Fred. Olsen commences second season of 'Brabant' European river cruising in 2019, with enhanced enrichment programme

Fred. Olsen River Cruises has returned to the stunning waterways of Europe this month with its first 'Brabant' sailing of 2019 – a five-night ‘Springtime Dutch Discovery’ fly-cruise from Amsterdam – with a further 27 fly-cruises on offer this year. 

Building on a successful inaugural year in 2018, 156-guest Brabant will return to the Danube, Moselle, Rhine and Main rivers, with cruise durations ranging from five to 25 nights, and an expanded enrichment programme of expert speakers to allow guests to experience the best of each destination.

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

“We enjoyed a very successful first year with Brabant in 2018, but in 2019 we stop being the ‘newcomers’ and will really stake our place in the river cruise market. People have found a love for what we do, and bookings are already up by more than 30% on the same time last year.

“In 2019, our guests can enjoy an expanded enrichment programme, with knowledgeable speakers – experts in their respective fields – joining a number of sailings to enhance the holiday experience. This adds to our immersive programme of shore excursions, which are led by insightful guides, local to the various ports of call.

“There is a big difference between taking a tour and thinking ‘What a lovely building!’, and taking a tour with a real expert, equipped with the knowledge and understanding as to why that building is located where it is, who designed it, who built it, and who lived in it. It is about having a ‘genuine’ experience and appreciation of the place that you are visiting.”

Among the highlights of Brabant’s 2019 programme are:

- Seven-night R1909 ‘Valleys & Mountains of Germany’ fly-cruise, ex Nuremberg, Germany (flights from London Heathrow / Manchester) on 30^th May 2019. Prices start from £999 per person.

Ports of call: Nuremberg, Germany – Bamberg, Germany – Cruising by the Hassberge Mountains – Würzburg, Germany – Miltenberg, Germany – Cruising Middle Rhine Valley – Koblenz, Germany – Cochem, Germany – Cruising Lower Moselle Valley – Cologne, Germany – Düsseldorf, Germany (overnight stay)

For more details: Visit R1909 ‘Scenic Delights of the Moselle Valley’

- Seven-night R1913 ‘Romantic Rhine & Moselle Marvels’ fly-cruise, ex Basel, Switzerland (flights from London Heathrow) on 27^th June 2019. Prices start from £999 per person.

Ports of call: Basel, Switzerland – Cruising Upper Rhine – Breisach, Germany – Strasbourg, France – Speyer, Germany – Mannheim, Germany – Rüdesheim am Rhein, Germany – Cruising Middle Rhine Valley – Braubach, Germany – Koblenz, Germany (overnight stay) – Cruising Lower Moselle Valley – Cochem, Germany – Cologne, Germany – Düsseldorf, Germany (overnight stay)

For more details: Visit 'Romantic Rhine & Moselle Marvels' - R1913

- 10-night R1923 ‘Sailing the Danube’ fly-cruise, ex Hirsova, Romania (flights from London Heathrow / Manchester) on 7^th September 2019. Prices start from £2,199 per person.

Ports of call: Hirsova, Romania – St Gheorghe, Romania – Ruse, Bulgaria (overnight stay) – Vidin, Bulgaria – Cruising the Iron Gates, Serbia – Belgrade, Serbia (overnight stay) – Novi Sad, Serbia – Cruising the Tisa Plain, Hungary – Kalocsa, Hungary – Budapest, Hungary (overnight stay)

For more details: Visit R1923 ‘Sailing the Danube’

Experts set to enhance the guest experience on board Brabant in 2019 include: cyclist and travel writer, Andrew Sykes; Hugh Ellwood, with expertise in history and architecture; wine expert, Martin Ward; and Second World War historian, Philip Sanders. These experts will deliver a series of lectures on board Brabant, which they will then complement by accompanying a number of tours and providing hands-on advice and guidance to guests throughout the shore experience.

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. The British taste is also reflected in the cuisine, customer service and shore tours on offer.

All prices shown are based on two adults sharing a twin-bedded Standard Room, and include accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, port / airport taxes, flights and transfers.

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.