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About
Peter
Deilmann
Cruises...
In the 1980's, Peter Deilmann Cruises, a pioneer in the river
cruise industry, was the first to design and build ships that reflected the
style and amenities of ocean-going cruise ships but were keyed to the unique
specifications of river cruising. The line continues to be a leader in luxury
cruising. Readers of both "Conde Nast Traveler" and "Travel and Leisure"
magazines ranked Deilmann in the top 10 for small-ship cruising for
2004.
The privately owned German company, based in the Baltic town of
Neustadt in Holstein, was founded in 1968 (North American headquarters are
located in Alexandria, Virginia). Entrepreneur Deilmann began by operating
freighters, and then expanded to passenger service along the coast of Germany.
His first ocean-going cruise ship, the MS Berlin, marketed exclusively in
German-speaking countries, entered service in 1980. The ship was extended six
years later to accommodate 420 passengers. The luxury river fleet
followed.
Deilmann died in 2003, but the company remains a family
operation run by his two daughters, Gisa and Hedda Deilmann. They continue to
expand the company with new vessels and new programs. With the retiring of the
smallest of the ships, the 58-passenger Konigstein, the fleet has been reduced
from 10 to 9, with the intention eventually of having all ships in the five star
category. Seven of the nine ships currently in service are rated five
star.
The 2005 season introduces for the first time special interest
programs such as an October music cruise on the Danube River, pre- and
post-cruise golf packages in France and Germany, and the opportunity to explore
the countryside on guided bicycle outings during stops on select cruises in
France, Austria and Germany. Several garden cruises are planned to visit the
magnificent gardens found along the Rhone, Saone, Seine, Rhine and Elbe
rivers.
Changes for 2005 also include the introduction of two new routes
along the Seine River from Paris, with stops in Le Havre, Rouen and Vernon
(Giverny). Two ships have been forced to reposition due to low water levels on
the Po and Vistula Rivers. Instead of Italy, the Casanova will be sailing the
Rhine and Moselle rivers and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. The Frederic Chopin
will be cruising the Oder River in Germany and Poland, and the Elbe and Vtlava
rivers between Prague and Berlin.
Deilmann offers nearly 300 European
itineraries ranging in length from 7 to 11 nights and sailing between late March
and early November.
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CRUISECLEVER - PETER
DEILMANN
CRUISES
