Riviera Travel has announced it has signed contracts for two additional Radiance Class ships, which will join its fleet in 2027 and 2028.
CEO Phil Hullah (pictured) made the announcement to travel trade guests attending the christening of the first of the Radiance Class ships, Riviera Radiance, in Budapest on Wednesday.
A second Radiance ship, Riviera Resplendence, will launch in 2026.
The two, as yet unnamed, additional ships announced today have been earmarked for Europe, but the itineraries have still to be decided. “They will likely sail on a combination of the Rhine, Danube and The Moselle, but this has not yet been confirmed,” said Product Director Will Sarson.
The two new ships will boost Riviera’s fleet to 16 by 2028, which includes Riviera Alba, launching on the Mekong River next year.
“We are becoming a really sizeable operation,” said Phil. He revealed that Riviera’s revenue, including its land-based touring business, has grown 20% this year compared to 2024. An increasing share of its revenue has come via the trade, which has grown its share from 18% in 2022 to 30% this year.
“That is an amazing performance,” added Chief Operating Officer Robin Shaw, “but the good news is, we don’t see it stopping there. For 2026, our fastest-growing channel continues to be the trade.”
Rivieria is developing a rewards platform for travel agents, which Head of UK Trade Amanda Docherty said is expected to launch next year.
“Growth during the second half of last year was particularly strong for us, and for our long-haul touring it was absolutely huge, with revenue up 30% through the trade,” she said. This had been driven by the expansion of its regional flying programme, she added.
“We want to reward our loyal agents, so we are looking at launching a rewards programme next year, which will be in addition to our Vault, which gives agents instant rewards at certain times of the year,” said Amanda.
“We’ve also seen huge growth, of 32% year on year, through homeworkers, so we’ll be looking at a dedicated initiative for them as well next year.”
In addition to boosting sales through the UK trade, Phil said Riviera is looking to grow more in overseas markets, including Ireland and the US. Currently, the UK accounts for 95% of its business.
Riviera Radiance, which began sailing in June, was christened in Budapest on Wednesday in a ceremony that had been postponed since May due to a slight delay in the ship’s delivery. Its godmother is Sarah Roberts, Chief Executive of the charity Practical Action.
Sarah christened the ship in front of 90 guests, including UK and Irish travel agents and media, by pouring Champagne onto an ice sculpture of the ship.
