The perfect river cruise for solo travellers!

I recently had the opportunity to cruise on the most beautiful river cruise ship I’ve ever seen. Ok, it was my first river cruise, so maybe I didn’t have much to compare it to, but I was so impressed and wish I could’ve stayed on board longer!

From the first moment stepping aboard Riverside Mozart I knew I was in for a treat. This stunning ship, previously owned by well-known cruise line Crystal Cruises, was purchased by new cruise line Riverside Luxury Cruises in 2022.

The check-in process was very smooth; I was greeted with a warm towel and a cold glass of Champagne — much appreciated after a day of travel! I was then shown to my beautiful Riverside Suite. 

The Riverside Suite is the second grade of suites aboard the Mozart and features a French balcony. Despite travelling in mid-October, the weather was glorious for my three-day cruise so every morning I had the door open, letting in a lovely fresh breeze!

Now, I could talk for hours about how fantastic my experience was aboard Riverside Mozart, and rave about the food, service, entertainment, shore excursions and everything else, but that will all have to wait for a future blog post. For now, I’d like to highlight how wonderful this cruise was as a solo traveller.

I’m no stranger to solo travel, having taken many flights alone, navigated public transport and broached the ‘table for one’ experience. However, my time aboard Riverside Mozart really highlighted how brilliant river cruises are for solo travellers. 

I would absolutely jump at the chance to cruise again on my own. River cruises are all about shore excursions and getting the most out of every destination. Riverside are quite unique in that they have four separate prices for each voyage: premium all-inclusive including shore excursions, premium all-inclusive without excursions, full board including excursions and full board without excursions. Basically, each traveller can choose from a very basic full board package up to the most inclusive luxury experience available. This means that they are often placed within an affordable range for all kinds of travellers.

If you select one of the options which includes shore excursions (which I highly recommend as the excursions are so immersive and interesting!) you will get to meet like minded travellers and have your ‘social fix’. Likewise, Riverside encourages solo travellers to share a drink before dinner and even dine together if they so wish. 

I loved being able to chat to others over a Kir Royale and debate what was the best dish on the menu. It was also really nice to join small group tours during the day; I had someone offering to take a photo of me in scenic places and someone to cheers with over a wine tasting in Austria.

However, when you then return to the ship in the evening, or have a few hours sailing downriver, or when you retire for the night, you have the peace of relaxing alone in your beautiful suite, reading a book on the sun deck or relaxing on a thermal bed in the onboard spa. I really enjoyed catching a few moments to myself each day and on Riverside Mozart, which is a double-width ship, there is ample space to do so.

Those moments (to me, as an introverted extrovert!) are crucial to my overall enjoyment of a holiday. It’s the balance of feeling comfortable, looked after and safe as a solo traveller combined with the joy of meeting new people and socialising over dinner and drinks. 

What makes all of this even better though, is that with Riverside Luxury Cruises, you can travel alone with no solo supplement in one of their Harmony or Melody Suites!

That’s right. Cruising is a favoured pastime for so many of us but when we travel solo it can become expensive and difficult. With Riverside, it is a truly easy and enjoyable experience. You only pay for YOU without paying an additional fee for staying in a double capacity suite.

Although I didn’t stay in a Harmony Suite aboard Riverside Mozart, I was able to have a peek inside (thanks to the ship only being half full!) and the size is very impressive. The same as the Riverside Suites, the Harmony Suites on Mozart are 20 square metres (219 square feet) and offer ample wardrobe space, a sofa and cosy living area with a dressing table and mini-bar, a spacious bathroom with a large shower and the comfiest king size bed.

The equivalent suites aboard Riverside Ravel and Riverside Debussy (the two normal width ships in the Riverside fleet) are the Melody Suites, which offer 17 square metres (182 square feet) of space and are equally as spacious and beautifully appointed.

If you’re a fan of river cruising or even if you’ve never been on a river cruise before (like me!) then I urge you to take a look at Riverside Luxury Cruises. They are the perfect choice for an ultra-luxurious river cruise, whether you’re a couple, travelling with a friend or family member, or as a solo traveller. You could even just book two suites with the no solo supplement if your other half snores, without paying any extra!

Find out more about Riverside Luxury Cruises here. Call our river cruise experts today on 0161 513 8200 to book your solo adventure today!