The booming river cruise market in Australia is set to be disrupted with the emergence of a major European river cruise line that operates differently to competitors but has been relatively unknown to most Australians up to now –
Riviera Travel.
Offering inclusive, five-star cruises at fares up to 50 per cent lower than river companies more established in Australia, Riviera Travel has targeted locals with a dedicated website and brochure – both in Australian dollars.
The award-winning UK-based company – the largest supplier of European river cruises in Britain – is also supporting Australian travel agents with a dedicated sales manager, set commissions, a no-direct-booking policy and a new distribution channel steered by wholesalers Cruiseco and Cruise Traveller, which allows Australians to book a Riviera Travel river cruise through any travel agent.
In a move certain to be welcomed by Australian cruisers, Riviera Travel does not include automatic gratuities in fares, allowing guests to tip as they like. And unlike other lines, Riviera also proudly promotes a simple, transparent and affordable fare structure with no hidden costs and a no-discounting policy, which saves guests from discovering fellow passengers have paid less than them for the same cabin.
Voted the 2017 Travel Brand of the Year by UK’s largest consumer body and ranked by British travel agents in 2016 as the best river cruise operator in the TTG Travel Awards, Riviera Travel will offer 250 cruises on nine European rivers and waterways this year while in 2018, Riviera’s biggest-yet fleet of 11 luxury ships will carry a record number of guests on 300 cruises.
Riviera also enjoys one of the highest repeat booking rates in the industry, with 97 per cent of guests indicating they would book again and a high 65 per cent doing so.
Formed in 1984 as a holiday operator for British campers in the French Riviera, Riviera Travel introduced a record four five-star all-suite sister ships this year –
Thomas Hardy, Emily Bronte, Oscar Wilde and
Douro Elegance – with
Robert Burns launching in 2018. The elegant 167-guest Swiss-built ships are rated among the finest and most spacious on Europe’s waterways, each boasting attentive, gracious service, fine dining, a grand marble lobby, sumptuous lounges and restaurants, splash pool and gym. Most cabins have a French or full balcony.
Most of Riviera’s ships are named after famous British authors, with
William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and
Lord Byron all introduced since 2013.
Riviera Travel’s sales manager for Australia, Shelley Davey, said the company was committed to offering Australia an authentic new choice in European river cruising. “Australian travellers and also travel agents are going to hear a lot more about Riviera Travel as we grow our footprint here and lift our share of the rapidly growing Australian river cruise market.
“We began our push into the Australian market in May 2016 and have amped up our efforts since with a 100-page brochure for Australia in local dollars, a website purpose-designed for Australia and increased marketing and distribution activity. European river cruises have, traditionally, been seen as expensive but Riviera offers fares up to 50 per cent lower than our competitors without compensating on the experience. We know we’re the new kid on the block in Australia amongst some very strongly branded competitors but we’re confident Australians will love the way we do things differently.
“Riviera Travel is also 100 per cent committed to Australian travel agents with all bookings here coming through agents and no consumer reservations made with us direct. Our no-discounting policy and easy-to-understand fare structure will also assist busy travel agents.”
Click here for the Australian brochure.
