By
Rebecca Gibson |
A-ROSA Cruises has ordered a new river cruise ship from joint venture Concordia Damen.
The vessel will have 140 staterooms, including family rooms and two-person cabins with a balcony and separate living and sleeping areas. Other onboard highlights will include a fine dining restaurant that will serve five-course meals, a large outdoor pool on the Sun Deck, and a spa and wellness area with a sauna, whirlpool, ice grotto, heat bench and treatment rooms. There will also be a children’s pool with shallow water and a separate children’s area in the restaurant so young guests can dine together.
In addition, the ship will have “generously spaced” cabins for crew members. For the first time, the crew will also have a dedicated rest and relaxation area.
“Concordia Damen has invested time and energy into the river cruise market since the beginning of our joint venture and we are delighted that this has led to a contract with A-ROSA,” said Simon Provoost, managing director of Concordia Damen. “Our work on innovations such as zero-emissions battery propulsion, hull optimisation and air lubrication finds a natural resonance with such a forward-thinking client. We fully understand A-ROSA’s philosophy in building this new type of river cruise vessel with increased passenger entertainment and we are looking forward to applying our knowledge and skills to the challenges presented.”
This will be the first river cruise vessel Damen Cruise has built.
“We are extremely happy to be welcoming a prestigious client like A-ROSA with the first river cruise contract by the Damen Shipyards Group,” said Andrea Trevisan, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing at Damen Cruise. “The contract is another example of the cohesive proposition of Damen Cruise to the industry with newbuilding of both ocean and river-going cruise ships and its dedicated maintenance and upgrade services.”
A-ROSA’s new vessel will operate in the northern Rhine region, offering voyages from the German city of Cologne to Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and Antwerp and Bruges in Belgium.
“We will usher in a new era of travel that offers the perfect blend of experience and relaxation,” said Jörg Eichler, managing director of A-ROSA. “With a length of 135 metres, a width of 17.7 metres and a fourth deck, it offers more space, not only to meet the expectations of our clients, but to exceed them. With Concordia Damen we have found the ideal partner for this project because it is a traditional, and at the same time, innovative shipyard that stands for quality and reliability.”