MS Thurgau Gold

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

The ship cruises on the Rhine and Moselle rivers, with most itineraries departing from its 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 for reducing exhaust gases/COx and NOx emissions).

The ship’s interior was designed by Omega Architects, a Druten, Holland-based architecture firm specializing in yacht design.

Thurgau Gold’s christening ceremony was held on July 4, 2023, in Basel. The event was led by godmother Linda Fäh (1987-born Swiss singer and TV presenter, Miss Switzerland 2009). The Maiden Voyage – a 12-day roundtrip itinerary – departed the same day. The naming ceremony and inaugural cruise were 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 Högger (Thurgau’s Apple Queen 2022-2023).

Decks and cabins

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

The largest accommodations are the four Gold Suites (23 m2 / 250 ft2). French Balcony cabins measure 16 m2 (170 ft2), while the Lower Deck’s Standard cabins are the smallest (14 m2 / 150 ft2) and have a non-opening window positioned near the ceiling.

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

All French Balcony staterooms are located on the Middle and Upper decks and feature a large wall-to-wall window that slides open to the floor, creating a balconette/French balcony. The four Gold Suites are midship on the Upper Deck, each offering a spacious living/sleeping area (double bed, sofa, armchair, coffee table) and two opening French balcony windows. Suite bathrooms are larger and fitted with a double-sink vanity.

The boat has 4 decks (all passenger-accessible), three of which have cabins.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The ship’s Dining Room Restaurant (forward on Middle Deck/deck 2) is complimentary, spacious, and full-capacity, accommodating all passengers in a single open seating. Breakfast is buffet-style, while lunch and dinner are served with multi-course menus. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are always available. A fresh salad bar is offered at lunch.

Complimentary coffee and tea are served on deck 4/Sun Deck from 6 a.m. and throughout the day. Local mineral water is provided daily in all staterooms (2 bottles per cabin), with additional bottles available upon request. Soft drinks, beer and wine by the glass, and alcoholic beverages are available at extra cost.

The Sun Deck is an outdoor relaxation area furnished with padded premium garden furniture (sofas, armchairs, 4-seat dining tables), comfortable reclining chairs/deckchairs, a sunbathing area with a Jacuzzi/whirlpool, and sun loungers. The forward-area Grill & Bar offers alfresco dining with 4-seat tables, beverages, and BBQ dishes. The aft section features a canopy-shaded seating area covered by three retractable awnings.

The Sun Deck’s fore-located Navigation Bridge/Wheelhouse is telescopic (lowerable for passing under low bridges).

One elevator (passenger lift) interconnects cabin decks 1-2-3 (Main-Middle-Upper). A stairlift and outdoor stairs connect decks 3-4 (Upper-Sundeck).

The ship features 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 the cruise company’s onboard enrichment program. Activities include live entertainment (crew shows, cooking demonstrations, local guest performances), daily quizzes, themed and dance nights (often with live music), language courses, and folklore- or history-themed lectures about the regions visited along the itinerary.

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/handmade souvenirs, handicrafts, postcards, toiletries), and both boarding areas (portside and starboard).

Midship-starboard on the Lower Deck (deck 1) is the Fitness and Wellness facility, consisting of a Sauna Room (with panoramic views) and a small Gym (equipped with one treadmill, one cross trainer/elliptical machine, free weights, and exercise mats).

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

All main public venues (Restaurant, Lounge, Brasserie) feature floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows providing unobstructed panoramic views of the passing riverside scenery.

Itineraries

Thurgau Gold’s 2023–2024 schedule listed the following itineraries:

(Städtetrip nach Basel und Strasbourg) – 3-day roundtrip from Basel visiting Kehl/Strasbourg.

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

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

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

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

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

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

9-day roundtrip from Basel visiting Speyer, Rüdesheim, 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 visiting Miltenberg, Würzburg, Wertheim, Mainz, Traben-Trarbach, Trier, Rüdesheim, Worms, and Kehl/Strasbourg.

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

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

5-day voyages were themed “Auf Dichters Spuren,” “Familienzeit auf dem Rhein,” “Kurzfahrt nach Frankfurt,” “Luxuriöse Kurzfahrt nach Mainz,” “Mainzer Kommissar und Philosophen,” and “Herbstlicher Familienspaß.”

9-day voyages were themed “Luxuriöse Rhein-Kreuzfahrt,” “Genuss der Sinne,” “Römische Baukunst und Winzerfreuden,” and “Aktiv-Flussreise nach Amsterdam.”

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

Note: You can see 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.