Included Services

SERVICES INCLUDED Cruise in the cabin category booked Full board (breakfast buffet, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, midnight snack) Coffee and tea with all main meals Wine included at the Captain’s Gala Dinner Welcome Cocktail Welcome Dinner Captain's Gala Dinner and Crew show Multilingual cruise director Entertainment programme Music programme every day in the bar by the board orchestra Harbour taxes Luggage transfer from shore to cabin and vice versa INCLUDED SPECIAL EVENTS DURING THE CRUISE Evening cruise Budapest with Hungarian folklore program on board – day 3 Operetta program on board by a famous Hungarian singer – day 8 Romanian folklore program on board – day 12 "Heurigen" evening on board - day 13 EXCURSIONS .All excursions as outlined in the itinerary can be booked in advance or during the program with the cruise director. EARLY BOOKING BONUS For bookings until 31.01.08 the following excursions are offered as a free bonus: City tour Vienna $45 pp) City tour Budapest ( $43 ,- pp) City tour Belgrade ( $45 ,- pp) City tour Bucharest ( $70 ,- pp) City tour Bratislava ( $55 ,- pp)

CRUISE ITINERARY
15 Day Cruise
		On this cruise you see the Danube, arguably Europe’s most beautiful river, over its entire length - measuring over 2,000 kilometres from the Alps to the Black Sea. This journey takes in a total of eight European countries (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania) and four capital cities (Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Bucharest).
Delve into the history of old Europe and absorb the incredible extent of the former Habsburg Empire, which at the time united so much culture, and so many languages and nations under its patronage. Witness, too, the achievements of the new Europe. On this cruise you’ll be fascinated by the landscapes bordering the Danube, just as those who travelled across the Empire were then. Visiting the nature reserves of the Danube delta and passing through the world-famous ‘Iron Gate’ are certain to be among the highlights of this journey.
Itinerary Highlights
		Day 1 - Embarkation from 4 p.m. on the AMADEUS in Passau, the city where three rivers meet. The ship leaves port at 6 p.m. After having become acquainted with your floating hotel, you will be welcomed by your cruise director and served a cocktail in the Panorama Bar before the welcome dinner.
		Day 2 - At about 11 a.m., the AMADEUS puts into port at Vienna. The entire day is at your disposal to explore this metropolis on the Danube, this city of music and joie de vivre - where Sachertorte and Heuriger are just as famous as St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Imperial Palace. See all the important sights on our Vienna sightseeing tour (incl.) or absorb the city centre on your own. The ship leaves the port of Vienna at 6.30 p.m. and heads downstream for Hungary.
		Day 3 - In the morning the AMADEUS arrives at Esztergom, where we get a tremendous view of the vast cathedral above the Danube. Following breakfast on board, the party joining the Esztergom-Szentendre excursion (opt.) leaves the ship to continue by bus via Visegrad to Budapest, while the ship cruises downstream through the "Danube Bend", one of the most scenic stretches of the entire river, also known as the "Hungarian Wachau".
The ship arrives at Budapest at 12 a.m., where those on the excursion come aboard again. The Budapest sightseeing tour (incl.) in the early afternoon enables you to absorb this city’s most important sights. After dinner enjoy an unforgettable evening cruise (incl.) on AMADEUS with a glorious view of the beautifully floodlit buildings on both banks of the river. A Gipsy band, specially engaged for this cruise, entertains you on board with lively music and you also see a performance by a Hungarian folklore group.
		Day 4 - Enjoy a lazy cruise day on the sun deck as the impressive landscape passes by.
		Day 5 - Arrival in the early morning at Belgrade, the capital of the Republic of Yugoslavia, situated at the confluence of the Danube and the Save. In the morning you can join us on our Belgrade sightseeing tour (opt.). The bus takes you to where you can admire the mighty Kalemegdan fortress and on to many more of this city’s impressive sights.
After dinner, the Belgrade Evening Excursion (opt.) takes you to "Skadarlija", the well-known artists´ quarter. At 11 p.m. the AMADEUS leaves the port of Belgrade and speeds on towards to Bulgaria.
	Day 6 - After a substantial breakfast, relax on the sun deck and take in the picturesque panorama as it glides by. Later in the morning, we come to one of the highlights of the cruise, the Cataract stretch (approx. 130 km long), the world famous rise of the Danube through the Carpathians and the foothills of the Balkans – the "Iron Gate". Then we traverse the locks of the two gigantic Danube hydroelectric power stations, Djerdap I and II, near the town of Orsova.
		Day 7 - Arrival in the morning at the Bulgarian town of Svistov where, after breakfast, we start the Veliko Tarnovo tour (opt.). In the meantime the ship cruises downstream to Rousse, where those on the excursions come aboard again. At 3 p.m. the AMADEUS leaves the harbour of Rousse and heads downstream for the Danube Delta.
		Day 8- At about 7.30 a.m., the ship docks at Coral and you may join the excursion to the Danube Delta (opt.). From a small boat along St. George’s canal you can see some of the unique topography of the “Danube Delta”. The delta covers an area of about 4.340 km², a paradise for flora and fauna experts and enthusiasts. In the afternoon, let yourself be carried away by the famous music inspired by the Danube and played and danced by excellent Romanian folklore group.
		Day 9 - At about 7.30 a.m., the ship puts into port at Oltenita. In the morning, you may want to join us on our Bucharest sightseeing tour (incl.) to experience the hustle and bustle of this capital city, which is increasingly "Central European" in atmosphere, though some of the wide boulevards and vast buildings remind one of Paris.
The drive back (of about one hour) to the ship in Giurgiu then takes you past seemingly endless fields of the formerly barren Wallachian plain, and through picturesque little villages. The AMADEUS leaves Giurgiu at 3.30 p.m.
		Day 10 - The AMADEUS continues its journey upstream, retracing the route through the romantic Wallachian plain between Romania and Bulgaria. The ship returns along the Danube rise through the Carpathians and the foothills of the Balkans.
		Day 11 - Having seen so many sights over the past few days, you will now appreciate a few hours of relaxation on board before reaching Novi Sad in the afternoon. During the Novi Sad sightseeing tour (opt.) you will see for yourself all the sights Novi Sad has to offer, including its impressive Peterwardein Fortress. The ship leaves the port of Novi Sad at 9 p.m.
		Day 12 - After a substantial breakfast in the Panorama Restaurant, relax on the sun deck and take in the picturesque landscape as it glides by. At lunch time the ship arrives at Mohacs. A bus excursion starts here to Kalocsa (opt.), a charming town on the Hungarian plains, known for its traditional Hungarian embroidery and, above all, for the cultivation of paprika – Hungary’s national product.
You will witness a performance of traditional Hungarian horsemanship and visit the only paprika museum in the world, before rejoining the ship in Kalocsa. After dinner, let yourself be carried away by famous music inspired by the Danube, and played for us passionately by excellent Hungarian musicians.
		Day 13 - In the morning at approx. 11.30 a.m., the AMADEUS arrives at the Slovakian city Komarno. After lunch on board the party joining the City tour of Bratislava (incl.) leaves the ship. In the meantime the ship cruises upstream to Bratislava, where those on the excursions come aboard again. During dinner let yourself be carried away by famous Viennese “Heurigen” music. At 8 p.m. the ship set of for Austria.
		Day 14 - Enjoy a substantial breakfast in the morning as the impressive landscape passes by. At 8.30 a.m. the AMADEUS berths at the idyllic wine-growing town Dürnstein, starting point for the Beauties of the Wachau excursion (opt.). You will stroll through Dürnstein, idyllically situated and probably the most famous wine-growing town of the entire Wachau region. Then you will be invited to sample a fine selection of local wines.
To end a splendid day we take you through the picturesque landscape of the Wachau to the 900-year old Baroque Benedictine abbey of Melk. At 1.30 p.m. the boat continues the cruise. Enjoy the lovely scenery as it glides by. This stretch of the Danube is called the Strudengau. On the last evening of your Danube odyssey, the captain of the AMADEUS will be delighted to welcome you to the Captain’s Gala Dinner. The ship’s indefatigable orchestra will make the final evening one to treasure, with tunes and rhythms to suite all tastes!
Day 15 - The AMADEUS arrives back at the city of Passau, at the confluence of the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz, at about 8.30 a.m. End of the cruise.
Subject to alterations!

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