MS Jane Austen

The 2015-built MS Jane Austen cruise ship operates primarily on the Moselle River (in the Netherlands) and on Europe’s major waterways—the Danube and the Rhine. The vessel is owned by the Swiss company Scylla Cruises and was exclusively chartered by the UK tour operator Riviera Travel between 2015 and 2020. Since 2020, she has also been operated under charter by VIVA Cruises, a Scylla-owned subsidiary and travel brand.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The MS Jane Austen features an elegant Lobby (entrance hall on the Diamond/Upper Deck) with a Reception Desk (24-hour assistance, information, and purser services), a Travel Desk (for tour and excursion information and onboard bookings), and a Boutique Shop. From the Lobby, guests enter the Panorama Lounge (Bar Lounge) with floor-to-ceiling windows, comfortable seating, a full-service Bar, and a bow-facing Lido Terrace offering small outdoor seating.

Aft on the Diamond Deck is the Bistro – Lido Restaurant, an alternative to the main Dining Room Restaurant. The Bistro, which also serves as the ship’s Library, has its own Bar, an outdoor terrace, and an open kitchen. It offers early breakfast, light lunch, and dinner. In good weather, the floor-to-ceiling doors open fully onto the terrace for al fresco dining. Dining at the Bistro is complimentary, though dinner reservations are required due to limited seating (10 tables for 2 or 4 guests). The ship’s main Dining Room Restaurant (on the Ruby/Middle Deck) provides single-seating capacity for buffet-style breakfast and waiter-served lunch and dinner.

On the Emerald/Lower Deck is the ship’s Wellness Centre, which includes a Beauty Salon (hairdresser, barber, and nail studio), Fitness Room, and Spa (with a treatment room for massages). All cabin decks are fully air-conditioned and accessible by elevator and stairs (forward, midship, and aft), including a grand staircase in the Atrium.

The Sun Deck offers a deck games area (Giant Chess Set, Mini-Golf Putting Green), shaded seating under retractable awnings surrounded by a Walking Track, and an aft Pool Deck featuring a Splash Pool, Jacuzzi Whirlpool, and sunbathing area with loungers and deckchairs. Forward on the Sun Deck is the Alfresco Lounge (with full bar service from the Panorama Lounge below). The forward-located Navigation Bridge (called the “Wheelhouse” on riverboats) is passenger-accessible and telescopic, allowing it to be lowered when passing under low bridges.

Cabins

The MS Jane Austen has a total of 74 staterooms accommodating up to 148 passengers. Most cabins feature wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to a railing (French Balcony). The only exceptions are the Emerald Deck cabins, which have one fixed, non-opening quarter-height window located near the ceiling.

All staterooms include standard amenities such as hotel-style twin beds (convertible to double), en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, single-sink vanity, towels, premium toiletries, large mirror), 40-inch HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system, and real-time bow camera views), mini-bar, tea/coffee-making facilities, glass-top round table with two armchairs, mirrored dressing table with pouf chair, wardrobe, electronic safe box, hairdryer, phone, individually controlled air conditioning, and evening turndown service.

All bathrooms feature marble countertops, glass showers with large rain shower heads, and luxury bath products by Crabtree & Evelyn. Some staterooms are available for single occupancy (without a single supplement, subject to availability). Deluxe Suites on the Diamond Deck additionally offer more spacious interiors, a step-out balcony furnished with a table and two chairs for al fresco dining, and premium cotton bathrobes and slippers.

The vessel’s hull and superstructure (ENI number 07002009) were constructed 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) as well as in the Netherlands (Gendt). Vahali Shipyard Zasavica was officially opened in 2013. After the vessel’s construction in Serbia, she was towed to the Vahali Shipyard in Gendt, the Netherlands, for final outfitting.

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.