VESSEL REVIEW | APT Solara & APT Ostara – Cruise ship pair to serve Western Europe inland itineraries

TeamCo Shipyard in the Netherlands and Serbia’s Vahali Shipyards recently handed over two new river cruise ships in a series to Australian luxury tour company the APT Travel Group and PCE Holding of Germany.

APT Solara and APT Ostara will be operated in Europe, primarily on 15-day itineraries along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. All itineraries will begin and end at Amsterdam and Budapest, and the departure point of each one-way trip will alternate between the two cities.

The ships each have a length of 135 metres (443 feet), a beam of 11.45 metres (37.57 feet), and space for 154 guests and 60 crewmembers. Their dimensions have been set to comply with European standards for navigation in inland waters, and they are low enough to safely pass underneath large bridges along the three key rivers through which they will regularly sail.

The propulsion arrangement on each ship includes two Scania DC313 320A generators, a Scania DC313 313A diesel engine, a Veth 4-K-1200 manoeuvring thruster, and two Veth VZ-900A-CR Z-drives.

Multiple stateroom categories

The guests are housed in 77 suites in three categories. The owner’s suites include expansive space, a private balcony, a separate sitting area, and exclusive perks including a spa treatment and laundry service. The balcony suites feature electric slide-down windows opening to a French balcony, while twin window suites combine timber accents and refined furnishings

Each suite is appointed with complimentary in-suite dining, a fully stocked minibar, tea and coffee amenities, luxury bedding, ample storage, and a sophisticated en suite bathroom. The owner’s suites and balcony suites are fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows to provide unobstructed views of the outside and to let in as much natural light as possible.

Well-appointed dining and recreation spaces

The other onboard facilities include six restaurants, a bar, an atrium, a spa, a pool, and a gym. The restaurants serve dishes with ingredients that have been locally sourced from the ships’ destinations.

One of the casual restaurants on the sun deck can even be hydraulically lowered to permit passage underneath bridges.

Design work on the interior spaces was provided by Hecker and Guthrie.

Both APT Solara and APT Ostara were built in compliance with Bureau Veritas class rules and Swiss flag requirements.