Uniworld, Grand Christmas and New Years Cruise, River Cruise Vacation Package
Duration: 14 Days / 13 Nights
Priced From: $3,369 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: Dec
Ship: River Countess
From: Nuremberg
Let this holiday season be an unforgettable one. Celebrate Christmas in Regensburg, one of the loveliest medieval towns in Europe, where you will have time to attend Christmas Mass in one of Regensburg’s magnificent churches, followed by a grand celebration onboard. Learn how the tradition of glassblowing has remained basically unchanged since the glassblower’s pipe was invented some 2,000 years ago, and take a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the hills of the Bavarian Forest.
We have arranged for an exclusive cocktail reception at Artstetten Castle with Princess Anita von Hohenberg, a descendant of the royal Habsburgs. You’ll also welcome the New Year in style in the magnificent Viennese Palais Pallavicini, which traditionally hosts official Austrian receptions for monarchs and heads of state! While here, you’ll be treated to a festive dinner, along with a private concert, where you can even waltz to the famous tunes of Strauss and Mozart—all in the stylish and elegant ambience of this historic salon.
Who will enjoy this cruise: Those looking for an extra-special way to celebrate the New Year will be thrilled to meet Habsburg royalty and attend our exclusive gala party held in an exquisite Viennese palace.
Itinerary
DAY 1: Depart Home Gateway City to Nuremberg
DAY 2: Nuremberg (embark)
Arrive in Nuremberg where you’ll be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship. (D)
DAY 3: Nuremberg
Featured Excursion: Nuremberg city tour and Christmas Market
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. (BB, L, Captain’s Welcome Dinner)
DAY 4: Cruising the Main-Danube Canal and the 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 a series of 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
Featured Excursion: Regensburg walking tour
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 its 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. (BB, L, D)
DAY 6: Regensburg, Deggendorf
Featured Excursion: Horse sleigh ride in the Bavarian Forest and visit to a glass workshop
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 glass-blowing has remained basically unchanged since the glass-blower’s pipe was discovered some two thousand years ago. Next, horse-drawn sleighs await us in one of the neighboring Bavarian Forest villages for a sleigh ride through the hills and woods. (BB, L, D)
DAY 7: Passau
Featured Excursion: Passau walking tour and visit to the Passau Glass Museum
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. (BB, L, D)
DAY 8: Linz (Salzburg)
Featured Excursion: Full-day Salzburg including walking tour and lunch at the Fortress Restaurant
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. (BB, L, D)
DAY 9: Dürnstein
Featured Excursion: Exclusive cocktail reception at Artstetten Castle with Princess Anita von Hohenberg
Spend the morning at leisure and explore Dürnstein 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. (BB, L, D)
DAY 10: Vienna
Featured Excursion: Vienna city tour
Irresistible 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
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. (BB, L, D)
DAY 11: Vienna
Featured Excursion: Schönbrunn Palace with puppet theater, Uniworld exclusive New Year’s Gala Dinner and Dance at Palais Daun-Kinsky
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 Uniworld guests! Celebrate the New Year in grand style in the magnificent mansion of Palais Daun – Kinsky, 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. (BB, L, D)
DAY 12: Cruising the Danube, Budapest
Spend a full day cruising the enchanting Danube. (BB, L, Captain’s Farewell Dinner)
DAY 13: Budapest
Featured Excursion: Budapest city tour
Irresistible Optional Tour: Szentendre – artists’ village
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. (BB,L,D)
DAY 14: Budapest (disembark), transfer to airport
Disembark the ship and transfer to the airport in Budapest for your flight home.
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Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
12/09
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