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June 18, 2025

From beautifully designed interiors to exceptional service, spacious accommodations and extraordinary menus and free-flowing wines, Riverside Ravel is Riverside’s gift to Soane and Rhone River Cruising.

RIVERSIDE CALLS ALL 3 OR ITS EXTRAORDINARY SHIPS “BOUTIQUE HOTELS”

The owners of Riverside are the Gerlach family. Hoteliers with vast experience in luxury hospitality, their Seaside Collection stretches from the Canary Islands to the Maldives. Current C.E.O. Gregor Gerlach is passionate about making Riverside the ne-plus-ultra of European river cruising. He started with a distinct advantage. Its fleet of vessels were purpose-built for luxury cruising by Crystal Cruises. That company was hard hit by the pandemic and its river fleet was laid up. Gregor Gerlach swooped it up. Re-naming his fleet “Mozart”, “Debussy” and “Ravel” , Riverside took on the most popular itineraries on Europe’s rivers—the Danube, the Rhine, the Main, the Moselle, the Soane and the Rhone. And in the opinion of many, there’s no finer place to be than on one of Riverside’s ships.

EVERY RIVERSIDE STATEROOM IS A SUITE

In a business prone to overpromise, Riverside’s accommodations truly stand out. Even the smallest of Riverside’s offerings dwarf all competition. And you won’t find a single one below the waterline which is standard on most river cruise lines. Instead, every single suite has a wall-to-wall window that lets you see the river even while lying in your king-sized bed. There’s butler and maid service at your beck and call. Of course there’s a television, a coffee and tea maker, a stocked in-room refrigerator, delicious sweets delivered nightly. The closets are wonderfully large and wonder of wonders, the bathrooms are full sized! Dual Shower heads make every shower a delight and each bathroom has double sinks—something virtually every passenger remarks about. The décor that is soothing and stylish and the perfect place to come home to. But with all that’s on offer outside the door of your suite, it would be a shame to miss out.

PLEASURES ABOARD RIVERSIDE RAVEL

The beautiful light-filled lounge with its glass ceiling is called the Palm Court. It is the setting for everything from port talks to wine tastings to nightly entertainment which on this most French of itineraries included wonderful Chanteuses and their accompanists. The Bar there creates every possible kind of cocktail which is, of course, included in the fare. Right outside there’s the Atelier with its all-day procession of ‘treats, nibbles and small delicacies’ for round-the-clock temptation. Guests can work those off in the Fitness Center or indulge in a treatment in the Spa next door. The swimming pool offers a perfect dip on deck 3. One flight up is the Vista Deck which delights with its canopied seating and Riverside’s signature Vista Bar. The latter magically disappears when the ship needs to clear any low-hanging bridges –which on our high-water adventure, it did frequently. It’s hard to imagine a ship more beautifully decorated or more stylish than Riverside Ravel.

AND HOW WAS THE FOOD?

Simply a gastronomique tour-de-force. Imagine! There are no less than five eating places aboard Riverside Ravel. They’re presided over by a true French Chef. Chef Benoit hails from Brittany. He is the scion of a Culinary family: Three of his uncles owned restaurants. And his grandmother was his culinary teacher from an early age. His background is truly international. Francer, Mexico and Venezuela are all on his resumé. He loves what he does and shops local markets at every port. When we toured the Lyon Market named for Paul Bocuse, he dashed between stalls choosing specialties that appeared in Ravel’s Riverside restaurant that very night. While not themed as such, Riverside Ravel’s Soane Rhone itinerary could certainly be called a culinary cruise. Virtually every stop had a culinary component. That guided tour of Lyon’s Bocuse Market, the Truffle hunts –two of them in one 8-day trip—the visit to La Cite du Chocolat Valrhona, and the lunches at 4-star restaurants ashore. And aboard ship, Riverside Ravel is dedicated to the handmade. Every element, from the morning’s flaky croissants to the house-made preserves and fresh-baked bread, is crafted on board with meticulous care. And French cuisine is celebrated at every meal. Whether it’s a perfectly caramelized Tarte Tatin, a soulful Boeuf Bourguignon, each dish tells a story of the region we are gliding through.

LET’S RAISE A GLASS TO RIVERSIDE!

What River Cruise to one of the great winegrowing regions of the world could possibly ignore its noble vintages? Even there, Riverside outdoes itself. Every day our glorious lunches and dinners were paired with Rhone valley vintages– perhaps a Grenache-led blend that sings of sun-warmed fruit, a spicy Syrah, or a brooding Mourvèdre—you’re not just dining, you’re traveling through terroir. And virtually every day oenophiles were treated to shore excursions encompassing their favorite subject. Some were accomplished aboard Ravel’s electric bicycles. And back aboard ship, wine expert Jezebel conducted a wine pairing class that even neophytes to the wine world were intrigued and fascinated by. My partner, not truly a wine drinker, enjoyed every minute of these activities. The culmination of our Wine experiences had to be a sunset visit to perhaps the world’s most famous wine destination, Chateauneuf du Pape. One of Riverside’s Signature Events, this glorious trip to the ruins of the Chateau was followed by a full-on tasting at Maison Bouachon’s Pavillion where the wine flowed along with the conversation of our now great friends and fellow passengers.

LET’S RAISE A GLASS TO RIVERSIDE RAVEL FOR HOW THEY HANDLED THE BANE OF RIVER CRUISING.

Like all river ships, high water or low drastically affects the ability of these craft to stick to their promised itineraries. In the case of Riverside Ravel, docked at the confluence of the Soane and Rhone Rivers just south of Lyon, high water made it impossible to pursue its itinerary north on the Soane. Instead, the ship would have to remain in Lyon. Its international passenger list were clearly not amused. (This writer thinks it only fair to point out that Riverside attracts passengers who are absolutely used to getting exactly what they want when they want it.) Astonishingly, Riverside delivered in style and substance on its promised shore excursions. The only thing that was missing was the river. And after just an extra day in Lyon, the Captain of Riverside Ravel even managed to deliver that. The passenger list could not have been happier.

HOW RIVERSIDE MADE GOOD ON ITS PROMISE.

Up to the very last minute, our Captain hoped to navigate upstream. Here we share our personal experience: (We travel incognito so that our Press credentials are unknown to anyone aboard.) The Guest Experience team approached us about our planned shore excursion to Burgundy on the Wine Trail: Destination Beaune. We were the only passengers who had signed up for it. For me, this was the lynchpin of the entire shoreside experience. I I wanted my partner to share in this incredible medieval town dating from the 1400s. While other river cruise lines might have simply cancelled for ‘lack of interest’, Riverside did not. Instead, the next morning we were ensconced in a Mercedes van with our expert driver William and our guide, Severine. Coming along for the ride was one of Ravel’s Guest Experience personnel, Marko. We made our way to Beaune where we were given a walking tour, a wine tasting, an extraordinary lunch at Beaune’s Le Cheval Noir. After lunch we visited Beaune’s premiere attraction—its extraordinary Hôtel-Dieu, magnificently explained by our guide. Riverside simply cannot do enough to make their passengers wishes come true–come hell or highwater.

Don’t miss more updates, news and reviews about Riverside Luxury Cruises on Cruising Journal.

Monte Mathews

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