40th Anniversary Cruise

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Spending 40 years together is a great reason to celebrate!

We are taking a two weeks cruise (guess where) on the Danube and the Rhine.

16 Days - A Truly Grand Cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam through the Heart of Europe and Across the Continental Divide



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by Sam Walter Foss (1858 - 1911)

WE'VE lived for forty years, dear wife,
And walked together side by side,
And you today are just as dear
As when you were my bride.

I've tried to make life glad for you,
One long, sweet honeymoon of joy,
A dream of marital content,
Without the least alloy.

I've smoothed all boulders from our path,
That we in peace might toil along,
By always hastening to admit
That I was right and you were wrong.

No mad diversity of creed
Has ever sundered me from thee;
For I permit you evermore
To borrow your ideas of me.

And thus it is, through weal or woe,
Our love forevermore endures;
For I permit that you should take
My views and creeds, and make them yours.

And thus I let you have my way,
And thus in peace we toil along,
For I am willing to admit
That I am right and you are wrong.

And when our matrimonial skiff
Strikes snags in love's meandering stream,
I lift our shallop from the rocks,
And float as in a placid dream.

And well I know our marriage bliss
While life shall last will never cease;
For I shall always let thee do,
In generous love, just what I please.

Peace comes, and discord flies away,
Love's bright day follows hatred's night;
For I am ready to admit
That you are wrong and I am right.


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CHRISTMAS MAGNIFICENT EUROPE 2009


Day 1, Sat Dec 20th Depart Canada.
Board our overnight flight to Budapest.

Day 2, Sun Dec 21st ARRIVE BUDAPEST, HUNGARY.
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to our river cruise ship, which is conveniently moored in the
city center. This evening meet our fellow travelers at the Welcome Cocktail Reception followed by
dinner.

Day 3, Mon Dec 22nd BUDAPEST.
Morning sightseeing includes Buda & Pest. From historic Buda Castle, a splendid view of the twin cities
of Buda and Pest spread over both banks of the River. Our tour also features the distinctive
Fisherman’s Bastion, the marvelous Royal Palace, free time to explore the Christmas markets and
much more.. Our afternoon is free.

Day 4, Tue Dec 23rd BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA.
Relax on board this morning as we cruise towards Bratislava, capital of the Slovak Republic. An
afternoon walking tour reveals the city's major sights, including the Old Town Hall, the stunning Mirbach
Palace and Gothic St. Martin's Cathedral. Later there is time to explore on our own. After dinner we
can enjoy an enchanting music performance on board,


Day 5, Wed Dec 24th VIENNA, AUSTRIA.
A wonderful day to savour the baroque elegance that is Vienna. Our guided sightseeing tour will show
us the lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna Opera House, the majestic Ringstrasse, and awe inspiring
St. Stephen's Cathedral. The afternoon is free to stroll along Kärtnerstrasse or sample Vienna's
famous pastries, maybe even a last opportunity to visit the famed Christmas Markets. Tonight, explore
the vibrant capital on our own, why not join in the tradition of Christmas midnight mass. The ship moors
overnight.

Day 6, Thu Dec 25th DÜRNSTEIN - MELK.
Early this morning, reach the Wachau Valley. Stop in Dürnstein and marvel at the magnificent blue
façade of the baroque Stiftskirche. Above town we will spot the ruins of the castle where Richard the
Lionheart, King of England, was imprisoned in 1192. Our walking tour through medieval cobblestone
streets reveals 16th-century town houses and wine taverns. At lunchtime, continue on a short cruise to
Melk. This evening we will enjoy a festive dinner onboard.

Day 7, Fri Dec 26th LINZ - PASSAU, GERMANY.
After breakfast, take an optional full-day excursion to fascinating Salzburg and the Sound of Music
sights, or cruise through Upper Austria to Passau in Germany. In Passau the rivers Inn and Ilz join the
Danube. During our walking tour, gaze at this fairy-tale city founded more than 2,000 years ago.

Day 8, Sat Dec 27th REGENSBURG.
After lunch, arrive in Regensburg, one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities. A guided tour will
show us the city's architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall, and the Porta Pretoria - gates
to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 AD. Marvel at beautiful churches and one of the oldest bridges
crossing the Danube.

Day 9, Sun Dec 28th NUREMBERG.
This morning enter the Main-Danube Canal and relax during a leisurely cruise through the beautiful
Altmühl Valley. The Main-Danube Canal straddles the Franconian Alps via 16 locks, truly a fascinating
feat of modern engineering. We will disembark for our Nuremberg excursion where we will see
storybook 900 year-old ramparts that surround the city, the Imperial Castle and the Justice Palace
where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946.

Day 10, Mon Dec 29th BAMBERG.
Today we will visit Bamberg and enjoy a walking tour of this enchanting town, which was declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Marvel at the breath taking cathedral, the Old Town Hall that
straddles the river, and the city's serpentine streets with charming houses and 18th-century mansions.
There is free time before we continue our cruise, on the Main River.

Day 11, Tue Dec 30th WÜRZBURG.
This morning arrive in Würzburg, the capital of Lower Franconia. "The Pearl of the Romantic Road" is
surrounded by sloping hills covered with vineyards. During our tour, see the major sights including the
magnificent Residential Palace. This afternoon explore Wurzburg on our own, or take an optional tour
to Medieval Rothenburg. A beautiful walled city situated on the Romantic Road.

Day 12, Wed Dec 31st WERTHEIM-MILTENBERG.
Disembark in Wertheim and enjoy free time perhaps browsing the market square and the shops. Then
cruise to Miltenberg for a guided walking tour along narrow, cobble-stoned streets shows us the
gabled, half-timbered houses. This evening, Ring in the New Year, as we celebrate together onboard
ship.

Day 13, Thu Jan 1st FRANKFURT.
After lunch the ship arrives in Frankfurt, the bustling metropolis on the Main River; here, enjoy a guided
walking tour of the historic city center "The Romer." Then enjoy the rest of the day and evening at
leisure, before the ship cruises overnight to the Rhineland.

Day 14, Fri Jan 2nd COLOGNE.
This morning wake up and enjoy the wonderful Rhine Gorge, the most beautiful stretch of the river,
passing castle after castle, don't miss the legendary Lorelei Rock, where sweet songs of local beauties
lured enchanted sailors to their doom. This afternoon we will visit ancient Cologne, with its fabled 13thcentury
Gothic Cathedral.

Day 15, Sat Jan 3rd AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND.
Enjoy a last morning of leisurely cruising, and arrive in Amsterdam in the afternoon. Admire the
wonderful architecture of this vibrant city during a guided canal cruise before gathering on board for a
Gala Farewell Dinner.

Day 16, Sun Jan 4th AMSTERDAM - USA.
Bid Farewell to Amsterdam and transfer to the airport for our flight home.


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Why river cruising? Where else, except for a few ports, can you pull right into the heart of town? Unfortunately most of the time we arrived late afternoon. Most cities in Europe were built on rivers and this allows us to land right in the middle of all the activity. In many cases you can see what the city has to offer by just walking.
River cruising is convenient.....the cities come to you, the food comes to you....But first, please keep in mind that the average age on board will be somewhere in the late fifties, and second, be advised that due to the size of the locks you have to pass through, the ships size is limited, and with the lines being under pressure of putting more and more cabins into a limited space, be prepared that the cabins might be new and well equipped, but still way smaller then a hotel room, and that a river boat can never provide the same amenities then a big cruise-liner, so pls. don´t expect a theatre or a casino or big sports opportunities ... Passengers were American, Canadian, British, Mexican and Australian.
We have started in Budapest. Now, unless you are booked already and it doesn't make any difference where you start your cruise, I would start in Amsterdam. Although you will be travelling the Rhine upstream, you will be a shorter time on the Rhine than on the Danube. On the stretch between Rhine and Danube (the Main River and the Rhine-Main Danube Canal) the direction of the water is not very important, because these are frequently dammed and slow moving waterways. But going up- stream on The Danube is much slower than downstream (from Vienna to Budapest).
If I had to choose between cruising on the Danube or the Rhine, I would choose the Rhine.
For us this was our third river cruise and I think that we will take a break after this last one. It was the last cruise for the year for AMA Waterways, ship personnel was tired and not so attentive. The food was bland (German chef). In winter time you have to spend too much time on the ship and the germs are everywhere. Most of the travelers have come down with the common cold. Also I was expecting the ship to leave the cities at dinner time (7 p.m.) and arrive in different ports in the morning. Most of the time we arrived late afternoon, the day was useless; site-seeing in the dark was not that interesting.

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