Phoenix Reisen
History, Review, Itineraries, Ships, Deck Plans, News
Phoenix Reisen fleet
MS Deutschland-World Odyssey
Next cruise: 7 days, round-trip Highlights entlang des armelkanalsSemester at SeaYear build 1998 / Age : 26 Passengers 520 - 636 Amadea
Current cruise: 12 days, round-trip Der grose Kreuzfahrertreff zur AdventszeitPhoenix ReisenYear build 1991 / Age : 33 Passengers 508 - 624 Amera
Current cruise: 21 days, round-trip Ab in den Suden mit Kurs auf die KanarenPhoenix ReisenYear build 1988 / Age : 36 Passengers 835 Artania
Current cruise: 5 days, round-trip Kleine Auszeit ganz gros - Advent mit MS ArtaniaPhoenix ReisenYear build 1984 / Age : 40 Passengers 1188 - 1260 MS Antonia
Current cruise: 4 days, round-trip DanubePhoenix ReisenYear build 2021 / Age : 3 Passengers 190 MS Andrea
Current cruise: 3 days, round-trip RhinePhoenix ReisenYear build 2020 / Age : 4 Passengers 190 MS Annika
Current cruise: 7 days, round-trip DanubePhoenix ReisenYear build 2020 / Age : 4 Passengers 184 MS Anna Katharina
Current cruise: 5 days, round-trip MosellePhoenix ReisenYear build 2019 / Age : 5 Passengers 184 MS Adora
Current cruise: 5 days, round-trip DanubePhoenix ReisenYear build 2019 / Age : 5 Passengers 190 MS Anesha
Current cruise: 4 days, round-trip RhinePhoenix ReisenYear build 2015 / Age : 9 Passengers 184
Review of Phoenix Reisen
CruiseMapper provides all current Phoenix Reisen Cruises ships schedule, itineraries information (itinerary changes, news) and cruise prices comparison. Phoenix Reisen is a travel agency based in Bonn Germany, which also operates a fleet of cruise vessels under charter (ocean-going ships and riverboats). The itineraries offered by Phoenix Reisen are designed for Germans and are not very popular outside the German-speaking market.
Company history
The cruise company Phoenix Reisen GmbH (phoenixreisen.com) was established by Johannes Zurnieden in November 1973. Zurnieden (23-years-old at the time) is still involved as managing director in the company's business today. The new company's first tours began in 1974 to popular travel destinations like Budapest, Prague, Istanbul.
In 1988 the company entered the ship cruise business under its own brand by the 20-year charter agreement on the Soviet Union cruise ship SS Maxim Gorkiy (owned by Black Sea Shipping Company based in Odessa Ukraine). Instead of being repainted in the colors of Phoenix Reisen, the ship kept sailing in BLASCO livery and the Soviet Union symbol (hammer and chisel) at its funnel. After two decades of service, Maxim Gorkiy left Phoenix Reisen fleet at the end of November 2008 and was later scrapped.
In 1993, a second vessel joined the Phoenix Reisen fleet. SS Albatros was chartered from V-Ships and Phoenix Reisen applied to the new vessel their house colors. Albatros received a turquoise funnel with a flying albatross as a logo, as well as a turquoise-colored band on the hull. In 1993, the company expanded its passenger shipping business by introducing European river cruisetours under the brand "Phoenix Reisen Flusskreuzfahrten" and via time-chartering riverboats owned by other companies.
The purchase of Artemis (renamed Artania) from P&O Cruises was a further step forward for the Phoenix Reisen fleet of fully-owned vessels. What began with Maxim Gorky became a success story continuing to this day. The company's most popular summer destinations are Baltic Sea and North Sea. During winter, the ocean-going ships cruise to ports in Africa, Antarctica or on Around The World voyages.
In its history, Phoenix Reisen has kept the charm of a family travel brand. The fleetwide non-smoking policy is Zurnieden's personal imprint on the company. The bonus is distributed to all employees every month since April 2006. All non-smoking staff, those who have never smoked or have given up smoking receive in addition to their salary EUR 200 monthly salary bonus. As result, the company's Bonn-based staff consists almost entirely of non-smokers.
An interesting fact is that in 2013, Johannes Zurnieden offered a travel voucher for EUR 5000 to the first person to hand over an issue of the first Phoenix Reisen cruise brochure (printed in 1974) as it was lost from the company's archives. The reward was widely advertised and received huge media coverage in Germany. Anyone presenting additional copies was rewarded with travel vouchers for EUR 100.
In July 2018, Phoenix Reisen purchased from Holland America the liner MS Prinsendam, starting operations for the company on July 1, 2019 (under the new name "MS Amera") and officially christened in Bremerhaven on August 16. In 2019 was also acquired the Red Cross Ship "MS Henry Dunant". The former hospital ship started operations for Phoenix Reisen in June 2019 under the name MS Viola.
The ocean-going ships of Phoenix Reisen are currently managed by BSM Cruise Services (part of Schulte Group).
The current Phoenix Reisen river fleet is chartered and includes the following newbuild boats - Amina (2024), Alisa (2023), Antonia (2021), Andrea (2020), Annika (2020), Annabelle (2020), Anna Katharina (2019), Adora (2019), Alena (2018), Asara (2017), Anesha (2015), Amelia (2012), Ariana (2012), Alina (2011).
(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021
Due to the COVID pandemic, Phoenix Reisen suspended its entire fleet's passenger shipping operations (riverboats and ocean liners) by canceling all voyages between March 15, 2020, and July 2021.
Operations were planned to resume in 2020 September (river cruises) and October (ocean cruises) - ships Amera (Oct 15/Mediterranean), Amadea (Oct 20/Caribbean), Artania (Oct 28/Mediterranean).
Eventually, the company's entire program was canceled through 2021, with currently scheduled first departure dates/by ship July 10 (Artania from Bremerhaven to Norway), August 3 (Amera from Bremerhaven to Denmark-Germany), August 6 (Amadea from Bremerhaven to Norway). Deutschland restarts in 2022 (on April 22).
All Phoenix Reisen River Cruises (Europe, Asia, Egypt) were canceled through June 2021. All affected bookings received 110% refunds transferred as FCC (future cruise credit) with rebooking.
Itinerary of Phoenix Reisen
The current Phoenix Reisen ocean fleet includes the liners:
- MS Amadea (1991) is in the fleet since 2006.
- MS Artania (1984) is in the fleet since 2011.
- MS Amera (1988 / fka MS Prinsendam / purchased from Holland America Line) is in the fleet since 2019.
MS Deutschland (1998) is chartered during the summer months only. The ship offers roundtrips from Bremerhaven Germany to ports in Norway (Norwegian Fjords, North Cape, Svalbard Archipelago, Spitsbergen Island), Scandinavia, and Russia (St Petersburg), UK, Iceland, and Greenland.
MS Albatros (1973) was under the charter and in the fleet for 16 years (between 2004-2020). In early-October 2020, Phoenix Reisen announced that ends its charter agreement for MS Albatros. As the vessel was sold, it left the Phoenix Reisen fleet and changed ownership - from TSS Albatros GmbH (Germany) to Pickalbatros Hotels & Resorts Egypt (part of PickAlbatros Group). The new shipowner (Pickalbatros) is headquartered in Nasr City (one of Cairo's districts) and owns and operates two leisure complexes (large aqua parks) plus several resorts and hotels on the Red Sea (in Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, and Marsa Alam). Pickalbatros now owns and operates the cruise liner as a hotel ship.
Phoenix Reisen river cruise ships
In 1993, the company expanded its passenger shipping operations by adding cruise tours on European river routes.
The current Phoenix Reisen river fleet includes the following newbuilds - Amina (2024), Alisa (2023), Antonia (2021), Andrea (2020), Annika (2020), Annabelle (2020), Anna Katharina (2019), Adora (2019), Alena (2018), Asara (2017), Anesha (2015), Amelia (2012), Ariana (2012), Alina (2011).
In 2019 was purchased the former hospital ship MS Viola (1995-built and previously named "MS Henry Dunant"). The riverboat is homeported in Bonn Germany and operates itineraries on Rhine and Maas rivers.
The company operates the chartered riverboats in Asia RV Charaidew 2, RV Lan Diep, RV Paukan 2007, RV Rajmahal, Century Sky (China). Chartered riverboats in Europe include MS Aurelia, Amadeus Diamond, Swiss Gloria, MS Magellan, MS Princess, MS Calypso, Rhein Prinzessin, MS Switzerland, MS Mecklenburg, MS Saxonia.
Chartered riverboats in Russia include Alexander Borodin, Dnieper Princess, Sergei Rachmaninov.
Phoenix Reisen related cruise news
- Cruise Industry
Phoenix Reisen’s MS Artania undergoes €20M overhaul at Lloyd Werft
The Bonn-based cruise operator Phoenix Reisen, in partnership with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Cyprus) Ltd., is preparing for substantial...
November 6, 2024 - Cruise Industry
Phoenix Reisen's Amera becomes first cruise ship to retrofit with ABB's DC Grid power system
Phoenix Reisen's cruise offerings include journeys through the Norwegian fjords, the North Sea, the Baltic, Iceland, and Greenland. Following a...
August 5, 2024 - Cruise Industry
Scylla christens 40th river ship, Porto Mirante, in Dusseldorf
The Swiss family-owned cruise ship owner Scylla AG christened its newest riverboat (Porto Mirante) in Dusseldorf Germany on Thursday, May 16th. With...
May 19, 2024 - Cruise Industry
Oman's largest port Salalah welcomes Phoenix Reisen's ship Amadea
Phoenix Reisen's luxury cruise ship Amadea carrying 749 passengers made a visit to Oman's largest cruise port Salalah, as part of the 153-day...
May 7, 2023 - Cruise Industry
Phoenix Reisen christened its newest riverboat MS Alisa
On March 31st, the German cruisetour company Phoenix Reisen christened its newest riverboat - MS Alisa. The naming ceremony took place on the Rhine...
April 7, 2023 - Cruise Industry
Phoenix Reisen's Amadea marks the first arrival of a foreign cruise ship in Japan since 3 years
On Wednesday, March 1st, the Phoenix Reisen-operated cruise ship Amadea arrived at Port Shizuoka (Shimizu, Japan) marking the first arrival of a...
March 1, 2023 - Cruise Industry
Phoenix Reisen's ship Artania docks at Salalah Port (Oman) with 900+ passengers
Phoenix Reisen's cruise ship Artania carrying 900+ passengers docked at Port Salalah (Oman's Dhofar Governorate) on Tuesday, December 27th, 2022...
December 27, 2022 - Accidents
Phoenix Reisen's cruise ship Amera modifies route to avoid hurricane
Phoenix Reisen's ship Amera is currently sailing on a 38-day Transatlantic voyage to Greenland and Canada. The vessel was forced to change her route...
September 27, 2022 - Cruise Industry
Older cruise ships disappear from expedition itineraries due to tightened safety regulations
As maritime regulations tightened around safety, maintenance, and environmental concerns, the cruise ships of the past are disappearing from...
August 16, 2022 - Cruise Industry
Port of Montreal (Quebec Canada) to receive 46 port calls in 2022
This spring, after a couple of seasons were canceled due to the COVID crisis, voyages are set to make a comeback at Port Montreal (Quebec Canada). A...
March 23, 2022 - show more news