According to a press release, issued in Germany, a drop of about 50% in its river cruise bookings, combined with unfavorable exchange rates, have forced Peter Deilmann to eliminate its river cruise business. A spokesperson for Deilmann confirmed the cessation of river cruises to Travel Trade. The line will finish its 2009 river cruise season and starting in 2010 will only operate its ocean cruise ship the MS Deutschland. Personnel in the US office offered no additional comment.
Peter Deilmann Cruises has announced that it is now accepting bookings for its 2009 schedule of European river cruises. Price increases in 2009 were held to 5% on all cruise-only departures. A fuel surcharge of $10 per night per passenger will be collected in 2009; 2008 sailings do not have a fuel surcharge.
Peter Deilmann Cruises, known for its eight luxury river ships – four- and five-star vessels that are small floating hotels with exceptional passenger-to-crew ratios of 2.5 to 1, is offering 255 deluxe European river sailings between March 22 and November 8, 2009 — sailing the classic rivers of Europe on 7- to 14-night cruises with the vast majority running seven nights. The cruises intimately explore the main arteries and byways of these rivers and provide memorable visits to countryside villages and sophisticated cities.
The Danube River is the focus of weekly cruises of two five-star Deilmann ships — the Mozart and Casanova — that sail round-trip from Passau in southeastern Germany, just two hours from Munich. One-week cruises of these two vessels call at Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and picturesque wine villages and small towns in Austria and Hungary, including Melk, Esztergom and Dürnstein. 10- and 11-night cruises between Passau and Romania’s Tulcea are offered in June and July. One-week cruises are $1,610 to $5,120 per person, double.
The Elbe, Havel and Moldau Rivers as well as the historic cities of Berlin, Dresden, Prague and Potsdam are on the cruise itineraries of the five-star Katharina von Bora and the Frederic Chopin on weekly sailings between Potsdam, just outside of Berlin, and Prague, while the five-star Dresden makes it way along the Elbe River between Dresden and Hamburg. All three deluxe ships take in the smaller towns of Wittenberg, Meissen and Bad Schandau, offering a full spectrum of sightseeing opportunities — Fortress Königstein, the birthplace of Martin Luther’s Reformation, Meissen’s world famous porcelain and Saechische Schwiez National Park are examples. Seven-night cruises are $1,625 to $3,895.
The five-star Cézanne and four-star Princesse de Provence, both popular with Americans, sail along France’s most appealing rivers: the Seine, roundtrip from Paris and between Paris and Rouen, and the Rhône and Saône, roundtrip from Lyon and between Lyon and Arles. The 148-passenger Princesse de Provence sails the Rhône and Saône, putting in at Arles, full of exceptionally well preserved Roman ruins; Lyon, the capital of French gastronomy; Vienne, whose Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe is home to many beautiful 11th- and 12th-century murals; and Mâcon, birthplace of the romance poet Alphonse de Lamartine. Fares range from $1,545 to $2,430.
The 100-passenger Cézanne, completely renovated in 2006, travels the romantic Seine. Highlights include Giverny, best known for Monet’s house and gardens; Les Andelys, set beneath Château Gaillard, the most famous castle on the Seine; Rouen, the half-timbered city where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake; and picturesque Honfleur. Prices are $1,700 to $3,500.
Among the 110-passenger Heidelberg’s itineraries are seven-night cruises roundtrip from the capital city of Amsterdam to large and small Dutch cities – Rotterdam, Dordrecht and Middleberg and the historic Flemish cities of Ghent, Antwerp and Volendam in Belgium. Amsterdam to Mainz (Frankfurt) sailings combine the Rhine and Moselle Rivers calling at the modern port city of Rotterdam, historic and art-filled Cologne with its grand cathedral, Koblenz at the confluence of the two rivers, and the Rhine wine town of Rüdesheim. Seven-night classic Rhine itineraries, between Amsterdam and the centuries-old Swiss city of Basel, offer ports in four countries — Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland. Other offerings aboard the Heidelberg include four-night sailings between Düsseldorf and Basel, a six-night cruise from Düsseldorf to Amsterdam and seven-night itineraries between Amsterdam and Trier, Trier and Basel, Basel and Cologne, and Cologne and Trier. Fares range from $1,615 to $2,965.
The Deilmann ships provide relaxing travel through the heart of Europe on a deluxe European floating hotel without the bother of packing and unpacking. The river cruises are designed for both the first-time and frequent vacationer who likes traveling in comfort with attentive service and fine dining. Dining on board is single seating on all the vessels and the cuisine is continental. Mid-afternoon tea and coffee is served every day both on deck and in the lounge and there is a late evening buffet. The friendly, multi-lingual staffs are there to cater to passengers’ every wish. A non-smoking policy applies to the interiors of all Peter Deilmann River vessels.
On Peter Deilmann Cruises’ river sailings, teeing off at Europe’s most spectacular golf venues is par for the course, with guests testing their skills at some of the highest rated courses in Austria, Germany, France, and Hungary. Or guests with a fancy towards gardening, hiking or cycling can indulge themselves with the assistance of expert guides as they embark on itineraries sailing from Amsterdam; France’s Lyon, Paris and Strasbourg; Germany’s Berlin (Potsdam), Dresden, Hamburg, Munich and Passau; and Switzerland’s Basel aboard Deilmann’s MV Cezanne, MV Dresden, MV Heidelberg, MV Mozart and Princesse de Provence. All theme programs include transfers, entrance fees, and meals and snacks where applicable. Golf enthusiasts can add even more playtime on top-ranked courses with optional land extensions of five and six days; priced from $510 to $750 per person, double. Each deluxe river vessel serves as a guest’s personal inn, with single-seating dining rooms offering five-course dining experiences and choice of full-service breakfast and lunch or more casual buffets. Fares for eight- to 14-day packages range from $2,343 to $5,919, per person, double occupancy, on departures from April through October 2008. Guests not participating in special interest packages are charged $609 to $1,044 less.
The details on these unique itineraries can be found when you click on “more” below.
Peter Deilmann Cruises is now accepting reservations for 2008 on all nine of its deluxe river ships with details of the programs and pricing available by calling us at 888-286-9827. The company’s 2008 Deluxe “Great Rivers of Europe” brochure will be available in late September, both online and in hardcopy. Information about the company’s all inclusive cruise tour vacations of 9 days to 17 days which offer river cruising in conjunction with shore excursions, hotel and other land arrangements will be available on line by September 1. For 2008 the company has 11 different cruise tours, including two never before offered, with more than 200 departures.
Peter Deilmann Cruises offers more than 265 leisurely European river sailings aboard nine deluxe river ships (seven five-star and two four-star) between late March and early November that sail the classic rivers of Europe on mostly seven-night cruises. The ships include the MV Mozart on the Danube; the MV Casanova on the Danube, Dutch Canals and Main-Danube Canal; the MV Princesse de Provence on France’s Rhône and Saône and MV Cezanne on the Seine; the MV Dresden, MV Katharina and MV Frederic Chopin on the Elbe, Havel, Moldau and Oder; the MV Heidelberg on the Dutch Canals, Rhine and Moselle and the MV Konigstein on the Dutch Canals and Rhine.
For 2008, Peter Deilmann Cruises continues to hold the line on pricing. Prices have increased a modest 3% increase for cruise only itineraries and 3% to 5% for cruise-tour combinations.
Cruising on a Peter Deilmann river cruise is unlike cruising on almost any other ship, click “more” to learn about the Deilmann cruising experience.
Peter Deilmann Cruises is expanding the no-smoking restrictions on its European river fleet to include all areas inside the vessels without exception beginning in 2008. The policy will become effective at the start of the river cruise season in March 2008, the cruise line announced today. Peter Deilmann Cruises, which operates a fleet of nine river vessels, first extended the smoke-free areas on its ships in 2005 to include all cabins and corridors along with its no-smoking policy in the restaurants. Now smoking will only be permitted on the open decks.
“We are happy to have our river ships smoke free now that the laws in Europe are evolving to ban smoking indoors and we are adjusting our policy to reflect this shift in sentiment. The changing attitude in Europe helps us please our American guests even moreâ€, Ron Santangelo, Deilmann’s North America president, said in announcing the new policy.
“This change fits surprisingly well with the growing interests of the majority of Americans who seem to prefer non-smoking environments. Over the years, more and more of our guests have indicated such preferences and we are absolutely delighted to offer them a smoke-free restaurant, a smoke-free lounge for evening entertainment and smoke-free cabins and corridors,†Santangelo said.
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