MS Thomas Hardy

The 2016-built MS Thomas Hardy cruise ship is operated under charter by the UK tour company Riviera Travel on itineraries along the Rhine, Danube, and Moselle rivers.

Sisterships include Emily Bronte (2017), Oscar Wilde (2017), Robert Burns (2018), William Wordsworth (2019), and Geoffrey Chaucer (2020).

The riverboat (ENI number 07002048) is Switzerland-flagged (MMSI 269057577) 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 a Reception Desk (24-hour assistance, information, purser services), a Travel Desk (tours and excursions information, onboard bookings), and a Boutique Shop. From the entrance hall, passengers enter a stylish Bar Lounge located forward, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, comfortable seating, and a full-service bar.

Aft on Diamond Deck is the Riverview Kitchen (Bistro/Lido Restaurant), an alternative to the Dining Room Restaurant. The Riverview Kitchen Bistro is served by its own bar and also doubles as a library. It has an outdoor terrace and an open kitchen. Early Breakfast, light Lunch, and Dinner are served here. In good weather, the floor-to-ceiling window doors open fully onto the terrace for al fresco dining. Riverview Kitchen dining is complimentary, but Dinner requires reservations due to the venue’s small capacity (10 tables seating 2 or 4 passengers). The ship’s 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 and barber services, nail studio), a Fitness Room (Gym), and a Spa (treatment room for massages). All cabin decks are fully air-conditioned and accessible via the passenger elevator and a wrought-iron staircase.

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

Cabins

Like her sisterships, Thomas Hardy staterooms (a total of 88) are designed for 169 passengers (maximum 176 when including single-occupancy accommodations). 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 located near the ceiling.

• All staterooms offer as standard amenities: 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, bow camera views), mini-bar, tea/coffee-making facilities, a glass-top round table with two armchairs, mirrored dressing table with pouf chair, wardrobe, electronic safe, hairdryer, phone, individually controlled air conditioning, and evening turndown service.
• All cabin bathrooms feature marble tops, glass showers with large rain showerheads, and branded bath cosmetics (Crabtree & Evelyn).
• 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 step-out balcony (furnished with a table and two chairs for al fresco dining), and premium cotton bathrobes and slippers.

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

The ship is named after Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), the English poet and novelist known for his critiques of Victorian society and his focus on the decline of Britain’s rural population. The vessel is powered by two Caterpillar Cat-3508 marine diesel engines—V8, 4-stroke units weighing 4309 kg each, with a lube oil capacity of 227 L and a power output of 574 kW apiece (combined ship total 1.15 MW). Propulsion is provided by two fixed-pitch stern propellers and one azimuthing bow thruster (azipod).

The vessel’s construction (hull and superstructure, ENI number 07002048) was completed at the Vahali Shipyard in Zasavica (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia). The Dutch shipbuilding company Scheepswerf en Machinefabriek Vahali BV, founded in 1923, owns and operates shipyards in Serbia (Belgrade and Zasavica) and in Holland (Gendt). Vahali Shipyard Zasavica officially opened in 2013. After the initial construction in Serbia, the vessel was towed to Holland for final outfitting at Scheepswerf Vahali (Gendt).

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