Riviera Travel's specialist task force monitors river conditions across Europe, coordinates contingency plans, and ensures agents get timely, transparent updates—mirrored to travel partners for one consistent source of information.
The company has increased call centre capacity and deployed extra Cruise Directors and head office staff on affected sailings, with guests receiving proactive updates at 14 days, 7 days and 72 hours before departure.
Vicky Billing, Director of Trade and Partnerships, said: "Supporting our travel agent partners has been a key priority throughout this period. Alongside our dedicated response team, we've launched a Travel Updates Hub that is refreshed twice daily, giving agents the latest information to support customers with confidence."
Most of Riviera's programme continues to operate, with four of seven ships currently sailing the affected Rhine and Danube. Since July, 27 departures have run successfully using tailored contingency measures.
Eight sailings—under a quarter—have been cancelled where alternatives wouldn't have met the company's customer experience standards.
Every impacted departure is assessed individually. Where a cruise can't proceed as planned, guests get three options:
Price-Matched Rebooking: same itinerary, cabin and airport on an alternative 2026/2027 date, no extra cost.
Transfer to Another Holiday: switch to any Riviera holiday departing 2026/2027. Refund if cheaper; £250pp contribution if pricier.
Full Refund: for significant itinerary changes if guests prefer to cancel.
For sailings proceeding with mid-trip changes, compensation is assessed case-by-case post-travel via vouchers or cash.
Guest confidence remains strong: July Rhine and Danube departures achieved an average Trust Score of 8.6/10 and nearly 88% positive sentiment.
James Golding, Chief Guest Experience Officer, said: "Transparency and communication are critical during disruption. Through our response team and close collaboration with operating partners, we're ensuring agents and guests have the latest information and support at every stage."
