Castles Along The Rhine

Basel to Amsterdam - 9 days

CRUISE HIGHLISTS INCLUDE:

• 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the stylish River Ambassador
• All meals onboard
• Complimentary fine wine, beer, or soda during dinner, bottled water in your stateroom, and 24-hour specialty coffee
• 6 shore excursions, fully hosted by English-speaking guides
• State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio headset system on all shore excursions
• Complimentary use of bicycles
• Exciting onboard entertainment and insightful lectures
• Captain’s Welcome & Farewell Dinners
• An experienced Cruise Manager and attentive, all English-speaking staff
• All transfers on arrival and departure days

ITINERARY

• DAY 1: Depart Home Gateway City to Basel Departing Flight
• DAY 2: Tranfer to Basel (embark)
  Arrive in Basel where you’ll be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship. (D)
• DAY 3: Breisach (Colmar), Strasbourg
  Starting from medieval Breisach, the gateway to the Black Forest, you cross the Rhine and head for the Alsatian wine route, which hugs the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. Charming villages and lush vineyards, producing great white wines, line this winding scenic route. Experience the charm of medieval Colmar in its historic center and the picturesque timber-framed houses in the village of Riquewihr. (BB, Captain’s Welcome Dinner)
• DAY 4: Strasbourg
  Featured Excursion: Strasbourg canal cruise See Strasbourg in the way it has been seen through the centuries—on a canal cruise. In addition to viewing the town’s covered bridges, medieval watchtowers and modern building that houses the European Parliament, you will see “Petite France,” a picturesque district that seems as if it has been lifted from the pages of a fairy tale. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 5: Speyer
  Featured Excursion: Speyer walking tour Irresistible Optional Tour: Heidelberg with visit to the castle and lunch at a historic restaurant Your guided walking tour through Speyer reveals a medieval town with a grand heritage and a compact historical center dominated by the largest Romanesque cathedral in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its basilica laid out in the form of a Latin cross, and including four towers and two domes. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 6: Rudesheim
  Featured Excursion: Castle Vollrads wine tasting Irresistible Optional Tour: Rüdesheim dinner and entertainment Rüdesheim has a long history dating back to Roman times, and is considered one of the most charming of the Rhine Valley ports of call. The town is famous for, among other things, its long avenue of shops and wine bars, the Drosselgasse. Enjoy the first part of the afternoon exploring the town on your own, and then join us for a visit to the prestigious Castle Vollrads. It is perfectly situated in the vineyard-covered hills, and is ranked as one of the world’s top wine estates for its Rheingau Rieslings. Join us for a unique wine tasting at the castle. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 7: Rudesheim and Koblenz
  Featured Excursion: Koblenz walking tour Irresistible Optional Tour: Enjoy a visit to Marksburg Castle, the best-preserved castle on the Rhine, with wine tasting. Departing in the morning from Rüdesheim to Koblenz, you'll sail along one of the most beautiful sections of the Rhine, the scenic 40 miles of the upper Middle Rhine Valley declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. With its vine-filled slopes, its more than 40 castles strung like pearls along the riverban?s ledges, and the famous Lorelei Rock, the gorge is the perfect embodiment of the romantic Rhine. Arrive in Koblenz, situated on the beautiful corner at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. Your guided walking tour will highlight the appeal of Koblenz – its romantic narrow streets and historical squares, the picturesque alleyways and fountains in the old quarter and the 12th-century churches of St. Florin and Our Lady. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 8: Koblenz and Cologne
  Featured Excursion: Cologne walking tour and cathedral visit You'll meet up with your guide on the pier and begin your walking tour. Stroll through the narrow streets of Old Town, passing by tiny squares and little churches as you make your way to the cathedral, the city's most famous landmark and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took 632 years for Germany’s largest cathedral to be completed, and it is one of the most important gothic churches in Europe. A visit inside features the Shrine of the Three Magi and the beautiful glass windows that survived WWII. (BB, L, Captain’s Farewell Dinner)
• DAY 9: Amsterdam (disembark), transfer to airport Departing Flight

2009 Cruises

Prices:Prices are per person, based on two people sharing a stateroom or hotel room. Cruise prices are based on costs, charges, tariffs, rates, taxes, levies and exchange rates as of June 15, 2008. Should the total cruise price increase by more than 10%, passengers will have the right to cancel their cruise within 7 days of notification of the surcharge without penalty. No surcharges in respect of cost or currency fluctuations will be made once payment for the deposit of your cruise is received. This does not apply to fuel surcharges and any taxes, charges or levies imposed by any government or their agencies. Air-inclusive pricing is provided from NYC, CHI, and LAX only. Other gateway cities are available at additional costs. Please ask your Reservations Consultant at the time of booking for details. Single supplements are available in select categories for an additional supplement. Reservations and Payments: A deposit of at least $200 per person is required at the time of reservation. Final payment is due at least 90 days prior to departure. Reservations will be cancelled if final payment is not received in a timely manner.