MS Carmen

The 2001-built MS Carmen cruise ship (formerly Viking Europe) was fully refurbished in 2016. The riverboat cruises on the Rhine and Danube rivers, with departures from Amsterdam (Holland), Nuremberg (Germany), Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria), and Bucharest (Romania) (embarkation in Giurgiu).

The vessel is owned by the German corporation Premicon AG (through its subsidiary Premicon Rhein Donau Flussschiffahrts GmbH) and is operated under charter by Transocean Kreuzfahrten (Germany), SijFa Cruises (Holland), and Saga Cruises (UK). Her SijFa fleetmates include MS Rigoletto and MS Verdi.

The most recent drydock refurbishment took place in 2017, during which the ship was completely renovated and renamed. She shares the same design as her sisterships Viking Neptune (now Verdi), Viking Pride (now Bijou du Rhone), and Viking Spirit (now Seine Comtesse).

As Viking Europe, the riverboat was the third in a series of four Viking Cruises ships deployed in France. Her itineraries included the Rhone and Saone rivers (departures from Lyon) and the Seine River (departures from Paris City). Her CMV fleetmates included Bellejour (formerly Johann Strauss) and Belvedere (formerly Avalon Poetry).

Viking cruise fares included Wi-Fi Internet, all shore excursions and land transfers, live evening entertainment, daily lectures, food and wine tastings, 24-hour coffee/tea service, and daily replenished bottled water. Transfers to and from the riverboat, as well as airport meet-and-greet services, were included only when airfares were purchased through the cruise company.

In 2021, the vessel (ENI number 4800250) changed its flag state/registry from Malta (MMSI 229736000) to the Netherlands (MMSI 244092220).

Cabins

MS Carmen has a total of 75 staterooms (12 Standard and 63 Deluxe), all of which are outside. All Upper Deck cabins feature French balconies with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors opening to a railing. Middle Deck cabins (Deck 2, midship to aft) are semi-French Balcony, featuring sliding windows. Main Deck cabins (Deck 2 forward) have non-opening panoramic windows. Lower Deck cabins, measuring 11 m² (120 ft²), feature two small, square-shaped, non-opening porthole windows located near the ceiling. Most cabins measure 14 m² (150 ft²), except for the two Junior Suites (midship on the Middle Deck), each measuring 18 m² (195 ft²).

All MS Carmen staterooms include as standard amenities: double bed (convertible to twins), bedside tables with lamps, under-bed storage space, armchair, mirrored vanity table (writing desk) with chair, drawers, phone, mini-bar fridge, wardrobe with hangers, electronic safe box (in the closet), flat HDTV, individually controlled air conditioning, and en-suite bathroom (WC, glass-door shower, single-sink vanity, under-sink shelf, mirrored cabinets, hairdryer, towels, bath products, and bathrobes/slippers upon request). Complimentary Wi-Fi Internet (available shipwide) and bottled water (replenished daily) are also provided.

Cabin door access and power/lighting control are card-operated.

Shipboard facilities

MS Carmen features a forward indoor Lounge and Bar with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, an aft Restaurant with large panoramic windows on two walls, a Boutique Shop (for gifts and souvenirs), Library, Card Room, and a spacious Lobby with Reception Desk. The Sun Deck offers shaded seating (retractable awnings), a sunbathing area with loungers and deckchairs, and transparent glass windbreaks for protection.

The ship has one elevator (lift) connecting all cabin decks, but no direct elevator access to the Sun Deck (accessible only via aft stairs). A hydraulic chairlift connects the Upper and Sun Decks for guests with reduced mobility. The Sun Deck aft section is designated as a smoking area.

River cruise itineraries

MS Carmen operates Rhine and Danube river cruises with the following itineraries:

• 9-day / 8-night “Medieval Experience on Rhine and Main” – from Amsterdam to Nuremberg, visiting Amsterdam, Cologne, Rudesheim, Mainz, Frankfurt, Wertheim, Wurzburg, and Bamberg.
• 9-day / 8-night “Danube Delta” – from Budapest to Bucharest, visiting Budapest, Mohacs, Villany, Belgrade, Vidin, Sfantu Gheorghe, the Danube Delta, Cernavoda, and Giurgiu (disembarkation with bus transfer to Bucharest).
• 8-day / 7-night “Romantic and Attractive Danube” – from Nuremberg to Budapest, visiting Nuremberg, Regensburg, Linz, Grein, Melk, Durnstein, Vienna, and Bratislava.
• 11-day / 10-night “Danube Capitals” – from Vienna to Bucharest, visiting five capital cities and seven countries: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Pecs, Vukovar, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Vidin, and Giurgiu (disembarkation with bus transfer to Bucharest).

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