What's New in River Cruising
Unless you’ve recently returned from another planet, the news that there were ups and downs in the river-cruise industry over the past year will come as no surprise. On the up side, Australians continued to cruise more, and much of that growth was in river cruising. In 2009, many new river-cruise vessels were launched, new itineraries were developed and South-East Asia became more popular as a cruising destination. Meanwhile, the trend for river-cruise vessels to become more like boutique hotels, in décor and in features, continued.
On the down side, Peter Deilmann Cruises, one of the most respected names in European luxury cruising, announced in June that it was pulling out of river cruising at the end of the 2009 season and, from 2010, would operate only its ocean vessel MS Deutschland. It cited a 50 per cent drop in bookings and unfavourable exchange rates as the cause of this contraction.
NEW SHIPS
In 2009, at least seven new river-cruise vessels commenced operations – five of these in Europe. Uniworld River Cruises launched the 125m River Beatrice in March to sail the Danube, largely on a series of eight-day voyages. It boasts that 80 per cent of the
River Beatrice’s cabins have French balconies, hotel-style beds with Egyptian cotton sheets and flat-screen TVs. The vessel also has a lounge with panoramic views, a sundeck, a restaurant, a library, massage services, a fitness centre and bicycles for use ashore.
Tauck World Discovery: MS Swiss Jewel
Next down the slipway was Tauck World Discovery’s MS Swiss Jewel, launched in April 2009. To provide more space, she carries just 118 passengers across three passenger decks in an area that could accommodate about 140. Each cabin on Swiss Jewel has a plasma TV, radio, and private bathroom stocked with L’Occitane toiletries; some 85 per cent have French balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows. As well as a restaurant with panoramic views, there’s alternative bistro dining in the teak-lined Lido Bar on the aft deck.
Viking River Cruises: Viking Legend
In July, Viking River Cruises, the world's largest river-cruise company, launched its longest-ever vessel, Viking Legend, which carries 189 guests. There are five single cabins, and all the double cabins are deluxe: the largest in Europe, they have either French balconies or picture windows. The ship is very fuel-efficient, with hybrid engines, and it’s quiet, too, using four smaller propellers instead of two large ones. Facilities include a restaurant, sundeck, souvenir shop, library and observation lounge. Viking Legend began operations with a 15-day itinerary along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers between Amsterdam and Budapest.
Avalon Waterways: new boutique ships
Avalon Waterways launched Avalon Affinity and Avalon Creativity, among the smallest of the Avalon ships, in 2009. These, along with Avalon Felicity and Avalon Luminary, set to launch in 2010, will lift Avalon’s European fleet to 10 vessels. The newest ships carry a maximum of 138 (or, in the case of Creativity, 140) passengers and Avalon boasts that their cabins are at least as spacious as those typically found on larger vessels, and that the ships have the largest staterooms available on a river-cruise vessel. Special features on all four ships include a lift, and a large whirlpool on the top deck. Most cabins have floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and French balconies. Avalon Affinity sails a variety of nine- to 15-day cruises, while Avalon Creativity sailed the Rhine in 2009 and will operate several nine- to 19-day cruises along the rivers of France in 2010.
In July, Avalon Waterways was ranked the world’s top river-cruise operator by Travel + Leisure magazine, New York, in its ‘World’s Best Awards’ for 2009. In fact, it came in at number two on the list of the world’s ‘Top 10 Small-Ship Cruise Lines’, after ocean-cruise operator The Yachts of Seabourn.
Uniworld River Cruises: River Tosca
Meanwhile, over in Egypt, Uniworld River Cruises launched River Tosca, the smallest river vessel to be launched in 2009. She has just 42 suites, all with French balconies, and all measuring more than 28 square metres and featuring marble bathrooms. River Tosca has a swimming pool and spa and has been decorated by prestigious interior design team, the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, a Uniworld sister company. From September, she will sail four different itineraries along the Nile.
Victoria Cruises: Victoria Jenna
In China, unconstrained by the size of locks (a factor that limits the size of vessels cruising European waterways), river-cruise ships can be bigger. Victoria Jenna will be the largest ship of eight in Victoria Cruises’ Yangtze River fleet, with capacity to carry up to 378 passengers on five decks. The company is part of Avalon Waterways, which in turn is part of the Globus family.
Cabin televisions will show HBO and CNN broadcasts, each private bathroom will include a shower and a bathtub, and every cabin will have a private balcony. But the ship’s most impressive features initially will probably be its English-speaking crew and three-storey atrium lobby.
The ship will make several Yangtze River sailings in 2010 on 13- to 19-day itineraries.
THEMED CRUISES Travelmarvel: MS Sound of Music
Many Australian companies are aggressively marketing river cruises. Travelmarvel, which is owned by APT, has an exclusive charter of the 128-passenger MS Sound of Music along the Danube and Rhine that offers everything from an onboard spa, Turkish bath and solarium to bicycles for guests to use on shore excursions.
Festive season and Passion Play cruises
While one tends to think of European cruising as a summer activity, some cruises are making the most of the festive atmosphere with itineraries over the Christmas season. And 2010 will see a number of river cruises that take in the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, a centuries-old spectacle that’s performed for just one season each decade: General Tours has partnered with Uniworld River Cruises to offer itineraries to see its latest incarnation.
The forthcoming 2010 river cruising season features more sailings and more itineraries overall, as well as good-value rates and packages for those who book early, some including free airfares from Australia, cabin upgrades and cash discounts. These ‘earlybird’ specials are time-specific, though – and as we go to press, time is running out.