7-night Enchanting Danube Cruise - Passau to Budapest: July 22 - July 29, 2012

Description of Cruise

7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the majestic River Beatrice
All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
Complimentary fine European wines, choice of beer, and soft drinks during dinner onboard; bottled water in your stateroom; and 24-hour specialty coffee and tea bar
6 shore excursions, fully hosted by English-speaking local guides
State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio headset system on all shore excursions
Use of bicycles
Captivating onboard local entertainment
Signature Lecture: “Austria’s History in the Context of the House of Habsburg”
Exclusive Epicurean Adventurer Program Including: Private wine tasting at Domäne Wachau in Dürnstein, Luscious Austrian dessert-making demonstration, Special wine and food pairing dinner
Captain’s Welcome Gala and Farewell Dinner
An experienced Cruise Manager and attentive, all English-speaking staff
All transfers on arrival and departure days

Included Highlights

Budapest city tour
Vienna city tour and National Library visit
Domäne Wachau wine tasting and Melk Abbey tour
Full day in Salzburg
Passau walking tour and St. Stephan’s organ concert

Departure day: July 22, 2012
Number of nights: 7

Remarks/Pricing

Prices are cruise/hotel only, per person, based on double occupancy. Airfare, transfers, government fees and taxes additional.

Ship Details

Ship: River Beatrice

All lavishly-appointed staterooms with riverviews, and most with French balconies. Hotel-style beds, a vanity and make-up mirror, generous built-in closets, hair dryer, safe, individual air conditioning, direct-dial telephone, flat-screen TV with a selection of viewing choices and private bathroom. Beautiful panoramic lounge, full-service bar, cozy library, and elegant restaurant. Sun deck, fitness center, sauna, beauty salon, Jacuzzi, boutique with gifts and sundries, and Wireless Internet access. Complimentary use of bicycles 24-hour specialty coffee & tea bar, and front desk attendant.
Click here for River Beatrice details.

Itinerary

Location	Arrive	Depart	Description
Passau	Sun, 2012-07-22 (All day)	Sun, 2012-07-22 (All day)	In the third millennium, Passau was considerably enlarged by the prince bishops of Passau, who made it their royal residence and capital of the largest Danube diocese. The wonderful Baroque buildings dominating the city today were built after a fire of 1662. One of the most striking is cathedral of St. Stephan, with the world’s biggest church organ. One of the best ways to enjoy the magic of Passau is with a sightseeing tour.
Passau	Mon, 2012-07-23 (All day)	Mon, 2012-07-23 (All day)	In the third millennium, Passau was considerably enlarged by the prince bishops of Passau, who made it their royal residence and capital of the largest Danube diocese. The wonderful Baroque buildings dominating the city today were built after a fire of 1662. One of the most striking is cathedral of St. Stephan, with the world’s biggest church organ. One of the best ways to enjoy the magic of Passau is with a sightseeing tour.
Linz	Tue, 2012-07-24 (All day)	Tue, 2012-07-24 (All day)	This Roman-built capital city is an important trade town along the Danube. For people interested in its past, it has an impressive list of important historical figures who have passed through or made Linz their home. Friedrich III, the Hapsburg Emperor, spent his last days in Linz, and for a time it was the most important city in the empire. Adolph Hitler went to school here for a brief period of time before moving on. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his Symphony No. 36 in Linz, and today it is called the Linz Symphony.
Wachau Valley Cruising	Wed, 2012-07-25 (All day)	Wed, 2012-07-25 (All day)	The Wachau Valley has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2000, and it is an area known for its wine, landscape and medieval towns. Tiered vineyards line the green hillsides, where history melds into the landscape in picturesque villages. You know you've arrived in the Wauchau when you pass by the southern riverbank and the dramatic, baroque Melk Abbey sits nearby. The Danube River is serene, widening at some areas and narrower at others, and accented by lush forests close to the water's edge, due to the fertile river soil.
Melk	Wed, 2012-07-25 (All day)	Wed, 2012-07-25 (All day)	Gateway to the Wachau valley, Melk is world renowned for its magnificent Abbey. One of the most splendid examples of Baroque architecture in Europe, the Abbey dominates the town from high above the Danube river. Admire the splendour of the famous Melk Cross, the Abbey library and the Collegiate Church.
Durnstein	Wed, 2012-07-25 (All day)	Wed, 2012-07-25 (All day)	Here in the heart of the beautiful Wachau wine region where vineyards lace softly rolling hills lies Dürnstein. See the ruins of Kuenringer Castle where Richard the Lionheart was reputedly held prisoner. Visit the former Collegiate Church. A stroll through medieval cobblestone streets reveals old burgher houses, wine taverns and quaint 16th and 18th century townhouses. Enjoy a wine tasting in one of the many charming taverns.
Vienna	Thu, 2012-07-26 (All day)	Thu, 2012-07-26 (All day)	Vienna is dominated by imperial castles and places: Schönbrunn, the magnificent summer residence, the Imperial Coach Collection, the Palm House, the Butterfly House, Belvedere Palace, magnificent state rooms in Hofburg, and the imperial crown in the Treasury. Stop by Ringstraße - the showplace of the monarchy built where Emperor Franz Joseph ordered the demolition of city walls. Important buildings include the State Opera, the Museums of Fine Arts and Natural History, Parliament, City Hall and Vienna University. The world capital of music.
Danube River Cruising	Fri, 2012-07-27 (All day)	Fri, 2012-07-27 (All day)	A Danube River cruise is the best way to experience the lovely landscapes, cultural heritage and centuries-old architecture of Old World Europe. On a Danube River cruise, you'll discover Europe's vineyard-lined valleys and beautifully preserved medieval towns in countries such as Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Romania. There are several different intineraries to choose from, but cruises generally include gourmet cuisine, panoramic views, and folklore performances.
Vienna	Fri, 2012-07-27 (All day)	Fri, 2012-07-27 (All day)	Vienna is dominated by imperial castles and places: Schönbrunn, the magnificent summer residence, the Imperial Coach Collection, the Palm House, the Butterfly House, Belvedere Palace, magnificent state rooms in Hofburg, and the imperial crown in the Treasury. Stop by Ringstraße - the showplace of the monarchy built where Emperor Franz Joseph ordered the demolition of city walls. Important buildings include the State Opera, the Museums of Fine Arts and Natural History, Parliament, City Hall and Vienna University. The world capital of music.
Budapest	Sat, 2012-07-28 (All day)	Sat, 2012-07-28 (All day)	Caught between eastern and western Europe, Budapest has a character uniquely its own. It's also the last cheap, civilised city in Europe. Budapest can seem like one big sight, with each phase in its history, from the Ottoman period until the Communist days and from renaissance to revolution, leaving its mark on the city. For the tourist, a trip to Hungary's capital is dominated by the majestic sights of Buda. In the summer, there are open-air festivals at Szeged, Diósgyor Castle in Miskolc, Gyor and Pécs. Visit the former Royal Palace complex, the Mátyás templom and the Belvaros.
Budapest	Sun, 2012-07-29 (All day)	Sun, 2012-07-29 (All day)	Caught between eastern and western Europe, Budapest has a character uniquely its own. It's also the last cheap, civilised city in Europe. Budapest can seem like one big sight, with each phase in its history, from the Ottoman period until the Communist days and from renaissance to revolution, leaving its mark on the city. For the tourist, a trip to Hungary's capital is dominated by the majestic sights of Buda. In the summer, there are open-air festivals at Szeged, Diósgyor Castle in Miskolc, Gyor and Pécs. Visit the former Royal Palace complex, the Mátyás templom and the Belvaros.

Accommodations

Room	Cat	Description	Photo
Owner's Suite	OS
Suite	S
Outside Stateroom - French Balcony - Rhine Deck	1
Outside Stateroom - French Balcony - Danube Deck	2
Outside Stateroom - French Balcony - Danube Deck	3
Outside Stateroom - Two Standard Windows - Moselle	4
Outside Stateroom - Two Standard Windows - Moselle	5

Food & Wine at Sea