Adventures by Disney announced its newest itinerary and first-ever river cruise for families at a media event Monday night in New York City. Partnering with luxury river cruise line AmaWaterways, Adventures by Disney will offer five sailings along the Danube River through Europe in 2016. The itinerary includes stops in eight cities across four countries, including Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, with excursions geared toward all ages and generations of families.
“Celebrating 10 years in the family tourism industry, Adventures by Disney is always looking for new ways to deliver extraordinary vacation experiences that are both memorable and effortless for our guests,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Adventures by Disney.
The all-inclusive itinerary will be offered four times in July and once in December 2016. Families will enjoy the adventure on AmaWaterways’ new, 170-passenger AmaViola river cruise ship that is currently being customized with families in mind. Room configurations include suites that accommodate up to four, with one bed and one sofa bed, as well as six sets of connecting cabins for larger or multigenerational families.
In addition to the family-friendly accommodations, families will enjoy activities and excursions geared toward all ages led by trained Adventure Guides on the ship. Although there won’t be any Disney characters on board, kid-focused, Junior Adventurer activities will be offered, such as movie nights, teen-only dining, ice cream socials, karaoke and more, while wine bars, intimate dining venues and nightly entertainment are available for adults. Multiple restaurants and lounges will be found on the ship, with children’s menus offered at each meal.
During the cruise, passengers will stop in eight cities, including Vilshofen and Passau, Germany, Linz, Melk, Krems and Vienna, Austria, Bratislava, Slovakia, and Budapest, Hungary. Excursions include outdoor adventures like hiking and biking; museum and castle tours with live shows and hands-on activities; private meals and musical performances; and more. All activities and excursions are focused on telling cultural and historical stories about the cities.
According to Heather Killingbeck, director of trip and program development for Adventures by Disney, families do not need to book excursions in advance and can choose which activities are best for them once on board.
“One of the nicest or most easy aspects is that guests don’t need to choose until they get on board,” said Killingbeck at the event Monday night. “We have taken away a lot of that stress — the pre-vacation stress — of trying to figure out which destination or which excursion is the best for your family. The Adventure Guides will be able to help them choose which is the best fit.”
The Danube River cruise adventure itinerary is eight days and seven nights and will be offered July 7 to 14, July 14 to 21, July 21 to 28, July 28 to Aug. 4, and Dec. 22 to 29, 2016, the latter a special holiday-themed sailing. Families looking to extend the adventure can add on a three-day, two-night pre- or post-cruise stay in Prague, Czech Republic. The minimum age for guests is 4 years. For more information, visit the Adventures by Disney website.
— Written by Hilarey Wojtowicz
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