Grand European Cruise

28 days
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4.6/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
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River Cruise
Join Grand Circle on the ultimate European cruise. On this River Cruise, you'll unpack just once, then wend your way continuously from Amsterdam on the North Sea to Constanta on the Black Sea. In between, a rich and textured Old World canvas comes to life as you visit some of Europe's main sites along its major waterways—the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers. Pl...
From$7,195
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Overview

Trip type
River Cruise
Lodging level
Luxury - 5 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Cruise along Europe’s greatest waterways through eight countries, from Amsterdam on the North Sea to Constanta on the Black Sea
    • Cruise aboard our award-winning 140- to 164-passenger ships with a dedicated English-speaking crew
    • Experience this European itinerary, and uncover a local and American perspective in destinations impacted by global events, such as World War II and the Cold War
    • Explore with an expert, local Program Director—a native or resident of Europe—who will be dedicated to your group of no more than 47 from the start to the end of your trip

What's this trip about?

    Join Grand Circle on the ultimate European cruise. On this River Cruise, you'll unpack just once, then wend your way continuously from Amsterdam on the North Sea to Constanta on the Black Sea. In between, a rich and textured Old World canvas comes to life as you visit some of Europe's main sites along its major waterways—the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers. Plus, you'll explore eight fascinating countries as your experienced, local Program Director leads your discoveries. From the Netherlands' low countries to Germany's famed wine regions, from rich Hungarian cultures to the heart of Eastern Europe in Bulgaria and Romania, this European River Cruise has it all.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transport
Start CityAmsterdam
End CityBucharest

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • 50 Plus
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

Activities

  • Culture
  • Historic Sightseeing
  • Nature
  • River Cruise
  • Ruins & Archaeology
  • Wine Tasting

Trip includes

    • Accommodations: 25 nights aboard a private Grand Circle river ship in an outside cabin and 1 night at the Superior First-Class Ramada Plaza Bucharest or similar
    • 78 meals, including Captain's Welcome and Farewell receptions and dinners: 26 breakfasts, 26 lunches, and 26 dinners (and beverages—including beer, wine, and soft drinks—during all onboard lunches and dinners)
    • 18 exclusive, included tours with personal headsets: Amsterdam • Cologne • Koblenz • Heidelberg • Wertheim • Wurzburg • Bamberg • Nuremberg • Regensburg • Passau • Vienna • Budapest • Osijek • Novi Sad • Belgrade • Vidin • Constanta • Bucharest
    • Exclusive Discovery Series events: Home-Hosted Kaffeeklatsch • Home-Hosted Lunch • Discussion with a Serbian local • Life Under Communism discussion
    • Airport transfers upon arrival and departure with the purchase of Grand Circle's airfare
    • All port charges—a value of $290 per person
    • Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers on your main trip
    • Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage per person, including tips
    • 5% Frequent Traveler credit on your next Grand Circle trip—an average of $495

View Similar Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Depart U.S.

Depart the U.S. today on your flight to Amsterdam.

Day 2: Amsterdam, the Netherlands • Embark ship

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Arrive today in Amsterdam. You are met at the airport by a Grand Circle representative and transferred to the pier to embark your river ship, which will be your home for the ...

Day 3: Amsterdam

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

View five passengers enjoying a cruise down an Amsterdam canal

After breakfast, join us for a boat tour introducing you to Amsterdam’s famed canals, providing a matchl...

Day 4: Cologne, Germany

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Arrive in Cologne in the afternoon for an included tour. Cologne was a Roman settlement called Colonia Agrippina after AD 50 and came under Frankish control in the fifth cent...

Day 5: Koblenz • Rudesheim

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Explore the streets of Koblenz

This morning, enjoy a walking tour of Koblenz, set at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. Originally established as an outpost...

Day 6: Rudesheim • Frankfurt • Heidelberg

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

View a beautiful German bridge in Heidelberg

Join a full-day tour of Heidelberg. You begin by touring the impressive ruins of the city's Gothic castle, where you'll ha...

Day 7: Wertheim • Home-Hosted Kaffeeklatsch

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

View castle ruins and fairy tale sights while touring Wertheim

Disembark for a walking tour of Wertheim, a charming fairy-tale town located at the meeting of the Main ...

Day 8: Wurzburg

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

View scenic German towns and countryside while sailing along the Main River

In the early morning, start sailing from Wertheim to Wurzburg.

This afternoon, we'll...

Day 9: Gerlachshausen • Schweinfurt • Optional Rothenburg tour  OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

View a beautiful German village situated along the Main River

Spend the day on the water as we cruise the Main River and sail into Schweinfurt this afternoon.

O...

Day 10: Bamberg • Walking tour

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Explore Old Town Hall in the city of Bamberg Germany

Today, join your Program Director for a guided tour of Bamberg, a hidden gem dating back to AD 902 and a UNESCO Wo...

Day 11: Nuremberg • Rhine-Main-Danube Canal transit

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

View a group of travelers in front of a beautiful fountain in Nuremberg Germany

After breakfast, we disembark for an included tour of Nuremberg, Bavaria's second-large...

Day 12: Kelheim • Optional Bavaria: Baroque & Beer tour • Regensburg  OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Explore Germany’s largest medieval city on a walking tour of Regensburg

This morning, we sail to Kelheim and Regensburg. You can enjoy leisure activities aboard ship.<...

Day 13: Passau

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

View St. Steven's Cathedral and Danube River in Passau Germany

After breakfast, you enjoy a walking tour of Passau, situated at the confluence of the Danube, Ilz, and ...

Day 14: Melk, Austria • Vienna • Optional Musical Vienna tour  OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

View Durnstein while cruising through Austria along the Melk River

You will arrive at Melk early in the morning. From your ship, you'll be able to see the formidable M...

Day 15: Vienna

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

After breakfast on board the ship, you'll enjoy a tour of Vienna, including the Ringstrasse, probably the greatest achievement of the Emperor Franz Joseph. In 1857, the Emper...

Day 16: Vienna

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Discover new friendships during a river cruise along the Danube

This morning, join your Program Director in discovering more of Vienna via public transportation. Then return to your ship for lunch and cruise toward Hungary.

Day 17: Budapest, Hungary

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

This morning, set out to explore Budapest on an included city tour. Budapest is situated on both sides of the Danube River, with Buda (the right bank) to the west and Pest (t...

Day 18: Budapest

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

See St Stephen Basilica while touring Budapest

After breakfast, join us for a briefing by your Program Director. Then, enjoy the entire day to continue your discoveries in Budapest at your own pace.

Day

19
:

Budapest • Optional Hungarian Jewish Heritage tour  OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

View Budapest's Fisherman's Bastion while cruising Hungary

This morning, you can join an optional tour exploring Hungarian Jewish Heritage. You'll visit the Great Syna...

Day 20: Batina, Croatia • Osijek • Home-Hosted Lunch • Vukovar  FOUNDATION VISIT

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Discover local culture at a Home Hosted Lunch in Osijek

After passing through customs this morning and docking in Batina, you'll set out to explore Osijek, the adminis...

Day 21: Novi Sad, Serbia • Optional Sremski Karlovci tour  OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

After breakfast this morning, enjoy an included tour of Novi Sad, Serbia's cultural hub and second-largest city. The beauty of the city is in its name—novi sad in English tra...

Day 22: Belgrade, Serbia • Discussion with a Serbian local

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Witness the sights along the banks of the Danube this morning as the captain weighs anchor for your cruise to Belgrade. Belgrade and the rest of Serbia are just now emerging ...

Day 23: Iron Gates • Life Under Communism discussion

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Encounter friendly staff on the private river ship

Today, you cruise along a stretch of the Danube that was once a raging river pounding through deep gorges. In the 19...

Day 24: Vidin, Bulgaria

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

See views of Bulgaria's Iron Gates while cruising the Danube River

This morning, you'll stop in Vidin and then travel to Baba Vida, a medieval fortress of two walls an...

Day 25: Ruse • Optional Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanassi tour  OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Arrive in Ruse early this morning, which is situated where the Danube forms a natural border between Romania and Bulgaria. Enjoy time to explore this historic city on your ow...

Day 26: Danube-Black Sea Canal transit • Constanta, Romania • Captain's Farewell Dinner

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Private Grand Circle River Ship

Encounter friendly staff aboard the MS River Aria

Early this morning, sail into the Danube-Black Sea Canal, a 40-mile engineering marvel begun in 1949, but not fully c...

Day 27: Constanta • Disembark ship • Bucharest

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations: Ramada Plaza Bucharest

See the Romanian Athenaeum while touring Bucharest

We disembark shortly after breakfast for motorcoach transfer to Bucharest, Romania. We will arrive in about four hours.

<...
Day 28: Bucharest • Return to U.S.

Meals: Breakfast

Transfer to the airport for your flight home. Or set out on your optional post-trip extension to Istanbul, Turkey.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $7,195
Price per day$257
Single supplement (single occupancy)$1,195
Last Updated: 8/2/2018

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Grand Circle Cruise Line.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Grand Circle Cruise Line Reviews & Ratings

4.6/5  Excellent
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Other Grand Circle Cruise Line Reviews

J

JT

Jul 2021

Grand Circle Cruise Line Company Reviewsby Grand Circle Cruise Line

Company has gone downhill

I am a 12 time traveler with Grand Circle and OAT. But maybe no more. They are impossible to reach by phone without waiting for hours. I even tired their emergenc...

C

Constance B.

Jan 2020

Grand Circle Cruise Line Company Reviewsby Grand Circle Cruise Line

A great trip, we really

A great trip, we really enjoyed it a lot.

W

Wayne D.

Dec 2019

Grand Circle Cruise Line Company Reviewsby Grand Circle Cruise Line

Considered the Best of the Best!,,,,

The Places covered by the trip were full of historical facts worthy of remembering till the last days of our lives!,,,, Our Travel Director, RENE BAUER , is super kn...

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • International airfare
    • Passport and visa fees
    • Personal expenses

Accommodation

Ramada Plaza Bucharest

Located just north of the city center, this First-Class hotel’s amenities include a restaurant, bar, and sauna. Air-conditioned rooms feature a telephone, satellite TV, safe, minibar, and private bath with hair dryer.

Ship & cabin information
M/S River Adagio
The M/S River Adagio was ranked #26 in Condé Nast Traveler’s “Top 40 River Cruise Ships in the World” 2014 Readers’ Poll. One of the largest ships in Grand Circle's own deluxe fleet, the M/S River Adagio was built specifically for cruising the widest part of the Danube and the deeper waters leading to the Black Sea. Enjoy personalized attention from the ship staff, and up to four experienced Grand Circle Program Directors. And with no more than 164 fellow Grand Circle travelers aboard with you, you'll find it easy to make friends and share your experiences.
Registry: Malta Width: 38 feet Length: 418 feet Passenger capacity: 164 Crew/Nationality: 38/International Entered service: 2003 Decks: 4 Number of cabins: 82—all outside Elevator: Yes
Cancellation policy

Cancellation Charges for River Cruises and Small Ships:

Prior to departure and Charges

121 days or more is $300

120-90 days ,10% of selling price or $300—whichever is greater

89-60 days, 40% of selling price

59-30 days, 65% of selling price

29 days–departure , 100% of selling price

 

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

26 Breakfasts, 26 Lunches, and 26 Dinners

Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Optional Activities
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Additional Information
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Trip ID
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