| Riverside aiming to be best-in-class

RECENTLY appointed Riverside Cruises country manager Stewart Williams (CW 25 Feb) believes his line can bring a new level of luxury travel not yet seen by Australian guests in the sector.

In an exclusive interview with Cruise Weekly, Williams (pictured) said he believes the cruise line will appeal to what Australian ultra-luxury travellers have become accustomed to in recent years.

“I think it’s a market that really hasn’t been tapped into yet…I think there is a market now that is not being supported for those people who want something a little bit more special,” he said.

“It’s not a brand that’s coming into the middle of the market and trying to differentiate itself through different points of its products – it’s something that’s coming right at the top.”

Noting the presence of other luxury river cruise lines in the market, Williams said he believes Riverside has the ability to offer even greater service.

“Other operators have on average about 150 passengers – we are at 110 on the same sized ship, so we can provide ultimate service,” he explained.

Less staterooms also means Riverside can offer facilities many other ships cannot squeeze on board, such as a wellness centre with a gymnasium and pool, as well as guest laundry facilities.

“The standard cabin on Riverside is 20m2…on some of the other operators, that’s their main suites,” Williams added.

Riverside has now tasked its new country manager with building brand awareness and working with distribution partners in Australia, with famil trips also set to depart in Jul.

Williams replaces Riverside’s inaugural Australian representative commercial sales & marketing representative Susie Coughlin, who departed the cruise line at the start of the year (CW 28 Jan). MS