MS Thurgau Gold

The 2023-built MS Thurgau Gold cruise ship is the newest riverboat in Thurgau Travel's fleet. The vessel was constructed by Scheepswerf Den Breejen Shipyard (in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Holland) under the project Rheingold. Thurgau Gold is exclusively charted to Thurgau Travel.

The ship cruises on Rhine and Moselle rivers, with most itineraries departing from homeport Basel Switzerland.

The vessel (ENI number 02339819) is Switzerland-flagged (MMSI 269057854) and registered in Basel.

Like most modern river cruise ships, Thurgau Gold is equipped with batteries (for peak shaving/loads), solar panels (photovoltaic cells built into the railings on Deck 3), and a heat/energy recovery system that utilizes ~85% of the waste heat from the diesel engines' cooling water and excess steam.

The engines are fuel-efficient and fitted with a marine scrubber system (catalytic converter system for reduction on exhaust gases/COx and NOx emissions).

The ship's interior was designed by Omega Architects (Druten Holland-based design architecture firm that also specializes in yacht design).

Thurgau Gold's christening ceremony was held on July 4, 2023, in Basel. The special event was led by godmother Linda Fah (1987-born Swiss singer and TV presenter, Miss Switzerland 2009). On the same day started the Maiden Voyage (12-day roundtrip itinerary). The naming ceremony and the inaugural cruise were also attended by Thurgau Travel's owners and executives (Hans and Ernestine Kaufmann, Peter Kaufmann, Pia Pauli-Kaufmann, and Daniel Pauli-Kaufmann) as well as Nadja Hogger (reigning Thurgau's Apple Queen for 2022-2023).

Decks and cabins

Thurgau Gold staterooms (91 total) are all with double occupancy and in three types - Gold Suite, French Balcony (Superior and Deluxe), and Window (standard).

The largest accommodations are the 4x Gold Suites (sized 23 m2 / 250 ft2). French Balcony cabins are size 16 m2 (170 ft2) while the Lower Deck's Standard cabins are the smallest (14 m2 / 150 ft2) and fitted with a non-opening window positioned near the ceiling.

All passenger cabins are stylishly designed, comfortable and equipped with individual air conditioning, LCDTV, radio, phone, hairdryer, electronic safe box (in the closet), sleeping area (non-convertible double bed, leather headboard, nightstands with reading lamps) seating area (two plush armchairs with a round table), en-suite bathroom (single-sink vanity with drawers, wall mirror, a round LED-lighted magnifying mirror, glass shower, wall-hung toilet).

All French Balcony staterooms are located on Middle and Upper decks and have a large (wall-to-wall) window that slide-opens to the floor thus transforming into a balconette/French balcony. The four Gold Suites are midship on Upper Deck and each boasts a spacious living/sleeping space (double bed, sofa, armchair, coffee table) and two French balcony windows (both are opening). Suites' bathrooms are larger and with a double-sink vanity.

The boat has 4 decks (all are passenger-accessible) of which 3 are with cabins.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The ship's Dining Room Restaurant (forward on Middle Deck/deck 2) is complimentary, spacious and with full capacity (accommodates all passengers in a single open seating arrangement). The restaurant offers buffet-style breakfast, whereas lunches and dinners are with multi-course menus and waiter-served. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are always available. A fresh salad bar is arranged at lunch.

Complimentary coffee and tea are served on deck 4/Sun Deck from 6 am and throughout the day. Local mineral water is provided daily and complimentary to all staterooms (2x bottles per cabin). Additional bottles of water can be provided upon request. Soft drinks, beer and wine by the glass, and alcoholic drinks cost extra as they are not included in the cruise fares.

The Sun Deck is an outdoor space fitted with padded premium garden furniture (sofas, armchairs, 4-seat dining tables) as well as comfortable reclining chairs/deckchairs and a sunbathing area with a Jacuzzi/whirlpool and sun loungers. There is also a Grill & Bar (alfresco dining venue located forward) with 4-seat tables and serving beverages and BBQ dishes. The sundeck's aft section has a canopy-shaded seating area covered by 3x retractable awnings.

Sun Deck's fore-located Navigation Bridge/Wheelhouse is telescopic (can be lowered for passing under low bridges).

One Elevator (passenger Lift) interconnects cabin decks 1-2-3 (Main-Middle-Upper). A Stairlift and outdoor stairs interconnect decks 3-4 (Upper-Sundeck).

The ship has an indoor Bar Lounge (Panorama-Salon) located forward on Upper Deck/deck 3. Adjacent to the Salon is the bow-facing Terrace with limited seating (several round tables with chairs). Panorama-Salon hosts the formal Captain's Cocktail Reception (welcome aboard event) and also serves the cruise company's onboard enrichment program. Lounge's activities include live entertainment (crew show, cooking demos, local guest performances), daily quiz games, themed and dance nights (often with live music), language courses, lectures (folklore- or history-themed) about the visited region along the current itinerary route.

The Lobby Hall houses the Reception Desk (24-hour guest services, assistance, purser), a Beverage Station (self-service coffee and tea counter for complimentary drinks), a small Boutique Shop (selling local/hand-made souvenirs, handicrafts, postcards, toiletries) and both boarding areas (portside and starboard).

Midship-starboard on Lower Deck (deck 1) is the Fitness and Wellness facility that consists of a Sauna Room (with panoramic views) and a small Gym (fitted with 1x treadmill/running machine, 1x cross trainer/elliptical machine, free weights, exercise maths).

A Brasserie (specialty restaurant) is located aft on Upper Deck (deck 3).

All the ship's main public venues (Restaurant, Lounge, Brasserie) are with floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows providing unobstructed panoramic views of the passing riverside scenery.

Itineraries

Thurgau Gold ship's schedule 2023-2024 listed the following itineraries:

(Stadtetrip nach Basel und Strasbourg) 3-day roundtrip from Basel visits Kehl/Strasbourg.

(Luxus-Schnupperreise durchs Elsass) 3-day roundtrip from Basel visits Breisach and Strasbourg.

5-day roundtrip from Basel visits Speyer, Frankfurt and Bonn/Plittersdorf (bus tour to Baden-Baden).

5-day roundtrip from Basel visits Speyer, Boppard, Mainz and Bonn/Plittersdorf (bus tour to Baden-Baden).

(Lachparade) 6-day roundtrip from Basel visits Mannheim, Koblenz, Karlsruhe, and Breisach.

(Auf dem Fluss zum vollen Genuss) 7-day roundtrip from Basel visits Eltville, Traben-Trarbach, Koblenz, Rudesheim, Speyer, and Strasbourg.

9-day roundtrip from Basel visits Speyer (excursion to Heidelberg), Cologne, Holland (Dordrecht, Kinderdijk, Rotterdam, Amsterdam), Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Koblenz, and Bonn/Plittersdorf (bus tour to Baden-Baden).

9-day roundtrip from Basel visits Speyer, Ruedesheim, Cochem, Trier, Bernkastel-Kues, Koblenz, France (Gambsheim for a bus tour to Baden-Baden, and Strasbourg from Kehl).

(Flusstrio auf Rhein, Mosel und Main) 12-day roundtrip from Basel visits Miltenberg, Wurzburg, Wertheim, Mainz, Traben-Trarbach, Trier, Rudesheim, Worms, and Kehl/Strasbourg.

(Auf Rhein, IJsselmeer und Maas) 15-day roundtrip from Basel visits ports in Holland (Nijmegen, Amsterdam, Kampen, Lemmer, Wadden Sea cruising, Den Helder, Middelburg), Belgium (Ghent, Antwerpen), Holland (Maastricht) and Germany (Dusseldorf, Braubach, Bonn/Plittersdorf to Baden-Baden, Kehl).

For October 2024 were scheduled two 10-day voyages between Basel and Linz (Austria) themed as "Flussspektakel Rhein, Main und Donau". The Basel-Linz itinerary visits Strasbourg, Frankfurt, Wertheim, Wurzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau and Linz. The return voyage (Linz-Basel) visits the same port cities in reverse order.

5-day voyages were themed as "Auf Dichters Spuren", "Familienzeit auf dem Rhein", "Kurzfahrt nach Frankfurt", "Luxuriose Kurzfahrt nach Mainz", "Mainzer Kommissar und Philosophen", "Herbstlicher Familienspass".

9-day voyages were themed as "Luxuriose Rhein-Kreuzfahrt", "Genuss der Sinne", "Romische Baukunst und Winzerfreuden", "Aktiv-Flussreise nach Amsterdam".

MS Thurgau Gold cruise prices for the inaugural season varied between CHF 80-190 (Swiss Francs) per person per day, depending on the departure date/itinerary.

Note: You can see CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.