The End of One Adventure, The Start of Another
Phil Hullah reflects on a standout 2025 - and what’s next for Riviera, ahead of his departure.
With the festive season almost upon us, I would like to extend my sincerest and most heartfelt thanks for your continued support and loyalty to Riviera. Whether you travelled with us in 2025, are planning an adventure for the year ahead and beyond, or remain part of our extended Riviera family, you will always be at the heart of everything we do and your curiosity for discovering the world with us has again shaped an extraordinary 12 months. On behalf of the whole team, may I say a very big thank you to you all.
2025 opened with a strong sense of renewal and we began the year with record levels of early bookings. I am delighted to report that we have welcomed over 92,000 returning guests as well as those travelling with us for the very first time.
Sailing Europe’s great waterways continues to be one of your most cherished experiences and our river cruise collection enjoyed another highly successful year. This season we saw the launch of our exquisite new ships the Riviera Rose sailing the Douro, and the Riviera Radiance, the Danube; they have certainly set a high benchmark for our fleet with spacious lounges, refined interiors, and their bright, open feel seems to have struck exactly the right note with those of you looking for a modern twist on classic river cruising.
Our escorted tours also continued to fuel your wanderlust this year. Whether you were exploring Europe’s great cultural capitals or heading a little further afield, your feedback (which rest assured we always read!) tells us that our essentials still matter most: thoughtfully paced itineraries, knowledgeable Tour Managers, and time to pause and appreciate the beauty of a place without ever feeling rushed.
This formula, I am very pleased to say also delivered a few more awards into our trophy cabinet in 2025, including Best for Solo Travellers and the Grand Prix award at World of Cruising’s Wave Awards. We were also delighted to win ‘Best New Ship’ for the Riviera Radiance at the Cruise Critic awards, plus of course the UK’s most trusted consumer review body, Which? awarded us recommended provider status for the 14th year!
Behind the scenes we have been as busy as ever, making significant investments to enhance your booking and pre-travel experience. We have expanded our customer service and guest experience teams and continue to develop digital tools that will make planning your holiday smoother than ever. I am also pleased to announce that we will be reintroducing the printed version of your Holiday Information booklet, back by popular demand! These improvements are a direct result of your feedback, and I am extremely grateful for the honesty and insight you continue to share.
Many of you have shared glowing feedback this year about our tour managers and cruise directors. None of this year’s successes would have been possible without their dedication and indeed the efforts of the whole of our global team – local guides, on-board crews, drivers, suppliers and so many others working tirelessly behind the scenes for which we are all so very grateful.
Looking forward to the new year, 2026 sees the launch of the magnificent Riviera Resplendence. Designed with the very latest technology and strong environmental values in mind, and offering some of our biggest suites yet, she’s already generating tremendous anticipation, and we all look forward to welcoming guests on her inaugural sailing next spring.
Even further ahead, 2027 sees a world first for Riviera when we’ll be launching our first ever Solo-exclusive ship! The MS George Eliot, now a firm Riviera favourite, will be the only river cruise ship on the planet dedicated exclusively for solo travellers. In addition, we will be expanding our offering on the Mekong in 2026 and 2027, with brand new itineraries and a fabulous new ship the Riviera Alba carrying just 50 guests in 25 beautifully appointed suites. Built exclusively for Riviera Travel and perfectly designed to navigate the waters between Saigon and Siem Reap, it’s our very first ship outside of Europe – there’s certainly exciting times ahead!
In closing, I would also like to take this opportunity to share the news that after over 6 years, I will be stepping down from my role in the coming months. Working alongside an amazing team of travel-passionate colleagues, it has been an honour to lead the business, and to help shape the journeys that mean so much to so many of you. I’m delighted to say however, that Matt Luscombe will be taking over as CEO in the new year. Matt brings deep experience, bags of energy, and a genuine passion for travel - and I have every confidence that Riviera will continue to go from strength to strength under his leadership.
On behalf of everyone at Riviera Travel, I wish you a peaceful Christmas and a very happy New Year full of good health, good company, and I hope, a few new adventures.
With very best wishes
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