Brinley Hineman
It's been a big year for Riviera Travel.
First, the river cruise line launched a new generation of ships, with the Riviera Rose on the Douro and the Riviera Radiance on the Danube. The company is also reporting a doubling of its passenger count from last year following a rebrand and concentrated effort on the North American market.
When I sailed on the Riviera Rose in August, most of the passengers I spoke to over lunch or dinner had cruised with Riviera before, and several told me they had taken three-plus trips with the brand. I was surprised to be in the minority as an American, just one of four, since American passengers tend to dominate the river cruising industry.But Riviera is making a concerted effort to lure more Americans on board its ships.
It's been a plan several years in the making. Riviera entered the North American market about two years before the pandemic put a kibosh on efforts, North American president Stuart Milan told me earlier this year. After a hiatus, it has once again put its focus on the market.
Among its recent efforts: It opened a U.S. flagship office in Fort Lauderdale and expanded its sales team to support local growth.
"We knew there would be an appetite for our offerings in North America and have been overjoyed to see just how right we were, realizing such incredible momentum since our relaunch," Milan told me.
With the North American market in mind, the company has upgraded its drinks package to be all-inclusive from 10 a.m. to midnight beginning next year. Riviera also debuted its Grand Tours collection, which pairs river cruises with land excursions to lengthen the trip.
Riviera also developed a training tool for travel advisors called Riviera Explorer. The company will operate 20 fam trips for those who have completed the Riviera Explorer program by Sept. 30.
Milan says this growth and changes are just the beginning of a new era for the brand. I'm eager to see what's next (hint: a new ship in 2026).