Gems of Southeast Europe 2017
Overview
Highlights
- Experience 2 nights in Vienna (or Budapest), then take a 7-night cruise to Bulgaria, stay 1 night in Plovdiv and end with 3 nights in Istanbul
- Explore Vienna’s charming old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Visit Budapest
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Activities
Trip includes
- 2 nights hotel in Vienna at the InterContinental Vienna (or similar), including daily buffet breakfast
- Transfer from Vienna to the ship in Budapest
- 7 nights deluxe cruise accommodation in an outside stateroom - most staterooms offer revolutionary twin balconies
- Shore excursions in every port with personal headset included
- Limited Edition Tours
- Entertainment on demand in all staterooms featuring free high-speed internet access, hit Hollywood movies, extensive music library and English language TV stations
- Complimentary Wi-Fi access on board
- Terry bathrobes and white-on-white plush bedding in all staterooms
- Fine dining with all meals included during your cruise
- Multiple dining venues
- Unlimited red and white wines from Europe’s great wine regions, beer and soft drinks with every lunch and dinner on board
- Bottled water in every stateroom replenished daily
- Cocktail Reception, Welcome Dinner and Captain's Gala Dinner
- 2 nights hotel in Bucharest at the Athenee Palace Hilton (or similar), including daily buffet breakfast
- Special highlights including lectures, theme dinners, cooking demonstration, onboard music performances and afternoon/evening piano music
- Bicycles to explore on your own and guided bicycle tours
- Services of professional Cruise Manager
- All English language on board in a nonsmoking environment (smoking permitted only on the Sun Deck)
- Transfers between hotel and ship are included with the purchase of cruise and land package; airport transfers are included with the purchase of airfare from AmaWaterways
- All local taxes
Itinerary
Arrive in Vienna and transfer to your hotel. The balance of the day is at your leisure to explore this culturally rich city.
Meals: Breakfast
This morning, you will have a chance to savor the Baroque elegance of romantic Vienna. First, a panoramic tour of Vienna will guides you past the majestic Opera House, the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburg Emperors, Parliament, Town Hall a...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After checking out of your hotel in Vienna, you will travel to Budapest where you will have free time for lunch followed by a sightseeing tour of Buda and Pest. You will see famed Heroes’ Square and Castle Hill, home to Fisher...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Arrive in Mohacs around breakfast time and depart for your excursion to Pécs. Founded more than 2,000 years ago by the Romans, the city was an important cultural base during many centuries of Ottoman rule. You will see St. Pet...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning, enjoy a Yugoslav Civil War tour of Vukovar that will show you the Ovcara Memorial and Cemetery, the monumental cross that serves as a memorial to those who lost their lives during Croatia’s struggle for independe...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Wake up in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and enjoy a panoramic tour of the city, that includes visits to Kalemegdan Fortress and the Serbian Orthodox Temple of St. Sava. This afternoon you will have your choice of one of th...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today, take a full day of cruising through one of Europe’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders, the Iron Gates. Here the Danube narrows as it winds through a series of magnificent gorges between Serbia and Romania. The banks of...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Your time in Vidin begins with a visit to Belogradchik, a beautifully restored castle located in a stunning landscape of unusual rock formations, as well as Vidin Castle. Afterwards, you will visit Baba Vida Fortress, the only...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today, enjoy a visit to the ancient capital of Bulgaria, Veliko Turnavo. Here you will tour Tsarevets Hill, the old citadel of the city. You will see the old fortress walls, the Royal Palaces and the Patriarchal church, and th...
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Disembark the ship in Rousse and continue your tour by motor coach. Today we explore Bucharest, the “Paris of the East.” Begin with a city tour that features a visit to the Open Air Museum, dedicated to preserving the traditional arch...
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
After breakfast, enjoy a full day excursion today to the legendary region of Transylvania, a place deeply rooted in myth and history and comfortable nestled between the Carpathian Mountains. Take a scenic country drive to Sinaia, wher...
Meals: Breakfast
Bid farewell to Burcharest as you prepare for your homeward flight.
Want a tailor-made trip instead?
Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with AMA Waterways.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
AMA Waterways Reviews & Ratings
Other AMA Waterways Reviews
I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times
I’ve sailed with AmaWaterways 4 times. They are the best!...
Cancel for any reason
AMA’s “Cancel for any reason” insurance is bogus. It should be called rebook for any reason.
Refund my deposit for the Danube River Cruise
Refund my deposit for the Danube River Cruise. You canceled through 11/17 and our trip was the following week. You know darn well that trip will not happen. You’r...
Tour Operator
AmaWaterways operates the finest fleet and provides all-inclusive river cruise vacations on the great waterways of Europe, Russia, Vietnam and Cambodia. With an innovative product and rapidly-growing fleet of custom-designed ships, the line enjoys a reputation as the leader in river cruising.
AmaWaterways was founded in 2002 by Rudi Schreiner, Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy. All Three brought tremendous experience, knowledge and dedication to the venture. Rudi was one of river cruising’s pioneers, having introduced the modern-day river cruise concept to the market. Kristin brought with her vast sales and customer service experience. And Jimmy Murphy is the founder and former owner of Brendan Vacations. Their combined expertise and passion for the river cruise business results in a river cruise vacation experience that will exceed expectations. With more than 20 different itineraries to choose from, the river cruise vacation of a lifetime awaits with AmaWaterways!
At AmaWaterways, we love what we do — providing our guests with the best travel experiences possible. In fact, “Ama” is derived from the Latin word for “love.” It is a concept that permeates every aspect of our river cruises, from the design of our ships to the development of our itineraries to the high levels of service we deliver to our guests. It is a philosophy that drives our attention to detail, constant innovation and culture of always making our guests our top priority. It is the reason our guests all have a story about why it was the best cruise they’ve ever taken.
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Logistics
What's excluded
- International Flights
- Passport and Visa Charges
- Personal Expenses
Accommodation
The AmaSerena is a sister ship to the AmaPrima and features the most advanced design of any river cruise vessel currently in operation. Our exclusive Twin Balconies are available in most staterooms, which measure a spacious 210-235 sq. feet, with four suites measuring 300 sq. feet. Passengers will enjoy gourmet dining with unlimited fine wines at multiple onboard dining venues; a heated sun deck swimming pool with a ‘swim-up’ bar; fitness center and spa; complimentary ship-wide Wi-Fi and in-room Internet and entertainment on demand; and a fleet of bicycles carried onboard for passengers to enjoy on their own or on guided bike tours.
Built: 2015 Built in: Netherlands Length: 443 ft. Width: 38 ft. Crew: 51 Staterooms: 82 Suites: 3 Registry: Switzerland
In the unfortunate event a participant must cancel travel, notice to AmaWaterways must be via email to Res@AmaWaterways.com, which must include a return receipt and read notation, or other writing stating clearly and correctly each guest’s name, ship name, start and end date of the cruise and a brief statement of the reason for cancellation. Other forms of notice are not sufficient. The effective date of the cancellation is the date we receive the written cancellation notice. Name changes, a substitution of a participant or a reduction in the number of guests in a stateroom are treated as a cancellation in that all applicable cancellation charges apply. Cancellation charges for bookings within charter and part-charter agreements are as per the charter contract. All other cancellation charges are per-person, based on the cancellation date, as follows:
More than 121 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: $200 (Europe & Asia) $1,200 (Africa)
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty
120-90 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: $400 (Europe & Asia) $2,400 (Africa)
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty
89-60 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: 35% of cruise and land price
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty
- Other Charges (except insurance): 35% of all charges
59-30 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: 50% of cruise and land price
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty
- Other Charges (except insurance): 50% of all charges
29-7 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: 80% of cruise and land price
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty
- Other Charges (except insurance): 80% of all charges
6-0 days prior to departure
- Cruise & Land Cancellation Charge: 100% of cruise and land price
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Economy Contract fares): $350 penalty
- Airfare Cancellation Charge (Business/First Class Contract fares): $600 penalty
- Other Charges (except insurance): 100% of all charges
11 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches and 7 Dinners
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