Phoenix Reisen has christened the Antonia, the newest ship in its river fleet, before sailing the German company’s first cruise of the 2021 river season.

With Phoenix Reisen being based in Bonn, that is where the christening ceremony took place, after guests embarked in Cologne the previous day. The godmother was Petra Fendel-Sridharan, wife of the former Mayor of Bonn, Ashok-Alexander Sridharan. Pastor Raimund Blanke gave the ship, the crew and all guests his blessings.

The Antonia, which is a sister ship of the Asara, accommodates 190 guests in spacious public rooms and tastefully modern cabins, most of which have a French balcony, the cruise line said. The ship has emission-reduced machinery, shore power connection, a wastewater treatment plant and various technical equipment for energy consumption reduction.

Starting out with reduced capacity, 150 guests are traveling on the first cruise. Phoenix Reisen, which charters the new vessel from Rijfers Shipping, said that both it and the owner and operator are very much aware of their responsibility toward passengers and crew. Thus, a well-developed hygiene and safety concept, which was successfully implemented on board the Phoenix Reisen river ships last autumn, continues to be implemented onboard.

Phoenix Reisen Managing Director Benjamin Krumpen commented: “The best weather, loyal Phoenix guests, a fantastic crew, Captain Menno Vaasen and a dedicated godmother – we couldn’t imagine the start of the travel season more beautifully – and of course our guests.”