Riverside Luxury Cruises is adding the Rhine river to its offerings. The new luxury cruise company introduces Riverside Debussy, which begins sailing the fabled Rhine at the end of March. I spent 11 days on Debussy in October of 2021, sailing on the Rhine and Moselle rivers. Debussy, then, sailed under the Crystal River Cruises banner. When that company succumbed to rapid expansion thwarted by the global pandemic that halted travel, Riverside acquired Crystal’s lovely ships to offer its own unique style of luxury on the European rivers. The photos below, which I snapped while on Crystal Debussy and its twin sister, Bach, will give you a feel for Riverside Debussy. I’ve also posted my articles below from sailings on Debussy and Bach on the Rhine and Moselle rivers.
Riverside shines in quite a few areas. First, the company delivers an all-inclusive experience on its all-suite ships. Hallmarks include Riverside’s signature service from every staff and crew member; butler service in every suite; premium wines and spirits; StarLink broadband Wi-Fi; gourmet cuisine; welcome bottle of champagne; and shore excursions to delve further afield into Europe’s history, cultures and landmarks.
Second, this year, solo travelers can cruise with no single supplement for select suites on select sailings. For details, see Riverside Luxury Cruises offers page.
Third, for all new bookings made through February 29, 2024, for voyages departing March 23 through August 31, 2024, each guest will receive €150 onboard credit for up to two guests per suite. While Riverside already includes nearly everything with the fare, guests can apply their onboard credit toward rejuvenating spa treatments, top-shelf spirits and fine wines, private shore excursions, or an evening in the exquisite Vintage Room, an exclusive, gourmet degustation with fine wine pairings.
I am planning to cruise on Debussy this spring, after hosting my annual barge trip in May, this one from Paris. Look for my reports from the Rhine.
One of my favorite river cruise vessels will soon be back in service, the m/s Mozart. I first cruised on the storied ship in 2008, when she was operated by Peter Deilmann. Aside from being awed by Mozart’s impressive width, nearly double that of a typical river cruise ship, I’d never been on a river cruiser with an indoor pool.
On my October 2019 river cruise, Crystal had set the bar high, and naturally I was curious to find out if the pandemic had forced the company to cut corners on my cruise in October 2021. Would the food quality have suffered due to cost-cutting? Would service be as exemplary as it had been on Bach? Would the champagne be poured as freely? And what about that caviar? Would they still be dishing that out?
One day after disembarking Crystal Debussy, I received a phone call from one of the six guests who accompanied me. “Possibly the best cruise ever,” the experienced cruiser said. I had to agree. Just as was the case with Crystal Bach on the Rhine and Moselle in October of 2019, Crystal Debussy exceeded our expectations.
I’m cruising October 4-14, 2021 on Crystal Debussy and posting daily during my cruise. Be sure to follow my live stories on @avidcruiser. Coverage begins on October 2 as I prepare for my trip and board KLM for Amsterdam.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve written quite a bit about Crystal Bach. This week, I thought I’d let the pictures do the talking. In the slideshow, take a look around Crystal Bach.
Ten nights on Crystal Bach only confirmed my initial impressions: Every aspect of my Crystal river cruise represented a refined elegance that, in my experience, mirrored the award-winning experience that Crystal offers on the oceans.
On a 10-night voyage roundtrip Amsterdam, a diminutive dish of creme brûlée told me all that needed to know about Crystal River Cruises.
Crystal Debussy Ship Review Note (January 2023): Crystal declared bankruptcy in 2021. All five of its river cruises have been acquired by Riverside Luxury Cruises,
I’ve just returned from Vienna, Austria, where I stayed for two nights on Crystal Mozart before her christening this past Monday. She is one impressive