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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Luxury Late River-Cruise Deal with AMA Waterways

How's this for a great late, late offer for a river-cruise? Admittedly, we do get a lot of them here at World of Cruising, but this is definitely worth passing on for the saving involved (more than 50 per cent), sailing with luxury operator AMA Waterways, and departing next Monday. Full details as follows:

8th August: £900pp saving off luxury Danube river cruise

Luxury river cruise operator AmaWaterways is offering a last-minute £900pp saving off a 7-night Danube River cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg sailing through Vienna, Durnstein, Melk, Passau and Regensburg, departing 8th August, with prices now from £863 per person (usually £1,763 per person), including all meals, champagne breakfasts, wine with dinner and complimentary shore excursions.

See more at www.amawaterways.co.uk or contact the river-cruise agents at The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

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AMA Waterways New Offers

Once again river cruise specialists AMA waterways are offering huge savings. Take a look at this latest selection from the boutique river-cruisers:

25th April : Tulip Time Cruise, saving £427 per person

A 7-night cruise on board AmaCello through Holland's spectacular bulb-fields, now from £1,329pp (was £1,756), with accommodation in a spacious cabin with French balcony. The spring flowers are at their best from mid-March through to mid-May and this is the perfect time to discover the beauty and history of the Dutch and Belgian waterways. As with all AMA cruises, prices include all meals, champagne breakfasts and wine with dinner; free Wi-Fi and free use of onboard bicycles and daily excursions.

8th May: Enchanting Rhine, saving up to £460pp

A 7-night luxury cruise along the Rhine, from Amsterdam to Basel visiting Cologne, Kloblenz, Rudesheim, Worms, Heidelber, Strasbourg, Breisach and Basel, sailing through majestic historic cities and towns, can now be booked from £1,425pp (was £1,885).

14th May : Legendary Danube with £457pp saving

A 7-night Danube River cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest, with prices from £1,595 per person (was £2,052pp), this sailing cruises through the charming towns and beautiful vistas of Hilpoltstein, Regensburg, Passau, Salzburg, Linz, Melk and Vienna.

14th May: Rhone and the Provence with £457 saving per person

A 7-night luxury river cruise along the Rhone, from Lyon to Arles, visiting Trevoux, Vienne, Tournon, Viviers and Avignon, with wine-tasting in beautiful wine growing regions where such famous wines as Beaujolais, Côte du Rhône and Chateauneuf-du-Pape are produced, can now be booked from £1,595pp (was £2,052).

For more info, visit www.amawaterways.co.uk or contact the river-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Cruising in style to the Christmas Markets.

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Christmas away from home can be an enjoyable experience, especially if you find somewhere that makes the experience even more magical. Now luxury river cruise operator AMA Waterways is offering a series of romantic European river cruises to take in the famous Christmas markets of Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Hungary.

The company is featuring a seven-night Christmas Time Cruise on its luxury river cruiser AmaLyra sailing between Nuremberg and Budapest, with ample time in the markets at Regensburg, Passau, Melk, Vienna and, for Advent with a Hungarian flavour, Budapest. There's also an optional excursion to romantic Salzburg and, in Budapest, a special evening's sailing past the dazzling Christmas illuminations that light up the riverfront in the heart of the city.

Departing from Budapest to Amsterdam on December 20th, there is a one-off, 14-night Christmas and New Year cruise celebrating both festivities on board, with seasonal dinners and a convivial, party atmosphere for each. The AmaLyra will be in historic Melk on Christmas Eve (the day Austrians celebrate Christmas) until 10pm and then sailing to Linz and Passau.

There are also two Rhine Winter Voyages during Advent on sister ship AmaLegro, with plenty of opportunity to explore Christmas markets in ports between Basel and Amsterdam. The itinerary includes the markets of Freiburg, Strasbourg, Speyer, Worms, Rudesheim and Cologne, where each market is different, from the medieval themes of French Strasbourg to the pretty market in Rudesheim and the impressive display in Cologne, in the shadow of the magnificent cathedral with more than 160 wooden stalls. There are two departures, on November 26 and December 3.

Prices for all cruises are from £1,199 per person, including an allowance of £200 towards flights, all meals on board (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner), unlimited wine with dinner, a daily sightseeing programme, folklore and musical performances, bicycles for use in port, a high-tech in-cabin entertainment system and free internet access.

For further details, look up http://www.amawaterways.co.uk/.

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