VESSEL REVIEW | A-Rosa Sena – Germany’s A-Rosa Cruises adds hybrid river ship to fleet

German operator A-Rosa Cruises has taken delivery of a new Rhine River cruise ship from Dutch shipyard Concordia Damen.

Designed by Netherlands-based C-Job Naval Architects, the 135- by 17-metre A-Rosa Sena has capacity for 280 guests and amenities including luxury cabins, restaurants, bars, a sun deck, outdoor lounges, a lobby, a spa, a wellness area, a live entertainment area, swimming pools including one for children, and a children's activity area. A-Rosa said it is the largest ship in its fleet and was built from the outset with families and multi-generational groups in mind.

The guest cabins include 119 balcony cabins, seven balcony suites, two cabins for guests with limited mobility, and 12 family cabins for up to five people each. Each of the standard cabins on decks two and three have a total area of 21 square metres and can be divided into a separate sleeping and lounge area. The standard cabin balcony has seating for two.

A-Rosa Sena is equipped with a hybrid propulsion system consisting of a diesel engine and a separate electric motor that draws power from onboard batteries. The total installed power of 2,400 kW will enable the ship to reach a speed of around 12.9 knots.

The electric propulsion will be utilised when navigating in port waters. When operating in diesel-only mode, an exhaust gas purification filter is used to help reduce emissions, thus minimising the ship's environmental impact when visiting sensitive areas. A waste management system is also installed.

A shore power connection will be utilised for the overnight charging of the ship's batteries.

The optimised hull design helps decrease energy consumption. Also, the newbuild is one of the first river cruise ships in Europe with the ability to generate electricity from exhaust heat.

A-Rosa Sena currently sails under the Swiss flag. The ship departed on its maiden operational voyage out of Cologne in June 2022. Future itineraries will include Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, and Antwerp.

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