Riviera Travel is the newest player in the ever-growing U.S. river cruise market. The U.K.-based company is well into its first season of offering river cruises to U.S. customers and has just announced a new 2018 itinerary that sails from Budapest to the Black Sea.
The 15-day itinerary begins in Budapest and calls in Kalosca, Pecs, Belgrade, the Iron Gates Gorge, Eleven, Bucharest, Danube Delta, Constanta, Rousse, Belogradchik, Lepenski Vir, Novi Sad, Osijek and Vukovar before returning to Budapest.
During the cruise, the ship sails through the Iron Gates Gorge between Serbia and Romania, an 83-mile stretch of sheer limestone cliffs. The ship also travels through the Djerdap locks, which is the largest European dam outside of Russia.
Once in the Danube Delta, passengers board smaller boats and sail into the 2,200-square-mile expanse of rivers, marshes, lakes and reed islands that make up the delta region. There are more than 3,500 different types of animals and fish in the delta as well as some 1,700 different plants.
Highlights of the journey include a drive into Hungary's Puszta, the vast plains the country, where guests have the chance to see an equestrian performance from the area's skilled horseman.
Guests will also see Eleven, Bulgaria, where a major battle took place during the Russo-Turkish War. Visitors will then see the Communist-era Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, which is also known as the "Little Paris of the East."
In Vidin, Bulgaria, guests have the chance to visit the medieval fortress of Baba Vidin, and, in Serbia, passengers can see the Lepenski Vie, one of the most important Mesolithic archaeological sites in the country.
Guests sail on one of the line's three new all-suite ships, the Robert Burns, Thomas Hardy or Oscar Wilde, depending on departure date.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Getting to Know River Cruise Newcomer Riviera Travel[/READMORE]
Onboard the new ships, which sail this itinerary, visitors will find spacious staterooms and an intimate cruise experience. The 169-passenger vessel offers all-suite accommodations that include coffee and tea service en suite, hotel-style beds, complimentary water and more. Staterooms start at 183 square feet and guests can upgrade to the deluxe balcony suite, which offers 274 square feet of space.
The ships offer a restaurant on the main deck for buffet breakfasts and lunches with a plated, four-course dinner, a lounge area, a bar, a boutique, 24-hour reception area, a small splash pool on the sun deck, a fitness area, a wellness room, a hairdresser, an elevator and more.
Prices for the Budapest to the Black Sea-Gems of Europe itinerary start at $4,069 per person, double occupancy and the first departure is April 27, 2018.
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