Our Rhone River Cruise in France with Riverside Luxury Cruises

Biking along the Rhone River in France — We had a brilliant Rhone River cruise filled with fun activities like biking in Vienne, France. (Photo by Colleen McDaniel)

When you visit the south of France, you’ll probably have a few top must-do items on your list.

Of course, you’ll want to try the wines, cheeses, gourmet cuisine and see the sights.

Our Rhone River cruise on Riverside Ravel with Riverside Luxury Cruises made sure that we got to do all this and more. Plus, we did it while enjoying a luxury ship with outstanding service and amenities.

Riverside Ravel ship on the Rhine River in France — Riverside Ravel cruises in France on the Saone and Rhone Rivers. (Photo by John Roberts)

Riverside Ravel is a beautiful 110-passenger ship, and Colleen and I sailed in springtime from Lyon to Avignon on a fantastic getaway under sunny blue skies.

In this post, I’ll give you a recap and review the highlights of our weeklong voyage that also visited the towns of Vienne, Viviers, Tarascon and Arles.

During the trip, Colleen and I strived to find the ideal mix of exercise, relaxation and food. That’s something we look for on most of our travels.

I think that’s what a vacation in France should be all about, and we did pretty good to hit all of our highlights. Here are the top five things we enjoyed about our Rhone River Cruise with Riverside Luxury Cruises.

1. The Incredible Food

Osters and caviar on our Rhone River cruise in France — We delighted in delicacies like oysters and caviar during our week with Riverside Luxury Cruises. (Photo by John Roberts)

This was my second time traveling with Riverside Luxury Cruises after a Danube River cruise in summer 2023 on Riverside Mozart, and the culinary program remains the most impressive part of the experience with this new cruise line.

I’m going to write a lot here about all the great food — because that’s going to be the standout experience for anyone who travels with Riverside. In France, we enjoyed stunning variety of delicious food at each meal at the Waterside Restaurant, including plenty of healthy options. The chefs at Riverside Luxury Cruises take pride in offering a spectacular dining experience for their guests.

For example, the daily breakfast buffets featured salmon, meats and cheeses. You can also find granola, muesli, oatmeal, juice shots (such as apple ginger), fruit smoothies, fresh fruits, an omelet station and eggs made to order. Colleen said the eggs Benedict was the best she can remember.

The lunch buffet offers a carving station where you might see a whole fish, prime cuts of beef, pork loin or lamb. We enjoyed the pasta a la minute choices, with two kinds daily. We always had a pesto pasta creation alongside a choice like alfredo or Bolognese.

The dinner menus featured all kinds of regional and international favorites. Plus, the meals always were plated with great care. Even the most discerning foodies would be eager to post pics on their Instagram feeds.

We had appetizers like tuna tataki and seared duck foie gras, as well as hearty mixed fish soup and roasted beet salad. Main courses included seared scallops, slow-roasted tenderloin, a delicious seafood platter in lobster emulsion and a duo of pork.

There were enticing vegetarian choices, too, such as a nice mushroom and asparagus Wellington in a puff pastry.

While we always were plenty full with our meals, it was hard to resist the nightly dessert creations — I loved the lava cake with caramel — and the cheese cart to top it all off.

At the Bistro casual eatery on Deck 3 around the atrium, you can enjoy lighter fare small plates for breakfast and lunch throughout the day. Bistro has tables on each side of the space that allow diners to enjoy the views out the windows.

This eatery offers a buffet setup with a nice selection of cheeses, cured meats, salads, fruits, nuts, olives and cakes and pastries. Once per cruise, Bistro is the location for a Tapas Night that cruisers can choose for their dinner. You get a seemingly endless parade of tasty tapas, from cold items like a ham and melon with chutney, salmon rillette and gazpacho to hot dishes like toasted cheese and truffle sandwiches, creamy leek and bacon pie, baked brie, beef Rossini and tiger prawns.

Waffle dessert on Riverside Ravel cruise in France — My favorite dessert, the bubble waffle with ice cream and sauces. (Photo by John Roberts)

There also is an ice cream bar serving hand-crafted milkshakes, ice cream cones and decadent freshly made bubble waffles best enjoyed with scoops of ice cream, whipped cream and caramel and chocolate sauce.

Barbecue lunch on the sun deck on Riverside Ravel during our Rhone River cruise — We had a sunny day to enjoy a sun deck barbecue on Riverside Ravel. (Photo by John Roberts)

Cruisers are treated to a barbecue dinner or lunch at least once per sailing (weather permitting). The chef and culinary team prep hearty meals on Green Egg grills to enjoy on the sun deck. There is a wonderful mix of fish, Wagyu beef, ribeye and other meats, veggies, salads, mac and cheese and desserts available.

2. Spacious Suites

Riverside Suite on Riverside Ravel on the Rhone River — The view from our cabin window on Riverside Ravel. (Photo by John Roberts)

Riverside Ravel can carry up to 110 passengers in 55 spacious and stylish suites. There are two huge Owner’s Suites available on the ship, with connecting staterooms to allow for even larger accommodations.

We were quite happy to stay in our roomy Riverside Suite, which measured almost 250 square feet. Cruisers are treated to butler service, which means your butler will bring you breakfast or other meals or canapes to enjoy in your cabin. Plus, they are on hand to help with a range of other requests to make your trip special.

Riverside Suite on Riverside Ravel. — Our large suite featured views through the large window. (Photo by John Roberts)

A breakfast door-hanger card is available to fill out, and this service is included in your fare. You also can pick from a selection of canapes for afternoon snacks or have a romantic dinner in the suite. Canapes and dinners come with an extra fee.

Most staterooms feature large floor-to-ceiling windows that can be lowered halfway to create a French-balcony feel for the room. Beds face the window, so you have amazing views of the river while relaxing in your room.

There is a mini fridge that will be filled up with your favorite choices of beverage, and your butler will ensure you get a bucket of ice as needed. There is a coffee machine in the room that uses capsules.

A large walk-in closet offers plenty of space for two cruisers to organize their clothing and other items quite well for weeklong voyages. Amenities include a clothes brush, hair dryer, shoehorn and bathrobes and slippers.

Laundry service is available for a charge, but we used the public self-serve laundry room down on Deck 1, which has laundry baskets detergent, and ironing board and an iron.

TVs feature some cable channels and a selection of movies on demand. There are plenty of power outlets throughout the room, but all but one are the international style outlets (there is one U.S.-style plug and a USB outlet), so make sure you have an adapter if you think you’ll need access to more power outlets.

You’ll love the big bathroom with dual sinks and a spacious walk-in shower. Upscale toiletries are provided — big bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body lotion.

3. Relaxing with Views

Riverside Ravel sun deck — The spacious sun deck on Riverside Ravel offers comfy seating areas. (Photo by John Roberts)

River cruising is made for relaxation. There is nothing quite like sailing along the river and soaking up the picturesque scenes. The Rhone River features a lot of beautiful stretches along the waterway, and we were able to see pretty vineyards, historic bridges and charming villages.

Riverside Ravel offers inviting spaces for this, with the top sun deck my favorite place. There are soft couches set up under a canopy to offer a comfy space protected from the heat of the sun. Cruisers also can lay out in lounge chairs and converse at tables placed around the deck.

The Vista Bar is located up here, too, with staffers serving your favorite cocktails, wines or beers.

The sun deck on Riverside Ravel — This is the best spot onboard to enjoy the scenes of the Rhone River while sailing. (Photo by John Roberts)

The top area was shut off for many periods while we were sailing, though, because we needed to pass under the low bridges on the Rhone.

Vista Bar on Riverside Ravel — The Vista Bar is a retractable venue that can be lowered as needed to pass under low bridges. (Photo by John Roberts)

However, the outdoor deck space very forward on Deck 3 past the Palm Court lounge has couches and the very aft of the same deck features an enclosed pool and relaxation area with an attached outdoor patio. These are nice spots to chill out while cruising or even during time in port after your tours.

Additionally, we found ourselves retreating to our room in the afternoon a few times to take a nap or relax with a cocktail or snack. We would open the window to create our French balcony and bask in the breezes, fresh air and scenes of the boat traffic and flowing waters of the Rhone River.

4. The All-Inclusive Package

Craft Cocktails on Riverside Luxury Cruises — The all-inclusive package for Riverside Luxury Cruises allows you to indulge in all the craft cocktails you like during your voyage. (Photo by John Roberts)

Cruisers can get an all-inclusive 5-star luxury experience with Riverside Luxury Cruises on any of the line’s three ships. Riverside Ravel sails the beautiful rivers in France. Plus, there is Riverside Mozart offering epic Danube River itineraries and Riverside Debussy with classic Rhine River voyages.

Craft cocktail class on Riverside Ravel — The Riverside Ravel bar staff offered a craft cocktail class during our cruise. (Photo by John Roberts)

Riverside offers three tiers of cruise fares. The basic “Full Board Package” provides your cabin and meals, and from there, you can pick to add on just excursions or just a drinks package in an à la carte fashion. I recommend, though, that cruisers go ahead and get the “All-Inclusive Package” which allows for a hassle-free vacation, especially if you think you will want to enjoy the wines, Champagnes and cocktails. The prices for our cabin and itinerary worked out to about $750 per person per day. This compares to about $500 for a similar cruise and cabin category on a Viking Rhone River cruise.

Viking cruises also are fantastic, but you will sail on ships that carry up to 190 passengers vs. 110. Viking has some included drinks but not unlimited all day, and Riverside offers superior culinary choices, as well as a pool, spa, fitness center, bikes and bigger suites.

Viking at this point offers better nightly entertainment, though. I tell you all this so you can make a comparison with the industry leader and Riverside Luxury Cruises, which is a new brand.

Riverside offers outstanding and attentive service, as I’ve experienced this on both of my voyages with the line. I also prefer the smaller crowds and more space to roam on the ship.

If you enjoy cocktails, I was impressed with the wonderful array of craft cocktails you can order from the Botanist Bar menu offerings. Many of these tasty drinks feature fresh garden herbs.

5. You Can Make it a Wellness Retreat

Rhone River cruise on Riverside Ravel — We enjoyed the scenery and great service onboard Riverside Ravel during our voyage. (Photo by Colleen McDaniel)

To offset all the calorie consumption, I am glad that the amenities on Riverside Ravel allow for a healthy amount of exercise and other wellness-related activities.

As I mentioned above, the ship carries a fleet of bikes and has a gym. There are regular bikes and e-assist bikes that cruisers can use at their leisure in port. You can also find guided bike tours in the shore-excursion program.

Our favorite shore excursion was a challenging kayaking outing on the Gard River in Avignon, paddling through rapids to pass under the ancient Pont du Gard Roman bridge that dates to the 1st century. We got to see this incredible structure from a truly unique perspective.

In addition to keeping active by biking, we enjoyed daily runs along the beautiful paths along the river. This is a great way to see the area and work up an appetite for the sumptuous meals and desserts onboard.

This is the massage room on Riverside Ravel. (Photo by John Roberts)

The ship’s gym and spa are down on Deck 1. A therapist offers massages, facials and other treatments, and the fitness center is equipped with yoga mats, bikes, dumbbells up to 45-pound pairs and a rwoing machine. You can grab hiking poles from here to use on your tours, and the gym also has foam rollers and exercise balls, as well as lockers and a cooler full of cold water and towels so you stay hydrated and refreshed.

Colleen and I each had a 50-minute massage and went to the gym for daily workouts.

The pool on Riverside Ravel — Riverside Ravel features a large pool and relaxing lounge space. (Photo by John Roberts)

The pool is located within a large solarium-style lounge with a glass ceiling and lounge chairs. This was my favorite space to relax. There are plush towels, fresh fruits, fruit-infused waters and a cooler with bottles of still or sparkling water. The pool is deep and heated, with a swim-against current that you can switch on to do some lap swimming. I preferred to just soak in the pool and enjoy the serenity of the space.

All of these amenities and facilities with Riverside Luxury Cruises allowed us to have a wonderful balance of indulgence (food), discovery (shore excursions) and self-care and relaxation (spa and fitness) during our cruise from Lyon to Avignon on Riverside Ravel.