There are some misconceptions that river cruises are just for the elderly, but we assure you that it’s definitely not the case.
River cruises are simply leisurely, luxurious ways to slowly make your way through historic waterways, getting you into the heart of each city along the way. Unlike the bigger ocean going ships, river cruise vessels tend to be significantly smaller (in order to fit down those winding rivers) therefore creating a more intimate cruising experience, getting in closer to the country’s towns and provinces, with the opportunity to form lifelong friendships and memories during your journey. All river cruises include meals and some include drinks and shore excursions and a lot have promotions to include much more.
A particular river cruise itinerary we wanted to draw your attention to today is one of the most popular of the bunch: Amsterdam to Budapest (or reverse), usually over 15 days. If you’re considering going on a river cruise but just have no idea where to start in terms of location, this is definitely the itinerary to go for. To make this itinerary even more appealing, we currently have an amazing offer on two Avalon Cruises.
The first cruise is the 15-day Magnificent Europe itinerary departing on the 14th of August 2018 from Budapest to Amsterdam. The second cruise is the 8-day Avalon Romantic Rhine cruise departing on the 4th of August 2018 from Zurich to Amsterdam. Currently on both of these itineraries you can purchase a cabin as a single traveller instead of having to pay for the price for a couple. Single cabin price for the Magnificent Europe itinerary for only $11,367 (save $5991), for the Romantic Rhine itinerary the single cabin price is $6065 (save $3205).
Over the festive season, one of our own travel specialists Cindy and her husband Kevin enjoyed a shorter 8 day cruise on - The Festive Time Romantic Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam. The added bonus of this itinerary at this time of year was that it was a festive themed cruise and would take them to Christmas Markets along the way. Here’s what Cindy thought of her itinerary…
Day One:
The first evening aboard the Avalon Imagery II was spent meeting the crew, learning the routines and expectations on board the ship, getting to know our some of our 120 fellow travellers.
Day Two:
We woke to find ourselves docked at Breisach, Germany. There was an optional excursion that morning to Colmar, France. Colmar is very picturesque - think photo opportunity around each corner. In the afternoon was an excursion to the Black Forest, Germany. The trip took us for a glorious scenic ride past snow covered villages and forest with trees laden with snow.
Day Three:
We awoke in Strasbourg, France. After a morning touring the city, we had lunch on the boat before our afternoon trip to Obernai, France.
Day Four:
The mornings trip was to Heidelberg - another stunning German town with the red sandstone ruins of Heidelberg Castle on the skyline. We cruised on the Rhine during lunch, past Worms and had a late afternoon visit to Mainz, another lovely old town with market squares brimming with Christmas cheer.
Day Five:
Rudesheim, Germany - Charming lanes, specialty coffees and the museum of Mechanical Music Cabinets were the scripted part of the morning. The afternoon was all about what you see in the brochures - scenic river cruising.
Day Six:
We arrived into Koln/Cologne with its majestic gothic cathedral. We chose to take the Jewish Heritage guided walk. Our guide was a young historian not afraid to talk about World War II and Germany's not so pleasant recent history.
Day Seven:
We enjoyed a tour of the canals of beautiful Amsterdam (on a number of smaller boats of course) and a guided walking tour in the morning.
Quay Cruise - we are located at 2/49 Apollo Drive, Mairangi Bay
Free parking, expert advice, and great coffee!
09 477 0212 to book an appointment today.
