APT River Cruises Travelmarvel

APT River Cruises (APTouring.com.au) is the global travel brand of the Melbourne, Victoria Australia-based company APT (Australian Pacific Touring). This is a family business owned and run by the McGeary family, with its current owner being Geoff McGeary.

Currently, APT Travel Group comprises the flagship company Australian Pacific Touring (APT), which consists of the brands Travelmarvel (1996), Botanica World Discoveries (2000), Captain's Choice (2001), Croydon Travel (2001), APT Kimberley Wilderness Adventures (2003), and TravelGlo (2019).

APT’s fleet primarily operates river cruises in Europe (including Russia) and Asia (China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia). Cruises and tours are also offered in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada (including Alaska), South America, and Antarctica. APT became a global brand between 1970 and 1975, expanding into North America, Europe, and the UK by opening sales offices in Auckland NZ, Los Angeles USA, London UK, and Vancouver BC (Canada and USA).

The Travelmarvel brand became part of APT in 1996. Originally founded in New South Wales by Clyde Harding, Travelmarvel joined APT's portfolio as a premium brand. APT sold its coach fleet in 2001 and has since specialized in ultra-luxury cruises and tours via riverboats, private jets, trains, and coaches. AmaWaterways was introduced in 2005.

APT company history and changes

APT was established in 1927 by Alfred William McGeary as a coach company. The bus charter travel business was inaugurated in 1967 with the establishment of the Australian Pacific Coaches company, a partnership between three companies - McGeary's Parlour Coaches, Mayer Page's Melbourne Motor Coaches, and Quince's Scenicruisers. The company was renamed to Australian Pacific Tours in 1983, and to the current Australian Pacific Touring in 2000.

In 1983, the company acquired Trans Australia Airlines' coach travel business, comprising the brands AAT, Bill Kings Australian Adventure Tours, Red Centre Tours, Grand Central Over 50s Tours, and Central Australian Tours Association, which were consolidated into today's "AAT Kings".

In 1991, APT inaugurated its Canada and Alaska tour program, which now includes cruise ship travel.

In 1993, the business was separated, with Geoff McGeary taking APT and Mayer Page taking AAT Kings.

In 1996, was acquired Newmans Escorted Tours (New Zealand), which included the affordable travel brand Travelmarvel.

In 1998, APT acquired Australian Kakadu Tours (Northern Territory).

In 2001, APT Travel Group sold its 90-coach fleet, thus redefining its business as a tour operator, specializing in charter cruises, fly tours and overland excursions by trains, buses and riverboats.

In 2001 was purchased Sahara Tours (operating in Central Australia).

In 2003 was purchased Billy Can Tours (Northern Territory) and a 60% stake in Kimberley Wilderness Adventures (Kimberley Region, Western Australia).

In 2005, APT Group invested in AmaWaterways (founded by Jimmy Murphy and Rudi Schreiner) to build luxury riverboats deployed year-round in Europe. By 2009, through a co-ownership of AmaWaterways, APT Group had a fleet of new boats which pioneered first the full-size French balconies and later the Twin balconies.

In 2012, APT and AmaWaterways expanded the business with cruises in Russia (ship AmaKatarina/MS Mstislav Rostropovich) and on the Mekong River in Vietnam (ship AmaLotus, chartered from Indochina Sails). In 2015 was launched Amawaterways' second Mekong-based ship AmaDara.

In 2009, APT Group purchased a 51% stake in GW Travel (UK train operator specializing in long-distance luxury rail tours on private trains throughout Russia and its former USSR republics, Mongolia and China). In 2012, this decision was rebranded to Golden Eagle Luxury Trains.

In 2012 APT Group became a shareholder of the UK-based cruise operator Noble Caledonia (ship Island Sky). Also in 2012 was signed a license agreement with AAT Kings to provide APT's day tours and short breaks in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney NSW, and the Northern Territory) with ground transportation. Following the deal, some AAT Kings buses received the APT livery.

In 2019 was established the charitable fund OneTomorrow chaired by Geoff McGeary's son, Robert. Also in 2019 was launched the brand TravelGlo.

APT cruise ships

APT Travel Group is either the owner or charterer of the riverboats.

APT’s newest vessels include the sisterships Travelmarvel Polaris (2020), Travelmarvel Capella (2021), and Travelmarvel Vega (2021), along with the 2025-built sisterships APT Ostara and APT Solara.

The image below shows Travelmarvel’s latest ship design.

CruiseMapper’s APT ship pages provide detailed vessel information, itineraries (destinations, embarkation ports, and ports of call), and indicative per-person pricing (based on double-occupancy cabin rates). We also offer AMAwaterways and Travelmarvel fleet schedules (sailing calendars with port arrival and departure times) and a cruise tracker showing each ship’s current location on the map.

Next are listed APT's riverboats with their launch years in brackets.

• Travelmarvel Jewel and Travelmarvel Sapphire (2006)
• Travelmarvel Diamond (2007)
• Travelmarvel Polaris (2020)
• Travelmarvel Capella and Travelmarvel Vega (2021)
• APT Ostara and APT Solara (2025)

The above vessels are operated by APT's subsidiary company ATG Tour Europe Ltd.

APT’s fleet primarily operates river cruises in Europe (including Russia) and Asia (China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia). Cruises and tours are also offered in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada (including Alaska), South America, and Antarctica.

Next are listed partially-owned or chartered by APT vessels operated via partnerships with other companies.

• Caledonian Sky and Hebridean Sky (1991), Island Sky and Sea Endurance (1992) are sea-going cruise ships co-owned with Noble Caledonia (UK)
• RV La Marguerite (2009), RV Samatha (2016), RV Princess Panhwar (2016), RV Mekong Serenity (2022), RV Au Co (Ha Long Bay) - chartered from Indochina Sails
• RV Delfin III (2015) on the Amazon River in South America, chartered from Delfin Amazon Cruises
• RV Ganges Voyager (2014) on the Ganges River in India, chartered from Antara Cruises
• RV Yangzi Explorer (2008) on the Yangze River in China, chartered from Sanctuary Retreats
• MS Estrela (2024) on the Douro River in Portugal, chartered from DouroAzul
• PS Australian Star (2025-built luxury paddlewheeler) on the Murray River in Australia
• MV Princess Eleganza (2015-built superyacht) deployed in the Adriatic Sea/Dalmatian Coast (Croatia and Montenegro)

From Seabourn, APT charters the following ships (in brackets are the operational regions): Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation (Europe/Mediterranean), Seabourn Encore (Canada and Alaska’s Inside Passage), Seabourn Venture (Antarctica), and Seabourn Pursuit (Kimberley Coast).

APT's Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania voyages are on the chartered from Coral Expeditions ship Coral Discoverer.

In the Galápagos Islands, APT charters MC Hermes (2025-built motor catamaran) and MY La Pinta (1982-built motor yacht).

APT's Alaska and South America ocean cruises are on ships chartered from Holland America Line.