Scylla VIVA Cruises

VIVA Cruises and Scylla Cruises are travel brands owned by Scylla AG (shipowner). Scylla charters its riverboats to several major European river cruise operators/travel agencies (links to their charter fleets), including Riviera Travel (UK), Tauck Travel (USA), Thurgau Travel (Switzerland), and Phoenix Reisen (Germany).

SCYLLA AG is a 1973-founded, Basel, Switzerland-headquartered passenger shipping company and shipowner. It enjoys a large number of loyal, repeat customers (ship charterers) and, in recent years, has aggressively expanded its fleet to 40+ vessels.

As a river cruise line, Scylla began operations with MS Scylla (riverboat) on the Rhine River. Curiously, the industry's first vessel deployed on itineraries transiting the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal was a Scylla boat. The same holds for the first ship deployed year-round in Italy, on the Po River.

Currently, Scylla Tours Holding AG is owned by 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). The current CEO of Scylla is Arno Reitsma.

VIVA Cruises

Scylla's subsidiary and luxury river travel brand "VIVA Cruises" was established in 2018 and inaugurated in 2019.

VIVA Cruises' COO (Chief Operating Officer) is Andrea Kruse.

In July 2026, Nasim Ghannadian was appointed as VP of Sales and Marketing North America, while Michael Weldon was appointed Senior Director of National, Key & Strategic Accounts USA. Nasim Ghannadian was previously employed by American Queen Voyages/ACV, Carnival Cruise Line/CCL, and Viking Cruises. Michael Weldon previously served Norwegian Cruise Lines/NCL, Viking Cruises, American Cruise Line/ACL, and AmaWaterways.

VIVA's 2024 European river cruise brochure listed a collection of 85 different itineraries and 280+ voyages across its fleet of 8 boats.

In May 2024, Scylla AG announced plans to expand its river fleet by 12 newbuild vessels over the next 4 years, with all to be delivered and operational by 2028.

Several existing boats ("Swiss" named) were fully refurbished and eventually "VIVA" named.

In March 2025, VIVA Cruises announced the planned launch of its premium sub-brand, VIVA Boutique. Its official introduction was scheduled for May 10th, 2026, with VIVA Beyond (fka Swiss Emerald) in France. The news marked Scylla's expansion into Europe's luxury river cruise market.

VIVA Cruises' “VIVA Boutique” is a premium sub-brand/product line focused on luxury and boutique-style river cruising above VIVA's standard offering. The new branding represents a strategic move by VIVA Cruises to cater to a discerning clientele seeking a more personalized and luxurious cruise travel experience. With the redesigned and fully refurbished VIVA Beyond, the fleet's first ship presenting the new VIVA Boutique product, the company aims to set a new benchmark in upscale river cruises along the Seine.

In May 2027, the BOUTIQUE fleet joins VIVA Unique, deployed on the Po River in Italy.

Scylla-owned ships and charters

A unique feature of all new Scylla-owned river cruise ships is that they allow flexible charters by different scales of operators. Tour companies (including smaller tour agencies) can charter a Scylla boat for a period ranging from 1 night to a week, a month, or even for an entire season. The shipowner also provides the English-speaking crew, hotel staff, gourmet cuisine options, and specifically tailored tours and excursions ashore. Individual requirements are also met.

Private ship charters offer customized cruise itineraries (route and ports of call) and all the necessary cruise arrangements, including food and beverage services (as well as port authority coordination - boat registration and berth reservations). Scylla will also organize the charter's shore excursion program to fit its specific needs.

The onboard dining options include cold and hot buffet breakfasts, multi-course dinner menus, lunch and dinner buffets, and the Captain's Gala Dinner event. For chartered cruises, the company provides customized menus according to specific preferences, including vegetarian, Asian cuisine, kosher food, and themed buffets.

Scylla boats can also be chartered as "hotel ships" which can be permanently docked in major European river ports like Basel, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hannover. This allows the boat to serve as a floating facility (incorporating amenities similar to hotel or resort facilities on board) rented for special events and celebrations, corporate meetings, exhibitions, employee training sessions, annual events, team-building activities, and incentive programs. The boats can also be individually furnished with the customer's own branding.

Scylla Ocean (2021-2024) VIVA Cruises Expeditions

On January 15, 2019, it was announced that Scylla AG purchased the ocean liner "MS Bremen" from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, a subsidiary of Hapag-Lloyd AG (a German-Chilean shipping company, one of the world's oldest). The vessel was officially delivered to the new shipowner in May 2021. The sale price of the Bremen ship was not disclosed. As of 2023, Scylla owned approximately 40 riverboats, most of which are chartered to various European cruisetour companies.

In November 2019, Scylla announced the launch of its new ocean cruising brand, "VIVA Cruises Expeditions." The brand began operations in May 2021 with MS SeaVenture (formerly MS Seascape / MS Bremen). VIVA Expeditions operates in Northern Europe, the Arctic (Europe and Canada), and Antarctica. For the 2021-2022 season (starting in November 2021), SeaVenture was chartered to Polar Latitudes for voyages to Antarctica. SeaVenture officially began operations for VIVA Expeditions on May 15, 2021, with a 7-day maiden voyage from Amsterdam to Hamburg (homeport).

In May 2024, Scylla AG sold its only ocean vessel, the Seaventure.

VIVA River Cruise Itineraries Overview

As of 2027, VIVA Cruises operates a fleet of 9 riverboats.

The next table shows VIVA's main/core river routes/itineraries.

Regional Summary

VIVA's 2027 schedule represents the brand's most extensive program to date. Two new vessels, Viva Beyond and VIVA Unique, will join the VIVA BOUTIQUE fleet, operating itineraries from Paris and Venice, respectively.

Season 2027 introduces several European routes, including Basel-Brussels, Dresden-Prague, and Amsterdam-Nuremberg, along with an expanded schedule for the popular Amsterdam-Budapest route.

On the Douro River, Porto Mirante will operate 32 departures, while shorter 3-night “City Stay” cruises will run in both Paris and Venice.

Themed river voyages 2027

In June 2026, VIVA opened bookings for its complete 2027 schedule of themed European river voyages, introducing 19 departures focused on wellness, music (jazz) and crime-inspired experiences.

Operating between February and November 2027, the program will feature sailings of 4 to 7 nights on the boats VIVA ONE and VIVA RUBY. The itineraries combine traditional river travel with specialised shipboard programs tailored to specific interests, offering guests a more immersive vacation experience.

Among the themed sailings is "The Ultimate Wellness Journey Between Iconic Cities & Fairytale Villages" The 4-night itinerary (VIVA ONE) has scheduled 8 departures (February and March). The round-trip from Düsseldorf visits Boppard, Speyer, Rüdesheim and Linz am Rhein, while also passing through the Loreley Valley of the Middle Rhine. The voyage will include wellness-focused menus and presentations by health and wellbeing professionals.

Fares started from GBP 895 per person.

The 6-night "Jazz Cruise to Brussels" departs on November 7th (VIVA ONE). The round-trip from Düsseldorf visits Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, Antwerp and Nijmegen. A dedicated jazz program is planned throughout the voyage, including live performances by pianist Frank Muschalle.

Prices started from GBP 1,395 per person.

The 7-night "Mystery from the Spree to the Rhine" departs on October 30th (VIVA RUBY). The itinerary is between Berlin and Düsseldorf, visiting Potsdam, the Rothensee boat lift, Calvörde, Wolfsburg, Minden and Münster. Shipboard activities will focus on notable criminal cases, investigative history and crime fiction through lectures, readings and themed events.

Fares started at GBP 1,695 per person.

The 2027 itinerary collection represents VIVA's most diverse themed offering to date, creating additional opportunities for both first-time and returning guests.

SEINE River itineraries (VIVA BEYOND)

VIVA Beyond ship cruises exclusively on the Seine River in France, leaving roundtrip from Paris. The voyages are focused on the Paris Metro region (Normandy and coastal corridor, Seine estuary toward Le Havre). The route visits the historic inland towns of Rouen, Le Havre, Vernon, Les Andelys, and Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Paris City's northwestern suburbs, ~24 km from the downtown).

The main itinerary (titled"In the Footsteps of Impressionism”) is a 7-night/8-day voyage themed on Monet, Van Gogh, and the Impressionist artists' heritage, with a strong art and museum-driven shore excursion program.

The 7-night "Culinary Delights of Normandy” itinerary is themed on French regional cuisine, wine, and local gastronomy, with stops emphasizing food markets, cider regions, and tasting land tours.

The 7-night "Pure Culture Along the Seine" itinerary is themed on culture and history.

The 5-night/6-day "Seine in a Blaze of Light” itinerary is a short break visiting Normandy's beaches.

Seasonal/themed sailings include "New Year’s Eve a la Seine” (6-night), "Timeless Elegance of Normandy” (4–5-night variants), and “Harmony with the Seine” (7-night extended routing).

PO River itineraries (VIVA UNIQUE)

VIVA Unique cruises exclusively on the Po River in Northern Italy, and connected Venetian Lagoon routes, with round-trip departures from Venice.

The boat operates between the Venice Islands (main gateway), the Po River Delta, Po River port towns (in Emilia-Romagna/Lombardy), and two Venetian Lagoon settlements - Chioggia (aka Little Venice, a major fishing port) and Mazzorbo (an agrarian island).

The main itinerary (titled "On the Trails of Italian Masters") is a 7-night/8-day itinerary themed on Italy's Renaissance heritage, art cities, and cultural history, with a strong emphasis on Ferrara/Bologna access (via shore excursions). The route includes Po River inland towns and the Cremona region (land extensions).

The 7-night "The Flavours of Italy" itinerary is themed on gastronomy, wine, and regional cuisine, with heavier culinary shore programming (food markets, tastings). The route links Venice with Chioggia and the Po Delta circuit.

The 7-night "A Journey Through Time and Lagoon" itinerary visits historic lagoon towns and is more nature-themed. The route includes short-hopping between the Venetian islands and the Po Delta settlements.

The 7-night "Grand Maiden Voyage of VIVA UNIQUE", the ship's inaugural cruise (May 28th, 2027), visiting Mazzorbo, Taglio di Po, Polesella, and Chioggia.

VIVA Unique's schedule also lists short cruises/city breaks (3-5-night, limited departures from Venice) to nearby lagoon settlements and the Po River's first segment.

The itineraries' Venetian Lagoon and gateway ports include Venice (embarkation/debarkation), Mazzorbo, Chioggia, Burano (excursion-linked), Po River ports (Taglio di Po, Polesella, Revere/extension calls on select itineraries, Boretto/on extended routes), and shore excursion gateways - Ferrara (via Polesella), Bologna (via bus transfers) and Venice City's hinterland cultural excursions.