As a member of the marketing team, I was delighted to be offered an opportunity to embark on a river cruise with Riviera Travel. Paul (from Riviera) was one of the first to train me when I joined Miles Morgan Travel and ever since that day, I was intrigued to experience what he was describing. I would like to say now before I go into a lot of detail, I was not disappointed.
Day 1:
The journey began with a swift flight from London Heathrow. It was just a 50-minute flight that flew by (if you pardon the pun). Once through the airport necessities in Düsseldorf, there was a helpful and friendly Riviera assistant waiting for us. After a short wait (for every passenger), we departed the airport and boarded a modern and comfortable coach with a panoramic roof. A short 45 minutes later we were at our ship, MS Geoffrey Chancer. As soon as I stepped inside the ship, I was amazed by the glitz and glamour of the interior. The long bright corridors and gleaming hanging chandeliers contributed to the beautiful ambience of the ship. I was personally escorted to my cabin by a wonderful Riviera guide who pointed out all the need-to-know destinations on board such as the restaurants, gym, upper deck routes and of course the main toilets; something I bared in mind for later after a few drinks!
Upon entry to the room, I was further impressed by its quality. With its eye-catching panoramic window, tea and coffee station, comfortable double bed and even its array of charging stations. 3 British plugs, 3 European plus, 3 USB ports and a wireless charging station on top of the alarm clock. Once settled, we were ready for dinner. Greeted by multiple friendly faces, we were shown to an available table for our group size. After being seated, we were offered a choice of drinks to accompany our meal and were given a menu. Once we had decided what we would like, a waitress was on hand to take our order. Excited by the offering, I ordered a Caesar Salad, soup, Pork fillet wrapped in bacon and a white chocolate mocha dessert. It was gorgeous. Exactly what was needed after a day of travel. I look forward to what tomorrow has to offer…
Day 2
Day 2 began exactly how you would imagine. I wake up in my beautiful Diamond Deck Suite cabin after a good night's sleep, I take a shower under its amazing ceiling fall shower and once dressed, I sit by my panoramic window and literally watch the world float by for 20 minutes before breakfast. Breakfast was (again) gorgeous. With a selection of buffet-style self-service food available as well as a selection of hot foods to order. Everything you could possibly need to fuel your day. A few relaxing hours later, it was time to eat again. This time I tucked into a beautiful 3-course meal made up of a buffet salad bar, meatballs and strawberry cheesecake.
After lunch, we had an hour or so to relax as we cruised to our first destination; Cochem. We begin by disembarking our ship and meeting up with our tour guide. The tour lasted for 90 minutes and was thoroughly entertaining and informative. The tour allowed us to get a really good feel for Cochem. The tour guide was also happy to point you in the direction of anything you would like to see in your free time afterwards. We decided to venture up to a viewing point that overlooked Cochem and down the Moselle River. It was gorgeous up there, better than the professional photos you see and something pictures could never do justice. After this, it was back to the ship for more food. This will be a running theme throughout the trip, so I’ll stop going into too much detail! Post-dinner entertainment was a German Folk law act that lifted the spirits and provided some light-hearted entertainment, with even a few guests showing off their dance moves!
Day 3
Another relaxing morning on board as we sailed towards the historical city of Trier. Once we arrived, we again split into groups and embarked on another guided tour. The historic town of Trier was a pleasure to visit. With so much to learn about its rich past, our guide was brilliant at pointing out and explaining the structures around the city. In our free time, we had a little look around the shops and enjoyed a sun-kissed drink near the cathedral. The bus transfer was about an hour each way into Trier. Once back on board, the evening activity was a quiz. Something I took much enjoyment out of participating in.
Day 4
Today we visited Bernkastel-Kues. A gorgeous little town named with a double barrel as it is made up of two towns, connected by a bridge over the river Moselle. The guide on this trip was amazing. Very engaging with a good sense of humour and a load of facts. She also seemed to know everyone in town, even the dogs! It was lovely to see such friendly people.
After our tour, we ventured up the steep hill to the castle. The views from there were once again gorgeous, a common theme throughout this river cruise. We even ventured up the old castle tower where the steps were small and the walls were tight, no more than shoulder width in size. As you would expect, the views got better!
Day 5
Day 5 was the most active day of the cruise. With a double stop and two tours in the amazing Koblenz and Boppard. At 9am, we met up with our tour guides who were waiting for us outside our ship. We explored the centre of Europe town of Koblenz. Here you can find the meeting point of the famous Rhine and Moselle rivers. After our tour, we hopped on a cable car over the river Rhine up to an old ruin. The views from here were outstanding. You could clearly see the meeting point of the two rivers from the top and through your glass cable cart window.
This stop marks the end of our Moselle experience as we travel along the Rhine River for the remainder of this trip. “What are your overall thoughts on the Moselle River?” I hear you ask. Beautiful, stunning and vineyards. I’ve never seen so many in all my life! But they certainly make for beautiful scenery. The views I have experienced on this river will stay with me forever. High praise for the River Moselle from me, no pressure River Rhine.
Our afternoon destination was Boppard. Another lovely town with beautiful German buildings. We decided to jump on a chair lift to a viewing point over the town and a beautiful bend in the river Rhine. The views were breathtaking. Here we sat and enjoyed a cold drink overlooking the landscape. I managed to take beautiful pictures of this view but let me tell you; it’s far better in person. I could have sat there all day and not got sick of it. Blown away by the scenery I have seen so far, my colleagues were quick to agree when I stated I wasn’t sure how each destination could better the previous, but they definitely have!
Day 6
After a busy Sunday, I welcomed the relaxing cruise to start my Monday morning. One of my favourite things about a cruise is waking up in the morning and opening your curtains to see the calm morning ambience of the river as you cruise along. After breakfast, we sat out and enjoyed passing through the famous Rhine Gorge with a running commentary on passing castles and hearing stories of German Legends. This time to relax and watch the world go by is truly the blessing of a River Cruise. The number of castles along the River Rhine amazed me. Each standing proudly, high up on the hills staring down the valley.
After lunch, we moored in Rüdesheim. We embarked on a walking tour of the city, learning all about the wines and history of the place. The timing was good for our arrival here as it was the last day of their annual wine festival. The main square was full of wine stalls, people and music. It was an amazing atmosphere where everyone was having a great time. The night was topped off with an amazing fireworks display, a perfect ending to the evening.
Day 7
Once again, a nice relaxing morning as we cruise gently back to Cologne for our final full day. Tomorrow, we travel back to the UK. After the all-important disembarkation meeting, we were lucky enough to join the captain on the bridge of the ship (control room). It was amazing to see how it is all controlled from the cameras to the radars. The captain explained how the radar can pick up things as small as the ducks on the water. He also showed us how the bridge can lower itself down to ensure it can fit under certain bridges along the river. Even the roof of the bridge can lower so much that the captain can put his head out of a small window in the center of the roof. We all enjoyed it when he gave us a little demonstration of the movement while we were inside. Having been lucky enough to visit an ocean ship bridge previously. I found it particularly fascinating to be able to draw a comparison. The main difference that amazed me was that the river cruise ships only need one person to control it. Unlike the ocean which had much more!
In the afternoon, we explored one of Germany’s most famous cities, Cologne. With its famous Cathedral, an abundance of shops and good quality breweries, Cologne made for a wonderful final-day destination. We were told all about the history and creation of Cologne’s cathedral as well as the tails of Tünnes and Schäl - a statue within the city. The final evening consisted of a beautiful last meal (as every meal throughout has been) and a Lint chocolate tasting session. A personal highlight of mine and a perfect finale to my river cruise with Riviera Travel.
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed my first-ever river cruise on board MS Geoffrey Chaucer with Riviera Travel. Paul our trip leader was brilliant throughout and a true ambassador for Riviera Travel. His standards only echoed the quality Riviera held throughout. I will be sure to sing the praises of Riviera and would be happy to speak to anyone about my experience; if you can catch me on the rare occasion, I leave the Marketing office.
