MS Riviera Radiance

The 2025-built MS Riviera Radiance cruise ship operates Danube River voyages. The riverboat is owned by the Swiss company Scylla AG (shipowner) and exclusively chartered by the travel brand Riviera Travel UK/fleet.

Riviera Radiance's sistership and fleetmate is Riviera Resplendence (2026).

The vessel (ENI number 07002240) is currently Switzerland-flagged (MMSI 269057104) and registered in Basel.

Decks and Cabins

MS Riviera Radiance ship has a total of 89 passenger staterooms (for up to 178 tourists) spreading on 3 out of 4 decks.

All passenger cabins are outside and most are sized 16 m2 (170 ft2).

Deck 1 (Emerald) cabins have a long non-opening/fixed window (quarter-height) located near the ceiling. All Deck 2 (Ruby) and Deck 3 (Diamond) cabins are French Balcony staterooms (with floor-ceiling sliding glass doors opening to a railing/false balcony).

The boat also has 12x Suites (all with midship location) which have French balconies and are larger sized. The 8x Superior Suites are 24 m2/260 ft2, while the 4x Grand Suites are the largest accommodations (32 m2/345 ft2). Grand Suites have the so-called "Twin Balconies". Each accommodation features a full-size, open-air balcony, separated from the room's lounge area with sliding floor-ceiling doors. The bathroom has a separate WC / shower (no bathtub) and a double sink vanity.

All cabin bathrooms have marble tops, walk-in glass showers (large rain shower heads) and brand bath cosmetics (by Crabtree and Evelyn).

Standard/complimentary amenities provided in all staterooms include hotel twin beds (lower single beds convertible to a double Queen-size bed), en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, single-sink vanity, towels, large mirror, bath toiletries/shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, soap, shower gel), 40-inch HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system, bow camera real-time views), radio, phone, mini-bar/fridge, tea/coffee making facility (Nespresso coffee machine), glass-top round table with 2 armchairs, mirrored dressing table/writing desk with armchair, wardrobe, electronic safe box, hairdryer, individual air-conditioning, evening turndown service, daily newspaper.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The riverboat Riviera Radiance has all 3 dining options (all complimentary): Main Restaurant (Dining Room forward on 2nd floor), Bistro (Specialty Restaurant/bar lounge aft on 3rd floor) and an Alfresco Lounge (Bar & Buffet on 4th floor/Sun Deck).

The Main Restaurant/Dining Room has single-seating capacity, an open-seating arrangement and flexible dining times, while the Specialty Restaurant/Bistro requires dinner reservations. The Dining Room's menu includes both local dishes (itinerary-based on visited countries) and international cuisine specialties. The Bistro serves lunch and dinner (including themed buffets) and operates as a bar lounge during the day. It has a small terrace (wraparound balcony) with stern views. From the Bistro (via two outdoor staircases) is accessed the Sundeck's pool area (Jacuzzi).

On Ruby Deck is the boat's Lobby area with two entrances (portside and starboard), Reception Desk (24-hour guest services and assistance), Travel Desk (Tour Office for the Cruise Director and Concierge, excursions information and booking), and the Boutique (Gift Shop).

The wellness complex is on Emerald Deck (deck 1) and consists of Fitness (Gym Room), Spa (Massage Room) and Hair Salon (nail salon, hairdresser/barber services).

On Sun Deck are located the Wheelhouse (Navigation Bridge), retractable Awnings (shaded seating areas with loungers and deckchairs), fore-located Alfresco Lounge (full bar service from the Panorama Lounge below) and aft-located games area (with Putting Green Mini-Golf) and Jacuzzi (spa pool and showers).

Near the Wheelhouse are stored electric bikes available for rent (complimentary/limited number).

All structures on Deck 4 (Wheelhouse, awnings, windscreens, railings) are collapsible and lowered when the riverboat passes under low bridges.

The Panorama Lounge & Bar is located forward on the Diamond Deck Bar Lounge. The venue has floor-ceiling windows, comfortable seating (tables, sofas, armchairs), a dance floor, a grand piano (for live performances in the afternoons and evenings), a 24-hour Coffee Station. The Panorama Lounge is served by its own Bar. Onboard entertainment includes daily live music performances (by a resident pianist), cooking demonstrations, quiz games, bingo, crew show, themed dance nights, enrichment lectures and media presentations (related to the cruisetour itinerary's destinations, ports, excursions).

From the Panorama Lounge is accessed the bow-facing Lido Terrace - an outdoor lounge (with limited seating) which is wind-protected (by a wraparound glass wall). Two grand stairways connect directly the Panorama Lounge to the Main Restaurant (below) while two outdoor stairs connect the Bow Terrace to the Alfresco Lounge (above).

All public spaces (wellness, dining, lounge, lobby) have floor-to-ceiling windows and unobstructed views.

One Lift (midship passenger elevator) interconnects all cabin decks. Staircases connect all decks. A Stairlift connects decks 3 and 4 (Sundeck).

Itineraries

MS Riviera Radiance cruises on the Danube River. The ship's principal homeports are Vienna Austria and Budapest Hungary.

Riviera Radiance's inaugural itineraries (2025) included:

The 14-night/15-day "Budapest to the Black Sea River Cruise" (Budapest roundtrip itinerary) visits Kalocsa Hungary (DAY 2, visit to Paprika Museum or Puszta farm), Belgrade Serbia (DAY 3, visit to Kalemegdan Fortress and a folklore show), Iron Gates Gorge (DAY 4), Svishtov Bulgaria (DAY 5, bus travel to Pleven/Panorama Museum, old town guided tour), Giurgiu Romania (DAY 6, bus travel to Bucharest), Danube Delta cruising (DAY 7), Constanta Romania (DAY 8), Ruse Bulgaria (DAY 9, bus travel to Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanasi and Ivanovo), Vidin Bulgaria (DAY 10, Baba Vidin fortress, Belogradchik rock formation), Iron Gates Gorge (DAY 11, tour to Lepenski Vir), Novi Sad Serbia (DAY 12), Vukovar and Osijek Croatia (DAY 13, guided port tours or boat ride in Kopacki Rit NP), Budapest (DAY 14, guided city tour, a Hungarian folklore show). The return flight to the UK is on DAY 15.

The 7-night/8-day "The Blue Danube River Cruise" itinerary (between Vienna and Budapest/both routes) visits Budapest (DAY 1), Esztergom Hungary (DAY 2, guided tour), Bratislava Slovakia (DAY 3, guided city tour), Durnstein Germany (DAY 4, guided tour, visit to Melk Abbey), Linz Austria (DAY 5, guided walking tour or bus travel to Salzburg), Vienna (DAY 6), Budapest (DAY 7, guided city tour).

Riviera Travel's "Blue Danube River Cruise with Budapest Extension" cruisetour combines the Blue Danube itinerary with a 3-day land excursion (2-night hotel stay) in Budapest.

The shorter (4-night/5-day) "Budapest, Bratislava & Vienna: A Danube Discovery River Cruise" itinerary is a roundtrip from Budapest visiting only Bratislava and Vienna. The cruisetour is inclusive of a flight from the UK to Budapest and an overnight on the ship (DAY 1-2), sailing to Bratislava (DAY 3) and Vienna (DAY 4).

Riviera Travel's cruise prices are inclusive of an international return flight (back to England) and land transfers, the company's Superior beverage package (unlimited drinks package worth GBP 400 pp per week on other Rivera Travel river cruises in Europe), all shipboard amenities and services (accommodation, meals, Wi-Fi, premium tea and coffee, Cruise Director's assistance, enrichment programming, live entertainment), 7 land tours. Flight departures from England are offered from Leeds Bradford Airport (Yeadon), Liverpool, London (Gatwick, Luton, Stansted), and Manchester.

The vessel's construction (hull and superstructure, ENI number 07002240) was done at Vahali Shipyard in Zasavica (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia). The 1923-founded Dutch shipbuilding company (Scheepswerf En Machinefabriek Vahali BV) owns and operates yards in Serbia (Belgrade, and Zasavica) and in Holland (Gendt). Vahali Shipyard Zasavica was officially opened in 2013.

Following the construction in Serbia, the ships are towed to Holland for final outfitting at Scheepswerf Vahali (Gendt).

Note: You can see the CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.