Cruise Trade News River Cruise Preview 2014 by Cruiseworthy Media

rivercruise 2014 PREVIEW

Your comprehensive guide to selling cruises••• Published by | Cruise Trade News

Welcome to the third CLIA UK & Ireland River Cruise Convention “With a record number of passengers taking a river holiday, we are seeing more members than ever interested in selling river cruises. There is no other event in the world that offers you the opportunity to see ﬁrsthand, so many different styles of river ship and to hear from key speakers on the latest industry developments. “We are delighted to be holding this year’s Convention in Cologne, one of the most popular river ports in Europe, and taking to the water on MS RheinEnergie for our conference and trade fair. “This event is the perfect occasion for you to become immersed in river cruising and to take advantage of the real opportunities available to grow your cruise sales. I hope you have a rewarding time.”

Andy Harmer CLIA UK and Ireland Director

Book Online at: www.cruiseexperts.org

SU N DAY NOVE M BER 17 2013: CON FERENCE & N ETWORKING DA Y Morning: Trade Fair on board KD Lines RheinEnerg Afternoon: Confe ie. rence sessions on board KD Lines Rh Andy Harmer, Di einEnergie. rector, CLIA UK & Ireland: Welcom market/innovations e – the river cruise in 2013. Daniela Wagner, Co-Founder, eW aterways & Chair Ireland River Cr of the CLIA UK uise Section: Th & e fut ure of river cruisin Graeme Payne, g. Independent Tr av el Writer & Profes cruise destinations sional: River and experiences. Paul Sharp, Head of Sales, The Ri ver Cruise Line: Wolfgang Lüftn Selling river cruisin er, Founder and g. Ow ner of Lüftner Cr speaker. uises: Keynote Evening: Delegate s will be allocated to one of three sh Princess, Lord By ips (Amadeus ron or Gerard Sc hm itter) for a gala din accommodation. ner and overnigh t

Monday Novem ber 18: Ship Visit Day

Six ships will be op en for viewing an d product updates guided tour and sh . You will have a ort presentation las ting about 30 minu The vessels in Co tes on each. logne are: Amadeus Princes s – Amadeus by Lüftner Cruises MPS Rotterdam – Shearings MS Serenity – Th e River Cruise Lin e Uniworld River Du chess – Titan Tra vel MS Lord Byron – Riviera Travel MS Gerard Schm itter – CroisiEurop e The day will ﬁnish around 3.30pm

WE LC O M E | C R U I S E TR AD E N EWS

Rivers of high return

e are delighted to launch the second Cruise Trade News River Cruise Supplement here at the Clia UK & Ireland River Cruise Expo, for the first time being held in the beautiful city of Cologne. It’s been another great year for river cruising, with an expanding choice of itineraries, new and innovative craft, many offering the luxury levels you would expect on board five-star ocean-going ships, including lavish interiors and accommodations, an enhanced dining choice and spacious balconies. Most importantly, there has been little of the savage discounting that has so adversely affected retailers’ margins in the ocean-going sector. Yes, pricing is keen, but we have not seen the ultralow fares that have plagued the cruise lines this year, reducing agent commissions and encouraging would-be buyers to waste retailers’ time by shopping around, looking to save a few more pounds. As we look ahead to 2014, there is continuing innovation in the hardware – beautiful floor-toceiling glass windows, additional dining venues, upgraded entertainment systems and other luxuries – as well as a move to more all-inclusive sailing, with wines and beers served with meals included in the fare and, increasingly, complimentary drinks throughout the day. We are also seeing new cruise areas open up that will attract past passengers seeking new river destinations. Myanmar is the most prominent, with new operators entering that country with beautiful new craft. River cruising provides a wonderful sales opportunity for agents who take a positive view. And with our political leaders telling us the economy is on the upturn, 2014 could well be the best year yet for selling rivers. KEITH ELLIS Publisher/Managing Editor, Cruise Trade News

Published by Cruiseworthy Media 10 Tadorne Road, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5TD, United Kingdom. Keith Ellis: Publisher/Managing Editor keith@cruiseworthy.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1737 812411, Mob: 07802 256275 Trudy Redfern: Commercial Director trudybanksr@gmail.com Mob: 07766 426627 Jane Archer: Editor/Journalist janearc@aol.com Giles Ellis Creative: Design & Production Tel: +44 (0) 1444 480491 studio@gileselliscreative.com www.gileselliscreative.com Material in this publication is the copyright of the title publisher and may not be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Prices were correct at the time of writing and can go up or down.

rivercruise 2014 PREVIEW

Contents

New vessels 4-5, Top 10 reasons for taking a river cruise 6-7, What’s included on a river cruise 8, To balcony or not 10, A typical day on the river 11, The Rhine and its tributaries12-14, The Danube 16-18, The Rhône and Saône 20-21, The Seine 22, The Douro 23, Your guide to rivers 24-25, Russian waterways 26-27, The Elbe 28, The Yangtze 29, The Mekong 30-31, Myanmar 32-33, Who goes where 34-35, What’s included 36-37, Cruise line gallery 38-43

Pandaw Packet Myanmar specialist Pandaw Expeditions is launching the 40passenger Kindat and Kalaw on the Ayeyarwady. They will sail yearround between Mandalay and Bagan, with two or three nights in each city on the boats either side of a one or two-night cruise. www.pandaw.com

Asian Tiger Myanmar is the one to watch this year as more river cruise companies launch cruises on the Ayeyarwady. Viking River Cruises started with the Viking Mandalay, but it sold out so fast it has added the Viking Sagaing. Look out also for Sanctuary Retreats, AmaWaterways and Austrian-based Amadeus by Lüftner Cruises.

What’s new in

It’s all included! Uniworld is including drinks and gratuities in the cruise price starting in 2014. That’s on top of the ﬂights, transfers, shore excursions and wiﬁ already included. So come next year, you really can afford to leave your wallet at home. www.uniworld.co.uk

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Viking’s Fourteen

Croisi cuts the mustard

Another 12 Viking Longships will be entering service on the Rhine and Danube in 2014. Look out for cabins and suites with full-size balconies, and the indoor/outdoor Aquavit Lounge. And if that were not enough, two scaled-down Longships will be launching on the Douro. www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk

CroisiEurope is launching a new barge itinerary from Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune to Dijon on Burgundy’s canals. The route is one of four new ones for CroisiEurope, which is also launching three new hotel barges in 2014 – the Anne-Marie, Raymonde and Madeleine. www.croisieurope.travel

Poetry in motion I hear a symphony AmaWaterways’ new AmaSonata and AmaReina will feature a Mozart Café, in the style of a Viennese coffee shop, as well as a speciality restaurant and twin-balcony cabins, half outside and half in, to suit all weathers. www.amawaterways.co.uk

Poetry II is one of three more Panoramaclass vessels that Avalon Waterways is launching next year. Each has two decks of cabins with wall-to-wall glass doors that open two-thirds the width of the room to create an inside balcony. www.avaloncruises.co.uk

river cruising Tauck Tauck US operator Tauck is spreading its wings in Europe, launching two new river cruise ships, Inspire and Savor, which are bigger and more luxurious than its current ﬂeet, starting new seven-night cruises on the Seine and going drinks-inclusive. www.tauck.com

Bordeaux bound Like food? You’ll love Viking River Cruises new voyages on the Garonne, Gironde and Dordogne rivers in Southern France, where oysters, trufﬂes and cognac are regional specialities. The eight-day cruises start in March 2014, sailing from Bordeaux. www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk

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It’s so easy

So much is included

Just get on board, unpack and enjoy the scenery as your ﬂoating hotel takes you on a fascinating journey visiting numerous iconic towns, cities and villages. On a seven-night cruise on the Danube, you could be visiting Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Salzburg, Melk and Durnstein. On a twoweek journey through the centre of Europe, add in places such as Amsterdam, Koblenz, Cologne, Nuremberg, Rothenburg and much more. Mostly you’ll moor in the heart of the cities you are visiting so you can walk ashore and see the sights (but often shore excursions are included, remember); most other times it’ll just be a short bus ride to the main attraction.

Many cruise lines include so much in the cost of the cruise, you really can leave your wallet at home. All include accommodation and food, many also include daily excursions, wine, beer or soft drinks with dinner, or with lunch and dinner, and gratuities. Several also now serve free drinks all day long and throw free wiﬁ into the price as well. See pages 8, 36 and 37 to see who includes what.

It’s smooth sailing If you’re worried about seasickness, a river cruise is a perfect choice as choppy seas are never a problem on the world’s waterways. The only thing you need to be to be aware of is that itineraries can be affected by low or high water. Not enough water and the boats can’t cruise, too much and they can’t get under the bridges. In these cases, coaches will be used to bus you to and from the key attractions.

Top 10 reasons for taking a river cruise

The world is your oyster

A room with a view

Listen very carefully

River cruising doesn’t have to mean staying close to home. As well as river cruises in Europe, sailing through France, Germany, Austria, the former Eastern Europe and Portugal, there are also more exotic journeys on the Mekong in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, the Yangtze in China, and the Ayeyarwady in Myanmar. See pages 12 to 33 to read about the key sights on these rivers.

All cabins on river cruise vessels are outside and most are on decks two and three and have large picture windows or French balconies (with a French door that opens to a rail rather than a veranda so you can let in fresh air but not sit outside) so you never miss the views. A lot of new tonnage now is also being built with walk-out private balconies. Entry level cabins are on deck three with a high window. For more about balconies, see page 10.

The best river cruise companies provide you with Quietvox receivers and earphones so you can hear what the guides are saying without having to crowd around. It means you never have to miss their narration, even when they have to speak quietly in churches and cathedrals. Several cruise lines also now offer a choice of free excursions at selected stops – all at no extra charge. It might be a city tour, a bike ride or a few hours at a spa.

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Small and friendly The size of river cruise vessels is governed by the length and width of the locks they have to get through. Mostly they hold between 100 and 200 passengers; some hold less, a very few hold more but generally no more than 250 people. Combined with open dining in the restaurant, allowing you to sit with different people each night – or new friends you’ve made on the cruise – and the wine many river cruise companies now include in the price, it makes for a very friendly atmosphere.

Modern living The newer river cruise vessels are a million miles away from the older tonnage that has dominated the market until very recently. Book one of the new craft and you can have a balcony or sun lounge plus large suites, and your vessel will probably have a dining alternative to the standard restaurant. Most offer wiﬁ throughout the vessel (often at no charge), so you can keep in touch with work, family and friends, and entertainment systems where once there were just TVs. Modern minimalist décor is the norm, instead of the living-room look of old, although Uniworld has gone for more ﬂamboyant furnishings for its newer vessels and is also renovating its older vessels in the same way. See pages 4 and 5 for details of the new vessels launching in 2014.

No need to fly European river cruise holidays are perfect if you don’t want to ﬂy as it’s so easy to take the Eurostar train from London through the Channel Tunnel, connect to a local high-speed rail network and join your cruise. If time is no object, there is no reason why you can’t take the train all the way to Budapest or Vienna, but cruises from Amsterdam, Paris or Lyon are most popular with rail-cruisers as they are doable in a few hours.

Watch the world go by River cruise itineraries often comprise a half day ashore and a half-day sailing. However, unlike sea days on the oceans, on a river cruise you’ll always have a view of towns, villages, cities and the countryside. The time is used for talks by guest speakers, wine or beer-tasting sessions, or cookery demonstrations, and as you cruise through places of interest, such as the Rhine Gorge or Iron Gate Gorge, your tour manager will narrate highlights along the way.

What’s included on your river cruise C

ompared to most land-based holidays, both ocean and river cruising are very inclusive, with accommodation, food and entertainment all covered by the price. It certainly makes a huge difference to the final cost of the holiday if you don’t have to pay for meals each day. But just as ocean cruise lines vary enormously in terms of what else is included in the price, so do river cruise companies. It’s something of a mineﬁeld if you are trying to pick your way through the packages and choose one that’s right for you. New for 2014, Uniworld River Cruises is going all-inclusive, with all soft and alcoholic drinks, and gratuities, included in the price. Flights, transfers, shore excursions and wiﬁ are included already. US operator Tauck is also going to be serving up free drinks next year, as is French cruise line CroisiEurope.

Can river cruisers really afford to leave their wallets at home? Jane Archer has the answer It follows a trend started by Scenic Tours, which went all-inclusive in 2013 on all its ships, and APT, but on its Royal Collection cruises only. For 2014, APT has five Royal Collectionbranded cruises. There are three eight-day itineraries: one on the Danube, the second on the Rhône and Saône, and third along the Rhine and Moselle, plus two 15-day journeys – one on the Rhine and Danube, the other combining the Rhine, Moselle and Rhône. For the first time APT is including free UK transfers with all its cruises in 2014. Many river cruise lines include flights in the price – and a rail option where that’s a

practical alternative – and transfers. Some exclude travel, while others, including The River Cruise Line and Shearings, package river cruises with ferry and coach travel from the UK and charge a supplement for ﬂights. Many of the river cruise lines that are not all-inclusive instead include wine, beer or soft drinks with dinner, and a few serve free drinks with lunch as well. The more luxurious lines tend to include unlimited free wiﬁ access; others include end-of-cruise gratuities. Shore excursions are included by many but not all companies. Traditionally, where they were included, they offered just one free tour and charged for alternatives. Increasingly, they are now including a selection of free trips in selected cities to cater for past passengers who have been there before and want to do something different. So on one day, there may be a walking tour of the city, a trip to a local spa and maybe a guided cycling excursion, all included in the price. You just let the cruise director know which you want to do. River cruise companies including Amadeus, CroisiEurope and The River Cruise Line do not include excursions in the price. Instead they sell a package of tours which shaves some money off the total cost of buying the trips individually.

* Who includes what: See pages 36-37. 8

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| ADVERTISING FEATURE |

Sailing onto the canals French river cruise giant CroisiEurope is following its successful debut into the world of hotel barging this year with the launch of three new custom-designed barges, the Anne-Marie, Raymonde and Madeleine in 2014. Along with La Jeanine, the hotel barge CroisiEurope launched this year, the trio will sail some of the most popular canals and waterways of France, offering a leisurely holiday away from the hustle and bustle of the cities and giving a real insight into the delights of French rural life. Perfect for couples, families or groups of friends, each vessel will have a fivestrong team to look after just 24 passengers accommodated in 12 cabins with windows or portholes and private bathrooms. They will also have a spacious lounge and dining room and a fleet of bicycles that folk can borrow for free. Prices also include all meals and drinks (excluding Champagne, special wines and fine brandies), tours, entertainment and port taxes. Travel from the UK to France is not included.

The cruises The Anne-Marie will be sailing a seven-day cruise on the Rhône from Avignon to Sète, cruising through the regions of Provence-AlpsCote d’Azur and the Languedoc Roussillon, and the heart of France’s Camargue country, famous for its white horses. The cruise visits Beaucaire, Arles, Saint-Gilles, Aiques-Mortes and Palavas-Les Flots. Departures are on May 26, July 7 and September 15, with prices from £1,690 per person. The Raymonde will be sailing the Canal Latéral a la Marne, journeying through the Champagne region on a seven-day cruise from Chalons-sur-Champagne to Paris. The cruise visits Epernay, Dormans, Château-Thierry, La Ferte-sous-Jouarre, Meaux and Nogent-surMarne; along the way there’ll be a visit to a Champagne house and a chance to taste the famous Brie de Meaux cheese. Departures are on June 12, July 10 and September 4, with prices from £1,665 per person. La Jeanine will be offering four-day cruises round-trip from Paris on the Canal Saint-Martin that sail through the heart of the French capital and include visits to key sites such as the Place

de la République, the Opera, the Place de la Madeleine, Place Vendome and the Louvre. Departures are March 17, September 29, October 13, November 10 and December 11, with prices from £545 per person. La Jeanine is also sailing seven-night cruises from Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune to Dijon on the Burgundy canals, journeying through the Saône-et-Loire and La Côte d’Or regions of France and visiting Santenay, Chagny, Charlonsur-Saone, Saint-Jean-de-Losne and Petit-Ouges. This is a perfect cruise for oenophiles, with an excursion to discover the Burgundy Grands Crus Wine route excursion and wine-tasting sessions. Departures are on May 30, June 27, July 25 and October 3, with prices from £1,620 per person. The Madeleine will be sailing a seven-day cruise in Alsace from Strasbourg to Xouaxange along the Marne-Rhine canal. The cruise passes the foot of the Vosges Mountains and continues through the Lorraine region with highlights including Saverne and the SaintLouis-Arzviller boat lift, where vessels are raised and lowered mechanically instead of by means of locks. Departures are on June 6, July 4 and August 29, with prices from £1,550 per person.

River Journeys "par excellence" Go with the flow in Europe 7Zhi KVajZ [dg BdcZn EdejaVg [VkdjgîZh VcY cZl XgZVi^kZ î^cZgVg^Zh VXgdhh (% h]êh VcY ]diZa WVg\Zh New ships on the Seine, Dordogne and French canals 6aa"^cXajh^kZ/ <djgbZi ;gZcX] [ddY! [^cZ l^cZh VcY Vaa Yg^c`h Cd h^c\aZ hjeeaZbZci dc hZaZXiZY Xgj^hZh Dc"WdVgY bjh^X^Vch

Reservations and Information: Tel +44 (0) 208 3 281 281 - Email: resuk@croisieurope.com

www.croisieurope.travel MARIE CELESTE | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

To balcony or not to balcony The jury is still out on whether balconies on river cruise vessels are a must-have accessory or an unnecessary luxury. Jane Archer reports.

s river cruising matures and more customers move across from the oceans, a debate has started as to whether river cruise vessels should have balconies. Such facilities are hugely popular with ocean cruisers as they give folk a piece of private real estate outside where they are guaranteed space – especially important on the big ships – with the extra advantage of bringing fresh air into the cabin. River cruise operators have traditionally argued that full-size balconies do not offer the same value on their vessels. It’s partly because the ships are smaller, and carry fewer people, so passengers can always get a seat outside or in the lounge, but mostly because if you sit on a balcony you only see one side of the river.

When cruising the world’s great waterways, and especially through scenic areas such as Germany’s Rhine Gorge, the Danube’s Iron Gate Gorge or the Three Gorges in China, you deﬁnitely need a 360degree view to see as much as possible. River cruise lines have also shied away from balconies because of a small design problem. They can’t simply increase the width of their vessels because they have to get through locks, so if they add a walk-out balcony, the space has to come out of the cabin, making it smaller. A happy compromise has been to offer French balconies. These have a window you can open to let the air in (but taking care not to let the bugs in when the vessel is stationary), but you can’t stand outside. But tradition is no more. Australian company Scenic Tours took the lead in 2008, launching river cruise ships in Europe that have balconies, and now other river cruise lines have followed suit. Here are some of the design features they have come up with.

Viking River Cruises: The corridor on the top deck of Viking’s new-generation Longships has been moved off-centre, allowing the company to offer deep cabins with balconies on one side of the ship. On the other side, Viking has turned the cabins 90 degrees and bolted two rooms together to make suites with separate bedroom and living areas. The bedroom has a French balcony, the living room has a walk-out balcony. Two Explorer Suites at the back of the Longships have wraparound balconies. Uniworld: Suites on Antoinette, launched in 2011, and on Catherine, launching in 2014, have a balcony-style seating area with ﬂoorto-ceiling windows that can be closed to form a weather-proofed sun lounge. The top opens half way at the touch of a switch, but from the centre upwards rather than side to side. Cabins have a window that also opens halfway at the touch of a switch. Avalon Waterways: The company’s new Panorama-class vessels have two decks of cabins with ‘inside balconies’. These have wall-to-wall glass windows that open twothirds of the width of the room. On sunny days you can have the window wide open and it feels just as if you are sitting outside. If it’s a cold or wet day you can keep it closed and you haven’t lost space in the room. AmaWaterways/APT: A new twinbalcony design in the suites on the newest vessels is simple and gives passengers the best of both worlds. Half the balcony is outside, the other half is inside so it can be used in all weathers. Tauck: While others focus on the suites and cabins on the top decks, Tauck has come up with a new ‘loft’ design for the accommodation on the lower deck. These will have a deeper window and raised seating area, allowing passengers to look out and enjoy the views.

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A typical day on the river

iver cruising is a leisurely way to travel but don’t be fooled into thinking that means you’ll be putting your feet up for two weeks, writes Jane Archer. The days are busy with sightseeing on land and cookery demonstrations, talks and quizzes while sailing. And, of course, there is plenty of eating and drinking to be done. Early risers can start their day with pastries, tea or coffee in the lounge from about 6.30am and then head down for a full breakfast in the dining room between about 7.30am and 9.30am. Or have a lie-in and grab a late pastry between 9am and 10am. If you’re visiting a town or city in the morning, tours usually set off as soon as the boat has moored. They don’t need to wait for the clearance from the local authorities, unlike the ocean-going ships. You’ll be split into groups at random (don’t worry, you can stay with friends) but some tour directors designate a coach for folk who want to see the sights at a slower pace. Before getting off, you’ll need to pick up a

boarding pass from the reception desk and hand it back when you return as that is how the crew know everyone is on board. Tours usually include a guided walk and time to wander alone. If they set off in the morning, they are usually timed to get back for lunch, after which you can go back into town for more sightseeing if the ship is staying put. Otherwise, once everyone is back, the ropes will be cast and the captain sets off for the next destination. That’s a good time to sit and watch the scenery go by, but there are always other activities as well. Cookery demonstrations are popular, and several companies get a local glass-blower on board to show off the tricks of the trade. In Bavaria, expect beer-tasting sessions. If you’re sailing in Germany in the morning, a bratwurst and beer brunch is often on the

cards, or a Bavarian lunch. There will be commentary as you sail through the Rhine Gorge, maybe wine-tasting and talks about the places you are visiting. Popular talks on the Lower Danube include a lecture about what life was like in Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania under Communist rule, or a short history of the wars that followed the break-up of Yugoslavia. These are especially interesting if they are presented by people who actually lived through those momentous times. Between 3.30pm and 5pm, it is tea time, with sandwiches, scones and music in the lounge. Then there is time to shower and get changed before returning to the lounge for pre-dinner drinks and the tour director’s presentation about the next day’s tours and activities. Dinner is served from 7pm, usually with open seating so you can sit with whoever you like. At about 9pm, be back in the lounge for the evening entertainment – maybe a quiz, a classical concert by a visiting group or local folk dancers (they get on and off at the locks or during quick stops). If you still have energy, the resident pianist will keep the live music going until the wee small hours – or until the last person heads off to bed. And the next day it starts all over again…

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he Rhine is the most popular river cruise destination in Europe thanks to a combination of scenery, historical cities, ease of access and an incredible array of itineraries•••

The Rhine and its tributaries

he Rhine flows from Switzerland to Amsterdam in Holland, passing towns and cities in France and Germany that can count centuries of history and culture. The Moselle flows into the Rhine from north-east France and Luxembourg. The Main river flows into the Rhine from eastern Germany; cruise along this and you end up in the Main-Danube Canal, which connects to the Danube. The most popular Rhine cruise is a one week sailing from Amsterdam to Basel in Switzerland, or vice-versa, typically calling at Cologne, Koblenz, at the conﬂuence of the Rhine and Moselle and then sailing through the Rhine Gorge, which stretches for 40 miles (65km), before visiting Rüdesheim, Heidelberg,

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Speyer and Breisach, the gateway to the Black Forest. For this cruise, you ﬂy into Amsterdam and out of Basel or Zurich (the other way around if you are sailing northbound), but this is also a good choice for anyone who prefers to travel by train as you can take the Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel and changing on to Europe’s rail network at Lille, Brussels or Paris. It’s a long train journey from Basel to the UK, but the upside is you get a chance to see more of Europe. There are also round-trip cruises from Cologne, and longer itineraries that combine cruises on the Moselle and Rhine and Moselle, Rhine and Main, sailing from

Amsterdam to Trier, from Trier to Budapest or from Amsterdam to Basel via Trier. For the ultimate in European river cruising, there are two-week cruises from Amsterdam to Budapest, or vice-versa, using the Rhine, Main, Main-Danube Canal and Danube, or a three-week voyage from Amsterdam to the Black Sea, ﬂying home from Bucharest in Romania.

Rhine Gorge Not a stop, but be sure to have cameras at the ready because this is the most scenic section of the river, with miles of castles, spires, churches and precipitous riverside vineyards. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for

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the Lorelei Rock, where, according to legend a beautiful maiden threw herself to her death over a faithless lover and now lures sailors to their deaths with her hypnotic singing.

Cologne About 96% of the city was destroyed in the Second World War, but by some miracle the Gothic cathedral survived intact. It had taken 630 years to build – it was only ﬁnished in 1880 – and was once the tallest building in the world. Now it is the highlight of a visit to Cologne. Take time also to look around the city with a guide and you'll hear the story of the elves of Cologne; see where Eau de Cologne was created; and ﬁnd out what the Town Hall statue of the unpopular Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden is standing on.

Koblenz At the conﬂuence of the Rhine and Moselle, Koblenz is recognisable for the enormous equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, which stands on a piece of land known as Deutches Eck, or German Corner. Tours visit the statue, and also the narrow streets, squares and churches in the old city, but it’s a small place and easy to explore alone if that appeals more. A cable car goes across the river to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, nearly 400 feet above the river, the second-largest preserved castle in Europe.

Mainz Mainz sits at the conﬂuence of the Rhine and Main rivers, and is home to 2,000 years of

history. If you’re there on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, it will be market day. Tours will take you there, and also to the half-timbered houses and Romanesque cathedral, but make most time to visit the Gutenberg Museum, which houses the 42-line Bible printed in 1455 by Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the movable-type printing process.

Rüdesheim All tours go to the quaint Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Cabinet, a bizarre collection of music machines that is worth visiting just once. Otherwise, take a cable car over the vineyards to the Germania statue, marking the foundation of the German Empire (a walk back down through the vineyards is highly recommended), or escape to the world of the Drosselgasse, a narrow street lined with bars and cafés.

Heidelberg A 35-minute drive or tram ride from Mannheim, Heidelberg is home to a grand castle most memorable for housing a 221,000-litre wine barrel – the largest in Europe. In the old city, €3 will get you into the old student gaol, where young miscreants were locked up for getting drunk, womanising, duelling and other misdemeanours. The walls, plastered with satirical pictures, names and verse, have been preserved to create Germany’s most bizarre museum.

Strasbourg The city is an alluring mix of French and German cultures on account of the fact it has changed hands between France and Germany eight times over history. It’s known for the European Parliament and European Court of Justice, but they are worth skipping to spend time in the lovely old town, Petite France, with its half-timbered houses and canals, lovely restaurants and cafés, and a stunning Gothic cathedral with an astronomical clock made in 1574 that still keeps perfect time. Don’t miss Stork Alley either, where these graceful birds (the emblem of Alsace) nest between April and September. | 2014 | RIVER PREVIEW | CTN |

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On the Moselle Cochem

Speyer Conrad II, the Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until 1039, decided to show his power by building the Western World’s biggest cathedral in Speyer, which was then home to about 100 families. It took 36 years to build and today is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Tours visit the cathedral, which is just ﬁve minutes’ walk from where the river boats dock, and also an 800-year-old Jewish mikveh, or purifying bath, which survived the Nazis and is now hidden behind lock and key. Look out for the 1,500-litre wine bowl in the square in front of the cathedral. Even today, the bowl is ﬁlled with wine for the townsfolk to help themselves when a new bishop is elected.

In Germany’s premier wine region, Cochem is another of the country's many picturepostcard towns. Tours visit the market square with its half-timbered houses and the Church of St Martin, but the highlight is the Reichsburg Castle, high up over the town. It was built in the 1100s, destroyed by the French in 1689 and rebuilt in 1869-77. Inside are collections of Renaissance and Baroque furniture.

Trier Claimed to the oldest city in Germany, Trier was founded by the Romans in 16BC and while that might be a long time ago, they left plenty of reminders of their time here including the stunning Porta Nigra (Black Gate) and the remains of the imperial baths – the largest north of the Alps – and a 20,000-seat amphitheatre. Guides will also show you the house where Karl Marx was born, Trier Cathedral and the former throne room of Roman Emperor Constantine, which is now a Protestant church.

On the Main Rothenburg There are tours of Würzburg, but a real treat is to take a tour to the medieval walled city of Rothenburg, about 45 minutes away by coach, that takes you along the so-called Romantic Road. You can walk the walls, visit the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop (it’s open all year) or torture museum, try a local snowball (balls of pastry coated with various ﬂavours of icing) and just enjoy the beautiful medieval architecture.

Nuremberg The city is infamous for its Nazi rally grounds and the Nazi war crime trials after the Second World War, but that grim side of its history is easily forgotten once you are in the atmospheric centre. Climb up to the castle for a view over the city and visit the Church of our Lady off the huge market square. Keen historians can take bus number 36 to the Documentation Centre, in part of Hitler’s unﬁnished Kongresshalle, which charts the history of Nazi Germany.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35. 14

| CTN | RIVER PREVIEW | 2014 |

NOT YOUR ORDINARY EUROPEAN CRUISE... EUR ROPEA AN CR RUISE.... A taste of the royal life at a gala Imperial Evening in a private Viennese palace... breaking bread with the gardians on a Camargue ranch... private dinners in a Normandy château and a medieval castle overlooking the Rhine. On a Tauck river cruise, you can expect to experience Europe a little differently... because the uncommon access to local culture you’ll enjoy on our included shore excursions ensures exclusive experiences as memorable as the places you’ll visit. Our luxurious, custom-designed riverboats cruise the Danube, the Rhine, the Rhône and the Seine with more suites and more space per guest than other ships of comparable size... welcoming you aboard and treating you like family within an intimate, club-like atmosphere. You’re traveling in good company... and never settling for ordinary. Personalized, all-inclusive European river cruising from Tauck. Because how you see the world matters.

For brochures, visit us online at www.tauck.co.uk/river-cruises, BP Travel or The Cruise Portfolio 020 73997673 www.cruiseportfolio.co.uk

MARIE CELESTE | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

TH E DAN U B E

The Danube

he Danube flows from the Black Forest in Germany to the Black Sea in Romania, passing through or between Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania on the way. Most itineraries are one week and start and end in Passau in Germany, on the border with Austria. You’ll most likely ﬂy into Munich and transfer to the ship, in which case why not consider adding a couple of extra nights in the city. It’s a lively place with palaces, churches and beer halls, but for a special treat take an excursion to Neuschwanstein, to see the fairytale castle built for King Ludwig II in the late 19th Century that inspired Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle. One-week round-trip Passau cruises visit Vienna, famous for the Hofburg Palace from where the Habsburgs ruled Austrian for 700 years and the stunning white Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School, and Budapest. This is actually two cities – Buda and Pest – divided by a river and packed with history and

| CTN | RIVER PREVIEW | 2014 |

culture and an impressive number of spas. You’ll also visit Linz, a small town at the centre of Austria’s wine-growing region from where it might be possible to take an excursion to Salzburg, Melk, which is famous for its Benedictine abbey, Dürnstein and Esztergom in Hungary.

Salzburg, Austria Although this Austrian city is nowhere near the Danube, it is a popular tour from either Passau (in which case you usually re-embark in Linz) or Linz (and you re-embark in Passau). Journey time is about two-and-ahalf hours. You’ll see where Mozart was born, where he played concerts and where he drank coffee. You will even be able to buy Mozartkugel, a chocolate created in 1890 (the ones in a silver-and-blue wrapper are the originals), and Mozart ducks, lighters, T-shirts and more. You’ll walk the lively Getreidegasse and maybe have time for a horse and carriage (ﬁaker) ride, priced about €40 for 20 minutes.

Danube cruise is a lesson in history, about the days when Vienna ruled an empire and more recently, when an Iron Curtain divided Europe••• Cesky Krumlov River cruise companies are increasingly offering excursions to this Czech town as an alternative to Salzburg. It’s about an hour and 45 minutes by coach from Linz but well worth the journey as it is a stunningly beautiful place surrounded by a river where you can go rafting. Tours start at the top of town and wend their way slowly down through the old castle into the centre, where you can go shopping, stop for a drink and maybe sample some local specialities.

Melk/Durnstein, Austria Two small towns in the pretty Wachau Valley that are invariably visited on the same day, which allows river cruise companies to offer guided bike excursions between the two. It’s a 19-mile (32km) ride, mostly ﬂat but with one very steep hill, and provided everything goes according to plan there will be regular stops along the way. In Melk, there are tours to the Benedictine abbey, a remarkably ornate building given it is inhabited by monks. Durnstein is most famous as the place where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned.

TH E DAN U B E

Vienna

Budapest, Hungary

Roussé, Bulgaria

The jewel in the crown on the Danube, with highlights including the Hofburg Palace, from where the Habsburgs ruled Austria for 700 years; and the Schönbrunn Palace, their summer residence. Tours visit both, and also the Gaudi-like Hundertwasser Haus. If you plan early and stay overnight in the city, you might get to see the white Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School. Make sure you splash out on coffee and the original Sacher Tort at the Sacher Hotel.

Actually two cities – hilly Buda and ﬂat Pest – which are divided by the Danube but united as one city in 1873 and packed with history and culture as well as plenty of fun attractions too. There are walking, cycling and Segway tours; a river ride amphibious bus, which tours the streets and then plunges in the Danube; and trips to the city’s spa. Head to Fishermen’s Bastion (a steep climb, or take the funicular) for fabulous views of the city. Tours visit Heroes Square, built in 1896, which celebrates Hungary’s 1,000th anniversary.

Tours from here go to the seaside town of Varna, a three-hour drive away. If that doesn’t appeal, look out for excursions to Ivanovo and Basarbovo to see two rock churches – the former covered in frescoes, the latter ﬁlled with icons. There are also day trips to Veliko Turnavo, the capital of Bulgaria under the Ottomans; and Arbanassi, a delightful 14th Century village once used as a holiday retreat by Communist party ofﬁcials.

Bratislava, Slovakia The city was made the capital of the new country of Slovakia in 1993, which makes it the youngest capital city in the world. The Old Town is delightful, and easy to wander around alone – it’s a ﬁve-minute walk from where the boats dock. The city is very small, so after exploring take time to sample some of the local 'ﬂoating bread' (beer). Several companies have Communist tours that visit the city’s stunning war memorial and include a ride on a Soviet-style bus.

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Iron Gate Gorge The Iron Gate Gorge is a name that actually covers four gorges east of Belgrade that stretch for 90 miles, dividing the Carpathian and Balkan mountains, and narrowing to just 429ft at one point. If coming from the east, you’ll enter through giant locks that lift the vessel almost 88ft in 60 minutes. A 40ft statue of King Decebalus marks the entrance.

Bucharest, Romania An unexpectedly French-style city with wide treelined boulevards and one key attraction – the palace built by the former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The world’s second-largest building, it stands in more than 80 acres, was built by at least 20,000 workers and has more than 3,000 rooms decorated with marble ﬂoors and pillars, plush carpets, grand chandeliers and silk panels. The irony is that Ceausescu and his wife were executed on Christmas Day 1989, before they could actually move in.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35.

Europe’s Finest River Cruises

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Rhine Cruise to Switzerland

The Blue Danube Vienna, Budapest & Salzburg

Burgundy, River Rhône & Provence

8 days from only £1,199pp

8 days from only £999pp

8 days from only £1,199pp

To book call 01283 742340 or visit www.rivieratravel.co.uk/agents For support contact agencysales@rivieratravel.co.uk Holidays organised by and are subject to the booking conditions of Riviera Travel, New Manor, 328 Wetmore Road, Burton On Trent, Staffordshire DE14 1SP and are offered subject to availability. ABTA V4744 ATOL 3430 protected. Per person prices based on two sharing a twin cabin. Single cabins available at a supplement. *Supplements applicable for certain regional stations. Images used in conjunction with Riviera Travel.

MARIE CELESTE | CRUISE TRADE NEWS |

TH E R H O N E & SAÔN E

n alluring combination of great food, wine and Roman history await on leisurely cruises through Provence and Burgundy•••

The Rhône-Saône

he Rhône rises in Switzerland and flows into France, emptying into the Mediterranean near Arles. The Saône rises in France. They converge at Lyon, where the Saône becomes the Rhône. The main itinerary here is a seven-night cruise from Lyon to Arles or nearby Avignon, or vice-versa (some cruises also depart from Châlon-sur-Saône, just north of Lyon), but some companies have one-week round-trip voyages from Lyon. Some lines offer a few nights in Paris at the start or end of the cruise, or package the river with the Rhine or Seine to make a 15-day holiday. If you are cruising from Lyon to Arles you’ll ﬂy into Lyon airport and out of Marseilles, which is about one hour, 15 minutes, by car from Arles. Some operators ﬂy passengers in

and out of Lyon, with a coach trip between Avignon and Lyon at the start or end of the cruise. However, an increasingly popular alternative is to take the Eurostar train from London through the Channel Tunnel and transfer on to one of France’s fast TGV trains at Paris (if travelling to/from Lyon) or Lille (if travelling to/from Avignon). It is a longer journey but if you have the time, it’s a great way to relax and see more of the French countryside. From Lyon, cruises typically go north for a day to visit Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, before turning around and heading back south, calling at Vienne and Avignon, as well as Viviers, Tournon, and allowing plenty of time to explore Lyon.

Lyon France’s second-largest city, Lyon boasts a cobbled old town and attractive Gothic and Renaissance architecture, and is acknowledged as the gastronomic capital of France. Certainly the food is wonderful and varied. Best of all, to eat well you don’t have to spend a fortune but just look for one of the bouchon restaurants that serve traditional Lyonnaise food in simple surroundings. Give it a try if your cruise stays overnight in the city (which many do) and be up early next morning to visit the local produce market. Tours often start at the white Basilica of Notre Dame, built on the site of the old Roman Forum from where there are views across the city, and then move down to the old town below, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to explore the medieval alleyways.

Tournon/Tain l’Hermitage Tournon’s 10th Century castle (extended in the 1300s and 1500s) is worth a visit, and the village is a pretty place just to wander and admire the medieval houses. The main attraction is to cross the river by suspension bridge, arriving in Tain I’Hermitage, which is famed for its Valrhona chocolate – backstage tours at Valrhona’s École du Grand Chocolat show how it transforms from cocoa bean to the ﬁnished product – and Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage wine.

| CTN | RIVER PREVIEW | 2014 |

TH E R HÔN E & SAÔN E

Viviers

Arles

A once-thriving medieval town, Viviers is now a tiny place with a population of just 3,000, down from about 30,000 in its heyday. A guided tour – AmaWaterways calls theirs a ‘ghost walk’ – visits the cathedral and the narrow streets containing the ornately carved façade of the Maison des Chevaliers or the Knight's House..

Another Roman city, another Roman amphitheatre, except the one here is more spectacular as it is substantially intact and also has been partially restored. It dates from 90AD and holds more than 20,000 spectators, and is used today for concerts and plays. Keen Roman historians will also ﬁnd the remains of a theatre,

baths and the forum (look out in the Place du Forum). Guides will also point out medieval highlights of the city on a walking tour, but for many visitors the big attraction is that Van Gogh loved to paint here. A fun game is to try to spot scenes from his paintings as you wander around.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35.

Vienne Julius Caesar arrived in Vienne in around 47BC and transformed it into a thriving Roman city. These days it’s a typical French town with a Gothic cathedral and medieval, half-timbered houses, but its main claim to fame is the Roman remains – the temple built in honour of Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia; the 13,000-seat amphitheatre, which is still used today for jazz festivals; and an obelisk believed to have been in the circus, which would have been used for chariot races and gladiator ﬁghts.

Avignon The city is home to the only bridge in France with a nursery rhyme named after it. We know it as Pont d’Avignon, but it is actually Pont SaintBénezet. Built in the 12th Century, only four of the original 22 arches remain, so it no longer goes all the way over the river. Yet it is still the top attraction in the city, along with the nearby Palais des Papes, a very grand, very large building where the popes lived between 1309 and 1377.

HOTEL BARGES Hotel barges are a perfect alternative to traditional river cruising for clients who want a more intimate holiday afloat. Offered by European Waterways, CroisiEurope and Orient-Express through its Afloat in France brand, the barges mostly hold between six and 24 passengers and mainly sail the rivers and canals of France, though European Waterways also has cruises in Holland, Belgium, Scotland, England, Ireland, Italy, Germany and Luxembourg. Choose this option and you’ll by looked after by a small and attentive crew, and enjoy all-inclusive prices, covering everything from the food and accommodation to the alcoholic and soft drinks (CroisiEurope excludes Champagne, special wines and fine brandies) and guided trips to local places of interest. The travelling costs to get to the barge are extra.

This is a wonderfully leisurely holiday as the barges travel very slowly and stop regularly to go through locks. You can sit back and just enjoy the views or get off at a lock and walk or jog along the towpath for a while. You can also borrow a bike – all the barges carry bikes – and cycle the towpath or explore more of the immediate countryside. A seven-day cruise on the Canal Latéral à la Marne with CroisiEurope, sailing through Champagne country, costs from £1,665 per person. A seven-day cruise on the Canal du Midi on European Waterways’ Anjodi, costs from £2,850 per person, or £20,000 for a whole boat charter (six people). Three of Aﬂoat in France’s vessels – Fleur de Lys, Hirondelle and Napoleon – can be booked by individuals. Prices from £3,650 per person for six nights on the Rhône on Napoleon, or £35,800 for a whole boat charter for 12 passengers.

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TH E S E I N E

The Seine

he Seine rises in France, flows north through Paris, into Normandy, and empties into the English Channel at Le Havre. River cruises sail from Paris to Rouen or Caudebec-en-Caux and back. You can ﬂy in and out of Paris but if you are travelling from South-East England, it makes more sense to take the Eurostar train through the Channel Tunnel from St Pancras in London to Gare du Nord in the centre of Paris. Journey time is just two hours, 15 minutes. There are several variations of the one itinerary but expect to have a full day in Paris, and call at Vernon – to visit Giverny, where artist Claude Monet lived from 1883 until his death in 1926 – as well as Les Andelys and Rouen.

Paris One day’s sightseeing in Paris is added on to the start and end of most river cruises, which is just enough time to see one or two sights such as Notre Dame and Montmartre. However, if you also want to go up the Eiffel Tower, visit the Arc de Triomphe and wander down the Champs-Elysées, you need to add at least another night at the start or end of the cruise.

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river cruise on the Seine offers everything from a Paris city break to art and history••• Les Andelys There is only one reason to visit Les Andelys and that’s to see the Chateau Gaillard, built in 1196 by English King Richard the Lionheart in the days when England owned Normandy. It’s a ruin now, destroyed by Henry IV in 1603, but had a colourful history, having changed hands between the British and French several times during the Hundred Years War and been besieged many times.

Vernon

Rouen

The favourite excursion from here is to impressionist painter Claude Monet’s Garden at Giverny, which has been kept much as it was 100 years ago. Art lovers will see scenes from his famous paintings while keen gardeners will love to see the plants and shrubs, and learn how it is all maintained.

Most river cruise itineraries stay overnight in Rouen because there is so much of interest in and around the city. Tours visit the cathedral, which was rebuilt after suffering severe damage during heavy bombing in the Second World War; the half-timbered houses and the Church of Saint Joan, built on the site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. Tours outside the city visit the pretty ﬁshing village of Honﬂeur. Several cruise lines are marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day next year with special excursions to the Normandy Landing Beaches.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35.

TH E D O U R O

he Douro River twists and turns through steep vine-clad slopes and rocky outcrops as it makes its way from Porto, the second-largest city in Portugal, to the Spanish border•••

The Douro

he Douro rises in north central Spain and flows south-west and into northern Portugal, emptying into the Atlantic at Porto. There is only one cruise, sailing from Porto to Vega de Terrón on the border with Spain, a distance of 130 miles (210km), passing through ﬁve deep locks on the way. At Vega de Terrón river boats have to turn back because the river is no longer navigable. You’ll ﬂy in and out of Porto, unless you add extra time in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city, which is two-and-a-half hours by train to the south. Some river cruise companies offer a cruise combined with two or three nights in the capital. The scenery is the star on these cruises, which either start or end with a tour of Porto and take you past acres and acres of terraced vineyards and through picture postcard valleys. Most cruises call at Régua and Pinhão, in the heart of port wine country (during free time here go and admire the azulejos, or blue-andwhite tiles, in the railway station) and Vega de Terrón, in Spain, for a full-day excursion to the Spanish city of Salamanca.

Régua

Salamanca

Excursions from here either visit Vila Real, to see the Baroque Mateus Palace (it’s nothing to do with the famous rosé wine, other than a picture of the palace being on Mateus Rosé wine labels) or to Lamego, about 30 minutes away, famous for its smoked ham and the Baroque Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies pilgrimage church built at the top of an ornate Baroque staircase with 680 steps. Even today, pilgrims climb the steps on their knees during the religious festival of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in September.

A two-hour drive from Vega de Terron, Salamanca is home to one of the four leading universities in the world as well as one of the biggest squares in Spain, Plaza Mayor. It’s Spain as it used to be, without the tourists but with about 55,000 students, which makes it a lively place after dark. Tours visit the ‘new’ cathedral, built between 1513 and 1733; the 13th Century university and the House of Shells, and usually include lunch with a ﬂamenco show. In free time, don’t miss the market and take time to relax in Plaza Mayor, considered one of the most beautiful squares in Spain.

Castelo Rodrigo This is a tiny hamlet built some 2,200ft above sea level on a hill to protect it from attack by the Spanish. It was built in the 10th Century, with a tiny church founded there in 1142, to provide a resting place for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. The village is so small, you can walk around the narrow streets in 30 minutes, even if taking your time. Look out for the ruins of the palace, which was destroyed in 1640.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35.

Porto Cruises either start or end with a tour of Porto, an elegant city at the mouth of the Douro River that gave it’s name to the famous fortiﬁed wine made in Northern Portugal. Walking tours will take you through its narrow cobbled streets to the 13th Century cathedral; the São Bento railway station, where 20,000 tiles depict the history of transport and Portugal; and maybe on a boat ride along the Douro and under the bridges that link Porto with Gaia on the other bank. Some tours will include a visit to one of the port lodges in Gaia, for a tour and tasting.

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C TN | R IVE R P R EVI EW

Your guide to rivers...

NETHERLANDS NORTH SEA Hoorn Amsterdam Gouda Arnhem

GERMANY Magdeburg

Berlin Potsdam ELBE

Brugge Gold Beach Omaha Beach

Antwerp RHINE Cologne Brussels MAIN-DANUBE Würzburg CANAL MAIN BELGIUM MOSELLE Koblenz

Rouen LUXEMBOURG Giverny Paris SEINE

Beaune Chalon-sur-Saône

FRANCE

Melnik

Prague Trier Mainz Nuremberg CZECH REPUBLIC SLOVAKIA Rothenburg Strasbourg RHINE Kelheim Passau Munich Bratislava Salzburg Vienna Budapest Basel AUSTRIA DANUBE Lucerne HUNGARY SAÔNE SWITZERLAND

Lyon

RHÔNE

CROATIA

Osijek

Tournon RHÔNE

Avignon Arles Marseille DOURO RIVER

Porto Salamanca PORTUGAL

Lisbon

SPAIN

KEY Cruise embarkation & disembarkation Select cruise & tour destinations N

Map provided by Viking River Cruises

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Belgrade Belogradchik SERBIA

R IVE R P R EVI EW | C TN

Kizhi LAKE LADOGA

LAKE ONEGA

FINLAND SVIR RIVER

CHINA VIETNAM

Hanoi Ha Long Bay

St. Petersburg

Helsinki

Kuzino

VOLGA-BALTIC WATERWAY

GULF OF TONKIN

NEVA RIVER

RYBINSK RESERVOIR SOUTH CHINA SEA

THAILAND

VOLGA RIVER

Uglich Yaroslavl

RUSSIA

Angkor Wat

Bangkok Siem Reap

MEKONG

CAMBODIA

TONLE SAP LAKE

Kampong Cham Kampong Chhnang MEKONG Phnom Penh Cái Be Châu Ðô´c Ho Chi Minh City GULF (Saigon) Sa Ðéc OF M˜y Tho

MOSCOW CANAL

Moscow

THAILAND

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

ISRAEL Amman

Jerusalem Bethlehem Dead Sea Cairo

JORDAN Petra

Kiev UKRAINE DNIEPER

EGYPT Luxor Edfu Zaporozhye

TRANSYLVANIA

RED SEA

NILE

Kom Ombo Aswan/Wadi el Seboua LAKE NASSER Amada Kasr Ibrim Abu Simbel

Odessa

ROMANIA CRIMEA DANUBE

Yalta

Bucharest Giurgiu

Constant¸a Russe BLACK SEA

Veliko Tarnovo

Beijing

Xian

BULGARIA CHINA Nanjing

Istanbul THREE GORGES DAM

Lhasa, Tibet Shibaozhai TURKEY

YANGTZE

Shanghai

Jingzhou Wuhan

Chongqing THREE GORGES DAM LESSER THREE GORGES

Yueyang DONGTING LAKE

YANGTZE

Guilin

Hong Kong

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R U S S IAN WATE RWAYS

river cruise is the best way to see parts of ancient Russia away from the bustling cities of Moscow and St Petersburg•••

Russian Waterways R

ather than a single waterway, the cities of Moscow and St Petersburg are linked by a series of canals, rivers and lakes. There is one itinerary, a 12-night cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg, or vice-versa, that includes time in each city at either end of the cruise. If you are cruising from Moscow, you’ll ﬂy into that city and sail on the Moscow Canal, Volga River, Rybinsk Reservoir, Volga-Baltic Waterway, Lake Onega, Svir River, Lake Ladoga and Neva River, and ﬂy out of St Petersburg. If your cruise starts in St Peters-

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burg, you will do it all the other way around. Highlights include the cities, which merit at least two full days for sightseeing, the towns of Uglich and Yaroslavl, and the waterways themselves. Itineraries also call at Goritsy, to visit the superb icon museum in the 14th Century Monastery of St Cyril in Kirilov, Kizhi Island and the village of Mandrogi, where you can stock up on local crafts and souvenirs. You will need a visa to cruise in Russia. Individual river cruise companies will be able to help with your application.

Moscow The city is packed with sights, including the Kremlin, where you can visit the state armoury, which houses everything from weapons to jewels and Fabergé eggs. There are cathedrals and churches, iconic St Basil’s Cathedral, the Bolshoi Theatre, Red Square, the department store GUM and the Tretyakov Gallery, home to 100,000 pieces of Russian art. Most tours will also take you for a ride on the Metro. AmaWaterways offers a visit to the Moscow Ciircus, Viking has a Moscow by night tour. Both are optional.

R U S S IAN WATE RWAYS St Petersburg The city is another feast for sightseers, who need at least three days to do it all justice. You can spend hours in the Hermitage Museum, founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and now one of the largest art museums in the world. It has so many exhibits it is estimated you’d have to walk 24 miles to see them all. Luckily, guides will pick out the highlights to save time and your feet! Other highlights include the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo, St Isaacs Cathedral, the Battleship Aurora, which ﬁred the shot that started the 1917 revolution; a canal boat ride and the Church of the Spilled Blood, built on the spot where Tsar Alexander III was assassinated. The Yusupov Palace, also on several itineraries, is where Rasputin was murdered.

Uglich One of the oldest cities in Russia, where Dmitri, the 10-year-old son of Ivan the Terrible, was banished after his father’s death. Seven years later the boy’s throat was cut on the orders of Boris Godunov, who wanted him out of the way so he could rule Russia. The church, Dimitri on the Blood, was built where the boy was murdered. It’s a

Kizhi Island An outdoor museum of architecture on the island houses the only two surviving multidomed wooden churches that were built during the reign of Peter the Great. The Church of the Transﬁguration of Our Saviour has 22 domes, the Church of the Intercession has nine, and both were built without nails or plans. There are also wooden houses, chapels, windmills and granaries, all examples of ancient Russian architecture.

The waterways Cruising from Moscow to St Petersburg, you pass through 18 locks (sailing through one twice) and drop nearly 650ft to sea level. You

sail along the Moscow Canal, which was built by political prisoners under Stalin to link Moscow to the Volga River, and the Rybinsk Reservoir, which was built by ﬂooding 700 villages. You’ll cruise over Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe and so big it is like being at sea – except it freezes in winter. During the 900-day siege of Leningrad (now St Petersburg) in the Second World War, trucks drove over the ice, risking enemy artillery ﬁre, to bring supplies to the starving city. Despite their efforts, more than 640,000 people died of cold and starvation.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35.

On the Dnieper, Ukraine

simple church, unlike the Cathedral of the Transﬁguration next door, which is a vision of frescoes and has the acoustics of the Royal Albert Hall.

Yaroslavl This is an ancient city of churches, cathedrals and monasteries, founded in 1010 by Yaroslavl the Wise. The story goes that he came upriver, fought a bear that was worshipped by the resident pagans, won, and started his settlement. Walking tours visit some of the churches and the food market.

Less well known in the world of river cruising, despite offering a wealth of history and culture, the Dnieper is the fourth-largest river in Europe. It rises in Russia and ﬂows through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Most river cruise itineraries involve sailing from Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine, to Odessa on the Black Sea, or vice-versa, and include time in each city as well as visiting the former Cossack city of Zaporozhye and Kherson, from where there are boat trips to the Dnieper Delta. Once on the Black Sea, you’ll probably visit Sevastopol, from where there are city tours and excursions to the Livadia Palace in Yalta. This was the summer home of Nicholas II, the last tzar of Russia, and also where the Yalta Conference was held in 1945, towards the end of the Second World War. Odessa, founded in 1798 by Catherine the Great to provide a warm weather port for the Russian Empire, is an unexpected gem, very European with wide tree-lined boulevards and elegant buildings in Classic and Renaissance style. Highlights include the ornate opera house and Potemkin Steps, made famous in the 1925 Eisenstein ﬁlm Battleship Potemkin.

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TH E E L B E

The Elbe

he Elbe rises in the Czech Republic, flows into Germany and empties into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, near Hamburg. There is only one cruise, and it is offered by only a very few operators, which is a shame as it’s a fabulous itinerary, sailing seven nights from Magdeburg in Germany to Melnik in the Czech Republic, or vice-versa. You will either ﬂy into Berlin and out of Prague or the other way around, depending on which direction you are sailing. Whichever it is, make sure you add a few days in Berlin and Prague at the start and end of the cruise. Once on board, stops include Wittenberg, Meissen and Dresden, which all have a fascinating history. You’ll also cruise through the craggy limestone peaks of Saxon Switzerland and visit the spa resort of Bad Schandau. Viking River Cruises also visits Torgau, to see the monument that marks the spot where Russian and American forces met in 1945.

Frauenkirche, which was rebuilt from materials salvaged from the rubble; the restored Semper Opera House, the fairytale Royal Palace, which has been completely rebuilt; and the Baroque Zwinger Palace. You can even take a 'Maxisafari' tour in a Trabant (an East German car).

Prague was born, where he preached (St Marien’s Church) and where, in 1517, he nailed his 95 Theses (Castle Church), challenging clerical abuse and leading to the Protestant Reformation. The Theses are hung on the original door in bronze.

Meissen This is the town that gave its name to the world-famous porcelain, so naturally, excursions visit the Meissenware factory, which has been in existence since 1710, as well as walking through the old town.

Berlin There’s so much to see in the German capital, but be sure to visit the museum at Checkpoint Charlie, which tells of the various escape attempts over the Berlin Wall; the dome of Bundestag, the Topography of Terror Documentation Centre, which focuses on the crimes of the SS and police during the Third Reich; and the Jewish Museum. Shoppers should head to the Kurfürstendamm, where fashion favourites include MaxMara, Tommy Hilﬁger, H&M, Benetton and Zara. If it’s not part of the cruise itinerary, visit Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam on the way to join the cruise boat in Magdeburg.

Wittenberg The city is known as the birthplace of the Reformation and tours follow in the footsteps of German priest Martin Luther – where he

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ne of Europe’s least-known rivers, the Elbe offers a fascinating journey through the history of Eastern Europe•••

The capital of the Czech Republic is outstanding, famous for the ancient Charles Bridge (the ﬁrst stone was laid in 1357), which is always packed with painters, musicians, souvenir sellers and tourists, but there is so much more to see and do. Don’t miss the Jewish Quarter, where a Hebrew clock runs counter clockwise; Prague Castle, which dates back to around 880 and was the seat of the Holy Roman Emperor between 1346 and 1378 and is now the home of the Czech president; and the 15th Century Astronomical Clock on the Gothic Tower of the Town Hall. On the hour, small statues of the 12 apostles appear. Get there early for a good view.

Dresden Once known as the Florence on the Elbe, the city was razed to the ground by the Allied carpet bombing towards the end of the Second World War, but has been rebuilt to its former glory. Highlights include the

The Po Only a very few river cruise companies sail the Po in Italy, mainly because you spend so much time being bussed around because the top sights are not on the river. If you don’t mind that, this is a great choice, with time in Venice at the start and end of the cruise and excursions to various cities including Padua, Mantua, Cremona, Bologna, Ferrera and Verona.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35.

TH E YAN GTZ E

ombined with land stays in Beijing, Shanghai and Xian, cruises on the Yangtze offer a perfect first glimpse of China•••

The Yangtze

he third longest river in the world after the Nile and Amazon, the Yangtze, or Chang Jiang (meaning Long River), rises in the Tibetan Plateau and empties into the Yellow Sea at Shanghai. All itineraries either start or end with a few nights in Beijing or Shanghai, so you’ll ﬂy into one city and out of the other. Several itineraries also include a night or two in Xian, to see the Terracotta Warriors. If you start in Beijing, you’ll probably ﬂy to Xian, then join the river cruise and depart from Shanghai. If you start in Shanghai, you’ll go from there to the river cruise and then to Xian and Beijing. Most river cruises are four days, sailing through the famous Three Gorges between Chongqing and Wuhan or vice-versa, but packaged into longer holidays that also visit Beijing, Shanghai and Xian. Viking River Cruises additionally has a longer 17-day itinerary that spends 10 nights on the river, sailing from Chongqing to Nanjing or vice-versa. You will need a visa to cruise in China. Individual river cruise companies will be able to help with your application.

Beijing Tours visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, China’s imperial palace between 1420 and 1860 and now a World Heritage Site, and most also venture out to the Great Wall.

surrounded by more gentle mountains covered with trees and grass. Most river cruise lines have guides on the top deck to tell you about the myths and legends as you sail through each gorge.

Lesser Three Gorges Xian Pictures cannot prepare you for seeing the thousand-strong Terracotta Warriors for real. They are all over six feet tall, each with a different expression, and were built on the orders of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, to guard him in the afterlife. The scale of the project – and remember this all happened 2,200 years ago – is mind-boggling.

Shanghai The city has an alluring mix of gleaming skyscrapers and colonial low-rise buildings. Tours visit the museum, which houses a vast array of art and artefacts from China’s long history, and the Bund, the historic river-front promenade. Often you’ll enjoy an acrobatic show in the evening.

Three Gorges Dam Dubbed China’s new Great Wall, this concrete giant – 1.4 miles long, 377ft wide and 607ft above sea level – took 12 years to build, although the last 32 generators only went into operation in July 2012, six years after construction ﬁnished. Strange to say, but a visit is fascinating.

Three Gorges These are the highlights of the river cruise – three deep gorges with soaring, craggy peaks that are often shrouded in mist, which gives them a mystical feel. Xiling Gorge and Qutang Gorge (Witches Gorge) are both regarded as ‘strong men’ by the Chinese, but Wu Gorge, in the middle, is seen as a woman as it is

At Wushan, a smaller boat takes you along the Danang River and through the Lesser Three Gorges. They are more beautiful and narrower than their big sisters. Those with sharp eyes will spot hanging cofﬁns and the old plank road carved into the cliffs, and maybe even one or two of the monkeys that inhabit the area.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35. The Amazon Most people think of the Amazon as the stretch of river between the Atlantic and Manaus, but it is so wide it is more like being at sea. No, if you’re talking river cruising on the Amazon, you have to head further upstream, to Iquitos in Peru (Aqua Expeditions) or Ecuador (a river cruise exclusive to Saga Holidays). Whichever route you choose, this is an amazing experience – a real get-away-fromit-all adventure that will take you trekking through rainforest, spotting river dolphins, monkeys and colourful parrots, macaws and toucans, and meeting the indigenous people. You’ll explore in canoes or skiffs, see scary piranha ﬁsh and get close to caiman (South American alligators), which the guides catch with their bare hands (but only for a photo opportunity!). Cruises are usually seven nights on small but comfortable river cruise boats that have room for just 20 to 30 passengers.

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TH E M E KO N G

The Mekong

he 10th longest river in the world, the Mekong rises in the Tibetan Plateau in China and flows through Myanmar (Burma) and Laos into Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea near Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The best known itinerary is a seven-night journey from Siem Reap in Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam or vice-versa. It is usually packaged into a longer holiday that spends time in both cities either end of the cruise, and maybe a couple of nights in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, as well. Choose this itinerary and you will have a day in Phnom Penh, visit small villages, temples and pagodas, and take a junk ride to a ﬂoating market. However, as important as the sights is the chance to experience the contrast between the tranquillity of the river and bustling Ho Chi Minh City.

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Less well-known are the three, ﬁve or sixnight cruises on the Upper Mekong that are offered by All Leisure Holidays and packaged into land-based holidays that visit Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. The cruise itineraries are all slightly different with highlights that include Luang Prabang, the Kuang Si waterfalls, Phu Wua Wildlife reserve and Sala Kaeo Ku Sculpture Park. You will need a visa to cruise in Cambodia and Vietnam. Individual river cruise companies will be able to help with your application.

he Mekong has become the river cruise hotspot of the decade, popular for its exotic sights and the small, colonial-style vessels that ply the waterway••• the Reunification Palace (formerly the Presidential Palace), the colonial-style Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral, and the stylish Rex Hotel, where foreign correspondents were given daily briefings during the Vietnam War. If you’re feeling brave, a guided tour by scooter is a fantastic way to see the sights. A short way out of the city are the Cu Chi Tunnels, a 124-mile network of underground tunnels where the Viet Cong lived and launched attacks on the American GIs during the war. You’ll see the secret entrances, learn how they lived and see the terrifying weapons they built.

Ho Chi Minh City Still known as Saigon to many of its residents, Ho Chi Minh City has a population of some eight million people, 3.8 million scooters (crossing the roads requires skill and courage) and some wonderful attractions. These include

Siem Reap The big attraction here is the temple complex of Angkor, built between the 9th and 13th centuries. Angkor Wat, said to be the largest religious building in the world (it took an

TH E M E KO N G

estimated 30 years to build) is the best known; but there is also the 12th Century Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire; and the Bayon Temple, with its giant carved faces. Banteay Srei (Citadel of Women) is a small temple built from red sandstone dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Ta Prohm is another large temple dating back to 1186 and has been largely untouched since it was discovered.

come face to face with the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime. During a terrifying 14 years some three million Cambodians were murdered by the Pol Pot regime. Tours typically visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and later one of the Killing Fields where thousands of people died. Tours will also visit the Central Market and Royal Palace. If you fancy exploring alone, there are plenty of tuk-tuks (be sure to agree a price before setting off).

Phnom Penh The capital of Cambodia arouses mixed emotions. These days it is a bustling city with a lively waterfront packed with restaurants and bars, and you’ll have a chance to visit some if you are staying overnight in the city (try dinner at the Foreign Correspondents Club, but book a table ﬁrst as it gets very busy), but this is also the place where you

On the river A cruise on the Mekong is as much about seeing rural life in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos as ticking off the key sights. You’ll learn about such Cambodian dining delicacies as deep-fried tarantulas, Khmer fried cricket (KFC) and long-tailed chicken (rats); ride in an ox-cart and rickshaw; visit local markets

and meet lots of children. You’ll also get the chance to try rice wine ﬂavoured with snake, and you’ll learn a lot about the history of the countries.

Luang Prabang Visited on cruises on the Upper Mekong, the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 on account of its temples – Wat Visoun, dating back to 1513, which contains a collection of antique wooden Buddhas; Wat Xieng Thong and the richly-decorated Wat Mai. From the city there are excursions to the Pak Ou Caves, which house thousands of Buddha statues in many different sizes, from tiny ﬁgurines to statues more than 6ft tall; and a Laotian village. You can also go on a jungle trek to see the hill tribes, an elephant ride or take a cycle ride around the city.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35.

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MYAN MAR

Myanmar

he Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) rises in northern Myanmar, at the confluence of the N’mai and Mali rivers and flows south through the country, emptying 1,348 miles later in the Andaman Sea. The Chindwin River rises in Homalin, in the northern-west of Myanmar, close to the border with India, and ﬂows 720 miles south to join the Ayeyarwady between Mandalay and Bagan. Most cruises are on the Ayeyarwady and range from three and four-night mini-cruises between Mandalay and Bagan to seven-night voyages between Yangon and Bagan. There are also one-week round-trip cruises from Mandalay to Bagan and 11-night cruises from Mandalay to Bhamo and back to Bagan. On the Chindwin, Orient Express has 11-night voyages from Mandalay to Homalin and back to Bagan. Only small ships with a shallow draft can navigate this river, and only during the wet season, between July and September. Whichever itinerary you choose, you’ll have to ﬂy to Yangon and either sail from there

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or take an internal flight to Bagan or Mandalay. There are no direct flights from the UK to Yangon, but you can transit through Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Airlines, Doha with Qatar, and Bangkok with Thai International. You can also take a British Airways flight to Bangkok and fly to Yangon with Bangkok Airways. Seeing the golden pagodas and Buddha statues is a highlight, but cruises in Myanmar are as much about seeing Asia as it used to be. Life is unhurried, Westerners are an oddity and no one hassles you to buy things, and if they do, a polite ‘no thank you’ will suffice. You will also find yourself cut off from home as Western mobile phones won’t work, and wifi is patchy and slow.

Is it Myanmar or Burma? You can call it whichever you wish but Myanmar refers to the whole country and all the nationalities that live there, while Burma is the portion inhabited by the Burmese.

cruise on the Ayeyarwady or Chindwin rivers is the best way to see Myanmar, which does not have enough hotels to cope with the number of people who want to visit the country now it has opened up to tourism•••

You will need a visa to visit Myanmar. Individual river cruise companies will be able to help with your application.

Yangon Called Rangoon under British rule, Yangon was the capital of Burma from 1948 until 2006, when it was relocated to Naypyidaw by the military junta. The highlight is the magniﬁcent golden Shwedagon Pagoda, nearly 330ft high and covered in 11 tons of gold. The pagoda is like a town within a city, covering some 12 acres, and where monks, nuns, friends and families come to meet, pray, meditate and party, because giving to Buddha is seen as a joyous thing. Other sights include Scott’s Market, the Lion Throne in the National Museum and the colonial Strand Hotel – it’s the Rafﬂes of Myanmar but a lot cheaper.

Bagan The capital of the ﬁrst Burmese empire between the 11th and 13th centuries, Bagan is just over an hour by air from Yangon. The

MYAN MAR

ancient city used to have more than 5,000 temples and pagodas, but many were destroyed in a series of earthquakes between 1938 and 1975. Now it is an archaeological site, and still peppered with 2,237 pagodas and temples. You can climb to the top of several for a view over the Bagan plain, which is quite stunning, especially at sunset. If you’re docked early enough, there are also hot air balloon rides to the see the sun rise. New Bagan (which is still pretty old) has lots of restaurants, all very reasonably priced, if you want to try some local fare.

Mandalay Just over an hour from Yangon by air, Mandalay was the last royal capital of Burma. Highlights here include the Mahamuni Pagoda, which houses a gold-leaf statue of Buddha, and the Shwenandaw Monastery, famous for its elaborate teak carvings. Tours also visit U Bein Bridge, claimed to be the world’s longest teak-built bridge, and the walls of the Royal Palace, which was destroyed by ﬁre at the end of the Second World War.

On the river Highlights of an Ayeyarwady cruise include the Buddha carvings in the cliff at Akauk Taung, and the city of Pyay (also known as Prome), with its 100ft high Sitting Buddha and golden Shwesandaw Pagoda. From Pyay there are also excursions to Sri Ksetra, an important centre in the 5th to 8th centuries and now an archaeological site. You’ll also visit the Gwechaung and Minhla Forts, built by Italian architects from 1860 to 1863 to protect Royal Myanmar from further encroachment by the British (in the event, both forts fell to the British Army in two days in 1885, giving Britain control over the whole country); and Salé, to see the ancient Yout-saun-kyaung teak monastery and a golden Buddha made from cloth, sawdust and lacquer.

The Chobe The new kid on the block when it comes to river cruising, the Chobe rises in Angola (where it is called Kwando), and ﬂows into Namibia and Botswana, where it becomes the Chobe, before meeting the Zambezi and tumbling over Victoria Falls. This is a river cruise like no other – a chance to tick off wildlife safari favourites such as elephants, giraffe, crocodiles and hippos; visit villages and schools, taste African specialities, and see the stars at night in all their pollution-free glory. Cruises on the 28-passenger Zambezi Queen range from two to four nights and can be combined with a land holiday in Africa, maybe a few days in Cape Town, a few days at Victoria Falls, or a landbased safari.

The Nile The Nile traditionally is the UK’s top-selling river cruise destination, loved for its temples and tombs built thousands of years ago, but it has become a no-go area due to the ongoing violent political unrest in Egypt. At the time of writing, the Foreign and Commonwealth Ofﬁce was advising against travel to all parts of the country, forcing river cruise companies to halt all sailings.

* Who goes where: See pages 34-35. | 2014 | RIVER PREVIEW | CTN |

WHO GOES WH ERE

River cruise lines

Rhine

Tulips/Dutch waterways

Moselle

Main/ Main-Danube Canal

Danube

Amadeus by L眉ftner Cruises www.lueftner-cruises.com

AmaWaterways www.amawaterways.co.uk

American Steamboat Company www.AmericanSteamboatCompany.com

APT www.aptouring.co.uk/cruises

Avalon Waterways www.avaloncruises.co.uk

CroisiEurope www.croisieurope.co.uk

Hebridean River Cruises www.hebridean.co.uk

Mekong River Cruises www.lernidee.com

Noble Caledonia www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

Orient-Express Hotels www.roadtomandalay.net

Pandaw www.pandaw.com

Riviera Travel www.rivieratravel.co.uk/agents

Sanctuary Retreats www.sanctuaryretreats.com

Shearings www.shearings.com

Swan Hellenic www.swanhellenic.com

Tauck www.tauck.com

Titan Travel www.titantravel.co.uk

The River Cruise Line www.therivercruiseline.co.uk

Uniworld River Cruises www.titantravel.co.uk

Viking River Cruises www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk

Wendy Wu www.wendywutours.co.uk

* At the time of writing, Nile cruises were suspended in line with current Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice. 34

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Rh么ne/Sa么ne

Seine

WH O G O E S W H E R E Garonne/ Gironde/ Dordogne

Douro

Elbe

Russian Waterways

Ukraine

Mekong

Ayeyarwady

Yangtze

Chobe

Mississippi

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W H O I N C LU D E S WHAT

River cruise line

Air/rail/ coach travel from the UK

UK transfers

Overseas transfers

Amadeus by L端ftner Cruises www.lueftner-cruises.com

AmaWaterways www.amawaterways.co.uk

American Steamboat Company www.AmericanSteamboatCompany.com

APT Royal Collection www.aptouring.co.uk/cruises

APT Other Cruises www.aptouring.co.uk/cruises

Avalon Waterways www.avaloncruises.co.uk

CroisiEurope www.croisieurope.co.uk

Hebridean River Cruises www.hebridean.co.uk

Mekong River Cruises www.lernidee.com

Noble Caledonia Johann Strauss /Rembrandt/Royal Crown only www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

Orient-Express Hotels www.roadtomandalay.net

Pandaw www.pandaw.com

Riviera Travel www.rivieratravel.co.uk/agents

Sanctuary Retreats www.sanctuaryretreats.com

Shearings www.shearings.com

Swan Hellenic www.swanhellenic.com

Tauck www.tauck.com

Titan Travel www.titantravel.co.uk

The River Cruise Line www.therivercruiseline.co.uk

Uniworld River Cruises www.titantravel.co.uk

Viking River Cruises www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk

Wendy Wu www.wendywutours.co.uk

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Selected cruises

Accommodation

Services of tour manager

Meals

WH O I N C LU D E S W HAT Wine/beer Wine/beer and Alcoholic and soft drinks soft drinks with and soft drinks with dinner lunch and dinner at all times

Bottled water

Soft drinks

Unlimited tea and coffee

Shore excursions

Wifi

Gratuities

Use of Quietvox receivers

Use of bicycles

Selected vessels

With lunch only

Local beer and soft drinks only

Excludes imported brands

Selected cruises

Selected

Russia only

First drink only

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G AL L E RY Your guide to the river cruise lines CroisiEurope 39 Riviera Travel 40 Swan Hellenic 41 Tauck River Cruising 42 Titan Travel / Uniworld 43

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CroisiEurope | G AL L E RY The fleet MS Monet MS Beethoven MS Mona Lisa MS Douce France MS Modigliani MS Boheme MS L’Europe MS Victor Hugo MS Gerard Schmitter MS Symphonie MS Leonard de Vinci MS Sainte Odile MS Victor Hugo MS Vivaldi MS Van Gogh MS Mistral MS Camargue MS Botticelli MS Seine Princess MS Renoir MS France MS Vasco Da Gama MS Fernao de Magalhaes MS Infante D. Henrique RV Indochine (chartered) MS Cyrano de Bergerac MS Princesse D’Aquitaine MS Michelangelo

Hotel barges MS La Jeanine MS Raymonde MS Madeleine MS Anne-Marie

Where we sail Rivers: Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube, Rhône/Saône, Gironde, Garonne, Dordogne, Seine, Douro, Guadalquivir, Guadiana, Mekong. Canals: The Marne-Rhine Canal, Burgundy Canals, Canal du Rhone-a-Sete, Canal Saint-Martin, Canal Lateral à la Marne & The Marne River

Key selling points

Cruise style

Contact Sandrine Drewett Reservations manager Tel: 0208 3 281 281 Email: resuk@croisieurope.com Agent Reservations Tel: 020 8328 1281 www.croisieurope.travel

As an independent, family-run business, CroisiEurope strives to offer a warm and convivial on-board atmosphere that is informal, intimate and sociable. Guests can relax in their light and spacious en-suite cabins and staterooms or socialise with fellow travellers in the stylish panoramic lounges and bars while soaking up the sophisticated Francophile lifestyle. One of the highlights of cruising with CroisiEurope is the cuisine prepared by its superb French chefs. Guests can indulge in three or four-course lunches and dinners offering a variety of French and regional dishes that complement the region in which they are travelling.

• Unbeatable value for money. More than 1,000 employees take care of the day-to-day operation of the company. • A flexible and adaptable team. • Multilingual crew allow different nationalities to discover the high quality of product and the charm of the French company. • Safety and comfort a priority. The fleet is designed and constructed by in-house engineering staff and all vessels are certified compliant with VERITAS standards. • A real family spirit… CroisiEurope cultivates the true values of a family and brings that spirit to the ambience on its boats. • Cuisine that is “made in France”. Head chef Alain Bohn was recently nominated as a member of Maîtres Cuisiniers de France.

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GAL L E RY | R i v iera Travel

The fleet

Key selling points

Serenade 2 Swiss Ruby Lord Byron Swiss Corona Swiss Tiara Swiss Sapphire William Shakespeare

• Standard class reserved seat on Eurostar from London St Pancras (or flight from a choice of regional airports at a supplement). • Beautifully appointed four-star superior and five-star cabins with hotel standard beds, private bathrooms and river views. • Exceptional cuisine with full board throughout. • A choice of 10 stunning cruises. • Very extensive and fully-inclusive tour programmes. • Escorted by an experienced cruise manager. • Voted one of the top five holiday companies in the UK by Which?, and also awarded the organisation’s coveted ‘Recommended Provider’ status.

Where we sail Rhine, Danube, Moselle, Main, Rhône, Seine.

Contact Darren Mussell Agency sales support Tel: 01283 744307 Email: darren.mussell@rivieratravel.co.uk Joseph Grimley Agency sales manager Tel: 01283 744307 Email: joseph.grimley@rivieratravel.co.uk Reservations Tel: 01283 742340 www.rivieratravel.co.uk/agents

| CTN | RIVER PREVIEW | 2014 |

Our cruise style We passionately offer an unforgettable journey through time and culture, breaking through any obvious ‘veneer’ to the real destination beyond. We offer a choice of 10 stunningly beautiful and fascinating cruises visiting wonderful sights such as Cologne, the Rhine Gorge, Trier, Koblenz, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Basel, Lucerne, Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, Dresden, Amsterdam, Avignon, Arles, Bruges, Paris and Rouen. There are vineyards, monasteries, medieval towns, breath-taking Alsace and the Black Forest, and history. There’s so much to see and experience on our cruises.

Swan Hellenic | G AL L E RY

The fleet

Key selling points

A-Rosa Bella A-Rosa Stella

• All-inclusive tailor-made shore excursion programme in each port, where available, worth up to £150 per cruise. • A programme of talks from an eminent guest speaker included in the cruise fare. • All gratuities onboard and ashore paid by Swan Hellenic. • All-inclusive onboard dining, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. • A Captain’s Welcome Evening including complimentary cocktail party and wine to accompany dinner. • Return economy travel by air from London, with included transfers overseas when travelling on Swan Hellenic group ﬂights, and escorted economy return travel by train (Rhône and Saône only).

Where we sail Danube, Rhône.

Contact details Julie Franklin Group National Account Manager Tel: 01858 588 406 Sue Cragg Sales Executive: North, Scotland, and Northern Ireland Tel: 0776 076 8995 Hayley Anderson Sales Executive: Midlands Tel: 0778 534 4010 Polly Lyons

Our cruise style The joy of travelling through the heart of Europe by way of its rivers and waterways is sometimes overlooked, but a combination of fascinating destinations, incredible value and a knowledgeable guest speaker is irresistible. Passengers absorb French lifestyle and culture on A-Rosa Stella as they cruise the Saône and the Rhône, while A-Rosa Bella introduces them to the Danube, Europe’s greatest waterway. They unpack just once, then sit back and enjoy the comfortable surroundings of their river cruise vessel as some of Europe’s most breathtaking landscapes unfold before their eyes.

Sales Executive: South Tel: 0778 700 5775 Reservations Tel: 0844 209 9000

www.rivercruises.swanhellenic.com | 2014 | RIVER PREVIEW | CTN |

GAL L E RY | Tauck River Cruising

The fleet

Key selling points

ms Swiss Emerald ms Swiss Sapphire ms Swiss Jewel ms Treasures ms Inspire ms Savor

• Tauck river cruises include shore excursions, gratuities, selected meals ashore, unlimited wine, beer and premium spirits, airport transfers, luggage handling and more. • Tauck shore excursions are a blend of cultural sightseeing and time at leisure; each is led by one Tauck director and at least one local guide. • Tauck riverboats are staffed by three Tauck directors and one Tauck cruise director – the industry's highest guide-to-guest ratio. • Tauck riverboats accommodate far fewer guests than other ships (nearly a third less in many cases) and feature more suites to provide an intimate, club-like atmosphere.

Where we sail Danube, Seine, Rhône, Rhine, Moselle, Saône, Main.

Contact The Cruise Portfolio Tel: 020 7399 7673 Reservations Tel: 0800 961 834 www.tauck.com

| CTN | RIVER PREVIEW | 2014 |

Our cruise style Tauck offers 19 fully-inclusive river cruises aboard elegant riverboats that indulge guests with an intimate, club-like atmosphere. Tauck river cruises are highlighted by the superior service provided by the industry's highest guide-to-guest ratio, and by in-depth shore excursions and exclusive access to authentic cultural experiences that have characterised Tauck land journeys for more than 80 years. The company has been voted the "World's Best River Cruise Line" by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine in two of the past three years, and is number two on Condé Nast Traveler magazine's list of the world's top river cruise lines.

Uniworld / Titan Travel | G AL L E RY

The fleet SS Antoinette SS Catherine Queen Isabel River Beatrice River Queen River Ambassador River Countess River Duchess River Empress River Princess River Royal River Baroness River Orchid Century Paragon The Yangtze River Victoria

Where we sail Rhine, Moselle, Main, Rhône/Saône, Douro, Danube, Dutch Waterways, Po, Garonne, Dordogne, Seine, Mekong, Yangtze, Neva, Volga.

Contact Edwina Coppock Agency sales manager Tel: 01293 450726 Email: Edwina.coppock@titantravel.co.uk Craig Liddle Agency sales executive Tel: 01293 450495 Email: cliddle@titantravel.co.uk Ashley Rushman Agency sales executive Tel: 01293 450521 Email: Ashley.rushman@titantravel.co.uk Louise Sword Area sales executive: Southern UK and London Tel: 07766 143987 Email: lsword@titantravel.co.uk Sharon Tait Area sales executive: Central and Eastern England Tel: 07803 600086 Email: Sharon.tait@titantravel.co.uk Sandra Bolton Area sales executive: Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland Tel: 07815 859680 Email: Sandra.bolton@titantravel.co.uk Agency Sales: Tel: 0800 988 5166 Reservations: Tel: 0800988 5867 www.titanagents.co.uk

Key selling points

Our cruise style Titan and Uniworld together sail the world’s greatest rivers, from the magical Rhine and majestic Danube to the exotic Mekong and mysterious Yangtze. Uniworld vessels are quite simply among the best on the European waterways, with unparalleled all-inclusive prices (not in Russia or Asia), daily included excursions, guaranteed river-view staterooms, ﬁne dining and multi award-winning service, providing a six-star experience. With Titan’s acclaimed VIP Home Departure Service, transferring you from your front door to the airport and back wherever you live in the UK (excluding the Scottish Isles and Sark), the picture of the perfect river cruise holiday is complete.

• Every Uniworld cruise includes Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service® as standard. • All-inclusive cruises include wines, beers, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks throughout. • Full programme of included daily excursions often including a ‘choice is yours’ alternative. • Five-star boutique interiors designed by the team at Red Carnation Hotels. • All gratuities and service charges included. • Spa treatments available at extra cost.

| 2014 | RIVER PREVIEW | CTN |

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| CRUISE TRADE NEWS | ISSUE 33 | JANUARY 2012 T’’s & C’’ss applyy.. †To claim email agentadmin@titantravel.co.uk with your name, ABT TA A and booking reference within 7 days of booking. Agent is responsible for any tax implications.