MS Oscar Wilde

The 2017-built MS Oscar Wilde cruise ship is operated under charter by the UK cruisetour company Riviera Travel on itineraries along the Rhine, Danube and Moselle rivers.

Sisterships include Thomas Hardy (2016), Emily Bronte (2017), Robert Burns (2018), William Wordsworth (2019) and Geoffrey Chaucer (2020).

The riverboat (ENI number 07002066) is Switzerland-flagged (MMSI 269057612) and owned by the Swiss company Scylla Cruises.

Shipboard dining and entertainment options

The riverboat features an elegant Lobby (entrance hall on Diamond/Upper Deck) with Reception Desk (24-hour assistance, information, purser services), Travel Desk (excursions and cruise bookings) and a Boutique Shop. From the entrance hall, passengers enter a stylish Bar Lounge located at the bow, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, comfortable seating and a full-service bar.

Aft on Diamond Deck is the Bistro – Lido Restaurant, an alternative to the main Dining Room Restaurant. The Bistro has its own bar and also serves as the ship’s Library. It features an outdoor terrace and an open kitchen. Early Breakfast, light Lunch and Dinner are served here. In good weather, the floor-to-ceiling glass doors fully open to the terrace for al fresco dining. Bistro dining is complimentary, but Dinner requires reservations due to limited capacity (10 tables for 2 or 4 guests). The ship’s main Dining Room Restaurant (on Ruby/Middle Deck) offers single-seating capacity with buffet Breakfast and waiter-served Lunch and Dinner.

On Emerald/Lower Deck is the Wellness Centre, which includes a Beauty Salon (hairdresser, barber services, nail studio), Fitness Room (Gym) and Spa (massage treatment room). All cabin decks are fully air-conditioned and accessible via a lift (passenger elevator) and wrought-iron staircase.

The Sun Deck offers a Giant Chess Set, Mini-Golf (Putting Green), retractable awnings (shaded seating area), an aft Pool Deck (Splash Pool, Jacuzzi, sunbathing area with loungers and deckchairs) and full bar service. The fore-located Navigation Bridge (called “Wheelhouse” on riverboats) is passenger-accessible and telescopic (can be lowered for passing under low bridges).

Cabins

Like her sisterships, Oscar Wilde staterooms (88 total) are designed for 169 passengers (up to 176 with single-occupancy cabins). Most cabins feature wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening to a railing (French Balcony). The only exceptions are Emerald Deck cabins, which have one fixed, non-opening quarter-height window positioned near the ceiling.

• All passenger staterooms include hotel-style twin beds (convertible to double), en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, single-sink vanity, towels, bath toiletries, large mirror), 40-inch flat HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system, real-time bow camera views), mini-bar, tea/coffee-making facilities, glass-top round table with two armchairs, mirrored dressing table with pouf chair, wardrobe, electronic safe, hairdryer, phone, individual air-conditioning and evening turndown service.
• All cabin bathrooms feature marble countertops, glass showers with large rainfall showerheads and premium Crabtree & Evelyn bath products.
• Some staterooms are available for single-occupancy booking (without a single supplement, subject to availability).
• Deluxe Balcony Suites (on Diamond Deck) additionally offer larger interior space, a furnished step-out balcony (table and two chairs, suitable for al fresco dining), and premium cotton bathrobes and slippers.

Riviera Travel river cruise fares include all onboard meals, accommodations, 24-hour Coffee Station (with light snacks), onboard entertainment and enrichment programs, return train travel (optional flights), luxury bus transfers, guided walking tours and complimentary shipwide Wi-Fi (in cabins and all public areas).

The ship is named after Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), the Irish poet and playwright best known for his magnum opus “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1890-published philosophical novel). The vessel is powered by two Caterpillar Cat-3508 marine diesel engines, V8, 4-stroke units weighing 4309 kg each, with a lube oil volume of 227 L and a power output of 574 kW (combined total 1.15 MW). Propulsion is provided by two fixed-pitch stern propellers and one bow thruster (azimuthing/azipod).

The vessel’s construction (hull and superstructure, ENI number 07002066) was completed at Vahali Shipyard Zasavica (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia). The Dutch shipbuilding company (Scheepswerf en Machinefabriek Vahali BV, founded in 1923) owns and operates yards in Serbia (Belgrade and Zasavica) and in the Netherlands (Gendt). Vahali Shipyard Zasavica officially opened in 2013. After the hull construction in Serbia, the cruise ship was towed to Holland for final outfitting at Scheepswerf Vahali (Gendt).

Note: You can find CruiseMapper’s list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the “itinerary” section of our River Cruises hub, where all companies and their fleets are listed.