Eastern Europe Danube River Cruise (ROMANIA, BULGARIA, SERBIA, CROATIA, AND HUNGARY) April 6 - 15, 2020 INCLUSIONS DINING • 2 nights in an upscale hotel in Bucharest • All meals onboard, prepared with the finest ingredients • 7 nights aboard the magnificent River Beatrice • Captain’s Welcome & Farewell Receptions • University of Louisville/Groups by Design Travel Escorts • Welcome & Farewell Gala Dinners • Special group gifts, amenities and parties • A pre-trip Documents Party in Louisville • Unlimited beverages 24 hours a day (Including alcohol) EXCURSIONS • Free Internet and Wi-Fi access • 8 days of excursions, including “Choice Is Yours” options • All gratuities for the cruise and tour guides on shore • Fully hosted by English-speaking local experts • All transfers on arrival and departure days • Guided “Do as the Locals Do” & “Gentle Walking” tours • $300 shipboard credit per person • State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio headset system • $200 per person ADDITIONAL discount • Use of bicycles and Nordic walking sticks for Uniworld past passengers For questions or to reserve your cabin, please contact Patti George or Sherry Riggs at Groups by Design: Phone: (502) 648-5594 Toll free: 888 557-6726; Email: [email protected] UofL Group Rate Pay In Full At Time of Booking STATEROOM Uniworld Rate (Double Occupancy) (Until September 30, 2019) Classic $3699 $3199 $2879 French Balcony $4599 $4099 $3689 Deluxe French Balcony $4999 $4499 $4049 Suite $6699 $6199 $5579 *Rates are based on double occupancy. A deposit of 10% cruise-tour fare and port charges is required at time of booking. Port charges are $190 per person. Once booked, there is a $200 per person cancellation penalty up to 120 days prior to sailing. Final payment is due October 15, 2019. ITINERARY DAY 1 – April 6: Bucharest, Romania Arrive at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport. If your cruise/tour package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the hotel. DAY 2 – April 7: Bucharest At the end of a quiet, tree-lined street, is one of the wealthiest districts of Bucharest. There, sits a seemingly unassuming villa hiding a unique history, one that visitors have only been able to delve into since the building opened to the public in March, 2016. Today, you will have the distinct pleasure of exploring the extravagant interior and grounds of Ceausescu’s Palace for yourself, with a history lesson on its infamous former residents. FEATURED EXCURSION: Ceausescu’s Palace: the Dictator’s private mansion DAY 3 – April 8: Giurgiu, Romania Bucharest is a fascinating combination of Communist grandiosity, elegant French-influenced 19th-century buildings and surprising survivors dating from the 1500s. Perhaps nothing more perfectly encapsulates Romania’s 20th-century experience than the mind-boggling People’s Palace, which you can visit today. Another option is a walking tour that shows you this city from a local’s perspective. Later, you’ll travel via motorcoach to Giurgiu, where your ship awaits. FEATURED EXCURSIONS: Choice of Bucharest panoramic highlights tour or “Do as the Locals Do” Bucharest walking tour. In the evening, a special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you. DAY 4 – April 9: Rousse, Bulgaria Bulgaria’s foremost Danube port, Rousse is sometimes called “Little Vienna” for its elegant 19th-century mansions and public buildings. You may choose to see some of the town after venturing to a pair of historic monasteries or spend the day visiting two historic hill towns. FEATURED EXCURSIONS: Choice of Rousse “Do as the Locals Do” walking discovery tour with Ivanovo and Basarbovo monasteries or Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi with authentic Bulgarian lunch. DAY 5 – Vidin, Bulgaria Vidin is a port town on the Danube that once played an important role in medieval Bulgarian politics, as the great fortress Baba Vida attests. It’s your base for today’s featured excursion—a visit to the fascinating Belogradchik rock formations. FEATURED EXCURSION: Belogradchik Red Rock Valley DAY 6 – April 11: Cruising the Iron Gates, Golubac Today’s main attraction will be the spectacular scenery along the Danube, as you cruise a stretch of gorges known as the Iron Gates. Later, head ashore to explore a Paleolithic site and an extraordinary well-preserved medieval fortress. All along the way, history lines the banks of the river. Keep an eye out for Trajan’s Plaque, which the ancient Romans erected to commemorate the road they anchored in the steep cliffs above the water, and Golubac Castle, built in the 14th century and attacked successively by the Serbs, Magyars and Turks. The Turks won the castle in 1458, which helped to reinforce their control of the area until 1867, when they abandoned it. FEATURED EXCURSION: Lepenski Vir archaeological park and Golubac Castle. DAY 7 – April 12: Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade, the modern-day capital of Serbia, is one of Europe’s oldest cities, dating back some 7,000 years. Signs of its tumultuous history are visible everywhere, juxtaposed with the city’s vibrant modern-day present. See it all with a choice of excursions, either a city tour that visits the palace or a guided bike ride. You have two very different ways to see Belgrade today—the choice is yours! FEATURED EXCURSIONS: Choice of Belgrade city tour with visit to the Royal Grounds of Karadjordjevic Dynasty Palace or “Let’s Go” “I Bike Belgrade” tour. DAY 8 – April 13: Vukovar (Osijek, Croatia) Welcome to Croatia! This ancient country has made a remarkable recovery from a brutal civil war, and its beautiful countryside, colorful folk traditions and delicious rustic cuisine make it a most rewarding place to visit. You’ll dock in Vukovar, Croatia’s biggest port, at the confluence of the Danube and Vuka rivers. FEATURED EXCURSIONS: Choice of Full-day tour of Osijek with exclusive home-hosted lunch or Vucedol Culture museum and lunch at a family winery DAY 9 – April 14: Budapest, Hungary Located on opposite sides of the Danube, Buda and Pest each has a distinctive character and allure all its own. Explore this dynamic and multi-faceted city with your choice of excursions—you can see it from a local’s perspective on our exclusive walking tour, or cover more ground with a panoramic tour. Vibrant Budapest, Hungary’s capital, offers an enchanting combination of East and West, old and new. Even its geography is made up of two parts—Buda (the hills) and Pest (the flatlands)—divided by the Danube. Which part will you choose to explore today?You have two options to choose from. FEATURED EXCURSION: Choice of Budapest panoramic highlights with Parliament visit or “Do as the Locals Do” Budapest walking tour. DAY 10 – April 15: Budapest (Disembark) Disembark the ship. If your cruise/tour package includes a group departure transfer or if you have purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport for your flight home. Or you can extend your stay in beautiful Budapest with our exciting optional post-cruise extension. S.S. Beatrice The S.S. Beatrice is Uniworld’s newest Super Ship. It boasts yacht-style light wood with blue and white finishes throughout, a renovated lobby featuring elegant mirrors, marble floors, a white Murano chandelier with blue shades, and a grand staircase made of nickel and black iron – a signature design element of Uniworld’s Super Ships. The ship’s redesigned lounge features sofas and chairs with hand- made upholstery, a parquet floor and upholstered ceiling panels, solar shades, and new USB ports allowing guests to charge anywhere they are sitting. The artwork throughout the ship includes pieces from Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder and Pino Signoretto. The S.S. Beatrice offers four dining options all inspired by famous Austrian composers, including Mozart’s, the ship’s main restaurant; Wolfgang’s bar and lounge and newly added Schubert’s and Max’s. For guests seeking an immersive culinary experience, Max’s restaurant offers intimate cooking classes where guests can create local European cuisines alongside the chef. Schubert’s, an 18-seat café located at the bow of the ship, offers guests shared plates from lunch through dinnertime. The cozy Austrian-styled eatery features menus reflecting the cuisine of the ship’s destinations. STATEROOM FEATURES Handcrafted Savoir® Beds of England, built-in closets, hair dryer, safe, individual climate-controlled thermostat, direct-dial telephone, and flat-screen TV with infotainment center, mineral water. Marble bathroom with Asprey bath and body products, plush towels, backlit magnifying mirror, cozy bathrobes and slippers. French Balcony (150 sq ft.) Deluxe French Balcony (150 sq ft.) French Balcony Suite (225 sq ft.).