FT: How To Spend It – August 2020
“Aqua Expeditions redefined the Amazon cruise experience when it launched in 2007. Having proliferated its fleet and expanded into Asia with much success, it has gone back to its origins in South America to elevate its already exceptional offering there. Aqua Nera is the result of those ambitions – a new, 20-cabin river-cruiser that will make its first journey in October.”
Condé Nast Traveler (Spain) March 2020
“Another example of today’s exquisite standard of cruises is Aqua Blu from Aqua Expeditions, the first foray into salty waters – those of Raja Ampat, the Spice Islands and the Komodo National Park, any diver’s dream – from the company that has revolutionized river cruises.”
Robb Report Mexico – July/August 2020
“Exploring the cultural and natural wonders of Indonesia is a unique experience−and, above all, private− on board Aqua Expeditions’ splendid yachts.”
Robb Report June 2020
“No matter your destination, there is an embarrassment of staff on board, from marine biologists to dive instructors, who can finesse the experience. It’s the latest ship in the burgeoning fleet of ultra-luxury cruises operated by Italian-American entrepreneur Francesco Galli Zugaro.”
ELLE Germany February 2020
“Travelling into the wild, while being pampered like a queen: A journey on Aria Amazon is a fairytale adventure in a floating Five-Star-Hotel – on which you can watch pink dolphins and lazy sloths with a pisco sour in your hand. But there is more to it. You meet wonderful people and learn all about the pristine nature around you” (translated from German)
Lofficiel Brasil Issue #74
“Visits to communities result in good conversations, families open the doors of their homes and really make us feel like we’re part of their lives. We visit some schools and donate school supplies and basic goods to students, who with an open smile sing and dance, transmitting a unique joy – the joy of those who didn’t grow up within four walls.” (translated from Portuguese)
Fortuna Japan Spring 2020
Delicious AU Magazine – March 2020
“From delving into the shifting culture of the landscape to quiet modern luxury, oodles of space and truly spectacular food, there’s every chance this travel writer will be boat-bound again before too long.”
House & Garden April (May issue) 2020
“This is the sort of adventure I read about in childhood, with a torch under the bedsheets late at night, dreaming of treasure islands. But here it comes laced with luxury and worldly sophistication..”
Centurion, Spring 2020
“The expedition has opened up a part of the world my fellow passengers and I might never have been able to truly appreciate. For us, these waters, like the whale sharks, dolphins and mantas that call them home, have become a living, breathing organism – one eminently worthy of protection. Glass in hand, my gaze fixed on the brilliant tableau of colours of the sky as the sun casts the day’s last light, the importance of the voyage I find myself on – this journey through one of the greatest gardens of our world – comes into sharper focus.”
Departures, Spring 2020
“The route crossed waters generally seen only from rickety fishing and dive boats: north of the Lesser Sunda Islands and across the Banda Sea, up to the otherworldly equatorial islands at Indonesia’s remote eastern limit, where the ocean teems with some of the richest marine biodiversity on earth.”
Aqua Blu Virtuoso Life March/April 2020
“But on the Aqua Blu, you won’t find shipmates huddled over marine-life checklists on a clothesline of swimsuits and rash guards dripping in the sun. Consider it a dive into Indonesia’s top cultural and natural attractions for the macchiato, megayacht set.”
Singapore Tatler Feb 2020
“Aqua Blu’s history and the destination really inspired me. It became about striking a balance between keeping the ship’s soul and bringing it more up to date”
Financial Times – HowToSpendIt – Jan 2020
“The ride would be smooth, sleek and utterly 21st-century. But the adventure – a solitary boat, going to places the others can’t – would be as old as Indonesia itself.”
Vogue Living Jan/Feb 2020
“The Aqua Mekong was something of a trendsetter when it was launched in 2014 with one-to-one crew-to-guest ratios, contemporary interiors by Saigon-based Noor Design, and the coup of having celebrated chef David Thompson supervise the ship’s superb pan-Asian menus – Thai, Khmer, Vietnamese – which are created using local seafood and produce and served shared-plate style.”
Starboard Dec Issue
“And while it’s clearly of the same family, Aqua Blu is one-of-a-kind with a scheme that honours its heritage yet instils a sense of place.”
Sundowner Aug Sep Issue
“Dark wood panelling hallmarks the Chinese junk-style exterior, but once inside, space is key – especially in the 16 exquisite suites created by the renowned Peruvian designer, Jordi Puig.”
Singapore Tatler May Issue
“After a recent trip up the Mekong on the Aqua Mekong from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, I’ve become a convert to the luxury segment of small to medium-sized vessels, joining an entirely new niche market of luxury travellers who are looking for a more intimate and enriching experience.”
Lonely Planet Mar Issue
“There’s not a single porthole to peer out of on the Aria Amazon miniature cruise ship – its 16 suites all have polished floor-to-ceiling windows, to ensure passengers don’t miss the three-toad sloths and pink dolphins winking at them as they pass.”
Suitcase Magazine
“With capacity for only ten passengers each, not only is the intimate guide-to-guest ratio favorable, but they also provide access to offshore destinations and to shallower parts of the river that many other luxury cruises can’t reach. Consequently, the excursions on offer are intimate, diverse and immersive, taking full advantage of the region’s rich biodiversity and strong cultural heritage. “
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