*
Reverse itinerary : Bucharest-Vienna -
may
require a pre-night hotel in Bucharest due to air schedules.
Estimated cost for 1 night hotel with buffet breakfast including
all taxes =
$100 pp /
twin -
$142 single
Port
charges ( including cruise fuel surcharges ) -
$185 Fuel surcharges -
based on maximum
$73 barrel. In case of fuel fluctuations
surcharges
will be adjusted accordingly.
Cabin
Upgrades: Cat
B ( MainDeck ) - Forward Cabins
$103 per person
Cat A - upper deck # 4 twins, picture windows that opens
$311 per person
Twin Cabin for Single Occupancy: Add %75 of the cabin rate,
subject to availability
Rates,
additional charges and conditions are subject to change,
and to
currency fluctuation, without notice - Errors and Omissions Excepted 271107CM
Accommodations
for 10 nights/11 days in all outside cabins in category of
your choice
Three
meals daily starting with dinner/ending with breakfast
Daily
afternoon tea and cakes and early morning coffee
Shore
excursions, daily sightseeing programs, onboard lectures
and folklore performances/music
concerts
as well as wine
tasting and other surprises as outlined
in the itinerary (excludes
optionals)
Live
3 piece Gypsy band playing each evening
Professional
English speaking Cruise Directors and local, English speaking
guides
throughout.
NOT INCLUDED
Port fees and cruise fuel surcharges (listed
separately)
Transfers if purchasing Cruise Only (must
be arranged and paid for in advance)
Any travel and document fees including
Visa requirements (none currently required)
Costs of a personal nature such as laundry,
telephone, liquor, souvenirs, etc.
Tips to Crew, Cruise
Directors, local guides and other staff along the route.
Any increases in costs due to unforeseen
circumstances such as; additional fuel
surcharges, exchange
rates or Government imposed taxes and
fees not known
at this time.
INCLUDED SIGHTSEEING TOURS AND SHORE EXCURSIONS
VIENNA, AUSTRIA: City tour
including Belvedere Palace
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA: City tour including
Hilltop Fortress
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY: City tour
and excursion to St Andrej
PESC,
HUNGARY: City tour & Wine Cellar
with wine tasting
NOVI SAD, SERBIA: Walking tour of the city
center
BELGRADE, SERBIA: City tour including Kalemegdan
Fortress
TURNU
SEVERIN, ROMANIA: City tour including Trajan’s History
Museum
VIDIN,
BULGARIA: City Tour including Baba Vida’s Fortress
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA: City tour including Parliament
House (outside
CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS
Welcome drink on arrival
and info meeting
Wine tasting party with concert of Gypsy Music
Lectures on Balkan History and Modern Balkans
today
Serbian Folklore performance and fashion show
(on board)
Farewell classical concert (on board)
Farewell
cocktails and Captains Gala Dinner
SAMPLE
ITINERARY
Day 1: Overnight flights to Vienna, Austria
Day 2: Vienna, Austria EMBARKATION
Welcome to Austria! Upon arrival to Vienna airport meet our
guides outside of the customs area. Board the buses for a
short spin through the city before arriving to the ship for
check-in. Prior to dinner, meet your fellow passengers and
Cruise Staff for an information meeting. Then enjoy your
first dinner on board, followed by a well deserved rest (D)
Day 3: Vienna
Your morning city
sightseeing tour will introduce you to the most attractive
sights of this “Imperial” capital.
Starting with Hundertwasserhaus, you will continue on to
Belvedere Palace, for a tour of the grounds and gardens.
Then it’s on to the city center via the Vienna Ringstrasse
to view famous architectural gems such as the State Opera,
the Parliament, the Burgtheatre, the Votiv-Church and others.
The next stop will be in the old center of Vienna to view
St. Stephan’s Cathedral and take a walk through the
pedestrian zone from Graben and Kohlmarkt to Michaela Square
ending at the entrance of the Hofburg (Imperial Palace).
From this point, continue past the Spanish Riding School
to Albertina Square, where you will see the State Opera and
the famous Hotel Sacher. Then it’s back on board the
bus for a drive past the famous "Prater" with its
Giant Ferry Wheel. Return to the ship in time for lunch.
The balance of the day is at leisure. You may choose to explore
Vienna on your own or purchase an optional tour available
on board. Set sail for Bratislava, Slovakia around midnight.
Day 4: Bratislava, Slovakia
Welcome to Slovakia!
Enjoy a morning panoramic city sightseeing tour, including
St. Martin's Cathedral, the Castle and Primate's
Palace. The sightseeing will end with a walk through the
Old Town – Michael's Gate, Michael's Tower, Main Square,
Old Town Hall and Slovak National Theatre. Some free time
for shopping and strolling. Return to the ship and set sail.
Lunch on board. In the afternoon enjoy a wine tasting party
featuring a selection of high quality but lesser known wines
from Hungary, Serbia and Romania, accompanied with live music
from our on board Gypsy Band! Dinner on board and evening
free to waltz the night away!
Day 5: Budapest, Hungary
Welcome to Hungary!
After breakfast a 3-hours city sightseeing tour of Budapest
will include the most popular sights: The
Parliament Building, St. Stefan Cathedral, the Opera, the
Square of Heroes, (the Millennium monument) and the town
park with the Vajdahunyad Castle etc. There will be stops
at the Square of Heroes, the Fisherman’s Bastion and
Gellert Hill. Return to the ship for lunch. The balance of
the afternoon is free to explore on your own or participate
in one of our optional excursions.
Day 6: Budapest
After breakfast depart on your excursion to St. Andrej (Szentendre)
a small picturesque village (17th century), 25 km away from
Budapest. Renowned as a sanctuary for artists, painters and
hand crafted arts, the tour will include the Main Square
with the memorial cross, the first teaching school in Hungary,
Preobrazenska Church, and the Church of the Hill, etc. On
the way back to the city, you will stop at a diamond cutting
factory for a refreshment and to view artists at work. Return
to the ship in time for lunch. The balance of the day is
at leisure.
Day 7: Pesc (Mohac), Hungary
From the port of
Mohac, a short bus ride will take you to visit the town of
Pesc, a gem of old world architecture, often
referred to as the “city for art lovers”. Here
you will tour Szecheni Square, Kaptalan Street and the Palace
of Lorant. Then, visit old Roman catacombs and a wine cellar
were you will enjoy tasting some popular local wines and
spirits. Upon your return to the ship set sail on to Serbia.
Weather permitting, a buffet and barbecue lunch will be held
on the Sun Deck enabling you to enjoy gorgeous views of the
passing countryside. In the afternoon enjoy lectures on the
Balkans held by our Cruise Managers and end the day with
a delightful concert of Gypsy music performed by our on board
band!
Day 8: Novi Sad, Serbia - Belgrade,
Serbia
Welcome to Serbia!
Your first stop in this “newly” minted
country will be in Novi Sad, Serbia’s third largest city
after Belgrade and Nis. You will be delighted with this pedestrian
friendly town as you join your local guide for a walking tour
through the town center. After the tour you will have free
time to explore the many nooks and crannies of the town or
enjoy a cappuccino and some people watching from the terrace
of one of the many open air café’s. Return to
the ship for lunch as you continue sailing towards the “White
City” – Belgrade, Serbia’s vibrant capital!
On arrival to Belgrade, the day will end with another special
treat! After dinner, you will enjoy a private folklore show
performed by members of Belgrade’s renown “Frula” (“Flute”)
ensemble. In between the dances, a special fashion show will
introduce you to the wonderful hand made sweaters of “Sirogojno” – made
with special wool and local motifs. These sweaters are sold
in some of the most fashionable world wide boutiques for hundreds
of dollars as each one is an individual work of art. If you
live in cold climates back home – one of these sweaters
would be a wonderful gift to family members – or yourself!
Day 9: Belgrade
After breakfast on
board, your morning sightseeing tour of this lively and vibrant
city will include all of the major
attractions; Kalemegdan Fortress, looming over the confluence
of the Danube and Sava rivers, St. Sava’s Orthodox
Cathedral, perched on a hill which can be seen from every
part of the city, the Parliament Building, Princess Ljubica's
Manor, Mark's Church, and others. The tour will end with
a stroll through Knez Mihajlova Street, the main pedestrian
zone full of boutiques, open air café’s and
galleries. Return to the ship in time for lunch. The balance
of the day is free to explore the city on your own including
the bohemian quarter of Skadarlia, only 15 minutes walking
distance from the port. Reminiscent of Monmartr, its cobblestone
streets come alive in the evening with artists, street performers,
open air café’s and some of the best live bands
and restaurants in the city. Dinner will be served on board.
Set sail for Romania this evening!
Day 10: “The Iron Gate” & Turnu
Severin, Romania
In the morning
hours, you will enjoy viewing a great natural attraction,
as the ship passes through the highest natural
gorge on the Danube, aptly named the "The Iron Gates".Over
100 km long, this canyon (gorge), was a gigantic obstacle
to navigation because of its pointed rocks and cliffs, surrounded
with very wild yet attractive nature. This danger was finally
overcome in 1972, with the building of the “Djerdap” Hydroelectric
and Navigation System, the largest of its kind in Europe.
The Romanian/Yugoslav builders carried out this gigantic
construction project by building a huge concrete dam which
raised the level of the water by 30 to 80 meters. On both
sides of the dam, two locks and two hydroelectric stations
were built which today produce an average annual output of
10 billion kWh and enable safe passage for passenger and
cargo ships all the way to the Black Sea. A lecture on local
history will complement an unforgettable morning. Lunch on
board. In the afternoon, you will arrive to the Romanian
port city of Turnu Severin renowned for its Museum of Ancient
History and as the site of archaeological excavations from
Roman times, including the remains of the ancient Emperor
Trajan’s bridge. After the tour return to the ship
for dinner followed by a lively concert of Gypsy Music performed
by our superb Gypsy band!
Day 11: Vidin, Bulgaria
Welcome to Bulgaria!
After breakfast, embark on a walking tour of this delightful
Bulgarian river port highlighted by a
visit to the 13th century fortress named “Baba Vida” (“Grandma
Vida”) the best preserved medieval fortress in the
country. Then enjoy some free time for strolling and shopping
before returning to the ship for lunch and continued sailing.
The afternoon is free to enjoy the passing countryside, prior
to preparing for our festive Captain’s Gala dinner
accompanied by the “wailing”
sounds of our Gypsy violins!
Day 12:
Giurgiu/Magurele – Bucharest, Romania
As all good things
must come to an end – so does your
wonderful cruise adventure! Disembark after breakfast and depending
on water levels, transfer from either Giurgiu or Turnu Magurele
to the “Paris of the East” – Bucharest, Romania’s
lovely capital! (2 hrs). Upon reaching the city, your panorama
tour will highlight major attractions including; Revolution
Square, Arch d Triomphe, the National Theatre, the Rumanian
Athenaeum and others. Stop for photographs at President Ceausescu’s
humongous "People's House" (today’s Parliament)
the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon.
Then it’s on to the airport for flights home or on to
Brasov if taking our optional 3 day Dracula extension.! (B)
