Viola

The German tour operator Phoenix Reisen was founded in 1973. In 1988 they started cruising the oceans with the charter of the ship Maxim Gorki. Starting as a pure ocean shipping company, Phoenix Reisen expanded its range in 1993 to include the popular river cruises. The four well-known ocean liners are now joined by more than 30 river ships as well as a few smaller ships for exceptional destinations. The shipping company is still in family hands and attaches great importance to a friendly and pleasant atmosphere aboard their ships.

The Viola is one of the first fully accessible river cruise ships in Europe. Volunteers on the ship take care of the well-being of the guests. On board, elegance is combined with a friendly service, good food and the classic river cruise. The ship was completely renovated in 2019 and has 4 decks. With a length of 96.3 m it can accommodate up to 122 passengers. Amenities such as a panoramic salon, a hairdresser and a sundeck all help ensure that you can fully enjoy your holiday on board.

• Built in: 1995
• Renovation: 2019
• Length: 96.3 m
• Width: 11.4 m
• Depth: 1.7 m
• Language: German
• Currency: Euro

The comfortable decorated outside staterooms aboard the Viola are approx. 9-13 sqm in size. As a wheelchair-accessible ship, it offers 34 wheelchair-accessible staterooms on the upper decks. These are equipped with extra-wide doors, height-adjustable beds, lowerable sinks and walk-in showers. For accompanying passengers own staterooms are available. The staterooms have large, unopenable windows. On the lower deck, the staterooms are not wheelchair accessible and have small, non-opening windows. Two staterooms each share a spacious bathroom. The general equipment consists of a shower/WC, a hairdryer, an air conditioning, a TV, a radio and a telephone. The voltage is 220 V AC. The beds can be separated with a curtain if required. In addition, the staterooms on the main deck are equipped with a folding seat, toilet with double-folding handrails and electrically height-adjustable beds. Emergency buttons are available in the bathroom and in the stateroom.

As on all Phoenix ships, the atmosphere on board the viola is cosy and informal with a classic ambience. The dress code on board is casual, the traditional captain's dinner is expected to have a more elegant wardrobe, but no evening wear is needed here either. Regional events, live music and light entertainment make your trip an all-round successful river experience. Due to the fact that the tour operator is a German company the onboard language is German and guests pay their bills in Euro.

Guests can enjoy a rich buffet breakfast, multi-course lunch and dinner, as well as afternoon coffee/tea, pastries and midnight snacks on board the Viola. On request, meals can also be prepared gluten-free, lactose-free or diabetic-friendly. Numerous meals are available from morning till night - including afternoon coffee time, and a captain's dinner with a festive menu. Included house wines, draft beer, soft drinks such as coke, lemonade, mineral water, juices and coffee/tea are available daily.

A selection of board and card games is available on board. Regional events, live music and light entertainment make your trip an all-round river experience. On the sun deck you can enjoy relaxing hours and let the river panorama pass by.

To fully enjoy the beautiful itineraries with wheelchair friendly harbors, there are plenty of options for shore excursions. The Phoenix-team will arrange organized trips for most destinations and will provide you with lots of information. The detailed program will be sent to you together with your documents about 3 weeks before departure. The payment of the excursions takes place on board. Girocard and VISA/MasterCard are accepted on board.

If you are interested in a unique Rhine cruise experience and you have special needs, the Viola will give you the opportunity to fulfill your dream. It is strongly tailored to your needs and all facilities have been adapted accordingly. The refurbishment in 2019 will allow you to look forward to a modern ship that offers a great deal in terms of culinary options as well as entertainment.