Transcend Cruises officially unveiled MS Connect, marking a groundbreaking industry first: the world’s first river cruise ship built solely for group and charter travel.
Following its naming ceremony on Monday, which took place in the Netherlands’ Dordrecht, the ship embarked on its inaugural sailing to Zaandam, the Netherlands.
A Dutch Godmother
Marja van Bijsterveldt, the former Dutch minister of education, culture and science, served as MS Connect’s godmother in a naming ceremony that included Transcend Cruises executives, and government and shipyard officials.
“With MS Connect, we are completely redefining river cruising for groups. Every detail of this ship has been purpose-built for meetings, incentives, conferences and exclusive events,” said Transcend Cruises CEO Gregg Martson. “Our goal was to create a flexible, premium and sustainable platform that meets the needs of today’s event organizers while delivering experiences that simply cannot be replicated on land.”
Flexible Design and Luxe Onboard Amenities
The ship’s interiors were designed by the highly acclaimed Tillberg Design of Sweden.
In all, the environmentally friendly MS Connect can carry up to 120 guests in flexibly designed staterooms that are convertible into 30 two-room suites, “giving event organizers maximum flexibility when designing their programs,” Transcend Cruises said.
Not surprisingly, the ship features exceedingly generous and flexible event and culinary space. “Whether fine dining, family-style service or regional culinary concepts, food, beverages and service can be fully tailored to the requirements of each group,” the line said. “The onboard offering is complemented by an approximately 240-square-meter wellness and fitness area, one of the largest of its kind on any European river cruise ship.”
Ambitious Fleet Expansion
Going forward, Transcend Cruises has ambitious plans for expansion, with its fleet expected to grow to four vessels: MS Evolve, MS Create, and MS Engage are expected to enter service in 2028.
Longer term, the company plans to enter as many as 12 river ships into service in the charter market. Like MS Connect, the vessels will sail Europe’s major waterways, including the Rhine, Danube, Moselle, Main, Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, and Dutch and Belgian waterways.
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