MS River Crown

[Host Jazzbeau]

Noble Caledonia is a British cruise line that offers full-ship charters for river cruises, often on CroisiEurope or Riviera ships.  One of the ships they had been using was MS Royal Crown [built 1996] – but their latest offerings feature a newer [built 2008] ship:  MS River Crown

 

Here is the info from Noble's website:

https://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk/ships/river/river-crown/

 

I haven't been able to find any information about this ship anywhere else [the German site that @notamermaid linked to recently, CruiseMapper, VesselFinder, or a general google search].

 

Does anybody know anything about this ship?

[notamermaid]

To my surprise even Binnenschifferforum draws a blank. The ship has obviously been renamed seeing that she was built in 2008. Only 100 passengers? 135m long and a draft of 1.35m? Does not quite fit together but is not impossible I guess, just unusual. I have had a look round, a bit of combining websites and detective work. I believe it is the now ex-Thurgau Ultra, a twin cruiser. The ship left the fleet of Thurgau Travel, a Swiss company, at the end of 2022.

 

Compare the photos: https://imagelibrary.noblecaledonia.com/asset-bank/assetfile/41295.pdf

https://www.binnenschifferforum.de/showthread.php?69450-Thurgau-Ultra-KFGS-04806540&p=403868#post403868

 

Time for the ship spotters on Binnenschifferforum to get to work, I think.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Hmm, perhaps I should not call her ex-Thurgau Ultra yet. Which company bought the ship? Is it a lease? Did the investor/bank in the background change? Is Noble Caledonia involved in the purchase? Cannot find any info or what will happen this year. Perhaps she will continue her rest next to the Royal Crown and Crystal sisters near Nijmegen:

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

By George you've got it!  The deck plans for MS Thurgau Ultra on CruiseMapper exactly match those in the Noble Caledonia brochure.  The ship was configured with 60 passenger cabins, which would still be a small number for 135m – Noble have turned some cabins into staff use and restricted others to single-occupancy, bringing the number of cabins down to 54 (they call it "100-passenger capacity" but that's probably rounding...)

 

CruiseMapper's review of the ship (sailing for Thurgau Travel) sounds quite positive, and Noble says it will have another round of updates before their 2024 charter.  I'm intrigued, as I am a big fan of Noble Caledonia's itineraries and service.

 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ships/MS-Thurgau-Ultra-1596

 

[Canal archive]

Ahhh so you two sleuths well done, I gave up at 12.30 last night, crossed eyes don’t work that well in that kind of research. This will be interesting to watch.

[notamermaid]

On 5/25/2023 at 9:21 AM, Canal archive said:

This will be interesting to watch.

Yes. What will Noble Caledonia still change? From the photos I gather the hull will get a new colour scheme. According to a German report called "Farewell Thurgau Ultra" it was a very popular ship that had sailed with Thurgau Travel for quite a few years but had been short-time chartered by other companies as well. Thurgau Travel has replaced her with the new "Thurgau Gold" that was supposed to have been christened this month. Have not checked if it has taken place.

 

There are a few videos online that show the interior of the Thurgau Ultra. There is a good website with review and photos but unfortunately it is also a travel agent so no linking allowed.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

There are a few videos online that show the interior of the Thurgau Ultra.

What I have been able to see of her reminds me of the 'Sky' sisters that Noble Caledonia already sails:  classical nautical decor with rosewood paneling and comfy chairs.

[Host Jazzbeau]

@notamermaid You mentioned that the Thurgau Ultra is a 'twin cruiser.'  Can you explain that ship design for us?  [I think you have explained this before, but I have forgotten...]

 

I believe it makes the ship quieter because the engines etc. are in a separate compartment [that isn't the right nautical term?] at the back of the ship.  Does that also reduce the usable space – explaining why this 135m ship has so few cabins?

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

@notamermaid You mentioned that the Thurgau Ultra is a 'twin cruiser.'  Can you explain that ship design for us?  [I think you have explained this before, but I have forgotten...]

 

I believe it makes the ship quieter because the engines etc. are in a separate compartment [that isn't the right nautical term?] at the back of the ship.  Does that also reduce the usable space – explaining why this 135m ship has so few cabins?

The engine, I think the term is unit, is indeed separate from the passenger unit and the reason is noise and vibration reduction. They are kind of fixed though, meaning they cannot be uncoupled like with a pushboat and its barge unit. On this shipyard website they do not use the term unit though: https://www.meyerwerft.de/en/ships/premicon_twincruiser.jsp

There is a German Wikipedia page: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/TwinCruiser

 

Here the shipyard that built the Premicon Queen, which was then the Thurgau Ultra and is now advertised as the River Crown, uses the phrase "The back half of the drive unit hosts the spacious restaurant": https://www.neptunwerft.de/en/press/press_detail/the_sixth_twincruiser_is_built_in_rostock.jsp

 

I am not sure if this automatically reduces the number of cabins possible, need to leave that to a technician. Perhaps it can be figured out from the text or drawings on other websites.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by notamermaid
added word "vibration"

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

What I have been able to see of her reminds me of the 'Sky' sisters that Noble Caledonia already sails:  classical nautical decor with rosewood paneling and comfy chairs.

Well, then I think not much should be changed.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks @notamermaid for such great research!

 

Following up on your first link, I see that MeyerWerft built a series of five 135m twin-cruiser ships from 2005-2007 with passenger capacities from 164 (Avalon Tapestry) to 207 (Bellevue) – many more than this sixth design for the 135m Premicon Queen [now River Crown] at 106 [102 in Noble Caledonia's configuration].

 

So the twin cruiser design doesn't necessarily limit the number of passengers.  Your second link explains that the front (passenger) unit cabins are "prefabricated modules. This construction method gives a variety of design options" – obviously, if the same exterior design can vary between 106 and 207 passengers!  

 

MeyerWerft say that this ship is "one of the best and most luxurious river cruise ships in the world."  And your third link gives lots of details explaining that claim.

 

What's still curious is that in the first link they state that this new ship is "much quieter than its predecessors, because the engine and passenger areas were built in separate sections of the vessel."  That's curious because those earlier ships were already described as using the 'TwinCruiser' design with "two separate hulls that are coupled together, which prevents the transfer of noise and vibrations to ensure quiet and comfortable travels."  [Maybe they are including these as well as the latest one in the 'new' category and comparing them to even earlier designs?]

 

Anyway, it looks like a lovely river ship despite its age – it's advanced design and luxury touches helped keep it from getting 'old' – and I will consider taking one of these new Noble Caledonia itineraries.

[notamermaid]

3 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

So the twin cruiser design doesn't necessarily limit the number of passengers

Oh, good. Explained then. Had not noticed that.

 

6 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I will consider taking one of these new Noble Caledonia itineraries

I also find the itineraries nice. Really something to consider beyond the standard lines and operators that we usually talk about here on CC.

 

notamermaid