Extraordinary Danube Delta and Luxembourg maiden sailings in Fred. Olsen River Cruises' new 2020 'Brabant' programme

Fred. Olsen River Cruises has launched its new 2020 programme on smaller, more intimate Brabant, with 26 tempting itineraries, covering 43 ports of call. In 2020, Fred. Olsen will be introducing 10 maiden calls on board 156-guest Brabant, in five brand new areas, showcasing the beauty of the Rhine, Moselle, Main and Danube, across six countries.

New for 2020 are maiden sailings into Luxembourg, taking in stunning Grevenmacher and Remich – where few other river ships venture – as well as scenic cruises of the Danube Delta, with other inaugural calls to: Trier and Nierstein, in Germany; Cetate, Galați and Dobreta-Turnu Severin, in Romania; Donji Milanovac, in Serbia; Enkhuizen, in The Netherlands; and Vukovar, in Croatia.

Notably, every Fred. Olsen river cruise will incorporate plenty of daytime scenic cruising, so that guests can enjoy some of Europe’s most fantastic scenery – with 14 areas of scheduled scenic cruising included across the itineraries.

Keith Norman, River Sales Manager at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“We enjoyed a very successful inaugural season on Brabant in 2018, but we recognise that we have to build on this first river cruise programme, and learn from our experiences, in an increasingly competitive market. As such, we have been working hard to create a range of even richer, more immersive itineraries to enable our guests – both existing and new – to make memories to last a lifetime, both on board and ashore.

“Achieving the prestigious Feefo 'Trusted Service Award' after our first year of operation demonstrated that we have created a river product that our guests love and trust. This is tremendously important to us, as we look to embark on this year’s river cruise programme, our second on Brabant, with even more exciting and intriguing itineraries, along some of Europe’s finest waterways.”

Brabant guests will also benefit from the introduction of a new enrichment programme in 2020, with almost every sailing featuring a knowledgeable onboard speaker, tailored to the specific itinerary and cruise highlights. Experts in various disciplines will share their knowledge of architecture, wildlife, military history and much more, as Brabant sails to the many places where the speakers have worked, lived or studied, helping to give guests an exceptional, unforgettable holiday.

This new onboard enrichment programme includes John Hughes, from the Royal Horticultural Society, on Brabant’s Spring sailings through Holland, and wine expert Martin Ward, who will welcome guests on board, as they travel through Germany’s world-renowned wine region, along the Middle Rhine and Moselle Valley.

Each itinerary will also offer an optional shore excursions package, which – for the set price of £200 – includes five shore tours, relevant to the specific theme of the cruise, from discovering iconic landmarks to sampling local tipples.

Highlights of Brabant’s exciting new 2020 programme include:

- 14-night R2007 ‘Eastern Europe Discovery to the Danube Delta’ fly-cruise (flights from London / Manchester), ex Budapest, Hungary on 31^st May 2020. Prices start from £2,899 per person.

Follow the mighty Danube all the way down to the Danube Delta, rarely visited by river ships, to witness the birds and other wildlife that inhabit the area, accompanied by accomplished naturalist Chris Bielby. Experience time-honoured traditions and treasures, such as Serbian music and dancing, and taste authentic Hungarian Paprika.

Ports of call: Budapest, Hungary – Vukovar, Croatia – Belgrade, Serbia – Cruising through the Iron Gates – Vidin, Bulgaria – Ruse, Bulgaria – Cruising the Lower Danube – Galați, Romania – Cruising the Danube Delta – St Gheorghe, Romania – Fetești, Romania – Cetate, Romania – Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania – Novi Sad, Serbia – Kalocsa, Hungary – Budapest, Hungary (overnight stay)

For further information: Visit 'Eastern Europe Discovery to the Danube Delta' - R2007

- Seven-night R2016 ‘Sailing the scenic Moselle to Luxembourg’ fly-cruise (flights from London / Manchester), ex Cologne, Germany on 9^th August 2020. Prices start from £1,699 per person.

This route, sailing all the way down to Luxembourg, is one rarely taken by river ships. Spend time in Remich – the ‘Pearl of the Moselle’ – and marvel at the twin-spired Gothic cathedral and Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Cologne, accompanied by Professor Andrew Hopkins, internationally recognised for his architectural knowledge.

Ports of call: Cologne, Germany – Cruising the Lower Moselle Valley – Cochem, Germany – Trier, Germany – Remich, Luxembourg – Grevenmacher, Luxembourg – Cruising the Upper Moselle Valley – Cruising the Middle Moselle Valley – Bernkastel-Kues, Germany – Traben, Trarbach, Germany – Koblenz, Germany – Cologne, Germany

For further information: Visit 'Sailing the Scenic Moselle to Luxembourg' - R2016

- Seven-night R2023 ‘Historic Gems of Germany’ fly-cruise (flights from London / Manchester) on 27^th September 2020. Prices start from £1,599 per person.

Cruise the magnificent Middle Rhine Valley, pass the ‘murmering’ Lorelei rock, and uncover centuries of history in the winding streets, impressive monuments, half-timbered houses and pristine gardens in a number of picture-perfect Germany towns and cities, accompanied by art and architecture expert, Simon Rees.

Ports of call: Cologne, Germany – Cruising the Middle Rhine Balley & by Lorelei – Rüdesheim, Germany – Miltenberg, Germany – Wertheim, Germany – Würzburg, Germany – Bamberg, Germany – Cruising the Main-Danube Canal – Regensburg, Germany (overnight stay)

For further information: Visit 'Historic Gems of Germany' - R2023

110-metre-long Brabant boasts all the usual hallmarks of Fred. Olsen’s 'closer’ approach to cruising. Stylish, classic and comfortable, Brabant has everything that guests will need to make their holiday a memorable one: from bright and spacious public areas, to well-equipped bedrooms and ample deck space, from which to enjoy the superb views. With just four decks and fewer than 80 rooms and suites, staffed by 40 crew members, Brabant has the smaller-scale ‘country house hotel’ feel that Fred. Olsen’s guests know and love.

Fred. Olsen guests – who are predominantly British – will feel at home on board Brabant, with English spoken throughout and all transactions conducted in Pounds Sterling. British taste is also reflected in the cuisine, customer service, shore tours and ‘home from home’ comforts on offer.

For further information on Fred. Olsen River Cruises, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com/river-cruises Book online, call Reservations on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday, 9am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm), or visit an ABTA travel agent.