APT Ostara

The 2025-built APT Ostara cruise ship is a newbuild riverboat operated by the APT Travel-owned company APT Touring (sisterbrand to AmaWaterways). The vessel's sistership and fleetmate is APT Solara. Both riverboats are operated under charter through APT's subsidiary ATG Tour Europe Ltd.

The vessel APT Ostara (ENI number tba/hull) is currently Switzerland-flagged (MMSI tba, registered in Basel) and Holland-built (by Scheepswerf Den Breejen Shipyard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam).

The boats are fitted with advanced diesel engines (reducing fuel consumption by ~20% in comparison to standard engines), scrubbers (a catalytic converter system reducing exhaust gas emissions), a battery (electricity storage) package.

The shipowner APT Travel Group is a Melbourne Australia-based global river cruise and tour operator and shipowner. The 1927-founded company operates globally through its fully-owned subsidiaries and travel brands Travelmarvel (1996-established), Botanica World Discoveries (2000), Captains Choice (2001), Croydon Travel (2001), APT Kimberley Wilderness Adventures (2003), AmaWaterways (2002-founded, 2005-purchased by APT), TravelGlo (2019).

APT cruise passengers are mostly from the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The company offers good value-for-money vacation packages with plenty of inclusions. Cruisetour fares are inclusive of flights, port charges and fees, tipping (onboard gratuities), Internet/W-LAN (wireless), bicycles (carried on the ship). Tea and coffee are available 24 hours, and free of charge. Lunches and dinners come with complimentary local beers, house wines (by the glass) and soft drinks. Shore excursions (sightseeing guided tours) are optional and included in the package.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The APT ship Ostara has 4 passenger decks (3 with cabins), 6x dining venues, a panoramic bar lounge (Conservatory), a Sun Deck with a whirlpool and a bar lounge/alfresco dining area.

The onboard dining venues include The Gruner Bar & Dining (bar lounge and restaurant), Bistro Saison (main dining room), The Owner's Cellar (wine bar), The Salon (main lounge), Annie's Table (private dining room), The Daystar Deck (alfresco Bar & BBQ). The food is made of mainly locally sourced produce and hand-picked by the ship's Master Chef from markets in the visited port cities and towns.

The Panorama Restaurant is a full-capacity complimentary dining room with central-positioned buffet stations. In the Foyer (lobby area midship on Upper Deck) are the ship entrances, 24-hour Reception Desk (with a dedicated Wellness Host), Tour Office, Gift Shop, Library (reading corner with books and board games).

The Salon (forward on Upper Deck) is a panoramic bar-lounge with floor-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows, a dance floor, a grand piano (resident pianist, afternoon and evening live performances), and modern media equipment (for APT Touring's onboard enrichment program). The Lounge provides direct access to the Verandah (bow-facing Terrace with outdoor seating).

The Owner's Cellar (aft on Upper Deck) is a casual restaurant and wine bar served by its own Bar.

The Daystar Deck/Sun Deck is on two levels - Lower (forward) and Upper (aft).

On the Lower Sundeck are the Lounge Area/Garden Terrace (open-air/alfresco dining venue with outdoor seating, served by the Bar & BBQ), the Wheelhouse (retractable Navigation Bridge), the Wheelhouse (retractable Navigation Bridge) and the Pool Deck (fitted with a large-capacity Jacuzzi/outdoor Whirlpool tub, and a small sunbathing area).

On the Upper Sundeck are the sunbathing areas (furnished with padded garden loungers and deckchairs), and shaded seating areas (covered with retractable awnings). The sundeck has no deck games (like Giant Chess Set, Shuffleboard or Mini-Golf Putting Green).

Aft is the Glas Roof over the Wine Cellar.

On Lower Deck are the ship's wellness facilities - the Fitness Center (a small Gym Room fitted with modern equipment), the Spa (a treatment room for massages) and the Hair Salon (hairdresser/barber services).

One Lift (passenger elevator) connects all cabin decks (1-2-3). All decks are interconnected via stairs (forward, midship and aft), including a grand staircase in the Atrium.

Smoking is permitted only at the Verandah (deck 3) and at Sundeck's Alfresco Lounge (Garden Terrace).

APT River Cruises are all-inclusive, offering complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including spirits, regional wines, cocktails, aperitifs, beer, juices, soft drinks, premium teas and coffees. The wines are hand-selected by the company's chief sommelier. The beverages are available at any time.

APT Ostara cruisetour prices are per person and inclusive of home-to-airport (UK private car) transfers, return flights (from the UK), shore excursions/land tour experiences (led by local expert guides, in up to 16 locations/cities, towns, villages), complimentary beverages (waiter-served) and laundry service, in-suite room service, professional butler service, certified APT River Cruise Director services.

Decks and Cabins

The APT riverboat Ostara has a total of 77 staterooms (all outside) and 4 decks (3 with cabins).

All cabins are double occupancy and sized from 25 m2/270 ft2 (Owner's Suite with Outside Balcony) to 17 m2/185 ft2 (Balcony Suite with French Balcony) and 15 m2/160 ft2 (Twin Window Suite with Non-opening Windows).

Most staterooms are French Balcony (55x, on decks Main and Upper) each fitted with a floor-ceiling sliding electric window opening halfway down.

The largest accommodations (8x Owner Suites on Deck Upper) feature an outside/step-out veranda furnished with a low table and two deckchairs.

The smallest accommodations (14x Window Suites on Deck Lower) have two high-level twin windows (positioned near the ceiling) that can not be opened.

APT Ostara cabins offer as standard (cruise price-inclusive) amenities en-suite bathroom (single-sink vanity, WC-toilet, shower, under-sink storage, magnifying mirror, hairdryer, shaver socket), hotel beds (Queen-size bed convertible to twins, with premium bedding sets and pillows), bedside tables, wall-mounted reading lamps, LED ceiling lights, wall-mounted HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system, movies, Internet, ship info channel, real-time bow camera views), phone (onboard calls only - Reception Desk, passenger cabins, wake-up service), mirrored vanity table (writing desk), round table with 2 armchairs, mirrored wardrobe, minibar (refrigerator, tea-coffee making facilities), electronic safe box (in the closet), 220V power sockets, individually controlled air-conditioning, butler service.

Itineraries

Next are listed the APT Solara and APT Ostara itineraries during the inaugural cruise season (2025) as themes, homeports and call ports.

The 14-night/15-day "Magnificent Europe" (Amsterdam Holland to Budapest Hungary or reverse/Budapest-Amsterdam) is on the Rhine, Main-Danube Canal (passing) and the Danube. The cruisetour visits Amsterdam (day 1-2 overnight on the ship), Andernach (day 3), Rudesheim (day 4), Miltenberg (day 5), Wurzburg (day 6), Bamberg (day 7), Nuremberg (day 8), Regensburg (day 9), Passau (bus travel to Salzburg, embarkation in Linz/day 10), Melk and Durnstein (day 11), Vienna (day 12-13 overnight) and Budapest (day 14-15 overnight). Prices started at AU$10100 per person.

The 20-night/21-day "Magnificent Europe with Paris and Prague" cruisetour combines a hotel stay in Paris France, travel to Amsterdam (ship embarkation for the Magnificent Europe Cruise to Budapest), debarkation in Budapest and travel to Prague Czechia (3-night hotel stay). Prices started at AU$15600 pp.

The 26-night/27-day "Switzerland by Rail with Magnificent Europe" cruisetour combines the "Magnificent Europe Cruise" from Amsterdam to Budapest with Zurich  (day 1-2 overnight), Lucerne and Engelberg (day 2), Engelberg and Mount Titlis/Uri Alps (day 3), Engelberg and Lugano (day 4), Lugano (day 5), Lugano, Tirano, and St Moritz (day 6), St Moritz and Zermatt (day 7), Zermatt (day 8), Zermatt, Spiez and Wengen (day 9), Wengen and Jungfraujoch (day 10), Wengen and Montreux (day 11), Montreux and Geneva (day 12), and Geneva (day 13, travel to Amsterdam for ship embarkation and on day 14).

The 26-night/27-day "Iconic Italy with Magnificent Europe" cruisetour combines the "Magnificent Europe Cruise" from Budapest to Amsterdam with Rome Italy (day 1-2 overnight), Rome, Pompeii and Sorrento (day 3), Sorrento and Capri Island (day 4), Sorrento, Assisi and Perugia (day 5), Perugia, San Gimignano and Florence (day 6), Florence (day 6-7 overnight), Florence, Pisa, Portofino and Rapallo (day 8), Rapallo and Cinque Terre (day 9), Rapallo, Valpolicella, and Venice (day 10), Venice (day 10-11 overnight), Venice, Ljubljana and Zagreb (day 12), and Budapest (for ship embarkation).

The 24-night/25-day "Eastern Bloc with Magnificent Europe" cruisetour combines the "Magnificent Europe Cruise" from Budapest to Amsterdam with Prague (day 1-2-3 overnight), Prague, Dresden and Berlin (day 4), Berlin (day 4-5 overnight), Berlin and Potsdam (day 6), Berlin and Warsaw (day 7), Warsaw (day 8), Warsaw, Auschwitz and Krakow (day 9), Krakow (day 9-10 overnight), Krakow and Budapest (day 11-12 overnight, ship embarkation). Prices started at AU$23900 pp.

The 7-night/8-day "Highlights of the Rhine and Main Cruise" from Amsterdam to Munich visits Amsterdam (day 1-2 overnight, ship embarkation), Andernach (day 3), Rudesheim (day 4), Miltenberg (day 5), Wurzburg (day 6), Bamberg (day 7), and Nuremberg (ship disembarkation, travel to Munich). Prices started at AU$4700 pp.

The 7-night/8-day "Danube Discovery" (Nuremberg to Budapest) visits Regensburg, Passau, Durnstein, and Vienna.

The 11-night/12-day "Balkan Gems with Transylvania and Bucharest" (Budapest to Bucharest) visits Mohacs, Vukovar, and Belgrade, and features passing the Iron Gates.