MS VistaExplorer

MS VistaExplorer cruise ship is a premium riverboat with 4-star hotel ranked staterooms. The ship features stylish interiors, an intimate environment, excellent service delivered by professional staff and crew. VistaExplorer cruises on Danube, Rhine and Main rivers, with roundtrip departures from Passau and Cologne. Passengers are predominantly German.

Shipboard facilities

MS VistaExplorer has 3 passenger decks, complimentary Panorama Restaurant (complimentary dining room), lobby area (ship entrances, 24-hour Reception Desk, Tour Office, Boutique Shop), Panorama Salon-Bar (show lounge with floor-ceiling windows, dance floor, electronic piano, full-service Bar), 24-hour Coffee Station, Library (reading lounge with books, DVDs, puzzles, board games, Internet corner with 2 computers and 1 printer), wellness complex (Spa massage room, Fitness/Gym Room), Sun Deck with shaded seating area (retractable awnings, 4-seat tables) and sunbathing area (deckchairs and sun loungers). Sundeck's fore-located Sky Lounge is roof-covered and glass-walled.

One Lift (passenger elevator) connects all cabin decks. All decks are interconnected via stairs (forward, midship and aft). Laundry and ironing services, Wi-Fi (WLAN) connections, Internet and shore excursions cost extra. Smoking is permitted only on Sun Deck.

Onboard dining is complimentary, fixed (with assigned seating) and includes buffet breakfasts and lunches, and waiter served 4-course dinners with themed menus and local (cruise itinerary-based) cuisine specialities. The main course for dinner is selected at noon, from an a la carte menu. All meals are served in common dining times. Tea, coffee with cakes and pastries are offered in the afternoon as well as late-night snacks. Open bar and table drinks like draft beer, house wine, soft drinks (coke, lemonade, juices, mineral water), tea and coffee (from 8 am to 12-midnight) are included. Dishes for special diets (gluten-free, lactose-free, diabetics, etc) are provided upon request. Special dietary requirements, food allergies and intolerances must be notified in advance. The traditional Captain's Reception (cocktail party) and Captain's Dinner (gala dinner menu) are formal events held in the Restaurant.

The well-stocked breakfast buffet (7-9 am) offers eggs, sausages, bacon, various breads-rolls, types of sausages and cheeses, dairy products, yoghurts, fresh fruits, eight muesli varieties. Lunch buffet's opening hours are cruise tour itinerary-based (ports and excursions). At lunch are offered 1 fish dish, 1 meat dish, hot side dishes, 1 soup, salad buffet, dessert station. On embarkation day, coffee, tea and cakes are available in front of the Restaurant, but for just about 30 min. On days without tours, a cake is served in the Lounge. On "tour days", the offer is limited to coffee-tea and midnight snacks (canapes).

The 4-course dinner is served on-site and includes 2 appetizers, 1 soup, 1 main course (pre-order in the afternoon is required), 1 dessert. Main course choices always include 1 meat and 1 fish dish. Dietary requirements, light diets and vegetarian preferences are catered for. Waiting staff (mostly from Eastern European countries) is German-speaking, well-trained, friendly and helpful.

Onboard entertainment (in the Salon-Bar / Lounge) includes live music performances, crew show, playing cards and board games, bingo, skat tournaments, music quiz, napkin folding lessons, evening dance parties. Shore excursions are offered at additional cost in every port of call along the cruise tour itinerary. At each stop are complimentary provided maps and tour guide explanations.

Cabins

MS VistaExplorer has a total of 85 staterooms (77 cabins plus 8 suites) all of which are outside. Cabins on Upper Deck (Deluxe and Suites) all have French balconies (sliding glass doors opening to a railing). Middle Deck Superior cabins are with partially opening windows. Comfort Cabins (forward on Middle Deck) are half-deck lower and each has 2 large non-opening windows. All Main Deck cabins are with two small non-opening windows. Main and Middle deck cabins are fitted with 2 separate wall beds and small table with chair. Upper Deck cabins are with double beds (convertible to twins) and lounge area with round table and two chairs.

All VistaExplorer cabins offer as standard amenities en-suite bathroom (washbasin, WC-toilet, glass shower, under-sink storage, hairdryer, razor socket), bedside cabinets with reading lamps, underbed storage, wall-mounted flat TV (satellite reception, ship info channel, real-time bow camera views, weather forecast), radio, phone (onboard calls only - Reception Desk, passenger cabins, wake-up service), round table with chair, above-bed shelf, mirrored wardrobe, electronic safe box (in the closet), 220V power sockets, individually controlled air-conditioning.

Window and French Balcony cabins are similarly sized (14-15 m2 / 150-160 ft2). Suites are larger (sized 25-28 m2 / 270-300 ft2) and additionally offer bigger lounge area (round table with 2 armchairs), minibar (refrigerator) and CD/DVD player.

Cabin categories include:

• (HDV-Forward, HDA-Aft, HD1-Single, HD2-Double) Standard Cabins with 2 small fixed windows and 2 separate beds are located on Main Deck.
• (MDV-Forward, MDK-Gluck) Comfort Cabins are with 2 large fixed windows and 2 separate beds, and are located in the forward section of Middle Deck.
• (D1-Single, MD2-Double, MDA-Aft) Superior Cabins are with opening windows and 2 separate beds, and are located in the aft section of Middle Deck.
• (OD1-Single, OD2-Double) Deluxe Cabins are all with French Balcony and double bed (convertible to twins) and are all located on Upper Deck.
• (ODS) Deluxe Suites are with French Balcony and separable double bed and located midship on Upper Deck.

For two full-paying adults in a 2-bed stateroom or one full-paying adult in a single cabin (with extra bed), kids and teens (ages 2 to 19) travel for free (sleeping in a folding bed).

1avista VistaExplorer cruise itineraries

Next, are listed all 1avista VistaExplorer cruisetour itineraries (roundtrips from Passau Germany) as call ports and port times.

• 4-day "Christmas Markets" cruisetour visits Bonn (6 pm - 1 am), Koblenz (7 am - 1 pm), Ruedesheim (6 pm - 6 am), Wiesbaden (8 am - 2 pm), Mainz (3 pm - 9 pm). Cologne departure is at 3 pm, with arrival at 8 am.
• 6-day "Christmas Markets on the Danube" cruisetour visits Vienna (0:30 pm - 11 pm), Esztergom, Budapest (1 pm - 9 pm), Bratislava (1 pm - 6 pm), Melk (11 am - 2 pm). Passau departure is at 4 pm, with arrival at 9 am.
• 6-day "Danube Metropolises" cruisetour visits Vienna (4 pm - 11:45 pm), Esztergom (8:30 am - 9 am), Budapest (1 pm - 8 pm), Bratislava (1 pm - 6 pm), Durnstein (8 am - 0:30 pm). Passau departure is at 6 pm, with arrival at 8:30 am.
• 7-day "Pearls of the Danube" cruisetour visits Vienna-Nussdorf (1 pm - 12 am), Budapest (3:30 am - 7 pm), Bratislava (12 am - 7 pm), Melk (1 pm - 3:30 pm). Passau departure is at 5 pm, with arrival at 8:30 am.
• 8-day "Holiday trip on the Danube" cruise tour visits Durnstein (10 am - 1 pm), Budapest (10 am - 2 pm), Bratislava (8 am - 1 pm), Vienna (8:30 pm - 11 pm), Melk (9:30 am - 1:30 pm). Passau departure is at 4 pm, with arrival at 9 am.
• 8-day "Christmas" cruisetour visits Nijmegen (3 am - 4 pm), Antwerp (8 am - 10 pm), Willemstad (3 am - 10 am), Rotterdam (2 pm - 8 pm), Amsterdam (3 am - 11:45 pm), Arnhem (10 am - 4 pm). Cologne departure is at 4 pm, with arrival at 8 am.
• 9-day "Schlager Special" cruisetour visits Regensburg (9 am - 2 pm), Kehlheim (7 pm - 7:30 pm), Nurnberg (9:30 am - 6 pm), Bamberg (7 am - 0:30 pm), Wurzburg (9:30 am - 6 pm), Wertheim (7 am - 1 pm), Frankfurt am Main (8 am - 1 pm), Ruedesheim (8 pm - 7 am). Passau departure is at 6 pm, with Cologne arrival at 5 pm.
• 15-day "Danube Total - Passau to Black Sea" cruisetour visits Vienna (1 pm - 6 pm), Kalocsa (3 pm - 7 pm), Mohacs (9 pm - 12 pm), Belgrade (1 pm - 10 pm), Iron Gate (Serbia/Romania), Rousse (10 am - 1 pm), Tulcea (8:30 am - 3 pm), Fetesti (7:30 am - 8 am), Oltenita (3:30 pm - 5 pm), Belgrade (1:30 pm - 3 pm), Novi Sad (8:30 pm - 9:30 pm), Mohacs (11 am - 5:30 pm), Budapest (7 am - 10 pm), Bratislava (1:30 pm - 6 pm), Durnstein (10:30 am - 11 am), Melk (2 pm - 3 pm). Passau departure is at 5:30 pm, with arrival at 8 am.

1avista customers booking B2Bs / back-to-back cruises (two consecutive cruises itineraries with min 7-day combined duration) receive EUR 40 per person in onboard credit. Solo travellers booking single cabins pay a discounted surcharge of EUR 50 pp.

1avista Reisen cruise deals are inclusive of:

• River cruising, stateroom
• shipboard dining - breakfast (buffet), waiter-served lunch and afternoon coffee-tea (with pastries), waiter-served dinner, late-night snacks
• Captain's Dinner (special menu), Welcome Cocktail party
• Unlimited beverages (between 8 am - 12-midnight) - house wine, draft beer, soft drinks (cola, lemonade, juices, mineral water, coffee, tea
• onboard facilities and live entertainment program
• German-speaking tour guide
• luggage transport (embarkation and debarkation)
• all Gov taxes and port fees

Not included in cruise fares are arrival-departure and transfers (to/from the boat), personal expenses, tours (shore excursions), gratuities (recommended EUR 7 pp per day)