VIVA Cruises

A great first choice to try the world of river cruising.

River cruising is awesome. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have a glass of wine while travelling the Seine or go on a cultural trip across the Nile? There is a small issue, though. River cruising is still relatively niche, and journeys through some of the most popular rivers can be really expensive. Hm, if there was just one way to fix that!

Thankfully, VIVA Cruises has come to the rescue. This is a cruise line that operates exclusively in Europe, and what makes them stand out are their prices. We are not saying that a cruise onboard VIVA is cheap, nope, but it’s definitely more affordable when you compare it to competitors like AmaWaterways or Viking. VIVA isn’t as luxurious as those two, by the way, but they are not trying to be.

VIVA gives you lots of different itineraries at some very attractive prices. You could go on a small 2 Night River Cruise for about $500, for example. This can be the perfect chance to go on your first ever river cruise for two very simple reasons. One, it gives you the chance to see if you like the overall vibe and atmosphere of a river cruise. Two, the short itinerary and good prices can be the perfect opportunity to travel the Seine and celebrate a special occasion, like an anniversary or even to propose to the love of your life.

Another good perk is that VIVA operates all year, which is very rare in the cruise industry. A lot of competitors, for example, often decide to skip winter season or send their ships to other destinations. VIVA continues operating nonstop, giving you a lot of flexibility when it comes to river cruising.

Like most river cruise lines, VIVA is all inclusive. Your base fare covers gratuities, Wi-Fi, all meals, most alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. The interesting thing is that VIVA gives special perks to North Americans, in a smart tactic to attract more guests from abroad. North Americans usually get one or two complimentary shore excursions per port, which is a huge deal and a great way to explore different cities without spending extra.

The only extras that you need to pay for are certain premium drinks, laundry and specialty excursions. For a river cruise line that offers great prices, that is definitely a fair exchange. Speaking of shore excursions, they offer some really cool thematic tours that you won’t find anywhere else, like a Beethoven themed tour in Bonn and some excursions that visit classic locations from books throughout Europe.

VIVA has ten small ships, carrying between 90 and 190 guests, and only the most recent ships have more than one restaurant and swimming pools. Activity onboard is rather limited, but you do get a piano player or a small band performing in the main lounge. River cruises aren’t exactly known for offering tons of entertainment options, and that’s true for VIVA.

They’re an excellent choice for a river cruise, especially if you are in Europe and don’t want to pay thousands of dollars for a cruise. North Americans even have an extra reason to travel with them, as the complimentary shore excursions come in clutch most of the time. Now take some time to read our guides, start dreaming about the Seine and au revoir!