Riverside Luxury Cruises is a new name in European river cruising, but the company’s ships are well-known as the ultra-luxe former Crystal fleet. Riverside’s Susie Coughlin talks to Karryon about the new cruise line and what it offers discerning travellers.
“Riverside Luxury Cruises is still a foreign name to most, whereas Crystal River Cruises is not,” says Susie Coughlin, Riverside Luxury Cruises’ Commercial Sales & Marketing Representative AU/NZ.
Coughlin has an impressive background in the sector, having worked with APT, Travelmarvel and Avalon Waterways. She explains that Riverside’s founders, the Hamburg-based Gerlach family – who own Seaside Collection, an international luxury hotel group – acquired the former Crystal Cruises’ five ships in 2022-23 and launched its river cruise operations in 2023.
Earlier this year, Riverside joined CLIA Australasia, which Coughlin says has been a “contributing factor to the successful introduction of our brand in Australia and New Zealand”.
“We are having discussions with several trade partners where our niche, luxury offerings align. We are a start-up with a small team and the ‘work smarter not harder’ ethos has never been more relevant!
“Once these partnerships are locked in, Riverside will provide dedicated training, either in person or online, and we have allocated famil space for the latter part of 2025.”
Ultra-luxe ships
Riverside’s fleet comprises Riverside Mozart (at double the width of most European river ships she sails only on the Danube) and four sister ships: the 110-guest, all-suite Riverside Bach, Riverside Ravel, Riverside Mahler and Riverside Debussy.
Bach and Mahler are currently chartered by Uniworld, sailing as SS Victoria and SS Elisabeth, and will return to Riverside in 2027 and 2028 respectively. Ravel sails on France’s Rhône between Lyon and Avignon and Debussy operates classic Rhine cruises between Amsterdam and Basel and Budapest and Bucharest.
Mozart, which accommodates a maximum of 162 guests, was built in 1987 and extensively refurbished in 2023, while the four Rhine-class ships were built between 2017 and 2018. All feature an indoor pool – Mozart’s is extra-large because of her overall size.
“Crystal did an amazing job of transforming the interiors of the ships before the Gerlaches bought them,” Coughlin says. “They did, however, ensure that the customer service, food and beverage offerings, quality of the furnishings and overall quality of the ships met the same exceptional standards they require in the Seaside Collection properties.”
The Riverside difference
Many of the former Crystal staff and crew were recruited by Riverside, and when I sailed on Bach pre-pandemic, I experienced the incredibly attentive, friendly service that continues to be a big drawcard under the fleet’s new ownership.
The small number of guests on each ship means there is ample space throughout, in suites, dining venues and lounges. The décor and furnishings are classically elegant, the Waterside Restaurant has plenty of tables for two and the light-filled Palm Court lounge is never crowded.
Coughlin says, “Our suites are spacious and well thought out. You will find the average size of our most sought-after cabins exceed the average on the rivers of Europe. We provide king-size beds that can convert to twin, luxury amenities, and butler service for all suites.
“Other standouts are the number of interconnecting cabins we have on-board which is rare in river cruising. We have eight interconnecting suites, accommodating 16 guests on each ship.
“We also have a very generous ‘no single supplement offer’ throughout 2025 and 2026 in our lead-in cabins, on all ships, where once again our average cabin size for singles is well above most of our competitors.”
Fine dining is a must for any luxury travel experience, whether on land or on a ship, and the Seaside Collection is renowned for its exceptional food and beverage offerings. Coughlin says, “The Gerlach family has a long history in luxury hotels, and their vision was to replicate the Michelin-inspired quality and service provided by the hotels across to our luxury river cruise fleet.”
‘Too young’ for river cruising?
As a long-time senior sales manager for the family-owned APT group, Coughlin sees some parallels with her new role at family-owned Riverside Luxury Cruises.
“I am a river cruise tragic who has held senior positions in several companies that offer river cruising within their portfolio,” she says.
“Now I get to represent a brand where I can concentrate on river cruising only, which is a delight.
“I get very agitated when people tell me they are ‘too young for river cruising’.
“Are you ever too young to enjoy an unpack-once holiday, where you have luxurious suites comparable to a suite in a luxury hotel, an exceptional standard of food and beverage included in your fare, a sommelier on every voyage and the opportunity to dock in local towns and villages?
“River cruising provides expert local guides to share their love, knowledge and history of your destination, where you experience it like a local – and then return to your ‘home away from home’ to be greeted by friendly staff each and every time you return to your ship. What’s not to love?”
For more information, visit Riverside Luxury Cruises.
