to 19th centuries. Don’t miss the wonderful Matthias Church, where shafts of light from the intricate rose windows pierce the darkness, illuminating the splendid altar and statues to great effect.

Included experience
Visit to the National Gallery.

Day 10 - Budapest

Breakfast

Day 11 - Return Home

After breakfast it’s time to say goodbye and start the journey home, with memories to savour for a long time to come.

Breakfast

Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Exterior

Thomas Hardy is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2017 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows. 6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 176 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with first class service levels. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Riviera Thomas Hardy Lounge

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.      

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additional floor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Deluxe Balcony Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Stern Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan
Riviera Travel Emily Brontë

Emily Brontë is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2017 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows. 6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 176 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with first class service levels. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.      

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additionl fllor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Deluxe Balcony Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan
Riviera Travel Oscar Wilde Exterior

Oscar Wilde is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2017 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows. 6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Riviera-Travel-OscarWilde-Lounge

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additional floor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera-Travel-OscarWilde-Deluxe-Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Stern Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan
Riviera Travel - MS William Wordsworth

MS William Wordsworth is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2019 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows. 6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 176 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with our first class service levels. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Atrium

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.      

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additional floor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Deluxe Balcony Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Stern Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan
DepartShipEmbarkFrom  
Jul 26William WordsworthBudapest£2798Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£2798  
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3148  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3548  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3298  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3448  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3548  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£3848  
Aug 16William WordsworthBudapest£2798Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£2798  
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3148  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3548  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3298  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3448  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3548  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£3848  
Sep 27William WordsworthBudapest£3418Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£3418  
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3768  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4168  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3918  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4068  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4168  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£4468  
Oct 17Thomas HardyBudapest£2948Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£2948  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3298  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3698  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3448  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3598  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3698  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£3998  
Oct 21Emily BrontëBudapest£2848Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£2848  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3198  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3598  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3348  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3498  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3598  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£3898  
DepartShipEmbarkFrom  
Apr 21Riviera RadianceBudapest£2568Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£2568  
Middle DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£3168  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£3568  
Upper DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£3368  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£3868  
Upper DeckGrand Suite344 ft², Outside Balcony£4368  
May 19Riviera RadianceBudapest£3168Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£3168  
Middle DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£3768  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£4168  
Upper DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£3968  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£4468  
Upper DeckGrand Suite344 ft², Outside Balcony£4968  
Jun 4Oscar WildeBudapest£3168Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£3168  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3718  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4118  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3918  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4268  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4368  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£4668  
Jun 23Riviera RadianceBudapest£3438Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£3438  
Middle DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£4038  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£4438  
Upper DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£4238  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£4738  
Upper DeckGrand Suite344 ft², Outside Balcony£5238  
Jul 21Riviera RadianceBudapest£2738Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£2738  
Middle DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£3338  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£3738  
Upper DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£3538  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£4038  
Upper DeckGrand Suite344 ft², Outside Balcony£4538  
Aug 1William WordsworthBudapest£2488Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£2488  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3038  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3438  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3238  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3588  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3688  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£3988  
Aug 25Oscar WildeBudapest£3018Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£3018  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3568  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3968  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3768  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4118  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4218  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£4518  
Sep 1William WordsworthBudapest£3318Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£3318  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3868  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4268  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£4068  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4418  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4518  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£4818  
Sep 15Riviera RadianceBudapest£3568Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£3568  
Middle DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£4168  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£4568  
Upper DeckCabin172 ft², French Balcony£4368  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite258 ft², French Balcony£4868  
Upper DeckGrand Suite344 ft², Outside Balcony£5368  
Sep 30Emily BrontëBudapest£2918Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£2918  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3468  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3868  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3668  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4018  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£4118  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£4418  
Oct 14Emily BrontëBudapest£2618Cabin Upgrades
Lower DeckCabin172 ft², Fixed Windows£2618  
Middle DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3168  
Middle DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3568  
Upper DeckSuite183 ft², French Balcony£3368  
Upper DeckSuperior Stern Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3718  
Upper DeckSuperior Suite247 ft², French Balcony£3818  
Upper DeckDeluxe Balcony Suite269 ft², Outside Balcony£4118  


Why Choose This Cruise?

Riviera Travel’s river cruises have caused a bit of a revolution in the UK market and sell more river cruises in the UK than any other river cruise line.  A range of brand new ships, styled classically have impressed with their high standards for the price.  Riviera’s 30 years of land-touring experience are carried into their river cruise excursions, providing good value off ship experiences.  Whilst some may require higher levels of inclusions and finer dining, Riviera’s river cruises deliver consistently high standards for their loyal UK customers.

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