The World’s First Luxury River Cruise Sets Sail This Week

Earlier this summer, Royal Caribbean unveiled its new Harmony of the Seas vessel. The $1.5 billion liner features 2,100 crew members, 23 swimming pools and a 100-foot high water slide, setting the bar—and the price tag—almost untouchably high for all future luxury cruises.

However, 2016 must officially be the year of offshore indulgence, as Crystal Cruises has introduced its first ever luxury river cruise vessel. The ship, simply called Mozart, features a laundry list of amenities and comforts, and is being heralded as the river cruise experience of its kind.

The vessel, which will sail on the Danube River throughout Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary, is only the first of seven planned river ships, with Crystal promising four more by the summer of 2017.

In the meantime, the Mozart is more than enough to ogle over. The 394-foot long boat houses 79 suites, men’s and women’s saunas, three restaurants and indoor and outdoor pools.

That being said, it may be in the Mozart’s excursion options that the liner’s true opulence shows. Guests are welcome to take a private speedboat to their onshore excursions, with 30 electronic bikes also available to make travel as convenient as possible.

The ship’s inaugural journey will be full of such opportunities, as the Mozart will be introducing itself to the world with a ten day Danube cruise departing from Vienna and stopping throughout Austria as well as in Bratislava, Budapest and Passau, Germany. Fares for the journey, which begins July 13, aren’t exactly cheap, starting at $6,145 per person.

The price seems to be the major downside of the cruise, however it seems as though guests can plan to receive the type of extravagance they paid for. Still, you may want to either wait out initial prices, or start shaking out that spare change jar if you’re looking to cruise on a budget.

Dillon Thompson is a travel intern with Paste and a student at the University of Georgia.