The chicest river cruiser in Europe is by an Australian company
Impossibly sleek and impressively accoutred, this river ship is like no other. Take the first look inside the cutting-edge vessel that’s reinventing the category.
With the precision of a Dutch still-life master, Lou Tandy is adjusting a bouquet on a river cruiser before its departure from Rotterdam. Few people can make artificial stems look as soigné as she does. “I found them in a local florist – they’re called forever flowers,” she says. It feels as though APT Luxury Travel, her family’s company, has achieved forever status, too. Over the past century, the Melbourne-based pioneer has made inroads to every corner of the globe. Now the group is launching an immaculate new fleet for navigating the Rhine, Main and Danube waterways.
The first cab off the rank, if you will, is APT Solara. I join the ship’s inaugural sailing in April, a four-night “shakedown cruise” – as it’s described in the maritime world – around The Netherlands. (Its twin ship, APT Ostara, will be christened in July.) Naturally, there is a whirl of activity on board as staff ready the vessel for its debut, from cushion plumping to logistics planning, cake baking to excursion arranging for the small number of guests. Calling the shots are Tandy and her brother Rob McGeary, APT’s co-owners and directors. Travel, you could say, is written in their genes.
Their enterprising grandfather, Bill McGeary, founded Australian Pacific Touring in 1927, carving out popular bus routes in Victoria. In the 1960s, his equally intrepid son, Geoff McGeary, steered the venture, expanding its tours, adding wilderness lodges in the Kimberley, and partnering with AmaWaterways on European river cruises. APT continued to flourish with offshoots including Travelmarvel and Captain’s Choice. After six decades at the helm, McGeary senior had recently handed the baton to his children; he sadly passed away on June 18. The launch of these leading-edge ships, the company’s original designs, signals a bold new era.
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Docked at Rotterdam’s New Meuse River, under the shadow of the Erasmus Bridge, Solara stands out from the get-go. Its dashing exterior is painted a matte French navy and its pale floorboards gleam in the morning light. The ship’s airy entryway resembles a tasteful hotel lobby, with high ceilings, circular skylight and marble tables. Artworks from Melbourne gallery Otomys, including moody landscapes by Greg Wood, adorn the walls, while a whimsical rope sculpture has a nautical allure.
If the aesthetics have an undeniable Antipodean character, an easy-breezy interplay of materials, it’s intentional. “Ultimately it’s a ship designed by Australians for Australians,” says McGeary. The siblings engaged Melbourne design studio Hecker Guthrie to hatch the layered interiors. Known for exceptional residential and hospitality projects, the firm had never designed a ship before. But, in this case, that was a plus. “Lou and Rob wanted to break the mould, and do something different to what was out there,” Paul Hecker, also on the sailing, tells me.
The brief was to create a ship that felt light and inviting, yet was underpinned with stellar fittings. “The fabrics are beautiful and, instead of relying on patterns, we showcase subtle plays of texture,” says Hecker. Pale marble features prominently, too. “We used it in areas where people can touch it and engage with it,” he adds. The furnishings, many from respected Italian brands such as Gervasoni and Cassina, would not look out of a place in a stylish abode. Solara feels, at once, nostalgic, inventive and coolly modern. As McGeary puts it, “It’s a blend of European elegance with Australian ease.”
That cultural mix is also apparent in the approach to dining. Restricted by space, most river ships are limited in their culinary offerings. But Solara has six distinct concepts, as well as room service; all food, drinks and excursions are included in the fare. Among them are Bistro Saison, which has all the glamour of a European neighbourhood haunt. The Owner’s Cellar is an intimate dining room studded with wine, while the Salon is a welcoming zone for breakfast and lunch. Sun-dappled Annie’s Table, named for Tandy and McGeary’s mother, features nutritious and delicious fare. Bread, pastries and ice-cream are all made on the premises daily (the focaccia is next-level, I must say).
With a maximum of 154 guests (and 60 crew), there’s plenty of room to move as well as an endless number of dishes to try. “We wanted to offer multiple styles of dining,” says Tandy. To flesh out their vision, the group enlisted Monique Lane of Fellow Hospitality. The Byron Bay-based creative is renowned for designing venues with a sense of story and place. “My goal was to make it feel like you were walking down the street and popped into a restaurant,” Lane says. Her remit included everything from the silverware to the music and how dishes are presented. For the menus, an array of mod Oz faves and bistro fare, Lane collaborated with Stephen Seckold of House Made Hospitality.
Raising the bar on river cruising was more than a vague notion. At Grüner Bar & Dining, where hydraulics elevate the venue from the Upper Deck to the Sun Deck, it plays out in whizz-bang fashion. A world-first on rivers, the adjustable eatery offers unobstructed views of a port when the ship is docked. It’s easy to imagine guests spilling out onto the deck with Spritzes in hand. The Grüner menu, meanwhile, is reminiscent of the offering at a buzzy wine bar in Melbourne or Brisbane, with snacks such as fish finger sandwiches, Gouda and mushroom vol-au-vents and a soft pretzel with whipped ricotta and pickles. “It’s refined comfort food,” says Lane.
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A conversation lounge on the roof, equipped with cushioned seating and solar lanterns, is inspired by the idea of sitting around an Australian campfire. It’s a place where guests can mingle, trade stories and imbibe a drink or two. “One of the things that we are great at doing is bringing people together,” says Tandy. “That goes right back to our earliest forays in the outback as an overland bus touring company.” Speaking of going “full circle”, I’m forever admiring the ship’s curved design features: the sinuous walls, winding stairs, circular room numbers. Even the pool is round.
Solara means light and energy, and the cabins are infused with both. There are three types, starting with the cosy Twin Window entry-level rooms. At 15 square metres, with timber-panelled walls and plush golden carpet, they feel polished, tactile and indulgent. Balcony Suites are fitted with electric windows that slide open for fresh air. The eight Owner’s Suites feature additional seating areas, generous balconies and original prints by Australian photographer Nick Wilkins (available to buy).
“They are real sanctuaries,” says Hecker. “They’re calm, sophisticated spaces with soft pastels.” Dreamy shades of carpet, from dusky pink to sage green, alternate. Spiffy bedside lamps by Hecker Guthrie provide ambient light at night, while push-button blinds enable a deep sleep. I feel completely rested after my flight from Sydney – always the greatest test. “Those beds cure jet lag,” quips McGeary.
Even the tiled bathrooms are considered spaces, with ample storage, enormous shower heads, and handmade marble basins. Fragrant toiletries by Dutch brand Marie-Stella-Maris are another local find of Tandy’s. Perhaps the only thing missing from my room is a desk, but then again, who’s working on a holiday? Most of the time I use my laptop in the Salon, with its artful assortment of couches, throw rugs and relaxed chairs. The Daystar Deck, meanwhile, has a marble-topped barbecue for rooftop cook-ups, another familiar touch for an Australian traveller.
On a typical sailing, guests will glide by the emerald vineyards of the Rhine, the old-world villages of the Main and the medieval castles of the Danube. On our voyage, we manage a few edifying excursions. On a canal tour in Amsterdam, our guide points out the house where Rembrandt painted The Night Watch, inspired by the quicksilver reflections on the water. At Keukenhof, a botanical garden in Lisse, I’m struck with tulip fever. And the 18th-century windmills of Kinderdijk in South Holland are testament to Dutch ingenuity.
An overnight stay at Dordrecht, one of the oldest cities in the country and situated on an island, reveals a picturesque village of vintage stores, quirky bars and vinyl-record shops. I borrow one of the ship’s e-bikes and take a spin along cobblestone streets, stopping for a local treat. Poffertjes are fluffy miniature pancakes topped with icing sugar and butter. If I wanted to, I could have offset their impact with a visit to the ship’s terracotta-hued spa and its petite gym. Instead, I wing it.
It feels entirely fitting to conclude our journey in Amsterdam, which celebrates its 750th anniversary this year. With around 100 kilometres of canals, it’s where the Dutch revolutionised sailing. For APT, 2025 is turning out to be a banner year, too, if Solara is a harbinger. Next up are potential ship launches in Portugal, Vietnam and Egypt. Despite her deep understanding of the industry, Tandy confesses to feeling nervous when she first shared this new vision with her father, Geoff. “Well, what are you waiting for?” he told her. “Go ahead and build them!”
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The writer was a guest of APT Luxury Travel. Its 15-day Magnificent Europe cruise on Solara or Ostara, sailing Budapest to Amsterdam, starts at around $8495 per person twin share. aptouring.com.au
This story is from the latest issue of Travel + Luxury Magazine available today.
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