Getting to Know River Cruise Newcomer Riviera Travel
PHOTO: Riviera Travel’s Emily Bronte riverboat. (photo courtesy of Riviera Travel)
As a U.K.-based company, Riviera Travel is mostly unknown to Americans—at least for now—but the river cruise brand is branching out to begin marketing on U.S. shores.
To better understand the line, TravelPulse interviewed Managing Director David Clemson.
Clemson joined Riviera Travel in 2008 and took on the role of CEO by 2014. Altogether, he has more than 25 years of travel industry experience. He oversees business strategy and product development and has been crucial to the company’s success in growing into international markets.
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Travel Pulse: For someone who has never heard of Riviera Travel, how would you define the cruise line?
David Clemson: We are the United Kingdom’s fastest-growing and largest river cruise operator to Europe. We have a solid reputation for delivering a quality product and award-winning service that also represents a great value for the price.
TP: Where in the market would you position the brand: standard, premium, upscale or luxury?
DC: Premium and upscale. Our ships are five-star, high-quality vessels and offer fine dining, excellent service and a relaxed style of cruising that allows our guests to not only see the important cultural stops along the river, but gives them ample time to watch the world go by.
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TP: How is it primarily differentiated from the river cruise lines the U.S. market is already familiar with?
DC: Our four newest ships are similar in size to one competitor’s longships, 135 meters. Yet, instead of 190 passengers, we have 160 passengers. This means we have room for more amenities.
For example, we have a second dining room that seats about 26 people offering tables of twos and fours, and a more intimate dining experience. There is no extra charge for this, but it gives the guest a second choice for dinner.
At the same time, our prices are lower than most of our competition. Also, our prices are very transparent, we don’t do promotions or gimmicks to get our clients to purchase our trips – we find travel agents and clients respect this, and it helps them sell the product.
TP: How large is the Riviera fleet, and where does its riverboats travel specifically?
DC: We operate 10 ships on the Rhine, Main, Danube, Rhone and Douro rivers on 11 itineraries. The fleet is one of the youngest with four new vessels added in 2017 and two more for 2018. This year, over 40,000 guests will travel with us on the rivers of Europe.
TP: What can you tell us about the new Black Sea cruise?
DC: It’s a perfectly crafted balance between must-see architectural sights and natural wonders. For example, we cruise through the 83-mile stretch of the Iron Gates Gorge in Serbia’s Djerdap National Park and cruise into the Danube Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Contrast that with historical cities of Belgrade, Bucharest and Constanta with their unique architectural wonders and fascinating heritage. This is our fastest-selling cruise for 2018 to repeating U.K. clients who love our product and are looking for something a little more adventurous.
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TP: What initially prompted Riviera to begin targeting American cruise travelers?
DC: Our products have become very popular in the British market, and European river cruising continues to grow in the United States. I felt that we could challenge conventional thinking by offering a high-quality product at a more competitive price point.
TP: What are the brand’s long term international marketing goals?
Currently, we have sales offices not only in the U.S., but also Ireland, Australia and naturally the U.K.
As demand dictates, we will consider other English-speaking markets, such as Canada, as well as potentially expand our product offerings in the U.S. market to include non-European rivers as well as our ocean cruise products.
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