VIVA Cruises

Different Dining Venues: The three newbuild vessels, VIVA ONE, VIVA TWO, and VIVA ENJOY, each offer three different dining experiences. The main Riverside restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a choice of buffet and a la carte for breakfast and lunch, and a multi-course a la carte meal for dinner. Dishes range in cuisine but are creative, and there's always a regional option.

The more casual 30-seat VIVA's Bistro, at the back of the ship, is an intimate spot where lunch and dinner dishes (mostly comfort food and classic fare) are cooked to order in the open kitchen. Moments is a cozy 60-spot restaurant below water level with a variety of seating, including plenty of tables for two (a rarity on many river vessels). Also open for breakfast, it serves mostly Italian cuisine, with wine pairings at night. Guests can eat in VIVA's Bistro and Moments as often as they want at no extra charge, or choose to have all their meals in the Riverside restaurant.

Clever Design Features: Again, the trio of new ships broke the mold with a radical new look that makes them feel particularly light and airy. This is down to the split-level design. Instead of having a bar that is part of the lounge, the bar is a standalone venue at the front of the ship, with floor-to-ceiling windows, reached by a small flight of stairs from the lounge. This gives it an atmosphere of its own, particularly at night when folks can choose whether to sit in the lounge and listen to the entertainment or head to the bar. Furthermore, the Riverside restaurant is not fully enclosed, and the partial ceiling means part of it can be seen from the lounge and bar, creating a sense of space. The restaurant can also be accessed through the main door and via a staircase from the bar, resulting in smaller (or no) lines at popular dining times.   

Included and Optional Excursions: VIVA encourages passengers to personalize their vacation experience. As part of the North American product offering there are one or two included excursions at each port of call, based on the time spent in the destination. Additionally there are optional for-fee shore tours which are listed on the website. Guests can pre-book these excursions when they receive their travel documents or decide what to do on a whim once on board.

Flexible Dining: On some ships, passengers have to go to lunch and dinner at a fixed time. However, not everyone wants to eat at the same time. VIVA has recognized this and provides a generous slot for mealtimes, whether you fancy a lie-in, want to do some shopping before lunch, or are keen to grab an aperitif at a local bar in the evening, as the last time for dinner orders is 9 p.m. 

Quality Amenities: The line provides upscale Rituals shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion, and plush robes are available in every cabin.

Year-round Cruising: While a couple of other lines have since followed suit, VIVA Cruises was the first line to offer year-round sailings, offering trips in January through March when the majority of other cruise lines' ships are moored up for winter. This provides the opportunity to experience destinations out of high season, when few other tourists are about, as well as at very reasonable prices.

Inclusive Pricing: Including a welcome bottle of sparkling wine on arrival and a daily restocked mini-bar, all drinks (including quality wines, premium spirits, and cocktails) and food are included in the fare. Gratuities, excursions, and Wi-Fi are also included.

Interesting Excursions: VIVA offers excursions that stand out from the crowd. These include a night watchman tour with a costumed guide in the line's Düsseldorf homeport and a true crime tour in Bremen. Alternative modes of transport include a rickshaw ride in Cologne and a tour of Budapest in a Trabant (a tiny, affordable car produced in the former East Germany that was ironically called the "Paper Jaguar" for its cheap construction and poor performance).

Curious and Independently-Minded Travelers: VIVA ships attract mostly those who want to get a really immersive taste of the destinations visited and prefer a flexible program where they're not tied down to set mealtimes and can pick and choose if they want to participate in extra excursions. Many passengers choose to explore by themselves, and this relaxed and informal approach attracts a younger crowd, including many first-time river cruisers.

Food Lovers: VIVA raised the bar on river ship dining aboard its newest ships, which have three distinct restaurants (the majority of river cruise ships have one main restaurant, only some have a second) serving different cuisines, as well as a wide range of regional dishes. Passengers can eat as often as they wish in VIVA's Bistro and Moments, rather than have one dining allocation per week, which is common on some other river ships with specialty restaurants.

Active Travelers and Those Seeking Pampering: Ships carry bikes, which are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. They also have gyms and small spas offering a variety of massage treatments.

Older Ships Have Fewer Facilities: The fleet's older ships, such as VIVA Ruby, which previously sailed as Swiss Ruby for Riviera River Cruises, have fewer restaurants and no walk-out balcony suites compared with the newer vessels.