This established German company offers relaxing, intimate, and truly all-inclusive European river cruises. Their sleek, stylish ships have been designed to provide a true sense of luxury, and almost all of their cabins have some type of balcony! These river cruises offer a host of inclusive shore excursions so guests can explore ancient castles, country sides, vineyards and art museums, as well as Europe’s most historic cities, for no extra cost. Itineraries are designed specifically for active travelers seeking cultural adventures and an opportunity to pursue passions like food, wine, art, music, architecture and history. Onboard, the Sun Deck has an outdoor pool, shuffleboard, a putting green, as well as bicycles for exploring. Their first-class spa has professional trainers and offers cosmetic treatments, a panorama sauna, bio-sanarium, and a whirlpool on the deck. The indoor and outdoor open seating dining areas offer low-calorie, Mediterranean cuisine, paired with regional specialties using the freshest ingredients possible. The open bar throughout the ship includes soft drinks, tea & coffee specialties, beer, wine, sparkling wine & Prosecco, cocktails and spirits, with drinks and gratuities inclusive!
American Cruise Lines offers award-winning, small ship river cruises in the US. Cruise the great Mississippi River, the Columbia and Snake Rivers, Florida rivers, the Northeast United States, Southeast United States, Puget Sound, and Alaska. American has the largest fleet of small cruise ships in America with seven small ships carrying 50 to 150 passengers, including three authentic paddlewheelers. Ships have large modern staterooms, with large, opening picture windows and private balconies. Open seating dining allows guests to eat at their leisure and there is a complimentary cocktail hour hosted every evening before dinner. Onboard, enjoy nightly entertainment and fascinating lectures by historians, naturalists, and local experts on a wide range of topics. Complimentary guided shore excursions take guests to the best sights of every destination. Theme river cruises include Civil War Cruises, Mark Twain Cruises, Mississippi River Music cruises, Lewis & Clark cruises, and Food & Wine cruises. All ships are wheelchair accessible, with elevator access on all decks. Note that there are no casinos on any of the ships and all ships prohibit smoking.
Avalon boasts a large fleet of 19 sleek, state-of the art ships, coupled with exotic itineraries, and large luxurious staterooms featuring panorama windows and balconies. In addition to classic European river cruises, they offer upscale cruises on boutique ships along Asia’s great rivers: the Yangtze, Mekong, and Irrawaddy. Their Amazon cruises venture deep into the jungle where travelers view elusive wildlife, swim with pink dolphins, and visit native communities. Egypt cruises travel down the Nile, the lifeline of Egyptian civilization, where guests experience incredible sights, including ancient temples, tombs, and local villages. Theme cruises include: Jazz, Music, Opera, Art, Christmas, WWI, History, Beer, Wine, Culinary, Golf, and Wellness cruises! For land tours, Avalon has partnered with Globus – an award-winning tour company — offering the some of the best, all-inclusive land programs available. They also offer guided bicycle tours (on some cruises), headsets on tours, and many unique excursions. Onboard amenities include complimentary wi-fi, self-serve beverage stations, upscale bars serving premium spirits, fitness centers, libraries, hair salons, open-seating dining, and Sky Deck whirlpool (on European ships).
Since 2002, this award-winning cruise line has earned a reputation as one of the world’s premier river cruise lines. Their impressive fleet of 20 innovative, custom-designed ships, with award-winning cabins, offer guests unparalleled comfort, style, and five-star service. These all-inclusive river cruises offer champagne breakfasts, free-flowing wine and beer with meals, a fleet of bicycles, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, and live entertainment onboard. Additional ship amenities and activities include: heated pools with “swim up” bar and whirlpool, gift shops, fitness rooms; massage and hair salons, elevators, and 24-hour coffee & tea stations. Their complimentary Small Group excursions provide world-class land tours accompanied by top local guides. In addition to their Europe, Myanmar, and Vietnam/Cambodia cruises, they offer numerous African safari tours, combining a classic safari experience with a scenic wildlife cruise on the Zambezi Queen, a modern “eco-ship” with deluxe accommodations. They’re numerous wine cruises are hosted by top wine experts, feature complimentary lectures, wine tastings, and excursions to historic vineyards and wine cellars. Other theme cruises include Beer, Jazz, Music, Art, Christmas, and Jewish Heritage cruises.
Founded in 1972, with headquarters in the U.S. and an office in Italy, they specialize in reasonably priced escorted Italy tours, Central Europe tours, and the Mediterranean. They are experts when it comes to Europe’s and Italy’s top attractions, hotels, and dining.
Tour packages include group/escorted tours, Mediterranean cruises, river cruises in Europe and Egypt, cycling tours of Italy, as well as an exciting array of reasonably priced independent travel itineraries (some under $1000)! They also offer customized individual tours, and locally hosted leisure packages.
Specialty tours include ski vacations, cooking classes, wine excursions, tours for art aficionados; religious and spiritual tours; and vacation rentals including castles, villas, and chateaux stays.
Central Holidays also offers customized Group Tours for fit your groups’ needs and interests, whether your group is looking to immerse itself in a country’s beauty, gastronomy, history and culture…experience world-class skiing…cycle through the lush hills of Tuscany… trek the magnificent hills of the Cinque Terre…. or enjoy a leisurely river cruise in Europe or Egypt, they can design an exciting itinerary for your group.
Tours include centrally-located hotels (mostly 4 & 5-star hotels), free wine and coffee with all lunches and dinners on Escorted tours of Italy, and use of the “Hear Clear” personal audio system, allowing guests to hear their tour guides, even when standing 60 ft. away.
For over 44 years, this award-winning company has been specializing in active travel, with an emphasis on distinctive lodging and unique, authentic, cultural activities.
VBT offers a variety Europe cycling tours, specializing in small-group bicycling tours, bike & barge tours, and walking tours—at a variety of different fitness levels and paces. They promise lower prices than other active-travel companies and include nearly everything for one low price: roundtrip international airfare, all transfers to and from the airport, all accommodations and most meals, use of a customized VBT bicycle, two local, expert VBT Trip Leaders, guided sightseeing, cultural activities, and also their van support shuttle, transportation between sites, and daily maps and directions..
Their cycling tours are designed to meet the wide variety of fitness levels with each day offering multiple mileage options. Spend your nights in 4-star historic hotels, country villas, and châteaux, while enjoying VBT extras like an Italian language lesson, a lecture by a local art historian, or a wine tasting, as well as numerous sightseeing and cultural activities.
VBT also offers cycling and walking trips to Costa Rica, New Zealand, Vietnam, Peru, South Africa, China, and the United States.
For over 30 years, Tradesco Tours has specialized in culturally-rich Eastern Europe tours as well as Western, Central and Southern Europe tours. With Tradesco, travelers have the choice of Escorted Tours, Hosted Tours, Independent Tours or Custom Group Tours. Their sightseeing-packed escorted tours cover the most beautiful and historic destinations in Europe: Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Russia and the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania. They also offer Castle Tours and Wine Tours in Hungary, as well as Danube River cruises and Adriatic cruises.
In Croatia, explore Dubrovnik and the lesser-known town of Split — the historic inner city built around Roman Emperor Diocletian’s Palace. See remnants of Split’s Roman heritage, its Renaissance and Gothic structures, Jupiter’s Temple, the Peristyle and the Cathedral. Tour the subterranean world of the Postojna Caves via a miniature electric train. In the Czech Republic, explore Prague and discover the medieval fairytale towns of Cesky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary (the famous spa town), and historic town of Telc, with its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque houses. In Italy, visit all the must-see sights of Venice, Florence and Rome — from the Bridge of Sighs in Venice to the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence (home to Michelangelo’s David), to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
In addition to guided tours, they offer hotel, resort and spa packages throughout Europe. Transportation includes modern, air-conditioned motor-coaches, or minivans and private cars (depending on the tour and number of participants).
Specializing in Central Europe tours, Kompas offers a range of reasonably-priced escorted tours, small ship cruises, and customized group travel around Central & Eastern Europe, featuring the Croatian Adriatic Sea coast and the Mediterranean.
Founded in 1951, Kompas International Travel Group consists of 19 companies with a network of more than 50 offices worldwide. They promise worry-free vacations, personalized itineraries and unmatched customer care.
Tours include a wide array of escorted and group tour vacations to destinations such as Croatia, Italy, Austria and Russia, as well as small ship Adriatic and Aegean cruises with experienced cruise directors & guaranteed departures. Tours include first class hotels, rooms with private facilities, daily breakfast and some dinners (lunches are often on your own), airport transfers, touring by modern air-conditioned motor coach, a professional Tour Director throughout, luggage handling and headsets for included sightseeing tours.
A sampling of tour highlights include a walking tour of Old Dubrovnik, where guests explore the Rector’s Palace, and observe the Bell Tower Clock, Orlando’s Column, Sponza Palace, the Dominican Monastery, and the Franciscan Monastery, one of the oldest in the world; the spectacular scenery of Plitvice Lakes National Park; the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site; Postojna, home to one of the largest caves in Europe; a sightseeing tour of the charming town of Bled, its lakeshore, and imposing Bled Castle, perched on a cliff high above the lake.
Kompas tours cover the cultural and historic highlights of each destination, and still allow plenty of time to explore on your own!
