Riviera Travel’s newest ship, MS Riviera Resplendence, has completed its maiden voyage, on the Rhine.
The vessel, which accommodates 178 guests across 89 cabins, with 44 crew, departed Cologne on 4 July on seven-day cruise to Switzerland.
Guests were joined on board by Riviera Travel Chief Experience Officer James Golding and Operations Director Noeleen Pritchard.
James said: “It was super exciting to see the guests come on board and their faces light up. One gentleman was almost in tears because of how beautiful he thought the welcome was, and just seeing everyone on the top deck enjoying themselves really made me smile.”
Noeleen added: “Seeing the guests enjoying themselves and seeing the ship come to life is brilliant. The sense of achievement is high, not just for me, but for everybody at Riviera, especially the operations team who make sure those small little touches are in place.
“Having guests come on board for the first time ever was truly spectacular. The evening celebrations were special and having the first guests welcome the ship to our fleet and cut the ribbon was really memorable.”
The ship will sail Rhine and Moselle itineraries for 2026 including ‘Rhine Cruise to Switzerland’; ‘Rhine, Strasbourg and Heidelberg’; ‘Rhine and Moselle’; and ‘Rhine Gorge and Cologne Discovery’ itineraries, along with festive sailings ‘Enchanting Rhine and Yuletide Markets’, and ‘Christmas on the Rhine’.
