Lower Danube riverboat cruise featuring the “Iron Gates”, overnights in Belgrade and Budapest, plus 2 pre-cruise nights in Bucharest!
Proud to offer a unique river cruise experience unlike any you’ll find on the rivers of Europe today. With Brand g Vacations and this all-LGBT+ full cruise charter on the Amadeus Queen, you will be pampered by a crew of forty in an atmosphere of total relaxation. We’ve created an itinerary that includes four countries (Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Hungary) that for decades were hidden behind the Iron Curtain.
Explore the undiscovered beauty of Eastern Europe as we begin in Bucharest, the legendary Romanian capital full of history and tradition. Sail from Giurgiu through the “Iron Gates”, the imposing gorge where the Danube breaks through the Carpathian Mountains. Enjoy an overnight in the revitalized Belgrade before continuing on to the vibrant Hungarian city of Budapest.
SHIP ACCOMMODATIONS
AMADEUS QUEEN
The Amadeus Queen is the 15th river cruise ship of the Austrian ship operator, Luftner Cruises. Similar to its predecessors, this ship continues with the company’s orientation to high quality river cruises in Europe.
This vessel follows the award-winning model of the Amadeus Silver ships, but offers even further innovative developments. The popular concept of spaciousness has been maintained. This includes not only generous public areas but also spacious cabins: 12 large suites impress with an outdoor balcony and a cozy reading corner, whilst the 69 standard cabins mainly have panoramic window fronts – which can be automatically lowered – as well as luxurious bathrooms. A new on-board highlight is the indoor pool, the roof of which can be opened in fine weather. In the evenings, this area may also be used for informative talks, functions and cinema showings.
LAND ACCOMMODATIONS
Radisson Blu Hotel, Bucharest
Radisson Blu in Bucharest city center is perfectly situated within walking distance of the National Museum of Art and the historic Old Town. In addition to its superb location, the Radisson Blu offers rooms with contemporary design by architect Uri Blumenthal and designer Buki Zuker.
Dine at one of our 5 on-site restaurants and 3 bars, with a setting and menu suitable for every occasion. When you’re not out seeing the sights of Bucharest, take advantage of a variety of 5-star amenities and services. Recharge in our World Class Health Academy, featuring a swimming pool and Jacuzzi, aerobic and spinning classes, a fully equipped fitness center and saunas. When you feel like relaxing, visit the Bali Spa, which offers a nice menu of massages and body treatments.
Accommodations include taxes and deluxe buffet breakfast.
InterContinental Budapest (Optional Post-Cruise)
Enjoy the enchanting city of Budapest built on the banks of the Danube River. The hotel is ideally located in the city center near the Budapest Parliament, Buda Castle and other popular attractions. With breathtaking views of the vibrant life of Budapest, the InterContinental provides its guests with a superb feeling of exclusivity.
Optional post night(s), are available through Brand g at the InterContinental Budapest (Superior Room with river-view). Accommodations include taxes and deluxe buffet breakfast. Post night(s) purchased through Brand g include transfers from the ship to the hotel and from the hotel to the Budapest airport.
$410 double occupancy or $390 single occupancy.
Accommodations include taxes and deluxe buffet breakfast.
Rates are per person based on occupancy listed.
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Transylvania’s Dracula and Peles Castles
September 2-4, 2021
$749 per person double occupancy or $1,299 single occupancy
Includes:
-One night hotel accommodations at the Radisson Blu including breakfast and all taxes in Bucharest
-Full day and one half day of guided touring to Transylvania’s castles district with visitis to: Peles Castle; Cantacuzino Castle; Brasov with Black Church and Bran(Dracula’s) Castle
– 2 Lunches and one dinner, including drinks
-One night hotel accommodations in Sinaia including breakfast and all taxesThis two night optional extension takes you to Sinaia, located in the Prahova Valley. Also known as Little Switzerland Romanian thanks to the beauty of its landscapes, and became the favorite destination of King Charles I who established here his summer residence, Peles Palace. Opened Oct. 7, 1883, the elegant Peles Castle was built in German Renaissance style, and has 160 rooms, a large VIP lounge upholstered in fine marquetry, a hall of mirrors, another Florentine which impresses with Murano chandeliers, and another in Moorish design. After, we visit Brasov city, founded in 1211 by the Teuton Knights, which will delight you with its medieval architecture and its beautiful scenery. Surrounded by mountains, the city was built around a main square. You will appreciate a walk in the small medieval streets with their shops and restaurants, pass by the famous Black Church and the old medieval towers or take a cable car to Tâmpa mountain for a commanding view from one of the highest peaks of the region.
The following morning we continue on to the legendary Bran (Dracula’s) Castle. Built in 14th century on the top of a rock in order to defend the region, the castle had several owners, the last one being the Romanian Royal Family. Today the castle is a history and medieval art and museum.
After touring, return to Bucharest to join your fellow travelers for a reception at the Radisson Blu.
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Additional Pre Cruise Hotel Nights
Radisson Blu Hotel, Bucharest
Radisson Blu in Bucharest city center is perfectly situated within walking distance of the National Museum of Art and the historic Old Town. In addition to its superb location, the Radisson Blu offers rooms with contemporary design by architect Uri Blumenthal and designer Buki Zuker.
Dine at one of our 5 on-site restaurants and 3 bars, with a setting and menu suitable for every occasion. When you’re not out seeing the sights of Bucharest, take advantage of a variety of 5-star amenities and services. Recharge in our World Class Health Academy, featuring a swimming pool and Jacuzzi, aerobic and spinning classes, a fully equipped fitness center and saunas. When you feel like relaxing, visit the Bali Spa, which offers a nice menu of massages and body treatments.
Pricing available approximately one year before travel program.
Accommodations include taxes and deluxe buffet breakfast. -
Optional Post Cruise Hotel
InterContinental Budapest
Optional post-program nights in a Superior Room, are available through Brand g at the InterContinental Bucharest.
$410 per night/Double or $390 Single Occupancy
Accommodations include taxes and deluxe buffet breakfast.
Rates are per person based on occupancy listed.At this stylish hotel in the grand center of Bucharest you can enjoy magical views from the rooftop Health Club’s terrace. The luxury rooms all have balconies, so you can spot landmarks like the Palace of Parliament and the Romanian Athenaeum. To get the news from the ground, head down to the cosy Corso Brasserie to feel the heartbeat of the city through the glass wall overlooking its main boulevard.
Inclusions
- Two nights in historic Bucharest
- Half day guided tour including the highlights of Bucharest
- Tour of the imposing and ornate parliament of Bucharest and sumptuous local lunch
- Guaranteed all-LGBT+ charter
- 7 Nights Cruise Accommodation
- Complimentary beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the cruise
- Dining: all meals included during your cruise
- Services of an experienced cruise director throughout the cruise
- Complimentary shore excursions offered daily
- Use of state-of-the-art audio headsets for all excursions
- Brand g signature entertainment
- Arrival and Departure airport transfers in Bucharest(OTP) and Budapest(BUD)
Highlights and Sightseeing
- Itinerary with stops in four countries
- Explores the capital city of Romania, also known as the “Paris of the East”
- Sail through the “Iron Gates”, one of the most stunning gorges in Europe
- Visit to the historic Kalemegdan fortress in Belgrade
- Oplenac – the famous St. George’s Church, which is the final resting place of most of the Serbian royal family
- St. Matthew’s Church and the famous Fisherman’s Bastion
- Széchenyi Chain Bridge – the twin-towered bridge opened in 1849 and was the first bridge linking Buda and Pest together
- Overnight on-board on the gorgeous waterfront in Budapest
Flight Recommendations
- Arrivals for the main program: you may arrive at anytime on September 4th, or prior. Transfers will be provided from the Bucharest International Airport (OTP) to the host hotel. Your first event will be a welcome cocktail reception at approximately 5:30pm. Please contact us to discuss your travel plans and we will advise you regarding availability of non-airport transfers.
- Arrivals for the pre-program add-on to the castles district:you may arrive at anytime on September 2nd or prior. Transfers will be provided from the Bucharest International Airport (OTP) to the host hotel. No official programming will be scheduled prior to 5:30pm on the 2nd. Please contact us to discuss your travel plans and we will advise you regarding availability of non-airport transfers.
- Departures: Post cruise transfers will be provided on September 13th anytime. The ship will be docked in Budapest all night. All guests must disembark by approximately 10:00AM. We will transfer you from the ship to the Budapest Airport (BUD), Please contact us to discuss your travel plans and we will advise you regarding availability of non-airport transfers.
Arrive in Bucharest and transfer to your host hotel, the Radisson Blu. The balance of the day is free time to start exploring this beautiful city. Meet your fellow guests at welcome gathering in the early evening. (Welcome Reception)
Following an included breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a panoramic half day tour of Bucharest, covering the highlights the city’s eclectic mix of architecture before returning to the hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
Following an included breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a visit to the lavish People’s Palace-the world’s largest civilian building. Following an included lunch at the Hanul berarilor – Orangerie, we will transfer to the ship for embarkation.
Full day of sailing. Weather permitting, enjoy an outdoor evening concert in Baba Vida (the fortress). Or, enjoy free time to explore the nightlife of Vidin.
Today is spent on a day passage cruising the mighty Danube River and the picturesque ‘Iron Gates.” The Iron Gates is a narrow gorge between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains which forms a natural border between Serbia and Romania, featuring breathtaking scenery. In Donji Milanovac, enjoy a tour of the Lepenski Vir, one of the greatest and most significant Mesolithic and Neolithic archaeological sites.
Today visit Belgrade, one of the oldest European cities and the capital of Serbia. The City tour of Belgrade takes you to the Kalemegdan Fortress, for an impressive panoramic view over the Danube and the Sava Rivers. Afterwards, see the National Museum, the Parliament,Terazije Square and the Palace of Princess Ljubica as well as St. Sava Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in the world.
Today’s morning tour leaves Belgrade by coach to Topola, the site of the initial national uprising against the Turkish Domination in 1804. Karadjordje, the leader of the revolt, built a small fortress with a church at this location. From Topola you will drive to the nearby town of Oplenac, which stands in a rich agricultural area covered by poplar, maple and oak trees. Here you will visit the Royal Mausoleum of the Serbian dynasty and the inside of the magnificent St. George’s Church, which is made of white marble and decorated with beautiful mosaics. The mausoleum contains about 20 tombs of members of the Serbian and former Yugoslavian royal families.
Located in southern Hungary, on the Croatian border, we arrive at the beautiful town of Mohács. From here, we invite you for a historical journey to see how paprika became the “red gold” of the Kalocsa Region. A visit to the “Paprika House” will give you the opportunity to taste cakes filled and baked with paprika, and other products made from paprika. Then you will walk through the 19th-century home of a local upper-class farmer family. You will be able to enjoy a short folk dance performance and local ladies, dressed in their embroidered costumes, will demonstrate old crafts, such as embroidery or painting eggs.
Thereafter, we will take you to the Hungarian Puszta to enjoy the scenery of the endless plain, where the sky stretches endlessly into the horizon, giving the impression of unlimited freedom. Enjoy the hospitality of the hostesses and riders wearing traditional costumes, quench your thirst with cool red or white wine or apple juice, taste the breakfast of Hungarian peasants and admire the galloping of the beautiful Hungarian half-blood horses. Do not miss the wagon ride which will complete the experience. After, we return to the ship in Kalocsa, where we continue our journey upstream to Budapest.
Today enjoy a morning sightseeing tour of historic Buda, where you can enjoy a splendid view of the twin cities of Buda and Pest. Your tour on the Buda side also features the Fisherman’s Bastion, the Royal Palace, St. Mathias Church, and more. On the Pest side we’ll enjoy a scenic coach ride past some of the most significant sites and enjoy a photo stop at Hero’s Square.
Disembarkation day. Transfer to the Budapest airport or stay an additional day or two and experience one of the many spas that the city has been famous for since Roman times. (Additional post hotel nights available upon request.)
Check more availability and prices here.
