Amawaterways (Ama) is offering several special-interest cruises that are a good way to sell to travelers who are new to river cruising, with special rates available through Nov. 2.
For instance, wine aficionados should respond to a wine cruise celebration from Nov. 11-22, as part of an Amsterdam to Paris itinerary highlighting the famous vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. Ama president Rudi Schreiner and Jim Clendenen, owner of the internationally acclaimed Au Bon Climat Winery, will be onboard, and Ama recently announced a special airfare rate of $500 from New York’s JFK and $700 from Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport; a complimentary upgrade; and a $100 spa credit per stateroom.
In addition, there’s an offering that should be an easy sell to garden clubs: the new 2011 Garden Show Koblenz. Situated along the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Koblenz’s narrow lanes, busy squares and impressive historic buildings bear testament to a 2,000-year-old history. This year, Koblenz is launching a new event: the Federal Horticultural Show Koblenz 2011, taking place from April 15 to Oct. 16, 2011.
Seven Ama itineraries will visit the site, where guests can take in the 120 acres of gorgeous floral displays centered on the Electoral Palace, the Blumenhof courtyard and the hilltop Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. In addition to flowering carpets of dazzling seasonal blossoms in flower halls and outdoor exhibit sites, visitors can stroll along an inviting riverside promenade beside the Rhine and Mosel. The Garden Show will also include cultural highlights and events, ranging from symphony concerts to street art. In total, more than 3,000 such events are scheduled, featuring music, theater, seminars, children’s programs and themed evenings.
Itineraries that include the event are: Vineyards of the Rhine & Mosel; Enchanting Rhine; Europe’s Rivers & Castles; Magnificent Europe; the Ultimate River Cruise North Sea to the Black Sea; and European Treasures.
Another very focused offering is a set of Jewish heritage tours offered at two-for-one prices, sailing from Nov. 19 to Dec. 2 on the Blue Danube Discovery and Romantic Danube itineraries. The tours, which sail to Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Regensburg, Nuremberg and Prague, include visits to world-famous synagogues, Jewish districts, Jewish museums and/or Jewish cemeteries with professional guides.
Ama also has a promotion on festive Christmas Time cruises of $1,000 per stateroom, a free upgrade and shipboard credit of $100 per stateroom. The cruises are available as seven-night sailings from Budapest to Nuremberg or from Nuremberg to Amsterdam (with a two-night stay in Prague). Travelers embarking on a 14-night Magnificent Europe cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam during the holidays will enjoy even greater savings of $2,000 per stateroom, plus a $200 per stateroom shipboard credit and a free upgrade.
For 2011 departures, Ama is offering a choice of Companion Flies Free or $1,000 per Stateroom savings on departures from May to August of select Romantic Danube, Blue Danube Discovery, Melodies of the Danube; Europe’s Rivers and Castles; Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel; and Legendary Danube itineraries.
The Details
Amawaterways
www.amawaterways.com
