APT Ostara

The 2025-built APT Ostara cruise ship is a newbuild riverboat operated by the APT Travel Group-owned company APT Touring. Ostara's sistership and fleetmate is APT Solara. Both riverboats are chartered and operated by APT's subsidiary, ATG Tour Europe Ltd.

The vessel APT Ostara (ENI number 02340633/hull) is currently Switzerland-flagged (MMSI 269057077, registered in Basel) and was built in the Netherlands by Scheepswerf Den Breejen Shipyard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam.

The ship is equipped with advanced diesel engines (reducing fuel consumption by approximately 20% compared to standard engines), a catalytic converter system (scrubbers) that lowers exhaust gas emissions, and a battery pack for electricity storage.

APT will officially name Ostara during a christening ceremony scheduled for June 2025.

The shipowner, APT Travel Group, is a Melbourne, Australia-based global river cruise and tour operator. Founded in 1927, the company operates worldwide through its fully owned subsidiaries and travel brands: Travelmarvel (established 1996), Botanica World Discoveries (2000), Captains Choice (2001), Croydon Travel (2001), APT Kimberley Wilderness Adventures (2003), AmaWaterways (founded in 2002, acquired by APT in 2005), and TravelGlo (2019).

APT cruise guests are primarily from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The company is known for offering excellent value-for-money vacation packages with extensive inclusions. Cruisetour fares include flights, port charges and taxes, gratuities, Internet/W-LAN access, onboard bicycles, and 24-hour tea and coffee service. Lunches and dinners are accompanied by complimentary local beers, house wines (by the glass), and soft drinks. Shore excursions with guided sightseeing tours are included in the package.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The APT Ostara has 4 passenger decks (3 with cabins), 6 dining venues, a panoramic bar lounge (Conservatory), and a Sun Deck featuring a whirlpool and alfresco bar/lounge area.

Dining venues include The Gruner Bar & Dining (bar lounge and restaurant), Bistro Saison (main dining room), The Owner's Cellar (wine bar), The Salon (main lounge), Annie's Table (private dining room), and The Daystar Deck (alfresco Bar & BBQ). Meals are prepared with locally sourced ingredients selected by the ship’s Master Chef from markets at visited ports.

The Panorama Restaurant serves as a full-capacity complimentary dining room with centrally located buffet stations. The Foyer (midship on the Upper Deck) houses the ship’s main entrances, a 24-hour Reception Desk (with a dedicated Wellness Host), Tour Office, Gift Shop, and a Library (reading corner with books and board games).

The Salon (forward on Upper Deck) is a panoramic bar-lounge featuring floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows, a dance floor, grand piano (with resident pianist offering afternoon and evening performances), and multimedia equipment for APT Touring’s onboard enrichment program. The Lounge opens onto the Verandah (bow-facing terrace with outdoor seating).

The Owner's Cellar (aft on Upper Deck) is a casual restaurant and wine bar with its own dedicated Bar.

The Daystar Deck/Sun Deck is arranged over two levels – Lower (forward) and Upper (aft).

The Lower Sundeck features the Lounge Area/Garden Terrace (an alfresco dining and lounge venue with outdoor seating served by the Bar & BBQ), the retractable Wheelhouse (Navigation Bridge), and the Pool Deck (with a large-capacity Jacuzzi/outdoor Whirlpool tub and a small sunbathing area).

The Upper Sundeck offers sunbathing areas (with padded loungers and deckchairs) and shaded seating areas covered by retractable awnings. The sundeck does not feature deck games such as a Giant Chess Set, Shuffleboard, or Mini-Golf.

Aft, a glass roof provides natural light to the Wine Cellar below.

The Lower Deck contains wellness facilities, including a Fitness Center (with modern gym equipment), a Spa (massage treatment room), and a Hair Salon (offering hairdresser/barber services).

One passenger elevator connects all cabin decks (1-2-3). All decks are also accessible via staircases (located forward, midship, and aft), including a grand staircase in the Atrium.

Smoking is permitted only at the Verandah (deck 3) and in the Alfresco Lounge on the Sundeck (Garden Terrace).

APT River Cruises are fully all-inclusive, with complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available at any time. These include spirits, regional wines, cocktails, aperitifs, beer, juices, soft drinks, premium teas, and coffees. Wines are hand-selected by the company's chief sommelier.

APT Ostara cruisetour prices are per person and include home-to-airport (UK private car) transfers, return UK flights, guided shore excursions (up to 16 destinations), complimentary waiter-served beverages, laundry and room service, professional butler service, and services of a certified APT River Cruise Director.

Decks and Cabins

The APT riverboat Ostara has a total of 77 staterooms (all outside-facing) and 4 decks (3 with passenger cabins).

All cabins accommodate two guests and range in size from 25 m² / 270 ft² (Owner's Suite with Outside Balcony) to 17 m² / 185 ft² (Balcony Suite with French Balcony) and 15 m² / 160 ft² (Twin Window Suite with Non-opening Windows).

Most staterooms (55) feature a French Balcony and are located on the Main and Upper decks, each with a floor-to-ceiling electric sliding window that opens halfway.

The largest accommodations (8 Owner’s Suites on the Upper Deck) have a furnished step-out veranda with a low table and two deckchairs.

The smallest accommodations (14 Window Suites on the Lower Deck) have two non-opening, high-level twin windows positioned near the ceiling.

Standard cabin amenities (included in the cruise fare) include en-suite bathroom (with single-sink vanity, WC, shower, under-sink storage, magnifying mirror, hairdryer, shaver socket), hotel-style beds (Queen-size convertible to twins, premium bedding and pillows), bedside tables, wall-mounted reading lamps, LED ceiling lights, wall-mounted HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system, movies, Internet access, ship information channel, real-time bow camera views), phone (for onboard calls), mirrored vanity table (writing desk), round table with two armchairs, mirrored wardrobe, minibar (with refrigerator and tea/coffee facilities), electronic safe (in closet), 220V power outlets, individually controlled air-conditioning, and butler service.

Itineraries

Below are the itineraries for APT Solara and APT Ostara during the inaugural 2025 cruise season, including themes, homeports, and call ports.

The 14-night/15-day "Magnificent Europe" (Amsterdam, Holland to Budapest, Hungary or reverse) follows the Rhine, Main-Danube Canal, and Danube rivers. Ports of call include Amsterdam (overnight), Andernach, Rudesheim, Miltenberg, Wurzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau (with bus transfer to Salzburg, rejoining in Linz), Melk, Durnstein, Vienna (overnight), and Budapest (overnight). Prices start at AU$10,100 per person.

The 20-night/21-day "Magnificent Europe with Paris and Prague" includes a hotel stay in Paris, travel to Amsterdam for the cruise to Budapest, then travel to Prague for a 3-night hotel stay. Prices start at AU$15,600 pp.

The 26-night/27-day "Switzerland by Rail with Magnificent Europe" combines the Amsterdam–Budapest cruise with a land tour through Zurich, Lucerne, Engelberg, Mount Titlis, Lugano, Tirano, St Moritz, Zermatt, Wengen, Jungfraujoch, Montreux, and Geneva, before embarking in Amsterdam on day 14.

The 26-night/27-day "Iconic Italy with Magnificent Europe" combines the Budapest–Amsterdam cruise with land stays in Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, Assisi, Perugia, San Gimignano, Florence, Pisa, Portofino, Rapallo, Cinque Terre, Valpolicella, Venice, Ljubljana, and Zagreb, ending in Budapest for embarkation.

The 24-night/25-day "Eastern Bloc with Magnificent Europe" includes the Budapest–Amsterdam cruise and land stays in Prague, Dresden, Berlin, Potsdam, Warsaw, Auschwitz, Krakow, and Budapest. Prices start at AU$23,900 pp.

The 7-night/8-day "Highlights of the Rhine and Main Cruise" from Amsterdam to Munich includes Andernach, Rudesheim, Miltenberg, Wurzburg, Bamberg, and Nuremberg. Prices start at AU$4,700 pp.

The 7-night/8-day "Danube Discovery" from Nuremberg to Budapest visits Regensburg, Passau, Durnstein, and Vienna.

The 11-night/12-day "Balkan Gems with Transylvania and Bucharest" from Budapest to Bucharest visits Mohacs, Vukovar, Belgrade, and passes through the Iron Gates.