- APT is one of Australia’s iconic travel brands.
- Early in 2025, it is set for a relaunch
- There will be stunning new vessels in Europe and around the world – and a whole lot more
It’s been three years in the making but APT, one of Australia’s most lauded travel brands, is about to relaunch with a fleet of magnificent and revolutionary Australian designed river ships, plans to sail the Nile and a suite of products to rival any other luxury line.
Next year, APT Solara and APT Ostara will be sailing Europe on the famous rivers – and they are already 80 per cent booked.
They were designed in Australia by the world-renowned Hecker Guthrie team, and they feature some fascinating innovations. Like a restaurant and bar that rises out of the roof in the evening to allow guests to drink and dine Al Fresco.
APT CEO David Cox talked to Cruise Passenger about the changes to hit the market next year – and proudly maintained the company now incorporates everything desired by today’s luxury traveller: new European and Asian river ships, Captain’s Choice private jet holidays, Kimberley and adventure sailings with partner Seabourn, and $5 million investments in the glamping camps of Australia.
Travelmarvel, which already has three new river vessels and is about to build more. And let’s not forget the mighty Murray River venture – Australia’s only river cruise which is about to launch a new ship.
Cox reveals the partnership, in which APT is selling the cruises, is going so well there could be a second new build on the horizon. And APT is launching on the Nile.
It’s perhaps a surprise to some that one of Australia’s premier river cruise lines actually chartered its ships in Europe for almost two decades, but APT sailed the AmaWaterways fleet. Now, that partnership is over, the two lines are friendly rivals.
Cox has just returned from a visit to the European shipyards where Solara and Ostara are being built. He’s excited. Everything is set to launch in April next year.
” I went and stood in the fabulous hydraulic restaurant, and I spoke with the shipbuilder and it’s all on schedule,” he assures.
He agrees the plan has been a while in the making. It’s all about raising the level of APT to meet the needs of Australians who are demanding higher levels of luxury. Now it’s all coming together at lightning speed.
“We really had a schedule that said we’re going to deliver a new ship on the Mekong, which we did in July, and I’m very pleased to say the scores that we’re getting from that are 9.7, which is as close to the highest you can get, which is impressive in Asia.
“We launched a new Douro ship in September. And we are launching the two new APT ships – one in April and one in June next year. And our first Seabourn cruises are commencing in June, 2025.”
Solara and Ostara will be the flagships of this new push to elevate the brand. “We’re saying we’ve now got the youngest fleet of river ships of any of our competitors, and we deliberately went with Seabourn, which is recognised at the very high level on ocean.
“So we really are trying to elevate, not only APT but actually the hardware that goes it. Luxury is being widely used by many people these days. We said we need to honour the brand and make sure we are delivering luxury.
“We need to keep evolving and make sure we’re delivering on that. Our ships operating on the Rhine, Main and Danube, with 7 choices of dining options. We’re still all-inclusive, but we’re trying to give more options.
“We don’t have a main restaurant that holds all the passengers. The capacity of the ship is 154 – it’s actually less than what we had on the previous ships. This is really unusual in the Europe River ship game – most companies will always make sure that there is the main dining room that can hold everyone.
“Our customers are saying ‘we don’t want to sit in the main dining room for breakfast and dinner every night. We want choice, and we actually do want to move around and have the food offerings sorted.'”
Other innovations include the Owner’s Cellar, which will sit 16 people and, of course, the revolutionary hydraulic system that will raise the Grüner Bar to the upper Sun Deck for 360- degree vistas.
“That whole venue lifts and becomes level with the Sun Deck and actually opens out on the Sun Deck,” says Cox. “It will be small plate, shared eating, fresh food. This raises up the top and turns into a cocktail bar that feeds to the top deck and into that area at sunset when you’re at dock. It’s just going to be fantastic.”
So is APT aiming at a more youthful market? Cox maintains the company is focused on its core 55+ audience of Australians and some British guests.
“We’re unashamedly 55 plus. There are no kids allowed on the ships. I think the age is 12 and over. We’re not saying we don’t allow kids on board, but we’re not encouraging it. Our itineraries are definitely not designed for Children.”
With all of that activity, Cox and the company are still expanding. Travelmarvel will have a new ship in Europe in 2026 sailing the popular Amsterdam to Budapest route. There will be more for APT – and a first ship on the Nile in Egypt with 60 cabins.
Touring is level pegging with cruise in terms of customer interest, and APT’s famous glamping sites are also being refreshed.
“If you want a mode of travel, we’ve got it, whether it’s four wheel drive, whether it’s large coach, small coach, whether it’s rail, whether it’s private jet, whether it’s expedition cruising or river cruising, we’ve got it all.”
The Murray River’s new ship is designed for those who want to know what river cruising is all about – or those who no longer want the long plane ride to Asia or Europe.
“We really kind of wanted to give people a taste of cruising, perhaps as a precursor to doing a Europe River cruise. People can get an idea of what it’s like. Murray River cruising was the obvious solution. We’ve worked hand in hand with our partner in that and helped design the ship.
“And I’m pleased to say there are plans for a second. It’s proving very successful.”
Land tours are getting a makeover, too.
“It’s remote, seasonal, high, high cost. But our Kimberley four-wheel drive programme is really important to us. Of course, with the camps, it’s glamping because the one thing we know is that people do not want to have to get up at night and go out to an ablution block. Every tent has its own facilities.”
For Kimberley cruising, the partnership with Seabourn has replaced the Caledonian Sky, which briefly sailed in Fiji but is now in Europe under the Travelmarvel brand.
Cox is unconcerned about how many ships are now sailing Kimberley seasons – Seabourn is just one of the new luxury lines in the iconic Australian wilderness region.
He says most of the guests are Australian and nature has a way of sorting things out. Prices, for instance, mean it can be cheaper to river cruise in Europe.
APT is almost 100 years old, and has played a big part in turning Australians into global adventurers. Founded by Bill McGeary and his son Geoff, it is now in the hands of Geoff’s children Rob McGeary and Lou Tandy.
Next year will see the results of their work. It promises to be exciting.
See more at https://www.aptouring.com.au/
