River cruises are in demand. Accordingly, providers will be bringing new ships onto the water in 2025 or adding existing ships to their fleet to expand their offering. An overview.
“Amara” new at Amadeus
The Munich-based provider Amadeus Flusskreuzfahrten is expanding its fleet with the “Amadeus Amara”: A maximum of 164 passengers can fit on the new ship, which has a draft of just 1.3 meters thanks to its lightweight construction, which should ensure reliable operation even with seasonally fluctuating water levels, according to Amadeus. The maiden voyage is planned for July 2025, and the area of operation will initially be on the Danube.
Phoenix Reisen with new build from the Netherlands
208 passengers, 135 meters long: These are the key data of the “MS Aurelia”, a new build from the Dutch shipping company Rijfers, which will be sailing for the Bonn-based provider Phoenix Reisen from next year. The “MS Aurelia” will initially set sail from Cologne towards the Netherlands, with stops in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
New to Phoenix, but not new builds, are the “MS Junker Jörg” and the “MS Ganges Voyager”, which will be used in the Baltic Sea region and in India respectively.
Relax instead of “one, two, three” at Viva Cruises
“One”, “Two” – “Three”? No, the new ship from the Düsseldorf-based provider Viva Cruises deviates from the name of previous new builds (“Viva One” and “Viva Two”) and is called “Viva Enjoy”. Bookable trips in 2025 will take you either along the Main, Rhine or Danube, with space for up to 190 passengers.
The maiden voyage of the “Viva Enjoy” was actually planned for 2024, but had to be postponed due to delivery bottlenecks, according to Viva Cruises. However, it is scheduled to set off on its premiere cruise on January 20, 2025.
News for Scotland, the Adriatic and Portugal at Thurgau Travel
The Swiss river cruise operator Thurgau Travel has three new ships in operation: The “MV Lord of the Highlands” was designed for discoveries in Scotland and was converted for trips through the historic locks of the Caledonian Canal. The ship only holds 37 passengers.
Traveling south are the “My Solaris”, a yacht for 39 passengers that travels along the Adriatic coast, and the “MS Douro Spirit”, which takes a maximum of 124 guests up the Douro from Porto.
Fifth Danube sister at Nicko Cruises
The Stuttgart-based operator Nicko Cruises has announced growth with the new addition to the fleet, “Celina”. The ship, built in 2004, is said to be getting a comprehensive makeover for the 2025 season. It will sail on the Danube with a maximum of 178 passengers – like its four sister ships “Bolero”, “Maxima”, “Victoria” and “Belvedere”.
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