History

Industrial herritage sails as classical luxurious cruise ship

Build in 1930 by shipyard Boot in Leiden, Netherlands and named 'de Adelaar' (Eagle)

It was one of the first freight ships with a build-in engine, the model name is 'luxe motor'. The ship has been sold a few times and changed names several times as well. The last years as a freighter it sailed with the name 'Frisica 2'.

The main transported cargo was sand & stones through the Netherlands & Germany.

 

A new future for this ship was designed in 2001 when the previous owners Henk & Jantien bought the freighter and coverted it into cruise ship Merlijn the magic of water. One of the most successful Bike & barge ships was born, many satisfied customers can confirm!

Nancy/Frouard to Koblenz

October 23 - 30 / 2021
My husband I just enjoyed a great week on board the Merlijn. We traveled along the Saar and Moselle rivers, seeing Germany, Luxembourg and France in a \"golden\" time of the year as the leaves were changing. We biked each day in the beautiful countryside and enjoyed many informative city tours along the way. Coen and Cristina were wonderful hosts, along with their staff. Cristina cooked us a delicious breakfast and 3 course dinner each day, as well as yummy bag lunches as we biked. Ilse was a fantastic bike guide and shared history of the areas we traveled through. The boat is beautifully maintained and this was the trip of a lifetime. We thank you for the great care you gave us and look forward to another trip on the Merlijn!