German river cruise line VIVA Cruises has unveiled its 2028 season, and it's a milestone one: the company marks its tenth anniversary with 325 departures spread across seven ships on Europe's best-known waterways, including the Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube and Portugal's Douro, plus canal routes in Germany and itineraries along the Baltic coast.
Vienna takes a bigger role in the 2028 program. The Viva Moments, freshly renovated in 2027, joins the Danube fleet with new seven-night sailings linking Passau, Vienna and Budapest. The Viva Enjoy ramps up to 22 seven-night roundtrips from Vienna, with Regensburg added as a turnaround port. The Viva Two gets a shorter option: five-night Danube cruises calling at Passau, Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava.
On the Rhine and Moselle side, the Viva One grows its seven-night Moselle roundtrips from Düsseldorf from 10 to 15 departures and adds new four-night Rhine cruises in November and December, stopping in Bonn, Mainz and Koblenz. It will also run an Ambassador Cruise aimed at repeat guests.
One itinerary stands out for anyone wanting maximum variety: a new 10-night sailing aboard the Viva Ruby that crosses three countries, starting in Basel, Switzerland, moving through Nancy in France and finishing in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Themed cruises are a bigger part of the 2028 lineup too. Options include seven-night Jazz Cruises with pianist Frank Muschalle on the Viva One, seven Crime Cruises on the Viva Ruby, culinary-focused sailings on the Viva Enjoy (Danube) and Porto Mirante (Douro), and wine cruises on the Viva Moments and Viva Ruby featuring experiences with Masters of Wine.
Shore-wise, the season offers 320 excursions across 13 river regions, ranging from cultural visits and food experiences to small-group tours.
There's also a booking incentive worth knowing: anyone reserving between 15 October and 15 November 2026 gets a free upgrade to the next cabin category.
For travellers, this is a useful heads-up even with 2028 feeling far off. River cruise cabins are limited and popular departures on the Danube and Rhine sell out well ahead, so an early-booking window with a cabin upgrade is a genuine saving — higher categories usually come with better views, more space or a balcony. The mix of short four- and five-night cruises alongside classic week-long sailings also makes river cruising approachable if you're not ready to commit a full week, while the three-country Basel-to-Düsseldorf route suits anyone who wants France, Germany and Switzerland in a single trip. Fans of wine, jazz or even true-crime entertainment get sailings built around those interests rather than generic onboard programming.
