Luxury river cruise operator Riviera Travel has just announced the newest addition to its fleet, the five-star MS William Shakespeare.

Due to launch in April 2014, the state-of-the-art vessel has been designed to exact specifications and features a number of ground-breaking innovations, including fully sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors in cabins, sound-absorbent paint on the restaurant’s ceiling and wooden furnishings made from sustainably-sourced tropical hardwoods.

The new vessel boasts four decks and will cater for 140 people and operate a crew of 35, giving passengers plenty of space and a satisfying staff-to-guest ratio of 4:1. The influence of The Bard can be felt throughout the ship, with classically stylish brass and wood fittings and decks and public areas named after some of his most famous plays and characters such as the upper Hamlet Deck, the Middle Othello Deck and the Midsummer Bar.

Passengers can enjoy panoramic views from spacious public areas such as The Globe lounge and bar, which as well as paying tribute to the theatre which staged many of Shakespeare’s most famous plays is true to its name, offering a wide selection of drinks from around the world.

Up on the Sun Deck passengers will be able to visit the Bridge any time they want, providing the ship is not berthing or navigating locks, to talk to the captain and crew about life on the river and the ship’s highly advanced navigational and control equipment. Of course, there’s also the opportunity to just take it easy and soak up the atmosphere while enjoying a drink from the bar while there.

The MS William Shakespeare is set to operate three, seven-night itineraries on the Rhine in 2014, namely the Rhine and Strasbourg; Rhine, Strasbourg and Heidelberg and Rhine Cruise to Switzerland voyages.

By Simon Brotherton
Google