Day 4    08 August, 2008  Kuala Lumpur  - Bucharest  Full day at leisure in KL before our early evening transfer to the airport for our overnight flight to Bucharest via Rome

Day 5    09 August, 2008   Arrive Bucharest    Transfer to our 5* hotel - afternoon is at leisure.

Day 6    10 August, 2008   Bucharest     Day at leisure.  Tonight our welcome dinner includes a Romanian folklore show in the hotel.

Day 8    12 August, 2008   This morning we cruise past the foothills of the Măcin Mountains, the oldest rock formations in Romania. They have been heavily worn down by erosion, and flourishing vineyards now cover the south-facing slopes. We cruise along St George’s Channel to the very first kilometre of the Danube, almost to the point where it meets the Black Sea.  This provides an opportunity to observe the unique world of the Danube Delta, which covers an area of about 4,340 square kilometres. It is famous for the diversity of its wildlife, which includes 20 pairs of white-tailed eagles and 3,000 meadow vipers. In total, there are 5,140 species of flora and fauna residing in the delta, including 300 species of birds and 30 of fish. In the afternoon we sail upstream towards Rousse. 

Day 9    13 August, 2008  Enjoy the morning on the sundeck of Amadeus Princess – chatting, reading, snoozing or just admiring the lovely scenery.  We arrive at Rousse at noon.  An excursion is then available from Rousse to Veliko Tarnovo (€ 48), the former capital of Bulgaria.  The Amadeus Princess leaves Rousse at midday, and sails to the Bulgarian port of Nikopol, where she moors in the evening. This stop is simply to allow those on the excursion to Veliko Tarnovo to rejoin the ship.  We leave Nikopol at during dinner.

 Day 10  14 August,  2008   Spend a leisurely day cruising upstream past Romania and into the waters of Serbia and Montenegro. Some 450 miles from Rousse, our ship reaches the narrow Kazan Gorge.  A tablet with a Latin inscription commemorating the emperor Trajan can still be seen etched into the rock at this point.   A little further on, we reach the so-called “Iron Gates”. In ancient times the Iron Gates were a hazardous part of a journey along the Danube, as ships had to steer carefully through a narrow gorge with high cliffs on either side.  Today, the water level has been raised and the shipping hazards removed, but the journey is still of interest, and you will be able to watch the manoeuvres as the ship passes through two locks by the Djerdap power stations. This afternoon you cruise along a particularly scenic stretch of the river, as the Danube passes through the Carpathians and the foothills of the Balkans.

Day 11    15 August, 2008      We reach Belgrade, capital of Serbia and Montenegro in the morning. The city was built at the junction of the rivers Danube and Save, and has been destroyed and rebuilt many times during its 2,000-year history. A included half-day city tour of Belgrade is available this morning, including a visit to the Kalemegdan fortress. We sail from Belgrade in the evening.

Day 12   16 August, 2008    The vessel docks at Osijek in Croatia in the early morning.  Osijek is the administrative and economic centre of Eastern Croatia.  It is the country’s 4^th biggest city, and is situated on the Drava river.  A city tour (€ 38) can be taken through its old quarter.  This tour includes the church of the Raising of the Holy Cross and the Tvrda that was built from 1712 – 1722 as a military fortress.  Lunch is taken on board as we leave at midday to cruise upstream to the Hungarian border, heading overnight for Budapest.

Day 13    17 August, 2008   We dock in Budapest, capital of Hungary, in the morning.  Budapest is a city made up of two parts: Buda and Pest, built on opposite banks of the Danube. Buda is the older and more graceful part, with its cobbled streets and medieval architecture, while Pest is the administrative and commercial centre, with wide avenues and impressive 19th-century public buildings. East meets West in this fascinating city, and this can be seen in the variety of shops and restaurants. This morning there is an included city sightseeing tour, or you may look around Budapest independently. The afternoon is at leisure, so you are then free to disembark and explore the city at your own pace. We sail from Budapest in the evening.

Day 14  18 August, 2008   At lunchtime we reach Bratislava, which is the capital of the Republic of Slovakia and which celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 1991.  We will pass underneath the colossal new ‘SNP’ suspension bridge across the Danube.  Our included tour of Bratislava gives you an opportunity to appreciate this small, but charming capital city. In the evening the Amadeus Princess heads for Vienna while we enjoy the captain’s gala dinner and a show by the crew on this final evening of the cruise

Day 15   19 August, 2008    Disembarkation is in Vienna after breakfast when we will transfer to our hotel for 3 nights.  En-route to the hotel we will enjoy an orientation tour of Vienna with our English-speaking guide incorporating all the major city centre sights ie State Opera, St Stepan’s Cathedral, Giant Ferris Wheel etc. Accommodation:  Astoria Hotel (or similar).
Remainder of day is at leisure and this evening we have included dinner at historic Griechenbeissl Inn. The Griechenbeisl is mentioned as an inn called 'Zum Gelben Adler' The Yellow
Eagle) in old chronicles as early as 1500. Since then it has frequently changed names, being known as 'Zum Roten Dachl' (The Little Red Roof), and then 'Zum Goldenen Engel' (The Golden Angel), but it has always been an inn and, like Vienna, it went through many happy but also grim and turbulent times.
 

Day 16    20 August, 2008  Morning sightseeing tour of Vienna with visit to Schoenbrunn Palace.  This tour provides an overall impression of the most significant historic sights of Vienna. You will see the Ringstrasse with all its magnificent buildings, including the Museum of Applied Arts, State Opera House, Museum of Fine Arts and Museum of Natural History, the Hofburg Palace, Parliament, City Hall, the Burghtheater and University, as well as the Votive Church. See also the Giant Ferris Wheel or 'Prater' at the Viennese amusement park. The highlight is a visit to the imperial apartments
at Schönbrunn Palace, the former summer residence of the Habsburg family. On your return to the Opera, you will visit the Belvedere Palace, former summer residence of Prince Eugen.

Afternoon is at leisure and this evening we have included a Concert with the Vienna Residenz Orchestra.  The Vienna Residence Orchestra , a Viennese chamber orchestra with long tradition
was founded to perform the music of the "Wiener Klassik" in its purest form. The numerous concert series this orchestra has performed in the last decades have taken place at some of the most beautiful palaces in Vienna. The program has consisted of works from Mozart to Johann Strauss, played by from 10 to 40 musicians. In 1991 the orchestra was appointed the official representative of the City of Vienna in the festivities commemorating the bicentenary of Mozart's death and also performed a number of concerts at the Vienna International.

Day 17    21 August, 2008   Day at leisure.  This evening you will enjoy a Traditonal Viennese Evening with illuminated tour, dinner, Show and transfers.  Start the evening with a city tour along the illuminated Viennese Boulevard. After a ride on the 'Prater', the Giant Ferris Wheel, drive on to the Grinzing quarter (formerly a separate town) and attend the Original Grinzing Heurigen Show. In the Heurigen (wine tavern), enjoy many well known waltz and operetta melodies and Viennese songs with artists dressed in marvellous Biedermeier era costumes. Experience the lively Biedermeier era over dinner - including a quarter litre of wine. 

Day 18    22 August, 2008   Vienna - Frankfurt      Sadly your tour comes to an end this morning with a transfer to the airport for your flight to Frankfurt and connection through to Australia.

Day 19    23 August, 2008  En-route to Australia

Day 20    24 August, 2008  Arrive Australia

 

Tour cost $8450* includes:

• Return economy class air travel with Malaysia Airlines Australia/Rome -Frankfurt/Australia

• Economy class air travel Rome/Bucharest

• Economy class air travel Vienna/Frankfurt

• Services of a tour escort from Australia (subject to minimum numbers)

• Accommodation Kuala Lumpur 3 nights, SINGLE room 5 star hotel with private facilities

• Cruise in Hayden Deck cabin - SINGLE room with private facilities and window (does not open)
  (Upgrade to Strauss Deck with window across the width of the cabin and which opens to French Balcony is available for $650)

• 8 night cruise from Bucharest to Vienna

• Superb dining with all meals included during your cruise

• Unlimited quality red & white wines from Europe's great wine regions with every dinner onboard the ship

• Cocktail reception, Welcome dinner & Captains Gala dinner

• Special highlights including folklore programs, lectures, theme dinners, onboard music performances and afternoon & evening music as outlined in the itinerary

• Services of an experienced English speaking cruise director

• All English language spoken onboard in a non-smoking environment (smoking permitted only on the Sun Deck and on the Panorama Deck)

• 25% bonus for one purchase in the Amadeus-shop (for a minimum value of Euro30 )

• Port and local taxes on cruise

• Luggage transfer from shore to cabin and vice versa

• Sightseeing as per itinerary

• Accommodation in 5-Star Hilton Hotel Bucharest incl. breakfast - 2 nights

• Romanian folklore show in Bucharest

• Half day city tour of Belgrade

• City sightseeing tour of Budapest

• Accommodation in 4-star Astoria Hotel in Vienna inc. breakfast - 3 nights

• Dinner at historic Griechenbeissl Inn Vienna inc. 1/2 bottle of house wine per person

• Morning sightseeing tour of Vienna

• Vienna Reisdenz Orchestra concert in Vienna

• Traditional Viennese Evening illuminated tour with dinner in Vienna

• All transfers as per itinerary

Tour cost does not include:

• Air ticket taxes and fuel surcharges

• Passport and visa fees

• Travel insurance

• Sightseeing other than specified in the above itinerary

• Meals other than specified in above itinerary

• Items of a personal nature

Photo below depicts Amadeus Princess cabin on Strauss Deck panorama window with French balcony

(fixed window on Haydn-Deck), bed, TV, WC/shower, cabinet, telephone, writing desk

Click to enlarge