PS Australian Star will offer cruises lasting three and four nights with guests able to combine the two cruises for a longer seven-night cruise. Bookings for Australian Star will open this spring.
Murray River Paddlesteamers has released captivating renderings of what the interiors will look like on Australia’s first five-star river ship, PS Australian Star, which will begin operations from Echuca in Victoria in April, 2025.
The computer illustrations reveal a deluxe, contemporary bar and restaurant and plush cabins on the luxury, 38-guest vessel which will offer year-round, all-inclusive, overnight cruises on the Murray River, succeeding the smaller and older, 16-guest PS Emmylou which currently offers overnight cruises on the Murray.
Fusing heritage charm with contemporary elegance and luxury and stretching 35m, the $6.75 million PS Australian Star will become Australia’s first five-star river cruise experience, the largest paddlesteamer in the Southern Hemisphere and the only wood-fired, five-star accommodated paddlesteamer in the world. The game-changing vessel is being built beside the Murray River in Mildura.
PS Australian Star will offer cruises lasting three and four nights with guests able to combine the two cruises for a longer seven-night cruise. Bookings for Australian Star will open this spring.
Backed by $2.25 million in funding by the Victorian Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund, PS Australian Star is destined to attract discerning, luxe-seeking visitors from around Australia and around the world.
The three-deck PS Australian Star will be 60 per cent larger than PS Emmylou, with more expansive and contemporary amenities including the panoramic Hopwood Lounge, multiple outdoor relaxation areas, the company’s first elevator for easy access to all levels and the Cadell Restaurant serving a different, fine-dining menu every day championing fresh, local produce.
PS Australian Star will also offer 19 modern and elegant staterooms, all opening to a deck and offering ever-changing river views, an ensuite, air-conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi, luxury linen and a TV entertainment system – a true sanctuary on the water.
Innovation will be at the heart of PS Australian Star, which will boast a modern, energy-efficient, hybrid diesel/steam propulsion system featuring a vintage, refurbished 1907 Richard Garrett and Sons wood-fired steam engine, adding a touch of nostalgia and authenticity to the journey.
Meanwhile, Murray River Paddlesteamers is offering last-minute savings of 10 per cent and a cut in the solo surcharge for overnight cruises from Echuca this winter aboard its current, 16-guest boutique riverboat, PS Emmylou. And if you cruise this July, you’ll also receive free entry to the spectacular Moama Lights Festival on the river.
The famous, wood-fired paddlesteamer, Emmylou, starred in the hit 1980s TV mini-series, ‘All the Rivers Run’, starring Sigrid Thornton, and is still one of the most recognisable and iconic paddlesteamers in Australia.
Powered by a restored 1906 steam engine and totally refurbished with deluxe cabins and ensuites, the charm-filled riverboat offers authentic, all-inclusive journeys along the mighty Murray with stops to visit wineries, historic farm stations, indigenous sites, wildlife along tributaries and country towns. Each evening, PS Emmylou ties up at tranquil and remote moorings, allowing guests to experience the serenity and wildlife of the bush at night.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.