MS Anna Katharina

The 2019-built MS Anna Katharina cruise ship operates European itineraries on the rivers Main, Rhine, and Moselle (since 2019) and on the Danube River (since 2020). Departures are offered from Germany, with homeports in Cologne (Köln), Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt. The vessel is owned by the Swiss company Scylla AG (based in Basel) and operated under charter by Phoenix Reisen Flusskreuzfahrten ("river cruises").

MS Anna Katharina’s sisterships are the same-designed riverboats and fleetmates Anesha (2015), Annabelle (2020), and Annika (2020). Traditionally, all Phoenix Reisen cruise ships have names starting with the letter “A.” The German travel company Phoenix Reisen was established in 1973 and began passenger shipping operations in 1988 with the charter of MV Maxim Gorky (a 1969-built Russian ocean liner, scrapped in 2009). In 1993, Phoenix Reisen launched its European river cruise program under the brand “Phoenix Reisen Flusskreuzfahrten.”

The vessel (ENI number 07002113) is currently Switzerland-flagged (MMSI 269057697) and registered in Basel.

Decks and Cabins

MS Anna Katharina staterooms (90 total, in 9 categories) accommodate 184 passengers on three decks (of four). All cabins are outside (including 74 with French balconies), tastefully furnished in a modern, comfortable style. Standard amenities include hotel twin beds (convertible to double/Queen-size), wall-mounted reading lamps, LED ceiling lighting, en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, single-sink vanity, large backlit LED mirror, towels, bath toiletries), 40-inch smart HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system, bow camera live feed), mini-bar/refrigerator, Nespresso coffee machine, round glass-top table with two armchairs, mirrored dressing table (writing desk with armchair), wardrobe, electronic safe (in the closet), hairdryer, direct-dial phone, radio, individual air-conditioning, and evening turndown service.

Cabins on the Orion and Saturn decks have French balconies (sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening to a railing). All cabins on the Neptun Deck (deck 1) feature two fixed, non-opening windows located near the ceiling (at water level). Most cabins are double-occupancy and equally sized (17 m² / 185 ft²), while the Suites are larger (19 m² / 200 ft²) and accommodate up to three guests.

Cabin categories include:

• Twin Outside Single (Category H, Neptun Deck)
• Twin Outside (Category B, Neptun Deck aft)
• Twin Outside (Category C, Neptun Deck)
• Triple Outside with French Balcony (Category A, Saturn Deck)
• Twin Outside with French Balcony (Category D, Saturn Deck)
• Twin Outside with French Balcony (Category E, Orion Deck)
• Twin Suite with French Balcony (Category F, Saturn Deck)
• Twin Suite with French Balcony (Category G, Orion Deck)
• Twin Outside Single with French Balcony (single-occupancy, Category I, Saturn Deck)

Shipboard Facilities

MS Anna Katharina has four passenger decks, the Panorama Restaurant “Vier Jahreszeiten” (“Four Seasons” Dining Room), and the Lido Specialty Restaurant (Orion Deck). Other amenities include a Barbecue Restaurant (à la carte Steakhouse/Bistro & Bar with an outdoor Lido Terrace), Panorama Lounge with Bar, Foyer (Lobby with Reception Desk and Tour Desk/Cruise Director’s Office), small Boutique Shop, Library, and Lift (passenger elevator connecting all cabin decks). The wellness complex features a Spa (massage room, indoor Jacuzzi/whirlpool hot tub), Steam Room, Sauna Room, and Gym Room (equipped with modern fitness machines). The spacious Sun Deck includes a games area (shuffleboard and mini-golf putting green), shaded seating (covered by five retractable awnings), sunbathing zones with loungers and low tables, and an outdoor swimming pool.

Entertainment options include card and board games, bingo, trivia quizzes, dancing and live music performances (at the Bar Lounge), themed quiz and dance nights, daily lectures with multimedia presentations, port talks, language lessons, and cooking demonstrations. Laundry service is available for an additional charge. Wi-Fi (WLAN) is also offered at extra cost. The onboard language is German (some crew members speak English), and the onboard currency is EUR. Girocard, VISA, and MasterCard are accepted for payments. Smoking is permitted only in a designated area on the Sun Deck (deck 4).

Phoenix Reisen MS Anna Katharina cruise fares include all onboard meals. Breakfast is buffet-style, while lunch and dinner are multi-course and waiter-served, featuring traditional European and vegetarian dishes. Afternoon tea, coffee, and midnight snacks are also complimentary. Beers, house wines (by the glass), soft drinks (mineral water, juices, sodas, lemonade), tea, and coffee are included daily (8 a.m.–12 midnight). The traditional Captain’s Cocktail Reception and Captain’s Gala Dinner are held once per voyage in the Bar Lounge and the main Dining Room. Special dietary requests (vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, fat-free, diabetic, etc.) are available upon request at no extra charge.

River Cruise Itineraries

MS Anna Katharina operates the following Phoenix Reisen itineraries, most of which are roundtrips from Cologne (Köln) and Frankfurt:

• 1-day “Eventreise Rhein” (Event Cruise Rhine) themed sailings such as “Best of Musicals,” “1001 Nights,” and “Hollywood Classics” – roundtrip from Cologne, with no additional port calls.
• 3-day itinerary (roundtrip from Cologne) visiting Amsterdam and Nijmegen.
• 4-day itinerary (roundtrip from Cologne) visiting Worms, Mannheim, Kehl-Strasbourg, Mainz, and Koblenz.
• 5-day “Weihnachtsmärkte Mosel” (Christmas Market Moselle) roundtrip from Cologne, visiting Bonn (overnight), Cochem, Trier, Bernkastel-Kues, Traben-Trarbach, Alken (overnight), and Koblenz (overnight).
• 7-day “Weinzauber entlang der Mosel” (Wine Magic along the Moselle) – roundtrip from Cologne.
• 7-day “Dreiländer-Kreuzfahrt auf dem Rhein” (Three-Country Cruise on the Rhine) roundtrip from Frankfurt, visiting Mannheim, Speyer, Breisach, Basel, Kehl-Strasbourg, Worms, Rüdesheim (overnight), Braubach, and Mainz (overnight).
• 9-day “Flüsse-Quartett” (Rivers Quartet) roundtrip from Frankfurt, visiting Wiesbaden (overnight), Cochem (overnight), Traben-Trarbach (overnight), Schweich (overnight), Trier (overnight), Bernkastel-Kues (overnight), Winningen, Koblenz (overnight), Sankt Goarshausen, Rüdesheim (overnight), and Mainz (overnight).
• 10-day repositioning itinerary (Cologne to Passau) visiting Koblenz, Braubach, Rüdesheim, Frankfurt, Miltenberg, Wertheim, Würzburg, Schweinfurt, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Kelheim, Regensburg, and Linz.
• 10-day repositioning itinerary (Passau to Cologne) visiting Linz, Vilshofen, Regensburg, Kelheim, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Schweinfurt, Würzburg, Wertheim, Aschaffenburg, Frankfurt, and Rüsselsheim.
• 10-day itinerary (roundtrip from Düsseldorf) visiting Amsterdam, Hoorn, Rotterdam, Willemstad, Ghent, and Antwerp.
• 16-day “Donau und Schwarzes Meer” (Danube and the Black Sea) roundtrip from Passau, visiting Vienna, Budapest, Mohács, Vukovar, Belgrade, Vidin, Giurgiu, Oltenita, Sulina, Tulcea, Giurgiulesti (Moldova), Bulgarian ports (Tutrakan, Ruse, Nikopol, Orjachovo, Lom), Iron Gate Gorge, Donji Milanovac, Novi Sad, Mohács, Kalocsa, Solt, Bratislava, Melk, and Wachau Valley.

The vessel’s construction (hull and superstructure, ENI number 07002113) was completed at Vahali Shipyard in Zasavica (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia). The Dutch shipbuilding company Scheepswerf en Machinefabriek Vahali BV, founded in 1923, owns and operates shipyards in Serbia (Belgrade and Zasavica) and the Netherlands (Gendt). Vahali Shipyard Zasavica officially opened in 2013. Following the hull construction in Serbia (2018), the vessel was towed to the Netherlands for final outfitting at Da Capo BV Shipyard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam. The riverboat was officially delivered to Scylla AG in June 2019.

The ship is powered by two Caterpillar marine diesel engines (model 3508C-DITA) with a combined output of 1590 kW / 2130 HP. Propulsion consists of two controllable pitch propellers and one bow thruster (Veth-Jet), an in-hull mounted azimuthing propulsion unit with a power output of 400 kW (530 HP).

The vessel’s namesakes include the riverboats Katharina von Bora (built in 2000, owned by Nicko Cruises / Mystic Cruises) and Prinzessin Katharina (built in 1990, chartered by Phoenix Reisen).

Note: You can view CruiseMapper’s complete list of river cruise ships and riverboats in the “Itinerary” section of our River Cruises hub, where all companies and their fleets are listed.