VIVA Cruises has released the 2028 program for its VIVA Boutique line, committing to 11 months of annual operations across France and Italy with itineraries running from three to seven nights. The deployment puts two ships to work: the Viva Beyond on the Seine in France and the Viva Unique in Italy.

The rollout timeline matters for sellers planning inventory. The Viva Beyond launched on the Seine this May. The Viva Unique follows in 2027, meaning the 2028 program represents the first full season in which both vessels operate under the boutique banner simultaneously.

VIVA's central product bet for 2028 is wine. The Düsseldorf-based operator has appointed Romana Echensperger, one of only a few Masters of Wine worldwide, to lead that push. Echensperger will curate the wine selection for both ships, pairing wines with onboard menus and the regions each itinerary visits. She will also join select sailings in person to host tastings and masterclasses — a move that gives agents a concrete, nameable hook for premium wine-focused clients.

On the Viva Unique in Italy, the 2028 season opens with "Italy for All the Senses," a seven-night roundtrip Venice departure starting in March 2028 that focuses on the art, cuisine and culture of the Veneton Lagoon route. October brings a new build: "La Grande Cucina," sailing Venice to Cremona from October 1 to 8, 2028, a gourmet cruise through the culinary regions of Veneto and Emilia-Romagna built around tastings of Amarone, Parmigiano Reggiano and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.

The Italy program also adds a land component that travel sellers can price into packages. Select Venice departures can now be paired with a two-night Verona extension. The package covers two nights at an exclusive hotel with breakfast, a guided walking tour, dinner and tickets to Verona's opera — a structured add-on rather than an optional extra, which simplifies quotation for agents and strengthens per-booking revenue.

In France, the Viva Beyond's 2028 season centers on seven-night roundtrip Paris departures. "A Taste of Normandy" starts in May 2028 as a gastronomic journey through Normandy. "In the Light of the Impressionists" follows from April 2028, tracing the Seine through the landscapes that inspired Monet and the Impressionists.

The single most differentiated departure on the French side is a first for the ship: the "Champagne & Sparkling Cruise" on the Seine, sailing July 29 to August 5, 2028. Guests will explore Champagne, Crémant and cider with Echensperger through tastings, masterclasses and specially paired menus. Shore programming ties the theme to the regions: excursions run to the Champagne region, Monet's garden in Giverny and the Normandy coast.

For trade partners, the 2028 program signals where VIVA sees margin in boutique river cruising: longer-dated, theme-led departures with expert attachment and packaged land extensions. The wine positioning under a Master of Wine gives the line a defensible premium narrative in a river market where gastronomy themes are increasingly table stakes.

The company disclosed the program through a press release and did not publish pricing, capacity figures or booking-window details. Those figures will determine how aggressively sellers can push the themed departures. With the Viva Unique launching in 2027 and the full two-ship boutique operation running 11 months a year from 2028, VIVA has effectively committed its near-term growth in France and Italy to this format.