AmaWaterways Land Extension Promotions in Europe for 2023

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

AmaWaterways currently has an excellent offer. It is called the Complimentary Land Package. The package includes a free 2-3-or 4-night land package. The promotional package ends on 31 December 2022 and is available on many 2023 sailings.

I have included the normal cost of the land extension to help you see the amazing value of this promotion.

So, I thought I’d write about the different land extensions available and a little bit about the cities included.

Benefits of the Complimentary Land Package

The package includes the following:
Stays in 4- or 5-star hotels near the major sights
Daily breakfast
Guided tours and excursions
Transfers between your hotel and the ship
All packages include an on-site cruise manager to assist you

Featured Land Packages

There are many options here and it is beyond the scope of this blog to include every sailing. However, never fear, I will organize the land package options by the river and tell you a little bit about each extensions that are available, using our pictures and guides, so you can see if one option is available to enhance your river cruise to take advantage of this promotion.

Rhine

On the Rhine, there are 3 land package options available. They are:

Amsterdam (valued at $1,190 per person)

A land of bikes, canals, and a free-wheeling culture, we have visited Amsterdam several times and escorted folks there. This is a city of 165 ringed canals, a population of 750.000 (it has as many bikes as people) and always full of tourists. It is the capital of the Netherlands, with two world class art museums. It is a major port, once the wealthiest city in the world, and residents and visitors live with a tolerant atmosphere. On this 2-night extension you will have a walking tour of the city and a visit to either Haarlem or Zaanse Schans.

Lucerne and Zurich (valued at $1,680)

You will spend 2 nights in Lucerne and 2 nights in Zurich. The Zurich portion includes a guided tour of the old town area. In Lucerne, a visit to the alpine old town area, a visit to the Lion Monument and a scenic cruise on Lake Lucerne are some highlights of this extension.

Lake Como (valued at $1,440 per person)

Lake Como, in the Northern area of the Lakes Region of Italy is a place of spectacular scenery. Included in this extension is a scenic boat ride on Lake Como to the stunning port of Bellagio.

Danube

On the Danube, 4 land extensions are available. They are:

Prague (valued at $1,320 per person)

The city of 100 spires is fascinating and interesting—good sights and bohemian culture, make it one of our favorites in Europe. Prague is organized into 4 quarters and most folks spend their time in the Castle Quarter and Old Town Square area. On this extension, you will get to visit Prague Castle, cross the St, Charles Bridge, visit Old Town and see the famous Astronomical Clock and get to taste Czech beer. On the way to the ship, you will get a stop in Regensburg during the transfer.

Budapest ($840 per person value)

Perhaps the most stunning city on any river cruise, Budapest is 2 cities rolled into one. By far the most impressive city on the Danube, Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is a town we love to visit. It is really two towns—the high town of Buda that overlooks the banks of the Danube and Pest on flat land. They are united by several bridges, but the Chain Bridge is the most important and is a symbol of the city. Both sides have some awesome structures—among them Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion (Buda side) and the Parliament building (Pest side). Once you visit, you will want to come back.

Vienna (valued at $980 per person)

Vienna is a true treasure—the importance of this city on history cannot be overstated—it once was the capital city of the Hapsburg Empire of Austria-Hungary. Palaces, great museums, great shopping, and good food make this an easy choice for an extension. This package is a 2-night extension. It features an “Imperial Vienna tour.”

Romania (valued at $1,800 per person)

You will spend 2 nights here in Bucharest and 2 nights in Brasov. Bucharest is known as the “Paris of the East.” We visited it as part of our Black Sea voyage on AmaWaterways.

Brasov is one of the best cities in Romania. Your tour will start in Sinaia at the Peles Royal Castle on your way to Brasov. On day 2 you will tour Brasov and visit the birthplace of Dracula in Sighisoara. Next, is a visit to Dracula’s Castle in Bran. Then off to Bucharest for a tour.

France

On French River Cruises, the main land extension is Paris, but some new extensions are available.

Paris (valued at $1,340 per person).

This 2-night land package has excursions to Montmarte and Atelier des Lumieres. The extension starts with a city tour of the city of lights.

Barcelona (valued at $1,770)

This extension is a 3-night stay in Barcelona, Spain. This extension includes the “Best of Barcelona” tour and a visit the next day called “The Mountains and Abbey of Montserrat.

Bilbao and San Sebastian Spain (valued at $1,760 per person)

This is a 2-night package in the Basque region of Spain. The tour starts in Bilbao with a Guernica walking tour and an introduction to tapa, and a visit to the Guggenheim Museum. In San Sebastian there is a tour of the city.

Geneva, Switzerland (valued at $2,000 per person)

This is a 3-night extension in Geneva. The tour includes a city tour of Geneva, a visit to Annnecy in the French Alps and a visit to Chillon Castle.

French Riviera visit to Nice and Monaco (valued at $1,980 per person)

This is a 3-night land package. The package includes a Nice city tour, and an Eze and Monaco tour.

Loire Valley, France (valued at $1,800 per person)

This is a 2-night land extension. It visits Chateau de Chenonceau, Du Clos Luce, and Chateau d’Amboise on the first day. Then the second day includes Chateau de Chambord and Bois.

St. Malo, France (valued at $1,720 per person)

This is a 3-night package. This tour includes a visit to Fourgeres during the transfer to St. Malo, tours of St, Malo, Dinard and Dinan, and a visit to Mont St. Michel.

Douro

Prior to the 7-day cruise on the Douro, you will have a wonderful 3-day land extension in Lisbon.

Lisbon (valued at $1,380 per person).

This land extension spends 3 nights in Lisbon before the 7-night Douro cruise. Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and is located on the Tagus River.

Key sights include the Alfama (oldest section of the city, with a Moorish feeling, has cobblestone streets and white-washed houses), St. George’s Castle, and the Tower of Belem.

The land extension includes a tour of the city of 7 hills, the excursion to Sintra to visit Pena Palace, a visit to Tomar Castle, and the transfer to Porto for the cruise.

Our Final Thoughts

Wow—what an offer! This promotion is a great way to save money, extend your trip and add value.

We hope you enjoyed this report and can’t wait to help you select one of these cruises for your next vacation.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you with high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

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