The APT Travel Group has christened its new luxury river ship, the APT Ostara, in a ceremony in Vienna last week, ahead of the family-owned company’s centenary in 2027.
Guests gathered on the ship’s Sundeck for drinks before APT family principal and director Lou Tandy addressed the occasion. The group then moved shoreside, where the ship’s godmother – Tandy’s daughter – read a blessing ahead of the traditional breaking of a champagne bottle against the hull. A gala dinner followed.
“As the third generation to lead our family business, I think a lot about the people who came before me, and the generations who will follow,” Tandy said. “As we approach our centenary, Ostara represents our commitment to the future; a next-generation river ship, designed for the next generation of APT travellers. Sharing this milestone with my daughter today was especially meaningful.”
APT Travel Group chief executive officer David Cox said the APT Ostara and its sister ship, the APT Solara, reflected both the company’s history and its plans for growth.
Sister ship, APT Solara was launched by the now-retired Robert McGeary and Tandy, Solara’s Godmother early last year.
“They honour nearly 100 years of experience while demonstrating our commitment to continued growth, innovation and investment in the guest experience,” Cox said. “These ships build on everything APT is known for, while helping shape the next chapter of our business and the journeys we’ll create for future generations of travellers.”
The APT Ostara‘s interiors were designed by Melbourne-based studio Hecker Guthrie, which also designed the APT Solara. The ship carries 154 guests and includes Balcony and Owner’s Suites, along with a bar and dining venue that lifts hydraulically to offer views from the Sun Deck. It has six dining venues in total, plus in-suite dining.
It’s inaugural cruise as seven days, one-way from Amsterdam to Nuremberg, before embarking on its regular 14- or 15-day Amsterdam-Budapest-Amsterdam route ahead of an inaugural 14-day round-trip Voyage Through the Balkans in April next year.
