What are you doing New Year’s Eve? In 2024, you could be celebrating on the Danube River with the first “Danube River Cruise: Magical Holidays” itinerary from Adventures by Disney! Laughing Place is pleased to partner with Adventures by Disney to announce this unique way to ring in the new year, with bookings opening to the public on January 20th, 2023. This is the first time a river cruise has been offered that extends through the new year.
(Kent Phillips/Disney)
The “Danube River Cruise: Magical Holidays” itinerary is similar to the Danube River Christmas Market sailings, but with some added magical moments to ring in the new year, including a champagne toast as the clock strikes midnight. The 8-day/7-night adventure begins in Munich, where an elegant AmaWaterways ship becomes your magic carpet ride along the Danube. Sailing into Austria, adventurers will take in the sights of the Austrian Alps, tour the Melk Abbey, go ice skating in Vienna, and more. European Christmas Markets typically wrap up business by December 25th, but vendors in Schonbrunn will transform the shops into a special New Year’s Market, offering authentically European winter goods. The adventure wraps up in Hungary, where one of the highlights includes learning to make goulash. Of course, Adventures by Disney has some unadvertised surprises for explorers.
(Kent Phillips/Disney)
As part of the announcement, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jennae Champeau, a former Adventure Guide who sailed the Danube River countless times before transitioning to her current role as a Destination Manager, helping the operation run smoothly. Having helped launch the Adventures by Disney Danube River Cruises in 2016, she shared that one of her favorite destinations is a family-run apricot farm in rural Austria, a less-strenuous alternative to hiking to a nearby castle or biking along the Danube. Since a river cruise accommodates more guests than a typical Adventures by Disney itinerary with two guides, there are often more than two excursion options for individuals or families to decide on, with up to six guides on each cruise, based on occupancy.
(Photo Courtesy of Jennae Champeau)
Adventures by Disney still takes the stress out of handling luggage, but since the ship is your home for the entire journey, you only have to unpack once. Jennae shared that the rooms are spacious and because the river is calmer than the ocean, a river cruise is a great alternative for guests who want to experience cruising but are prone to motion sickness. The ship primarily moves at night to maximize your time at each stop and in Jennae’s experience, the water is usually like glass at night. For onboard dining, fresh, local ingredients are delivered to the ship every day, and the chef prepares an ever-changing menu for dinner. For families with young children, every night includes a Junior Adventure Night activity, with a buffet of kid-friendly foods, including chicken nuggets that Jennae said were “next level.” Adults are welcome to come and sample after hearing the kids rave about the kids' food! Evening entertainment also rounds out each night before bedtime.
(Photo Courtesy of Jennae Champeau)
“It is the closest I’ve ever felt to actually being inside a fairytale,” Jennae said of visiting a medieval town transformed for the holidays during a European holiday market. And that claim, by the way, is coming from a Cast Member who has worked at the magical Cinderella Castle Suite at Magic Kingdom Park! One of her favorite holiday memories from her Rhine adventures is exploring Strasbourg, which decorates for Christmas with teddy bears all over town. Another one was in partnership with AmaWaterways, who had Guests place a shoe outside their door after learning about the St. Nicholas tradition that inspired the Christmas tradition, filling people’s shoes with goodies overnight. Hilarity ensued with the creativity of the Guests, one of which put out a knee-high boot while another put out a flip-flop. The holiday magic even comes aboard the ship, with making authentic German gingerbread (lebkuchen) and mulling wine (adults only) as examples.
(Photo Courtesy of Jennae Champeau)
Naturally, traveling during the holidays won’t fit everyone’s schedule, but the good news is that Adventures by Disney has lots of river cruise itineraries on the horizon. Twenty-two river cruise departures are planned for 2024 on three of Europe’s most iconic rivers – the Rhine River, the Danube River, and the Seine River. Highlights of these itineraries include:
- Dashing through the Black Forest on an Alpine toboggan ride (Rhine River Cruise)
- Admiring the Notre-Dame Cathedral and imagining life nearly 900 years ago when its construction first began (Seine River Cruise)
- Exploring the historic Schonbrunn Palace and its immaculate terrace garden named The Orangery (Danube River Cruise)
- Dreaming of ballrooms and glass slippers while marveling at picturesque castles along the Rhine Gorge (Rhine River Cruise)
- Gazing at the nighttime skyline view of the Eiffel Tower in the City of Light (Seine River Cruise)
- Twirling on a hilltop and visiting the beautiful Mirabell Gardens (Danube River Cruise)
- Honoring history by visiting the Normandy beaches, including Omaha Beach, the American cemetery, and Les Braves Memorial (Seine River Cruise)
In addition to standard itineraries and holiday voyages, foodies may want to check out seasonal Oktoberfest itineraries or Food and Wine sailings. For more information on all Adventures by Disney offerings, including the “Danube River Cruise: Magical Holidays” itinerary, visit adventuresbydisney.com, call 1-833-223-0103, or contact a travel agent. Laughing Place recommends Mouse Fan Travel for all of your Disney travel needs.