CRUISE THE RHINE RIVER
WITH BURT WOLF

THROUGH HOLLAND, GERMANY & FRANCE

AND HELP SUPPORT PUBLIC BROADCASTING

DEPARTURE 11TH SEPTEMBER 2010 –

RETURN 19TH SEPTEMBER 2010

TEL: 1.888.365.3443

Cruise priced from $3,289 to $3,938 (plus airfare).

Burt Wolf, the host of the public television series Travels & Traditions, invites you to join him on this Avalon Waterways' Rhine River Cruise. Burt will be your onboard host throughout the trip. This is a unique opportunity to travel with Burt, see the sights, and experience the places where his television shows were filmed.

OVERVIEW OF THE CRUISE

Prior to departure, Burt will mail each guest a packet of his research and background material about the tour locations and a DVD of one of his programs that relates to the cruise. These materials are his personal evaluation of the area – the history, art, architecture, what to eat, what to buy and what to see. It will give you detailed background information on the places we are going to visit. It will also give you some ideas for things you might like to do in your free time. Unlike ocean cruising, our river cruise often docks right in the city center. You can tour close to the ship or venture further into town. The ship’s entire interior is non-smoking and all announcements are in English.

With Burt as your host, the cruise will begin in Amsterdam, Holland and travel through Germany and France, ending in Basel, Switzerland. The cruise itinerary includes stops in Cologne, Coblenz, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, and Breisach, with an excursion to the Black Forest. Avalon Luminary’s English-speaking Captain, Cruise Director, and crew are experienced professionals dedicated to your comfort.

SPECIAL BURT WOLF EVENTS AND RESEARCH MATERIALS

In addition to being your host throughout the cruise, Burt will conduct the following special events:

1. A Tasting of the Wines, Beers or Spirits of the Region.
2. A Tasting of the Special Foods of the Region.
3. An Introduction to The History of European Architecture.
4. An Introduction to The History of Chocolate.
5. An Introduction to The History of Wine In America.
6. A Talk about how Burt’s Public Television Programs are Produced.

CRUISE ITINERARY

DAY 1 – SATURDAY, 11TH SEPTEMBER 2010
DEPART U.S. FOR AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

Board your overnight flight from the United States to Amsterdam.

DAY 2 – SUNDAY, 12TH SEPTEMBER 2010
ARRIVE AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
(EMBARKATION)

If you have booked your air travel with Avalon, or made special arrangements, an Avalon representative will be at the Amsterdam airport to assist you with your transfer to the boat. Burt keeps a list of what he likes best in Amsterdam, (eating, drinking, cultural attractions and shopping), which he updates regularly. He’ll share it with you as soon as you arrive. If you are in Amsterdam before mid-day, there are two optional tours:

1.) A visit to the Rijksmuseum, which houses the works of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals.

2.) A tour of the village of Zaanse Schans, which was built to preserve traditional Dutch life. Some of the buildings date back over 400 years and include 8 working windmills. The village also has a number of old-fashion shops where time-honored crafts are demonstrated. In mid-afternoon, Avalon representatives will transfer you from our meeting point hotel to the ship. At about 6pm, everyone will meet for a drink with Burt and the cruise director for a briefing on the itinerary.

DAY 3 – MONDAY, 13TH SEPTEMBER 2010 * AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

This morning, you’ll cruise the canals and discover the city. It’s also a good time to take in a few of Amsterdam’s unique attractions --- a Brown Café, which is Holland’s answer to England’s pub, a museum dedicated to the history of the handbag with over 3,000 examples, the House Boat Museum, where you can see what it’s like to live in a houseboat on one of Amsterdam’s canals. About mid-day, we start sailing to Cologne, Germany. Burt has arranged for an onboard tasting of Holland’s cheeses and a local distilled spirit.

DAY 4 – TUESDAY, 14TH SEPTEMBER 2010 * COLOGNE, GERMANY

Built by the ancient Romans, Cologne is a mixture of old and new – 60,000 university students keeps it young, a thousand-year-old cathedral gives it maturity. There will be a guided tour of the city that ends at the cathedral --- Germany’s most popular tourist attraction. You’ll also have time to find out why light perfumes are called Eau de Cologne, and join Burt at his favorite beer garden where he will treat you to a taste of the local beer called Kölsch.

DAY 5 – WEDNESDAY, 15TH SEPTEMBER 2010 * COBLENZ–RHINE GORGE–RÜDESHEIM, GERMANY

Next day, we arrive in Coblenz and have a guided tour of this 2,000-year-old city which has become a major cultural center. The name Coblenz comes from a Roman word meaning “confluence”, which makes sense since Coblenz is situated where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers meet. Later in the day, we sail through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, which is the most beautiful stretch of river. We’ll pass the legendary Rock of the Lorelei, where the songs of a local beauty lured enchanted sailors to their doom. We dock for the night at Rüdesheim, which is a perfect example of a Rhine Valley wine town. We’ll explore the heart of Rüdesheim’s downtown, visit Siegfried’s Museum with its amazing collection of mechanical musical instruments, and stop for taste of the local coffee which is laced with brandy and topped with whipped cream.

DAY 6 – THURSDAY, 16TH SEPTEMBER 2010 * HEIDELBERG, GERMANY

Heidelberg was a Celtic settlement, the site of a Roman fort and for 500 years, starting in the early 1200s, the hometown of the mighty counts who elected the kings of Germany. The counts were responsible for three of the most important things in Heidelberg: 1. Their castle -- which they started building in the 1300s and finished about 400 years later. We’ll take an inside guided tour of the castle. 2. The University -- which was founded in 1386 and is the oldest university in Germany. There’s an optional lunch with Burt at his favorite student hangout and a tasting of Absinthe, which was the beverage of choice for Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and Hemingway. 3. The Church of the Holy Ghost -- which dates to 1398 and has a unique history of serving both Catholic and Protestant congregations at the same time. We’ll stop in for an organ concert.

DAY 7 – FRIDAY, 17TH SEPTEMBER 2010 * STRASBOURG, FRANCE

Situated on the border of France and Germany, Strasbourg is influenced by both cultures. There is a guided tour of the city, including a canal cruise, and the opportunity to join Burt for a drink at his favorite bistro - Strasbourg is home to the Kronenbourg Beer Brewery. In addition, there is an optional tour to the Alsace countryside with a tasting of local wines.

DAY 8 – SATURDAY, 18TH SEPTEMBER 2010 * BREISACH, GERMANY

Breisach is a charming little medieval town. Once surrounded by city walls, the gates to the city still stand. Breisach is the gateway to Germany’s Black Forest region, an area of unrivaled natural beauty with its forests of thick pine trees. In the morning, there is a visit to the shop of a skilled wood carver and a tasting of Black Forest cherry cake. During the afternoon, there is an optional tour to the town of Colmar. Colmar is a “little Venice” crisscrossed with canals, and packed with ancient buildings of architectural interest, including St. Matthieu, one of the most important Gothic/Renaissance churches of the 13th century.

DAY 9 – SUNDAY, 19TH SEPTEMBER 2010 * BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION)
TRANSFER TO ZÜRICH AIRPORT

Homebound flights should not leave the Zürich airport before 10:00am. Your flight will arrive back in the United States on the same day (Sunday 19 September).

A NOTE FROM BURT ABOUT OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS & THE CRUISE ITINERARY

The basic trip contains all the elements that I consider essential. However, having taken the cruise before,
I realized that there were a number of excursions that might prove interesting to some (but not all) of our passengers. I was reluctant to add the cost of these excursions to the general trip, but felt they should be offered to fellow passengers who might find the subjects inviting. The additional cost for each optional excursion is $25 per person. You can sign-up for these optional excursions while you are onboard and pay at the end of the cruise. I will be onboard to answer any additional questions.

Please note: Avalon Waterways makes their best efforts to keep to the itinerary as noted, however, factors may arise during the tour that compel Avalon to adjust the schedule.

EXCELLENT FOOD

One of the most popular aspects of a Burt Wolf River Cruise is the excellence of the food. Each full day onboard, there is a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is a cocktail reception, welcome dinner, and Captain’s dinner --- one sitting with open seating arrangements (non-assigned). At dinner each evening, there is a selection of a red wine and a white wine from Europe’s most famous wine regions, which are served throughout the meal without charge.

Early Riser Coffee: 6:00am, Self-service coffee, hot water, tea bags, croissants, cookies or other finger foods.

Breakfast: 7:00am – 8:30am, A buffet table includes a wide variety of breads, cereals, fruit and fruit salad, cold cuts, smoked salmon, cheeses, pastries, yogurts and juices. Scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon and other hot items can vary from day to day. The chef will prepare fresh omelets and other egg dishes to order.

Lunch: Usually served at 12:30pm depending on the cruise schedule, buffet-style with appetizers, soups, sandwiches, cold cuts, breads, salad bar, two main courses (one of which may be a carving station), dessert table, cheese board and fresh fruit.

Afternoon Tea: Coffee, tea, and cake will be served either in the lounge or on the Sun or Sky Deck.

Dinner: Usually served at 7:30pm depending on cruise schedule. Dinner is traditionally four courses including a vegetarian selection. Choice of entrees with every dinner to include complimentary red and white wines.

MOST MODERN SHIPS ON THE RIVER

Burt evaluated dozen of ships before selecting the Avalon fleet. Launching in 2010, the Avalon Luminary is the newest design in ships for river cruising.

YOUR HOST * BURT WOLF

Since 1982, Burt has written and produced over 4,000 segments for Cable News Network (CNN), 800 segments for ABC (the American Broadcasting Company), 125 half-hour programs for the travel division of The Discovery Channel, 25 half hours for the Family Channel, and 250 half hours for Public Broadcasting. He has been nominated for two Cable Ace Awards and a national Emmy in connection with culture and history.

AIR TRANSPORTATION

Air Transportation between the U.S. / Amsterdam and Zürich / U.S. can be made privately or through Avalon Waterways. Globus offers competitive air-inclusive prices, including Business Class. Avalon offers free airport transfers (9/12/10 Amsterdam airport to Amsterdam meeting point; 9/19/10 ship to Zürich airport) when you book your transatlantic flights with Avalon.

EXPENSES NOT INCLUDED

Expenses not included in the Land/Cruise cost include: roundtrip airfare, travel insurance, port tax (approximately $98.00), optional excursions, miscellaneous onboard expenses (laundry, internet, telephone, minibar, liquor/food not on the regular menu, porters at airports, excess baggage fees, gratuities to your Cruise Director, guides and ship’s crew), passport, airport transfers in Europe (approximately $70.00 per person) and all other items of a personal nature. If you book your air with Avalon the airport transfer fee is waived.

STATEROOMS – 172 SQ. FT.

1 Bed 2 Toilet 3 Sink 4 Shower 5 Closet 6 Writing Desk 7 Sliding Glass Doors

COSTS

The Land/Cruise cost, per person (based on double occupancy):

ALL STATEROOMS ARE OUTSIDE-FACING
THERE IS A PASSENGER ELEVATOR ON THIS SHIP

DECK PLANS

Built: 2010; Length: 361 ft.; Crew members: 39; Staterooms: 65; Jr. Suites: 4

6 Reception 7 Foyer 8 Internet Corner 9 Lounge 9a Outside Viewing Deck 10 Bar 11 Club Lounge 12 Hairdresser 13 Elevator 14 Restaurant 15 Galley 16 Fitness Center

Royal Deck	Sapphire Deck Aft
Royal Deck	Indigo Deck Forward
Sapphire Deck Forward

Panoramic sliding glass doors on Royal and Sapphire Decks