Considering a trip with VIVA Cruises, and wondering what it’s actually like? Well, we just spent one week sailing on the Moselle & Rhine River and are so excited to share our experience. Here’s exactly what to know before booking a VIVA Cruise. From the ship to our itinerary, and why it should be your next Europe vacation!
Our Trip With VIVA Cruises
Before hopping on our VIVA Cruise, we had actually spent over a month in the Moselle Region. We were staying in the little village of Reil, which allowed us to see many incredible towns along the river.
Our days were spent cycling, hiking, and tasting the delicious Reisling wine of the area. We even got to attend some of the exciting wine festivals that take place in this part of Germany during the summer.
However, it wasn’t until we sailed with VIVA Cruises that we would truly see more of the Moselle! To start our cruise, we drove to Dusseldorf where our boat was departing from.
The big city of Dusseldorf is so worth exploring if you have the time. Here is the best way to spend one day in Dusseldorf. Also, be sure to check out one of the historic breweries around Old Town and try the famous Altbier.
So why did we love sailing with VIVA Cruises? Here’s 7 reasons we highly recommend it for your next vacation in Europe!
7 Reasons to Book a VIVA Cruise
1. Sleek & Modern Ships
Our one-week cruise was spent on the newest member of the VIVA fleet. The VIVA One ship first set sail in 2022.
It’s complete with 88 cabins with a capacity of 176 passengers. There are four levels including the top sun deck, which was our favorite area to hang out.
You’ll also enjoy the massive lounge, beautiful dining room, and the bistro restaurant. Don’t worry, we’ll share all about the food later! We also loved that they had water stations near the lobby with both sparkling and still to fill up our water bottles.
If you’re in need of a workout after all the delicious food, you can hit the small gym on board. There’s even a sauna on the VIVA One and a massage therapist available.
One thing we thought was unique about our Viva Cruise boat was the 68 solar panels on the outside. We found out that these help to power the ships on-board network.
We’ve sailed on everything from large ocean cruise ships to small Boat Bike barges, and everything in between. Still, we found the VIVA One to be the perfect size!
It’s just spacious enough to not feel overcrowded, even at full capacity. Make sure to read our full room to room VIVA One boat tour here.
2. Rooms That Are Hard to Leave
During our cruise, we stayed in a Double Cabin on the Diamond Deck. This was the highest floor available and located just under the top sundeck.
We’ve been on a few different types of cruises now, and this was by far the biggest room we’ve stayed in! It was 17 square meters with a large double bed that was comfy as can be.
There was also a big flat screen tv, good sized bathroom, and a minibar which was refreshed twice daily. Yet, our favorite part of the room was the french balcony, which had doors that slid open fully.
We enjoyed coffee and other drinks in our chair many days while cruising, as we watched the small river towns pass us by. Be aware that there are only a few luxury suites that have full balconies where chairs can be placed outside.
The most affordable option is the Emerald deck where the windows do not open, but the rooms are still a very good size for a river cruise.
3. Routes All Over Europe
So what was our actual route with VIVA Cruises? We chose the Romantic Moselle trip, which took us on both the Moselle and Rhine River.
Over one week, we sailed from Dusseldorf to so many stunning towns. We highly recommend this route if you’re looking for a relaxing journey, filled with quiet villages and great wine.
While it was relaxing, our itinerary was actually packed full of exciting stops and activities! Some days we even hit two destinations in the same day like with Traben-Trarbach and Bernkastel-Kues.
What time you dock and take off seems to be dictated completely by when and where they could park. Sometimes, we would depart in the middle of the night, and wake up in a whole new town for breakfast.
You’ll find that VIVA Cruises has all kinds of routes available throughout Europe. The itineraries run through most of the year, and even during the Christmas Market season.
Our VIVA Cruise Route
- Dusseldorf
- Koblenz
- Traben-Trarbach & Bernkastel-Kues
- Trier
- Cochem
- Rudesheim
- Linz on the Rhine & Bonn
- Dusseldorf
4. The Food on VIVA Cruises
In our experience, the food can be the major difference between a good and GREAT cruise. With that said, VIVA had some of the best cuisine we’ve eaten on a ship!
We’ll take you through each meal so you know what to expect. Aside from dinner, it was a mix of buffet and à la carte.
There was also aperitif hour from 6 to 7pm where they served small snacks. If you couldn’t tell from our VIVA food article, we never left the boat hungry!
Breakfast: Large spread of meats, cheeses, and hot plate items. There was also a juice bar, eggs, lox, and bacon available.
The waiters would always come around to take your coffee order. You’re also able to order omelettes and hot porridge off a menu.
Lunch: Lunch would typically start at 12:30pm every day. The menu set out on each table would tell you what the appetizers were, which were laid out where the breakfast spread was earlier.
There was also a nice salad bar here and a chef making pasta fresh to order. Additionally, VIVA Cruises typically has soups, 3 main course options, and dessert.
Dinner: The final meal was fully à la carte, and it definitely didn’t disappoint! There were 2 to 3 appetizers available, a soup, and then 3 main course options like with lunch.
The appetizers were small enough that we could order all of them to share. We also enjoyed that the main courses were very diverse, with a meat, fish, and vegetarian option to choose from.
For us, the dessert was always the exclamation point of the meal! A couple of our favorites were the black tea eclair and warm blueberry cobbler.
5. Docking in Historic Small Towns
Something that enhanced our Viva Cruise was the epic locations! On the majority of our stops, the boat was parked right at the entrance to town.
Many were small historic towns along the river that you could explore fully in just a few hours. While there were cities in the mix as well, the German villages along the Moselle and Rhine were our absolute favorites.
As we mentioned, some days we visited two places on the same day. This is why it was so nice to be able to stroll right into the old town and start exploring.
VIVA Cruises also offers fun excursions after you arrive. These included food, wine, and history tours to experience it all.
6. All Inclusive Price
VIVA is an all-inclusive cruise! This means that food and drinks are unlimited for the length of the trip.
We preferred this style, as many of our prior cruises we’ve had to settle up a drink tab at the end. Our VIVA Cruise had a wide variety of beers, spirits, and wines from the region. Plus, they featured a new cocktail of the day each afternoon.
Some of our best memories were simply grabbing a drink and heading to the sundeck as we were sailing down the river.
7. Explore Europe in Comfort and Style
The last reason to take a VIVA Cruise is simple. This is the ultimate way to see Europe in a luxurious way.
Really, the cruise is whatever you want to make it. You can hop off the minute they dock and soak in every corner of the town.
Yet, we wouldn’t blame you if you just wanted to have a relaxing day on the ship. For those who prefer a packed itinerary, a trip with VIVA Cruises will allow you to see so many incredible destinations at once.
Every day after boarding the ship, we were always ready for our fine dining feast. The high tea, happy hours, and views from the boat were definitely a highlight.
Final Thoughts on VIVA Cruises
We hope you’re ready to hop on a VIVA Cruise yourself! Honestly, this is one of the best one-week trips we’ve ever had.
So much so, that we’re already looking into going on a Christmas Markets cruise with them this winter. It was the perfect mix of relaxation, delicious food, and stunning villages along the rivers.
We felt we had just enough hours in each town every day. Still, there was also plenty of time to enjoy the ship.
Have any questions on this article or want to share your own Viva Cruise experience? 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.
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