This article originally appeared in AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.
Viva Cruises may not be a familiar name to U.S. travel advisors – yet. That, however, is changing, with the Dusseldorf, Germany-based river line expanding its reach to North America.
Which is a good thing for U.S. advisors, as the line has much to recommend it, including an excellent value proposition with an entry price point of approximately $2,000 per person for fully inclusive weeklong cruises.
VIVA also offers 15 percent commission on the entire cruise package with no NCFs.
In May, I sailed on a weeklong Danube River itinerary roundtrip from Vienna aboard VIVA Two, a charming boutique-style vessel offering its guests a wide swath of highly attractive features and amenities.
Accommodations
VIVA Two is equipped with 95 staterooms, including eight suites. Staterooms, which measure 150 square feet, feature double beds that can be converted to twin beds, French balconies, bedside tables with wall-mounted reading lamps, plenty of USB plug-ins, mirrored vanity table/writing desk, televisions, bathrooms with rain showers and hand-held showerheads, minibars, Nespresso machines, hair dryers and safes.
There are also two staterooms with quarter-height, nonopening windows.
The suites, which measure 260 square feet, feature larger French balconies and bathrooms, and sitting areas with a table, chair and couch.
What's Included
All meals and snacks, nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages, gratuities, stocked minibars in staterooms, high tea once per cruise, self-service coffee and water stations, gratuities, Wi-Fi, welcome bottle of sparkling wine, reusable water bottles and one complimentary shore excursion in each port.
What's for Dinner?
The main restaurant, Riverside, is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and features an international menu and regional dishes per ports of calls, such as wiener schnitzel in Vienna and beef goulash in Budapest.
For breakfast and lunch, guests can order off menus and also choose offerings from a sumptuous buffet.
Moments is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and features a five-course meal with wine pairings. VIVA’s Bistro serves lunch and dinner, with the evening menu putting the spotlight on a variety of seafood entrees.
Public Areas
VIVA Two’s open-design concept seamlessly connects the Riverside Restaurant on Deck 2 via staircase to the Panorama Lounge and an charming adjacent bar on Deck 3. With floor-to-ceiling windows, the spaces proffer up a light and airy ambiance.
In addition to the three restaurants, other public areas include a fitness center with treadmill, bicycle and weights; wellness area with steam bath and infrared sauna; whirlpool; and putting green on the sundeck.
Excursions
VIVA Two offers a generous number of shore excursions, many of which include elements that reflect everyday life in destinations visited.
As a case in point, the “Budapest Architecture Meets Culinary” excursion uses the tram system for exploring the city and includes a visit to a traditional Hungarian coffee house for coffee and dessert.
In Bratislava, the “City Tour With Beer Tasting” excursion includes a comprehensive overview of the city’s Gothic-Baroque Old Town, culminating with a super-fun Slavic beer tasting at a local restaurant.
The line will also customize excursions. As a case in point, our group took an excursion to Salzburg from Linz.
Target Market
With a wide array of nationalities on board, VIVA Two is ideally suited to clients of all ages who are looking for a multicultural vacation experience – and one that packs a lot of punch when it comes to value.
Just the Facts
- CRUISE LINE: VIVA Cruises
- SHIP NAME: VIVA Two
- SIZE: 190 passengers
- YEAR INTRODUCED: 2022
- ITINERARY: Sailing roundtrip from Vienna, the weeklong “Charming Danube” itinerary calls at Esztergom and Budapest, Hungary; Bratislava, Slovakia; and Dürnstein, Melk and Linz, Austria.
- PRICE: Starts at $2,125, per person, double
- CONTACT: 833-937-8482 | viva-cruises.com/en-us
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