Cruise and Ferry Review - Summer/Spring 2020

1 0 5 TUI’s new river vessels will sail through the heart of European cities on the Danube, Moselle and Rhine rivers “Despite being very different from ocean cruising there is so much we have learnt from Marella that can be transferred over to TUI River Cruises, the main part being around the atmosphere and service we offer onboard,” he explains. “Customers will benefit from the same friendly service that’s found on our ocean ships and those little touches – for example when our waiters remember your favourite drink.” The three vessels are currently undergoing multimillion-pound refurbishments to install various onboard amenities, including two restaurants. One will be a casual bistro with floor-to- ceiling windows and the other will be a fine dining restaurant called Verdastro. Hackney adds: “We’re also building two brand new bars on each ship, the Observatory, which will have a bespoke feature bar with glass sliding doors onto the terrace, and the Club Lounge, where we’ve knocked two venues into one to create a sophisticated coffee and cocktail bar with a cosy digital fireplace. Plus, we’re adding a total of 36 state-of-the-art suites across the three ships.” He expects the top deck to be popular with guests. “We’ll have dedicated areas for sunbathing, outdoor dining and barbecues, and space for games and wellbeing activities such as yoga and pilates. I predict our guests will also enjoy plenty of our excursions because we’ve included £120 (US$155) per person of excursion credit in the price of each seven-day itinerary so they can choose the excursions to suit them.” TUI has a strong brand and the team has carefully considered how to maintain its corporate ethos in the new river cruise format. For Hackney, the itineraries are perhaps the most important factor of the entire operation. “We wanted to ensure we had the perfect mix of well-known places and lesser known gems,” he says. “There are picturesque places on each itinerary such as the Unesco World Heritage-listed Rhine Gorge, Wachau Valley and Iron Gates Gorge. We’ve also made sure we sail through these areas during the daytime so customers can really enjoy them. “Ensuring that we considered what excursion options are available in each port was also a key priority. It’s really important to us that we provide our customers with choice. So, in addition to walking tours, they can visit major attractions that may be slightly further away from the river, such as vineyards, cruise canals or even visiting locals’ homes.” CFR