APT christens new Euro river ship
APT christened its new luxury river ship, APT Solara, in Rotterdam yesterday (April 21, 2025).
And that both marks a major milestone in the Australian company's 98-year history and starts a new chapter in European river cruising.
APT Travel Group CEO David Cox and co-owners Robert McGeary and Lou Tandy were there for the ceremony, with Lou becoming the ship's Godmother.
'It's a true honour to serve as Godmother for a ship that means so much to our team, our guests and my family,' she says.
'The Solara celebrates where we've come from and marks the exciting future ahead. It's a tribute to our legacy, but more importantly, it's a bold step forward in how we design, deliver and share extraordinary travel experiences. I couldn't be prouder to christen her today.'
'Solara is the result of a true collaboration between world-class Australian creatives and the APT team,' said Robert McGeary.
'As a family-owned Australian company, we've designed this ship with the Antipodean traveller in mind as it brings together the comforts our guests value most, from elegant lounges and genuinely quality coffee to regionally sourced produce — all in a ship that feels tailored, not templated. That's what sets APT apart.'
David Cox adds: 'The Solara is everything APT stands for — timeless travel, trusted service and ongoing innovation. She's more than just a new ship; she sets a new benchmark for how we deliver exceptional experiences on Europe's rivers.'
A celebration dinner on board exemplified APT's commitment to local produce — and it was served in the world's first hydraulically lifted venue. The Gruner Bar and Dining lifts hydraulically to give 360-degree views from the Sun Deck.
The ship can carry up to 154 guests, and has balcony and owner's suites.
Its maiden voyage is APT's Magnificent Europe itinerary, from April 25, 2025, along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers.
aptouring.com.au
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Power bills got you sweating? Stay warm without spending a fortune
Real Money, a free weekly newsletter giving expert tips on how to save, invest and make the most of your money, is sent every Sunday. You're reading an excerpt − sign up to get the whole newsletter in your inbox. As I write this on a frosty Melbourne morning, the mercury has dipped below 3 degrees, prompting the ritualistic donning of black puffer jackets and a sharp spike in the number of people working from home. I've heard it's also quite cold in Sydney but, frankly, whatever goes on north of the Murray River is none of my business. Scientists have also discovered that cold weather is often associated with thoughts such as 'oh my god I'm never going to be warm again' and 'can I do everything I need to get do today from bed?' It can also see many of us crank our heating up to ridiculous levels, which is great for short-term relief but bad from a power bill perspective. This is especially problematic for those of us with large or poorly insulated houses (so, basically, all of us, as 80 per cent of Australian houses have a two star or less energy rating). What's the problem? To make matters worse, energy prices are on the up. Power prices are set to rise by up to 9.7 per cent in NSW and 5 per cent in Victoria from July 1, after the market regulator announced its latest round of annual price setting. These rises are just an estimate too, as calculations by Canstar show that over the past six years, 67 per cent of the actual prices ended up higher than the proposed price. All in all, it's shaping up as a bad year to be cold. What you can do about it So if the chill is creeping a little too much for your liking (and it's only June!), here are some moves you can make: Shop around: You can put on as many jumpers as you like, or stack on three more blankets, but nothing will save you as much money as jumping ship to a new energy retailer. Comparison expert at iSelect, Sophie Ryan, says everyone should get on the front foot now and check how your current energy offer stacks up – including what your service and supply fees are. 'While power prices may be higher across the board and will increase further for many homes from July 1, there are still differences between retailers and plans, and even a small price difference could make a big difference to a quarterly energy bill,' she says. It's a common misconception (and something that I ramble on about all the time) that loyalty pays, but it doesn't. Your energy provider owes you nothing, and vice versa, so if another one is offering a better deal (even if it's just a one-off for new customers), go get it. The government even has a free, independent energy price comparing tool which you can access here.
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Labor left with ‘no choice' but to force super tax after weak GDP figures in March, shadow treasurer Ted O'Brien declares
Labor has been left with 'no choice' but to go after citizens' earnings with its proposed super tax as slow growth plagues the nation and hurts tax revenue, shadow treasurer Ted O'Brien has declared. Join to watch the full interview with Ted O'Brien on Business Weekend at 11am (AEST). The Albanese government's proposal to double the tax rate on funds in super balances above $3m and target unrealised gains could soon be legislated as the Greens' approval is all the bill needs to go through the Senate. It comes as recent GDP figures showed Australia was headed back towards per capita recession territory with growth slumping to just 0.2 per cent in the March quarter. The super tax proposal has faced fierce backlash from the Opposition, economists and leaders in the business community. Mr O'Brien is among those and tore into the Albanese government's fiscal management on Sky News' Business Weekend. 'The only reason they're doing it is they've lost all discipline on fiscal responsibility,' the shadow treasurer said. 'Debt (and) deficits (are) going out of control and they've got no ambition for the Australian economy.' He criticised Treasurer Jim Chalmers who lauded the 0.2 per cent growth, arguing the uncertainty from Donald Trump's trade war meant any growth was a decent outcome. 'We heard it last week from the Treasurer after the national accounts came out. What, 0.2 per cent growth in the quarter? Seriously? Lower than last time!' Mr O'Brien said. 'At a yearly basis it's running at less than half of the long-run average of growth and the Treasurer is happy about that. '(There is) no ambition for growth of the Australian economy and when you have no ambition and you overspend, you have no choice but to go after the earnings, the money of your own citizens. 'That's what this super tax does.' Labor's plan to tax unrealised capital gains has drawn backlash from Aussies concerned about small businesses, farmers and startups as many put assets in their self-managed super funds or use it as a low tax investment vehicle. Wilson Asset Management founder Geoff Wilson said by forcing Aussies to pay taxes on paper gains it will hinder investment in Australia. 'Both Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers - and probably most of the government - are gaslighting the Australian people by saying: 'Look, this will only impact a very small percentage of people that pay the additional tax',' Mr Wilson told Sky News. 'That's correct, but what it'll do is actually impact about how $4.2 trillion in superannuation is invested. 'We anticipate that the money will come out of self-managed super funds (SMSF), which is about $1.1 trillion, and billions of that will go into the housing market and push house prices up . ' He cautioned Aussies who use their SMSF as a low tax investment vehicle will be discouraged from funding projects and businesses in the Australian market. 'People won't want to take risk on their superannuation in the self-managed super funds,' Mr Wilson said. 'The angel investors and the startups and the small companies in Australia that find it hard to raise capital, particularly at this point in time - that tap's going to be turned off.'
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Power bills got you sweating? Stay warm without spending a fortune
Real Money, a free weekly newsletter giving expert tips on how to save, invest and make the most of your money, is sent every Sunday. You're reading an excerpt − sign up to get the whole newsletter in your inbox. As I write this on a frosty Melbourne morning, the mercury has dipped below 3 degrees, prompting the ritualistic donning of black puffer jackets and a sharp spike in the number of people working from home. I've heard it's also quite cold in Sydney but, frankly, whatever goes on north of the Murray River is none of my business. Scientists have also discovered that cold weather is often associated with thoughts such as 'oh my god I'm never going to be warm again' and 'can I do everything I need to get do today from bed?' It can also see many of us crank our heating up to ridiculous levels, which is great for short-term relief but bad from a power bill perspective. This is especially problematic for those of us with large or poorly insulated houses (so, basically, all of us, as 80 per cent of Australian houses have a two star or less energy rating). What's the problem? To make matters worse, energy prices are on the up. Power prices are set to rise by up to 9.7 per cent in NSW and 5 per cent in Victoria from July 1, after the market regulator announced its latest round of annual price setting. These rises are just an estimate too, as calculations by Canstar show that over the past six years, 67 per cent of the actual prices ended up higher than the proposed price. All in all, it's shaping up as a bad year to be cold. What you can do about it So if the chill is creeping a little too much for your liking (and it's only June!), here are some moves you can make: Shop around: You can put on as many jumpers as you like, or stack on three more blankets, but nothing will save you as much money as jumping ship to a new energy retailer. Comparison expert at iSelect, Sophie Ryan, says everyone should get on the front foot now and check how your current energy offer stacks up – including what your service and supply fees are. 'While power prices may be higher across the board and will increase further for many homes from July 1, there are still differences between retailers and plans, and even a small price difference could make a big difference to a quarterly energy bill,' she says. It's a common misconception (and something that I ramble on about all the time) that loyalty pays, but it doesn't. Your energy provider owes you nothing, and vice versa, so if another one is offering a better deal (even if it's just a one-off for new customers), go get it. The government even has a free, independent energy price comparing tool which you can access here.
