AmaWaterways launches 2015 Europe, Russia, Asia and Africa river cruise brochure

AmaWaterways has launched its 2015 Europe, Russia, Asia & Africa river cruise brochure. Offering 24 itineraries on board 20 ships visiting nearly 30 countries, the  line is introducing three new ships for 2015, Myanmar as a new destination and unique new theme cruises, as well as the return of the line’s popular wine and Christmas markets sailings.

Many of the ships feature a unique twin balcony design, multiple dining venues, offering exclusive `limited edition’ immersive tours, complimentary Internet and Infotainment systems, a heated swimming pool or whirlpool on the Sun Deck and a chef’s table on the newer ships.  

In addition to its regular programme of sailings in 2015  AmaCares, will offer a new way for travellers to give back. In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the line will donate £300 per stateroom onboard its In Celebration of Life cruises on 25 October and 28 October to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research, prevention and treatment.

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Relive The Sound of Music With Titan

Calling all Sound of Music fans, here is a cruise experience - and an exclusive opportunity - just for you! Titan Travel, in conjunction with their river-cruise partners Uniworld, are offering guests travelling on selected river cruises this summer the unique opportunity to meet and hear performances by Elisabeth von Trapp.

As the granddaughter of the legendary Maria and Baron von Trapp, whose story inspired The Sound of Music, Elisabeth (above) will share the “sounds of music” with guests on a choice of 2014 itineraries for departures from June to September. 

Guests sailing on the 8-day Enchanting Danube itinerary, from Budapest to Passau, will be able to join Elisabeth in Salzburg at the beautiful Mirabellgarten as she performs songs from the famous film. A highlight of the performance will be the chance for guests to participate in a sing-along of “Do-Re-Mi” at the famed garden where the original 1964 scene was filmed. Elisabeth will also be performing a range of Gregorian chants, 12th-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen tunes, some early American hymns and her own original compositions. 

Guests sailing on the 14-day European Serenade and 7-day Danube Discovery and Prague itinerary will also be treated to “the sounds of Von Trapp” with an exclusive on-board performance. 

Prices for the August 3 departure of the Enchanting Danube cruise start from £2,729 per person, including flights, 7-night full board cruise on board the River Beatrice, transfers, excursions with English speaking guides, unlimited complimentary drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, taxes and Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service.

More info: call 0800 988 5867 or visit www.titantravel.co.uk/uniworld.

The new edition of World of Cruising is now out, and you can see the digital version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link. 

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Big River-Cruise Savings With Titan

Titan Travel, who offer a choice of deluxe river cruise itineraries in the UK in exclusive partnership with Uniworld, has launched the second edition of its 2014 river-cruise brochure with details of six new Christmas cruises for 2014 and savings of up to £800 per person on cruises booked before December 31.

The brochure showcases some of the grandest and most scenic waterways of Europe, Russia, China, Vietnam and Cambodia, aboard Uniworld’s fleet of exquisitely appointed floating boutique-style hotels. The majority have been designed by Red Carnation Hotels and include original works of art, antiques and elegant furnishings. With an average capacity of 130 and the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river-cruise industry, as well as guaranteed river-view staterooms, exceptional fine dining and multi award-winning service, each cruise is now rated as a Six-Star experience.

Every European itinerary in 2014, excluding Russia, is also now all-inclusive, with holiday prices covering all gratuities (on-board and ashore), unlimited wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks throughout (excluding premium wines and spirits) and on-board internet/Wi-Fi. This enhancement invites guests to relax in the knowledge there are no hidden extras once on board. These extras are offered in addition to an already unparalleled list of ‘standard’ inclusions from Zagat-recommended river-view staterooms, full board fine dining, a choice of expert-guided shore excursions to unique door-to-door transfers as part of Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service.

New for 2014 is the expansion of Uniworld’s award-winning fleet with the addition of SS Catherine. Set to raise the bar even higher than sister ship Antoinette, this beautifully appointed vessel will be replacing the River Royale along the Rhône and Saône through southern France on the perennially popular 8-day ‘Burgundy & Provence’ itinerary from Lyon to Avignon, with prices starting from £2,149 per person based on a November 9, 2014, departure (saving £400 if booked by December 31).

Further savings of up to £750 per person can be made on a spectacular 16-day cruise taking in the ‘Imperial Capitals of Europe’. Travelling through eight countries starting in Istanbul with a tour of its striking mosques and opulent palaces, the tour continues with a flight on to the eclectic city of Bucharest and the start of a cruise along the Danube to regal Vienna. This fascinating journey takes in picturesque Bulgarian towns such as Veliko, Tarnono and Arbanassi, as well as the majestic cities of Budapest (above) and Belgrade along the way. The cruise costs from £3,899 per person (if booked by December 31), based on an April 7, 2014, departure.

For details or to book, call Titan on 0800 988 5867 or visit www.titantravel.co.uk/uniworld.

NB: We featured the Imperial Capitals of Europe cruise in the magazine last year, and you can read the report on this link.

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AMA's Christmas River-Cruise Crackers

Christmas market river cruises are now big business in Europe, and there are a wide variety of ways to enjoy the festive period along the Rhine and Danube, soaking up the best of the river-cruise style as well as the ideal way to visit these Markets.

Take this little selection from AMAWaterways...

AMA's Christmas Time cruise is a 7-night sailing between Nuremberg and Budapest on 13 departure dates from the end of November throughout the festive season. The cruise takes in the world’s largest Christmas market in Nuremberg, the festively decorated stalls of the Old Kornmarkt's in the medieval city of Regensberg and the “royal” Christmas markets at the Thurn and Taxis Palace, where craftsmen can be seen making their goods. In Passau, guests enjoy an optional tour to Salzburg, the 'Sound of Music' city, with its numerous festive markets and tourist attractions, and on to Melk, to visit the magnificent baroque Benedictine Abbey.

In Vienna, guests have the opportunity to see some of the numerous Christmas markets in Austria's capital, including the 60 traditional Christmas market stalls at the Imperial Schönbrunn Palace. The cruise concludes in Budapest, festively decorated for Christmas, and an illuminations cruise past the city after a farewell dinner on board enables guests to see the city at its finest.

Departing on December 2, the Christmas Time cruise costs from £1,639pp (including a saving of £355pp), with free return UK flights, all meals, wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, complimentary daily excursions, free Wi-Fi and free use of on-board bicycles. The same cruise on December 16 costs from £1,649pp, saving £504pp including free return flights from the UK.

Other 2013 Christmas Market cruises depart on November 25, 27 and 30, and December 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 18, 21 and 28 (excluding free flights offer).

Christmas also comes early on the Danube where AMA are giving free flights with bookings for their December 23 Christmas on the Danube sailing. The cruise, from Budapest to Vilshofen, visits some of Europe’s most picturesque cities and towns at their most festive, including Vienna, Passau, Melk and Bratislava. It costs from £1,719pp (saving £506pp), including free flights, all meals (with Christmas meals and events), wine with lunch and dinner, complimentary daily tours, free Wi-Fi and free use of on-board bicycles.

Departing on December 18, take a magnificent 14-night journey through five countries along Europe’s main waterways, spend Christmas in the medieval city of Nuremberg then overnight in Amsterdam for New Year when the sky is lit up by a magnificent display of fireworks. AMA's Magnificent Europe at Christmas Time cruise costs from £2,789p (saving £974pp), and also includes free flights, all meals (with Christmas meals and events), wine with lunch and dinner, complimentary daily tours, free Wi-Fi and use of on-board bicycles.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury river-cruise experts.

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AMA's National Cruise Week Discounts

In keeping with all the fun - and special offers - of National Cruise Week this week (Sept 21-29), AMA Waterways have come up with some tempting offers to sample their luxury river-cruise style either this year or in 2014.

Take your pick from:

Enticing Douro
Sail from the historic city of Porto through the vineyards of the Douro Valley, calling at small towns and visiting port producers along the way. Take an excursion (included) from Bara d'Alva to Salamanca, one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. Departing March 25, 2014, now from £1,428pp (was £1,662) or April 1, from £1,534pp (was £1,787).

Paris & Normandy
Cruise the Seine for seven nights, calling at Vernon, Caudebex-en-caux (for special excursions to the D-Day beaches), Rouen (for Honfleur), Les Andelys and Conflans, visiting chateaux and beautiful landscapes that inspired great artists such as Monet. Departing November 13 and 20, now from £1,693pp (was £1,974).

Provence
Spend seven nights cruising the Rhône, from Arles to Lyon, tasting the Beaujolais wines, exploring Avignon and Arles and admiring the stunning scenery of vineyards, dramatic gorges and lavender fields. Departing November 20, now from £1,693pp (was £1,974).

Enchanting Rhine
Sail between Amsterdam and Basel through the steep-sided Rhine Gorge, exploring towns and cities including Cologne, Rudesheim, Heidelberg and medieval Strasbourg. Departing April 1, 2014, now from £1,480pp (was £1,724); November 9, from £1,587pp (was £1,849); November 16 (on AmaReina) and November 17 (on AmaCerto), from £1,534pp (was £1,787).

Romantic Danube
Cruise from Vilshofen in Germany to Budapest, calling at Passau, Linz (for Salzburg), Melk, with its magnificent abbey, Vienna, and Bratislava. There's an overnight in Budapest, with a cruise of the Danube after dark to admire the glittering lights festooning all the bridges. Departing November 11 (on AmaPrima) or 12 (on AmaSonata), now from £1,534pp (was £1,787).
 

All prices include the 15% discount; full board on the ship; complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; daily guided tours and excursions; free wi-fi; free use of on board bicycles (excluding the Douro); and port taxes. Travel to and from the ship is extra. The discount applies to the cruise-only price and is based on two adults sharing.

For more details on National Cruise Week, see this link: http://www.discovercruises.co.uk/national-cruise-week.aspxhttp://www.discovercruises.co.uk/national-cruise-week.aspx

For bookings, be sure to see this link for The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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AMA's Christmas Classics

AmaWaterways is offering some tempting Christmas market river-cruises this year, with the chance to grab a real bargain for early-bookers.

Departing on November 25, AMA's 7-night 'Christmas Time' cruise costs from £1,589pp, including a saving of £347 and with free return UK flights, all meals, wine with lunch and dinner, complimentary daily tours and excursions, free Wi-Fi and free use of on-board bicycles. The same cruise on December 16 costs from £1,595pp, including flights from the UK, saving £359pp.

2013 Christmas market departures also on November 27 and 30 and December 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 18, 21 and 28 (excluding free flights offer).

Christmas on the Danube

Christmas comes early on the Danube where AmaWaterways are giving free flights with bookings for their 7-night December 23 sailing, saving £359pp. The cruise, from Budapest to Vilshofen, visits some of Europe’s most picturesque cities and towns at their most festive, including Vienna, Vilshofen, Passau, Melk and Bratislava. The cruise now costs from £1,585pp.

Magnificent Christmas cruise

Departing on December 18, this magnificent 14-night journey travels through five countries along Europe’s main waterways, spending Christmas in the medieval city of Nuremberg then overnight in Amsterdam for New Year when the sky is lit up by a magnificent display of fireworks. AMA's 'Magnificent Europe at Christmas Time’ cruise now costs from £2,719pp, saving £684.

All prices include flights, all meals (with Christmas meals and events), wine with lunch and dinner, daily tours and excursions, free Wi-Fi and free use of on-board bicycles. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury river-cruise specialists.

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AMA's Free Flights Offer

AmaWaterways is offering free flights with selected wine-themed cruises this November, with opportunities to take part in wine tastings, visit vineyards, hear presentations from top wine experts and enjoy food and wine pairings. The offers save up to £352 per person for a 7-night Danube cruise from Budapest to Vilshofen.

 

The choices in full are:

November 15 & 22: The Enchanting Rhine wine cruise, saving £337pp
Learn as you sip on a 7-night wine appreciation cruise on luxurious river cruiser AmaCello, in the company of expert U.S. wine host Holly Howell, who will guide guests in enjoying and tasting wines. The new price of £1,499pp represents a saving of £337pp. The same cruise on Nov 22 costs from £1,499pp, saving £317pp. 

November 11 and 18: The Romantic Danube wine cruise, saving £352pp
Visit a Heuriger (wine tavern) in Vienna, cruise through the autumn colours of Austria’s Wachau Valley and join in Oktoberfest festivities in Vilshofen. Taste beer and wine in wineries and breweries between Budapest and Vilshofen and, when on board, enjoy presentations from top wine experts on a 7-night sailing on 5-star river cruiser AmaCerto. The new price of £1,499pp represents a saving of £352pp. The same cruise on Nov 18 costs from £1,469pp, saving £342pp.

All prices include complimentary visits to vineyards, beer and wine tastings, themed dinners with wine pairings, daily tours and excursions, wine presentations, as well as free flights, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, free Wi-Fi and use of on-board bicycles.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury river-cruise specialists.

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Take a River Cruise - And Save!

AmaWaterways have a new series of worldwide river-cruise special offers this week, with savings of up to £391 per person for their distinctive voyages in Russia, France, along the Danube and in the Far East.

Here are the full details:

July 26: Cruise Russia’s waterways, saving £271pp 

Discover Russia’s waterways and her vast and spectacular lakes, dine traditional style with a Russian family and discover the cities en-route between St Petersburg and Moscow. This 11-night sailing is now £2,979pp (was £3250pp).

August 9: Cruise through Provence, saving £391pp 

This one-week luxury river cruise from Lyon to Arles along the Rhone takes in famous wine growing regions, historic towns and the spectacular Provencal countryside. The price is now £2,299 per person (was £2,690).

August 16: Vietnam, Cambodia & Riches of the Mekong

Departing on August 16, AMA has a magnificent 7-night cruise along the Mekong between Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City, including a 2-night pre-cruise stay in Siem Reap (B&B basis) in Cambodia, for just £2,299pp, saving £239. The cruise is on board the La Marguerite, and visits floating markets, exotic villages, temples, monasteries and historic pagodas along the way.

August 26: Cruise the Danube, save £281pp 

Or how about a week’s Danube cruise from Vilshofen to Budapest, highlighting the very best of this region from Austria to Hungary. The price is now £2,064 per person (was £2,345). 

All prices include return UK flights, transfers, full board, wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, complimentary daily tours and excursions, plus use of onboard bicycles on Provence and Danube routes. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury river cruising specialists.

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Introducing CroisiEurope

It's not often we get the chance to introduce a brand new cruise line to our readers, but here's one we are definitely keen to share, especially as it adds significantly to the options for European river-cruising.

CroisiEurope is a 37-year-old French family-run business, building, owning and operating 28 elegant ships, with an average capacity of 100 to 180 passengers. Offering excellent value for money, these smart river-cruise ships are designed to sail in any water conditions, to fit under low and narrow bridges and navigate challenging rivers and canals.

CroisiEurope also seeks out creative itineraries and often operates on rivers where nobody else cruises, such as the Guadalquivir and Guadina rivers in Spain, the Tisza in Hungary, Venice lagoon and the Po in Italy, in addition to rivers such as the Rhine, Danube, Seine, Rhone, Saone, Gironde, Garonne and Douro and the canals of France. There is also a selection of coastal cruises in the Adriatic and Mediterranean on 100-cabin M/S Belle de l'Adreatique, which can reach small ports and harbours inaccessible to large cruise ships.

Unique itineraries are available on most European rivers, ranging from three nights in Paris to 12-night transcontinental cruises all the way to the Black Sea. Prices start from just €300 per person for three nights full-board on a 'Paris Taster' mini-cruise. CroisiEurope also offers a number of themed cruises, including lifestyle gourmet & wine cruises; cruise & hike for active guests; classical music cruises; harvest festival cruises; and Christmas markets and New Year cruises.

The fleet, with 50 to 90 cabins on each ship, offers excellent onboard facilities, combining sophisticated "Francophile" lifestyle with insightful itineraries and panoramic views from cabins, lounges and sundecks. All cabins are outside with panoramic windows, fully equipped with bathrooms, TVs, hair dryers and air conditioning.

What’s New…. 

• In August 2012, CroisiEurope acquired La Jeanine, a 12-cabin hotel barge that will sail on the Alsace canals and in Burgundy, offering bespoke experiences with English-speaking commentaries between May and October.
• Following unprecedented success and continued demand for five, six, seven and eight-night Gironde & Garonne river cruises from Bordeaux, there will be more Bordeaux departures when the brand new MS Cyrano de Bergerac joins MS Princess d'Aquitaine in May.

For more info on European river-cruising, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's specialist for deluxe river cruise options.

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Christmas On The Danube

AmaWaterways 'Christmas Time' cruise is a 7-night sailing between Nuremberg and Budapest on 10 departure dates from the end of November until just after December 25, making it an ideal way to see the Yuletide markets and take in Europe’s festive atmosphere.

Nuremberg is home of the world’s largest Christmas Market, where more than 100 red and white canvas-topped booths offer an assortment of unique children’s toys, tinsel angels, dolls, dollhouses and gingerbread. In Regensburg, one of Germany's best preserved Medieval cities, complimentary guided tours take in the Old Kornmarkt's festive stalls adorned with fir branches and the “royal” Christmas markets at the Thurn and Taxis Palace, a very traditional handicraft Christmas market where craftsmen can be seen making their goods. In Passau, guests enjoy an optional tour to Salzburg, the `Sound of Music' city, with its numerous festive markets and tourist attractions, and on to Melk, to visit the magnificent baroque Benedictine Abbey.

In Vienna, guests have the opportunity to see some of the numerous Christmas markets in Austria's capital, including the 60 traditional Christmas market stalls at the Imperial Schönbrunn Palace, and to take in a concert or opera (at extra cost). The cruise concludes in Budapest, festively decorated for Christmas, and an illuminations cruise past the city after a farewell dinner on board enables guests to see the city at its finest.

AMA's 7-night Christmas Time cruise costs from £1,265pp, including all meals, wine with dinner, complimentary daily tours and excursions, free Wi-Fi and free use of on-board bicycles, but excludes flights. Departures are on November 21, 28 and 29 and December 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 and 27.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury river cruise experts.

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The Glorious Danube - Final Day

Our epic 11-day voyage along the Danube River on Uniworld's River Duchess comes to an end in Austria... 

Vienna - Day 2 

We had finally come to our last full day on the Glorious Danube in the company of Uniworld's boutique river voyages and the wonderful River Duchess ship, with all her 82 passengers (normal full complement - 130).

We had passed right through the heart of eastern Europe and finished in The City of Music, a fitting finale to a truly memorable voyage. For my first full river-cruise, it had more than lived up to expectations, and my wife and I are keen to do more in future.

For now, our final day was one completely at leisure, to head back into Vienna and sample some more (literally and metaphorically) of this amazingly scenic city.

With a simple four-stop ride on the U-bahn (underground metro; 2 euros per person, per journey), we were at the Rathaus stop (City Hall, above) and able to enjoy a Sunday stroll of the many sights in almost complete uncrowded comfort on a beautiful Austrian morning.

City Hall itself is a stunning Gothic edifice (built from 1872-83) and is fronted by lovely gardens leading up to the main Austrian Parliament building, a Greek Revival style that took shape at the same time as the Rathaus and is ringed by fabulous statuary.

Across the street, the Volksgarten - previously a private preserve of the Habsburgs - is now the city's famous Rose Garden (right), full of magnificent blooms and more neo-classical architecture. 

It also leads into the full majesty of the Hofburg, the former Imperial Palace, which stretches across this part of the city like a vast Baroque Lego set. From 1438 to 1583 and 1612 to 1806, it was the seat of the kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, and thereafter the seat of the Emperor of Austria until 1918 (including the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867). Today it is the official seat of the Austrian Federal President but also houses a variety of museums, public offices, the famed National Library (as visited the previous day) and the even-more-famous Spanish Riding School. 

It was warm enough to require a pre-lunch cafe stop, for which the outdoor terrace of the Hofburg's own Kaffeehaus was ideal (below) before we headed back into the city for another wander along the pedestrianised confines of Stephensplatz, including a stop at St Peter's Church and then lunch at the Wiener Stadtbrau Restaurant for some classic Viennese fare (and another beer!).

The afternoon wandering was beginning to look slightly less promising with more cloud cover, but we pressed on, determined to see as much as we could on foot. An array of street artists enlivened the weekend proceedings (helping to counter the fact that many shops were closed), and, everywhere we went, the mixture of modern and classical architecture provided seemingly endless perspectives.

Eventually, we wandered out to the Ring Road (the extent of the former city walls) and ambled along the Stadtpark, the main City Park, and home to several more eye-catching monuments, including the 1921 Johan Strauss II bronze statue, Franz Schubert Statue and Bust of Robert Stolz.

Here, we also discovered the 19th century Kursalon, the fabulous former Spa pavilion in which 'healing mindreal waters' used to be sold but is now home to a stylish restaurant, garden terrace cafe and music hall. Johan Strauss II gave his first concert here in 1868 but, this afternoon, we were more interested in sampling the local coffee and world-famous Sachertorte (below), which were, truly, world class.

After some more meandering around the Gardens, we decided the weather was beginning to look distinctly more threatening and, with the Captain's Farewell Dinner this evening back on board the Duchess, we decided it was time to head back.

Again, the U-Bahn was quick and easy to navigate and we had plenty of time to get ready for dinner, which was preceded by another typically fun and entertaining reception with Captain Michael Hofmann, Cruise Manager Christine and Hotel Manager Jaroslav.

The set menu was another memorable dinner adventure, a largely set-meal affair crowned by the typical cruise tradition of Baked Alaska on Parade for dessert. The real highlight, though, was dining with six new-found friends from our cruise, with Maitre D' Dimitar organising our eight-seater table in advance and ensuring the final evening went with a swing.

It brought down the curtain on an unforgettable cruise experience that was everything we had hoped it would be, and a lot more besides. The wonderful style of travel, the great cultural experience, the fabulous camaraderie enjoyed on board and the firm friendships that were forged were all firm highlights, but it would be hard to single any one thing out as the over-riding memory.


Suffice it to say, this River Duchess was an absolute royal treat and we can't wait to repeat the experience at some stage in future. 

Next - Danube Epilogue. 

This ‘Imperial Capitals of Europe’ voyage can be booked at www.uniworldrivercruises.co.uk, with Titan Travel (in the UK only) at www.titantravel.co.uk or, for more on river-cruising in general, seek out the luxury cruise-agent specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on this link.

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