MS Sofia

MS Sofia operates Danube River itineraries with roundtrip departures from Germany (homeport Passau). The riverboat is chartered by the German travel company Phoenix Reisen (established 1973). Phoenix Reisen is a travel agency with ocean ship chartering operations since 1988 and river cruising since 1993.

The 1983-built riverboat is chartered to Phoenix Reisen Flusskreuzfahrten by Union Group (shipowner) through its Bulgarian subsidiary Dunav Tours. The vessel underwent an extensive drydock refurbishment in 2013. MS Sofia’s other Bulgaria-flagged Phoenix Reisen fleetmate is MS Ariana (2012-built).

Cabins

MS Sofia has a total of 101 cabins, including 93 two-berth and 8 three-berth accommodations. All staterooms are outside cabins, tastefully furnished and comfortable. Cabins feature two separate beds that can be placed together, individually controlled air conditioning, bathroom with shower and WC, separate washbasin in the stateroom, color TV with onboard programming, telephone, radio, daily newspaper, and hairdryer. Many cabins include an extra bed that can be converted into a daytime seating area. Depending on deck location, cabins have small windows (Europadeck) or larger picture windows (Main Deck, except cabins 256–259). Twin cabins are approx. 11 m² (118 ft²).

Cabin categories include:

• Triple Outside (Category A, Europe Deck)
• Double Outside with bunk beds (Category B, Europe Deck, front)
• Twin Outside (Category C, Europe Deck, aft)
• Twin Fortune Outside (Category DG, Europe Deck)
• Twin Outside (Category D, Europe Deck)
• Twin Outside (Category DZ, Europe Deck, bookable for 2 or 3 persons)
• Double Outside with bunk beds (Category E, Main Deck)
• Twin Outside, visual impairment (Category F, Main Deck)
• Twin Outside (Category G, Main Deck, front, bookable for 2 or 3 persons)
• Twin Outside (Category H, Main Deck)
• Single Outside (Category I, Europe Deck)
• Single Outside (Category J, Main Deck)

Shipboard facilities

MS Sofia has four passenger decks and features a 190-seat restaurant, 120-seat panoramic bar, internet corner, piano bar with reading lounge, reception hall, kiosk, hairdresser, massage parlor, sauna, large Sun Deck with sunshades, deckchairs and garden furniture, small heated swimming pool, covered promenade decks with seating, and a large deck chess game. Guests can enjoy board and card games, evening dancing with live music, themed events, quiz nights, folklore shows, language courses, and lectures. Laundry service and WLAN (wireless internet) are available for a fee. Onboard language is German and the onboard currency is EUR. Girocard, VISA, and MasterCard are accepted. Smoking is permitted only in the designated area on the Sun Deck.

Guests aboard MS Sofia enjoy all-inclusive dining. Breakfast is served as a rich buffet, while lunch and dinner are multi-course meals featuring European and vegetarian cuisine. Afternoon tea and coffee, as well as midnight snacks, are also offered. House wines, beers, soft drinks (mineral water, juices, cola, lemonade), tea, and coffee are included daily from 08:00 to 24:00. The traditional Captain’s Reception and Captain’s Dinner feature festive menus. Special dietary needs (gluten-free, lactose-free, diabetic meals, etc.) are accommodated upon request.

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