MS Junker Jorg

MS Junker Jorg cruise ship was previously named "Viking Fontane" and "MS Theodor Fontane". The vessel operates on the Elbe River with departures from Germany (Stralsund, Dresden, Hamburg). Currently, the ship is owned by Scylla AG and chartered to the German travel company VIVA Cruises.

In 2019, the vessel (ENI number 5113670) changed its flag state and registry from Germany (MMSI 211513910) to Switzerland (MMSI 269057816) and is currently registered in Basel.

Ship history

For Viking Cruises, the ship operated on the Elbe River (Germany and the Czech Republic) with departures from Prague and Berlin. The vessel was originally named after the German writer Theodor Fontane (1819–1898), a renowned novelist and poet.

MS Theodor Fontane was operated by KD (Koln-Düsseldorfer) from 1991 to 2000. In 2000, Premicon AG (a funds and investment management company and owner of KD) became the main shareholder of Viking River Cruises. Following this acquisition, MS Theodor Fontane and her sistership Viking Schumann (now De Amsterdam) were transferred to Viking. Between 2010 and 2011, the vessel underwent a complete modernization, during which several passenger staterooms were upgraded to deluxe French Balcony cabins. After this drydock refit and refurbishment, the ship was renamed "Viking Fontane." Some Elbe River cruise packages offered roundtrip airfare discounts from the USA (on select cabins, dates, or itineraries).

Junker Jorg is a 112-passenger riverboat designed for Europe’s smaller rivers. The intimate vessel has an exceptionally shallow draft (1 m), featuring a flat-bottomed hull and pump jets to ensure smooth navigation in low water conditions.

The ship’s facilities include a forward-located Restaurant (main dining room on the Lower Deck) and a Bar Lounge (on the Main Deck), a lobby area (on the Main Deck, with Reception Desk and Boutique Shop), and a Sun Deck with shaded seating, four-seat tables, deckchairs, sun loungers, and al fresco dining (brunch and afternoon tea). Additional amenities include a stairlift (passenger elevator), laundry service, Sauna Room (Deck 1), and complimentary Wi-Fi (shipwide).

The ship does not have a gym, jacuzzi, spa, or swimming pool. Onboard languages are English, German, and Dutch.

Cabins

During the ship’s USD 2 million refit in 2010–2011, Viking River Cruises added eight 200 ft² deluxe cabins (now suites) with French balconies, similar to those on her sistership. The remaining 48 cabins are smaller but all are outside cabins with river views. Each stateroom is equipped with an en-suite bathroom (washbasin, toilet, shower, bath products, hairdryer), telephone, flat-screen TV, electronic safe (in the closet), and individually controlled air conditioning.

Currently, MS Junker Jorg has 30 Main Deck cabins (11 m² each, with opening windows), 18 Upper Deck cabins (11 m² each, with opening windows), and 8 Upper Deck suites (15 m² each, with a double bed and French Balcony).

River cruise itineraries

Currently, MS Junker Jorg operates the following routes:

• 8-day roundtrip from Stralsund to Greifswald, Lauterbach, Peenemunde (Usedom Island), Poland (Szczecin, Swinoujscie) and Wolgast.
• 8-day one-way cruises between Hamburg and Dresden (and the reverse), visiting Wittenberg, Tangermunde, Magdeburg, Dessau, Wittenberg, Torgau, and Meissen.

Viking Fontane’s former Elbe River itineraries included the following ports and excursions:

• "ELEGANT ELBE" – 10-day cruises from Berlin to Prague (and reverse), including a 1-night hotel stay in Berlin (Day 1), followed by a bus transfer to Potsdam and Magdeburg (Day 2, embarkation).
• Day 3 – Tour to Dessau, arrival in Wittenberg.
• Day 4 – Tour in Wittenberg, arrival in Torgau.
• Day 5 – Arrival in Meissen (morning) and in Dresden (evening).
• Day 6 – Tour in Dresden (overnight stay).
• Day 7 – Visit to Saxon Switzerland, docking in Bad Schandau.
• Day 8 – Arrival in Litomerice (Czech Republic), farewell formal dinner onboard.
• Day 9 – Disembarkation in Melnik, bus transfer to Prague (city tour and 1-night hotel stay included), with an optional 2-night hotel extension in Prague.

Departures from the Czech Republic included a 1-night luxury hotel stay in Prague. On Day 2, guests joined a guided city tour (Old Town walk, Hradcany, Prague Castle, and city lunch), followed by a bus transfer to Melnik for embarkation, welcome cocktail, and dinner onboard.

After disembarkation in Magdeburg (Day 9), passengers traveled by bus to Potsdam (Sanssouci Palace tour, New Chambers, and free time) before transferring to Berlin for a 1-night hotel stay included in the fare. An optional 2-night Berlin extension was also available.

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.