MS Riviera Rose is a luxurious ship that has been specifically designed to sail along the Douro River in Portugal. Newly launched in April 2025, the ship is 80 metres in length and can accommodate up to 114 guests in 57 cabins, including 4 balcony suites with a total of 38 crew. I was excited to be invited on board Riviera Rose on Riviera Travel’s Highlights of the Douro Valley and Salamanca river cruise just two months after it began operating. My son was accompanying me and we thought it would be lovely to experience our first river cruise together.
Arrival and check-in
The entrance to the boat leads onto the middle of the Diamond Deck where the reception area and cruise director’s desk are located.
After speedily checking-in, we were given our room key cards which are also needed when getting on and off the boat as a quick tap on a touch screen records movements ensuring no-one is left behind.
Our Cabin
Luggage had been carried on board by the crew and taken to our cabins prior to check-in. After a welcome afternoon tea in the bar lounge we were shown to our cabin by a member of the crew who insisted on helping us with our hand luggage. We had been booked into one of the standard cabins on the upper Diamond Deck which was absolutely beautiful. Cabins can be configured with either double or twin beds and come dressed in the finest Egyptian cotton bed linen.
All standard cabins on both the Diamond and Ruby decks have French balconies with sliding glass doors letting lots of natural light into the room and affording stunning views throughout the river cruise.
Our boutique style room had everything at hand for a comfortable stay including a dressing table and stool, a 50″ flat screen television, clock radio, air conditioning, a Nespresso coffee machine, kettle, tea making facilities and an under counter fridge. There was plenty of storage space with wardrobes and drawers and after unpacking, we slotted our suitcases underneath the beds so that they were out of the way and to maximise space in the room.
The stylish bathroom boasted a rainfall shower, fragrant Nuxe toiletries to pamper ourselves with, bathrobes, slippers, fluffy towels and a hairdryer. Diamond Deck guests are treated to a welcome bottle of chilled champagne in the fridge and several small gifts during the course of the week.
A turn down service takes place during dinner and on returning to our cabin each evening, the curtains had been drawn and chocolates left on the pillows. A useful information sheet outlining the next day’s activities was also delivered at this time.
Dining on the Rivera Rose
The main restaurant on Riviera Rose is located on the Ruby Deck, with an open staircase leading down from the Diamond Deck reception area. There is also lift access to all floors with the exception of the sun deck, however guests with mobility problems can still enjoy sitting outside on the Diamond Deck.
The restaurant is contemporary styled with tables accommodating between 4 and 6 guests. Seating is informal meaning that you can choose to sit at a different table each time if you wish. We found that dining in the restaurant was the perfect way to mingle and make new friends as we enjoyed chatting and getting to know other guests during our meals. Dining is just like being in a five star, boutique hotel restaurant with the added benefit of being on a ship and enjoying the stunning scenery as we sailed along the Douro River.
Breakfast: is usually served between 7.30 – 9.30 a.m. with occasional time variations when morning excursions are taking place. There was a buffet of fresh fruit, yoghurts, pastries etc. and also a selection of cooked breakfast items. I started the day with fresh fruit and my favourite Bircher muesli, followed by eggs Benedict which was cooked to order and brought to the table by the waiting staff. Tea and coffee is also served to the table and we enjoyed coming to life with our morning cappuccino’s.
Lunch:
Guests have the choice of taking lunch either in the main restaurant or the more intimate Rio Restaurant up on the sun-deck. On one of the days a barbecue lunch was served out on the sun-deck and we enjoyed this, sitting under the shade of a parasol as we glided along the river. On other days we dined in the main restaurant where a three course menu is served. All dishes were beautifully plated and most importantly tasted delicious.
Dinner: Main Restaurant
A four course dinner is served each evening from 7.00 p.m. in the main restaurant and is a wonderful fine dining experience. Here we enjoyed delicious mains which included fillet steak, grilled salmon and roast lamb.
Dinner: Rio Restaurant
The smaller Rio restaurant is located at the rear of the ship and was open on three nights during our cruise, with table reservations being required. There is no additional charge for dining in this restaurant. We enjoyed dinner in the Rio on one evening which made for a pleasant change as a lavish buffet which included oysters, prawns and Serrano ham awaited us. This was followed by delicious authentic Portuguese mains and desserts. A selection of local wines are served at both lunch and dinner in both restaurants and these are included in the cost of the cruise.
Atrium Bar Lounge
The stylish bar lounge is located on the Diamond Deck and forms the social hub of Riviera Rose. We were welcomed here with afternoon tea on our arrival, with tea and cakes being available each afternoon for any guests who prefer to remain on board. With comfortable chairs, table service and stunning views, the bar lounge was a lovely place to enjoy our pre-dinner canapés and cocktails. Between 6.00 p.m. and midnight, wines, spirits and cocktails are included in the cruise price so no further payment is required.
Inclusive drinks are available up until midnight so after we’d enjoyed dinner and taken a late evening stroll along the shore, we returned to the bar for another drink (or two!) and met up with our newly made friends.
Jaimie entertained us each evening on the piano and guitar with a well chosen playlist that included everyone’s favourites that tempted people onto the dance floor. It was in the bar where we also received updates on the day’s activities from Sarah our Cruise Director who was really nice and always on hand if anyone needed her assistance.
The Sun Deck
With beautiful weather throughout our week on board, the open-air Sun Deck was our favourite place to sit and relax whilst we were cruising along the Douro. With comfortable sun-loungers, shady parasols and ample tables and chairs there was never a problem in finding somewhere to sit, read and soak up the views.
A complimentary tea and coffee station was positioned just a few steps down from the sun deck at the stern of the ship. Drinks and biscuits are available throughout the day and this is also where guests can re-fill their Riviera Travel water bottles which are also complimentary and a lovely souvenir to take home from the holiday.
The sun deck is also home to a splash pool which proved very popular during our week on board for guests to cool down in the sizzling temperatures. Beach towels are provided so one only needs to pack swimwear to enjoy the facilities.
Emerald Deck
For guests who might want to burn off a few excess calories after all the delicious food and drink on board then they can head down to the Emerald Deck to use the small but well equipped gym. We didn’t actually use it ourselves but got our steps in during the on-shore activities and on our evening strolls. Alongside the gym, the Emerald Deck is also home to numerous standard cabins, all beautifully furnished but without French balconies on this level.
Overall:
This was our first ever river cruise and although we knew it would be very enjoyable we didn’t know quite what to expect. I can confidently say that it exceeded our high expectations in every aspect from the stylish cabin, beautifully appointed public areas and gourmet dining. All the crew we came into contact with from housekeeping, through to bar, restaurant and front of house were absolutely lovely and all doing their utmost to ensure everyone enjoyed their time on board.
Would we do it again? Definitely, and without a moment’s hesitation. It’s the perfect holiday for all ages and we both agreed that the river cruise was a lovely way to spend time together with neither of us bored for even one minute.
Coming up next – a series of posts documenting our Douro river cruise in more detail so do follow along and be inspired to enjoy a relaxing river cruise yourselves.
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We were guests of Riviera Travel and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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