APT Travel Group Introduces Two River Cruise Ships for North American Market
by Dori Saltzman
ATP Solara. Photo: APT Travel Group.
APT Travel Group is opening up its European and Nile river cruise products to North Americas, starting with two ships: the APT Solara and the APT Ostara. Both are 154-guests ships operated by APT Luxury Travel, the group’s five-star, all-inclusive brand.
The ships feature six distinct dining venues, including Grüner Bar & Dining, a new river cruise concept that sees the venue rise by hydraulic lift from Deck 3 to the open Sun Deck.
Both ships will sail the company’s seven- and 15-day Magnificent Europe itineraries between Budapest and Amsterdam, offering signature experiences such as morning tea at Namedy Castle hosted by Princess Heide von Hohenzollern, as well as a private evening at Vienna’s City Palace with cocktails and a full orchestra and operatic performance.
The expansion continues on the Nile River, where Travelmarvel, APT Travel Group’s premium tour and cruise brand, is launching a Treasures of Egypt and the Nile itinerary this fall. The tour combines a stay in Cairo with a voyage between Luxor and Aswan aboard the Travelmarvel Sirius, the brand’s first dedicated Egypt river ship.
“Nearly a century after APT Travel Group began with a single bus in Melbourne, bringing our river cruises to the United States marks an exciting new chapter for our family-owned business,” said Lou Tandy, family principal and director of APT Travel Group. “We’ve always had our own point of view on travel — combining beautiful contemporary design and genuine destination expertise with a distinctly Australian sense of relaxed luxury. It’s less about formality and more about freedom, authenticity and experiencing a destination in a way that feels personal.”





