Arosa Clea

The 2009-built Arosa Clea cruise ship (formerly "Monarch Princess" and "Avalon Creativity") operates voyages on the Moselle and Rhine rivers, navigating the inland waterways of Holland, France, Belgium, and Germany.

The vessel (ENI number 2331194) is currently Germany-flagged (MMSI 211464150) and homeported in Cologne/Köln, Germany.

Until 2019, the vessel was chartered by Avalon Waterways from MS Rhein GmbH & Co KG (Hamburg) and operated as "Avalon Creativity." In 2019, she was chartered by Gate 1 Travel under the name "Monarch Princess." Gate 1 Travel's river cruise fleet also includes the former Avalon ships Monarch Countess (Felicity), Monarch Governess (Affinity), and Monarch Duchess (Luminary). Creativity's sistership, Avalon Scenery, was sold to HTL Cruises and renamed MS Leonora.

In 2024, A-ROSA Cruises chartered two 2009-built ships—Monarch Princess/Avalon Creativity (renamed "A-ROSA CLEA") and Monarch Governess/Avalon Affinity (as "A-ROSA ALEA"). The charter, announced on September 21, 2023, marked their return to service since 2019.

Unlike A-ROSA’s modern fleet, Alea and Clea feature a classic riverboat design. The main restaurant is on the Middle Deck. The Upper Deck hosts a forward-facing bar lounge with a Bow Terrace and an aft-facing lounge. The Sun Deck includes an outdoor jacuzzi. Both ships are smaller (LOA 110 m) and have a maximum capacity of 138 passengers.

Revenue service for A-ROSA began in April 2024, with Alea's maiden voyage on April 5 and Clea’s on April 14, both sailing on the Rhine River. In 2025, Arosa Clea will be redeployed in France for Seine River cruises out of Paris, replacing Arosa Viva, which returns to the Rhine. In 2026, Arosa Alea will also be moved to France, to Bordeaux, for cruises on the Gironde and Garonne rivers.

Cabins

Arosa Clea staterooms (total 70) are spacious and well-appointed. Most feature floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors opening to French Balconies. The breakdown includes 28 Suites, 30 French Balcony cabins, and 11 cabins with non-opening windows.

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

• All staterooms include: two twin beds convertible to a queen-size, 3-door closets with shelving, private bathroom (glass-door shower, hairdryer, bathrobes, slippers), sofa, coffee table, flat-screen TV, vanity/writing desk, individual climate control, phone, minibar, safe, deluxe pillow menu, and complimentary bottled water. Maximum occupancy: 2 guests.
• Suites (x4, JR) – 258 ft² / 24 m²
• Deluxe Staterooms – Category P (x24), A (x18), B (x12), E (x11), each 172 ft² / 16 m²

The ship has 4 decks, with cabins located on 3 of them.

Shipboard Facilities and Amenities

The vessel features two dining venues: Market Restaurant (main dining room with buffet stations) and Sky Bistro (alfresco). Other amenities include:

• Bar Lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows and Bow Terrace
• Club Lounge with 24-hour beverage station
• Library/Internet Corner
• Atrium Lobby (glass-walled with SkyLight roof)
• Hair Salon
• Gym/Fitness Center

The Sun Deck offers a Sky Lounge & Bistro, outdoor jacuzzi (whirlpool), sunbathing area with loungers and deckchairs, shaded seating (with retractable awnings), and a deck games area with a Giant Chess Set. A glass-walled elevator connects all cabin decks. Complimentary Wi-Fi and Internet access are available shipwide.

Gate 1 Travel’s cruise packages include Wi-Fi, room service, guided land tours and excursions (led by certified local guides), motorcoach transfers, live evening entertainment (local performers), daily enrichment lectures, ship tour ("behind-the-scenes"), food and wine tastings, and 24-hour premium coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, along with daily replenished bottled water.

AROSA Cruise Itineraries

Arosa Clea's maiden voyage began on April 14, 2024. The 7-day Rhine itinerary (roundtrip from Cologne) includes calls at Willemstad, Ghent, Antwerp (overnight), Amsterdam (overnight), Hoorn, and Nijmegen.

During her 2024 inaugural season, all roundtrip cruises from Cologne were themed as follows:

• 5-night itineraries: Rhein Romantik, Mosel Erlebnis, Rhein Adventszauber
• 7-night itineraries: Mosel Romantik, Rhein Erlebnis Süd, Rhein Erlebnis Nord

AVALON River Cruise Itineraries

Below is a summary of Avalon Creativity’s past itineraries while under Avalon Waterways operation:

• 7-night “Paris to Normandy Landing Beaches” – 8-day Seine River cruises roundtrip from Paris (code WPP)
• “Grand France” – 16-day Seine–Saône–Rhône river cruisetours, either southbound from Paris to Côte d'Azur (code WPL) or northbound from Côte d'Azur to Paris (code WLP). These combined voyages included TGV high-speed train segments between Paris and Dijon.

The riverboat Avalon Creativity belongs to the same vessel class as several other Avalon ships, including Affinity (now Monarch Governess), Felicity (now Monarch Countess), Luminary (now VistaNeo/Monarch Duchess), and Scenery (now Leonora). Creativity was the second-oldest vessel in the Avalon Waterways fleet, following Scenery.

All ships in this class are powered by two Caterpillar marine diesel engines (model "C32 ACERT") with a combined output of 1420 kW / 1930 HP. The propulsion system is diesel-electric and includes an azimuth thruster and an SDS ("Silent Drive System") designed to isolate engine noise from passenger staterooms, enhancing onboard comfort.

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