24.03.2023
Ceremonial christening of the VIVA TWO - VIVA Cruises sends second newbuild on voyage within a year
VIVA Cruises christened its new flagship yesterday, Thursday, in its home port of Düsseldorf: the VIVA TWO. The day was hosted by TV presenter Marco Schreyl and godmother Shiri Gordon ceremoniously broke the champagne bottle on the bow of the new ship. Around 220 invited national and international guests were present at the celebrations, and Düsseldorf passers-by were also able to watch the christening ceremony live from land.
In a relaxed round of talks, presenter Marco Schreyl first invited Andrea Kruse and Arno Reitsma onto the stage. The Managing Director and Managing Director of VIVA Cruises agreed: "Just in time for the fifth anniversary of VIVA Cruises, we have now christened and commissioned our second newbuild. This is another major milestone for us and we are more than proud of this ship - from the design to the technical innovations, it meets all our requirements."
The first captain, Slobodan Golubovic, said how proud he is to be working on this new ship and describes it as the highlight of his career - he is the third generation captain and, together with his brother, the second captain of the VIVA TWO, will guide the ship safely across Europe's rivers. Hotel manager Rastislav Chrkavy is also looking forward to the new task. For him, the well-being of the guests and his crew is paramount.
After best wishes from Pastor Stephan Scharf, the floor was handed over to the godmother Shiri Gordon, CEO and co-owner of the Tel Aviv-based Gordon Travel Group. With touching words and full of pride, she sent VIVA Cruises' second newbuild on a safe voyage at all times. As godmother, she represents all of the company's partners, successful women in management positions and a passion for the river cruise industry.
There was a surprise at the cutting of the christening cake: another ship of the VIVA Cruises fleet is already being planned. Andrea Kruse announces the VIVA THREE for September 2024.
VIVA TWO - the new flagship of the VIVA fleet
The VIVA TWO has a total of 95 cabins for up to 190 passengers, making it the new flagship of the VIVA Cruises fleet. A new feature is the architecture, which not only features an open lounge and restaurant area, but also creates space for a third restaurant: the specialty restaurant MOMENTS, which is also included in the VIVA All-Inclusive. The most significant technical innovation is the VIVA TWO's exhaust system. This means that the ship meets the EU Stage V emissions standard, which regulates strict compliance with emissions in both European and domestic inland shipping. This is a major step towards greater sustainability and at the same time a prerequisite for the mandatory Gold eco-label of the international Green Award. The award certification demonstrates the proactive implementation of measures to protect the environment and the ships' high safety standards. In addition, the ship has 76 solar panels that support the on-board power supply. The energy generated is also used primarily for the ship's bow thruster and when electricity usage is high.
In future, the VIVA TWO will mainly be traveling on the Danube - on five-day short trips or seven-night river cruises from Passau or Vienna, the ship will take its guests to the most impressive places along the Danube. In summer and late summer, the program includes the long 16-day voyage to the Danube Delta, which promises a unique nature experience with an untouched wilderness full of biodiversity. At the start of the 2024 season, the VIVA TWO will return to Düsseldorf in January, February and March for the popular four-night city trips to the Netherlands and Belgium. Customers who book by April 16, 2023 will receive a free upgrade to the next higher cabin category for their river cruise in 2024.