This Upstart River Cruise Brand Is Giving Travelers a New Way to See Europe

"I had only just stepped aboard the Riverside Ravel in Avignon, France, and it was already clear this would be no ordinary cruise. There were no lines, no waiting for my suite-just a butler offering to unpack in my room while I enjoyed a flute of vintage Taittinger. My husband and I were sailing the Rhône River from Avignon to Lyon, eating our way through the legendary towns of southeast France, including Arles and Dijon."

"I was certainly able to spread out in our Riverside Suite, which had a king-size bed facing a floor-to-ceiling window, deep drawers, a writing desk, and, in the marble bathroom, double sinks and products from the Spanish apothecary Natura Bissé. I also came to love the ship's heated indoor swimming pool, which I often had all to myself. I found Riverside's small-group tours to be particularly well done-in part because they were often hosted by the proprietors of the venues we were visiting."

Guests step aboard the Riverside Ravel in Avignon and receive immediate butler service, including unpacking and a flute of vintage Taittinger. The ship sails the Rhône River from Avignon to Lyon and calls at towns such as Arles, Dijon, and other southeastern French destinations. Riverside Luxury Cruises launched in 2022 from Hamburg with a fleet of three former Crystal Cruises vessels offering some of the most spacious suites in Europe. Suites feature king-size beds, floor-to-ceiling windows, marble bathrooms with double sinks and Natura Bissé products. The ship offers a heated indoor pool and well-curated small-group tours often hosted by proprietors, including olive-oil tastings, truffle-farm visits, and estate lunches amid vineyards and groves.

Read at Travel + Leisure