European River Cruise FAQs

• There is no requirement to bring formal dress - smart/casual is acceptable for both day and evening as there is no dress code enforced. 
• However, men are requested not to wear shorts for dinner or vest tops at any time in the dining room. You may wish to wear a jacket and tie for dinner. 
• The Chef's Dinner offers the opportunity, should you wish, for more special attire.

Details on the facilities on each ship can be found in the individual river cruise ship pages.

Hairdressing services

• Most ships, with the exception of the MS Douro Elegance and MS Douro Splendour, offer a hairdressing service.

Medical services

• There are no on-board medical personnel, although specific crew members will have basic first aid training. However, the ship can stop at any time to transfer any passenger requiring emergency medical attention to local medical facilities.
• If you have any concerns about your health whilst on tour, please see your Cruise Director or Concierge. They will be able to advise you about chemists and availability of doctors, etc. 
• In an emergency you could always phone our emergency number as issued on your itinerary. 

Laundry service

• A limited laundry service is available on board, except on the day of disembarkation. 
• A dry cleaning service is not available.

Library

• There is a small library on board with a selection of books, games and puzzles.

Gift shop

• There is a gift shop on board.

Lifts

• There is a lift between all three internal decks but not the sun deck on most ships.

• We believe age is just a number, and so do the people who travel with us!
• Age composition on our holidays varies, and your holiday may be shared with travellers in their 30s right up to those in their 80s, or even beyond.
• What unites all our guests is their adventurous spirit, insatiable curiosity and desire to not just see, but explore the world with like-minded travellers.

• Our ships are moving vessels, therefore, you may experience some noise on board. 
• Noise levels tend to be louder when the ship is manoeuvring, docking, and can vary depending on the river conditions and weather. 
• Cabins in the middle and towards the front of the ship are less likely to be affected than those at the rear.

While you're able to pay via card or cash onboard the ship, you'll find that many places in Europe are still cash only, and that facilities such as public toilets require coins to enter, so it's always a good idea to have cash with you for excursions and free time onshore.

Currency

• The currency on the ship is the Euro. 
• There are no exchange facilities on the ship, however you will be able to change money on shore during your free time. 
• At the start of your cruise, an account will be opened for your cabin number, and all extras such as bar bills, drinks with dinner, laundry costs, etc. will be added to this. 
• Your account can be settled at the end of the cruise. Should you wish to check your account at any time, just speak with the staff at the front desk.

Credit and debit cards

• Visa, MasterCard and Maestro credit cards are accepted on all ships. 
• American Express is accepted on the MS Douro Elegance and MS Douro Splendour.
• Debit cards are accepted on most ships.

What is not accepted onboard

• Personal cheques, travellers cheques, pre-paid credit cards and currency cards are not accepted on board.

• Giving a gratuity is entirely at your discretion, so we have not included these in your holiday cost, and we don't add it as a set percentage.
• If you would like to tip the staff, a good guideline is to give €8-12 per person per day should you feel that is appropriate. 
• If you do choose to give a gratuity, there will usually be an envelope is left in your cabin on the final evening. This is for you to be able include any tips, and you can then drop it off at reception the following morning. The tips are divided equally between the crew. 
• Should you also wish to give a gratuity directly to your Riviera Travel Cruise Director and Concierge, this is also at your discretion.

• We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us.
• Please take a look at our Passengers with Reduced Mobility FAQs page for more information.
• Alternatively, you can contact us online or call us on 01283 688 164 to discuss these concerns. 

View our opening hours.

• A daily programme is produced on board and delivered to your cabin each evening, detailing the following day’s activities.
• On our river cruises we love to take you right into the heart of each town or city you visit along the way, and during your cruise local guides will offer a variety of guided walking tours, panoramic coach tours and/or visits to museums and local cultural favourites such as a wine tasting in Burgundy and a train journey through the Swiss mountains. 
• You will have a good mix of touring and free time to learn about the history and the little quirks of each place, with plenty of time to explore at your own leisure. Please check the itinerary of the cruise for more specific details.

• Visits to places of interest are organised for most of the days of your holiday, but it it is not compulsory that you go on all the included experiences that have been arranged.
• Please note: entrance fees to museums are not usually included in the price of your holiday.

• You are free to go ashore at your leisure when the ship is moored. 
• The Cruise Director or Concierge will inform the group when the ship is due to leave each mooring point.

• Some of our itineraries operate in a reverse order, and the sailing schedule is designed to offer you the same tours and visits as detailed in the brochure itinerary. 
• Water levels on rivers can fluctuate on a daily basis and in serious cases it is possible that the itinerary can be affected with little or no warning. 
• Should the ship be unable to follow the planned itinerary, we will do all we can to ensure all places are visited by alternative means, usually by coach.

• Water levels on rivers can fluctuate on a daily basis.
• In serious cases it is possible that the itinerary can be affected with little or no warning. 
• Should the ship be unable to follow the planned itinerary, we will do all we can to ensure all places are visited by alternative means, usually by coach. 

See our River Cruise Assurance FAQs for more info on what happens if your trip is signifcantly impacted.

We have a drinks package included for all European river cruises in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Superior Drinks Package

For all 2024 and 2025 European river cruises:

• Over lunch in our restaurants enjoy unlimited drinks from a choice of:
  • Red, white, rosé and sparkling house wine, including non-alcoholic
  • Draught beer, including non-alcoholic
  • A selection of soft drinks and juices
• Then from 6 pm until midnight in our bar and restaurants, enjoy all of the above, plus unlimited drinks from a choice of:
  • Our cocktail and mocktail of the day
  • House spirits and mixers (including gin, vodka, rum and whisky)
  • A recommended regional wine during dinner
  • Martini & Sherry pre-dinner
  • Port & Brandy after dinner

All-inclusive drinks package

Available on 2026 European river cruise departures

• Available from 10am to midnight each day:
  • Red, white, rosé and sparkling house wine, including non-alcoholic​
  • A choice of draught beer, including non-alcoholic​
  • A selection of soft drinks and juices​​
  • Our cocktail and mocktail of the day​
  • House spirits and mixers including vodka, gin, rum, whisky, martini, sherry, brandy, port and Baileys (excluding liqueurs)
  • Daily recommended wines ​
  • Tea and coffee from the bar

View more about our drinks packages.

• Breakfast: In the morning a full breakfast is served which includes healthy options and your choice of eggs made to order.
• Lunch: For lunch enjoy salads from the buffet, soup and a choice of main courses, including local dishes, plus dessert.
• Dinner: The four course a la carte dinners include a selection of international and regional specialities.

We cater for most dietary requirements, please ensure you advise our sales team when making the booking.

• Our ships have standard 2-pin round European plug sockets, so you will need to bring an appropriate adaptor, which can easily be purchased from high-street stores and Duty Free shops at airports.
• The cabins on the MS Emily Brontë, MS Thomas Hardy, MS Oscar Wilde, MS Geoffrey Chaucer, MS William Wordsworth and MS George Eliot have some UK plug sockets.

Travelling by air

• If travelling by air, a luggage weight allowance will apply depending on which airline you are flying with; you will need to be able to handle your own luggage at check in and retrieve it from baggage reclaim after the flight and make sure that it is loaded on to the coach where required. 
• With all this in mind, we recommend that you take one small suitcase and one piece of hand luggage per person.

Travelling by Eurostar

• Unfortunately, we are unable to provide porterage if travelling by Eurostar (or any other train travel such as Thalys or TGV).
• You will need to be able to lift your own case on to and off trains, and on to and off luggage racks within trains. 
• You may also need to carry it some distance between platforms/stations. 
• Please also note that there is limited storage space on Eurostar and Thalys/TGV trains.

Getting luggage on and and off trains and coaches

• Your Cruise Director and Concierge cannot provide individual assistance with boarding trains or coaches or carrying your luggage. 

The Baggagement service

• The Baggageman is an optional service that can arrange a luggage collection and delivery service between your home and the ship on both your outbound and return journeys. 
• This is a fully insured and independent service and comes with an additional charge. 
• Further information can be found on their website www.thebaggageman.com. 
• Please note this company is not affiliated to Riviera Travel.

• Each cabin is equipped with a safety deposit box that is free of charge to use. 
• These are operated with personal PIN codes. 
• We strongly recommend that you use the facilities available and take any other personal safety advice from your Cruise Director. 
• It is also a good idea to carry a photocopy of your passport at all times.

• Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted anywhere on board except for designated areas on the sun deck.
• More and more countries in Europe are adopting a stricter legislation on smoking in public places. 
• Smoking is not allowed on any public transport and there may be other restrictions in hotels, bars and restaurants.

• The minimum age limit is 12 years old at the date of departure. 
• We reserve the right to limit the number of children on any particular cruise. 
• Any minor must be accompanied by and share a cabin with an adult aged 21 or over. 
• If the adult is not the minor’s parent, a ‘Parental Consent Guardianship Form’ must be signed by a parent or legal guardian prior to sailing.

• During the course of the cruise, your ship has to negotiate a number of locks. 
• Heavy traffic on the rivers sometimes causes unavoidable delays, which may affect your itinerary. 
• Your Captain will take every step to avoid this wherever possible. 
• Take a look at our River Cruise Assurance to find out more.

• A safety briefing will take place at the beginning of your cruise. 
• All guests must attend this compulsory and important demonstration.

• Usually, when a ship is moored, you are welcome to receive visitors. 
• However, for security reasons, you must request permission from your Cruise Director in advance.
• If you are planning to invite someone on board please contact the reservations team to see if this would be possible. 
• You are kindly asked to ensure that visitors leave the ship at least 30 minutes before departure or when the bar closes.