IN CONVERSATION

Could Riverside Collection be the new standard in luxury river cruising? With exquisitely designed ships, award-winning dining, and personalized itineraries, they promise an unforgettable voyage on Europe's most scenic rivers. Join me as I speak with Jennifer Halboth, CEO of Riverside Collection Americas, to uncover their secrets.

Vanessa Lee asked Jennifer Halboth, CEO of Riverside Collection Americas, about the luxury ships in their European river fleet sailing on the Rhine, Moselle, Danube, Saône and Rhône Rivers.

Your first ship, Riverside Mozart, launched in early 2023, followed by Riverside Ravel and Debussy. As a relatively new player in the river cruise space, how is Riverside setting itself apart?

When we launched the brand, we were fortunate to have the power of a beautiful, well-known and beloved fleet behind us. Yet to truly stand out as the luxury river cruise line, we needed to ensure the experience was also on point. Our culinary program really put us on the map—guests and travel advisors alike raved about it, and we were proud to win several industry awards for our dining in the very first year. As you know, great food is a make-or-break moment for river cruise lines, especially for the luxury traveller, and we're so pleased to hear again and again from our guests that their dining experiences were exceptional. This didn't happen by accident—our owners understand what it takes to create an outstanding culinary program, which meant spending double the amount on food per person as the other lines. And it's worth it.

Can you talk more about what makes dining on Riverside so exceptional? I have experienced this on the Riverside Ravel, and I know our readers would like to learn more.

Our ships were designed with culinary excellence in mind. All our galleys are oversized, which means we can prepare all meals à la minute, just like in any five-star restaurant on land. Because we're a small company, each ship's menu is craft ed by its chef and team, so dining feels fresh and location-inspired. Because we sail through so many storied wine regions, we put a sommelier on every ship to help guests with wine selections and host tastings. Guests love the Atelier space—an intimate café with all-day eats, handcrafted coffee drinks, bubble waffles, ice cream and even house-made pretzels. On sunny days, we fire up the Big Green Eggs on the top deck for grilled prawns and fi let mignon. And our Vintage Room? That's our signature wine-paired, multi-course experience, where the chef and sommelier team up to wow our foodie guests. We've heard "this is the best meal I've had all year" from countless guests, which keeps us pushing the envelope.

Jen, tell us more about Riverside’s approach to luxury and how you are appealing to luxury travellers who haven’t river cruised before

Luxury means something different to everyone. For us, it starts with a beautifully designed river ship, impeccably maintained spaces and service that feels high-touch and personal. Every suite comes with butler service, and while that may sound "old-school," the true luxury here is how it allows guests to decide what pampering looks like to them. A feeling of intimacy also plays a big role in luxury. Riverside Ravel and Debussy carry just 110 guests, while Mozart carries a maximum of 162. Guests who have sailed on other river lines will immediately notice the amount of space allotted to suites and public spaces on Riverside ships. Our suites are the largest on the river, with king beds, walk-in closets, and double vanities in most categories. There's this magical moment when a guest walks into their suite and says, 'Wow, I wasn't expecting this much space.' That's when we know we're delivering luxury that surpasses expectations.

What role does personalization play in the guest experience aboard Riverside’s ships?

This is a great question, because personalization is a key component in the Riverside experience—this isn't necessarily the case with other river lines. Our online guest portal allows the crew to learn their preferences and gives them the opportunity to surprise and delight from day one. We also know that not everyone wants the standard seven-night itinerary. That's why we offer trips from three to 21 nights, and guests can combine itineraries to build their ideal journey. We offer a nice range of choices for excursions in each port, but we're also very happy to help a guest book a private tour, make a reservation or get tickets to a museum, or even plot a cycling route through the port city, made possible by our fleet of bikes, both electric and traditional, onboard and always ready to go. For guests who want to forgo tours and treat the ship like a true floating hotel, we offer pricing options without bundled excursions.

What’s ahead for Riverside?

We have some exciting things on the horizon! Over the next few years, we will expand our fleet—Riverside Bach will join us in 2027, followed by Riverside Mahler in 2028. We have some cool special sailings coming up this year, executed in a way that is uniquely Riverside. In June, our Solstice in the Wachau with Danube Fireworks sailing celebrates the longest day of the year with a musical fireworks spectacular. This fall, we will offer the Danube New Wine Celebration sailing, timed to celebrate the season's grape harvest during St. Martin's festivities, when the new wine is blessed and served for the first time. We're dreaming big but staying focused on the small things that make Riverside special—thoughtful details, authentic experiences, and a little bit of wow.