Scylla Cruises
History, Review, Itineraries, Ships, Deck Plans, News
Scylla Cruises fleet
MS Joy
Current cruise: 5 days, one-way from Vienna to NurembergTauck River CruisesYear build 2016 / Age : 7 Passengers 142
Review of Scylla Cruises
Scylla Cruises is a shipowner that charters its riverboats to major river cruise operators (travel agencies), including Riviera Travel UK, Tauck Travel USA, Thurgau Travel Switzerland.
Scylla Cruises (scylla.ch/en) is a brand and subsidiary of the Basel Switzerland-headquartered passenger shipping company SCYLLA AG. Scylla was established in 1974. Its cruise brand enjoys a large number of repeat customers and constantly expands its fleet.
As river cruise line, Scylla started shipping operations with MS Scylla (riverboat) on Rhine River. Curiously enough, the industry's first vessel deployed on itineraries transiting Rhine-Main-Danube Canal was a Scylla boat. The same goes for the first ship deployed year-round in Italy, on Po River.
Currently, Scylla Tours Holding AG is owned by the brothers Arno and Robert Reitsma.
SCYLLA AG is managed by two directors - Robbert Verbeek (CFO-chief financial officer) and Andreas Wandinger (CCO-chief commercial officer). Scylla's current CEO is Arno Reitsma.
Scylla's subsidiary and luxury river travel brand "VIVA Cruises" was established in 2018 and inaugurated in 2019.
VIVA Cruises (Scylla Ocean)
On January 15, 2019, was announced that Scylla AG purchased the ocean liner "MS Bremen" from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises - subsidiary of Hapag-Lloyd AG (German-Chilean shipping company, one of the world's oldest). The vessel was officially delivered to the new shipowner in May 2021. Bremen ship's sale price was not disclosed. As of 2019, Scylla owned 31 riverboats, most of which are chartered to different European cruisetour companies.
In November 2019, Scylla announced the launch of its new (ocean cruising) brand "VIVA Cruises Expeditions". The new brand started operations in May 2021 with MS SeaVenture (fka MS Seascape / MS Bremen). VIVA Expeditions operate in the regions of Northern Europe, the Arctic (Europe and Canada) and Antarctica. For season 2021-2022 (starting in November 2021) SeaVenture was chartered to Polar Latitudes for voyages to Antarctica. SeaVenture officially started operations for VIVA Expeditions on May 15, 2021, with a 7-day maiden voyage from Amsterdam to Hamburg (homeport).
As of 2019, Scylla's fleet included 32 fully-owned passenger ships, the latest being Anna Katharina (2019new -built and chartered to Phoenix Reisen).The
Scylla fleet's smallest vessel is Swiss Ruby (88 pax) while the largest are the sisterships Alina and Amelia (220 pax each).
Scylla fleet's newest riverboats are the sisterships VIVA One (2022), VIVA Two (2023) and VIVA Enjoy (2024).
VIVA's 2024 European river cruise brochure listed a diverse collection of 85 different itineraries and 280+ voyages across its fleet of 8 boats.
VIVA Cruises' COO is Andrea Kruse.
Scylla river cruise ship charters
A unique offer is the Scylla AG's river cruise ship charterers marked by absolute flexibility. Other companies can charter a Scylla boat for a period ranging from 1-night to a week, a month and even for a whole season. The company also provides the English-speaking crew, the hotel staff, gourmet cuisine options, specifically-tailored tours and excursions ashore. Individual requirements are also met.
Private ship charters also offer customized cruise itinerary (route and ports of call) and all the cruise arrangements, including food and beverage provision (and with port authorities - boat registration and berth reservations (moorings). Scylla also will organize the charter's shore excursion program to fit its exact needs.
The onboard dining options include cold and hot buffet breakfast, dinner menus with several courses, lunch and dinner buffets, the Captain's Gala Dinner event. On chartered cruises, the company provides customized menus according to particular preferences, including vegetarian, Asian cuisine, kosher food, themed buffets.
Scylla boats can also be chartered as "hotel ships" docked in many big European river ports, like Basel, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hannover. This way the boat may become a location for special events and celebrations, corporate meetings, exhibitions, employee training sessions, annual events, team building, and incentive programs. The boats also can be individually furnished and with the customer's own branding.
(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021
Scylla's main boat charterer - Riviera Travel UK - suspended fleetwide its passenger shipping operations between March 15, 2020, and early-July 2021. Tauck Travel canceled all river cruises and tours with departures through August 31, Thurgau Travel - through July 31.
All affected bookings received a full refund in FCC (future cruise credit / Refund Credit Notes), including on prepurchased through the company packages and services. The cruise rebooking must be made before December 31, 2020.
Itinerary of Scylla Cruises
The line's current fleet includes the impressive number of 23 beautiful, spacious and modern-designed river cruise ships (including "Suite Ships") sailing exclusively on the European waterways. All Scylla ships are Swiss-flagged.
The Scylla cruise line company owns and operates the following riverboats:
- MS Alina
- MS Amelia
- MS Anesha
- MS Aurelia
- MS Edelweiss
- MS Esprit
- MS Grace
- MS Jane Austen
- MS Lord Byron
- MS Savor
- MS Saxonia
- MS Swiss Crown
- MS Swiss Crystal
- MS Swiss Diamond
- MS Swiss Emerald
- MS Swiss Jewel
- MS Swiss Pearl
- MS Swiss Ruby
- MS Swiss Sapphire
- VIVA Gloria
- VIVA Inspire
- VIVA Moments (fka MS Robert Burns)
- VIVA Tiara
- VIVA Treasures
- VIVA Voyage (fka MS Swiss Corona)
The fleet's newest vessels are the sisterships VIVA One (2022), VIVA Two (2023) and VIVA Enjoy (2024).
Some Scylla ships are often chartered by travel companies like Tauck (USA) and Phoenix Reisen (Germany).
Riviera Travel (UK cruise brand company/tour travel agency) exclusively charters the following Scylla-owned newbuild riverboats:
- Lord Byron (2012)
- William Shakespeare (2014)
- Charles Dickens (2015)
- Jane Austen (2015)
- Thomas Hardy (2016)
- Emily Bronte (2017)
- Oscar Wilde (2017)
- George Eliot (2019)
- William Wordsworth (2019)
- Geoffrey Chaucer (2020)
- Lord Tennyson (2021)
Scylla Cruises related cruise news
- Cruise Industry
Riviera Travel UK releases 2025 European river cruise program
The UK-based company Riviera Travel/fleet has unveiled its 2025 European river cruise program. The itinerary collection is now open for booking and...
November 20, 2023 - Cruise Industry
VIVA Cruises confirmed as River Cruise Operator of CLIA Europe
The European luxury river travel brand VIVA Cruises/fleet has officially been recognized as a River Cruise Operator by Cruise Lines International...
August 15, 2023 - Cruise Industry
VIVA Cruises' 2024 program features 3rd newbuild riverboat Viva Enjoy
VIVA Cruises/fleet, a specialist in European river cruises, has unveiled its 2024 brochure featuring an impressive selection of 280+ voyages along...
August 11, 2023 - Cruise Industry
MS VIVA Two christened at VIVA Cruises' home port of Dusseldorf (Germany)
A 2nd ship in a year was named by VIVA Cruises (fleet) with a 3rd new riverboat scheduled to enter service in September 2024. The 190-guest VIVA Two...
March 27, 2023 - Cruise Industry
Shiri Gordon to serve as the godmother of MS VIVA Two
River cruise specialist, VIVA Cruises (fleet), announced it will christen its new flagship VIVA Two on March 23rd, 2023. Following the launch of its...
February 23, 2023 - Cruise Industry
VIVA Cruises to christen VIVA Two riverboat in March 2023
Scylla's luxury river cruise travel brand VIVA Cruises (fleet) announced the expansion of its 2nd build ship, MS VIVA Two, in 2023. Following the...
December 15, 2022 - Cruise Industry
VIVA Cruises' first new build ship VIVA ONE begins Rhine and Moselle sailings
After her May christening, VIVA Cruises’ first newbuild riverboat - MS VIVA ONE, started itineraries on the Moselle and Rhine rivers. To...
May 8, 2022 - Cruise Industry
VIVA Cruises' first new build ship VIVA ONE christened in Dusseldorf (Germany)
The new river travel brand VIVA Cruises (fleet) welcomed its first newbuild to the family. MS VIVA One was officially christened in her homeport of...
April 9, 2022 - Cruise Industry
VIVA Cruises becomes the only river line operating with no winter break
VIVA Cruises/fleet (travel brand owned by Scylla) started its 2022 season with two Rhine River voyages, which returned to homeport Dusseldorf...
January 30, 2022 - Cruise Industry
Riviera River Cruises UK restarts in additional European destinations
The UK-based tour agency/brand Riviera Travel (fleet, Scylla's main riverboat charterer) announced that itineraries in additional European...
September 17, 2021 - show more news