Deilmann sells Danube Princess

[steamboats]

Deilmann announced yesterday that they have sold the MV Danube Princess which will end her season for Deilmann in the beginning of November (no buyers name). The Danube Princess is 24 years old and Deilmann started its river cruise business with this boat. The Danube Princess is rated 4 stars and Deilmann wants to concentrate on 5 star boats. The boat is to be replaced by another one (name not announced). The Danube Princess is plying the Danube River (roundtrips out of Passau) as the MV Mozart is doing.

steamboats

[OhioDogLover]

Steamboats,
Since it is Deilmann, we probably do not need to be concerned about quality when we go in July. A few years ago, we were on a ship (ocean cruise) that had just been sold to one of the bigger companies and the experience was extremely disappointing. You don't think there will be any issues, do you?
Thanks,
Ohio Dog Lover

[steamboats]

Ohio Dog Lover,

I´m absolutely sure that you don´t have to worry about the quality!!! Although the boat is 24 years old you won´t see it!! The Danube Princess was totally refurbished in 2004 (the Mozart in 2003 and the Mozart is only 4 years "younger").

I forgot to mention that special Farewell Cruises will be offered (offers will be published by June). But I don´t know if those cruises will be also offered for the US market or just for the German market. Deilmann did the same when they didn´t continue the charter of the MS Berlin (ocean ship). Of course the ship was spotless and top quality until the end of its last season (by the way there are still lots of fans of the MS Berlin which do not like the replacement, the MS Deutschland).

steamboats

[nyfeds]

Thank you, steamboats, for the Deilmann update.

Any idea as to when this new vessel will be up and running? Will it cruise the Danube?

Thanks!

[steamboats]

nyfeds,

The press release by Deilmann was not very informative. It was talking about the boat will be sold and in the next sentence it said it will be given to the new owners the day after the season is ending. I read it several times thinking, is the boat already sold or will it be sold?

On a German cruise forum a poster was assuming that the Eastern European cruise companies are happy to buy the boat (those from Bulgaria, Romania...). But to be honest, those are the companies I won´t book with. They are selling the boats on the German market and you can get a one week cruise starting in some offers at 199 EUR.

The Danube Princess is 50 ft wide. The locks on the Rhine-Main-Danube-Canal are 37 ft wide. So she can´t go further than Kelheim or Passau. I know that the locks above Passau are smaller so the Mozart can´t pass them. I don´t know their width so I can´t say for sure if the Danube Princess can at least go up to Kelheim. So I assume that the boat will stay in the Danube river trade between Passau and the Black Sea.

steamboats

[nyfeds]

Thanks, steamboats. We look forward to seeing which direction Deilmann takes with their new vessel. We board the Cezanne a week from this Saturday. Perhaps I can get some information while on board.