VANCOUVER — Emerald Waterways has opened the books on its 2020 river cruise season, which includes fresh new itineraries on some of Europe’s most popular rivers.
New for next year is the eight-day ‘Tulips & the Rhine’ sailing, which departs in April to coincide with tulip bloom. Highlights include the famed Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam as well as some of the Rhine’s most popular ports like Cologne, Koblenz and Strasbourg.
For foodies, the new eight-day ‘Flavours of Burgundy and Provence’ will certainly be a hit. Sailing roundtrip from Lyon, this itinerary offers four departures in July and August 2020 and includes truffle hunting in Tournus, sampling the famous red wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a visit to the Valrhona Cité du Chocolat museum and a gourmet city tour of Lyon.
To entice clients to book their 2020 European river cruises now, Emerald Waterways is offering free or reduced airfare, depending on the itinerary, if booked by Aug. 31. Additionally, those booking by July 15 will receive a launch bonus, as follows:
• Guests booking any 2020 ‘Splendours of Europe’ sailing – or another European sailing of 15 days or more – will receive free roundtrip air or a $1,250 air credit. Launch bonus of a free hotel night in Budapest applies to guests booking by July 15.
• Guests booking a balcony suite on any 7- to 14-day Rhine, Main or Danube sailing will receive free roundtrip air or a $1,000 air credit, while guests booking any stateroom will receive roundtrip air for $295 or an $800 air credit. Booking bonus of an additional $200 off the sailing rate applies to guests booking by July 15.
• Guests booking any 2020 France or Portugal river cruise will receive roundtrip air for $295 or an $800 air credit. Booking bonus of an additional $200 of the sailing rate applies to guests booking by July 15.
For travellers who wish to extend their holiday can take advantage of pre- and post-cruise land tours in popular cities like Paris, Madrid, Berlin and Prague. Emerald Waterways also offers the ability to combine two itineraries to create a custom voyage.
The complete 2020 river cruise program is detailed in the company’s full-colour brochure, now available to view online at https://www.emeraldwaterways.ca/request-a-brochure.
