Karl WP Beyer 
Nicko cruises has been offering river cruises since 1992. In addition to trips with river boats, the shipping company has recently started offshore and expedition trips with the WORLD VOYAGER and the VASCO DA GAMA. Nicko cruises cruises are under the motto "Small ships: Big experiences".
WORLD VOYAGER in the port of Terceira / Azores
VASCO DA GAMA in the port of Rønne / Bornholm
nicko cruises - shareholder background
In 2015, Mystic Invest Holding, SA, based in Porto / Portugal, took over the Stuttgart company. Behind Mystic Invest Holding are the Portuguese entrepreneur Mário Ferreira (60 percent) and the American investment fund Certares Management LLC (40 percent), which specializes in tourism and hospitality.
nicko cruises - activities
nicko cruises undertakes river cruises with 26 ships. The company is represented in 20 countries on three continents. The shipping company has also been offering ocean voyages since 2019. It started with the WORLD EXPLORER. The sister ship WORLD VOYAGER has been sailing for nicko cruises since spring 2021, and the WORLD EXPLORER is in service around the world as a charter ship. The converted and renovated VASCO DA GAMA will join the fleet in 2021. The ship sailed between 1993 and 2015 under the name MS Statendam for the Holland America Line, and after that for Princess Cruises.
WORLD VOYAGER in the roadstead in front of Corvo / Azores
Overview of nicko cruises ocean-going ships (as of 2021)
Ship built passengers crew
WORLD VOYAGER 2020 200 105
VASCO DA GAMA 1992 approx. 1.000 approx. 550
Positioning of ocean-going ships in an international comparison
The WORLD VOYAGER was designed as an expedition ship for German-speaking guests. The shipping company classifies the ship with five flag symbols. In contrast, the VASCO DA GAMA (four flag symbols) is a medium-sized cruise ship.
The market for expedition ships and medium-sized all-round ships is future-proof. Expedition cruises will in all likelihood be in high demand again after the end of the corona pandemic. As far as VASCO DA GAMA is concerned: many people interested in cruises are distancing themselves from the increasing ship sizes. It is to be expected that medium-sized, well-run cruise ships will be in high demand in the future. It remains to be seen whether nicko cruises can position itself with the WORLD VOYAGER in the long term against strong competitors such as Hapag-Lloyd or Ponant, to name just a few. A first successful attempt was made with the WORLD VOYAGER. Under WORLD VOYAGER and VASCO DA GAMA let us report on our experiences with the ocean-going ships operated by nicko cruises.
Booking options Nicko Cruises
