Arosa Alea

The 2009-built Arosa Alea cruise ship (fka "Monarch Governess" and "Avalon Affinity") operates voyages on the rivers Moselle and Rhine, along the inland waterways of Holland, France, Belgium, and Germany.

The vessel (ENI number 2330846) is currently Germany-flagged (MMSI 211457570) and homeported in Cologne/Koln Germany.

On March 9, 2018, Avalon Waterways announced that fleet's three 138-passenger sisterships (Felicity, Affinity, Luminary) will leave the fleet (end their charters with Avalon) in 2019. The riverboats are currently chartered by the tour company "Gate 1 Travel" under the names Monarch Countess (Felicity), Monarch Governess (Affinity) and VistaNeo (Luminary). Gate1Travel's river cruise fleet also includes Monarch Princess (Avalon Creativity).

In 2024, Arosa Cruises chartered two Avalon Waterways-owned (2023-acquired) ships - Monarch Princess/Avalon Creativity (renamed/traded as "A-ROSA CLEA") and Monarch Governess/Avalon Affinity (as "A-ROSA ALEA"). The news was officially announced on September 21, 2023. Both 2009-built sisterships were out of service since 2019.

Unlike AROSA's owned boats, Alea and Clea have a classic design. The main restaurant is on the Middle Deck, the forward-facing bar lounge (with a Bow Terrace) and the aft-facing lounge are on the Upper Deck. The Sun Deck has a jacuzzi/outdoor whirlpool. Both chartered by AROSA boats are also smaller-sized (LOA length 110 m) and with smaller capacity (138 passengers max).

Starting revenue operations for AROSA in April 2024 out of Cologne, Alea (maiden voyage on April 5th) and Clea (maiden voyage on April 14th) are deployed on the Rhine River. In 2025, one of the boats (Arosa Clea) will be redeployed in France, for Seine River cruises out of Paris (replacing Arosa Viva/to be transferred back to the Rhine River). In 2026, the other boat (Arosa Alea) will be also deployed in France, but in Bordeaux, for cruises on the Gironde and Garonne rivers.

Cabins

Arosa Alea staterooms (70 total) are well-appointed and spacious, most of them feature a large sliding-glass door (floor-to-ceiling) opening to a French Balcony. Of all passenger cabins, 2 are Suites, 30 are French Balcony, and 11 are with non-opening windows.

Cabins Types, Sizes, Categories (high to low):

• amenities in all types of staterooms - 2 twin beds converting to queen-sized, 3-door closets with shelves, private bathroom (glass-door shower, hairdryer, bathrobes, slippers), sofa, coffee table, flat TV, vanity/writing desk, private French balcony (floor-to-ceiling sliding door), individual climate control, phone, minibar, safe, deluxe pillow menu, complimentary bottled water. Cabin occupancy - 2 guests in a room.
• Suites - (x4, JR), size 258 ft2 / 24 m2)
• Deluxe Staterooms (category, number) - P (x24), A (x18), B (x12), E (11) - size 172 ft2 / 16 m2)

The boat has 4 decks, of which 3 are with cabins.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

Shipboard restaurants are two - Market Restaurant (Dining Room with Buffet stations) and Sky Bistro (alfresco). The boat also has Bar Lounge (indoor observation venue with floor-ceiling windows and Bow Terrace/outside viewing deck), Club Lounge (with 24-hour beverage station), Library/Internet Corner, Atrium Lobby (glass-walled and covered by SkyLight), Hair Salon, Gym/Fitness Center.

The Sun Deck houses the Sky Lounge & Bistro, Whirlpool (outdoor jacuzzi), sunbathing area (with recliners/loungers and deckchairs), shaded seating area (retractables awnings, deckchairs, tables), deck games area (Giant Chess Set).

One elevator (glass-walled lift) connects all cabin decks.

Free Wi-Fi access and complimentary Internet are provided throughout the ship.

Gate1Travel river cruise deals are inclusive of Wi-Fi Internet, room service, all land tours and excursions (by certified local tour guides), motorcoach transfers, live evening entertainment (local performers), daily enrichment lectures, ship tour ("behind-the-scenes"), food and wine tastings, 24-hour premium coffee/tea/hot chocolate, replenished daily bottled water.

AROSA cruise itineraries

Arosa Alea's itinerary program starts with the Maiden Voyage on April 5, 2024. The 7-day Rhine and Moselle cruise (roundtrip from Cologne/Koln) visits ports in Germany and Switzerland, including Rudesheim, Speyer, Breisach, Basel, Kehl/Strasbourg, Mainz and Koblenz.

During the inaugural season (2024), Arosa Alea's itineraries (all roundtrip from Koln) were themed as (5-night) Rhein Romantik, Mosel Erlebnis, Rhein Adventszauber, and (7-night) Mosel Romantik, Rhein Erlebnis Sud, Rhein Erlebnis Nord.

AVALON river cruise itineraries

Follows the list of Avalon Affinity itineraries when the ship was operated by Avalon Waterways.

(3-night cruising) "A Taste of the Danube" are 8-day Danube voyages from Vienna to Budapest (Eastbound, code WVB), and the reverse from Budapest to Vienna (Westbound, code WBV).

(7-night cruising) "Capitals of Central Europe" 10-day Danube voyages from Prague to Budapest (Eastbound, code WPB), and the reverse from Budapest to Prague (Westbound, code WBP). Both itineraries include bus transfer Prague-Passau (embarkation/disembarkation). "Cruising-Only" deals are from Passau to Budapest (code WPBO, non-inclusive of Prague hotel package).

(7-night cruising) "Romantic Rhine" 8-day voyages from Zurich to Amsterdam (Northbound, code WZA), and the reverse from Amsterdam to Zurich (Southbound, code WAZ). "Cruising-Only" deals are from Amsterdam to Basel (code WAZ).

(5-night cruising) "Austrian Highlights and Bavaria" are 9-day voyages from Munich to Vienna (Eastbound, code WPV), and the reverse from Vienna to Munich/Passau (Westbound, code WVP). Departures from Vienna include disembarkation in Passau, then bus travel to Munich (luxury hotel package included /2-night stay). "Cruising-Only" deals are from Vienna to Passau (code WVPO) and from Passau to Vienna (code WPVO).

(12-night cruising) "The Rhine and Moselle" are 13-day voyages from Zurich to Amsterdam (Northbound, code WZRA), and the reverse from Amsterdam to Basel (Southbound, code WARZ).

(7-night cruising) "Tulip Time Cruise" is a springtime-themed 8-day Belgium and Holland cruise from Amsterdam (roundtrip, code WAA).

The riverboat is in the same vessel class as the Avalon ships Felicity (Monarch Countess), Luminary, Creativity and Scenery. This river cruise ship design features the "French Balcony" stateroom concept. Suite accommodations offer a French Balcony view in the seating area, in addition to a large floor-to-ceiling window.

Each of these vessels is equipped with two Caterpillar Marine diesel engines (type "C32 ACERT", total power output 1420 kW / 1930 HP). The propulsion system is diesel-electric, with an azimuth thruster and an SDS ("Silent Drive System" separating the ship's engines from passenger staterooms).

The cruise ship Avalon Affinity was christened on May 9, 2009, in Volendam Holland by godmother Suzanne Hall - Sr Director of "Ensemble Travel Group" (a member-owned organization of independent vacation travel agencies operating in North America /USA and Canada).

Note: You can see CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.