CroisiEurope has announced the debut of its second paddle riverboat, the new Elbe Princesse. The line and the Schmitter family held a christening ceremony for the new ship recently in Berlin.
About 100 guests attended the ceremony, which was performed by Father Matthias Brühe from the Katholische Pfarrei Herz Jesu.
To symbolize the friendship between France and Germany, the company chose godparents from each country: Anke Rehlinger, Minister of Economic Affairs in Saarland, Germany, and Jean-Claude Tribolet representing Philippe Etienne, the French ambassador.
Germany travel company Goetten was joined by select tour operators and journalists in attending the event.
After the ceremony, several second and third generation Schmitters gave a personal tour of the ship, and the celebration finished up with the convivial cocktail hour for which CroisiEurope is known.
The new paddle riverboat now cruises between Berlin and Prague on the Elbe and Vltava Rivers. Its adapted size lets it enter and moor in the heart of city centers, allowing easy access to all the most important sites in Berlin; Potsdam and the gardens at the Sanssouci Palace; Lutherstadt Wittenberg, birthplace of the Reformation; Meissen and its porcelain factories; Dresden; the Elbe Sandstone Mountains; historical Litomerice; and Prague.
Unlike classic propulsion vessels, this prestigious ship can cruise the shallow waters of the Elbe all season long, as well as cruise into the center of Prague.
Built at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard, the ship has two decks and two stern paddlewheels. Its 40 spacious cabins all face outward, can accommodate up to 79 passengers, and provide Wi-Fi, air-conditioning and heating, flatscreen TV, radio, hair dryer and safe. A panoramic-view restaurant serves all the passengers in one seating, and a lounge area with a bar and dance floor is a place to meet up with family and friends. Chaise lounges on the sun deck let passengers relax as they watch the scenery roll by.