Crystal's ships, new owners
River Cruises Riverside
Riverside sails the former Crystal river ships under a Hamburg hotel family. Suites run large, a butler comes with every one, and the price depends on which of four packages you pick.
- 883sq ft, Owner's Suite on Riverside Mozart
- 1:2crew to guests, roughly, on Mozart (82 for 162)
- 4fare packages, from full board to all-inclusive
- 2028Riverside Mahler joins, in May
Best for Couples who measure luxury in square feet and quiet service, and want to choose how inclusive the fare is.
- Ship sizeAbout 110–162 guests
- DrinksPremium all-inclusive packages only
- GratuitiesIn the all-inclusive fare
- ExcursionsOn packages that include them
- FamiliesAsk us
- SoloAsk us
Overview
Five Crystal ships, a hotel group, and a second act
When Crystal River Cruises stopped sailing in 2022, its ships needed a new home. They found one in Hamburg.
Seaside Collection — a second-generation, family-owned hotel company run by Gregor Gerlach — bought all five river ships and relaunched them as Riverside Luxury Cruises. Riverside Mozart and Riverside Ravel sailed first, in 2023. Riverside Debussy followed on the Rhine in 2024.
The other two went out on charter. Riverside Bach became Uniworld's S.S. Victoria, and Riverside Mahler sailed for Uniworld as well. The Mahler now returns to Riverside in May 2028.
The product is residential rather than theatrical. Suites are large, every one has a butler, and dinner has no fixed seating time. Riverside also does something unusual for a luxury line — it sells four packages, from full board up to premium all-inclusive with excursions, so two couples at the same table may have paid for very different things.
That flexibility is the draw for some travellers. For others it's homework, not a holiday.
The honest fit
Is Riverside your line?
- suite size is your first filter — Mozart's suites start around 215 sq ft
- you want a butler with every suite category, not just the top ones
- you like dining without a set time, across several venues on the larger ship
- you'd rather pick your inclusions than pay for a bar you won't use
- you want a short sailing — routes run from three nights up
- you want a single all-in price with no package to choose — Tauck or Scenic are simpler
- you want a long operating record; the brand has sailed since 2023, not since the 1990s
- you want a big choice of rivers — Riverside sails three ships in 2026, all in Europe
- you want a fully guided journey with Directors who stay with the group (that's Tauck)
- ornate decor is the point — Uniworld does theatre; Riverside does calm
Where it sails
Riverside’s rivers, on one map
Tap a river to see what Riverside does there and when it sails. Every lit pin is a stop on Riverside’s published itineraries; open any river on our Cruise Atlas for the full port-by-port card.
Riverside Mozart's home — 3- to 14-night sailings between Passau, Vienna and Budapest, plus Christmas Markets and a New Year's Eve run from Vienna.
Riverside Debussy sails Romantic Rhine weeks between Basel and Amsterdam and short Christmas Markets hops from Basel, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf.
Debussy's Irresistible Rhine & Moselle runs six nights from Basel to Trier, with longer versions on to Amsterdam.
Main-Danube Canal departures grow to 12 in 2028, when Mahler adds Budapest–Nuremberg–Amsterdam routes.
Riverside Ravel sails the Rhône and Saône on 3- to 7-night routes between Lyon and Avignon, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine tastings.
Debussy opens its season with spring tulip sailings in the Netherlands and Belgium from Amsterdam.
The ships
The ships
Three ships sail in 2026, with a fourth arriving in 2028. They are not identical — Mozart stands apart from the rest.
Riverside Mozart
Mozart is the outlier. Built in 1987 and fully renovated in 2016, she is about 75 feet wide — double the width of a standard river ship — and carries 162 guests in 81 suites with a crew of 82. Rivercruiseadvisor counts her as the only double-width ship on the Danube other than AmaMagna. Ravel and Debussy are the newer, standard-width Crystal designs, carrying about 110 guests in 55 suites.
Four restaurants
On Mozart: the Waterside Restaurant, a Bistro with a tapas-style dinner, the Blue Bar & Grill and the Vista Grill on deck, plus the 12-seat Vintage Room by reservation.
The Vintage Room
A wine-paired dinner for a dozen guests. It sits outside even the top package — rivercruiseadvisor lists it at about €320 per person.
Spa and pool
Mozart has a counter-current pool, a jacuzzi, separate saunas and steam rooms, a salon and Technogym equipment. The smaller ships have a spa room and a gym.
Palm Court
The lounge on Ravel and Debussy — the room that most resembles the lobby of the hotels Seaside runs ashore.
| Ship or class | River | Guests | Debut | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside Mozart | Danube | 162 | 2023 | Built 1987, renovated 2016; double-width, 81 suites |
| Riverside Ravel | Rhône, Saône | 110 | 2023 | Ex-Crystal Ravel; suites about 194–764 sq ft |
| Riverside Debussy | Rhine, Main, Moselle, Dutch waterways; Danube some seasons | 110 | 2024 | Ex-Crystal Debussy; 55 suites |
| Riverside Mahler | Rhine, Main, Danube | 110 | 2028 | Returns from charter; first Riverside sailing May 2028 |
| Riverside Bach | Rhine, Moselle, Dutch & Belgian waterways (as Uniworld's S.S. Victoria) | 110 | — | On charter to Uniworld since 2024; Riverside return date not yet published |
The Riverside difference
Four ways to pay
Most luxury river lines sell one fare. Riverside sells four.
The base package covers meals, snacks and room service during restaurant hours. One step adds the excursions, another adds premium drinks, the minibar and 24-hour room service, and the top tier does both. Riverside has renamed the tiers more than once, so we quote the current names when we price it.
The top package is what the press releases describe: premium wines and spirits, Starlink Wi-Fi, unlimited shore excursions, prepaid gratuities and ground transfers.
Price the top package against Scenic or Tauck, not the lower ones. That's the like-for-like comparison.
The fare
What’s in the price, and what isn’t
Meals and room service
All meals on every package; 24-hour room service on the premium packages.
SourceDrinks
Premium wines and spirits on the premium all-inclusive packages. Base fares don't include them.
SourceShore excursions
Unlimited excursions on the packages that include them; the two tiers without excursions leave them out.
SourceGratuities
Prepaid gratuities are part of the all-inclusive fare as Riverside markets it for 2028.
Source
Inclusions differ by itinerary and market, and lines revise them. We confirm exactly what’s in your fare when we price it.
Cabins
Choosing a suite
Every room is a suite with a king bed, a marble bathroom and a butler. What changes is space — and on Ravel and Debussy, whether you get a balcony at all.
Best value
Riverside / Harmony Suite (Mozart)
Mozart's standard suites are roomy by river standards, which makes the entry level here a better buy than on most ships. Harmony sits on the lower deck; Riverside Suites are one deck up.
Smart alternative
Penthouse Suite (Mozart)
Half again the space of a standard suite, sleeping up to three. On a 10- or 14-night Danube sailing the extra room starts to earn its price.
The splurge
Mozart Suite / Owner's Suite
The Mozart Suite runs about 667 sq ft. The two-bedroom Owner's Suite, about 883 sq ft for up to four, is bigger than AmaMagna's 710 sq ft Owner's Suite.
Skip unless…
Entry suites on Ravel and Debussy
Comfortable, but closer in size to a standard river cabin, with a drop-down window panel rather than a balcony. Skip unless the itinerary is the priority — then book it and spend the savings ashore.
Before you book
The honest downsides
- 01
The fare takes reading.
Four packages mean two guests at the same table can have paid for different things. Book the top package if you want the all-inclusive experience the brand advertises, and price it as such.
- 02
The fleet is small.
Three ships sail in 2026 — one on the Danube, one in France, one on the Rhine. Mahler adds a fourth in 2028. If your dates or river don't match, there's no sister ship to switch to.
- 03
The ships differ more than the brochure suggests.
Mozart is a 1987 hull, double-width and renovated in 2016; Ravel and Debussy are newer and narrower, without balconies. The suite you get on one is not the suite you get on another.
Compared
Riverside against the alternatives
Both put a butler with every cabin. Scenic sells one all-in fare and a dozen or so European ships; Riverside sells four packages and bigger suites on Mozart. Scenic for simplicity, Riverside for space.
Read our Scenic reviewUniworld chartered two of these same Crystal ships. On the rest of its fleet it leads with ornate decor; Riverside keeps the interiors quiet. Pick on taste, then compare suite sizes.
Read our Uniworld reviewTauck runs a guided journey with Directors who travel with the group. Riverside runs a floating hotel and leaves the day to you. Decide which of those sounds like a holiday, not a compromise.
Read our Tauck reviewAmaMagna is the Danube's other double-width ship. Ama brings a bigger fleet and a stronger active programme; Riverside Mozart brings larger suites and more crew per guest.
Read our AmaWaterways reviewHead to head
Riverside against any other line
Pick a rival and the table rewrites itself. Every cell comes from the same checked facts as our reviews; the fare row is the lowest lead fare in our nine river guides.
| This reviewRiverside | Scenic | |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | Big suites, a butler in every one, and a fare you can make all-inclusive. | Nearly all drinks, tips, transfers and a butler for every suite in one fare, on modern Space-Ships. |
| Ship size | About 110–162 | 155–169 on the Rhine, Main, Danube and Rhône; 128 on the Seine, 96 on the Douro |
| Drinks | On the premium all-inclusive packages | Nearly all, all day |
| Gratuities | In the all-inclusive fare | Included |
| Excursions | On the packages that include them | Freechoice daily, plus Enrich events |
| Families | Ask us | Ask us |
| Solo travellers | Ask us | Ask us |
| Lowest fare in our river guides | — | $7,796 |
Before you book
Five questions to settle before you book Riverside
The answers separate two sailings that look the same on paper. Tick the ones you care about and we’ll answer them for your dates.
Why trust this page
The Seabound standard
Sources, read at the source
Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 21, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.
Paid placements
No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.
Advisors, not a booking engine
A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.
Before you board
Arrive a night early, somewhere worth it
Many of these cities put the ship close to the centre, though a few, such as Bucharest, mean a road transfer to the ship. A night or two ahead absorbs a delayed overnight flight and gives you the city before the ship does. Here are hotels to consider in Riverside’s main embarkation cities.
Hotel and tour links go to Booking.com and Viator; Seabound Journeys may earn a commission at no cost to you. Your line’s included excursions stay with the line. Affiliate disclosure. Prefer us to book the nights with your cruise? Say so in your brief below.
Our verdict
The verdict: space first, everything else by choice
Riverside is the river line for travellers who want a large suite and attentive service, and don't mind choosing their inclusions. Mozart in particular has few equals on the Danube for room to spread out.
The trade-offs are a young brand, a small fleet and ships that differ from each other.
Before you book, decide which ship you want first and which package second. Then compare that exact fare — the package you'd really book, not the cheapest one — with Scenic's all-in price for the same week.
- Usually the same fare as booking direct, and our advice costs you nothing.
- We compare Riverside against the other lines for your dates, not just one brochure.
- Pre- and post-cruise hotels, flights and transfers can go into the same plan.
Your river brief
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Quick answers
Riverside river cruise questions
Who owns Riverside Luxury Cruises?
Riverside is owned by Seaside Collection, a family-owned hotel company based in Hamburg. It bought all five former Crystal River Cruises ships and began sailing in 2023.
Which ships does Riverside sail?
In 2026, Riverside Mozart on the Danube, Riverside Ravel on the Rhône and Saône, and Riverside Debussy on the Rhine and its tributaries. Riverside Mahler joins in May 2028; Riverside Bach has been on charter to Uniworld.
Is Riverside all-inclusive?
Only on its top packages. Riverside sells four fare tiers, from full board to fully inclusive, and the top tier adds wines and spirits, excursions, gratuities, Starlink Wi-Fi and transfers. Butler service comes with every package.
How big are Riverside's suites?
On Mozart, suites run from about 215 sq ft to an 883 sq ft two-bedroom Owner's Suite. On Ravel the range is about 194 to 764 sq ft, and the smaller ships use a drop-down window panel instead of balconies.
How long are Riverside cruises?
Routes run from three nights up to 14 nights in 2026, and Riverside has offered voyages as long as 23 nights. Short sailings can often be combined into longer ones on the same ship.
Is there an early-booking offer for 2028?
Riverside advertised 18% off any 2028 sailing booked before June 30, 2027, across all suites and packages. Offers change, so we confirm the current rate before you book.
How we checked this page 18 sources
We checked the line’s own pages and the trade press on October 21, 2026. Where they disagreed, we used the more conservative figure or named the source. Nothing here is paid for, and Booking.com, Viator and CruiseDirect never see a page before it’s published.
- Riverside Luxury Cruises — home
- Riverside — Ships
- Riverside — About
- Riverside — All routes
- Riverside Mozart
- Riverside Ravel
- Riverside Debussy
- Riverside Mahler
- Riverside Mozart fact sheet (PDF)
- Travelweek: Riverside opens 2028 season with debut of Riverside Mahler (Oct 13, 2026)
- Travelweek: Riverside expands fleet with return of Riverside Mahler (Apr 14, 2026)
- Cruise Industry News: Riverside Cruises to add the Mahler and the Mozart (Oct 21, 2026)
- Luxury Travel Report: What Travel Advisors Should Know about Riverside (Oct 2023)
- Travel Weekly: Uniworld will charter two former Crystal river ships (Oct 2023)
- River Cruise Advisor: Riverside Luxury Cruises
- Cruise Critic: Riverside Ravel
- Cruise Trade News: Riverside grows fleet with four new ships
- Cruise Critic: Riverside 2025 itineraries
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