New
Year in Vienna Danube
River Cruise
Day by Day Itinerary
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Click the map to have a larger version open in a new window |
Some of the most beautiful scenes in central Europe will
scroll by your picture windows while you enjoy the New
Year's Cruise this December/January.
You'll travel through beautiful scenery and visit lovely
towns in Hungary, Austria and Germany, with an optional
excursion to the Czech Republic or to the Netherlands at the end of the cruise. |
This is the itinerary for the 2007 New Year in Vienna Cruise.
Amadeus Waterways are still finalizing the schedule to fit
in with lock times, etc,
and so this itinerary may slightly change between now and departure.
Click here for the main
details of this cruise and the booking form to confirm your
interest.
Itinerary
Day 1 (Saturday 29 December -
or sooner) :
Leave the US |
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You
can either make your own arrangements to travel to Budapest,
or have Amadeus do this for you.
You should leave the US today or
earlier, so as to arrive in Budapest on Sunday (or sooner)
in time for the start of the New Year in Vienna Danube River
Cruise.
Note : So as to give us more
time in Vienna on 31 Dec and 1 Jan, Amadeus do not include
any touring in Budapest, and so we recommend you arrive into
Budapest at least one day early so you can participate in
our optional Budapest and Szentendre day tour on Sunday
before joining the cruise. |
Day 2 (Sunday 30 December) :
Board our cruise boat, the Amadagio in Budapest |
A section of the massive Buda Royal Castle, as seen from the
Pest side of the Danube
Our boat is the lovely and luxurious new Amadagio,
launched in 2006. |
Today is the start of your cruise.
The crew will be preparing the
cabins for arriving passengers, and you are given access to
your cabin as soon as it becomes available, generally by
4pm.
If you arrive earlier today, you can spend
your time relaxing in the ship’s lounge or doing some
exploring on your own in Hungary’s beautiful capital.
If you arrived into Budapest a day
or more early, you might choose our Travel Insider special
tour today - guided sightseeing around Budapest and down to
the artist colony and lovely little town of Szentendre.
You'll be collected from our hotel and then at the end of
the tour, you and your luggage will be taken to join the
Amadagio.
There will be a Cocktail Reception
on board this evening followed by the Captain's Welcome
Dinner.
After dinner we have a Hungarian
Folk Music show on board.
We set sail and start our journey
towards Vienna this evening.
Included meals - Dinner |
Day 3 (Monday 31 December) :
Vienna
New Year's Eve |

The stately and imposing Hofburg Palace, where this
evening's optional Grand Ball is to be held.
Ringing of the massive Pummerin bell (the second largest in
Europe) on the top of St Stephen's Cathedral at midnight is
part of the Vienna New Year celebration
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After a day cruising along the beautiful Danube, we'll arrive in
Vienna late afternoon in time to ring in the New Year!
There will be
an elegant Gala Dinner on board, and you can choose from
a variety of entertainments for this special evening.
We are offering you your choice of the following events
(subject to available tickets) either this evening or
tomorrow :
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A free ticket to the Vienna
Symphony Orchestra concert performance of Beethoven's
Ninth (Choral) Symphony; or
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A free ticket to the Vienna
Hofburg Orchestra concert of popular Strauss and Mozart
pieces; or
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A free ticket to a performance of
Die Fledermaus (by either the Vienna Volksoper or
Staatsoper); or
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A free ticket to the Vienna
Heurigen (Folk) Show; or
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Half the cost of a €130 ($180)
ticket to the Grand Ball at the Hofburg Palace
There is also live music and dancing on board, and you
might want to, at some time in the evening, join the locals in
town as they celebrate New Year’s Eve and visit to the St.
Stephen’s Cathedral Square where fireworks will be
displayed and the bell ringing will occur.
Included Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner |
Day 4 (Tuesday 1 January 2008) :
Vienna
New Year's Day |
Judenplatz, just off the main street in Vienna, is a
picturesque scene with a lovely fountain in the middle of
the square.
Vienna's trams are both a convenient way to travel around
the city and also a great way to sightsee (on the circle
route). Vienna also has an excellent Metro system with
a stop right by where our ship will be berthed.
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Sleep in late if you wish - especially if you stayed at the
Grand Ball until its official closing at 3.30am. Maybe
attend another of the optional New Year celebration activities today,
or sightsee around glorious Vienna as you wish.
The ship stays in Vienna all day today, and leaves late
evening, allowing you time to attend a concert in
the evening, too.
Included Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner |
Day 5 (Wednesday 2 January) : Melk,
Linz |
We pass the charming medieval town of Durnstein in the
Strudengau on the way to Melk.

We stop at Melk Abbey, 900 years old, and dramatically perched on
the cliffs above the Danube River.
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We cruise through a beautiful untouched stretch of
the Danube called the Strudengau, arriving in Melk.
Disembark for an excursion to the dramatic
900-year-old baroque Melk Abbey, perched on sheer cliffs
high above the Danube. Its cherub-filled library boasts 365
windows—one for every day of the year. The interior of the
abbey’s church is a kaleidoscope of red, orange and
gold—with a magnificent carved pulpit and shimmering ceiling
frescoes.
The ship continues cruising through the evening, and
docks in Linz later in the day.
Included Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner |
Day 6 (Thursday 3 January) :
Linz (Salzburg) Passau |
The main town square in Linz.
Glorious Salzburg.
The ancient town of Passau is built around the Danube
River, where it meets with the Ilz and Inn Rivers. |
Travel Insider Bonus
: Free
Tour to Salzburg - After breakfast, disembark for a coach excursion
through stunning beautiful 'picture postcard' winter scenery
and on to
Salzburg, birthplace of the great composer Mozart and one of
Europe’s major music centers.
See the stunning exterior of Schloss Mirabell, featured in
the classic film, The Sound of Music. You’ll enjoy a walking
tour featuring Salzburg Old Town, a gem of baroque
architecture that is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. See the courtyard of baroque St. Peter’s Church, the
former home of Mozart, and charming Getreidegasse.
Getreidegasse is Salzburg’s most famous shopping lane
surrounded by high, narrow houses and lined with enticing
shops with wrought iron guild signs and secluded courtyards.
Have lunch as it suits you at a local restaurant and then enjoy some free
time to explore on your own. You’ll find Christmas Market
stalls and decorations in various places around the city,
especially in Mirabell Square.
In the late afternoon, we'll drive to Passau, where the ship has
sailed to meet us. The ship remains docked here overnight,
so you can disembark for an evening stroll after dinner if
you like.
This evening we are entertained on
board by the 'Sound of Music' group of singers.
Included Meals: Breakfast,
Dinner |
Day 7 (Friday 4 January) :
Regensburg |
The old town of Regensburg survived World War 2 virtually
intact, and so is a treasure trove of ancient medieval
architecture.
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The ship docks in Regensburg after lunch.
We'll enjoy a walking tour of the town, one of
Germany’s largest and (it suffered virtually no damage
in World War II) best-preserved medieval cities.
See the
gleaming spires of Gothic St. Peter’s church (Regensburg
is the
present Pope's home town) with its
stained glass, the Old Town Hall and the 12th century Stone
Bridge, which is Germany’s oldest bridge.
This evening we have the Spitzweg Quartet play a selection
of light classical and popular music on board.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 8 (Saturday 5 January) :
Nuremberg |
A river side scene in Nuremburg, as our
cruise comes to an end.
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During the morning, enjoy your passage through the amazing
engineering marvel, the Main-Danube Canal, as it passes
through the Franconian Alps.
After lunch, we'll tour around Nuremberg for a panoramic
tour of this medieval city surrounded by 13th-century walls. Today Nuremberg evokes the notorious post-World War II war
crimes trials, but throughout its history, the city was
known for its handcrafts, particularly toys and fancy
metalwork. You’ll see where the trials were held and the
grounds where Nazi rallies were held, as well as the
imposing Imperial Castle.
Included Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner |
Day 9 (Sunday 6 January) :
Cruise ends in Nuremburg, optional touring on to Prague or
extend your cruise on to Amsterdam. |
An aerial view of Nuremburg. |
After breakfast, disembark and make your way to the airport for
your flight home, or extend your vacation any which way you
choose.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Note - you can also choose to extend your cruise for
another week, traveling on to Amsterdam via the Main and
Rhine rivers (click for an
itinerary of this
extension), or you can add a two night side
trip by coach on to Prague. |
Click here for the main
details of this cruise and the booking form to confirm your
interest.
Originally published
30 Apr 2007, last update
30 May 2021
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