Tauck World Discovery has announced its 2010 European river cruising plans, and the company will continue to expand its product offerings next year with the addition of two new cruise itineraries. Also slated for next year are two Oberammergau extensions; four and five-day land journeys that combine with selected Tauck river cruise itineraries and include premium seating tickets for the village’s famous Passion Play performances.
The two new itineraries are the 12-day “Strasbourg To Prague Serenade” and a 19-day “Romance Of The Rhine & Danube.” The Strasbourg to Prague cruise (from $3,990 per person, double, plus air) begins with two nights at the Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Ile, with city sightseeing in Strasbourg and an exploration of the surrounding Alsatian wine country.
The following seven-day cruise includes visits to Baden-Baden, Heidelberg, Miltenberg, Wurzburg, Bamberg, Nurnberg and Regensburg, before a two-day stay at the Hilton Prague Old Town with guided sightseeing in the city.
“Romance Of The Rhine & Danube” (from $6,790 per person, double, plus air) also starts with a two-night stay at the Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Ile and visits to many of the same cities along the Rhine, Main and Main-Danube Canal. The 14-day cruise then continues along the Danube with visits to Passau, Linz, Salzburg, Durnstein, Vienna and Bratislava, before concluding with a two-night stay at the InterContinental Budapest.
Tauck’s two Oberammergau extensions allow guests to add an extra four or five-day land component to their river cruise itinerary, and enjoy the moving spectacle of the Oberammergau Passion Play. Performed just once each decade, the Passion Play recounts the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was first performed by Oberammergau’s citizens in 1634, after the village escaped a local plague epidemic. Today the play is a major cultural event involving over 2,000 Oberammergau residents as actors, singers, musicians and technicians.
The four-day Oberammergau extension begins in Munich with a welcome reception and dinner at the Spatenhaus, a traditional Bavarian restaurant, before proceeding to Oberammergau the following day. In Oberammergau, guests will view the Passion Play from Tauck’s specially reserved premier seating in Section 1A, before enjoying in-town accommodations at the Hotel Maximilian. Day three includes a visit to the opulent 19th-century Linderhof Palace and free time to explore Munich, before the extension concludes on the following day.
The five-day extension also begins in Munich and includes a walking tour of the city with a visit to 17th-century Schloss Nymphenburg, a former summer residence of Bavaria’s ruling family. Days two and three include time in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the Passion Play in Oberammergau (again, with reserved seating in Section 1A of the theatre). A guided walking tour of Salzburg, Austria highlights the fourth day, with the extension concluding on day five.
River Cruise News