What - and how - are APT and Travelmarvel doing?

[notamermaid]

For some weeks now, especially as we hear little from our Australian friends, I have been wondering what is happening with APT (river cruises). Travelmarvel had not been on my radar really. But now it is Travelmarvel that got my interest. Both river cruise operators must be struggling with the Coronavirus pandemic I would think, but in Europe we kind of naturally hear nothing about it. At least not in the German-speaking part.

 

Yesterday, I came across this press article: https://www.fvw.de/touristik/kreuzfahrt/neubau-fuer-den-rhein-1a-vista-uebernimmt-deluxe-schiff-polaris-221978

Headline says: "1AVista takes over deluxe ship Polaris". For 2022 they will have a newly built ship for the Rhine but not their own in the sense that this had been planned for years. The company had never ordered such a ship.

 

I wondered what it means, as the name Polaris rang a bell. So I checked the press release of 1AVista Reisen which basically says the same. Increased demand for river cruises from Germany makes the company in Cologne use the Polaris to meet exactly that demand of mostly the German-speaking clientele. 1AVista Reisen markets little to international markets but has river cruises that do have international guests. I do not know details about this. It appears the Polaris will be such an international ship. Now here is the thing that struck me and which I confirmed with older articles: Travelmarvel had ordered three ships, that were supposed to set sail in 2020 and 2021 and then we know what hit all of us. So I guess this means the Travelmarvel Polaris, the Travelmarvel Vega and the Travelmarvel Capella never started sailing for the company. https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/21539-three-new-boats-for-apt-travelmarvel.html What happened after this article? Anybody know?

 

APT river cruises and Travelmarvel are part of the APT group I have learnt. APT uses the AmaWaterways ships and I guess their cooperation is different from what Travelmarvel does, seeing that they have different ships - which are not actually theirs, i.e. the Polaris, the Vega and the Capella, but three investments of a, well, investment group. They were built in the Netherlands. I still could not confirm that the Polaris is the very same that is going to 1AVista Reisen, but the photo on the itinerary page for 2022 clearly shows a rendered writing of TM Polaris, not MS Polaris: https://www.1avista.de/detail/?offerlink=flussreisen-rhein-total2022-ms-polaris.html

 

I find it unusual that a German company should take over the ship and I was wondering if this will be a long contract or just seasonal for 2022. The pandemic has upended so many plans in the industry, I hope it does not continue to harm this Australian company.

 

By the way, this is what cruisecritic has on the ship: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/review.cfm?stay=1&ShipID=1438&posfrom=1

Sadly, it seems it really never debuted in April 2020 , who should it have with...

 

notamermaid

 

[vada_9]

8 hours ago, notamermaid said:

For some weeks now, especially as we hear little from our Australian friends, I have been wondering what is happening with APT (river cruises).

 

notamermaid

 

Can not answer about European River cruises, but when we were on our 4wd tour (with a different touring company) to the Tip (Top of Cape York Peninsular) in June this year - APT's 4wd tours were also there. 

[Coral]

APT owns part of Amawaterways. They invested in Amawaterways a long time ago.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Coral

[pully8]

APT Luxury Travel, Touring & Cruising | Live Fully (aptouring.com.au) Currently available website.

Australian govt has only just permitted outbound travel and many details are still pending given each state has different rules about when their borders will open or how returning people will be managed.

Vaccines are progressing albeit slowly and boosters/third doses will soon be available with some restrictions.

Would love to do another river cruise in Europe it seems an eternity since we could plan with any certainty.

Passports have expired or rendered useless because leaving the country was severely restricted.

Watching you tube videos of travel vlogs has assisted especially the more recent ones.  

Others may have more info. 

[notamermaid]

Thank you for the replies. I have since read some encouraging reports. And this is the latest: https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/tour-operators/europe-leads-the-way-as-apt-cruises-set-to-resume

 

I am relieved to read that APT seems to be doing okay.

 

notamermaid