From a regal Rhine cruise to the cuisine of the Douro
Experience a river cruise like no other with Riviera Travel, who offer a new perspective on your favourite topics – from cuisine to royals to history
From enjoying the company of British royal experts while drifting down the Rhine in style, to unlocking unlimited access to the flavours of Portugal and Spain down the Douro, Riviera Travel has a themed cruise to suit your passions.
On top of being surrounded by like-minded people, you can also rest easy in the knowledge that everything is included with Riviera Travel.
And by everything, we mean everything. Return flights, Wi-Fi, superior drinks package, complimentary onboard tea and coffee, the invaluable expertise of a Riviera cruise director and concierge and much more.
Let your passions shine with Riviera Travel and discover a cruise tailor-made for enthusiasts of every level.
Gastronomy of the Douro – from Portugal to Spain Calling all foodies. You’ll practically be able to smell the vanilla goodness of freshly baked Pastel de Natas as you sail across Portugal to Spain via the delightful Douro.
This eight-day itinerary calls at eight ports of call as a roundtrip from Porto onboard MS Douro Splendour.
As you sail down the Douro, you can immediately dive into your passion – cuisine, of course. You can learn from an onboard talk all about Portuguese cuisine, known commonly as one of the most varied cuisines in Europe.
Discover how fish, meat, cheese have been a staple of Portuguese cooking since the 16th Century, and afterwards your stomach will be rumbling for lunch onboard.
Further into your journey, you can indulge in a traditional lunch and wine-tasting at a local quinta located in the heart of the wine growers’ village of Favaios. Let the flavours of meaty rojões (fried pork) melt in your mouth, salt cod fritters dance on your tongue and a traditional Portuguese beef stew warm your stomach.
You can’t visit Lemego without sampling some of the many delicacies of the area. Take bola for example – a savoury bread with a range of meats and cheese gloriously nestled inside, ready for a mouth explosion of flavour.
After your journey across the Douro you’ll come full circle back to Porto, where you’ll visit a port wine producer, with a tasting. Here’s you’ll learn how port is made from grapes still pressed in the traditional way – by feet – and how port is sometimes matured for decades before being enjoyed.
Stomach full and head brimming with new knowledge, this itinerary is a standout.
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Regal Rhine cruise to Switzerland with the Royal Butler and chefUncover Royal secrets and learn how to live like a royal on this itinerary with Riviera Travel. Spread across eight days, you’ll sail to the likes of Basel, Strasbourg, Rüdesheim and Koblenz.
This majestic journey will have you wandering historic towns such as Cologne, driving through the fairy-tale landscape of the Black Forest and hopping on a mountain railway into the snowy peaks of Bernese Oberland.
You’ll be accompanied by former Royal Butler Grant Harrold and former Royal Chef and Pastry Chef of the late Queen Elizabeth II and can listen in fascination to four onboard talks – including a royal afternoon tea of course.
And off-board you can gaze at the sights along the Rhine river, such as the unique passage through the Rhine Gorge and the Instagram-worthy river bend outside Boppard.
Your seven (that’s right, seven!) included experiences feature a tour of the picturesque 16th-century old town of Strasbourg and a tour of the medieval Speyer – including a visit to the UNESCO world heritage site and among the largest Romanesque churches in the world, the Imperial Cathedral.
After admiring all of these vibrant and history filled cities and towns, as well as learning insider knowledge about the workings of the Royal family, you’ll never want to leave. Send us a postcard.
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About Lucy Abbott
Lucy is a cruise journalist who has sailed on a variety of ships, from expedition to river – with her favourite being expedition cruising.
Lucy is interested in new sustainable ways to cruise as well as how cruising is becoming accessible for all.
She works together with Kaye Holland to keep the World of Cruising website up to date with all the latest cruise news.
