Business Class + First Class Airfares – Luxury Travel Tours + Cruises – Your Holidays.com.au

SAVE $450 per person on select 2011 Cruises

Pay in full at time of booking on or before October 31, 2010 to SAVE $450 per person off cruise/tour rate on suites or category 1 and 2 staterooms.

Overview

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

Discover where many of our signature holiday traditions—Christmas trees, gingerbread, nutcrackers, St. Nick, and candy canes—came from as you sail through Germany and Austria on a magical cruise.

Be spellbound by the Medieval atmosphere of Nuremberg’s main Christmas Market, and sample its famous holiday gingerbread. Stroll through Regensburg’s romantic Christmas Market, savoring fresh dumplings with vanilla sauce. In Passau, shop for unique crafts like hand-painted porcelain and Bohemian glass ornaments. In Linz, “The Town of Christmas Crèches,” marvel at the small clay figurines that represent the people of a typical village—the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. And hear a Mozart and Strauss concert while in the “City of Waltzes,” Vienna.

All this and more, in two countries of culture and elegance, will surely make for a joyous start to your holiday festivities.

Who will enjoy this cruise:

Those looking to experience Europe at this magical time of year will enjoy this up-close chance to discover some of the grandest holiday traditions and treats of Germany and Austria.

Itinerary

Day 1: Vienna (embark)

Arrive at the Vienna airport where you will be transferred to the ship. (D)

Day 2: Vienna

Featured Excursion: Vienna city tour with National Library visit and Christmas Market & classical concert in Vienna

Vienna is a treasure trove of secular and sacred gems, which you will see on your panoramic city tour. Travel the stately Ringstrasse, the broad thoroughfare surrounded by the many imperial buildings and monuments that give Vienna its wedding cake-like appearance. You will see St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where Mozart was married, and then visit the Baroque State Hall of the Austrian National Library, said to be the most beautiful library room in the world. You will then have time to visit Vienna’s largest Christmas Market, which sits before Vienna’s Neo-Gothic City Hall.  enjoy an evening concert of Mozart and Strauss music in a traditional Viennese concert hall. (BB, L, Captain’s Welcome Dinner)

Note: On Mondays, Mozarthaus will be substituted for the Library.

Day 3: Dürnstein Featured Excursion: Dürnstein walking tour

Cruise the scenic, UNESCO World Heritage-designated Wachau Valley with its abruptly rising hills. The tiny Baroque village of Du¨rnstein, which seems lost in time, is located in the center of the beautiful Wachau Valley. High above the town, you can see the ruins of the 12th-century castle where Richard the Lionheart was held prisoner. Along with the castle, Du¨rnstein is home to a beautiful Baroque monastery, 16th- through 18th-century townhouses, and old burgher houses—all of which you will see on your guided tour.

Day 4: Linz, Passau

Featured Excursion: Linz walking tour and Christmas Market

The Danube serves as a dividing line between the modern Linz and its old soul. During your guided walking tour, view Linz’s Alter Dom, the Old Market, and the impressive Main Square—one of Austria’s most attractive closed squares—with its Baroque Trinity Column. Also, enjoy Linz’s lively Christmas Market filled with everything from Christmas crèches—for which Linz is famous—to the ever-popular Linzer Torte. (BB, L, D)

Day 5: Passau

Featured Excursion: Passau walking tour, Christmas Market, and gingerbread-making and floral-decorating demonstrations

Quaint and peaceful, Passau is a quintessential German town with Italian Baroque flair. Located at the confluence of three rivers—the Danube, Inn, and Ilz—the city is most famous for its ornate Baroque cathedral. Your walking tour takes you through the cobblestone streets of Old Town to the New Residence, the Town Hall, and the Christmas Market located near the magnificent cathedral, which is home to the largest pipe organ in Europe. At the Christmas Market, you will find unique crafts, including Bavarian-style houses and glass ornaments. You will have the opportunity to see firsthand how gingerbread is made, and then taste this famous holiday treat. You will also learn how to make beautiful holiday flower centerpieces at a floral-decorating demonstration. (BB, L, D)

Day 6: Regensburg

Featured Excursion: Regensburg walking tour and Christmas Market

Lively Regensburg is home to 2,000 years of history and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your guided walking tour explores the Cathedral of St. Peter, with its magnificent stained-glass windows; the Town Hall; and the town’s famous 12th-century Stone Bridge. And what could be more satisfying as you wander the city’s romantic Christmas Market than indulging in local specialties such as dumplings with vanilla sauce? (BB, L, D)

Day 7: Nuremberg

Featured Excursion: Nuremberg city tour and Christmas Market

Discover Nuremberg, a quintessential Medieval German city, on your panoramic city tour. Your tour takes you past the mighty ancient walls with 80 towers that enclose the historic city center. You will stop at Medieval Kaiserburg Castle, and then walk through the lively old quarter with its well preserved traditional half-timbered houses. Next stop is a real treat: Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt, with over 200 wooden stalls filled with signature toys and glittering gifts. Enjoy the festive atmosphere enhanced by the delicious aromas of gingerbread and the hot mulled wine called glühwein. (BB, L, Captain’s Farewell Dinner)

Day 8: Nuremberg (disembark), transfer to the airport

Disembark the ship in Nuremberg and transfer to the Airport for your flight home. (CB or BB)

Pricing Details Per Person

*On these dates cruise operates from Nuremberg to Vienna.

†Prices exclude additional port charges of $112 and are per person, cruise-only based on double occupancy. Other restrictions may apply

A limited number of singles are available for an additional supplement

To upgrade to a higher category, add per person the following prices below:

Suite $1,395

Category 1 $875

Category 2 $625

Category 3 $425

Category 4 $175

.

Europe