Cruise from Berlin to the heart of Prague River cruisers will be able to board a cruise ship in Berlin and sail directly from the German capital to the centre of Prague when the MS Elbe Princesse launches in spring 2016. Instead of the regular propulsion used by traditional ships the Elbe Princesse, operated by CroisiEurope, will use paddlewheel technology to help navigate the Elbe at its shallowest points - making it possible to cruise year-round from Berlin to the Czech capital (or vice-versa) along the Elbe and Moldau (Vltava) rivers. The Elbe Princesse will dock very close to the city centre in Prague. Almost all other ships have to dock in either Litoměřice or Mělník, which involves a 90-minute coach transfer. In Berlin most Elbe itineraries currently offer a hotel stay or the option of being bused to, or from Potsdam or Magdeburg (100 miles from Berlin) but the new ship will allow passengers to embark and disembark in the city. The Elbe Princesse will dock at Spandau, in the east of Berlin and cruise along the Wansee - one of the area's biggest lakes. "One other ship used to dock there," said Michel Grimm, international sales director at CroisiEurope. But other operators can't because their ships are too large. He added: "Virtually all other cruise lines bus their guests into Prague. With the launch of the Elbe Princesse it will finally be possible to cruise from the heart of Berlin to the heart of Prague without having to disembark. Scenery at Elbsandsteingebirge in Saxony © INTERFOTO / Alamy After leaving Berlin the Elbe Princesse will call at Potsdam and the Sanssouci Palace and Park; Wittenberg, Meissen (famous for its porcelain); Dresden; Elbsandsteingebirge, a sandstone mountain range straddling the border of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemian region of the Czech Republic and Litomerice in the Czech Republic before finishing in Prague. The 40-cabin ship is 95 metres long and 10.5 metres wide, with two paddle wheels at the stern. CroisiEurope will launch its new-generation paddle-wheel technology in April 2015, when the MS Loire Princesse begins sailing six to eight-day cruises in France's Pays de Loire region - the first time that a river cruise ship has cruised along the Loire. Prices are currently unavailable.