Tour Type:River Cruise Tour Duration:15 Days (14 Nights) From:Vienna toBucharest Tour Code:UNIEEE Operator:Uniworld
from AU $6,060 pp
Click Map To Enlarge
River Cruise Description
Cruise through seven countries - Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania - and visit five capitals, seeing sights that you won't forget; immersing yourself in new cultures; meeting new friends; and discovering a plethora of colourful folklore, musical traditions, and culinary delights. This cruise showcases recent historic and political changes in Central and Eastern Europe. Vibrant capitals like Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Belgrade, and Bratislava display the cultural diversity of their proud citizens.
History, nature, and hospitable people are all awaiting your discovery on this allencompassing Eastern Europe cruise. Celtic fortifications, Medieval towns, Turkish baths, 19th-century Neoclassical architecture, Roman ruins, and modern resorts make this one of the most extraordinary, eye-opening voyages in the world - not to mention the natural beauty of pastoral landscapes, the Danube's famed Iron Gates, and Bulgaria's Black Sea shores. All of this and more awaits you on your exploration of Eastern Europe.
Included Features
12-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the newly remodeled, striking River Countess, the newly remodeled, imperial River Duchess, or the lovely River Princess
All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
14 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 12 dinners
Captain’s Welcome Gala and Farewell Dinners
Complimentary fine wines, choice of beer and soft drinks during lunch and dinner onboard; replenished bottled water in your stateroom; and 24-hour specialty coffee and tea bar
13 excursions, including 4 “Choice Is Yours” options, fully hosted by English-speaking local guides
An experienced Cruise Manager and attentive, all English-speaking staff
State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio headset system on all shore excursions during your cruise
Use of bicycles and Nordic walking sticks throughout your cruise
Captivating onboard local entertainment
Signature Lecture: “Musical Magic along the Danube: The Great Composers”
Vienna
Arrive at Vienna International Airport where you will be transferred to the ship. (D)
Day 2
Vienna Featured Excursions: Choice of Vienna city tour and National Library visit OR exclusive “Vienna, City of Arts” tour.
Capture Vienna’s imperial history during a tour that takes you along the stately Ringstrasse. Stroll through the Hofburg grounds to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and visit the beautiful Austrian National Library. Or opt to explore “Vienna, City of Arts” on an exclusive art historian-guided tour of the Museum of Fine Arts, one of the world’s finest temples to art. Note: On Mondays, substitute Mozarthaus for the National Library and Liechtenstein Palais for the Museum of Fine Arts. (BB/L/D)
Day 3
Bratislava Featured Excursion: Bratislava city tour.
Admire Bratislava’s eclectic collection of Gothic, Baroque, and Art Deco architecture on your tour through Old Town that will take you from Medieval Michael’s Gate to Rococo Mirbach Palace and countless other highlights. (BB/L/Captain’s Welcome Gala)
Day 4
Budapest Featured Excursion: Choice of Budapest city tour OR Budapest walking discovery with Parliament visit.
Savor the beauty of Buda and Pest on opposite sides of the Danube with a panoramic coach tour that shows all the key highlights of this gorgeous city. Or join a walking tour discovering the Hungarian Parliament building and Market Hall, and then visit Váci Utca, the main shopping street. Note: Parliament may be closed for official business without prior notice. Market Hall is closed on Sundays. (BB/L/D)
Day 5
Budapest, Cruising The Danube
Enjoy the morning at leisure in beautiful Budapest before cruising the lovely Danube. (BB/L/D)
Day 6
Vukovar (Osijek) Featured Excursions: Tour of Osijek, home-hosted lunch, and school visit.
Tour Osijek and experience Croatian life while meeting students during a school visit, and then enjoy a home-hosted lunch with a Croatian family. Note: School visit not available during school holidays. (BB/L/D)
Day 7
Belgrade Featured Excursion: Belgrade city tour.
Enjoy a panoramic drive through Belgrade, one of the oldest cities in Europe. You’ll see Kalemegdan Fortress, St. Sava Cathedral, and then you’ll visit Tito’s Memorial, exploring the contrast of old and new that makes up this capital city. (BB/L/D)
Day 8
Kostolac (Viminacium) Featured Excursion: Exclusive visit to Viminacium archeological site.
Resident archeologists bring the historic grandeur of the excavations at Viminacium alive on an exclusive visit. The former Roman city boasted villas, thermal baths, a mausoleum, and even an amphitheater. (BB/L/D)
Day 9
Cruising the scenic Iron Gates
Enjoy a morning stroll around Donji Milanovac, an authentic Serbian village. Then relax onboard as you cruise the spectacular Iron Gates, an 80-mile sequence of gorges cut through the Carpathian Mountains by the mighty Danube. This is one of the most dramatic natural displays of beauty in Europe. (BB/L/D)
Day 10
Vidin (Belogradchik) Featured Excursions: Baba Vida Fortress and Belogradchik rock formations.
Visit the legendary Medieval Baba Vida Fortress and Belogradchik, a fairytale world of weathered red sandstone in fantastic formations and one of the natural wonders of Bulgaria. (BB/L/D)
Day 11
Rousse Featured Excursion: Choice of full-day excursion to Varna OR half-day Ivanovo and Basarbovo monasteries and Rusensky Lom Nature Park.
Enjoy leisure time exploring Rousse, Bulgaria’s fourthlargest city. Walk along the lively pedestrian zone, known for its 19th- and 20th-century Neo-Baroque and Neo- Rococo architecture. (BB/L/D)
Day 12
Rousse (Varna)
Enjoy leisure time exploring Rousse, Bulgaria’s fourth-largest city. Walk along the lively pedestrian zone, known for its 19th- and 20th-century Neo-Baroque and Neo-Rococo architecture. (BB/L/Captain’s Farewell Dinner)
Day 13
Giurgiu, (Disembark), Transfer to Bucharest Featured Excursions: Bucharest city tour and choice of People’s Palace visit OR Village Museum.
After disembarking the ship, enjoy a city tour of Bucharest before visiting the People’s Palace, one of the largest buildings in the world. Or stroll through the open-air Village Museum, a collection of 50 buildings that represent Romania’s traditional rural architecture—the embodiment of the small-is-beautiful ethos. (BB/L)
Day 14
Bucharest
Enjoy a full day at leisure exploring the city called the “Paris of the East.” (BB)
Day 15
Depart Bucharest
Transfer to the Bucharest Otopeni Airport for your flight home, or extend your stay in Istanbul. (CB or BB)
This itinerary is based on 2012 departures. Click on the icon if you would like to view an electronic version of the brochure online. There may be some amendments to this itinerary on 2013 departures. To view the preview 2013 brochure click here.
River Cruise Prices
Cruise prices are per person. Please request a quote for tour availability.
EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL OFFER*
2012/13 Season Sale! Save up to $420 per couple. Exclusive to Global Journeys. Deposit this month only to qualify!
Subject to availability at the time of booking.
Note:
All departures above are guaranteed to depart. Single prices available, please request.
We will check the availability of your departure in your quote along with all applicable cruise specials.
The prices on our site are land only prices. If you would like to include flights with your quote, then we have some amazing specials for you to take advantage of!
Flight specials only apply for clients booking this tour from Global Journeys. Terms & Conditions apply and full details will be provided in your quote.
General Information
The information below relates to this itinerary only.
Cruise Operator: Uniworld
Uniworld presents an unrivalled river cruise program with unique itineraries and superb five-star inclusions. Travel onboard intimate, luxurious ships with a maximum of 134 guests - fewer guests than any other river cruise company in Europe. With one highly trained staff member for every three guests and expert onboard hotel management, Uniworld are able to deliver a guest satisfaction rate of 98%.
We have a dedicated section on our website providing more detailed information on Uniworld including FAQ's on what you need to know before, during and after your travel; as well fleet information, deck plans, and a comprehensive search facility to enable you to easily find more of their cruises. Read more> (Note: This link will take you away from this tour itinerary page).
It does not matter which direction you choose, as each direction contains the same included features. Timings of activities may, of course, vary a little due to cruising times up- or downstream, but you will not see or do more in one direction than in the other.
During the day, comfortable, casual attire is appropriate. The weather in Europe can be very changeable, so take a sweater or windproof jacket and an umbrella. Comfortable walking shoes are also recommended for excursions. Evenings are a little dressier. Gentlemen may wish to wear a jacket to the Captain's dinner. You'll find average temperatures listed on each of the cruises on our website.
Our ships accommodate between 100 and 138 guests. They are generally 360 feet long (110 meters), and 37.5 feet wide (11.4 meters). The draft is approximately 4 feet (1.2 meters). There are typically 34 crew members aboard. We have a dedicated section on our website providing more detailed information each ship. Read more> (Note: This link will take you away from this tour itinerary page).
Magnetic key cards have been introduced on the River Empress, River Countess and River Duchess. The magnetic card functions as your cabin key, your onboard charge card, and your ID card for boarding. Passengers swipe the cards as they disembark and embark, enabling our staff to keep track of everyone onboard. Our ships were the first - and are still the only - river cruise ships to offer this convenience. The River Empress, River Countess and River Duchess offer guests the convenience of checking and sending e-mails. On the River Princess, River Queen, River Empress, River Duchess and River Countess, each guest is provided with a terry cloth robe in their cabin. Our ships have one of the largest fitness centres aboard any river cruise ship. There is also a sauna and a steam room on the River Princess, River Queen, River Empress, River Duchess and River Countess.
Sumptuous buffets at breakfast and lunch offer an extensive array of hot and cold selections. Breakfast features crispy Belgian waffles topped with whipped cream and warm maple syrup, a dozen or more homemade breads and jams, an omelette station, and hand-cut seasonal fresh fruit.
Lunch offers a delectable feast with salads, soups, carved-to-order roasts, and more. Evenings provide exquisite ambience with relaxed open seating. Each dish is flawlessly prepared using the finest ingredients—local meats and seafood along with tasty side dishes. Always included with dinner onboard are European fine wines and a selection of beer and soft drinks served by an attentive, caring staff. Of course, every meal concludes with a wide range of freshly prepared, decadent desserts that look every bit as delicious as they taste.
Uniworld also provides a variety of dining experiences including: al fresco “under the stars” and light-lunch dining—both on the sun deck; Captain's Welcome Gala and Farewell Dinner; early-riser breakfast; and afternoon tea. Plus, Uniworld gives you the choice of dining on lighter cuisine with our Traveling Lite menu.
The ships are not handicapped or wheelchair accessible. There are elevators on the River Princess, River Queen, River Countess, River Duchess, and River Empress. On the River Queen, the elevator does not reach all decks. Additionally, most shore excursions involve some walking. Some excursions are walking cruises only, and several occur on cobblestone streets.
Tips & gratuities including the customary end-of-trip gratuity/tip for the cruise/tour manager, crew onboard and local guides for the included shore excursions are included in the price of your trip (excluding Optional Excursions). Europe & Russia cruises only.
Magnetic key cards have been introduced on the River Countess, River Duchess, and River Empress. The magnetic card functions as your cabin key, your onboard charge card, and your ID card for boarding. Passengers swipe the cards as they disembark and embark, enabling our staff to keep track of everyone onboard. Our ships were the first - and are still the only - river cruise ships to offer this convenience.
On other ships all purchases and paid services on board
are billed with a guest check and added to your shipboard account.
At the end of the cruise, you will receive a total, which can be paid
with cash or credit card. The ships do not accept payments made
by Diners Club cards. The onboard currency is the Euro. View individual ships here.
It depends; in many places you will dock within walking distance to the city center, but there are places where the river only touches the outskirts of a town (i.e. Bamberg or Nuremberg), and thus a motorcoach transfer is necessary.
Arrival & Departure Information
Transfers
Transfers to/from airports will be provided only for flights arriving/departing on the start/finish day of the cruise (and for extensions/extra nights). There may be a waiting period of up to 2 hours or more unless private car transfers have been purchased. The following time limits apply:
Arrival
Departure
Europe
7am - 3pm
7am - 5pm
Extensions
24 hours
24 hours
Extra Nights
24 hours
24 hours
Passenger flight details must be given to Global Journeys 45 days prior to departure. If your flight arrangements arrive/depart outside of the above you may purchase a private car transfer from Uniworld or make your own transfer arrangements. Uniworld will not be responsible for late arrivals or missed transfers due to delayed or cancelled flights, for missed cruise/trip days or for extra costs resulting from the foregoing.
Boarding Time
On turnaround day, the entire ship must be cleaned in preparation for your arrival. The facilities of the ship, including your cabin, will not be available before 4pm. We appreciate your understanding on this matter. Should you arrive early, you may leave your bags in the Reception area and take a walk into the city, or relax in the lounge.
Terms & Conditions:
Yep, all the boring small print! We still recommend you read it all though, as no one likes surprises. Click here to read them now - they will open in a new window, or print them off to read over later with a cup of coffee!