Adelle Cruises

In 2013, Adelle Cruises offered river cruises aboard the MS Alegria. At the time, the Dutch cruise line operated the ship on German waterways as well as in the Netherlands and Belgium, including on the Rhine and the Moselle. The Alegria was 90 metres long and 11.57 metres wide, and accommodated 100 guests in 50 cabins. In 2011, the ship received the “Golden Wheelchair” award in the Hotels and Accommodation category. Its focus at the time on river cruises for people with reduced mobility followed a refit in the winter of 2009/10.

MS Alegria: accessible facilities

The cabins were spread across two decks: 32 were on the upper deck and 18 on the main deck. The upper deck had ten wheelchair-accessible twin cabins, each measuring 20 square metres, twenty other twin cabins and two single cabins. Doors and corridors there were wider than usual. The main deck had fourteen twin cabins and four triple cabins. A further 22 cabins in total could be accessed by wheelchair, although their showers and toilets were not wheelchair-accessible. This distinction matters: a cabin that could be entered by wheelchair was not necessarily equipped with a bathroom that could also be used from a wheelchair.

An elevator could accommodate up to three wheelchairs at once and connected the three upper decks, including the sun deck. A stairlift, however, provided access to the cabins on the main deck, where only sleeping quarters were located. The approach to accessibility at the time extended beyond the ship’s interiors: Adelle Cruises also offered wheelchair-accessible shore excursions. Both getting between decks and visiting destinations ashore were therefore part of the travel offer. This made Adelle one of the river cruise operators offering trips designed for people with reduced mobility.

The communal areas were also spacious. The restaurant covered 240 square metres; alongside it were a 270-square-metre lounge with a bar and panoramic windows, and a 50-square-metre library. The 570-square-metre sun deck could be reached by elevator or stairlift. The description at the time emphasised that people with and without reduced mobility could travel together.

The MS Alegria was built in 1985 and refitted by Adelle Cruises in the winter of 2009/10.