By
Rebecca Gibson |
Netherlands-based Shipyard De Hoop delivered its 15th river cruise vessel to Lüftner Cruises on 23 March 2018. Now sailing on Europe’s Rhine, Maine and Danube rivers and other Dutch and Belgian waterways, the new Amadeus Queen marks an evolution for Lüftner Cruises’ Amadeus Cruises fleet.
Although modelled on the existing Amadeus Silver ships, De Hoop worked with Lüftner Cruises to re-engineer some of Amadeus Queen’s interiors to provide guests with more space and improve the vessel’s operational efficiency. The entrance area and atrium, for example, have been redesigned to be all-glass with a reception desk, a separate travel desk and a centrally placed grand staircase.
“With current rapidly changing markets becoming ever more demanding and competitive, and new designs and features coming hot on each other’s heels, ship number 15 demanded some innovative thinking,” said Patrick Janssens, CEO of De Hoop. “Although based on the proven Amadeus Silver design, Amadeus Queen is another huge step forward in the river cruise world.”
All guest accommodation has been increased in size, so Amadeus Queen can now accommodate 162 passengers in 81 cabins. The 69 enlarged standard cabins have panoramic windows that can be automatically lowered to create French balconies, as well as ensuite, luxurious king-size bathrooms with a separate toilet and shower. The 12 luxury suites have all the aforementioned amenities, plus an exterior balcony with seating and large panoramic windows.
Although Amadeus Queen has the same ergonomically designed hull shape and straightforward propulsion system as the other Amadeus Silver ships, the layout of the propulsion system and the aft hull were redesigned to compensate for the addition of a large indoor pool on the aft Mozart Deck. By upgrading and reconfiguring the engine room layout, De Hoop has also increased the efficiency of the engines, which means the vessel can sail at a faster speed than her sister ships, despite having exactly the same machinery. Her fuel consumption and exhaust emission levels are also much lower.
Meanwhile, customers will benefit from the new pool, which is covered by two sliding roofs that can be opened in fine weather, can also be converted to host movie screenings or presentations in the evenings. At the forward area of the Mozart deck is the Panorama bar, which De Hoop has reconfigured to offer several smaller dining or lounge areas and a River terrace protected by transparent windscreens and a sun awning overhead.
To further improve the guest experience, De Hoop installed an air curtain buffer to lower the impact of propeller blade impulses to the hull and thereby reduce the sound and vibrations in the Amadeus Club and pool. The shipyard’s team also added a double hardwearing flexible mounting system to the propulsion units, mounted the azimuthing thrusters on separate sections and placed the main engines on double vibration dampers. This so-called ‘boat-in-boat’ solution reduces the sound levels in the public spaces and guest cabins.
Lüftner Cruises also wanted to minimise the ship’s energy consumption and emission levels, so De Hoop has improved the climate control systems, as well as the food and waste management systems.