VIVA Moments River Cruise Review: What It’s Really Like Onboard

My family and I just returned from an epic 3.5-week trip to Europe. If you’ve been following along, we kicked things off by flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), also known as Roissy Airport. We spent three incredible nights in a Whimstay apartment. Since our apartment wasn’t ready until at least 2pm and we landed at 9am, we partnered with Daytrip to do some sightseeing instead of just waiting around. One of the highlights was attending Sunday Mass at Notre Dame. Here are 10 things to know about traveling to Paris this summer. After Paris, we flew to Vienna on Austrian Airlines.

After we landed, we took the CAT (City Airport Train) from Vienna Airport into the city. I found the main station a bit confusing when it came to finding taxis and Ubers, but I loved that it was almost like a mall with lots of shops. It was raining and everyone was tired after waking up so early. On top of that, I accidentally ordered an UberX instead of an XL. It turned out to be a plush Mercedes but we had to put some of our carry-on luggage on our laps because the trunk wasn’t very big.

We were in Vienna to board a river cruise and it was only a 10-minute drive to the port. Unfortunately, the address I was given was just a generic one for the port. The young driver from Egypt also didn’t know that he could drive right up to the dock. Neither did we until it was too late.

So we schlepped (and I mean schlepped!) our heavy luggage up a long set of stairs, then walked about a half mile to Dock 11. Not exactly fun after waking up at 1:30am. Even worse, after sightseeing a few hours later, we took a Bolt (similar to Uber) back from the city center and I foolishly entered the port address but selected the wrong dock number, which turned out to be more than a mile away. I was in a hurry and since only one port address came up, I assumed we could walk. Instead, I ended up paying an extra €15 and wasting about 20 minutes. My advice is to take a taxi instead of a rideshare or, at the very least, show the driver the dock number you want.

When we first arrived at our ship around 10:30am, it was quiet since most passengers were out on excursions. BTW: We arrived a day late because the ship was overnighting in Vienna and we wanted more time in Paris. Check-in was easy. They just took our passports, two staff members helped with our bags and we were issued standard hotel-style keycards, which are also used to check in and out each time you leave or return to the ship.

About VIVA

If you’ve never heard of VIVA, you’re not alone. Neither had I until my sister Georgette went on a press trip for me last year on VIVA Enjoy. VIVA is a German company that isn’t well known among Americans. They have 10 ships and have been in business since 2018. Not only was I unsure whether Natalie and I would enjoy the ship, but I was especially curious to see how our kids, Jack and Olivia (ages 9 and 6), would like it; I was told they don’t get many children onboard.

VIVA’s parent company is Scylla AG, a Swiss shipping company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. It operates more than 40 river ships, most of which sail the Rhine, Danube, Seine, Rhône, Moselle, Main and other European rivers. The ships range in capacity from 88 to 220 passengers. Scylla also partners with well-known travel brands, including Tauck. BTW: I love Tauck. Everything they do is first class, but you definitely pay a premium. One of the river cruise experts I spoke with described VIVA as a great value.

Here’s what it’s like sailing the Danube on VIVA Moments.

The VIVA Moments ship was built in 2018. It carries around 176 passengers with a crew of about 48, offering a more intimate river cruising experience. At 135 meters (442 feet) long with three passenger decks, the ship feels compact yet spacious. It sails under the Swiss flag and was built at the Vahali Shipyards in Serbia.

We would have preferred to sail on one of VIVA’s newer ships, like the VIVA Beyond, which debuted this summer. But we chose this sailing because of the itinerary. I really wanted my kids to experience the heart of the Danube.

Below is our itinerary, which began on June 9.

Day	Destination	Arrive	Depart
1	Vienna		Embarkation (Handelskai 265)
2	Vienna		23:00
3	Vác	13:00	20:30
3	Budapest	22:00
4	Budapest		18:00
5	Bratislava	12:00	18:00
6	Dürnstein
6	Melk	12:00	22:00
7	Linz (Danube)	08:00	18:00
8	Vienna	08:00	Disembark

Note: We ended up missing Vác because the river level was too low, so we arrived in Budapest earlier than expected. The only downside was missing the chance to sail into Budapest at night, which is one of the most magical cruise experiences I’ve ever had. I experienced it with Viking back in 2013 when my wife Natalie and I took a Christmas market cruise (here’s the story).

Cabins

Of the 88 cabins on VIVA Moments, most feature French balconies, giving guests floor-to-ceiling views of the river, while lower-deck staterooms have fixed windows that do not open. We were in cabins 225 and 227, since each cabin can accommodate only two passengers; I shared a cabin with my son while my wife and daughter shared the cabin next door. The first thing I noticed was that they were much larger than I expected. My sister had told me they were really small, so I was pleasantly surprised.

They do have suites that are more spacious, at around 24 square meters, but I didn’t get a chance to see one. The overall design is modern and Scandinavian-inspired, with a clean, contemporary style that feels more like a boutique hotel than a traditional cruise ship.

Leave it to the Scandinavians to create plenty of storage. I was surprised that both of our large suitcases fit under the bed and there were really deep closets on both sides of the desk.

Beds

The beds are actually two twin beds pushed together with a mattress pad over them. They also made the beds with separate twin duvets, which I appreciated because my son tends to wrap himself up like a burrito, leaving no blanket for me. My wife is the opposite, so she requested a king size duvet for her and Olivia to share, since they didn’t like that they couldn’t cuddle under separate blankets. The staff happily obliged and provided one immediately. The beds were also very comfortable, much better than the ones in our Paris apartment.

Bathroom

My favorite part of the cabin, besides the bed, was the bathroom. The shower was top-notch, with fantastic water pressure from both a rainfall showerhead and a handheld sprayer. The shower was so good, my wife showered multiple times a day.

Tip: I didn’t figure this out until we were almost finished with our cruise, but both glass shower doors can be folded inward to make the bathroom feel even more spacious.

Stocked Mini Fridge

Each room has a mini fridge stocked with a variety of complimentary drinks and it’s replenished daily.

Nespresso Machine in Cabins

I’m not a coffee drinker but each cabin comes with a snazzy Nespresso machine. I know my sister appreciated having one.

Coffee, Tea and Water Station

There’s also a 24/7 coffee, tea and water station near the lobby. My kids and I frequented it for hot chocolate. They also had a couple of glass jars filled with cookies that I didn’t really love, which was probably a good thing since I’m a sugar-holic and can’t resist delicious cookies.

Quiet Ship

One of the best things about VIVA Moments is how quiet it is. You don’t hear neighbors slamming doors (or maybe they were just very polite), and you can’t hear toilets flushing or people talking or coughing in nearby cabins. The only exception is when the ship is sailing or passing through locks, when the engine noise can get a little loud. If that bothers you, bring a pair of earplugs.

Environmentally Friendly

VIVA is very environmentally friendly and doesn’t use much plastic or paper. Instead of providing a printed daily schedule to every cabin, the itinerary is posted on a community corkboard near the reception area and on your cabin TV (Channel 2).

Aluminum Water Bottles

Instead of plastic bottled water, each passenger receives a VIVA-branded aluminum water bottle to use during the cruise and take home afterward. You can refill it at the ship’s water stations.

Air Conditioning and Heat

VIVA sails year-round, and with the way Europe has been heating up, it was nice to have cabins with air conditioning. We lucked out with the weather since it was actually chilly during the first few days of our trip. When it finally warmed up, temperatures only reached about 80 degrees. A week later, temperatures were pushing triple digits.

Dining

There are two restaurants onboard the ship. The main restaurant, Riverside, has flexible dining hours and open seating. You can bring food back to your room but I rarely saw anyone do it. All drinks, including alcohol, are included, but since my wife and I don’t drink, we didn’t take advantage of that perk.

Breakfast

Breakfast was served from 7:30am to 9:30am and included both a buffet and made-to-order menu items. I would argue they serve the best Belgian waffle I’ve had on any cruise.

Lunch

Lunch was served between 12:30pm and 2pm. There was an appetizer buffet, menu selections and a soup of the day. There was also a pasta station and everything was fresh and delicious. My favorites were the green (spinach and asparagus) risotto and the Capellini Aglio e Olio with roasted garlic, parsley, chili flakes and extra virgin olive oil. Jack and Olivia’s favorite was the Fusilli Quattro Formaggi, while Natalie’s was the roasted pumpkin risotto.

Dinner

What I loved most about dinner was that it wasn’t formal and it could be as quick or as leisurely as you wanted. The food came out fast and there was always a local specialty on the menu. While we were in Austria, they served Tafelspitz (boiled brisket with broth, root vegetables, boiled potatoes, sautéed spinach, chive and horseradish sauce). In Budapest, they served Chicken Paprikash one night and traditional Hungarian goulash the next. In Bratislava, they offered Vypražaný syr (fried cheese). I always ordered the local specialty.

The chef was from Indonesia and was incredibly friendly. He came out to discuss our son’s food allergies and when Natalie mentioned that one of her favorite dishes is mie goreng, he offered to prepare it for us using allergy-safe ingredients. Jack loved it so much that he ordered it the last two nights.

VIVA’s Bistro

The other restaurant, VIVA’s Bistro, is located at the back of the ship and is open for lunch and dinner. Dinner requires a reservation, but we loved the Riverside restaurant so much that we never made it there. I did peek inside and noticed the menu included items like Tom Yum Gai soup and burgers.

Without a doubt, the food on VIVA Moments was excellent, especially the hot dishes. The buffet items at breakfast and lunch were good, but the made-to-order menu items were outstanding.

Staff

Some of the wait staff took a little warming up to but many were exceptional, in particular Nikola, the maître d’ from Serbia, who was absolutely fantastic. He really looked after our kids, especially Jack, because of his food allergies. He even packed the kids a lunch to take with us when we left a day early so they’d have something safe to eat on the train and plane to Rome. He went above and beyond the call of duty and his level of care is something that will never be forgotten.

Speaking of friendly, most of the passengers onboard were German. There was also a group from China and I heard people speaking Spanish, Finnish and French from Mauritius. The couples I met from Finland and Australia were super friendly, but most of the other passengers mostly kept to themselves. I’m not sure if it was because we were Americans or because we had young kids. I didn’t meet any other Americans, although I heard there were two others onboard.

Kids

VIVA isn’t designed specifically for kids, but they’re certainly welcome. I was told they usually have a couple of children onboard every few weeks.  My kids loved it because they don’t need kids’ clubs or organized activities. They’re perfectly happy reading, drawing, watching TV (they often watch foreign-language cartoons when we travel), playing on their iPads or simply taking in the views out the window.

Pool

There is a pool but it’s tiny. It’s really more of a plunge pool. Other than my kids, I only saw three people use it, but it was refreshing on a warm afternoon.

Sun Deck

The sun deck has plenty of chairs and loungers, though it wasn’t particularly luxurious. I noticed some other river cruise ships had hammocks, which made me wish VIVA did too. They also had a mini-golf putting area, which my kids enjoyed.

Free Rental Bicycles

The sun deck is also where they store the complimentary bicycles. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any children’s bikes, so we didn’t use them.

Elevator

The ship has an elevator connecting the Emerald, Ruby and Diamond decks, but unless you have mobility issues, the stairs are an easy walk. Unlike a massive ocean cruise ship, there’s not a lot of walking involved to move around the ship.

Fitness Center

There’s a small fitness center with a treadmill, stationary bike and dumbbells.

Wellness Room

Next to the fitness center is the spa. Of course, Natalie and I had to check it out, and we were both pleasantly surprised. It’s a small but beautifully decorated room. Since it’s located at the bottom of the ship, you can hear the water gently flowing past the hull, creating a natural sound machine. Our masseuse was from Lombok and may have been petite, but she was incredibly strong. She works onboard for a year at a time before returning home for three months.

Cozy Lounge

Above the Riverside Restaurant is a large, cozy lounge.

It was busiest during the complimentary ice cream party …

… and when local entertainers, like traditional Hungarian dancers, came onboard to perform.

Tours

One of the best things about taking a river cruise is that you’re docked right in town, so you’re never far from the action. Tours are included with some packages and the optional ones are reasonably priced. We took a city tour in Budapest and another in Bratislava.

Budapest

In Budapest, the front of the bus was for German-speaking guests and the back was for English speakers, with everyone using headsets. During a stop for a photo of Parliament, I actually pulled a woman out of the way of an approaching tram. The guide had warned everyone to watch for them but I don’t think she emphasized just how quickly they come. It was a scary moment.

Bratislava

In Bratislava, we took the tourist train up to the castle before continuing to Old Town for a walking tour. We walked back to the ship afterward, which was less than half a mile away. It was also the first warm day of our trip.

One thing I really appreciated was that there was never a wait to get on or off the ship. Unlike ocean cruises, there were no metal detectors or X-ray machines to go through each time you returned onboard.

We really loved our time sailing with VIVA. Although it’s not designed specifically for families with young kids, we’d go back in a heartbeat. If I could make a few suggestions: I’d add better snacks, more board games, USB-C ports instead of USB-A in the cabins and maybe a few hammocks on the sun deck like I saw on some other river cruise ships. But those are just some minor suggestions; overall, we had a fantastic experience and our kids loved every single day aboard VIVA Moments.