Luxury Rhine, Danube, Elbe, and Rhone Cruise Liner Shut Down in 2010

German luxury riverboat cruise liner Peter Deilmann Riverboat Cruises is going out of business and shutting down all Rhine, Danube, Elbe, Seine, and Rhone boats from the 2010 season.

photo credit: martinroell

As has been suspected for some time, luxury German riverboat cruise liner Peter Deilmann Riverboat Cruises (Peter Deilmann Flußkreuzfahrten) is going out of business at the end of the 2009 European river cruise season. Peter Deilmann has already sold some boats and suspended cruises on less popular rivers including the Elbe but from 2010 Peter Deilmann will not operate any riverboat cruises at all in Europe.

Peter Deilmann continue as a very up-market luxury ocean cruise liner. All Peter Deilmann riverboat cruises will continue until the end of 2009. (Nicko Tours took over many of Peter Deilmann’s river boats and European cruise routes from 2010.)

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Getting to the Top Departure Port for Danube Cruises

Passau with its lovely Baroque old town is the premier departure port for Danube River boat cruise vacations in Germany and Austria. Getting here is easy by train, car, or plane.

photo credit: digital cat 

The Bavarian city Passau is right on the German-Austrian border at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers. Passau is the most popular departure port for luxury riverboat cruise vacation cruises on the Danube River (Donau). Getting to Passau is easy by car or train, which is fortunate as the town has many splendid sights making it worth arriving a day early for cruise vacations. The Passauer Dom is the largest Baroque cathedral in Germany but even more impressively has the largest pipe organ in the world.

Passau can easily be reached by car or train. Passau is a stop on the fast high-speed Inter-City-Express (ICE) trains that runs from Frankfurt to Vienna vie amongst others Nuremberg and Regensburg. Good rail connections are also available to Munich. The Autobahn A3 passes near Passau allowing for fast driving times. The nearest airport to Passau is Munich Airport (MUC) but intercontinental passengers may well prefer to take the train from Frankfurt International Airport if direct flights are not available to Munich.

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Top Cruising on the Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube, and Elbe in Europe

The Rhine (Rhein), Moselle (Mosel), Main, Danube (Donau), and Elbe Rivers offer the best luxury riverboat cruise vacation trips in Germany.

photo credit: ♠ le max

Luxury riverboat cruises are a wonderfully convenient way to travel Europe. German rivers including the Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube, and Elbe see many luxury multiple day riverboat cruises on cruise lines including Peter Deilmann, Viking River Cruises, Tauck, Amadeus Waterways, Arosa, and others. Cruises are available year round although spring, summer, and autumn are the most popular seasons to cruise German rivers.

When comparing prices bear in mind that not all internet reservation services can book all saving discounts, e.g. discounts for children or major anniversaries. Do compare rates and use a traditional travel agent if necessary to secure the best deals.

Note: Peter Deilmann will suspend riverboat cruises from the 2010 season.

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Comfortable Pre-Danube River Cruise Vacation Accommodation

Cheap Passau hotels are ideal for pre- and post-Danube River cruise stays. Hotels range from the comfortable Holiday Inn, Passauer Wolf, Residenz, and Wilder Mann to the Rotel Inn and youth hostel.

Passau is by far the most popular port for luxury Danube River cruise departures and arrivals. Danube riverboats often make round trip cruises from Passau on the German-Austrian border. Good transportation links bring Passau within easy access of major German and Austrian cities but few would regret arriving a day early for a cruise and stay over in this interesting Baroque town. Hotels in Passau are relatively cheap and within easy walking distance of the best sights in the old town.

Many experienced cruisers find it wise to arrive a day early in town for cruises to make sure there is no last minute delay or rush to catch the cruise ship. Although it is of course much easier to catch up with a Danube river cruise boat than with an ocean going liner, staying in a pleasant hotel in Passau pre or even post-cruise will add to the relaxing European riverboat holiday.

Passau is a provincial city in the far southwestern corner of Germany, right at the border with Austria and near the border with the Czech Republic. Hotels in Passau are not the most opulent or luxurious but are generally family owned and managed, comfortable, and above all relatively cheap. All hotels listed below, except the youth hostel, are in or on the edge of the old town in Donaustadt – the promontory between the Danube and Inn Rivers.

• It is sensible to use various internet reservation services to compare what prices are available – different booking agents may have better prices for German hotels than others. Once aware of the prices available, check directly with the hotel as well. Direct bookings may give similar or even lower prices but generally better cancellation conditions and often better rooms too. It is very rare for a German hotel to charge a credit card prior to the actual hotel stay.

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European Cruising Vacations on the Donau, Rhine, Moselle, and Main Rivers

Danube (Donau) River cruise vacations depart from Passau, Vienna, or Budapest with stops at Melk, Linz, and Bratislava. Cruise extensions up to the Rhine River are possible.

MS Mozart on the Danube River (Photo: Peter Deilmann River Cruises)

The Danube River competes with the Rhine for being Europe’s most popular waterways for riverboat cruises. With up to a hundred river passenger boats cruising on the Danube each year, many routings are available for cruise vacations. Up and downstream cruises are usually of similar length but more time will be spent cruising when going upstream.

• The Danube is Donau in German, Duna in Hungarian, and Dunare in Romanian.

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Cheap European Cruise Vacations on Luxurious German Donau Boats

Booking luxury Danube (Donau) River cruise vacations on German boats operated by A-Rosa, Peter Deilmann, and Viking can save money if less inclusive packages are preferred.

Arosa Daunbe Riverboat (Photo: A-ROSA Reisen)

Luxury Danube riverboat cruises marketed in international markets often include more meals and excursion and may therefore seem more expensive cruise vacations sold in the European market. For travelers keen on arranging their own shore excursions booking such riverboat cruises can save money. Popular rivers for riverboat cruises in central Europe include the Danube (Donau), Rhine (Rhein), Moselle (Mosel), Main, and Elbe with boats available from luxury to rather basic.

Tauck World Discovery, Peter Deilmann Cruises, Amadeus Waterways, and Viking River Cruises are well-known riverboat cruise line operators with excellent reputations. All these companies market extensively in international markets and sell luxury cruises not only on the Danube but on the Rhine River as well. A-rosa is a fairly new German company currently selling riverboat cruises mostly in the German market while Peter Deilmann and Viking River Cruises also sell riverboat cruises in some markets without including transfers, shore excursions, and some onboard services. Booking such cruises can save money but remember to include additional expenses in the budget before comparing final special offers.

• Online reservations services often cannot book special discounts (such as child fares and special anniversaries) making it sensible to compare what is available at different service providers.

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Top Luxury German and European Riverboat Cruise Tour Operators

Peter Deilmann Cruises, Tauck, Viking, and Amadeus Waterways are amongst the top luxury European riverboat cruise line companies.  German Arosa is a new addition to the Rhine River in 2009.

MS Heidelberg on the Rhine River (Photo: Peter DeilmannKreuzfahrten)

Many different cruise lines have luxury cruises on the Rhine (Rhein) and other German and European rivers. Some of the top riverboat cruise lines marketing in the USA and other non-European markets include Tauck World Discovery, Peter Deilmann Cruises, Amadeus Waterways, and Viking River Cruises. Arosa, a German shipping company, added the Rhine in 2009 to its cruise itineraries on the Danube and Rhone Rivers.

• It is worth comparing prices online and through different reservation services. However, always read the fine print when comparing cheap prices. Some cruises include more excursions, more meals, free wine, tips, and services in the base fare when the tour is sold in international markets. Cancellation conditions and refund policies also vary widely.

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Cheap Bookings and Low Prices on European Riverboat Cruise Holidays

Prices vary widely when booking a Rhine River riverboat cruise holiday. Cheap prices may have fewer option included although cheap deals are to be had.

MS Heidelberg on the Rhine River (Photo: Peter DeilmannKreuzfahrten)

Prices often vary widely on riverboat cruises on the Rhine River and tributaries such as the Moselle, Main, and Danube. Cheaper prices are available for early reservation but different levels of luxury and the inclusion of on-shore excursions can also greatly influence the price.

Rhine River cruises often book out early with last-minute reservations and late-booking discounts almost unheard of. Discounts are available for early reservations where “early” for some lines can be more than a year in advance.

• 2009, however, may be a great year to get discounts on luxury European river boat cruises – many companies extended the period for early bookings and heavy discounts are being advertised.

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Save on Reservations of European Riverboat Vacations

Cheap fares for Rhine cruises are great but the size of riverboats, facilities, and level of luxury also matter when making reservations for European riverboat vacations.

Amawaterways' Ultimate 21-Day River Cruise

Many different cruise line operators use boats of various sizes and levels of luxury for cruising on the Rhine River (Rhine) and its tributaries in Germany. Before booking a cruise, bear in mind that the level of luxury and the number of options included in the cruise price can have a great impact on the final price of the cruise. There is little point in paying for a boat with a swimming pool when cruising in late autumn nor in trying to save a few dollars but ending up with substandard food or a really cramped cabin.

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