Dutch Cruise Line, specialist in river cruises, presented its renewed MS Princess on Wednesday. The ship has been renovated from top to bottom and is ready for the new sailing season, which starts next week. The ship, which was presented in Werkendam, has 49 cabins and can accommodate 98 passengers. ‘This small scale is characteristic of all our ships,’ says Norbert van der Glas, who started working as International Sales Manager at Dutch Cruise Line on 1 May last year. The Maasbracht-based shipping company now has a fleet of ten ships. ‘We have a new ship every year,’ says Van der Glas. That extra capacity is also necessary, because bookings for river cruises are going very well. For 2024, Dutch Cruise Line is almost fully booked, except for a few weeks in December. ‘We see river cruises becoming more and more popular. You can take a tour of various cities in a relaxed way. The sports enthusiasts, often in their fifties and sixties, book a bicycle cruise. They cycle while the ship transports their luggage.’ Of Dutch Cruise Line’s current ten ships, four have a capacity of up to 100 passengers, while the other six have a capacity of between 138 and 146 passengers. Dutch Cruise Line works almost exclusively B2B. ‘We work with many specialised tour operators and travel agents,’ says Van der Glas. The renewed MS Princess is chartered for a large part of the year by the German SE Tours, which offers many bike cruises. Photo (from left to right): Hans Boonstra (Managing Director Dutch Cruise Line), Jeroen Biesheuvel (Product & Contract Manager ANWB Reizen), Norbert van der Glas (International Sales Manager at Dutch Cruise Line) and his colleague Martin Pronk (International Sales Manager).
