Christmas Markets Along the Danube -...

Christmas Markets Along the Danube - Eastbound

A custom trip planner prepared for Friends of Lisa & Rodney George

By Lisa & Rodney George with Luxe Travel Consultants

Welcome Friends of Lisa & Rodney George to Tauck's River Cruise Planner – Danube Christmas Markets!

On our European river cruises, frequently named among "The World's Best River Cruise Lines" by the readers

of Travel + Leisure, virtually every cruise expense is included in one up-front all-inclusive price – there are no

hidden costs, no surprises, and no options sold on tour.

Thanks to our uncommon access ashore, we've carefully choreographed each and every day so you connect

ashore with people, places, and cultural traditions from arrival to departure. Years have been spent

meticulously researching and defining every day so you enjoy in-depth cultural exploration on all-included

shore excursions, locally guided sightseeing, dining ashore that provides a genuine taste of regional cuisine –

and of course a fantastic time on the rivers aboard our riverboats with no more than 130 guests.

Three Tauck Directors and one Tauck Cruise Director are aboard every riverboat, providing personalized,

caring service; gratuities to Tauck Directors, the Tauck Cruise Director, ship staff, drivers and local guides are

included.

We’ve built our business on one principle – to provide guests with the very best travel experience possible,

with an uncompromising focus on personalized service, quality experience and inclusive value. River cruising

with Tauck is peace-of-mind travel at its best – you'll return home refreshed, ready to do it all again!

Your Trip Planner includes just about everything you need to know to make your decision to take this river

cruise with Tauck. You'll find a day-to-day itinerary, destination information, hotel details, practical tips, useful

advice to prepare for your trip, and more – our expertise is right at your fingertips.

I encourage you to make your reservation soon to be sure to get the departure date you want – space is filling

quickly! Call Lisa & Rodney George with Luxe Travel Consultants at 844-776-4300.

Thank you – and I hope you join us on this amazing river cruise.

Sincerely,

Daniel W. Mahar, CEO

Call Lisa & Rodney George with Luxe Travel Consultants at 844-776-4300

YOUR PERSONALIZED QUOTE


Q U O T E : F R I E N D S O F L I S A & R O D N E Y G E O R G E ' S T R I P , D E P A R T I N G O N 1 2 / 1 0 / 2 0 1 6

Note: Above quote was compiled based on the information available to us at the time you ordered this Trip Planner. It is not an offer to sell you

the tour at the quoted price. Although not expected, prices in this quote may be subject to change due to unexpected significant external factors

not forecasted at the time of quote; availability, tour details and other components may also be subject to change. Your quote does not include

airfare to and from the tour start and end locations. Tauck's terms and conditions apply upon booking and depositing.

Christmas Markets Germany style – Tauck's river cruise along

the Danube from Nürnberg to Vienna aboard ms Savor or ms

Joy offers a new approach to discovering the magic of the

Christmas Markets in Germany and Austria… a 700-year holiday

tradition! Enjoy Tauck's signature sightseeing and exclusive

events... gain insights from the personal experiences of your

local guides as they recall the Christmas Markets of their

childhoods... and celebrate the holidays with special yuletide

events on the ship and off! Aboard your riverboat, decorated in

holiday style, you can sample glühwein and other seasonal

goodies. Attend a holiday baking demonstration... a festive

European Christmas dinner with all the fixings… and a

performance by alumni of the Regensburger Domspatzen choir!

Watch delectable gingerbread being made at Café Simon in

Passau... explore the Baroque architecture of 900-year-old Melk

Abbey... have lunch at Stiftskeller St. Peter in Salzburg and at the

Palais Pallavicini in Vienna, and take a tour of the Thurn und

Taxis family's Palace of St. Emmeram in Regensburg, with a

visit to its private Christmas Market – one of the Christmas

Markets Germany is famous for – and more!

Room 1 - Double - Cat 1, Emerald Deck, 150 Sqft, MS SAVOR Tour Cost: $2,550 USD per person

Cruise Protection Plan: $575 USD per person

Due Dates Deposit Due Date: June 23rd, 2016

Balance Due Date: September 11th, 2016

Totals Deposit Total: $2,750 USD

Booking Total: $6,250 USD


ITINERARY


T A U C K V A L U E I N C L U D E S

● Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck

Directors & Tauck Cruise Director

● All private Tauck shore excursions

● Visits to Christmas Markets in Vienna, Salzburg, Linz,

Passau, Regensburg & Nürnberg

● Locally guided walking tours of market cities and

towns

● Visit to Baroque Melk Abbey in Austria

● Tour of Thurn und Taxis Palace and visit to its private

Christmas Market

● Gingerbread demonstration in Passau

● Onboard performance by alumni of famed

Regensburger Domspatzen choir

● Special Christmas lunches ashore

● Traditional European Christmas dinner & holiday

events aboard the riverboat

● Unlimited complimentary beverages aboard ship

include regional wine, beer and premium spirits in

addition to specialty coffee, water and soft drinks

● All meals included (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 7

dinners)

● Service charges, taxes, porterage, airport transfers and

applicable fuel surcharges

Day 1 - Arrive Nürnberg / Embark your riverboat

Cruise begins: 4:00 PM, Nürnberg, Germany. A transfer is

included from Airport Nürnberg to ms Savor or ms Joy. Guests enjoying a pre-cruise stay in Nürnberg will receive a transfer from the Tauck hotel to the riverboat. After boarding your riverboat, you may take the complimentary shuttles into town and explore some of this historic city on your own. You'll find Nürnberg all done up for the holidays; like its neighboring countries, during the season of the Christmas Markets Germany is at its most festive. Join the captain for his welcome reception followed by dinner aboard the riverboat this evening. Meals: D

Lodging: Aboard the Riverboat

Day 2 - Holiday time in Nürnberg

Nürnberg - On Nürnberg's main market square opposite

the Church of Our Lady sits perhaps the most famous of

Germany's Christmas Markets, with its iconic, golden-haired

Christmas Angel and charming Zwetchgenmannle (“Plum

People”) – unique to Bavaria and made from dried plums

and other fruits. By the time Christmas Eve rolls around, this

“Little Town from Wood and Cloth” will have welcomed two

million folks from around the globe – including you –

delighting them with its authentic ornaments, Bavarian

crafts, Christmas candles, lebkuchen and other kinds of

cookies, tasty fruit loaves, tangy gingerbread, handmade

toys and glühwein!

You'll have a choice of sightseeing in historic Nürnberg this morning. You may choose to explore old Nürnberg, including a walking tour along its centuries-old ramparts and defensive walls, past the opera house and St. John's Cemetery to the old city and marketplace, and visiting the Dürer House. Or take a tour that includes the Zeppelinfeld rally grounds, the Documentation Center and other Nürnberg city sites associated with World War II and its aftermath. Following your visit to Nürnberg's famous Weihnachtsmarkt, you'll have lunch and some time to spend as you please before rejoining the riverboat and continue cruising to Regensburg. After dinner tonight, you might want to join in as we trim the riverboat's Christmas tree for the holidays and enjoy some special treats. Meals: B, L, D



ITINERARY

Day 3 - Regensburg & a palace Christmas market

Regensburg - Sausages and song are big in Regensburg,

as your visit to its centuries-old Weihnachtsmarkt on the

Neupfarrplatz will attest. Market goers feast on the city’s

famed sausages, along with steamed dampfnudel

dumplings, gingerbread, roast chestnuts and, naturally,

glühwein from Bavarian claret, as they admire the work of

glassblowers, chandlers and potters, and listen to the

joyous strains of the acclaimed Regensburger Domspatzen

choir – some of whose alumni will perform on your riverboat

tonight! The Thurn und Taxis family’s Palace of St.

Emmeram is the setting for your tour and visit to its private

Christmas Market. During the seasonal Christmas Markets

Germany glows with holiday cheer as each town celebrates

the season – and Regensburg is one of the most special.

You'll understand why Regensburg calls itself "Europe's best-preserved medieval city" as you explore its Christmas Market set against a backdrop of centuries-old buildings during a walking tour and have some free time to enjoy the town on your own. After lunch aboard the riverboat, it's off for a private visit to an opulent palace that the founders of Europe's first large-scale postal system converted from a monastery for themselves. The Thurn und Taxis family's impressive Palace of St. Emmeram is said to have more rooms than Buckingham Palace, and hosts its very own Christmas Market in the intimate setting of the beautiful inner courtyard every year. On your visit, tour the palace and browse the fine private market, where you might interact with artisans displaying their wares. Rumor has it that Her Highness Princess Gloria of Thurn und Taxis and her family often wander through, enjoying the market themselves. After returning to the ship, alumni of the famed Regensburger Domspatzen choir perform aboard the riverboat this evening. Meals: B, L, D


Day 4 - Christmas in the air... in Passau

Passau – Navigating the narrow lanes and archways of this

Bavarian town on the Danube, Ilz and Inn rivers is a

pleasure any time of year – but never more so than now,

when one of the Christmas Markets Germany is most

famous for transforms Passau’s historic Baroque center into

a wonderland brimming with bratwurst, lebkuchen,

glühwein and good cheer. At the center of it all is St.

Stephan’s Cathedral, whose massive pipe organ – the

largest in Europe – stars in concerts throughout the

season.

Baking gingerbread… it's one of the best aromas of Christmas! More than four generations of the Simon family have perfected the art of making gingerbread and you'll see how it's done during a demonstration at Passau's famous Café Simon. After a walking tour of the city and its Weihnachtsmarkt, the afternoon is yours to explore as you wish. Please join us back aboard the riverboat for a discovery briefing with your Tauck Director before dinner. Meals: B, L, D



ITINERARY

Day 5 - 'Tis the season in Salzburg & Linz

Salzburg / Linz - The angelic voices of choirs singing carols

on Cathedral Square... the pealing bells of old Salzburger

Dom, overlooking neat rows of lit-up booths fragrant with

the aroma of roasted almonds and hot mulled wine... ornate

Baroque domes, towers and rooftops tipped with snow in the

heart of Old Town... the clatter of horse-drawn carriages over

cobblestoned streets... sweet candy apples and marzipan...

the warm laughter of families having the time of their lives...

and music everywhere, in the city that gave us Mozart. The

Christmas Markets of Salzburg, a true feast for the senses...

and Linz’s Christkindlmarkt, the curving roofs of its stalls

symbolizing the waves of the Danube.

The riverboat arrives in Linz, Austria, for a full-day excursion to Mozart’s magical hometown of Salzburg, with its Baroque town center dressed in its holiday best. After a walking tour and exploring the Christkindlmarkt in this charming city, have lunch at Stiftskeller St. Peter, one of Europe’s oldest restaurants, located on the premises of historic St. Peter’s Abbey. Following some free time, return to Linz for a different Christmas Market experience… and, as you’ve learned, each town’s market has something all its own to offer. Or, if you prefer, spend the entire day in Linz, enjoying its Christmas Market, exploring on your own, or just relaxing aboard the riverboat. Enjoy a live musical performance by Donau 3Klang aboard ship tonight. Meals: B, L, D


Day 6 - Melk Abbey on the Mighty Danube

Melk - Perched high on a rocky bluff overlooking the

Danube and the town of Melk, Stift Melk (Melk Abbey) has

shone as a beacon of culture and learning since its

founding nearly a millennium ago. The 18th-century

Baroque complex is home to a magnificent church and its

own Christmas legend – about a miraculous visit from the

Virgin Mary and the Christ child, and a young novice whose

juggling so entertained the infant that he clapped for joy.

A visit to one of the world's most famous monasteries, beautiful Melk Abbey, inspires with Baroque architecture and facades, soaring ceilings, magnificent frescoes, gold and marble statues and artistic treasures. Black-robed Benedictine monks go about their simple daily lives here today, just as they have done for hundreds of years. Situated high above the town overlooking the river, the Abbey is home to a stunning library housing a massive collection of medieval manuscripts, including a famous group of musical manuscripts. Be sure to take time to admire the views of the Danube from its terraces. From Melk, you'll cruise through the Wachau Valley this afternoon, arriving in grand old Vienna after dinner tonight. Meals: B, L, D



ITINERARY

Day 7 - Making very merry in Vienna

Vienna - Images of St. Nicholas – with his devilish nemesis,

Krampus – Advent wreaths, twinkling lights, roasting

chestnuts, sausages and kartoffelpuffer (potato cakes), hot

glühwein and fruity punsch... all signs of Christmastime in

Vienna! Many Christkindlmarkts big and small grace

Austria’s capital at yuletide, and you’ll explore two of the

major ones. Magic’s in the air at the Wiener

Christkindlmarkt on the Rathausplatz in front of the city hall,

Vienna’s oldest and largest Christmas market... live music,

tastefully lit trees, holiday arts and crafts, tempting treats

and smiling faces are everywhere. And at opulent

Schönbrunn Palace, you’ll tour rooms that the Habsburgs

once lived in, and browse through lovely hand-blown glass

ornaments, red Viennese hearts, Victorian-style sweets and

other treasures in the palace’s own, equally impressive

Christmas Market... guaranteed to warm your heart.

“Imperial” Vienna, which you’ll explore on a sightseeing tour this morning, seems even grander with Christmas decorations everywhere you look. Get a glimpse of what “happy Habsburg family holidays” might have been like on a tour of Schönbrunn Palace, and take in the palace’s own Christmas Market. After a holiday lunch at the historic Palais Pallavicini, enjoy an afternoon at leisure to sample more of Vienna’s holiday cheer and its many Christmas Markets; complimentary shuttles run back and forth between the city and the riverboat. Share your memories of this wonderful week with your new friends at the captain's farewell reception, followed by dinner this evening... as your Christmas Market cruise draws to a close. Meals: B, L, D


Day 8 - Homeward bound

Your riverboat cruise ends in Vienna. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the riverboat to Vienna International Airport. Guests enjoying a post-cruise stay in Vienna will receive a transfer from the hotel to the airport. Please allow at least 3 hours for airport check-in. Meals: B


ACCOMMODATIONS


Aboard the Riverboat Night 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 - Europe's inland waterways

Our 443-foot riverboats – including ms Joy and ms Savor (operating on the Danube), and

ms Grace and ms Inspire (operating on the Rhine) – continue to set standards for quality,

comfort, the most space per guest, and the most suites on Europe’s rivers. These longer

ships (443 ft. or 135 meters) accommodate a maximum of 130 guests in a total of 67

cabins. 22 suites (300 sq. ft.) offer walk-in closets, spacious baths, and two French

balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows. 32 cabins (225 sq. ft.) include 8 innovative “loft

cabins” providing additional light and views on the lower deck. Standard cabins (150 sq. ft.)

are comfortable and similar in décor to our suites. All have in-room movies, minibar,

adjustable heating & cooling, a private bathroom with shower and sumptuous toiletries and bedding. Public spaces boast

panoramic windows, a Sun Deck, a casual dining area (Arthur's), cocktail lounge and main dining room, The Compass Rose.


Double Pricing - December 10,2016

SAVO

Cat 1 Cat 2 Cat 3 Cat 4 Cat 5 Cat 6 Cat 7

$2,550 $2,800 $3,120 $3,320 $3,640 $3,760 $4,050

Call Lisa & Rodney George with Luxe Travel Consultants at 844-776-4300*Christmas Markets Along the Danube - Eastbound

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