New River Cruise Company Starts Sailing

Former Silversea CEO Albert Peter is behind the launch of a luxury river cruise company comprised of three independent brands that will target the luxury, premium and contemporary markets.

Jewel River Cruise Line will debut in 2008 with six ships. It plans to add two all-suite new-builds in 2009 and 2010.

Jewel River Cruise Line’s five ships within the premium and contemporary brands will be based in central Europe and are already fully chartered to European tour operators.

The venture will be comprised of three brands serving distinct markets. The company said Jewel River Cruises will introduce a boutique-luxury level of river cruising, Emerald River Journeys will be a premium line and Princess River Journeys will be a contemporary product.

River cruise veteran Ulrich Baur and Swiss financier Eberhard Henter-Besting partnered with Albert to form the company. Jacques Wulffaert, a former senior executive at Celebrity Cruises and ResidenSea, is Jewel River Cruise Line’s president and COO.

The company’s first ship will be a used one. The Jewel Imperial Blue will go into drydock in Rotterdam at the Hoogedoorn Shipyard in early 2008 to undergo a complete refit at a cost of $3.5 million.

The company said the ship will become the only all-suite ship in the river cruise industry, accommodating 90 passengers in 45 suites. The guest-to-crew ratio will be two-to-one.