One thing that can always make or break a vacation is the food! We spent one week sailing on the VIVA One river cruise along the stunning Moselle Valley and Rhine River. While we didn’t originally expect to highlight the meals on board, it was so impressive that we had to share our favorites. Here’s some of the best food we had with VIVA Cruises!
What Makes the Food on VIVA Cruises So Good?
We are avid cruisers, and have been on everything from massive ocean liners to small 15 cabin barges. The food on VIVA Cruises looked delicious from the pictures, but we didn’t realize how much it would blow us away.
VIVA is a German cruise company that sails throughout the rivers of Europe. You can definitely expect high-quality preparation and ingredients throughout your tour.
The seating is freestyle between the eating hours, which gives you the opportunity to meet other travelers if you’d like. Here’s a breakdown of each meal we had aboard the VIVA One cruise ship!
Breakfast: The morning starts off with a fresh buffet breakfast that had both hot and cold options. We especially loved the daily lox and herring section. Also, there was a menu of eggs and hot porridge that you could order fresh from the waiter.
Lunch: Lunch on the VIVA One had starters, dessert, and a live pasta station set up in the buffet section. However, soups and main were ordered off the menu which changed every day.
Dinner: Always served à la carte with a menu when dining in the main Riverside restaurant. You are able to order as many appetizers as you want, and the desserts were to die for!
Bistro vs Riverside: Lunch and dinner are available in both the Bistro and Riverside restaurant. The Bistro has a set menu for lunch and dinner that stayed the same during our cruise.
However, in Riverside, it was different every day for the afternoon and evening meals. Note that you will need to make a reservation beforehand at the Bistro if you’d like to eat there.
24 Best Dishes We Had on VIVA Cruises
The food on VIVA Cruises ranged from hearty German plates to Mediterranean fare, and even Asian inspired dishes. We were always excited every morning to see the menus for the day, which were posted in the ships lobby.
As you’ll see in our pictures below, the presentations were almost as good as the actual VIVA Cruises food! Also, be sure to check out 7 Reasons Why VIVA Cruises is the Ultimate Europe Vacation.
Vegetarian Food on VIVA Cruises
Now Jake and I are definitely far from vegetarians ourselves. However, my sister is vegan so we know how difficult it can be traveling if there aren’t great veggie options. We loved how they clearly they labeled the vegetarian items that were alongside the normal dinner menu.
The vegetarian dishes looked just as well executed as the meat plates, and not just an afterthought. I was sending my sister photos daily and sharing with her how much she would like the meals.
What if You Have a Food Allergy?
I will talk from my own experience here because I have a wild mushroom allergy. It’s actually something that made me nervous since wild mushrooms were featured regularly on the ships menu.
Fortunately, the staff was super accommodating, and the chef was easily able to adjust any dish I wanted if it had mushrooms in it. The one thing that completely surprised us was how attentive the waiters were.
The few times I forgot to mention my allergy they were already well prepared in advance for each meal.
Eating Off the Boat
Obviously, there are set times that breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. Yet, if you’re off exploring and want to grab a meal, then that is completely up to you.
Aside from some small local treats that we had to try, there was no reason to eat outside of our VIVA cruise. We looked forward to the meals every day and seeing what the chef had in store for us!
With that said, you may way to grab a drink along your adventures at each stop. On our cruise specifically, we were passing through many beautiful vineyard towns.
For example, in the town of Rüdesheim, they are known for producing some of the best wine in all of Germany! After dinner we strolled back into town for a glass, and even bought a bottle to take with us and enjoy after the cruise.
What About the Drinks?
Speaking of beverages… VIVA is an all-inclusive style cruise. That means all drinks are included with your boat trip.
The VIVA One ship had a large variety of beers, wine, and cocktails to quench your thirst. Some of our favorite moments were simply grabbing an ice cold beer and taking in the views from the top deck.
We also liked how they had regional beers from Germany that went so well with our route. Be sure to check out the cocktail of the day on your own VIVA Cruise!
VIVA One vs Other VIVA Cruises Food
We can only speak from our experience on the VIVA One. Nevertheless, it’s very clear to us that they take pride in serving the best cuisine to their passengers.
The fine dining is available in the Riverside restaurant, or you can head to the Bistro for a more casual burger or sandwich. If we sail on another VIVA ship, we will happily share all our favorites again!
Have any questions about the food on VIVA Cruises or want to share more of the best dishes from your own trip? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
This trip was made possible in partnership with VIVA Cruises. As always, any opinions and recommendations remain our own.
PIN FOR LATER ↓
