AmaWaterways Announces Wine-Themed Rhone Cruises

Cruising through Provencal wine country, AmaWaterways (www.amawaterways.com)  announces the March 25 launch of a several Rhone wine cruises onboard the AmaDagio, one of the line's owned and operated ships.

To celebrate the debut of the AmaDagio on its first cruise on the Rhone, Rudi Schreiner, AmaWaterways’ president and co-owner, and Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-owner, will host a "President's Wine Cruise" on the maiden wine cruise.
 
That voyage will feature wine hosts Carissa Chappellet, owner and managing director of Chappellet Winery, and Archie McLaren, founder and chairman of Central Coast Wine Classic.
 
“The Rhone wine cruises feature the world’s most popular regions and wine makers in Europe,” said Schreiner. “Guests have the opportunity to celebrate wine culture in a unique and enriching way.”
 
Each wine cruise features excursions to historic vineyards and cellars to learn about the Old World wine traditions of each region; complimentary wine lectures with the hosts; wine tastings and sampling of award-winning vintages both onboard and ahore; and fine dining with special wine pairings.
 
This seven-night “In Celebration of Wine” cruise is part of AmaWaterways’ 15-day Provence and Spain itinerary. Guests start with a three-night stay in Paris prior to embarking the AmaDagio in Lyon, France. Shore excursions excursions include the Beaujolais wine region and tours of Roman ruins and stops at the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Avignon and Arles, where many artists spent much of their life, including Vincent Van Gogh.
 
After the seven-night cruise, guests will visit the medieval town of Perpignan, France before ending their voyage in Barcelona.

 

In Celebration of Wine

 

Including the new Rhone destination, AmaWaterways offers eight customized “In Celebration of Wine” themed cruises that also showcase wine regions along the Rhine and the Danube Rivers.

These special sailings also have exclusive wine-themed excursions, such as a traditional “Heuriger” tasting of new wine in the villages of Grinzing and Neustift on the outskirts of Vienna; an introduction to Alsatian wines at the “Wunsch etMann” winery in Wettolsheim and “Oktoberfest” in the village of Vilshofen created specifically for the line's guests.

The “In Celebration of Wine” program offers four options:

    * "Provence and Spain" with three nights in Paris, a seven-night cruise and three nights in Barcelona, with North American departures March 25, Nov. 4 and 11, 2012;
    * "The Romantic Danube" with a seven-night Danube cruise and three nights in Prague with North American departures on Nov. 3 and 13;
    * "The Legendary Danube" with three nights in Paris and a seven night Nuremberg to Budapest cruise with North American departures on Oct. 31; and
    * "Enchanting Rhine" cruises with two nights in Lucerne, a seven-night Rhine cruise and two nights in Zurich with North American departures on Nov. 7 and 10, 2012.

AmaWaterways offers complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with dinner; accommodations that include staterooms with French balconies; complimentary in-room movies and Internet; onboard entertainment every evening; shore excursions daily with personal headsets; bicycles so guests may explore on their own; guided tours; and services of a professional cruise manager.

Visit www.amawaterways.com