MS VistaFidelio

The 1995-built MS VistaFidelio cruise ship is a 4-star hotel-ranked riverboat owned by Breeze River Cruises GmbH and currently operated under charter by 1avista Reisen.

Vista Fidelio cruises on Danube River, with roundtrip departures from homeport Passau Germany. Due to its smaller dimensions, the vessel can also cruise on Rhine River and its tributaries. Passengers are predominantly Germans.

Shipboard facilities

MS VistaFidelio has 3 passenger decks, complimentary Panorama Restaurant (5-star dining room, also accessible via stairlift), lobby area (ship entrances, 24-hour Reception Desk, Tour Office), Panorama Salon-Bar (main lounge with dance floor, Zimmermann piano), Boutique Shop (selling souvenirs, logoed clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, toiletries, sweets), Library (fore-located reading lounge with books, puzzles, board games), Sun Deck with shaded seating (glass-roof cover, 4-seat tables) and sunbathing area (deckchairs, sun loungers and heated swimming pool).

The wellness complex (midship on Main Deck) consists of Spa (massage room), Sauna Room, Gym, Hair Salon (hairdresser-barber services), Laundry and ironing services, bicycle rental, Wi-Fi (WLAN) connections, Internet and shore excursions cost extra. Smoking is permitted only at designated areas on Sun Deck. The ship carries bicycles that can be rented at Reception Desk.

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 8:00 to 24:00) 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.

Vista Fidelio ship is not suitable for wheelchair passengers as it has no Lift (elevator) and moorings are often not handicap-accessible.

Cabins

MS VistaFidelio has a total of 74 staterooms (all outside), similarly sized (14 m2 / 150 ft2), of which 16 on Main Deck (Hauptdeck, also housing all crew cabins), 30 on Middle (Mitteldeck) and 28 on Upper Deck (Oberdeck). Main Deck cabins are with 2 separate lower beds (80x200 cm, parallel or L-shape arranged). One of the beds is daytime sofa (during the day can be used as a couch), while the other bed is foldaway. Single cabins have 1 lower plus 1 upper (bunk) bed.

Some double cabins can be booked as singles (at 70% supplement, based on availability). Some staterooms are with triple occupancy, providing a 3rd folding bed (upper bunk). Comfort and Superior cabins are with large non-opening windows and double beds (convertible to twins upon request).

All VistaFidelio cabins offer as standard amenities either partially opening window (with sliding section) or two non-opening Porthole windows, en-suite bathroom (washbasin, WC-toilet, shower, under-sink storage, hairdryer, razor socket), flat TV (satellite reception, ship info channel, real-time bow camera views, weather forecast), phone (intercom / onboard calls only - Reception Desk, passenger cabins, wake-up service), radio, mirrored vanity table (writing desk with chair), bedside cabinets with reading lamps, lounge area (with round table and chair), wardrobe (hangers, no drawers), electronic safe box (in the closet), 220V power sockets, individually (thermostat) controlled air-conditioning.

Cabin categories include:

• Main Deck cabins are all with non-opening Porthole windows and in categories HD1 (Single), HD2 (Double) and HDA (Aft).
• Middle Deck cabins are in Comfort categories MD1 (Single), MD2 (Double), MD3 (Triple), MDA (Aft) and MDV (Forward).
• Upper Deck cabins are in Superior categories OD2 (Double) and ODA (Aft). Superior cabins numbers 353-354-359-360 are with bathtub instead of shower.
• Single Cabins are in categories HD1 (Main-Hauptdeck), MD1 (Middle-Mitteldeck) and OD1 (Upper-Oberdeck).

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 VistaFidelio cruise itineraries

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

• 6-day "Danube Compact" cruise tour visits Vienna (2 pm - 10 pm), Esztergom (8:30 am - 9 am), Budapest (1:30 pm - 9 pm), Bratislava (1:30 pm - 6 pm), Dürnstein / Rossatz (8 am - 1pm). Passau departure is at 6 pm, with arrival at 8 am.
• 6-day "Danube Metropolises" cruise tour visits Vienna (1:30 pm - 11 pm), Budapest (1:30 pm - 6 pm), Bratislava (1 pm - 5 pm), Melk (11 am - 1:30 pm). Passau departure is at 5 pm, with arrival at 9 am.
• 17-day "From Passau to the Black Sea" cruisetour visits Vienna (1 pm - 11 pm), Budapest (2 pm - 10:30 pm), Mohacs (9 am - 10:30 am), Vukovar (4:30 pm - 9 pm), Belgrade (6 am - 5 pm), Vidin (3 pm - 7 pm), Giurgiu (10 am - 11 am), Oltenita (3 pm - 4 pm), Vilkovo (2 pm - 6 pm), Tulcea (6 am - 11 am), Rousse (4 pm - 11 pm), Nikopol (7 am - 8 am), Oriachovo (2 pm - 2:30 pm), Lom (7 pm - 7:30 pm), Passage "Iron Gate" / Donji Milanovac (2 pm - 4:30 pm), Mohacs (9 pm - 10:30 pm), Budapest (3 pm - 3:30 pm), Visegrad (7 pm - 7:30 pm), Bratislava (11 am - 4:30 pm), Dürnstein / Rossatz (7:30 am - 1pm). Passau departure is at 6 pm, with arrival at 9 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 travelers 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 (Bar Lounge)
• 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 1avista cruise fares are arrival-departure and transfers (to/from the boat), personal expenses, tours (shore excursions), gratuities (recommended EUR 7 pp per day).