In 2026, German-speaking maritime and travel industry coverage consistently positions Excellence Cruises as a premium river travel lifestyle brand in a structured phase of fleet modernisation.
The shipowner Swiss Excellence River Cruise GmbH is a private, family-owned subsidiary of the Swiss travel group Twerenbold Reisen, founded in 1895.
Unlike competitors operating large-scale fleets—such as Viking, Uniworld, AmaWaterways, Scenic, and Avalon Waterways—Excellence focuses on sustainability and measured expansion rather than rapid capacity growth.
Its newest vessel, the 2025-inaugurated Excellence Crown, is presented as a next-generation hybrid river cruise ship and a key technological milestone for the brand. The 170-passenger vessel features a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system combined with battery storage, solar integration, and shore power capability. Heat recovery systems further reduce fuel consumption and CO emissions, aligning with the company’s sustainability strategy.
Excellence Crown cruises exclusively on the Rhine and the Benelux (Belgium and the Netherlands) waterways. The routes are based on homeporting in Basel as the principal homeport for round-trip departures. The flagship itinerary, the 9-day "Basel - Amsterdam - Basel", visits Cologne, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Rudesheim.
Built by Concordia Damen Shipbuilding, the Excellence Crown is the 10th vessel in the fleet and reflects Twerenbold’s long-term investment approach in sustainable European river tourism.
The same CDS River Cruise 135 platform is also used for Century Star, the first Europe-deployed river vessel of one of China’s largest river cruise operators, Century Cruises.
The Dutch company Concordia Damen specializes in the design and construction of fit-for-purpose marine vessels for the container, oil & gas, dry cargo, and port services. Concordia Damen entered the cruise ship building segment in 2022 with Arosa Sena.