Riviera Travel has confirmed an order for two new Radiance class vessels, set to debut in 2027 and 2028

The additions, which take the Riviera Travel fleet to 16, were announced at the Riviera Radiance naming ceremony in Budapest after the line detailed a 20 per cent year-on-year revenue growth in 2025, with projections for double-digit growth in 2026.

CEO Phil Hullah said: “We’re going in the right direction, which is great, but there’s no complacency here. That does give us the firepower to invest in the business, product, team and technology.”

The investment includes the expansion of Riviera’s Radiance class, with ships that each feature three restaurants and grand suites, the largest in Riviera Travel’s fleet.

Riviera Radiance launched on the Danube in June 2025, while its sister ship Riviera Resplendence, set to sail primarily on the Rhine, is due to debut in July 2026. Radiance will host The Advantage Travel Partnership’s Latitude Cruise Conference next year.

Amanda Docherty, head of trade UK, said: “Since we started sailing Radiance, it’s our top-performing ship in terms of customer feedback. There’s a lot of demand for this class of ship.

“Riviera Radiance has proven so popular that the to-be-named ships launching in 2027 and 2028 will have the same structure and design, with a few subtle touches to give each its own personality.”

Beyond the Radiance class, the 80-metre Rose began sailing on the Douro in April 2025, and Riviera Travel also announced that MS George Eliot will enter service in June 2027 as the first-ever solo-exclusive river ship. This sits alongside Riviera Alba on the Mekong, also scheduled for 2027, underscoring the company’s ambitions outside of Europe.

Docherty added: We’ll have a strong programme to showcase our ships to travel agent partners. We’re hosting several conferences on board, which is fantastic, and we’ll have some fam trips as well.”