TRAVELMARVEL’S upcoming trio of Contemporary Class river ships (CW 09 Jan) have been designed to create a unique experience on European rivers, the company’s CEO David Cox told Cruise Weekly. Polaris (2020), Vega (2021) and Capella (2021) will boast features which are anticipated to resonate with Australian customers in particular,...
TRAVELMARVEL’S upcoming trio of Contemporary Class river ships (CW 09 Jan) have been designed to create a unique experience on European rivers, the company’s CEO David Cox told Cruise Weekly.
Polaris (2020), Vega (2021) and Capella (2021) will boast features which are anticipated to resonate with Australian customers in particular, Cox contends.
“The ships have been more than two years in the making and it has been a really exciting project for our team,” Cox said.
“One unique point for Australia is that we have stuck an Irish pub at the back of the ship called McGeary’s Pub, named after the owner, with the idea that most operators have a formal in-house dining space…we thought that people after a few days of having the formal dining wouldn’t mind having a pub meal so it should have a wide appeal,” he added.
Another aspect that the APT Travel Group-owned brand believes will attract Aussie cruisers will be the coffee.
“I’m not a coffee drinker myself, but I’m surrounded by people telling me I need to focus on coffee…so with that in mind we thought let’s get a trained barista on board,” Cox said.
“At breakfast time, the concept is if you don’t want to sit down and have a full breakfast, you can go into the lounge and there will be a barista there to make the coffee to meet your particular needs,” he added.
Further features on board include a bar on the top deck with a nearby whirlpool, three dining options, and a sun deck on the lower terrace area.
Travelmarvel has also been demonstrating strong sales in the local market, with Cox revealing the brand had been “selling out” in recent seasons.
“We know why we have been selling out, it is down to great price, great deals, & the hardware is leading edge,” he said.
“For 2020, we are also on track to sell out and the Australian market has performed exceptionally well for us so we feel our product and marketing mix is on the money,” Cox added.
Polaris will set off on her first voyage from Amsterdam to Budapest on 03 Apr this year, with identical sister ships Vega and Capella due to join the fleet from Mar and Apr 2021.
Travelmarvel has released its 2021 Europe Pre-Release Brochure which contains itineraries for all of the new ships, including a boost in the number of seven-night trips available.
Pictured: Sundeck rendering.
