Viva Two from Viva Cruises

Cruizy was aboard the Viva Two from shipping company Viva Cruises for an introduction to this brand new ship during a mini-cruise from Koblenz to Mainz.

Built in 2022 at a shipyard in Serbia, this ship measures 135m by 11.45m, with four decks and 52 crew. It can accommodate 190 passengers who can choose from 87 contemporary staterooms (15 m²) and 8 luxurious suites (24 m²), equipped with all comforts and soft colours. Staterooms with French balconies are located on the Ruby and Diamond Deck, those without French balconies on the lower Emerald Deck. Suites can only be found on the upper Diamond Deck.

A striking feature of this river ship is its 3 restaurants. Besides the main restaurant Riverside where you can seek for a table at flexible times, you can also opt for VIVA's Bistro on the aft deck or at the speciality restaurant Moments.  VIVA's Bistro is perfect for alfresco dining in summer temperatures, while Moments is very much focused on seafood. For both restaurants, you need to make reservations and sign in at 7pm.

The large Panorama Lounge is spacious and spread over two levels, making the spatial effect particularly successful and breaking any monotony. This is the central place where you can always go for a chat with fellow passengers, for a cocktail or freshly brewed coffee from Nespresso, an afternoon or evening apero or to sink in after dinner with some live music.   

On the sun terrace, you can enjoy the landscapes and cities gliding by from your lounger or from the whirlpool. And then there is the wellness and fitness area, the small boutique and the reception.

The restaurants, the minibar in your cabin, the refillable water bottle, the exclusive care products from Rituals, the full drinks menu, the High Tea, up to Wi-Fi and bicycles are included in the price.

The Viva Two is sailing on the Danube this season, offering 8-day trips to/from Passau, with stops in Linz, Melk, Vienna, Bratislava, Esztergom and Budapest.

The Seychelles

All the islands of the group have white sandy beaches, an azure blue ocean and swaying palm trees. About a third of the archipelago, that is about forty islands, are mountainous with beautiful granite rocks, the other seventy islands are flat and consist of a lot of coral. Some people even call it "Little Galapagos" because of the many unique animals that occur in nature in the Seychelles. More than half is a protected nature reserve. As a result, a great diversity of plants and flowers grows, such as carnivorous plants and orchids. There are 81 plant species that only occur here.

A cruise to the Seychelles is truly a unique experience, nature, the underwater world, Creole culture and delicious cuisine will make your stay an unforgettable holiday. It is therefore certainly worthwhile to extend your cruise by a few days in one of the many hotels. The range is large, from small boutique hotels to large resorts.

Mahé, the largest island. A stay on Mahé and the other exotic islands of the Seychelles can safely be regarded as a real nature holiday, although the nature on Mahé is a lot less beautiful. For wildlife and beautiful sandy beaches, we rather recommend the island of Fregate.

Praslin and Silhouette. Despite the many resorts and hotels (for every budget), the islands of Praslin and Silhouette are beautiful natural parks with beautiful beaches and unique trees and plants, such as the coco-de-mer palms with their gigantic coconuts. On Praslin there is a fantastic nature walk to the lighthouse, the Glacis Noire walking route.

La Digue. The most beautiful island? The beaches and the sea of ​​La Digue are more beautiful than on Praslin and Mahé. There are no cars on the island. In addition, there are very beautiful smaller islands in the vicinity. The Source d'argent, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Seychelles, is located on La Digue.

Explora Journeys, the new MSC Group shipping company, aims for extraordinary cruise experiences around the world.

An important part of this are the 11 unique culinary experiences that are offered in no fewer than 6 restaurants, in 12 bars & lounges, even in your own suite.In short, 18 wonderful venues where, as a guest on board the Explora I, you can taste refined dishes from all over the world and experience authentic flavors with a contemporary approach.

A lot of care was therefore taken in the composition of the team that is responsible for this.