New ship launches easyCruise river voyages

For almost a year, easyCruise has been bringing no-frills cruising to the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. But soon the easyCruiseOne will have a little sister, creatively named easyCruiseTwo. And Two will bring no-frills cruising to the rivers and canals of the Netherlands and Belgium, albeit with a few upscale twists.

Formerly the M.S. Frontera, easyCruiseTwo can carry up to 100 easyCruise passengers and 15 crew, and will be the first easyCruise ship to be operated by a franchise. Two will sail from Amsterdam to Rotterdam, Brussels, Antwerp, and back starting on July 14 and continuing through October.

With the fleet expansion, easyCruise is also venturing into a slightly more upscale product. Two will feature 50 twin cabins all with windows. She’ll ditch the garish orange hull for “a refined graphite grey hull with orange beading and a new, dynamic logo” and her interior color schemes will also be revamped. Onboard amenities will include a sundeck with hot tub, a bar, and a restaurant.

Big sister [% 329012 | | easyCruiseOne %] will also benefit from this upmarket turn. When she goes into drydock in October, she’ll also receive the new color scheme. Additionally, more inside cabins will become outside cabins, a smart move given that the windows already exist but are just blocked off (a dumb idea if I ever heard one).

Sailings on the easyCruiseTwo will be available on the easyCruise website in mid-May and prices start at $22 per person per night. easyCruise is clearly a hit with budget travelers in Europe if it can support two ships, but I still want to know where those ships can make money in the winter months.

Read more about my experience on [% 329012 | | easyCruiseOne %].