ONBOARD RIVERSIDE MOZART — Riverside Luxury Cruises, the luxury river brand launched in 2023 by German boutique hotelier Seaside Collection, has culinary excellence and service at its core.
The cruise line got its start following the acquisition of five vessels from the former Crystal Cruises. Currently sailing for Riverside are Riverside Mozart, Riverside Ravel and Riverside Debussy. For now Riverside Bach and Riverside Mahler are under charter to another cruise line.
I recently sailed aboard Riverside Mozart on the Danube, travelling from Vienna to Esztergom, Visegrad and Budapest in Hungary, the Slovak capital Bratislava, and the Austrian town Tulln. After seven nights onboard, it was clear that Riverside is different from other luxury river brands. Here’s what I discovered.
MORE SPACE, MORE AMENITIES
The moment I saw Riverside Mozart, I knew it was different. At 73 feet across, it is twice as wide as any river ship I have sailed on. Inside, there are living-room-style spaces rather than one single lounge. Comfortable sofas with toss cushions encouraged socializing with my fellow guests, while cozy alcoves and wing chairs with ottomans were great spots for quiet reading.
The Palm Court Lounge is spacious and bright, with skylights and windows all around
In addition to Waterside Restaurant, there are two additional dining venues. I was a regular at L’Atelier, which serves a late-riser breakfast and light bites throughout the day, along with barista-made coffees and teas, made-from-scratch ice creams, sorbets, and bubble waffles. L’Atelier also hosts a destination-themed dinner, where I enjoyed an Austro-Hungarian menu of regional specialties such as goulash and Kaiserschmarrn.
L’Atelier is a café that serves late-riser breakfasts and all-day light bites, as well as a destination-themed dinner
I also had lunch at Blue, which overlooks the stern. Open on select days, it serves soups, salads, burgers and fries, flatbreads, pressed sandwiches and small desserts, all delivered table-side.
Additional amenities include an expanded fitness centre, sauna, steam room, swim-against-the-current pool, hot tub, spa treatment rooms, relaxation area, salon with nail services and a self-serve laundrette – many of which aren’t found on standard river ships or are considerably smaller.
The expansive rooftop became one of my favourite spots, with loungers, sofas and beanbag chairs from which to take in the river vistas. I also enjoyed strolling along the promenade deck, which wrapped around the entire ship. Riverside Mozart is the only river vessel to offer this walking track.
Mozart’s larger footprint also allows spacious suites ranging from 205 to 883 square feet – virtually unheard of on the river. Butler service is included for every guest, and mine delivered hot breakfasts and sweet treats in the evenings.
The Mozart Penthouse Suite is spacious at 334 square feet
OUTSTANDING CUISINE
Riverside’s generous food and beverage budget is reflected in its cuisine, earning Cruise Critic’s Best River Cruise Dining award two years running.
Throughout my sailing, I savoured buffet and plated meals that were wonderfully prepared and presented. Dinner courses were prepared à la minute, while breads and pastas were made fresh daily.
The seven-course dinner in The Vintage Room, paired with premium wines, was my ultimate culinary highlight.
Riverside’s generous F&B budget results in high quality meals made with local ingredients and are beautifully presented
SERVICE ABOVE & BEYOND
Riverside Mozart carries a maximum of 162 guests, with 82 crew members providing attentive, intuitive service.
When the Executive Chef learned that an Indian couple missed their traditional cuisine, he prepared an Indian dish for them each evening.
Riverside is also highly flexible with its excursion policy, allowing same-day changes and cancellations. Tours even operated with only two guests, as was my case in Vienna, and I was impressed.
The double-wide rooftop deck offers plenty of seating for guests to enjoy the Danube River vistas
FLEXIBLE SAILING DURATIONS
Another unique selling feature is the ability to customize Riverside Mozart’s Danube itineraries. Sailings can be booked as 3-, 4-, 6-, 7-, 10-, 11-, or 14-night journeys, allowing guests to sample river cruising, extend a land vacation or explore the river in depth.
Besides the main lounge, Riverside Mozart also has additional living-room-like spaces to unwind in
MULTIPLE PRICING OPTIONS
It is standard practice for luxury river cruise lines to offer a single fare that includes alcohol and excursions. Riverside takes a completely different approach.
Its Full Board fare includes accommodation, meals in Waterside, Blue, and L’Atelier (excluding the themed dinner), room service during restaurant hours, specialty coffees from self-serve machines, WiFi and gratuities. Bar beverages and excursions are available for purchase, making it particularly appealing for light or non-drinkers and guests who prefer to explore independently.
The Premium All-Inclusive fare adds wines, beer, and cocktails, 24-hour room service, and dinner at L’Atelier, ideal for guests who want all meals and beverages included.
Guests can also add an excursion package to either option. This ability to tailor pricing so travellers pay only for what they want is Riverside’s most distinctive selling feature.
Waterside Restaurant is large enough to accommodate all 162 guests for meals
WHO WILL ENJOY RIVERSIDE MOZART?
In my view, Riverside Mozart is perfect for travellers seeking an elevated cruise experience, especially those who appreciate fine dining. Its larger size and high crew-to-guest ratio will also appeal to travellers who value spacious accommodations and personalized service.
My cruise included couples, friends and family groups, and solo travellers, as Riverside waives the single supplement on entry-level suites. While the clientele was predominantly North American, there were also guests from the UK, Spain and Germany onboard.
To learn more about Riverside Luxury Cruises, visit the travel advisor portal, which has a Canadian-dollar booking engine.
NO SAILINGS CANCELLED DUE TO WATER LEVELS
Advisors can also reach out to the Riverside’s Senior Director of Sales, Canada, Peter Ouzounov, at p.ouzounov@riverside-cruises.
Travelweek connected with Ouzounov this week to ask about how low water levels on parts of the Danube, Rhine and Main are impacting Riverside’s operations.
“We’ve been closely monitoring the impact of the unusually low water levels affecting parts of Europe’s rivers this summer. While this has required us to adjust some itineraries, we’re pleased to confirm that we’ve not cancelled any sailings and remain fully committed to providing our guests with the exceptional Riverside experience they expect,” said Ouzounov.
“Where changes have been necessary, our teams have worked quickly to create meaningful alternatives, including, in some cases, luxurious five-star hotel stays in city-centre locations with all associated costs covered by Riverside. We’ve also provided guests with the flexibility to rebook on another sailing, cancel without penalty and receive generous compensation and incentives to return and experience Riverside at another time.”
Ouzounov said the cruise line’s priority throughout “has been transparency, communication, and ensuring our guests continue to enjoy a memorable and elevated Riverside journey despite the challenging conditions.”
Lead image caption: Riverside Mozart on the Danube (photo courtesy Riverside; all other photos courtesy Ming Tappin)