River Cruise Newsletter

Dear Reader,

We're barely a month into 2010, but Viking River Cruises is already looking ahead to next year. Some of their most popular trips are nearly sold out for 2010, which is why Viking has rolled out itineraries and early-booking promotions for 2011. Click the links below for details.

Companion cruises free, and save $1,000 per couple ($500 per person) off airfare, plus receive complimentary wine with dinner on select Europe and Egypt 2011 river cruises when you book by March 31. Click here to see itineraries.

Companion cruises free, and save $1,500 per couple ($750 per person) off airfare, plus receive complimentary wine with dinner on 2011 "Waterways of the Czars" sailings in Russia when you book by March 31. Click here to see itineraries.

River cruising is one of the best ways to travel through many of the world's most fascinating places in comfort and style. You unpack once, enjoy the scenery from anywhere on the ship and walk right into the heart of your destination. Viking's ships accommodate 150 to 300 guests each, and their flat-bottomed shape ensures a smooth ride. All staterooms have river views.

For 2011, Viking Schumann will be completely renovated for its sailings on the Elbe River, while Viking Pakhomov will be refurbished for cruises in Russia. Viking recently upgraded their other Russian ships, Viking Surkov and Viking Kirov, and they're two of the finest ships to sail the Volga.

Last year, Viking debuted Viking Legend, which carries 189 guests on springtime cruises in Holland and Belgium, as well as itineraries on the Danube and Rhine. It features environmentally friendly hybrid diesel-electric engines, a large and airy atrium, a sundeck with a canopy that provides shade, an open-seating restaurant and an observation lounge.

With Viking, everything is included -- deluxe accommodations, onboard meals and shore excursions. Your fare also covers hotel accommodations during city portions of itineraries.

Each day, you enjoy guided tours, enlightening demonstrations, hands-on activities and leisure time to explore, shop and meet the locals. Viking's Old World Highlights program takes place on and off the ship -- guests can learn tai chi from a Chinese master while on the Yangtze or attend a traditional tea service in Russia, for example. The Culture Curriculum allows you to dig a little deeper into a region's history through informal multimedia lectures.

Here are this week's Top 10 Viking river cruises. All prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability.

1) Rhine Getaway 2011 (Basel to Amsterdam), 8 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins in Basel and ends in Amsterdam with stops in Strasbourg, Heidelberg and Kinderdijk. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,000 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $2,349. Departures from March 27, 2011 through December 27, 2011. Book now!

2) Paris & the Heart of Normandy 2011, 8 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins and ends in Paris with visits to Giverny, Omaha Beach and Conflans. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,000 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $2,349. Departures from March 20, 2011 through December 11, 2011. Book now!

3) Tulips & Windmills 2011, 10 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins and ends in Amsterdam with stops in Antwerp, Brugge and Rotterdam. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,000 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $2,649. Departures from March 17, 2011 through May 6, 2011. Book now!

4) Danube Waltz 2011 (Passau to Budapest), 8 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins in Passau and ends in Budapest with stops in Salzburg, Melk and Bratislava. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,000 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $2,749. Departures from March 19, 2011 through December 27, 2011. Book now!

5) Elegant Elbe 2011 (Prague - Melnik to Magdeburg - Berlin), 10 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins in Prague and ends in Berlin with stops in Dresden, Wittenberg and Potsdam. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,000 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $3,749. Departures from March 26, 2011 through November 5, 2011. Book now!

6) Treasures of the Rhine 2011 (Antwerp to Basel), 15 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins in Antwerp and ends in Basel with stops in Ghent, Amsterdam and Rudesheim. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,000 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $4,249. Departures from April 17, 2011 through November 13, 2011. Book now!

7) Passage to Eastern Europe 2011 (Budapest to Bucharest), 11 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins in Budapest and ends in Bucharest with stops in Kalocsa, Belgrade and Veliko Tarnovo. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,000 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $4,349. Departures from March 24, 2011 through November 3, 2011. Book now!

8) Grand European Tour 2011 (Budapest to Amsterdam), 15 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins in Budapest and ends in Amsterdam with stops in Vienna, Nuremberg and Cologne. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,000 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $5,249. Departures from May 7, 2011 through November 19, 2011. Book now!

9) Romantic Danube 2011 (Nuremberg to Budapest), 8 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins in Nuremberg and ends in Budapest with stops in Regensburg, Passau and Vienna. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,000 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $5,949. Departures from March 26, 2011 through December 3, 2011. Book now!

10) Waterways of the Czars 2011 (St. Petersburg to Moscow), 13 days with Viking River Cruises. Begins in St. Petersburg and ends in Moscow with stops in Kizhi, Yaroslavl and Uglich. Companion cruises for free, and save $1,500 per couple off the air-inclusive price! Land/cruise-only starting from $6,749. Departures from May 7, 2011 through September 29, 2011. Book now!

Finally, for a complete list of cruises by river, click any link below.

US River Cruises

Pacific NW River Cruises (includes Columbia River)

International River Cruises

European River Cruises
Amazon River Cruises
Nile River Cruises
Yangtze River Cruises
Russia River Cruises

Once you've found a river cruise that interests you, call us toll free at 800-510-4002 (US and Canada) and a river cruise specialist will attend to your needs. Customers from the UK, please call toll free 0800 279 8084. All other international customers, please e-mail or call us at +1-713-974-2121.

To search for a river cruise anywhere in the world, click here. To see our worldwide listing of escorted tours, independent tour packages, train tours and safaris, click here. For hotels and resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Europe, Canada and the continental US, click here. For savings of up to 75% on ocean-going cruises, click here.

Please e-mail me your comments, suggestions and questions at alanfox@rivercruise.com and I will respond the same day.

To send a copy of this newsletter to a friend or friends, click here.

Sincerely,

Alan Fox
Chairman & CEO
Vacations To Go