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ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MARKETS RIVER CRUISE - VIENNA, NUREMBURG & PRAGUE
November 30 - December 8, 2009


This 9 Day Holiday includes 7 Night Cruise from Vienna to Nuremburg aboard the RIVER COUNTESS.

Come along with me to celebrate the magic of the wonderful winter season with a fascinating trip from Vienna through the beauty and history of the Danube.  Many of our signature traditions—Christmas trees, gingerbread, nutcrackers, St. Nick, and candy canes—come to us from Germany and Austria.

We will journey from Vienna, the main Danube Canal, through many of the Danube's great cities, across the Continental Divide. Along the way we will visit charming towns dressed in their holiday splendor, where so many Christmas traditions began. We will admire beautiful vistas of enchanting Bavaria and the charming Wachau Valley of Austria.

Discover the medieval atmosphere of Nuremberg’s main Christmas Market, and sample its famous holiday gingerbread. Stroll through Regensburg’s romantic Christmas Market, savoring dumplings with vanilla sauce. In Passau, shop for unique crafts like hand-painted porcelain and Bohemian glass ornaments. And in Linz, “The Town of Christmas Crèches,” you’ll marvel at the small clay figurines that represent the people of a typical village—the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. Hear an exclusive organ recital at the Augustinian Convent in Dürnstein and a Mozart and Strauss concert in Vienna. All this and more, in two countries of culture and elegance, will surely make for a joyous start to your holiday festivities. Make this holiday season one you’ll never forget!

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Mon. Nov 30th, DEPART CANADA -

Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2: Tues. Dec 1st, ARRIVE IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA -

Arrive in the beautiful city of Vienna and transfer to the ship. (Dinner)

Day 3: Wed. Dec 2nd, VIENNA -

Featured Excursion: Vienna city tour and Christmas Market, Evening Mozart and Strauss Concert. With your panoramic city overview, you’ll travel the stately Ringstrasse, where the surrounding buildings give off a distinctive imperial air. You’ll see St. Stephen’s Cathedral and you’ll also visit Vienna’s largest Christmas Market, sitting front and center of Vienna’s baroque City Hall. During the evening, enjoy a concert of Mozart and Strauss in a traditional Viennese concert house. (Buffet Breakfast, Lunch, Captain’s Welcome Dinner)

Irresistible Optional Tour: Visit Schönbrunn Palace, the stunning former Habsburg summer residence that rivals Versailles, and stroll through the Christmas Market at the gates of Schönbrunn Castle.

Day 4: Thurs. Dec 3rd, DURSTEIN & CRUSING THE WACHAU VALLEY-

Featured Excursion: Dürnstein walking tour and organ recital. We take a guided stroll through charming Dürnstein with its old burgher houses and the landmark church of the Augustinian convent. The lavish baroque church provides a wonderful ambience for our exclusively arranged organ recital. (Buffet Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5: Fri. Dec 4th, LINZ - PASSAU -

Featured Excursion: Linz walking tour and Christmas Market. Linz offers a lively Christmas Market filled with everything from Christmas Crèches to the ever-popular Linzer Torte. Your walking tour will take you to Linz’s Alter Dom, or the Old Market and the impressive Main Square, one of Austria’s most attractive closed squares, with the baroque Trinity Column. (Buffet Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6: Sat. Dec 5th, PASSAU -

Featured Excursion: Passau walking tour, Christmas Market, gingerbread making and floral decoration demonstration   Passau, a quintessential German town with Italian baroque flair, is located at the confluence of three rivers. Our walking tour of the Old Town lanes takes us to the New Residence, the Town Hall, and the Christmas Market located by the magnificent cathedral. You’ll also have the opportunity to see firsthand how gingerbread is made and be inspired at a floral decoration demonstration. (Buffet Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

 

Day 7: Sun. Dec 6th, REGENSBERG -

Featured Excursion: Regensburg walking tour and Christmas Market   Lively Regensburg is home to 2,000 years of history and is a well-preserved medieval gem listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guided walking tour of Regensburg explores the Cathedral of St. Peter, with magnificent stained glass windows dating back to the 14th century, the Town Hall, where the first parliament of the Holy Roman Empire sat from 1663 to 1806, and the town’s famous 12th-century Stone Bridge, spanning the Danube. And what can be more satisfying as you wander the city’s romantic Christmas Markets than indulging in steamed dampfnudel (dumplings with vanilla sauce). (Buffet Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

 

Day 8: Mon. Dec 7th, NUREMBERG -

Featured Excursion: Nuremberg city tour and Christmas Market Our panoramic city tour passes the mighty walls with 80 towers enclosing the historical center, with a stop at the medieval Kaiserburg Castle towering above the city. The lively old quarter, with its medieval timber-framed buildings, and the holiday bedecked central marketplace, with its beautiful fountain, are best explored on our walking tour. Share in the joy of the pre-Christmas season at Germany’s best known and oldest Christmas Market, Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt, with over 200 wooden stalls filled with signature toys and glittering gifts. Enjoy the medieval atmosphere around the main market square with delicious aromas of gingerbread, Nuremberg sausages, roasted almonds and sweet and spicy hot mulled wine, called glühwein. (Buffet Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 9: Tues. Dec 8th - DISEMBARK THE SHIP AND TRANSFER TO NUREMBERG AIRPORT FOR YOUR FLIGHT HOME, OR EXTEND YOUR STAY IN BEAUTIFUL PRAGUE.

PRAGUE
Truly one of the most captivating and beloved cities in Europe, the “City of Spires” is a delightful way to end your Christmas markets cruise. Its mixture of gothic, Renaissance, and baroque architecture is amazing to behold. Prague is a 1,000-year old city preserved in time. It straddles the Vltava River with domes, cupolas, spires and pinnacles highlighting its skyline. Best-known treasures are the Old Town's Astronomical Clock, once the envy of all of Europe; HRADCANY CASTLE; St. Vitus Cathedral; and the Charles Bridge. Browse the shops for hand-cut crystal or art books and stroll through the Christmas markets. Rows of brightly decorated wooden huts sell Christmas tree ornaments, wooden toys and Czech handicrafts. Get a little inner warmth with a cup of svarene vino (hot mulled wine) and a traditional hot sausage from one of the stalls. The beautifully decorated tree in the Old Town is an impressive sight. Its preserved historic architecture and friendly people make it a favorite with filmmakers, and it is sure to live on in your personal memories for a lifetime.

PRAGUE EXTENSION INCLUDES:

• 3 nights at the 1st class Soho Hotel
or similar with breakfast daily
• All Transfers
• Prague City Tour
• A Trafalgar host at hotel

ONLY $786.00 base on twin sharing
(Please enquire for single rate)


Book Early To Avoid Disappointment!

Facilities onboard the stunning River Countess

  • All riverview staterooms are lavishly appointed with 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, bottled water, and private bathroom
  • Beautiful panoramic lounge, full-service bar, cozy library, and elegant restaurant
  • Sun deck, sky lounge, fitness center, sauna, beauty salon, boutique with gifts and sundries, and laundry and ironing facilities
  • 24 - Hour specialty coffee and tea bar, and front desk attendant
  • Complimentary use of bicycles
  • Elevator
  • Internet Access

The MS River Countess offers a variety of categories to choose from, all with identical deluxe outside cabins with the only difference being window types.

  • Category 1 - RHINE DECK cabins have two, floor-to-ceiling windows
  • Category 2 - DANUBE DECK cabins have a single large panoramic window
  • Category 3 - MAIN DECK cabins have two large windows
  • Category 4 - MOSELLE DECK cabins have two smaller windows
  • Category 5 and Suites - Not Available
Category 1
Category 2 & 3
Category 4
Great Fantastic Food

Pricing:

Category 4 - $2,284.00 + $103.00 Port Taxes (CAD)
Category 3 - $2,549.00 + $103.00 Port Taxes (CAD)
Category 2 - $2,759.00 + $103.00 Port Taxes (CAD)
Category 1 - $2,969.00 + $103.00 Port Taxes (CAD)

• Price is CRUISE ONLY (See Inclusions & Exclusions below)
• Price based on Twin Sharing per person (CAD) Canadian Funds
• Non - Refundable $500.00 deposit required upon booking
(Balance due Aug. 21, 2009)
• Full payment of airfare due at time of booking airfare
• Travel insurance due at time of booking

Includes:

  • Fully escorted by Denise Johnson of Travel Broker Tours
  • 7 night cruise in a river view stateroom on the stunning River Countess
  • All meals onboard as per itinerary including Captain's Welcome and Farewell Dinners
  • Complimentary fine wine during dinner, bottled water in your stateroom, and 24hr speciality coffee
  • Non-Alcoholic Beverages (Coffee, Tea and Water)
  • State-of-the-Art Quietvox portable audio headset system on all shore excursions
  • Exciting onboard entertainment and insightful lectures
  • All experienced Cruise Manager and attentive, All-English Speaking Staff
  • All transfers on arrival and departure days (Must be purchased if extending holiday in Prague)
  • All Taxes

Excludes:

  • International Airfare (Denise Johnson of Travel Broker Tours would be happy to assist you in arranging flights from your home to join us!)
  • Optional shore excursions
  • Tips and Gratuities
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Personal travel insurance
  • Items of a personal nature and souvenirs
  • Prague tour extension

For more information about this tour and a quotation on complete Medical & Cancellation Insurances please contact Denise Johnson at:

Travel Broker Tours
A division of The Travel Broker & Cruise Centre
1758 Bath Road Kingston, ON Canada
Telephone: 613-389-7914 or 1-800-387-7678
Email: denise@thetravelbroker.ca
Web: www.thetravelbroker.ca