Happy 40th Birthday Riviera Travel

Award-winning Riviera Travel is currently celebrating 40 years of delivering holidays. The company started off with camping holidays in the south of France back in the early 1980s. For his next trick, founder Michael Wright pioneered coach tours to Paris (and, later, worldwide) destinations.

In 2009, Riviera Travel launched its first river cruises along the Rhine and Moselle Rivers and went onto establish itself as the leading operator of river cruises and curated tours in the UK.

Fast forward to 2024 and Riviera Travel also operates on the Danube, Rhône ,Seine, Main, Dutch Waterways, the Douro, the Nile and the Mekong.

While the Burton-upon-Trent based is celebrated for its river cruises – Best River Cruise Line was one of the four awards that Riviera Travel scooped at the 2023 Wave Awards, hailed as the Oscars of the cruise industry – the line also offers ocean (including eight new themed sailings for 2025), yacht, and tall ship cruises.

While Riviera Travel’s holidays have certainly changed over the years, its mission statement and values hearteningly remain the same: To curate an exceptional holiday experience for every guest, exploring the places you can't wait to see with people you can't wait to see again.

Whether you prefer a more intimate river cruise or the variety of activities that an ocean cruise affords, now is the time to book your next sailing with the storied line.

Why, we hear you ask? That’s because our friends at Riviera are guaranteeing gifts worth over £1 million on every single booking made between now and February 29, 2024. Yes, you read right. From Riviera vouchers, to all-expenses paid Riviera holidays across the world, there’s a surefire birthday present with every booking.

Even better? Entering is a breeze. By making a booking, you're automatically entered, and then in March you'll receive a Golden Ticket with your prize.

The only question is: Which cruise to book... Ask a different member of the World of Cruising team and you’ll get 10 conflicting answers. But, since you ask, this writer has her eye on the line’s new seven-night Douro river cruise – The ‘Highlights of the Douro Valley and Salamanca’ cruise – onboard the line’s brand-new ship, MS Porto Mirante.

Ten departures are available from July to October with prices from £2,099 per person (including flights and transfers). Highlights include visits to a port wine cellar in Porto and a traditional flamenco show in Salamanca, Spain. Back onboard, take a splash in the pool or top up your tan on the sun deck.

You can find your own perfect holiday at www.rivieratravel.co.uk – but book now if, like us, you don’t want to miss out on a memorable 40th birthday gift.

Happy Birthday Riviera Travel – here’s to the next 40 years…