WHY IT RATES:Travel agents now have two new epic river cruises to sell their clients on-Eric Bowman, TravelPulse Senior Editor
Riviera River Cruises has launched two brand-new five-star ships for 2019, the MS George Eliot and the MS William Wordsworth sailing on the Rhine, Danube and Moselle.
Both ships feature superb dining on board and spacious suites and cabins - many with a French balcony for unrivaled views.
MS George Eliot
The five-star MS George Eliot - named after one of the leading English novelists of the 19th century - is 110 meters of fine Swiss engineering and craftsmanship. As with all Riviera Travel cruise ships, MS George Eliot was built to the highest specifications and strict safety regulations by Scylla AG, world-renowned builders of the most modern cruisers in Europe.
Guests are welcomed in the elegant lobby with its gleaming marble floor, well-lit by sophisticated lighting. Thoughtful design is on tasteful display throughout the ship - sustainable hardwood furniture, intricate wrought-iron work, and polished copper and brass are beautifully complemented by soft leather and sumptuous Italian fabrics.
MS George Eliot offers the convivial ambiance and personal service of a luxury boutique hotel. With 36 staff serving just 132 guests, the experience is far more intimate and enjoyable.
There are 70 luxuriously appointed suites and cabins, which all feature an en-suite bathroom with shower, individually controlled air-conditioning, flat-screen TV, hairdryer, safe, minibar, telephone and facilities for making tea and coffee. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship.
MS William Wordsworth
After years of painstaking research to create the most perfect vessels afloat, a new era in river cruising dawns as we introduce our brand new, state of the art, 'all-suite' ships. Swiss operated and truly world-class, we are absolutely delighted to present the five-star MS William Wordsworth.
It is extremely difficult to convey just how extraordinary this outstanding ship really is and exactly what distinguishes it from similar vessels. It would be very easy to just say 'luxurious' but it's much more than that; we have deliberately avoided the current trend for a minimalist style where you could be anywhere in the world, creating instead a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level.
Immediately striking is just how exceptionally spacious this new vessel is as you enter a gleaming, richly colored marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. Moving inside, exceptional creativity from Europe's finest design studio has produced a superbly balanced masterpiece of onboard style, utilizing sustainable rich hardwoods, gleaming brass and polished copper, sparkling glass and intricate wrought iron. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout - including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious color schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising which time after time you tell us you adore.
The restaurant rivals the finest on shore establishments taking fine dining to another level complemented by delicate European porcelain, gleaming glassware and the intuitive service in which the Swiss excel. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 169 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with our first-class service levels.
Furthermore, your suite will easily exceed your expectations for not only will you enjoy the most discerning décor, so too the ship's dimensions afford the ultimate in space and comfort - a minimum 17 square meters (183 square feet), with upgrades available to 'Superior' and 'Deluxe' accommodation.
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