Optional Excursions

Here's a list of optional excursions you can enjoy during your vacation. Whether it's a special dinner, a local show or a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into an historical site, optional excursions are a wonderful way to enrich your vacation even further. Plus, they give you flexibility. We include the must-see sites and experiences, and we also understand that people take interest in different activities and may want to craft a more personal vacation by hand-picking optional excursions that appeal to them.

Availability is subject to sufficient participation, weather conditions, seasonal suitability, days of operation, group interests, and general feasibility for your vacation. The approximate value listed gives you a good, general idea of what you can expect to pay but may vary once you are on your vacation. Some information provided might be in a foreign currency; you can use our online currency converter for exchange rate information.

CITY: Amsterdam

Volendam - Fisherman's Village On The Former Zuiderzee
Legend has it that the Volendam coat of arms is a compliment to the beauty of the Volendam girls! No wonder that a famous singer sang the praise of this characteristic Dutch fishing village in the words: "Anyone who wants to see the real beauty of Holland, goes to Volendam". As a result of its completely insulated location, this village preserved its character for six centuries, also because of the tough vitality of the fishermen. The characteristic small houses, which together with the canals and the drawbridges form the most picturesque spots, present the visitor an atmosphere of geniality and romance.
Approximate value: EUR €29 per person

CITY: Linz

Salzburg - Mozart's Sound of Music
True, Salzburg is the birth-place of Mozart and you will find the face of the city's most famous son everywhere. Salzburg is also the setting for the Sound of Music Movie, which has shaped the city's perception in the minds of generations. But Salzburg is much more. It is a city with history based on the salt trade from the nearby Alpine Mountains, it is a city of beautiful baroque buildings, and a city perched between the mountains and green waters of the Salzach river. It is a city with a long cultural heritage and in the small busy lanes like the "Getreidegasse" with its wrought iron signs you might get a feeling, how busy this city always was. Today we would like to show you Salzburg and its past, we will show you the Austrian Lake district and our local experts will talk about what it makes to be Austrian and to live in this country today. And who knows perhaps this excursion will give you also wings. . .
Approximate value: EUR €64 per person

CITY: Regensburg

Excursion To Weltenburg Abbey And Danube Gorge
The Danube Gorge has both a gentle and a strange beauty. In a magnificent show of force, the Danube has carved its way through the Swabian Alb to create a stunning landscape - a wild, romantic stretch of river with sheer cliffs rising up to 100 meters out of the water. At its upper end the Weltenburg Abbey is located on a peninsula directly beneath the cliffs of the Gorge. It was founded by Irish or Scottish monks in 620 and is one of the oldest abbeys in Bavaria. The present Benedictine abbey dates back to the 18th century when it was extensively rebuilt in baroque style. Their ceiling frescos of the Heavenly Jerusalem blend seamlessly with the abbey interior and are particularly noteworthy. Important is also that Weltenburg Abbey houses the oldest abbey brewery in the world, as the monks have been brewing beer since 1050. A beer and a "pretzel" are a welcome refreshment
Approximate value: EUR €39 per person

CITY: Vienna

A Visit of Schonbrunn Palace
Schonbrunn, the former summer residence of the imperial family, is considered one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. The Habsburgs resided here the better part of the year in numerous rooms for the large imperial family in addition to representational rooms. Emperor Franz Joseph, who later married the enchanting Sisi and reigned from 1848 to 1916, was born here in 1830. The monarch spent his last years entirely in the palace, which became the property of the new Republic of Austria only two years after his death. Today, the palace is part of UNESCO's cultural heritage due to its historic importance, its unique grounds and its splendid furnishings. Follow our local expert and visit Empress Sisi's former summer residence, afterwards take your time to stroll through the park or enjoy a demonstration of how the famous Viennese Apple Strudel is being made - Samples to taste included. . .
Approximate value: EUR €44 per person

Royal Waltz Concert
Would a stay in Vienna be the same if you were not able to listen to the tunes of the "Blue Danube Waltz" or the "Radetzky" March? Your Cruise Director will accompany you to one of the Vienna's Famous Concert Halls. Avalon will make preferred seating arrangements. In order to celebrate this evening in style, have a glass of sparkling wine in the intermission, before you listen to the famous tunes brought to you by opera singers and watch the elegant ballet dancers as they interpret some of the most well known classical tunes from Vienna.
Approximate value: EUR €49 per person

CITY: Wurzburg

Excursion To Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber
The best preserved medieval town in Germany, Rothenburg ob der Tauber fits the word romantic perfectly. Walk the wall that encircles Rothenburg to get various perspectives of architecture in the middle ages (as well as a lot of exercise). Climb to the top of the Rothenburg Town Hall Tower (circa 1250-1400) for a wide-angle view of Rothenburg and surrounding, mostly pastoral countryside. The entire walled town of Rothenburg is a museum. The wall connects five medieval gates complete with guard towers that date from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. Just walk along Rothenburg's narrow cobblestone streets and admire the gothic, renaissance, and baroque houses and fountains. You may wish that you had lived in these prettier, quieter, slow times. As well as the attraction of the town itself, Rothenburg offers a complete selection historic restaurants, gothic churches, art exhibits, museums, suits of armor, and great Franken wine, to name only a few.
Approximate value: EUR €39 per person

Depart Date	Vacation Start Date	Vacation End Date	Departure Number	Calendar	Ship				Photo represents the type of room & price is the "starting at" price.
09/13/10	09/14/10	09/26/10	00914		Affinity	$4,099.00	$4,954.00	$6,154.00	NOT AVAILABLE
10/18/10	10/19/10	10/31/10	01019		Artistry	$3,549.00	$4,404.00	$5,604.00
04/18/11	04/19/11	05/01/11	10419		Imagery	$3,649.00	$4,504.00	$5,704.00
05/15/11	05/16/11	05/28/11	10516		Affinity	$3,949.00	$4,804.00	$6,004.00
06/27/11	06/28/11	07/10/11	10628		Imagery	$4,049.00	$4,904.00	$6,104.00
07/03/11	07/04/11	07/16/11	10704		Affinity	$3,999.00	$4,854.00	$6,054.00
09/05/11	09/06/11	09/18/11	10906		Imagery	$4,299.00	$5,154.00	$6,354.00
09/29/11	09/30/11	10/12/11	10930		Imagery	$4,049.00	$4,904.00	$6,104.00
10/02/11	10/03/11	10/15/11	11003		Affinity	$3,849.00	$4,704.00	$5,904.00

Prices shown are "starting at" prices and do not include airfare.