APT Solara

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

The vessel APT Solara (ENI number 2340543/hull) is currently Switzerland-flagged (MMSI 269057078, registered in Basel) and was built in Holland by Scheepswerf Den Breejen Shipyard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam.

The ship is equipped with advanced diesel engines (offering ~20% fuel savings compared to standard engines), scrubbers (catalytic converters that reduce exhaust gas emissions), and a battery (electricity storage) system.

APT officially named Solara on April 21, 2025, in Rotterdam (Holland). The christening ceremony was led by godmother Lou Tandy (Co-Owner and Director of APH/Australian Pacific Holdings). The Maiden Voyage departed Amsterdam on April 25th.

APT Travel Group is a global river cruise and tour operator based in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1927, the company operates internationally through its fully-owned subsidiaries and travel brands: Travelmarvel (est. 1996), Botanica World Discoveries (2000), Captain’s 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 offers value-packed vacation packages with numerous inclusions. Cruisetour fares cover flights, port charges and fees, onboard gratuities, Internet/W-LAN access, and bicycles (carried on the ship). Tea and coffee are available 24/7 at no extra charge. Lunches and dinners include complimentary local beers, house wines (by the glass), and soft drinks. Shore excursions (guided sightseeing tours) are also included.

Shipboard Facilities and Amenities

APT Solara has 4 passenger decks (3 with cabins), 6 dining venues, a panoramic bar lounge (Conservatory), and a Sun Deck with a whirlpool and alfresco dining/bar 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 using locally sourced ingredients, hand-selected by the ship’s Master Chef from markets in visited port cities and towns.

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

The Salon (forward on the Upper Deck) is a panoramic bar-lounge with floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows, a dance floor, a grand piano (for live afternoon and evening performances), and modern media equipment for APT Touring’s onboard enrichment program. The lounge provides direct access to the Verandah, a bow-facing terrace with outdoor seating.

The Owner’s Cellar (aft on the Upper Deck) is a casual restaurant and wine bar with its own bar service.

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

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

The Upper Sundeck includes sunbathing areas furnished with padded loungers and deckchairs, as well as shaded seating with retractable awnings. The sundeck does not feature deck games such as Giant Chess, Shuffleboard, or Mini-Golf.

At the aft, a glass roof covers the Wine Cellar.

The Lower Deck houses the wellness complex, including a Fitness Center (small gym with modern equipment), a Spa (massage treatment room), and a Hair Salon (hairdresser/barber services).

One passenger elevator (Lift) 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 the Sundeck’s Alfresco Lounge (Garden Terrace).

APT River Cruises are all-inclusive, offering complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at all times—including spirits, regional wines, cocktails, aperitifs, beer, juices, soft drinks, and premium teas and coffees. Wines are hand-selected by the company’s chief sommelier.

APT Solara cruisetour pricing is per person and includes UK home-to-airport private car transfers, return flights, shore excursions and land tours (led by local expert guides in up to 16 destinations), complimentary waiter-served beverages, laundry service, in-suite room service, professional butler service, and a certified APT River Cruise Director.

Decks and Cabins

The APT riverboat Solara has a total of 77 staterooms (all outside) across 4 decks (3 with cabins).

All cabins are double occupancy 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 are French Balcony (55 total, located on the Main and Upper decks) and are fitted with floor-to-ceiling sliding electric windows that open halfway.

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

The smallest accommodations (14 Window Suites on the Lower Deck) have two high-level twin windows (positioned near the ceiling) that cannot be opened.

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

Itineraries

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

The 14-night/15-day "Magnificent Europe" cruise (Amsterdam, Holland to Budapest, Hungary, or reverse) sails along the Rhine, Main-Danube Canal, and Danube. Ports of call include Amsterdam (days 1-2, overnight), Andernach (day 3), Rudesheim (day 4), Miltenberg (day 5), Wurzburg (day 6), Bamberg (day 7), Nuremberg (day 8), Regensburg (day 9), Passau (with overland transfer to Salzburg, then embarkation in Linz, day 10), Melk and Durnstein (day 11), Vienna (days 12-13, overnight), and Budapest (days 14-15, overnight). Fares started at AU$10,100 per person.

The 20-night/21-day "Magnificent Europe with Paris and Prague" combines a hotel stay in Paris, France, transfer to Amsterdam for the river cruise to Budapest, then post-cruise travel to Prague, Czechia (3-night hotel stay). Fares started at AU$15,600 pp.

The 26-night/27-day "Switzerland by Rail with Magnificent Europe" combines the Amsterdam-Budapest cruise with a pre-cruise rail tour of Zurich (days 1-2), Lucerne and Engelberg (day 2), Mount Titlis and the Uri Alps (day 3), Engelberg to Lugano (day 4), Lugano (day 5), Lugano, Tirano, and St Moritz (day 6), St Moritz and Zermatt (day 7), Zermatt (day 8), Zermatt, Spiez, and Wengen (day 9), Jungfraujoch (day 10), Wengen to Montreux (day 11), Montreux to Geneva (day 12), and travel to Amsterdam on day 13. Ship embarkation is on day 14.

The 26-night/27-day "Iconic Italy with Magnificent Europe" features a pre-cruise land tour from Rome to Budapest, including Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, Assisi, Perugia, San Gimignano, Florence (overnight), Pisa, Portofino, Rapallo, Cinque Terre, Valpolicella, Venice (overnight), Ljubljana, Zagreb, and ending in Budapest for ship embarkation.

The 24-night/25-day "Eastern Bloc with Magnificent Europe" includes Prague (3 nights), Dresden, Berlin (overnight), Potsdam, Warsaw, Auschwitz, Krakow (overnight), and concludes in Budapest. Fares started at AU$23,900 pp.

The 7-night/8-day "Highlights of the Rhine and Main Cruise" from Amsterdam to Munich visits Andernach (day 3), Rudesheim (day 4), Miltenberg (day 5), Wurzburg (day 6), and Bamberg (day 7), with disembarkation in Nuremberg and overland transfer to Munich. Fares started at AU$4,700 pp.

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

The 11-night/12-day "Balkan Gems with Transylvania and Bucharest" cruise (Budapest to Bucharest) visits Mohacs, Vukovar, and Belgrade, and features scenic cruising through the Iron Gates.