Riverside Luxury Cruises Acquires Four Crystal River Ships

Riverside Luxury Cruises is hoping to breathe new life into the entire fleet of river ships once owned by Crystal Cruises, which suspended operations on all its luxury vessels in January 2022.

The new brand (an offshoot of the Seaside Collection) recently announced the acquisition of the four remaining Crystal river ships: Crystal Bach, Crystal Mahler, Crystal Debussy, and Crystal Ravel.

The German company owns and operates 11 boutique properties in Europe and the Maldives. As its first foray into river cruising, it purchased Crystal Mozart last November. When operated by Crystal Cruises, Mozart was considered one of the most luxurious ships sailing on Europe’s rivers.

This coming April, the renamed Riverside Mozart will set sail on the Danube, one of the most popular river cruise itineraries.

Riverside Debussy and Riverside Ravel will debut on the Rhône, Saône and Rhine rivers in Spring 2023. Itineraries for the last two vessels, Riverside Bach and Riverside Mahler, both scheduled to launch in 2024, haven’t yet been announced.

“We are thrilled by the expansion of our fleet to include these storied vessels,” owner Gregor Gerlach told industry publication Travel Pulse. “This acquisition allows us to expand our itinerary offerings, showcasing a level of space, personalized service and elegance not found with any other river cruise line.”

Gerlach founded Riverside Luxury Cruises with his sister Anouchka. The new line hopes to build on its vast experience in the hospitality sector to raise the bar on the river cruise experience in terms of personal service, exclusive excursions, and culinary excellence.

The two Crystal ocean-going vessels, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, were purchased by A&K Travel in June 2022.