Became the Trafalgar Verity in April 2026
The River Queen left this marque in April 2026. The hull moved to a sister
brand within the same group and is now called Trafalgar
Verity. She was named on 10 April 2026 at Amsterdam, on the Rhine,
where she continues to sail.
This is not a sale: the hull stayed in the group. Nor is it merely a change
of label: the product sold under the new flag is not the same one. The
distinction shows up in the contract, in the inclusions and in the price, which
is why we do not present this page as a simple redirect.
The oldest hull in this set
Built in 1999 at the De Hoop yard, Lobith, in the Netherlands, rebuilt in
2010. One hundred and ten metres, 64 cabins, 128 travellers. She is the senior
vessel among these fourteen pages, and her departure is no surprise:
management announced as early as 2023 that it would gradually retire its oldest
units.
A 1999 hull rebuilt in 2010 remains a 1999 hull. That does not mean she
sails badly; it means you should know what you are buying when a brochure
leads with a recent renovation.
The Rhine is booked elsewhere
The S.S. Antoinette is the brand's large Rhine unit. The S.S. Elisabeth works the same river on a
more modest scale. The S.S. Victoria adds the Mosel. The River Duchess covers the Danube, the Rhine
and the Main.
The ownership model, and why it matters
Some ships belong to the line, others are chartered. Since 2004 the line
itself has belonged to a group that gathers some twenty travel brands, and a
definitive agreement to sell it to American investment funds was signed on 16
July 2024.
That structure bears directly on the pages in this batch: a hull can move
from one brand to another inside the same group without ever being sold, and a
chartered hull can vanish without ever having belonged to anyone but its
owner.
Included in the fare
Gratuities to the onboard crew. Drinks served at meals. Excursions listed in
the itinerary, at least one per touring day. Internet access provided with no
guarantee: the connection depends on the land network the river runs past, and
it is not reliable everywhere.
Still to pay: the international flight, the taxes that go with it, and
gratuities to coach drivers ashore. The transfer between airport and ship is
included only if the air was purchased from the line. Purchased elsewhere, it
is not.
What is written, and what is not
What is written: a traveller needing help must be accompanied by someone
able to give it. Folding wheelchairs are accepted, mobility scooters are not. A
mid-voyage disembarkation can be decided by the crew, and it carries no
refund.
What is not written: how many cabins are adapted. The line publishes no such
number, for any of its ships. The accessibility statement shown on the site
covers the website only.
Where a dispute is heard, and what that changes
Not in Quebec. The transport contract points to Swiss law and the
Rheinfelden court; the Canadian entity points to Toronto under an Ontario
permit; the American entity points to Los Angeles. No binding arbitration
clause is provided for, which is rather good news.
One detail that matters for a traveller here: this brand's British catalogue
is sold by a company established in Guernsey. The British protections that
catalogue invokes do not apply to a file opened in Quebec. Voyages AquaTerra
does hold a Quebec licence, with the trust account and the Compensation Fund
that come with it.
