MS Annika

The 2020-built and 2021-inaugurated MS Annika cruise ship operates European itineraries on the rivers Rhine, Main, and Danube. Departures are offered from Germany, with roundtrips from homeports Dusseldorf, Cologne (Koln), and Passau. The vessel is owned by the Swiss company Scylla AG (based in Basel) and operated under charter by Phoenix Reisen Flusskreuzfahrten (“River Cruises”).

Annika’s sisterships are the same-designed riverboats and fleetmates Anesha (2015), Anna Katharina (2019), and Annabelle (2020). Traditionally, all Phoenix Reisen cruise ships have names beginning with the letter “A”. The German cruisetour company Phoenix Reisen was founded 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 Travel launched river cruise operations in Europe under the brand “Phoenix Reisen Flusskreuzfahrten.”

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

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

Decks and Cabins

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

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

Cabin categories include:

• Twin Outside Single (Category H, Neptune Deck)
• Twin Outside (Category B, Neptune Deck-aft)
• Twin Outside (Category C, Neptune 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 Annika has four passenger decks, including the Panorama Restaurant “Vier Jahreszeiten” (“Four Seasons” Dining Room), Lido Specialty Restaurant (Orion Deck), and Barbecue Restaurant—an à-la-carte Steakhouse/Bistro & Bar with an outdoor Lido Terrace. Additional public areas include the 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 includes a Spa (massage room, indoor Jacuzzi/whirlpool hot tub), Steam Room, Sauna, and Gym (with modern fitness equipment). The spacious Sun Deck features a games area (shuffleboard and mini-golf putting green), shaded seating (with five retractable awnings, deckchairs, and tables), sunbathing zones (with loungers and low tables), and an outdoor swimming pool.

Onboard entertainment includes card games, popular board games, bingo, trivia quizzes, dancing and live music performances (in the Bar Lounge), themed quiz and dance nights, daily lectures with media presentations (itinerary-based), port talks, language lessons, and cooking demonstrations. Laundry service is available for an additional fee. Wireless LAN (WLAN) is also offered at extra cost. The onboard language is German (some crew members speak English), and the onboard currency is the euro (EUR). Girocard, VISA, and MasterCard are accepted for onboard payments. Smoking is allowed only on the Sun Deck (Deck 4) in a designated area.

River Cruise Itineraries

On MS Annika, Phoenix Reisen offers the following cruise tour itineraries, most of which are roundtrips from Dusseldorf:

• 3-day “Charmantes Amsterdam” (Charming Amsterdam) roundtrip from Dusseldorf visiting Amsterdam and Arnheim.
• 5-day “Holland-Belgien-Impressionen” (Holland-Belgium Impressions) roundtrip from Dusseldorf visiting Rotterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam (overnight), and Arnheim.
• 5-day “Mosel – Advent und Weihnachtsmärkte” (Moselle – Advent and Christmas Markets) roundtrip from Dusseldorf visiting Alken, Trier, Bernkastel-Kues (overnight), Cochem, Koblenz (overnight), and Bonn (overnight).
• 16-day “Donau Premium” (Danube Premium) roundtrip from Passau visiting Vienna, Budapest, Mohacs, Vukovar, Belgrade, Vidin, Giurgiu, Oltenita, Tulcea, Giurgiulesti, Tutrakan (Veliko Tarnovo), Rousse, Nikopol (Sofia, Pleven), Oriachovo, Lom, Donji Milanovac, Novi Sad, Mohacs, Kalocsa, Solt, Bratislava, and Melk.
• 10-day “Höhepunkte am Main-Donau-Kanal” (Highlights on the Main-Danube Canal) repositioning cruise from Dusseldorf to Passau visiting Cologne, Bonn, Linz (overnight), Braubach, Rüdesheim (overnight), Frankfurt, Miltenberg, Wertheim (overnight), Würzburg, Schweinfurt, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Kelheim, Regensburg, and Passau.

The vessel’s construction (hull and superstructure, ENI number 04033920) was completed at the 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 in the Netherlands (Gendt). Vahali Shipyard Zasavica officially opened in 2013. Following her construction in Serbia (2018), the cruise ship 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 riverboat is powered by two Caterpillar marine diesel engines (model 3508C-DITA) with a total power output of 1590 kW / 2130 HP. The vessel’s propulsion system includes two controllable pitch propellers and one bow thruster (Veth-Jet)—an in-hull mounted azimuthing propulsion unit delivering 400 kW (530 HP).

MS Annika’s christening ceremony took place on July 5, 2021, in Cologne, Germany. The naming ceremony was led by godmother Barbara Weyden, an employee of Phoenix Reisen since 1983. She works in the company’s advertising department and is responsible for catalog production, printed materials, and image database management. The new vessel, captained by Hermann Schuster, was blessed by Pastor Raimund Blanke.

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