Grand Christmas And New Years Cruise
Nuremberg, Regensburg, Deggendorf, Passau, Linz, Durnstein, Vienna, Budapest
Make this holiday season extra special and enter 2009 in grand style. Let this holiday season be an unforgettable one. Visit Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt, Germany's oldest and best known Christmas Market where you can browse over 200 wooden stalls filled with signature toys and handicrafts, as well as indulge in the tasty treats of gingerbread, sausages, roasted chestnuts and sweet-and-spicy hot-mulled wine. Celebrate Christmas in Regensburg, one of the finest medieval towns in Europe, where you will have time to attend Christmas mass in one of Regensburg's magnificent churches, along with a grand celebration onboard. Learn how the tradition of glassblowing has remained basically unchanged since the glassblower's pipe was discovered some two thousand years ago, while watching the glass maker skillfully use his tools in Zwiesel, and enjoy a horse sleigh ride through the hills and woods in the Bavarian Forest.
- 12-night cruise in an outside stateroom on the luxurious Grand River Countess
- Classical European cuisine with a twist of contemporary elegance
- 10 shore excursions fully hosted by English-speaking guides
- State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio headset system on all shore excursions
- Captain's Welcome and Farewell Dinners
- Enriching onboard entertainment and insightful lectures
- An experienced Cruise Manager and an attentive all English-speaking staff
- All transfers
Complimentary Transfers
- Arrival Transfers: Flights must arrive between 0700 and 1400 on the day the cruise departs, or on the day any included land program begins in order to receive airport to ship transfers. These transfers are group transfers and passengers may experience a waiting period of up to 2 hours or more between transfers. Passengers will need to make their way to the meet and greet area where they will be met by a representative holding a TRAFALGAR UNIWORLD sign. Passengers arriving outside the official dates of arrival
- Passengers will need to make their way to the meet and greet area where they will be met by a representative holding a TRAFALGAR UNIWORLD sign. Passengers arriving outside the official dates of arrival will need to make their own arrangements or purchase a private transfer.
- Departure Transfers: Flights must depart between 0700 and 1700 on the day that the cruise or the included land package ends in order to receive the ship to airport transfer. Passengers departing later than this must make their own arrangements or purchase private transfers. Passenger flight details must be given to Trafalgar 45 days days prior to departure in order to qualify for these tranfers.
Please note
Holiday Markets generally open thru December 23. We reserve the right to substitute appropriate sights and excursions in keeping with the celebrations of the season.
Holiday Markets generally open thru December 23. We reserve the right to substitute appropriate sights and excursions in keeping with the celebrations of the season.
Details
- Tour Operator
- Trafalgar Tours
- Duration
- 14 Days
- Escorted
- Escorted - Yes
| Day | Destination | Description |
| Day 1 | Depart Home Gateway City to Nuremberg | |
| Day 2 | Nuremberg | Arrive in Nuremberg where you'll be greeted by a Trafalagar representative and transferred to the ship. (Dinner) |
| Day 3 | Nuremberg | Visit Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt, Germany's oldest and best known Christmas Market where you can browse over 200 wooden stalls and indulge in the tasty treats of gingerbread, sausages, and sweet-and-spicy hot-mulled wine. As part of the city tour, we'll explore the medieval landmark of the Kaiserburg Castle, the medieval town wall and towers, and of course, the holiday bedecked central marketplace with its beautiful fountain and medieval backdrop. (Breakfast, Lunch, Captain's Welcome Dinner) Featured Excursions: Nuremberg city tour andChristmas Market |
| Day 4 | Cruising the Main-Danube Canal and Danube, Regensburg | For over 1200 years, some of the great European leaders and their engineers have dreamed of linking the great rivers of Central Europe: the Rhine, the Main and the Danube. Since 1992, the engineering masterpiece of the 106-mile-long Main-Danube Canal has made this dream come true. It provides a constantly navigable connection from the Rhine Delta to the Danube Delta in Romania, connecting the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. The canal crosses the European divide at 1331 feet above sea level, climbing the summit by impressive locks, the highest lifting about 83 feet each. It then follows the natural course of the Altmühl Valley, a truly scenic area of Limestone Mountains and picturesque Franconian villages, before it joins the Danube near Regensburg. |
| Day 5 | Regensburg | This morning you will have time to attend Christmas Mass in one of Regensburg's churches. In the afternoon, we will explore amazing man-made monuments like the 12th-century stone bridge, the towering gothic Cathedral of St. Peter with magnificent stained-glass windows dating from the 14th century, the Town Hall, where the first parliament of the Holy Roman Empire sat from 1663 to 1806, and the many architectural treasures of Old Town on our walking tour. And of course, we'll have a wonderful Christmas celebration onboard. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Featured Excursion: Regensburg walking tour |
| Day 6 | Deggendorf | We will board our coaches for a scenic ride to the town of Zwiesel, located in the heart of the Bavarian Glass route. A small, family-operated glass manufactory welcomes us with hot mulled wine. Learn how the tradition of glassblowing has remained basically unchanged since the glassblower's pipe was discovered some two thousand years ago. Next, horse sleighs await us in one of the neighboring Bavarian Forest villages for a sleigh ride through the hills and woods. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Featured Excursion: Horse sleigh ride in the Bavarian Forest and visit to a glass workshop |
| Day 7 | Passau | Quaint and peaceful describe Passau. Your guided walk starts in the medieval section of Passau, then takes you past St. Stephan's Cathedral, the New Residence, Town Hall, and to the confluence of three rivers that converge at Passau. Visit Passau's Glass Museum, which showcases an outstanding and most complete collection of Bohemian and Renaissance Glass in historical rooms. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Featured Excursion: Passau walking tour and visit to the Passau Glass Museum |
| Day 8 | Linz (Salzburg) | Linz is your gateway to a full-day excursion to Salzburg. On our walking tour of UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, historical gems are plentiful - from the 17th-century cathedral inspired by St. Peter's at the Vatican to Mozart's birth house and the fortress guarding the town, where we will have lunch and listen to a children's choir performing just for us.Featured Excursion: Full-day Salzburg including walking tour and lunch at the Fortress Restaurant |
| Day 9 | Durnstein | Spend the morning at leisure and explore Durnstein with its old burgher houses lining narrow alleys and the castle ruins, where Richard the Lionheart was once imprisoned. In the afternoon, you are invited to a special and exclusive cocktail reception at Artstetten Castle with Princess Anita von Hohenberg, a descendant of the Habsburg lineage. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Featured Excursion: Exclusive cocktail reception at Artstetten Castle with Princess Anita von Hohenberg |
| Day 10 | Vienna | With your panoramic city overview, you'll travel the stately Ringstrasse, where the surrounding monuments and palaces give off a distinctive imperial air, and you'll see St. Stephen's Cathedral and Figaro House. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Featured Excursion: Vienna city tourIrresistible Optional Tour: Connoisseur's Vienna with the city's trademark attractions of a Fiaker Ride, the National Library 's Hall of Splendor in the Hofburg Palace and a visit to a traditional coffee house. |
| Day 11 | Vienna | This morning, you'll visit Schönbrunn Palace, the stunning former Habsburg summer residence. This will certainly put you in a regal mood for evening festivities designed exclusively for Trafalagar guests! Celebrate the New Year in grand style in the magnificent mansion of Palais Daun - Kinski, a gem of Baroque architecture, hailed for its artistic finesse. Delight in a festive dinner, along with a private concert and dancing to famous Strauss and Mozart tunes. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Featured Excursions: Schönbrunn Palace with puppet theater, Trafalagar exclusive New Year's Gala Dinner and Dance at Palais Daun-Kinsky |
| Day 12 | Budapest | Spend a full day cruising the enchanting Danube. (Breakfast, Lunch, Captain's Farewell Dinner) |
| Day 13 | Budapest | Your city tour features the famous 19th-century Chain Bridge that was the first to connect Buda with Pest. Continue on a panoramic drive and marvel at the Great Synagogue, the Hungarian National Museum, the Hungarian State Opera House, St. Stephen's Basilica, and the stunning Parliament Building. Visit the UNESCO-listed Castle Hill district, Matthias Church, and the 19th-century Fisherman's Bastion. (Breakfast, Lunch,Dinner) Featured Excursion: Budapest city tourIrresistible Optional Tour: Szentendre - artists' village |
| Day 14 | Budapest | Disembark the ship and transfer to the airport in Budapest for your flight home. |
- Dates/Pricing
- Disclaimer
- * Taxes, security fees and fuel surcharges are not included. ** This list indicates brochure rates and dates. *** Please note: Land + Air inclusive tour prices are based from New York. For inclusive tour prices to your home city, please contact Trafalgar or your Travel Agent. **** For single travellers purchasing the twin-share option, please note that there is a no smoking policy in all shared rooms.
