Phoenix Reisen

What Phoenix Reisen does

Phoenix Reisen GmbH is a privately held German cruise and travel operator headquartered in Bonn, founded in 1973 by Johannes Zurnieden and active for over 50 years. The company operates a fleet of four mid-sized ocean cruise ships (MS Amadea, MS Amera, MS Deutschland, and MS Artania, with capacities of 500-1,200 passengers) and approximately 50 river vessels navigating European rivers (Rhine, Danube, Rhône, Saône, Seine, Douro) and international waterways (Nile, Ganges, Mekong, Amazon). Product offerings include ocean cruises, river cruises, world voyages up to 140 days, Nile sailing cruises, Middle East land tours, and package holidays, with pricing ranging from approximately €749 for a 7-day river cruise to €3,499 for a 25-day ocean voyage.

The company serves German-speaking travelers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland through a multi-channel distribution model combining direct website sales, phone-based consultation, a B2B travel agency portal (Reisebüro/Profibereich), and television exposure via ZDF's 'Das Traumschiff' series filmed on MS Amadea since 2015. Ancillary revenue streams include shore excursions (€25-€169), travel insurance commissions from HanseMerkur, Rail & Fly tickets via Deutsche Bahn, luggage services through TEfra, and a branded merchandise shop. The technology platform comprises a customer portal ('Mein Phoenix') for booking management, virtual 360-degree ship tours, and content channels including an online magazine and podcast.

Phoenix Reisen employs 101-250 people and reports over 100,000 repeat/loyal customers (Stammgäste). Revenue is generated through bundled all-inclusive cruise packages with optional add-ons, supported by early-bird discounts (3%), celebration bonuses (€100-€1,500), group discounts (2%), and solo traveler pricing. The company is not listed among the top-10 German-speaking tour operators in the fvw|TravelTalk 2024/25 ranking, positioning it as a mid-sized specialist operator in a €31.6B German-speaking organized vacation market.

Name

Phoenix Reisen

Legal name

Phoenix Reisen GmbH

Website

https://phoenixreisen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Phoenix Reisen is a privately held German cruise travel operator founded in 1973, operating four mid-sized ocean ships and approximately 50 river vessels serving German-speaking travelers across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with bundled cruise packages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cruise Travel Services

NAICS

Deep Sea Passenger Transportation (483112), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Cruise Specialists (Mainstream/Contemporary) (THAKAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

River Cruise Specialists (THAKAKAF)

Keywords

• Cruise vacations
• Ocean cruises
• River cruises
• Travel packages
• Cruise operator

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cruise Package Sales (Sea & River): Phoenix Reisen's primary revenue stream comes from selling ocean and river cruise packages. These are sold as all-inclusive bundles that may include return flights from Frankfurt, port fees, full board, and selected onboard amenities. Pricing ranges from approximately €749 per person for 7-day Saône river cruises to €3,499 per person for 25-day ocean voyages.
2. Excursion Programs: Optional shore excursions (Ausflüge nach Maß) are offered as add-on packages at individual price points, ranging from €25 to €169 per excursion, providing an ancillary revenue stream on top of the base cruise fare.
3. Travel Insurance: Travel insurance products underwritten by HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AG are offered as an optional add-on at booking, generating commission revenue.
4. Ancillary Travel Services: Additional revenue from bus transfer services (e.g., €299 per person per leg to Genoa), Rail & Fly train tickets (€99-€170 per person), optional flight upgrades, luggage service (TEfra), and pre/post cruise programs.
5. Retail (Phoenix Shop): Merchandise shop selling ship memorabilia and maritime-themed goods, generating additional revenue from the existing customer base.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Phoenix Reisen is a German travel company that sells ocean and river cruise packages, Nile cruises, and land-based Orient (Middle East) tours to individual travelers. Its primary offering is all-inclusive cruise packages bundling return flights from Frankfurt, port fees, full board, selected beverages, entertainment, and optional shore excursions. The company operates four ocean vessels (MS Amadea, MS Amera, MS Deutschland, MS Artania) with 500-1,200 passenger capacity and approximately 50 river vessels across European and international waterways.

Product overview

Phoenix Reisen is a German travel company and cruise operator with over 50 years of experience. The company operates a fleet of four ocean cruise ships (MS Amadea, MS Amera, MS Deutschland, and MS Artania) with capacities ranging from 500 to 1,200 passengers, plus approximately 50 river cruise vessels. The product portfolio includes ocean cruises to global destinations, river cruises on European rivers (Rhine, Danube, Main, Moselle, Rhône, Saône, Seine, Douro) and international waterways (Nile, Ganges, Mekong, Amazon), Nile sailing cruises, Middle East land-based tours, and package holidays. The company is known for its association with the ZDF television series 'Das Traumschiff' (The Dream Ship). Customers access the product through the 'Mein Phoenix' customer portal, the main website, and a magazine platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kreuzfahrten (Ocean Cruises) Ocean cruise packages on Phoenix Reisen's four ships (MS Amadea, MS Amera, MS Deutschland, MS Artania), targeting German-speaking travelers seeking multi-day ocean voyages with all-inclusive full board, beverages, and entertainment.
• Flusskreuzfahrten (River Cruises) River cruise packages on approximately 50 river vessels navigating European and international waterways, targeting German-speaking travelers with full-board inclusions and curated itineraries.
• Nilkreuzfahrten (Nile Cruises) Specialty Nile cruise packages through Egypt, including traditional Nile cruises and Dahabeya sailing cruises, for travelers seeking Egyptian cultural and river experiences.
• Weltreise Kreuzfahrten (World Voyage Cruises) Extended world voyage cruise packages lasting up to 140 days visiting multiple continents, targeting experienced cruise enthusiasts seeking comprehensive global itineraries.
• Orientreisen (Middle East Land Tours) Land-based travel packages to Middle East destinations (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Israel, India, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey), often combined with beach holidays for German-speaking travelers.
• Pauschalreisen (Package Holidays) Complete package holidays combining flights and accommodations at beach resorts and city hotels for German-speaking travelers seeking non-cruise vacation options.
• Phoenix Shop (Merchandise) E-commerce shop selling ships memorabilia and maritime-themed merchandise to cruise passengers and the general customer base.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 satisfied repeat customers indicate strong customer loyalty and retention
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AGminorOthersPhoenix Reisen offers travel insurance products underwritten by HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AG as an integrated add-on at the time of cruise booking. This partnership provides customers with comprehensive travel protection including trip cancellation and interruption coverage.
• TEfra GepäckserviceminorOthersPhoenix Reisen has partnered with TEfra Gepäckservice to offer door-to-door luggage collection and delivery for cruise passengers traveling by car, bus, train, or plane. Passengers receive luggage information with their travel documents.
• MisereorminorOthersPhoenix Reisen partners with Misereor, a German Catholic charitable organization, as part of its corporate social responsibility and sustainability commitment. Misereor is referenced in the company's 'Über uns' (About Us) section.
• ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen)coreOthersSince 2015, Phoenix Reisen has partnered with German public broadcaster ZDF for the filming of the television series 'Das Traumschiff' (The Dream Ship) aboard MS Amadea. This ongoing media partnership provides significant national TV exposure and brand visibility for Phoenix Reisen.
• Deutsche Bahn AGminorOthersPhoenix Reisen offers Rail & Fly train tickets in partnership with Deutsche Bahn AG, enabling cruise passengers to travel to/from major German airports (Frankfurt, Berlin-Brandenburg, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Munich) by train. Fares from €99 per person round trip in 2nd class.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VIVA Cruises: German river cruise operator with European river fleet serving German-speaking travelers. Comparable product offering and market segment to Phoenix Reisen's river cruise business.
• TUI Cruises: Joint venture between TUI and Royal Caribbean operating Mein Schiff fleet for German-speaking travelers. Competes directly for DACH cruise customers with broader marketing scale and a larger fleet, making it Phoenix's largest like-for-like competitor.
• Plantours Kreuzfahrten: German cruise tour operator offering ocean and river cruises targeted at German-speaking travelers. Closely comparable in scale, fleet size, and mid-market positioning to Phoenix Reisen.
• AIDA Cruises: Germany's largest cruise line, owned by Carnival Corporation, operating ocean cruises for German-speaking guests. Directly comparable target market and product type, though larger scale and contemporary club-resort positioning differs from Phoenix's classic mid-size fleet.
• 1AVista Reisen: German tour operator specializing in ocean and river cruises for German-speaking travelers, comparable in size and market focus to Phoenix Reisen.
• A-ROSA Flussschiff GmbH: German river cruise line with a fleet of European river vessels serving German-speaking guests. Direct competitor in the river cruise segment with comparable product offering.
• Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: German-language cruise line operating premium ocean and expedition cruises targeting German-speaking travelers. Closely comparable to Phoenix Reisen in customer demographic, German-language service model, and itinerary breadth, though positioned slightly more luxury/premium.
• nicko cruises: German river cruise operator offering river cruises on European and international waterways, directly comparable to Phoenix Reisen's river cruise segment and German-speaking target market.

Emerging players

• Lernidee Erlebnisreisen: Berlin-based operator of small-ship cruises and themed expedition voyages including river journeys. Comparable niche positioning in German-speaking small-ship/expedition segment, though smaller scale and more thematic focus.

Broad incumbents

• TUI Group: Largest German-speaking tour operator (€7.6B in 2024/25) and parent of TUI Cruises, with broad portfolio across tour operating, hotels, and cruises. Provides scale benchmark for the DACH market and indirect competitive pressure across all Phoenix Reisen segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubephoenixreisen.com/web2/forwarder/forward_youtube.html?a=menu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phoenix-reisen-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Phoenix Reisen