Celebrate the holiday season in truly extraordinary fashion on an unforgettable luxury river cruise through Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia.

A festive extravaganza celebrating two holidays in grand and unforgettable style.

Celebrate the holiday season in truly extraordinary fashion with a special Uniworld itinerary that gives you the best of four different countries at their most magical time of year. Cruise the mighty Danube, visiting classic capitals like Budapest and Vienna. Hear the largest organ in Europe on Christmas Eve in Passau, then ring in the New Year in elegant style with a gala dinner and ballroom dance in Budapest.

Festive celebrations are plentiful during this cruise—what better way to create perfect holiday memories? Commemorate a splendid musical heritage as you lift your voice and sing “Silent Night” in Oberndorf, where the beloved Christmas carol was composed, and delight in the music of Strauss and Mozart in Vienna, where the composers once lived. Sip a cocktail with a princess in the seven-towered Artstetten Castle, and visit Prince Eugene of Savoy’s jewel-box Winter Palace in Vienna.

Spend Christmas Day in Salzburg and enjoy a holiday lunch within the walls of St. Peter’s Abbey. Discover the seasonal delicacies of Slovakia in Bratislava’s picturesque downtown and enjoy the merriment of traditional hospitality in an Austrian wine village. Ring out the old year and ring in the new with art, wine and song as you cruise through four nations during this enchanting season.

Who will enjoy this cruise? Those who wish to celebrate a European Christmas and New Year in festive elegance. All lovers of art, music and merriment.

Includes:

DINING

• All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients 10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 10 dinners
• Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Receptions
• Welcome and Farewell Gala Dinners
• Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea, and mineral water

EXCURSIONS

• 4 countries 9 days of excursions, including “Choice Is Yours” options all fully hosted by English-speaking local experts
• Guided "Taste of Christmas" and "Gentle Walking" programs
• 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites
• Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
• State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio headset system on all excursions
• Use of Nordic walking sticks

ACCOMMODATIONS

• 10-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the stately S.S. Maria Theresa
• Lavishly appointed riverview staterooms and suites have handcrafted Savoir® of England beds, high-thread count 100% Egyptian cotton sheets and European duvets, and a menu of pillow options
• Free Internet and Wi-Fi access

EXPERIENCES

• 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites
• Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
• All transfers on arrival and departure days
• Captivating onboard local entertainment
• Cultural enrichment, including a Signature Lecture: “The Sound of Christmas Music, from ‘Silent Night’ to Christmas Oratorio”

DAY 1: MUNICH AIRPORT, TRANSFER TO PASSAU (EMBARK)

Arrive at Munich Airport, where you will be transferred to the ship docked in Passau.

DAY 2: PASSAU FEATURED EXCURSIONS:

Passau walking discovery tour with gingerbread-making and floral-decorating demonstrations Join a local expert to discover the city’s magical townscape and many of its architectural gems. As an extra-special treat, learn how to make delicious gingerbread and beautiful holiday floral centerpieces. Spend a festive evening at the Captain’s Welcome Reception with a special Christmas Eve dinner onboard. Later, you’re welcome to attend Midnight Mass at St. Stephan’s Cathedral.

DAY 3: LINZ (SALZBURG AND OBERNDORF) FEATURED EXCURSIONS:

Full day Salzburg and Oberndorf What could be more memorable than spending Christmas Day in two Austrian towns famous for music? On your guided tour through Salzburg’s UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, view historical gems from the 17th-century cathedral to Mozart’s birth house to the famous gardens where scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed. Be treated to a festive holiday lunch inside St. Peter’s Abbey before heading to Oberndorf, where the beloved Christmas carol “Silent Night” was performed for the first time.

DAY 4: GREIN FEATURED EXCURSIONS:

Grein walking tour and oldest Austrian theater, and exclusive cocktail reception at Artstetten Castle with Princess Anita von Hohenberg Explore charming Grein, with its 15th-century castle and delightful little jewel-box theatre built in 1791. Later, you’ll be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience—a private cocktail reception at a 13th-century castle, hosted by an Austrian princess descended from the royal Habsburgs.

DAY 5: MELK, CRUISING THE WACHAU VALLEY, DÜRNSTEIN FEATURED EXCURSIONS:

Melk Abbey with library visit, and Dürnstein village stroll with exclusive spiced wine tasting and organ concert in a monastery church The 900-year-old Melk Abbey was a significant center of learning for many centuries, and its extraordinary library was the inspiration for the acclaimed novel The Name of the Rose. After visiting Melk, cruise through the beautiful UNESCO-designated Wachau Valley to Dürnstein. Stroll through the town, stopping to warm yourself with a cup of spiced mulled wine and enjoy a soul-stirring organ concert at the 15th-century former Augustine monastery—splendidly redone in the baroque style in the 18th century.

DAY 6: VIENNA FEATURED EXCURSIONS:

Choice of exclusive “Vienna, City of Arts” tour OR exclusive “Taste of Christmas” walking discovery tour, and exclusive Mozart and Strauss concert at a Viennese palace Experience the gems of Vienna as you wish. Art aficionados will want to visit the Art History Museum to see the treasures on display in the Kunstkammer, “cabinet of curiosities.” Those who wish to experience a taste of Christmas will want to join a local guide to venture along famous shopping streets with windows dressed in their holiday finery with stops to sample some of the local seasonal treats accompanied by Viennese coffee. Later, be treated to a Mozart and Strauss concert inside a private Viennese palace.

DAY 7: VIENNA FEATURED EXCURSIONS:

Choice of Belvedere Palace OR Vienna city tour with Winter Palace of Prince Eugene visit Vienna is a treasure trove of wonders, including the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt paintings at Belvedere Palace, featuring his famous The Kiss, and Prince Eugene’s Winter Palace, one of the most magnificent baroque edifices in Vienna. Choose to visit either the Belvedere Palace or the Winter Palace, which includes a panoramic tour of Vienna.

DAY 8: BRATISLAVA FEATURED EXCURSIONS:

Bratislava walking discovery tour Your walking discovery tour of the capital of Slovakia will reveal a fascinating mosaic of different cultures and architectural styles, such as the castle where the Habsburgs once ruled, the rococo-style Mirbach Palace and the 18th-century Primatial Palace.

DAY 9: BUDAPEST FEATURED EXCURSIONS:

Choice of Budapest city tour OR Budapest Opera House tour, and exclusive New Year’s gala dinner and dance Discover the wonders of the “Queen of the Danube.” Savor the beauty of both Buda and Pest, which lie on opposite sides of the Danube, on a panoramic tour showcasing key highlights, including St. Stephen’s Basilica and the UNESCO-designated Castle Hill district. Alternatively, you can opt to tour the remarkable Hungarian State Opera House. Ring in the New Year with what is sure to be a highlight of your trip—a gala dinner and dance in an elegant ballroom.

DAY 10: BUDAPEST FEATURED EXCURSIONS:

Szentendre Artists’ Village Spend New Year’s Day in the village of Szentendre, a haven for artists and artisans, who will open their shops today for Uniworld guests. You will also see the Marzipan Museum and the Micro Museum’s minuscule works of art. Spend your last night at a most festive Captain’s Farewell Reception and Gala Dinner.

DAY 11: BUDAPEST (DISEMBARK), TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT

Disembark the ship and transfer to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport for your flight home.

Book with Concierge Traveller to receive a $260 per person ship board credit. Call 1800 047 047 to enquire or book.