Phoenix Reisen
History, Review, Itineraries, Ships, Deck Plans, News
Phoenix Reisen Coronavirus update
Phoenix Reisen suspended its entire fleet's passenger shipping operations (riverboats and ocean liners) by cancelling voyages with pre-scheduled departures between March 15 and September 23, 2020. Operations resumed on September 24 (river cruises) and in October for ocean cruises - ships Amera (Oct 15/Mediterranean), Amadea (Oct 20/Caribbean) and Artania (Oct 28/Mediterranean). All Phoenix Reisen river cruises (Europe, Asia, Egypt) leaving between March 15 and September 24 were cancelled. All affected bookings received 110% refunds transferred as FCC (future cruise credit) with rebooking.
Phoenix Reisen fleet
MS Prinzessin Isabella
Current cruise: N/ARiver CruisesYear built 2002 / Age : 19 Passengers 170 Homeports Passau MS Rhein Prinzessin
Current cruise: N/ARiver CruisesYear built 1998 / Age : 23 Passengers 140 Homeports Dusseldorf MS Switzerland
Current cruise: N/ARiver CruisesYear built 1988 / Age : 33 Passengers 120 Homeports Cologne
Review of Phoenix Reisen
IMPORTANT: Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Phoenix Reisen suspended its entire fleet's passenger shipping operations (riverboats and ocean liners) by cancelling voyages with pre-scheduled departures between March 15 and September 23, 2020. Operations resumed on September 24 (river cruises) and in October for ocean cruises - ships Amera (Oct 15/Mediterranean), Amadea (Oct 20/Caribbean) and Artania (Oct 28/Mediterranean). All Phoenix Reisen river cruises (Europe, Asia, Egypt) leaving between March 15 and September 24 were cancelled. All affected bookings received 110% refunds transferred as FCC (future cruise credit) with rebooking.
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.
The cruise company Phoenix Reisen GmbH (website) 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-coloured 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. 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.
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 boats:
- newbuild riverboats - 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.
- chartered riverboats in Asia - RV Charaidew 2, RV Lan Diep, RV Paukan 2007, RV Rajmahal, Century Sky (China)
- chartered riverboats in Europe - MS Aurelia, Amadeus Diamond, Swiss Gloria, MS Magellan, MS Princess, MS Calypso, Rhein Prinzessin, MS Switzerland, MS Mecklenburg, MS Saxonia
- chartered riverboats in Russia - Anna Katharina, Alexander Borodin, Dnieper Princess, Sergei Rachmaninov
Phoenix Reisen related cruise news
- Cruise Industry
MS Albatros leaves Phoenix Reisen's fleet
The Bonn-based cruisetour company Phoenix Reisen decided to retire the 47-year-old cruise ship MS Albatros. A press release said that as a medium...
October 9, 2020 - Cruise Industry
Phoenix Reisen names new river ship MS Andrea
As part of an intimate ceremony, on June 30, Phoenix Reisen officially christened a new riverboat in Bonn Germany. Like almost all fleetmates...
July 7, 2020 - Accidents
MV Artania takes the last cruise ship passengers at sea back home
Following a 6-month "around the world voyage", the last cruise ship still carrying passengers finally disembarked its 8 passengers. The Phoenix...
June 9, 2020 - Accidents
Coronavirus-hit cruise ship Artania finally departs Western Australia
The Phoenix Reisen-chartered cruise liner Artania (shipowner is Artania Shipping Company GmbH) started its journey back home from WA. The vessel was...
April 18, 2020 - Accidents
Passengers and crew from Coronavirus ship Artania flown to Germany
More than 800 cruise passengers and crew headed home to Germany on chartered flights on Monday, March 30, while 41 others infected with Coronavirus...
March 30, 2020 - Accidents
Coronavirus-infected crew members hurried off Ruby Princess
Three crew from Ruby Princess have been taken to Sydney NSW's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with serious Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms. The medevac...
March 30, 2020 - Accidents
More than 70 Coronavirus cases on the Phoenix Reisen Artania ship
More than 70 cruise passengers and crew members onboard the Artania ship in Fremantle are suspected of being infected with Coronavirus (COVID-19...
March 28, 2020 - Cruise Industry
Tunisia Welcomes First Cruise Ship Since 2015
MS Amera (liner owned by Phoenix Reisen) arrived on Thursday in Tunis (Port La Goulette) carrying a total of 1090 passengers. This is the first...
November 17, 2019 - Cruise Industry
Port of Odessa Welcomes First Cruise Ship in 2 Years
Phoenix Reisen’s cruise ship MS Amera (fka Prinsendam) became the first vessel to visit Port Odessa Ukraine in over 2 years. The vessel's...
November 5, 2019 - Accidents
Cruise Ship Cancels Scheduled Call in Falmouth Due to Storms
A Phoenix Reisen-owned cruise liner canceled a planned visit to Falmouth UK due to bad weather. Weather and flood warnings were in effect for the UK...
November 2, 2019 - show more news