Photos from our cruises

With another group, we set off on the ship MSC Divina, for the third time this year, but this time in Europe after crossing from the Caribbean. After a short stop in Tuscany, we boarded in Civitavecchia. Since the journey was long, we all appreciated a relaxing day at sea, took the time to get to know the ship, and enjoyed a gala evening with the captain. But then an adventure awaited us in the form of discovering new destinations, first the iconic Greek Mykonos with its windmills and then two Turkish destinations - Kuşadası, which was great especially for shopping, and Marmaris, where we could enjoy beautiful sunny weather and taste local specialties. Finally, we headed to Naples, where we found ourselves during the Giro d'Italia races and tasted the typical Margherita pizza.

The cruise was really successful, the group was great, and now we can only wait for the next reunion on the decks of MSC Cruises.

Your delegate Kateřina and the Riviera Tour team

Na naši první jarní plavbu Středomořím jsme se vydali 1. března. Už během cesty autobusem jsme se zastavili v malebném italském městečku Tuscania, kde jsme nasáli atmosféru probouzející se Itálie.

V přístavu Civitavecchia nás už z dálky vítala majestátní loď MSC World Europa, která se na celý týden stala naším domovem. Pohostinnost, skvělé služby i široká nabídka aktivit zaplnily náš program pestrými zážitky od rána až do večera.

Během plavby jsme navštívili sicilskou Messinu, kde jsme si město prohlédli z pohodlí vyhlídkového vláčku. Valletta na Maltě nás přivítala slunečným počasím a příjemnou atmosférou téměř letního dne. Den na moři pak klienti využili k objevování všech zákoutí lodi nebo k odpočinku u bazénů a vířivek.

I když byla Barcelona zahalena do mlhy a provázelo nás deštivé počasí, vydali jsme se obdivovat ikonickou Sagrada Família, která už dnes stojí téměř dokončená s poslední věží.

V přístavech Marseille a Janov jsme se prošli místními uličkami, nasáli atmosféru přístavních měst a nakoupili poslední suvenýry domů.

Po vylodění nás čekala ještě zastávka v nádherném středověkém městě Siena, které se stalo skutečnou třešničkou na dortu celé cesty.

Naše plavba byla plná zážitků, nových míst, krásných okamžiků i nových přátelství.

Vaše delegátka Zuzka a tým Riviera Tour.

Opravdu děkujeme Pánu Bohu za ten dar, že můžeme cestovat a vydávat se na cesty mnohdy dlouhé a náročné. Každá cesta mě nějakým způsobem obohacuje. Znalostmi, poznáním... Co nám dala tato plavba?

Pokoru, opravdu užasnou pokoru a sebereflexi. A musel jsem si přiznat, jak jsme jako Evropané neskutečně nároční, jak chceme víc a víc a přitom k sobě máme dál a dál. Brazilie a Argentina - to je obrovský trh, obrovská kupní síla, cca 260 milionů lidí a MSC zde má v sezonu až 7 výletních lodí. Lodě jsou vyprodané do posledniho mista a ceny, ceny až trojnásobné od Evropy.

Přesto je zde servis na lodích podstatně slabší a nikomu to vůbec nevadí. Lidé jsou v pohodě, přijemní, v klidu a pohodě počkají na drink nebo si v bufetu zajdou k baru pro pivko či kafe.

A když se zdržel tendr, lidé začali na tendrové lodi zpívat a tančit. A tak najednou se z nepřijemného tendru stala skvělá párty, kde se Vám nechtělo ani vystoupit.

Lidé jsou tu opravu jiní, hodní, vždy mě pozdraví, sice neumí anglicky ani slovo, ale snaží se. A tak za mě mimo ty nádherné destinace a skvělělé zážitky, které jsme zažili bylo poznání jiné kultury, pohodových a nenáročných lidí, kteří jsou plní života. A taky ta naše skupinka cestovatelů se ukázala jako perfektní parta úžasných kamarádů se srdcem na pravém místě.

A tak na závěr naší plavby poděkování:

Poděkováni Pánu Bohu za tu možnost, poděkováni té naši skvělé partě cestovatelů za těch úžasných 14 dnů a poděkováni našim partnerům v Argentině a Brazílii za poskytnouté služby. Můj osobní velký dík Dominikovi za skvělou myšlenku a bezvadnou přípravu tohoto zájezdu.

Jsme unavení, hodně unaveni, ale šťastní.

Delegáti Pavel, Dominik a tým Riviera Tour

The Caribbean cruise on the MSC Divina began dramatically due to a cancelled flight from London to Miami, which required the group to split up and improvise with alternative transport. Upon arrival in Miami, the atmosphere was relaxed, with the only minor complication being the city marathon on the way to the port. The group then boarded the ship and set off on a week-long cruise.

The first stop was Ocean Cay, MSC Cruises' private island, where clients enjoyed typical Caribbean relaxation – beaches, turquoise sea, sun, music, drinks and local specialities. After a day at sea, the ship docked in Cozumel, Mexico. Together, we visited the town of San Miguel, tasted local coffee, tequila and traditional Mexican food, and of course, we didn't forget to buy souvenirs.

In the Cayman Islands, we travelled to the mainland by tender boats and taxis. Part of the group stayed in George Town, while the other part visited the turtle centre and dolphinarium. The programme was complemented by a tasting of local rum and rum cakes and a talk about life on the islands.

The last stop was Jamaica, where the weather was truly Caribbean and the atmosphere lively. The group headed to Dunn's River Falls, where they cooled off while climbing the cascades. This was followed by a bus ride with rum punch, relaxation on the beach and, finally, souvenir shopping along with a tasting of Jamaican coffee and rum.

We would like to thank the group for their understanding during the initial problems. We believe that we still enjoyed the whole trip together. Katka, Helča and the entire Riviera Tour team.

Our cruise through the Persian Gulf started in Doha, Qatar. During the excursion, we had the opportunity to explore the city from both the sea and land, and right from the start, we were impressed by the renovated old harbour with its colourful houses and pleasant promenade. The place underwent a major transformation ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and is now one of the most beautiful parts of the city. The atmosphere was great, and we enjoyed Qatar to the fullest.

The next stop was Bahrain, with its capital Manama. Together with a local guide, we explored the most interesting parts of the city and learned a lot of interesting facts. Bahrain is surprisingly small in size, roughly the same as Hamburg or Ibiza, yet it is constantly expanding thanks to artificially created islands and new parts of the city. We were also intrigued by the shallow sea around Manama, which requires regular dredging of the harbours so that even large ships can anchor there safely.

Our journey then took us to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Thanks to the beautiful sunny weather, we enjoyed the whole day to the fullest. During the rich programme, we visited the city's most important buildings and learned from a local guide how the desert landscape gradually became a modern and self-sufficient city. We also enjoyed a moment of luxury in one of the renowned hotels, where we savoured cappuccino or hot chocolate sprinkled with 24-carat gold, and a shared lunch beautifully rounded off the day.

After a busy schedule, a stop on Sir Bani Yas Island provided the perfect contrast. Here we enjoyed a well-deserved rest and slowed down the pace. While some relaxed on the beach, others went on a safari to discover the local nature and animals. And although at first it did not seem that the sun would be so strong, the opposite was true – in addition to rest, we also got a nice tan, some even too much.

Full of energy, we could then look forward to the final and most anticipated destination of the entire cruise – Dubai. A city of world "firsts", where nothing happens by chance. The modern skyline full of skyscrapers, the bold construction of artificial islands and the iconic Museum of the Future clearly show that Dubai has a clear vision and a precise plan. This philosophy is perfectly captured by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's idea: we do not wait for things to happen, rather we make them happen. What made the experience even more special was that we had the opportunity to meet him in person during his inconspicuous walk through one part of downtown.

The entire cruise through the Persian Gulf offered us a unique mix of modern cities, traditions, luxury and relaxation. Each stop had its own character, and together they created a journey full of powerful experiences that we will remember for a long time to come.