Riviera Travel Announces New River Cruise Ship and Itinerary for 2020

(10:20 a.m. BST) -- UK-based tour operator Riviera Travel has announced plans for a new 169-passenger river vessel and expanded cruise programme for 2020.

Riviera -- the country's largest provider of European river cruises with more than 50,000 passengers scheduled to sail this year -- will debut the MS Geoffrey Chaucer which will bring the company's fleet of vessels to 13. The ship, described as a "five star" riverboat, will feature a fine-dining restaurant, bistro with panoramic windows and al fresco seating, spa, and splash pool on the sun deck.

The ship will sail on five itineraries: "Heart of Europe", "The Blue Danube, Bruges, Medieval Flanders", "Amsterdam and the Dutch Bulbfields", "Amsterdam, Kinderdijk and the Dutch Bulbfields", and Budapest to The Black Sea".

Riviera Travel's head of river cruising, Katja Hildebrandt, said: "2020 looks set to be another exciting year at Riviera, and as our river cruise programme goes from strength to strength, we are very proud to confirm the addition of the spectacular MS Geoffrey Chaucer, a sister to our increasingly popular 135-metre five-star fleet of luxury ships; just as elegant and stylish, with the same first-class service from her professional crew, she's sure to become a firm favourite."

Additionally, Riviera is expanding next year's cruise programme with the addition of the "Vienna, Bohemia and Treasures of The Danube” sailing which will be offered on MS Thomas Hardy. 

Hildebrandt added: "Our aim is always to listen to our customers, and in response to their feedback and our continual research into new destinations, we are thrilled to be introducing a brand new itinerary along one of the most famous waterways in the world."