friendship force presents december 1, 2019 · or consider visiting speyer’s four-tow-ered...

www.gct.com/rxs2019Reservations & Information 800-221-2610

Friendship Force presents ...

IT’S INCLUDED

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

Day 1 • Depart U.S.

Day 2 • Amsterdam, the NetherlandsEmbark ship

Day 3 • NijmegenIncluded Tour Nijmegen

Day 4 • Cologne, GermanyIncluded Tour Cologne

Day 5 • KoblenzIncluded Tour Koblenz

Day 6 • MainzIncluded Tour MainzOptional Tour Rudesheim Dinner

Day 7-8 • SpeyerOptional Tour Heidelberg

Day 9 • Baden-Baden • Strasbourg, FrancePort PlittersdorfIncluded Tour Baden-Baden

Day 10 • StrasbourgIncluded Tour Strasbourg

Day 11 • Kaysersberg & Riquewihr, FrancePort Breisach, GermanyIncluded Tours Kaysersberg • Riquewihr

Day 12 • Basel, Switzerland • Return to U.S.Disembark ship

DECEMBER 1, 2019

11 days from $2495 River Cruise only

PLEASE MENTION THIS CODE WHEN BOOKING G9-25992

Strasbourg

Basel

Baden-Baden

Speyer

Mainz

Nijmegen

Koblenz

Amsterdam

Cologne

Rh

ine

Rh

ine

(Also Optional Extension)

Plittersdorf

Breisach

Brussels(Optional Extension)

Kaysersberg

Mos

el

GERMANY

FRANCE

ENGLAND

SWITZERLANDAUSTRIA

CZECHREPUBLIC

Arrival/Departure

Cruise RouteOptional Extension

Motor RouteTotal Cruising

Distance854 miles(1378 km)

Cruise in a group of 38-45 aboard our privately owned 140-passenger ships

Christmas Markets Along the RhineSwitzerland: Basel • France: Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, Strasbourg • Germany: Plittersdorf, Baden-Baden, Speyer, Mainz, Koblenz, Cologne • The Netherlands: Nijmegen, Amsterdam

International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges, unless you choose to make your own air arrangements

Accommodations for 10 nights aboard a private river ship with wireless Internet access now in all common areas and cabins

ALL meals: Daily breakfasts, 9 lunches, and 10 dinners—plus all onboard house beer & wine, as well as soft drinks

7 included tours with personal headsets, up to 7 Christmas markets, and 4 Exclusive Discovery Series events—Home-Hosted Kaffeeklatsch • German Christmas Traditions discussion • Stollen baking demonstration • Operation Market Garden discussion

Local Program Directors, a Grand Circle Cruise Line exclusive: These dedicated experts are with you and your group of 38-45 travelers from beginning to end to provide insider’s knowledge and the perspective that will enrich your experience

Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers

Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage per person, including tips

All port charges

5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next trip—an average of $189

MAXIMIZE YOUR DISCOVERIES & VALUE

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS all with FREE Single Supplements

Brussels & Bruges, Belgium 3 nights pre-trip from $795

Basel, Switzerland 3 nights post-trip from $645

Additional airfare cities upon request. We do not provide airfare for anyone outside of the US.


WHAT TO EXPECT

YOUR ITINERARY

Group Size • This trip has a group size of 38-45

travelers with a local Program Director exclusive to Grand Circle

Pacing • 11 days, with 10 nights

aboard a river ship

• Return flights often require departing in early morning hours

Physical Requirements • Walk 1-3 miles unassisted and

participate in 2-3 hours of physical activities each day, including stairs

• Not accessible for travelers using wheelchairs or scooters

• Travelers using walkers, crutches, or other mobility aids must travel with a companion who can assist them throughout the trip

• We reserve the right for Program Directors to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group's experience

Terrain & Transportation • Diverse terrain and uneven walking

surfaces, including steep and unpaved paths, hills, riverbanks, 25-50 stairs without handrails, and cobblestones

• Travel by 140-passenger river ship and 49-seat coach

• Changes in water-level depths may require adjustments to your itinerary, including your Strasbourg canal cruise

Climate • Daytime temperatures range from

38-51°F during cruising season

• Rain, ice, snow, and wind are possible during the holiday season

DAY 1 Depart U.S.

DAY 2 Amsterdam, the NetherlandsThis morning, you arrive at the Amsterdam airport, where you are met and transferred to the pier to embark your river ship. From Amsterdam, ships can navigate the Rhine through Holland and Germany (where the river forms part of the border with France) all the way to Basel, Switzerland.

A light lunch will be served onboard this afternoon. Otherwise, the balance of the day is at leisure.

Gather this evening to meet your Program Director for a ship briefing on your upcoming cruise, which begins with over-night cruising to Nijmegen.

D— River Ship

DAY 3 Nijmegen • Operation Market Garden discussion • German language lessonThis morning, arrive in Nijmegen, a Dutch city built on seven hills overlooking the Waal River, just west of its confluence with the Rhine. On a guided walk, you’ll see many of the city’s most significant

sites, including the arching bridge that spans the Waal, which was the site of an important battle during World War II that caused devastating damage to the city. As a result, Nijmegen, one of the oldest towns in Holland, was almost completely rebuilt. The town center, however, was remarkably unscathed by shelling, and provides a striking contrast to the newer architecture that surrounds it.

Enjoy an afternoon of sailing, taking in the passing landscapes. You can also join in on two Exclusive Discovery Series events. First an Operation Market Garden discussion, and later, brush up on your German during language lesson conducted by your Program Director.

Join your traveling companions this evening for a Captain’s Welcome Drink and Dinner.

B,L,D— River Ship

DAY 4 Cologne, Germany • Stollen bak-ing demonstrationAfter breakfast, enjoy an Exclusive Discovery Series baking demonstration where you’ll learn how to make Stollen, a traditional German bread made with fruit

and nuts and topped with powdered sugar.

Then you’ll disembark for a guided walking tour of Cologne’s Old City. A Roman settlement called Colonia Agrippina after AD 50, Cologne came under Frankish control in the fifth century. You can still see the ruins of Roman temples scattered through the city, and the Roman Tower near the cathedral was once part of the medieval town walls. During the 15th century, the city flourished as a member of the Hanseatic League.

Your tour ends in front of the city’s mag-nificent Gothic Cathedral (Dom), which you may explore further on your own. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cathe-dral largely escaped the World War II damage that ravaged the city and the rest of Germany. (There’s evidence that Allied forces worked deliberately to avoid damaging this beautiful structure.) It’s the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, boasting beautiful stained-glass windows, an ornate gold shrine on its elaborate altar, and the intricate detail common to 14th-century Gothic churches.


After your tour, enjoy some time on your own in Cologne. Perhaps you’ll spend time at the Romano-Germanic Museum, with its beautifully restored Roman mosaics and reconstructed tomb. The museum is the home of the largest collec-tion of Roman glass vessels in the world and also holds a significant collection of Roman and early medieval jewelry. You could also visit Cologne’s Christmas market, and browse its wide assortment of Christmas creations.

Please note: Christmas markets typically open one week before, or at the start of Advent observances in mid- to late-November. Hours of operation for the holiday markets vary depending on region, and may be limited or closed between December 24 and December 26, as well as on New Year’s Day.

B,L,D— River Ship

DAY 5 Koblenz • German Christmas tra-ditions discussion • MainzAfter breakfast, embark on a walking tour of Koblenz, the 2,000-year-old city that stands at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. Sitting amidst hills populated with castles and fortresses, this strategic location has made the city vital to European trade—and explains why it was heavily bombed during World War II. Many of its historic buildings have since been restored and the Altstadt (Old

Town) features distinct architecture like the Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), a 13th-century Gothic basilica with twin towers capped by onion-shaped spires, and the Basilica St. Kastor, or Kastorkirche, dedicated to Castor of Karden, with four towers. Across the Rhine you’ll find the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, central to a ring of fortifications built to protect the town and the region. Following the tour, the remainder of the morning is yours to explore Koblenz on your own.

Later this afternoon, cruise along some of the most beautiful and inspiring parts of the Rhine as you sail toward Mainz. You’ll pass the Lorelei, a large rock rising 440 feet above the river. Since the times of ancient Greek mythology, there have been legends of sirens, women-creatures who lure sailors to their death with sweet songs. Ancient Germanic legend places one such siren (Lorelei) here, and it is said she enticed sailors to destruction on the reef below the rock.

Tonight, gather with your fellow travelers for an Exclusive Discovery Series discus-sion about German Christmas traditions, focusing on the origins of the Tannenbaum (Christmas tree), the Advent calendar, and more. Dinner will follow, and your ship will dock in Mainz.

B,L,D— River Ship

DAY 6 Mainz • Optional Rudesheim DinnerEnjoy a walking tour of Mainz this morning. The city is best known for its most famous son, Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of movable type, who was born here in 1397. Gutenberg began his career by creating and selling indul-gences—papers that could be purchased and used as “coupons” by the faithful to absolve them of some of the time they had earned in Purgatory. Gutenberg real-ized he could absolve himself of some of his own monetary debts if he could mass-produce the indulgences. To do this, he created uniformly sized metal molds for letters that allowed him to create error-free, repeatable text. This was the begin-ning of the movable type that transformed the world.

You’ll see the Gutenberg Bible and the printing press, which are housed in the town’s Gutenberg Museum, which opened in 2000. The museum exhibits one of the 47 extant copies of the Latin Gutenberg Bible—a 42-page volume with elaborate Gothic lettering dating from the 1450s.

After lunch, enjoy free time to further explore Mainz or to visit the Christkindlmarkt and its craft stalls. Dinner is onboard this evening.


Or, choose to spend a memorable evening at Rudesheim’s renowned Drosselgasse wine alley, a narrow street lined with charming taverns serving the area’s famed wines. This optional tour includes dinner, locally produced wine, and live entertainment.

B,L,D— River Ship

DAY 7 Speyer • Extended German Christmas traditions discussion • Home-Hosted KaffeeklatschEnjoy a leisurely morning onboard as you cruise toward Speyer, a city whose charms—including portions of its medi-eval wall and gates—date back more than 2,000 years. En route, you’ll learn a little more about Europe’s holiday customs with a continuation of our earlier Exclusive Discovery Series German Christmas tradi-tions discussion.

After arriving in Speyer this afternoon, you’ll join a local family for a traditional Kaffeeklatsch. You’ll share coffee, cake, and conversation during this Exclusive Discovery Series Home-Hosted Visit. Afterward, consider strolling through the Christmas market and browsing its festive stalls. We return to the ship for dinner.

B,L,D— River Ship

DAY 8 Speyer • Optional Heidelberg tourYou have the day free in Speyer. On your own, you might take in the Historical Museum of the Palatinate, which has large collections of pre-Roman and Roman materials and includes a wine museum. Or consider visiting Speyer’s four-tow-ered Imperial Cathedral. Dating from the eleventh century, it’s one of the greatest Romanesque buildings in Germany and contains the tombs of eight emperors. This was also an early center of printing as the home of the 15th-century printers John of Speyer and his brother Wendelin.

Or, join our all-day optional tour to dis-cover romantic Heidelberg, a historic uni-versity town nestled between wooded hills at the edge of the Odenwald Forest. This morning, enjoy the ruins of Heidelberg Castle. Begun in the Gothic style of the 14th century and built up gradu-ally over the next 400 years, the castle

demonstrates the evolution of archi-tectural style, finally completed in the Baroque period. After an included lunch at a local restaurant, tour Heidelberg’s tur-reted 600-year-old university, Germany’s oldest. In keeping with the spirit of the holidays, you’ll also stop at Heidelberg’s lively Christmas market. After the tour, you’ll ride back to Speyer to re-board the ship before dinner.

B,L,D— River Ship

DAY 9 Plittersdorf • Baden-Baden • Strasbourg, FranceThis morning, the ship docks at the German town of Plittersdorf and you depart for a journey by motorcoach to the spa town of Baden-Baden, nestled in the tranquil Black Forest. Since Roman times, Baden-Baden has been renowned for its thermal baths, with mineral waters thought to have restorative powers. Afterwards, return to the river, where you re-board the ship in time for lunch.

The ship arrives in Strasbourg in the late afternoon and you have dinner on board.

B,L,D— River Ship

DAY 10 StrasbourgAfter breakfast, discover Strasbourg, a unique confluence of French and German culture and traditions. Strategically important since ancient times, Strasbourg became a free imperial city in 1262, and then was occupied by France in 1681 and Germany in 1871. France recovered the city in 1919 after World War I. From the comfort of your glass-covered tour boat, you’ll see the major sights (including the Palais de L’Europe, where the European Parliament meets) and admire the city’s remarkable Renaissance architecture. In mid-morning, your guided tour con-cludes at the Palais Rohan in the town center which you will travel to via an included day pass for the city’s tram. If you like, you may walk on your own from the Palais to visit the city’s magnificent cathedral, one of the finest of Europe’s great Gothic cathedrals. Its lofty single spire dominates the city.

After lunch aboard ship, you have the afternoon free to visit Strasbourg’s Christmas market or explore more of

the city on your own. There is an excel-lent collection of Renaissance art in the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Alsatian Museum offers folk art, including recon-structed interiors of Rhine farm and vineyard houses. You may want to visit the picturesque Petite-France area (the former Tanners’ District) and see the old Customs House and the charming covered bridges with their defensive towers. Return to the ship and gather with your Program Director and fellow travelers for a Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner.

B,L,D— River Ship

DAY 11 Breisach, Germany • Kaysersberg & Riquewihr, FranceCruise between French Alsace (on the west bank of the Rhine) and the German state of Baden-Württemberg (on the east bank) this morning.

This afternoon, you’ll head into Alsace to visit Kaysersberg. This was the birthplace of Albert Schweitzer, the great humani-tarian and recipient of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize, who is famous for his phi-losophy of “reverence for life” and his work in Africa. Your tour includes a visit to Dr. Schweitzer’s former home, now a museum, where his study is preserved exactly as it was in 1959.

You’ll also see the city center, and have time to discover more of Kaysersberg on your own. You’ll also visit the nearby commune of Riquewihr, a renowned “wine village” known for its Rieslings. After an informative stroll, you’ll have free time to explore on your own.

B,L,D— River Ship

DAY 12 Return to U.S.After breakfast, disembark in Basel, Switzerlandand and transfer to the airport for your flight home.

B


IT'S INCLUDEDAccommodations for 3 nights in Brussels

Daily breakfasts

Included tours with personal headsets: Brussels • Bruges • Antwerp • Delft

Dedicated services of a Grand Circle Program Director


All transfers

This extension may not be available on all departures. Additional taxes and fees apply. Ask your Travel Counselor for details.

ITINERARYDAY 1 Depart U.S.

DAY 2 Arrive in Brussels, Belgium

Upon arrival today, you’ll be escorted on a walk in the vicinity around your hotel, followed by time to relax and explore Brussels on your own. This evening, join your Program Director and fellow travel-ers for a Welcome Drink. The rest of the evening is yours at leisure to make your own discoveries.

Hilton Brussels City Hotel or similar

DAY 3 BrusselsThis morning, enjoy a tour of Brussels, which is known for two specialties—the production of delicious chocolate and the creation of beautiful and delicate lace—and you’ll delve into these Belgian delights on an included city tour. The afternoon is then yours to make your own discoveries, and dinner is on your own this evening.

B— Hilton Brussels City Hotel or similar

DAY 4 BrugesThis morning, board a private motor-coach to Bruges, one of Western Europe’s great medieval cities. You’ll discover “The Venice of the North” on a guided walking tour. Then enjoy another classic Belgian discovery—lace—as you visit a local lace shop. Lunch will be on your own, and then you’ll have free time to make your own discoveries.

B— Hilton Brussels City Hotel or similar

DAY 5 Brussels • Antwerp • AmsterdamAfter breakfast begin your motorcoach transfer to Antwerp. You’ll explore its well-preserved Old Town and stroll along the Meir (Antwerp’s main shopping street), lined with wonderfully elaborate historic buildings. Then continue on to Delft, visiting a porcelain workshop to learn more about delftware, the iconic, bright blue glassware of the region. After lunch on your own and free time to explore Delft, continue on to Amsterdam where you will join your fellow travelers for your main trip.

B

MAXIMIZE YOUR DISCOVERIES & VALUE WITH THIS PRE-TRIP EXTENSION

Brussels & Bruges, Belgium

3 nights from $795

FREE Single Supplement


IT'S INCLUDEDAccommodations for 3 nights

Daily breakfasts

Included tour with personal headsets: Basel

Basel tram day pass

Dedicated services of a Grand Circle Program Director


All transfers

This extension may not be available on all departures. Additional taxes and fees apply. Ask your Travel Counselor for details. Basel, Switzerland is a post-trip extension on the reverse Amsterdam to Basel itinerary.

ITINERARYDAY 1 Arrive in Basel, SwitzerlandWhen you arrive in Switzerland, you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Basel. In the late afternoon, you’ll be escorted on a walk in the vicin-ity around your hotel, followed by time to explore on your own. This evening, join your Program Director for a Welcome Drink and a briefing, and then enjoy dinner on your own.

Hotel Pullman Basel Europe or similar

DAY 2 Basel • Optional Bern excursionExplore Basel as you please today. Or, join our optional tour to Bern, Switzerland’s capital, where you’ll take a walking tour through its historic center, and see how Swiss cheese is made. Then enjoy the evening making your own discoveries.

OPTIONAL TOUR: $115 per person

DAY 3 Basel • Optional Bern excursionYou have the day to relax or explore Basel on your own with your included tram day pass. With more than 30 museums, the city is a well-known center of art and culture.

Your Program Director can help with sug-gestions for lunch and dinner that are on your own.

B— Hotel Pullman Basel Europe or similar

DAY 4 Return to U.S.After breakfast this morning, transfer to the airport for your flight home

B

FEATURED HOTEL

Hotel Pullman Basel Europe • Basel SwitzerlandThis airy, modern hotel is within walking distance of the old city center, near highlights like the Cathedral Muenster. Enjoy drink and a meal in the hotel’s charm-ing bistro or gourmet restaurant. Each air-conditioned room has a private bath with a rain shower and contains a mini bar, telephone, TV, and free wireless Internet access.

MAXIMIZE YOUR DISCOVERIES & VALUE WITH THIS POST-TRIP EXTENSION

Basel, Switzerland

3 nights from $645

FREE Single Supplement


G HE FC DA B

CABIN CATEGORIES

CANTATA DECK

SERENADE DECK

SONATA DECK

PRELUDE DECK

SAUNA/ WHIRL–POOL

FITNESS

MASSAGE

E

RESTAURANT

SHOP

BAR LOUNGE

ER Registry: MaltaWidth: 38 ft.Length: 366 ft.Passenger capacity: 140Crew/Nationality: 34/InternationalDecks: 4Number of cabins: 70—all outsideElevator: Yes

M/S RIVER HARMONY

G

H

E

F

C

D

A

B

ELEVATOR (Does not go to Prelude Deck)

E

RESTROOMR

CABIN CATEGORIES

G HE FC DA B

ELEVATOR (Does not go to Prelude Deck)

E RESTROOMR

CABIN CATEGORIES Please note: Only Serenade Deck cabins have private balconies. The Sonata and Cantata decks are separated by a flight of stairs. Elevator runs from the Cantata and Sonata decks to the Serenade Deck. There is no elevator access to the Prelude Deck.

• 160-sq.-ft. non-smoking outside cabins with a river view—Serenade Deck cabins include a private 16-sq.-ft. balcony with table and chairs

• Two stationary twin beds converted to sofas each day, and back to beds each evening

• Private bath with shower, hair dryer, shampoo & soap

• Individual heating & air conditioning controls

• Flat-screen color TV & radio, including CNN, movies & a “view from the bow” camera looking from the front of your ship

• Direct-dial telephone with emergency call buttons

• In-room safe

CABIN FEATURES

SERENADE DECK CABIN

CANTATA/SONATA/PRELUDE DECK CABIN*

*Please note: Prelude Deck cabin features the same layout with a small upper window.

Reservations & Information: Call Toll-Free: 1-800-597-2452 • Press 2

PLEASE MENTION THIS CODE WHEN BOOKING G9-25992

CST 2041626-40

WATCH VIDEOS & FILMS ONLINE

GOVERNMENT TAXES AND FEES The following government taxes and fees are now included in your airfare price. Government and other authority taxes and fees: September 11th Security Fee of up to $2.50 USD applies per passenger, per flight segment (maximum charge per trip—$5.00 USD one-way, $10.00 USD round trip). A flight segment is defined as one takeoff and one landing. Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) of up to $18 per passenger. Federal Domestic Flight Segment Fee of up to $3.70 USD applies per passenger, per flight segment (defined as a takeoff and a landing). U.S. or International Departure and Arrival Charges of up to $200 USD may apply depending on itinerary. On select itineraries that include the purchase of a pre- and/or post-trip extension, U.S. or interna-tional departure and arrival charges of up to $300 USD may apply. Call for details. Standard Terms & Conditions can be found on the web at www.gct.com/tc.

Deposit: $500 per person. Single Supplement: $495. Single accommodations are limited. To avoid the single supplement, ask about our Roommate Matching Service.

DECKA Serenade Deck

(Top Deck w/balcony)$2745

B $2745

C Sonata Deck (Middle Deck w/picture window)

$2695

D $2695

E Cantata Deck (Middle Deck w/picture window)

$2645

F $2645

G Prelude Deck (Lower Deck w/small window)

$2545

H $2495

@@if {last} = ‘yes’@@TRIP TYPE SHORT WITH ROUND-TRIP AIRFARE

Prices shown below include our DeckName no description Cabin@@endif@@

Learn more about Christmas Markets Along the Rhine

Christmas Markets Along the Rhine

Trip Itinerary

Get more information about your detailed itinerary, like optional tours, exclusive Discovery Series events, and more.

Program Director

Hear Kevin Kreuzer talk about the many beautiful Christmas markets of Germany, especially his favorite in Baden-Baden.

Trip Experience

Watch travelers immerse themselves in Old World holiday traditions as they explore enchanting Christmas markets.

Good Buy Plan The earlier you pay, the more you save

Here’s how you’ll save with our exclusive Good Buy Plan:

Months That You Pay in Full Prior to Your Final Payment Due Date (90 days prior to your departure date)

Guarantee Your Price

and Receive:

Good Buy Plan

Savings:

9 months 7.5% $375

8 months 6% $300

7 months 5% $250

6 months 4% $200

5 months 3% $150

4 months through final payment due date $50 off $50

Good Buy Plan savings is calculated based on total reservation cost

For more information, visit www.gct.com/gbd

friendship force presents december 1, 2019 · or consider visiting speyer’s four-tow-ered...

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