| New ships and itineraries added to KD River Cruises of Europe's 'Special Cruises' |
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| New ships and itineraries added to KD River Cruises of Europe's 'Special Cruises' |
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| New ships and itineraries added to KD River Cruises of Europe's 'Special Cruises' New ships -- the Viking Pride and Viking Europe -- and 13- and 15-day sailings have been added to KD River Cruises of Europe's 2001 "Special Cruises" schedule. Also new for 2001 is the inclusion of shore excursions and sightseeing on all KD sailings. The Viking Pride and Viking Europe, launched in early 2001, accommodate 150 passengers in 63 deluxe and 12 standard outside cabins, all with private bathroom facilities, telephone and TV. Most of the cabins have hotel-style beds and sliding picture windows. Both vessels have a glass-walled dining room and observation lounge, library, gift shop, sun deck and covered leisure deck.  The new 15-day sailings between Amsterdam and Budapest, aboard the Viking Pride, have 12 departures, May through October. Among the 25 ports of call are Mainz, where Johannes Gutenberg invented the first machine that printed with movable type; the medieval city of Nuremberg; Vienna, Austria's city of Beethoven, Freud, Klimt and Mahler; and Germany's financial capital, Frankfurt. Excursions include 12 city tours; beer and wine tasting; folklore shows; and a gypsy performance. Fares range from $2,798 to $3,778. Viking Europe sails on a new 13-day Amsterdam to Vienna itinerary with 14 departures, May through October, stopping at 23 ports in three countries. Highlights include Siegfried's Music Show in Rüdesheim, a working display and history of mechanical musical instruments; a city tour of Cologne and visit to its cathedral; a Frankfurt city tour with time for shopping; a morning of Bavarian stories, jokes and German expressions, and an evening of dance instruction, both onboard; and a gala dinner in Vienna. Prices are $2,498 to $3,278.  "The Rhine in Flames" itinerary, on the 182-passenger Italia, features -- at one stroke -- fireworks exploding in the sky and cascading from the mountains on either side of the river, while floodlights go on, illuminating castles and fortresses standing high above the water and churches in the villages along the river's edge. Departures are August 9 for the Frankfurt-to-Cologne itinerary and September 13 for Strasbourg to Cologne. Both are four days with fares of $600 to $750. The 184-passenger Britannia departs April 12 on a four-night "Dutch Waterways" cruise roundtrip from Cologne, passing the spectacular colors of Holland's countryside as the native tulips come into bloom. Stops are Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Nijmegen and Emmerich, with excursions to Keukenhof, a 70-acre park and greenhouse that hosts the world's largest flower show every spring; The Hague, Netherlands' capital; and Delft, an intimate and traditional town whose blue-and-white earthenware is popular throughout the world. Fares range from $560 to $1,060. Sailing between Budapest and Cologne, the 102-passenger Heinrich Heine departs April 7 on a 14-night, 19-port cruise. Excursions include wine-tasting in Dürnstein; a visit to the Danube Gorge, a winding portion of the river with tree-lined riverbanks and towering limestone cliffs; and a tour of Mespelbrunn Castle, surrounded by a moat and dominated by a massive tower built in the 16th-century. Fares for cabins are $2,265 to $2,740; a suite costs $3,920. (Source: KD River Cruises ) |
