How Riverside is Elevating River Cruising in Europe

River cruising is the essence of slow travel, offering a unique way to explore Europe along its historic waterways.

As someone who has traveled Europe’s waterways extensively, I’ve come to treasure the gentle pace that allows you to unpack once while discovering a new destination each day. It’s travel that brings you right to the heart of historic cities and villages.

Riverside Cruises

Recently, my husband, Benjamin, and I took a seven-night river cruise with Riverside Cruises, a relative newcomer that’s quietly revolutionizing luxury river cruising in Europe.

The family-run Seaside Collection, a global luxury hotel group, owns Riverside Cruises—infusing its signature high-end hospitality into a fresh take on river cruising.

Seaside Collection

“Seaside Collection’s approach to luxury hospitality rests on three fundamental pillars,” says co-owner Gregor Gerlach. “For us, luxury is not bling or glitzy. For us, luxury is great products, good people and great property design.”

Their philosophy emphasizes exceptional food quality, personalized service, and distinctive design adapted to each location.

When the opportunity arose to enter river cruising in 2023, Seaside Collection saw the perfect chance to bring these same principles to the waterways of Europe.

The timing aligned with the availability of three newly built ships that matched their vision for creating an ultra-luxury river cruise experience.

Riverside River Cruise Ships

My husband and I cruised on the Riverside Debussy, a well-appointed ship with 55 guest suites and a crew of 55—a ratio that showcases the company’s dedication to personalized service. Every suite comes with butler service, mirroring the personal attention at Seaside Collection’s finest properties.

I quickly noted the elevated culinary program onboard during our cruise. Riverside ships have more kitchen space than most other ships on the river—a design that initially puzzled industry observers but proved essential for Riverside’s vision.

“When the ships went up for sale, some were saying that kitchens were way too big, and they had too many crew cabins,” Gerlach notes. “But when we sat together with our hotel team, including executive chefs from our Leading Hotels of the World properties, we looked at the plans and said, ‘This is the perfect kitchen.’

The Riverside ships showcase what’s possible when river cruise ship design prioritizes space and luxury. The vessels were conceived with luxury in mind from the start. The spacious suites and elegant public spaces create an environment that feels more like a floating boutique hotel than a typical river cruise ship.

My Experience on the Riverside Debussy

One of my favorite parts of the ship was our cabin. It had a large walk-in closet, which I’ve never seen on other river cruise ships.

Our king-size bed faced the floor-to-ceiling window (the top half of the window comes down) so we could lie in bed and watch Europe roll by.  The large bathroom had dual vanities and plenty of storage space. Our room attendant offered a pillow menu to ensure we had the perfect pillows.

Personalized Care

The staff were attentive, helpful – and fun. They seemed to really enjoy their work and that joy carried over to our cruise experience. They quickly learned what we liked (and didn’t like) and elevated our experience with their level of care.

Riverside cruises are all-inclusive. All drinks, including wine, are included. Starlink Wi-Fi, shore excursions, transfers, and gratuities (both onboard and ashore) are also included.

One note—If you don’t think you’ll use the included drinks or excursions, Riverside offers an option to go ‘a la carte’ by booking full board accommodation without any drinks and/or excursions.

Best Food on the River

I had heard that Riverside had some of the best food on the river, and it was true. Every single meal we had was exceptional, including the buffets. Small touches – like a lemonade menu with different types of lemonade – added to our dining experience.

Executive Chef Gareth Gradwell combines local and international flavors with the freshest ingredients and loads of talent to create exceptional dishes. We saw even more of that talent during a seven-course private Vintage Room dining experience (an add-on option).

Each dish was a work of art, and he presented each with a story or poem. With dishes titled “Waiting for a Sweet Kiss from Royalty” and “The Concealed Trust,” you can imagine how much fun we had. Sommelier Christina Cabello paired each course with the perfect wine.

Excursions on Riverside Cruises

Riverside cruises include a daily excursion; sometimes, there are even two. My husband and I were on a Riverside Christmas cruise on the Rhine, and our excursions included fun experiences like visiting a local family-run winery, visits to four different Christmas markets, and even a thrilling ghost tour at night in the Dutch town of Nijmegen.

Where Does Riverside Cruise?

Riverside has three ships which cruise on the Rhine, Main, Danube, Rhône, and Saone rivers in Europe. Trips last 3 to 14 days.

For travelers seeking an all-inclusive river cruise in Europe with personalized service and exceptional cuisine, Riverside Cruises is a good bet. It’s a testament to what happens when seasoned hoteliers bring their expertise to the rivers of Europe, creating something truly distinctive in the process.

Janna Graber is an award-winning American travel journalist who has written for national magazines, newspapers and websites. She is the managing editor of Go World Travel Magazine, and a member of the Society of American Travel Writers. Since studying abroad in Austria, she’s been in love with world travel, and has covered travel in more than 60 countries. She’s the author of three travel anthology books, including “A Pink Suitcase: 22 Tales of Women’s Travel” and “Adventures of a Lifetime”.

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