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- Cabin E
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$
2399
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$3399
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- Cabin A
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$3599
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- Suite
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$4599
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Price does not include airfare, departure or arrival transfers, airline taxes and fuel surcharges.
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Gate 1 offers the flexibility of paying for your vacation by check. Save 5% off of your remaining balance when the final payment is made by check.
Must Book By Tue, Dec 31, 2024
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Gate 1 offers the flexibility of paying for your vacation by credit card or check. Choose check for your final payment to save 5% off of your remaining balance. Full details will be sent with your invoice.
- Day 1DAY 1 - Depart for SwitzerlandWed, Oct 02, 2024Depart for Basel, Switzerland
- Day 2DAY 2 - Cruise Embarkation in BaselThu, Oct 03, 2024Arrive in Basel and transfer to the port. Embarkation will begin at 2 PM. After arrival formalities, rest and relax on board. This evening, meet your Cruise Director and enjoy a Welcome Dinner as it sets the mood for your delightful river cruise
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Dinner - Day 3DAY 3 - Breisach Walking TourFri, Oct 04, 2024Arrive this morning in the small town of Breisach that dates back over 4,000 years. On your walking tour along the cobbled streets lined with pastel-painted houses, it's hard to believe this town was mostly destroyed in WWII and then totally restored to its original beauty. View the towering Romanesque and Gothic St. Stephansmunster Cathedral, a highlight of the city. After lunch set sail for Strasbourg
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 4DAY 4 - Strasbourg City TourSat, Oct 05, 2024A lovely day awaits you in Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, situated on the border of France and Germany, blending the cultures of both countries. Discover Strasbourg on the tour highlighting the city's center, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Of special note is the stunning Gothic Cathedral, an exquisite example of late Gothic architecture that houses one of the finest astronomical clocks in existence. See the magical La Petite France district, home to quaint shops and charming bistros, Place Kleber, a large historic square in the center of the city and Place Gutenberg, dedicated to the inventor of the printing press. This evening, the ship sets sail toward Speyer
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 5DAY 5 - Morning in Speyer & Evening in RudesheimSun, Oct 06, 2024This morning arrive in Speyer. Perhaps take a refreshing morning walk through this picturesque town founded by the Romans, or alternatively, join the optional tour to Heidelberg, home to the oldest university in Germany and inspiration for some of the world's greatest writers and artists. The ship will continue sailing this morning and passengers joining the tour will rejoin the ship at lunchtime and relax on board this afternoon. After dinner, arrive in Rudesheim, a lively village in the heart of the Rhine; perhaps take a leisurely walk through town or visit a quaint wine tavern
Optional: Heidelberg City Tour (AM)
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 6DAY 6 - Morning Cruising & Afternoon in KoblenzMon, Oct 07, 2024This morning take in the spectacular vistas as the ship sails past castles perched on lofty cliffs, terraced vineyards and tiny villages. Pass the mighty Lorelei Rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine rising vertically from the waters, named for the siren "Lorelei" who bewitched sailors passing by. After lunch on board, the ship docks in Koblenz, located at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers. Join a walking tour and free time to explore the Romanesque architecture and imposing defensive towers of this 2000-year old city. Or, join the optional tour to the dramatic Marksburg Castle, the only hill castle on the Rhine that's never been destroyed and has been continuously occupied for over 700 years
Optional: Marksburg Castle (PM)
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 7DAY 7 - Cologne City TourTue, Oct 08, 2024Today the ship will dock in Cologne, one of Germany's largest cities and capital of the Rhineland. Your walking tour of the city is highlighted by the soaring, twin-steeple Gothic cathedral that is the geographical and spiritual heart of the city. Known for its vibrant art scene, Cologne abounds with cafes, galleries, shops and taverns
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 8DAY 8 - Amsterdam City TourWed, Oct 09, 2024Cruise into Amsterdam as you enjoy breakfast on board and join a panoramic tour of 700-year-old Amsterdam. View Amsterdam's port, one of the main harbors of Dutch East India Company during the Golden Age. Continue to the former Jewish quarter with its 17th century Portuguese Synagogue, and National Holocaust Names Memorial. Pass by the 19th century neighborhood with its classic architecture, museums, and lively squares. Then, board a glass-top boat, and cruise the winding canals for an up-close view of the stately historic homes, 16th century warehouses, and charming churches with striking bell towers. This evening bid farewell to your Cruise Director on your final night on board
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 9DAY 9 - Depart the NetherlandsThu, Oct 10, 2024This morning, disembark and transfer to the airport for your departure flight. Disembarkation will end at 9:30 AM
Meals: Breakfast
Countries Visited
Rivers Visited
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Inclusions
Price does not include airfare, departure or arrival transfers, airline taxes and fuel surcharges.
River Cruise Package Includes
Other departure cities available.
Special Features
River Cruise Features & Amenities
Know Before You Book - High & Low Water
European river cruising has gained in popularity for very good reason. It's a relaxing and convenient way to experience Europe while enjoying the comfort of a deluxe ship. However, before making the decision to reserve your vacation, please be aware of potential conditions which may impact your cruise. While most of the time river cruises operate exactly as planned, weather conditions may result in high or low water levels which impact a ship's itinerary and, on occasion, render a ship unable to sail at all. On very rare occasions, other events such as heavy fog, a damaged lock, or an incapacitated vessel blocking the river, may impact a sailing. These events typically occur with little or no notice. In the event that a cruise is partially or completely impacted, the itinerary will be operated by deluxe motor coach, accompanied by a Tour Manager, with overnights in hotels. When the option exists, the operator will "swap ships" with another vessel sailing in the opposite direction, retaining the sailing experience. Crew, ship and cabin configuration may differ. The itinerary will include as many of the originally scheduled sightseeing features as possible, considering the travel time and distances required, as well as meals. While it is not possible to recreate the more leisurely comforts of sailings, we will endeavor to provide a comparable itinerary. These alternative services will be provided at no additional charge. †Transfers are available for purchase for land only or on alternative flight dates Not Included: Amsterdam to Basel: Embarkation will begin at 2 PM however early arrivals may rest in the lounge if their assigned cabin is not ready upon check-in. Passengers returning from Basel on Day 9 should select flights that depart no earlier than 10 AM. Basel to Amsterdam: Passengers arriving to Basel on Day 2 should select flights that arrive no later than 4 PM. Embarkation will begin at 2 pm however early arrivals may rest in the lounge if their assigned cabin is not ready upon check-in. Due to physical constraints and space limitations, wheelchairs and walkers are not allowed on motor coaches and/or river cruises. There are no elevators or chair lifts on board. Kindly refer to our Terms for additional information. While sailing with Monarch Cruises, passengers are subject to the cruise's Terms & Conditions which can be viewed at: . Know Before You Book - High & Low Water European river cruising has gained in popularity for very good reason. It's a relaxing and convenient way to experience Europe while enjoying the comfort of a deluxe ship. However, before making the decision to reserve your vacation, please be aware of potential conditions which may impact your cruise. While most of the time river cruises operate exactly as planned, weather conditions may result in high or low water levels which impact a ship's itinerary and, on occasion, render a ship unable to sail at all. On very rare occasions, other events such as heavy fog, a damaged lock, or an incapacitated vessel blocking the river, may impact a sailing. These events typically occur with little or no notice. In the event that a cruise is partially or completely impacted, the itinerary will be operated by deluxe motor coach, accompanied by a Tour Manager, with overnights in hotels. When the option exists, the operator will "swap ships" with another vessel sailing in the opposite direction, retaining the sailing experience. Crew, ship and cabin configuration may differ. The itinerary will include as many of the originally scheduled sightseeing features as possible, considering the travel time and distances required, as well as meals. While it is not possible to recreate the more leisurely comforts of sailings, we will endeavor to provide a comparable itinerary. These alternative services will be provided at no additional charge. Please note that the following inclusions may contain items that are only applicable when you purchase Land & Air. The brochure prices below are for Land Only - call us for our best deal.
Optional shore excursions and gratuities.
Additional Information:
Cruise only price does not include arrival/departure transfers.
OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-342-0019
Ship Information
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Cabins
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Life on Board
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Questions & Answers
Question: Will the day-by-day itinerary change?
Yes, the river cruise itineraries may change due to reasons such as inclement weather or unforeseen events. Your safety is the number one concern aboard and all precautions necessary will be taken in order to ensure passenger safety, including changing itineraries. Please note that when itineraries do change, the ship staff will do their best to substitute any missed port with an alternative destination.
Question: In what language is the river cruise conducted?
The river cruise will be conducted in English only.
Overall Rating
4.4
Accommodations
4.6
Itinerary
4.3
Professional Staff
4.6
Repeat with Operator
4.4
Value for Money
4.4
The Gate 1 Monarch Empress was a lovely, comfortable riverboat and the staff was exceptional.
The ship was spotless, the staff was incredibly good (a special shoutout to the Cruise Director Jutta and the Activvities Director Daniele), the food excellent and presented in a manner that reminded you of the best gournet restaurants. The excursions, concerts, etc were great. The cruise exceded my expectations.
It was our first River Cruise & first time traveling with Gate 1. We had a wonderful experience. The itinerary was great and the food and service received was excellent.
We will definitely recommend Gate 1 to our family and to all our friends as well. The excellent service provided by the staff is very much commendable . Exceeded beyond our expectation.
Very much enjoyed our trip with the Gate 1 vacation tour. The selection of sites were beautiful, educational and unusual experience. We will book with them again by our next tour.
Some of the optional tours lasted 8 hours which can make for a long day.
Our tour agent, Allyson, was very helpful and kept us in constant touch about itinerary changes.
Great trip!
The land portion of the tour lived up to my expectations. However, I was disappointed with the river cruise because (1) dining room staff was inexperienced (2) none of the staff addressed me by name (3) food selection was slim and uninteresting (4) entertainment on the cruise was limited (5) this cruise can not compare with the river cruises I have taken with Viking
Gate one river cruises more than lived up to our expectation. Their staff was extremely professional and went out of their way to make our cruise a remarkable experience.
We would not book another river cruise because we were looking to have a relaxing romantic cruise and the cruising was done at night and then the river became to shallow due to lack of rain and we had to be put up in a hotel. Not a pleasant experience at all. The accommodations, food people etc was very good.
Gate 1 service and food is excellent, while the price is lower than other operators. I can't imagine the other operators having sufficiently better service to justify paying more.
Gate 1 river cruise was wonderful!
First time on a river cruise will definitely book another. We enjoyed the smaller cruise line and the staff went above and beyond to make you comfortable. The food was excellent with so many selections to chose from. Amsterdam and Belgium were amazing. I can't say enough about this wonderful experience. Thank you again gate 1!
This trip was beyond expectations. Hotel accommodations were superior, really great. Staffs attended to every needs. Monarch Express operations went beyond expectations. The dining staff was exceptional... everyone on board was very professional and courteous and helpful throughout. The Captain maneuvered the ship around tough circumstances with locks. The tour guides on ALL the city and extra tours were superior, very knowledgeable, courteous, mindful of seniors, bus etiquette, et al. The chef and food prepared was EXCELLENT, expecially the unbelievable soup creations, and all meals delivered. This was a fun and interesting trip which I will do again with GATE1.
I would suggest that instead of lengthy bus rides the traveler should be able to fly as an alternative.
This was our second cruise on Gate1's Monarch Empress. The crew and facilities are both very good.
I relayed a message to the tour manager that we could have spent another 30 minutes or so in Melk at the Abbey as there was little or no free time.
I loved the Monarch Empress. It met our needs. The whole tour was great and the staff in the boat was just the best.
Our group of 10 have just gotten back from the 14-day Danube river cruise tour from Prague to Budapest The trip was very nice and each one of us enjoyed it very much. The destinations are beautiful, service was good and food was good. We want to give a special thanks to our travel consultant who was very professional, detailed and friendly from the time of booking all the way until departure. Because we booked a land tour, our travel consultant helped arrange the transportation from the Prague airport to the hotel we stayed at. She also booked the trip for us from Prague to Cesky Kromlov. Every booking went smooth and excellent. This was the most memorable trip we have ever had. Plus we got a very good deal compared to other companies. Thank you to AffortableTours.com! :)
The new boat was fabulous with many amenities, conveniences, and was state of the art. The entire crew, reception staff, wait service, tour directors, kitchen staff, entertainment, cabin staff, etc., was exceptional. The food exceeded our expectations. We would not hesitate to book again with the operator.
Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Food service was plentiful and consistently good, not lavish. Wished we had more time to spend in each location, but I am sure that is similar on all cruises of this type and timeframe.
Gate 1 travel did an outstanding job on providing a top flight tour and a very reasonable price.
We had a wonderful time and memorable experiences with our Danube River cruise, meeting new friends along the way. We get to see a lot scenic locations. Overall we did have a great time..
Everything are went well & good service.
AffordableTours.com is a travel agent for Gate1. Brochure Price is based on the itinerary's highest brochure price. Our price reflects our base price for the same departure as Brochure Price. All prices, itineraries, accommodations and dates are subject to change without notice and at any time. All prices are USD per person and based on double occupancy. Availability is limited and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. All prices change frequently and our website prices are not guaranteed until a deposit has been received by us. The prices on our website are intended to serve as a guide only and may not accurately reflect current prices. We are not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes in these prices until a booking has been confirmed by one of our agents. Please call us toll free at 1-800-342-0019 to confirm current prices and availability. Prices listed are per person, cruise only, and based on double occupancy.
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