Artania

Launched in 1984 as Royal Princess, MS Artania cruise ship is one of Phoenix Reisen's chartered ocean liners, together with the fleet mates Albatros, Amadea and Amera (ex Prinsendam).

History - construction and ownership

The German cruise tour company Phoenix Reisen (shipowner) started cruise operations under its own brand in 1988, with the chartered for 20 years liner TS Maxim Gorkiy (1969-2009 scrapped, owned by USSR's Black Sea Shipping Company / later privatized and renamed Sovcomflot). In 1993, Phoenix Reisen added a second cruise liner - SS Albatros (1957-built as RMS Sylvania, 2004-scrapped as SS Genoa). The vessel was chartered from V-Ships for 10 years (1993-2003). Today, Phoenix Reisen (travel agency and cruise brand) has a large fleet of chartered and owned ocean ships and riverboats.

The 44,656-ton, 1,200-passenger cruise ship Artania was built in 1984 (in Helsinki) as the MS Royal Princess for Princess Cruises and christened by Lady Diana. She was transferred to P&O Cruises fleet in 2005 and renamed Artemis. The ship sailed with P&O Cruises until Apr 2011, when she was moved to the fleet of Phoenix Reisen as Artania.

At the time she was launched, Artania was the most innovative vessel in the world introducing public space on the lower decks with blocks of staterooms over them. This made her the first cruise vessel with all outside rooms and the first one to secure standard cabins with balconies. The vessel is kid-free.

Cruise itinerary program

Artania itinerary program is based on Norwegian Fjords, Iceland-Greenland and Baltic Sea cruises leaving from Kiel and Bremerhaven, Germany. The ship cruises to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands, and also in the Caribbean, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Cabins

Artania has 8 passenger decks and a total of 600 cabins (all Outside, 152 Balcony, 4 cabins for disabled) in 27 grades. All staterooms onboard ms Artania are exterior cabins and half of them are Suites or Junior Suites with private balconies. The smallest cabins are 16m², and the Royal Suite is 50m². All rooms are equipped with individually controllable air-conditioning, sat-TV, radio, telephone, safe, fridge/mini-bar, shower/bathtub and hairdryer.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

MS Artania has two Dining Rooms: Four Seasons and Artania. There are two different breakfast seatings offered, lunch is served buffet-style while dinner is a-la-carte. After-dinner snacks are also served, as well as coffee during evening hours. The dining venues' menu is international, and might or might not include some local kitchen. Other options include Lido Buffet with outdoor seating. 

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

MS Artania has gone through a variety of modernizations since she sails for Phoenix Reisen. Though built in 1984, she’s still modern and beautiful. Her classic stern with calm shielded places to sit and the promenade deck are very popular features of the unique Artania ship.

The only language used officially on ms Artania is German, and therefore most of the passengers are from German-speaking countries. There is usually personnel who speaks English, but no services in English (tours, menus, etc.) are provided. It’s strongly recommended to know a bit of German if you decide to travel on MS Artania.

MS Artania entertainment options include: Panorama Lounge (Pazifik), Phoenix Lounge & Bar, Sun Deck Lounge, Casablanca Lounge, Kopernikus Bar, Lido Bar, Bodega Bar, Harry's, Atlantik Show Lounge, Wellness Area, Fitness Center, Beauty Salon, Artania Spa, sauna, steam bath, table tennis, shuffleboard, Sport Deck, whirlpool, Artania pool, Kopernikus pool, all-around promenade, Library/Jamaika Club (Internet), lobby, Fitness Center, Boutique, cinema, Theater, Disco, Photo Gallery.

MV Artania cruise ship was built in Helsinki Finland for Princess Cruises as Royal Princess and christened on November 15, 1984, by HRH Diana Princess of Wales, in Southampton England.

In April 2005, the vessel was transferred to the fleet of P&O Cruises UK and renamed "ms Artemis". On September 22, 2009, it was announced that the ship had been sold to the Artania Shipping Company, but continued sailing for P&O UK. This is a privately owned vessel (asset of Artania Shipping Company), currently operated under time charter by Phoenix Reisen GmbH (major German travel agency and tour operator company).

On April 22, 2011, the ship was renamed "Artania" and chartered to Phoenix Reisen. In 2014, Artania was fitted with Wartsila marine diesel engines and an auxiliary generator during the refurbishment at Lloyd Werft (Bremerhaven Germany). The ship's 3-week drydock refurbishment in 2017 (December 1-21, at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven) cost Phoenix Reisen EUR 16 million. Drydock works included spa renovations, outdoor deck areas (new coverings), stateroom upgrades (bathrooms were updated with new bathtubs and showers), public rooms renovations (Harry’s Bar, Atlantik Show Lounge). Technical updates included a new sewage plant, new ballast water treatment plant, new tenders.

At the time of its launch in 1984, the cruise liner was the world's most innovatively designed, with public areas on lower decks and blocks of cabins above. It was the first cruise vessel with all outside cabins (oceanview categories), as well as the first to provide standard/cheap staterooms with private balconies.

In 2010, the British captain of mv Artemis, Sarah Breton, became the second female captain in the world, following the Swedish Karin Stahre Janson (ms Monarch, 2007).

German is the only language that is officially used on board. This is why most Phoenix Reisen cruise passengers are from German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland). There is personnel speaking English, but no services in English are provided.

Phoenix Reisen Artania refurbishment 2019 review

In 2019 (November 17 through December 6) the ship entered drydock in Bremerhaven Germany. During the 3-week refurbishment (drydocking at Lloyd Werft Shipyard) were conducted general maintenance works (by the shipyard) and interio renovations (by the shipowner MS Artania Shipping Ltd). Interior renovations included nearly half of all staterooms (257) completely renovated, major lounge overhauls (Pacific Lounge, Jamaica Club), new carpets-wallpapers-furnishings in the rest of the cabins and in all interior public spaces.

The USD 25 million drydocking project involved ~120 shipyard employees in addition to the subcontractor workers.