River Cruise Newsletter Dated May 20, 2013
Dear Vacations To Go Customer,
AmaWaterways is a family-owned company that offers a range of
enticing itineraries, from the famous waterways of Europe and Russia to
exotic destinations like the Chobe in southern Africa and the Mekong in
Southeast Asia. Guests can expect warm, personalized service on the
line's small ships. A diverse menu of shore excursions -- including
private wine tastings, culinary classes and bicycle tours, among other
activities -- provide authentic, enriching travel experiences.
AmaWaterways is offering our customers several fantastic offers. You'll
find them below -- click the links to see applicable departures.
Save 5% to 10%
off the cruise price of select European sailings when you book by
May 26.
Save $5,000 per couple
($2,500 per person) off certain departures of Stars of Africa
when you book by June 30.
These offers must be booked by May 31:
Save $1,000 to $2,000 per couple
($500 to $1,000 per person) off select Douro River cruises.
Save $1,000 per couple
($500 per person) off applicable Mekong itineraries and receive a free
upgrade.
Save $500 per couple
($250 per person) off select wine cruises in Europe, plus receive $300
per stateroom in shipboard credits and a complimentary upgrade.
(Shipboard credits are as good as cash and can be used for onboard
purchases like gift shop items and spa or salon services).
Companion cruises for free
on select August departures in certain cabin categories on the Mekong
River.
Save 30% to 40%
off select holiday cruises.
Save with waived or reduced single supplements
on departures in Europe and Southeast Asia.
In addition, the company has released its 2014 cruises on
European waterways and the Mekong River. Vacations To Go customers can
save 5%
off these departures when you book by July 31.
This year, AmaWaterways enhances its onboard dining program: The line
now offers complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with both dinner and
lunch on its European fleet (except for the AmaVida on the Douro and
AmaKatarina on the Volga).
The brand-new
AmaVida
debuted this March. Most staterooms and suites on the 106-passenger
vessel boast balconies, and all have flat-screen televisions and
complimentary Internet access and Wi-Fi. The AmaVida also offers a
heated swimming pool, fitness center and massage treatments.
The AmaVida will sail a variety of Douro itineraries through Portugal's
wine country, such as
Enticing Douro
and
Port Wine & Flamenco.
These trips navigate the river through northern Portugal, past
picturesque villages, ancient vineyards and dramatic river gorges. Enjoy
a home-cooked meal at the 14th-century Alpendurada Monastery and sample
port wine at a "quinta," a traditional wine estate.
The
AmaPrima
made its maiden voyage in April, and it will be joined by two sister
ships, the
AmaSonata
and
AmaReina,
in 2014. Each carries 164 guests. Staterooms feature the line's
signature twin balconies -- a French balcony plus a full step-out
balcony. In addition to the main dining room, there are two wine bars, a
casual al fresco dining terrace and the intimate Chef's Table
restaurant, where a different tasting menu is prepared each evening.
Travelers can enjoy a heated pool with swim-up bar on the sundeck, a
fitness room, massage and salon services and complimentary Wi-Fi. The
in-room Infotainment system provides free Internet access, Hollywood
movies and a music library.
AmaWaterways has created a series of Wine Cruises. These include
complimentary wine-themed programs that showcase the winemaking regions
of the Rhine, Danube and Mosel in Central Europe, the Douro in Portugal
and the Seine and Rhone in France. There are tastings at vineyards and
cellars, chats with local vintners and onboard lectures by experts from
U.S. wineries, including St. Francis Winery and Vineyards in Sonoma
County, Trinchero Family Estates in Napa and Wilson Creek Winery in
Temecula. Click
here
to see all Wine Cruise departures with AmaWaterways.
There is still time to book AmaWaterways' Christmas Markets
Cruises on the Rhine and Danube. Centuries-old holiday markets are
set up in towns along the route, in cities like Nuremberg, Regensburg
and Vienna. Booths decorated in festive lights sell handcrafted items
such as toys, glass ornaments, Nativity scenes and candles. Food stalls
tempt shoppers with grilled sausages and sauerkraut, gingerbread, soft
pretzels and mugs of hot, spiced wine called Glühwein. Click
here
to see dates and rates for AmaWaterways' Christmas Markets Cruises.
Finally, I'd like to highlight AmaWaterways' Mekong River cruises
in Vietnam and Cambodia. The 16-day adventure includes two hotel nights
and guided sightseeing in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. There's also
an overnight stay in beautiful Ha Long Bay aboard a traditional
Vietnamese boat known as a junk. During a three-night stay in Siem Reap,
guests visit Angkor Archaeological Park, which is the UNESCO World
Heritage Site that includes the stunning Angkor Wat temple complex.
Highlights of the cruise portion, which takes place between Tonle Sap
Lake and My Tho Port, include tours of a Buddhist monastery, a silk
weaving village, the spectacular Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh and the
floating village of Cai Be. An eight-day, cruise-only version of this
trip also is available. Click
here
to see AmaWaterways' Mekong River departures.
Here are this week's
Top 10 AmaWaterways River Cruises. All
prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to
availability.
1)
Vietnam, Cambodia & the Riches of the Mekong,
8 days with
AmaWaterways. Begins in Siem Reap and ends in Ho Chi
Minh City with visits to Wat Kampong Tralach Pleu, Phnom Penh and Tan
Chau.
Companion cruises for free. Starting at
$1,849.
Departs August 26, 2013.
Book now!
2)
Enticing Douro,
8 days with
AmaWaterways. Begins and ends in Porto with stops in
Barca d'Alva, Salamanca and Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo.
Save $1,000
to $2,000 per cabin. Starting at $2,849.
Departs
July 9 & 30 and August 6, 2013.
Book now!
3)
Stars of Africa,
16 days with
AmaWaterways. Begins in Cape Town and ends in
Victoria Falls with visits to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, the
Kruger National Park area and Chobe National Park.
Save $5,000 per
couple. Starting at $9,945.
Departs July 21
& August 4, 2013.
Book now!
4)
Blue Danube Discovery,
8 days with
AmaWaterways. Begins in Budapest and ends in
Nuremberg with stops in Bratislava, Vienna and Regensburg.
Save 40%
off the cruise price. Starting at $2,349.
Departs
November 20 & 23, 2013.
Book now!
5)
Culture & Wine Legacy of the Rhine,
8 days with
AmaWaterways. Travels between Amsterdam and Basel
with stops in Cologne and Rudesheim.
Save $500 per couple off the
cruise price, plus receive $300 per couple in onboard credit and a free
cabin upgrade. Starting at $2,349.
Departs November
15 & 22, 2013.
Book now!
6)
Great Capitals & Vintages of the Danube,
8 days with
AmaWaterways. Travels between Budapest and Vilshofen
with stops in Vienna, Durnstein and Passau.
Save $500 per couple off
the cruise price, plus receive $300 per couple in onboard credit and a
free cabin upgrade. Starting at $2,349.
Departs
November 9, 11, 16 & 18, 2013.
Book now!
7)
Treasures of the Main and Rhine,
8 days with
AmaWaterways. Begins in Nuremberg and ends in
Amsterdam with stops in Wurzburg, Rudesheim and Cologne.
Save 40% off
the cruise price. Starting at $2,299.
Departs
December 25, 2013.
Book now!
8)
Christmas on the Danube,
8 days with
AmaWaterways. Begins in Budapest and ends in
Vilshofen with stops in Bratislava, Vienna and Durnstein.
Save 40%
off the cruise price. Starting at $2,449.
Departs
December 23, 2013.
Book now!
9)
Christmas Time Cruise,
8 days with
AmaWaterways. Travels between Budapest and Nuremberg
with stops in Vienna, Passau and Regensburg.
Save 30% to 40% off the
cruise price. Starting at $2,349.
Departures from
November 25 through December 28, 2013.
Book now!
10)
Magnificent Christmas Time Cruise,
15 days with
AmaWaterways. Begins in Budapest and ends in
Amsterdam with stops in Bratislava, Nuremberg and Cologne.
Save 40%
off the cruise price. Starting at $4,749.
Departs
December 18, 2013.
Book now!
Finally, for a complete list of cruises by river, click any link
below.
Amazon River Cruises
Columbia River Cruises
European River Cruises
Mekong River Cruises
Mississippi River Cruises
Nile River Cruises
Yangtze River Cruises
Once you've found a river cruise that interests you, call us toll free
at 800-510-4002 (US and Canada) and a river cruise specialist will
attend to your needs. Customers from the UK, please call toll free
0-808-189-1346, and customers from Australia, please call toll free
1-800-686-709. All other international customers, please e-mail or call
us at +1-832-252-2494.
To search for a river cruise anywhere in the world,
click
here.
To see our worldwide listing of escorted tours, independent tour
packages, train tours and safaris,
click
here.
For hotels and resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Bermuda,
the Bahamas, Europe, Canada and the continental US,
click
here.
For savings of up to 75% on ocean-going cruises,
click
here.
Please e-mail me your comments, suggestions and questions at
alanfox@rivercruise.com and
I will respond the same day.
To send a copy of this newsletter to a friend or friends, click
here.
Sincerely,
Alan Fox
Chairman & CEO
