Nicko Cruises to Host Johann Lafer on Three Danube Ships in 2027
Celina’s fifteen-day roundtrip runs May seventeenth to thirty-first and is scheduled to cover eight countries before returning to Passau.
Nicko Cruises will put Johann Lafer, the company’s official culinary ambassador, aboard three Danube river ships in May 2027 for a coordinated chef program on Celina, Viktoria and Bolero. Lafer is scheduled to present barbecue-focused dishes from a menu developed for the departures and to meet passengers during onboard talks and autograph sessions.
The program places Lafer’s appearances across one 15-day sailing and two overlapping eight-day cruises, all operating from Passau. Stuttgart-based Nicko Cruises operates 22 river and ocean ships; these departures use a “ship-hopping” format that brings the same culinary ambassador to multiple Danube vessels during the same operating window.
Celina carries the 15-day Danube program
Celina sails first and longest. Its roundtrip from Passau runs May 17-31, 2027. The itinerary is scheduled to cover eight countries in 15 days, operating via Belgrade, Vidin, the Cataract Route and Budapest before returning to Passau.
The port program combines major Danube cities with smaller regional calls. In addition to Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade, Nicko lists Vukovar, Turnu Severin and Belogradchik for the sailing.
Two eight-day sailings overlap from Passau
Viktoria’s eight-day cruise runs May 24-31, 2027, sailing from Passau through Vienna and Budapest to Mohacs before returning to Passau. From Mohacs, passengers can take an excursion to Pecs, while the route also includes Bratislava, the Wachau and Ybbs. Ybbs serves as the access point for visits to Schallaburg and the baroque pilgrimage church of Maria Taferl.
Bolero is scheduled for the same May 24-31 window on an eight-day roundtrip from Passau centered on the upper Danube. The vessel will overnight in Budapest, with evening time in the city and a further city-center program the following day, and it will remain late in Bratislava.
Nicko’s wider river program ranges from 38- to 40-bed yachts to ships with more than 200 beds, but the operator did not provide capacity figures for Celina, Viktoria or Bolero. Starting fares and any guest limits for Lafer’s talks and autograph sessions also remain undisclosed.
