By
Rebecca Gibson |
River cruise operator AmaWaterways has introduced new themed cruises for 2015.
On 13 August, guests can depart Paris, France, on AmaLegro and sail through the Normandy on an Art Illumination Cruise. During the cruise, guests can enjoy complimentary art-themed shore excursions, visiting Claude Monet’s house and garden at Giverny, the former home of Vincent van Gogh, and the port of Honfleur, which was a favoured subject of artists such as Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin and Monet. Tours will also be offered to Auvers-sur-Oise, a town that was home to many 19th century Impressionist painters, such as Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro.
While onboard, guests can participate in complimentary painting classes led by experts, who will provide step-by-step guidance and painting materials including easels, canvases, brushes and paints. Guests can also attend art-inspired discussions and presentations.
Two beer-themed cruises will also be hosted by US beer expert and author Don ‘Joe Sixpack’ Russell as part of AmaLyra’s 31 March Tulip Time Cruise sailing and AmaPrima’s 14 December Christmas Time Cruise itinerary. Starting in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the cruises will include visits to the Heineken Experience in Volendam, a Brewery de Hemel visit and tasting in Nijmegen, a trip to the traditional Cantillon Brewery in Brussels, the Gruut Brewery in Ghent and De Halve Mann in Bruges. Onboard the ship, guests will enjoy a beer-paired meal.
Meanwhile, AmaWaterways’ wine cruises will return in 2015, with 19 departures on the Rhine, Rhone, Seine, Danube and Douro rivers. Travelling through Europe’s best-known wine regions, these select sailings will feature expert wine hosts, complimentary lectures, wine tastings and excursions to historic vineyards and cellars.
Guests can also sail on Jewish Heritage cruises, visiting well-known World War II sites and historic Jewish sites such as the Alter Market and the Jewish cemetery in Passau, Germany; the Judenplatz museum and Sigmund Freud’s House in Vienna, Austria; and Sankt Stephan Park, the Dohany St. Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Tree of Life in Budapest, Hungary.
AmaWaterways will also offer 13 Christmas Time Cruise departures and 11 Christmas on the Rhine departures in 2015. These cruises will enable guests to visit traditional Christmas markets along the Rhine and Danube.