Disney expands to southern France in river cruise options
Another year, another river. Adventures by Disney is expanding its river cruise tour plans for 2020 by adding the Rhone River to its options.
Six trips through southern France will be among 27 overall planned in Europe including voyages along the Seine, Danube and Rhine rivers.
The tour operator began river cruising in 2016 on just the Danube. It added Rhine River cruises in 2017, and this year, the tour operator tackles the Seine River for the first time. In 2020, it plans to sail all four rivers, and carving out 10 of the 27 sailings as adults only.
Also new for 2020 are short two-night immersion trips in Paris, Amsterdam and Budapest, Hungary that can be added onto the river cruise trips, or be taken on their own.
For the new Rhone voyages, Disney is continuing its partnership with AmaWaterways, using the AmaCello, a 144-passenger vessel built in 2008. The seven-night trips will take travelers through the French region of Provence including stops in Lyon, Tournon, Avignon and Arles.
Planned activities for these trips include options like kayaking beneath the 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard, traveling by steam train and rail bike in the Gorges du Doux , interactive culinary offerings including truffle hunting, cheese and jam making at a goat farm, a visit to an olive oil farm and tastings that include Rhone Valley wines and chocolate.
Also planned is a visit to the little town of Roussillon, famous for its Ochre Trail walking tour among the orange-hued cliffs where visitors will partake in a painting class. Also on the docket are silk-weaving in Lyon and a visit to a former limestone quarry, Carrieres de Lumieres.
Historical tour options will take visitors to former papal headquarters Palais des Papes, Roman ruins of Lyon and Nimes, vollages of Gordes and Les Baux-de-Provence as well as a 12th century home to medieval Cistercian monks, Abbaye de Senanque.
For 2020, another six sailings will be offered on the Seine River on board AmaLyra, with four family-friendly summer trips and two adults-only trips, one in September and one in October. Itineraries that begin and end in Paris include stops in French cities Giverny, Vernon, Le Havre, Conflans and Rouen.
There will be a total of nine seven-night Rhine trips on AmaMora. Six of those will be between May and August, with the first one in May an adults-only option as well as three food-and-wine cruises just for adults in September or October. Cruises will once again visit France, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.
For the fifth year on the Danube, there will be six voyages including four family-friendly summer voyages, one adults-only Oktoberfest voyage in late September and a family-friendly Christmas market cruise in December. The seven-night voyages on AmaLea travel to Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.
The guided travel arm of the Disney empire, Adventures by Disney is entering its 12th year of business. It now offers more than 40 itineraries, mostly land-based adventures, across six continents. The group is under the same Walt Disney Parks Recreation umbrella as Disney Cruise Line and Disney Vacation Club.
Bookings open Jan. 31 at AdventuresByDisney.com or call 1-800-543-0865 for more details.
rtribou@orlandosentinel.com, 407-420-5134
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