Tauck World Discovery has announced its 2010 European river cruising plans as it continues to expand its product offerings next year with the addition of two new river cruise itineraries. The tour operator will also offer two Oberammergau extensions — four and five-day land journeys that can be combined with selected Tauck river cruise itineraries and include premium seating tickets for the village’s famous passion play performances.
“By growing our river cruise portfolio slowly, we’ve been able to maintain the same high standards, quality of guest experience, and strong value that Tauck has been known for since 1925,” said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar. “Along with the launch of our new Swiss Jewel in April, these two new river cruises represent important steps in our efforts.”
The two new itineraries are the 12-day Strasbourg to Prague Serenade and the 19-day Romance of the Rhine & Danube. The Strasbourg to Prague cruise begins with two nights at the Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Ile, with city sightseeing in Strasbourg, France, and an exploration of the Alsatian wine country. The following seven-day cruise includes visits to Germany’s Baden-Baden, Heidelberg, Miltenberg, Wurzburg, Bamberg, Nurnberg and Regensburg, before a two-day stay at the Hilton Prague Old Town with guided sightseeing in the Czech Republic. Prices for this river cruise begin at $3,990 per person.
The Romance of the Rhine & Danube river cruise also starts with a two-night stay at the Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Ile and visits many of the same cities along the Rhine, Main and Main-Danube Canal. The 14-day cruise then continues along the Danube with visits to Passau, Germany; Linz, Salzburg, Durnstein and Vienna, Austria; and Bratislava, Slovakia; before concluding with a two-night stay at the InterContinental Budapest. Rates begin at $6,790 per person.
Tauck’s two Oberammergau extensions allow guests to add an extra four- or five-day land component to their river cruise itinerary, and experience the Oberammergau Passion Play. First performed by Oberammergau citizens in 1634, after the village escaped a plague epidemic, the play has become a major cultural event involving more than 2,000 Oberammergau residents as actors, singers, musicians and technicians in the once-a-decade performances.
Tauck World Discovery
www.tauck.com