VIVA Rhine River Cruise Review
VIVA Rhine River Cruise Review – A Rocky Start My wife and I, along with friends, recently traveled to Europe and began our journey with a week in Paris before boarding our first-ever river cruise with VIVA on the Rhine River in Basel. While we’ve cruised extensively on the ocean, this was our first river cruise experience—and unfortunately, the embarkation process left a lot to be desired. We arrived in Basel, Switzerland, the day before our departure on June 21st. Upon reviewing all our paperwork and emails, we realized that we had never been sent the specific address of the ship’s location. The front desk at our hotel (the Movenpick) wasn’t able to help either. While we saw several fellow travelers heading out on Viking, we couldn’t find anyone else boarding VIVA. Eventually, we found a location on Google and hoped for the best, since we’d heard VIVA ships may depart from several different piers. We checked out of our hotel at 11:00 a.m., had lunch, and took a cab to the Google-listed location at around 12:45 p.m. Thankfully, it turned out to be correct—but once we arrived, the contrast between VIVA and Viking was immediately evident. The Viking tent was staffed with several friendly greeters. The VIVA tent, however, had only a security guard, who said we could leave our bags there but offered no welcome or direction. We had arrived around 1:00 p.m., well aware that check-in wasn’t until 3:00. Nevertheless, no one from VIVA made an effort to greet or guide us. When we boarded the ship briefly to ask about early check-in, a woman curtly told us to leave and come back later—without a hello, no “Welcome to VIVA,” nothing. It felt cold and unwelcoming, especially as we stood in an industrial part of Basel with no nearby restaurants or shelter in 90-degree heat. When we asked the Viking team if they knew anywhere to wait, they kindly pointed us down the riverbank, saying there were restaurants “just 300 meters away.” In reality, it was closer to two miles before we found a place to sit and eat. First impressions matter. Compared to the warm, attentive service we've consistently experienced on ocean cruises, this was a truly disappointing start. Even when we later brought our concerns to the cruise director, Yon, there was no acknowledgment or apology for the poor handling of our arrival. River cruising might offer charm and intimacy, but VIVA missed the mark on hospitality right from the start. We hope they improve the experience for future guests.
