Phoenix Reisen

CruiseMapper provides the current schedule and itinerary information (including itinerary changes and news) for all Phoenix Reisen Cruises ships, as well as a cruise price comparison. Phoenix Reisen is a travel agency based in Bonn, Germany, and operates a fleet of cruise vessels under charter, including ocean-going ships and riverboats. The itineraries offered by Phoenix Reisen are designed primarily for Germans and are not widely popular outside the German-speaking market.

Company History

The cruise company Phoenix Reisen GmbH (phoenixreisen.com) was founded by Johannes Zurnieden in November 1973. Zurnieden, who was 23 years old at the time, is still actively involved as managing director of the company today. The company's first tours began in 1974, visiting popular destinations such as Budapest, Prague, and Istanbul.

In 1988, the company entered the cruise business under its own brand with a 20-year charter agreement for the Soviet Union cruise ship SS Maxim Gorkiy (owned by Black Sea Shipping Company based in Odessa, Ukraine). Rather than repainting the ship in Phoenix Reisen's colors, it continued to sail in the BLASCO livery, with the Soviet Union symbol (hammer and sickle) on its funnel. After two decades of service, Maxim Gorkiy left the Phoenix Reisen fleet at the end of November 2008 and was later scrapped.

In 1993, a second vessel, SS Albatros, was chartered from V-Ships, and Phoenix Reisen applied its signature house colors to the new ship. Albatros featured a turquoise funnel with a flying albatross as its logo and a turquoise-colored band on the hull. In 1993, the company also expanded into European river cruises under the brand "Phoenix Reisen Flusskreuzfahrten," operating riverboats under time-charter agreements with other companies.

The purchase of the Artemis (renamed Artania) from P&O Cruises marked a significant step forward in the growth of Phoenix Reisen's fleet of fully owned vessels. What began with Maxim Gorkiy has grown into a successful fleet that continues to this day. The company's most popular summer destinations are the Baltic Sea and North Sea. During the winter, its ocean-going ships sail to ports in Africa, Antarctica, or on Around The World voyages.

Throughout its history, Phoenix Reisen has maintained the charm of a family-run travel brand. Zurnieden's personal influence is evident in the fleetwide non-smoking policy. Since April 2006, all employees who are non-smokers, or who have quit smoking, receive an additional monthly bonus of EUR 200 on top of their salaries. As a result, almost all of the company's staff based in Bonn are non-smokers.

In an interesting turn of events, in 2013, Johannes Zurnieden offered a EUR 5,000 travel voucher to the first person who could provide a copy of the first Phoenix Reisen cruise brochure, which had been printed in 1974 but was lost from the company's archives. The reward was widely advertised and received significant media coverage in Germany. Anyone presenting additional copies received EUR 100 travel vouchers.

In July 2018, Phoenix Reisen purchased the MS Prinsendam from Holland America, and the ship began operations under the new name "MS Amera" on July 1, 2019. The ship was officially christened in Bremerhaven on August 16. In 2019, Phoenix Reisen also acquired the Red Cross Ship "MS Henry Dunant," which began operating as MS Viola in June 2019.

The ocean-going ships of Phoenix Reisen are currently managed by BSM Cruise Services, a part of the Schulte Group.

The current Phoenix Reisen river fleet is chartered and includes the following newbuild boats: Amina (2024), Alisa (2023), Antonia (2021), Andrea (2020), Annika (2020), Annabelle (2020), Anna Katharina (2019), Adora (2019), Alena (2018), Asara (2017), Anesha (2015), Amelia (2012), Ariana (2012), and Alina (2011).

(Coronavirus Crisis) Passenger Shipping Pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Phoenix Reisen suspended passenger shipping operations across its entire fleet (both riverboats and ocean liners) by canceling all voyages between March 15, 2020, and July 2021.

Operations were initially planned to resume in September 2020 for river cruises and in October 2020 for ocean cruises. The first ships scheduled to resume were Amera (October 15, Mediterranean), Amadea (October 20, Caribbean), and Artania (October 28, Mediterranean).

Ultimately, the entire program was canceled through 2021, with the first departures now scheduled for July 10 (Artania from Bremerhaven to Norway), August 3 (Amera from Bremerhaven to Denmark-Germany), and August 6 (Amadea from Bremerhaven to Norway). Deutschland was set to restart in 2022 on April 22.

All Phoenix Reisen River Cruises in Europe, Asia, and Egypt were canceled through June 2021. Affected bookings were refunded 110%, with the excess amount issued as future cruise credit (FCC) for rebooking.

The current Phoenix Reisen ocean fleet includes the following liners:

• MS Amadea (1991) has been in the fleet since 2006.
• MS Artania (1984) has been in the fleet since 2011.
• MS Amera (1988 / formerly MS Prinsendam / purchased from Holland America Line) has been in the fleet since 2019.

MS Deutschland (1998) is chartered during the summer months only. The ship offers roundtrips from Bremerhaven, Germany, to ports in Norway (Norwegian Fjords, North Cape, Svalbard Archipelago, Spitsbergen Island), Scandinavia, Russia (St. Petersburg), the UK, Iceland, and Greenland.

MS Albatros (1973) was under charter and in the fleet for 16 years (from 2004 to 2020). In early October 2020, Phoenix Reisen announced the end of its charter agreement for MS Albatros. The vessel was sold and left the Phoenix Reisen fleet, changing ownership from TSS Albatros GmbH (Germany) to Pickalbatros Hotels & Resorts Egypt (part of the PickAlbatros Group). The new owner, Pickalbatros, is headquartered in Nasr City (a district of Cairo) and owns and operates two leisure complexes (large aqua parks) as well as several resorts and hotels on the Red Sea (in Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, and Marsa Alam). Pickalbatros now operates the cruise liner as a hotel ship.

Phoenix Reisen river cruise ships

In 1993, the company expanded its passenger shipping operations by adding river cruise tours on European routes.

The current Phoenix Reisen river fleet includes the following newbuilds: Amina (2024), Alisa (2023), Antonia (2021), Andrea (2020), Annika (2020), Annabelle (2020), Anna Katharina (2019), Adora (2019), Alena (2018), Asara (2017), Anesha (2015), Amelia (2012), Ariana (2012), Alina (2011).

In 2019, the company purchased the former hospital ship MS Viola (1995-built and previously named "MS Henry Dunant"). The riverboat is homeported in Bonn, Germany, and operates itineraries on the Rhine and Maas rivers.

The company also operates chartered riverboats in Asia, including RV Charaidew 2, RV Lan Diep, RV Paukan 2007, RV Rajmahal, and Century Sky (China). Chartered riverboats in Europe include MS Aurelia, Amadeus Diamond, Swiss Gloria, MS Magellan, MS Princess, MS Calypso, Rhein Prinzessin, MS Switzerland, MS Mecklenburg, and MS Saxonia.

Chartered riverboats in Russia include Alexander Borodin, Dnieper Princess, and Sergei Rachmaninov.