Danube River Cruise   "Celebration of Music"

July 5, 2028 to July 12, 2028

Roundtrip Budapest

AmaWaterways' 164 passenger  AmaSonata

7-Night Cruise with 2-Pre-Cruise Nights in Budapest

Best of the Danube   (Celebration of Music)

9-nights: 2-nights in Budapest, 7-night cruise roundtrip from Budapest, Hungary

Capture the imperial history of Old-World Europe along the Danube River as it flourished beneath towering fortresses and inspired legendary artists and musicians.   As an added feature, these departures have been enhanced as "Celebration of Music" sailings, with specially curated excursions highlighting the rich musical histories of Budapest, Bratislava, Salzburg and Vienna.   Deepen your passion for music as you are treated to a variety of included live performances, such as a choir recital in or around Melk's golden-hued Benedictine abbey and a special evening concert in Vienna.   As you glide along the Danube River, you will enjoy many curated experiences that bring to life the iconic musical figures of the past that left their musical mark along this fascinating European waterway.

July 2, 2028, DEPART U.S.A. for Budapest   [B,L,D - Indicates Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are included on this day].

July 3, 2028, ARRIVE IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY.     Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your exceptional hotel, where you will meet your Cruise Manager and fellow guests and retire for the evening in comfort.

July 4, 2028, BUDAPEST. Budapest is one of Europe's most regal and storied cities - and many of its most iconic sights are just off the banks of the Danube.   Often described as the "Queen of the Danube," Budapest is full of rich history and culture and offers many "hidden" treasures as you venture further past its riverbanks.   During your "Hidden Budapest" excursion, your guide will take you deeper into the city to discover fascinating sites lesser known to the average traveler.   (B)
We will celebrate July 4th with an optional (Bon Voyage) dinner in Hungary's iconic restaurant: Gundel   https://gundel.hu

July 5, 2028, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY     EMBARKATION    Check out of your hotel to board your luxurious ship, perhaps exploring more of the city independently before the evening's briefings, cocktail hour and dinner.   (B,D)

July 6, 2028, BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA.     Take your time this morning as the ship cruises from Austria to Slovakia.   Host to the crowning ceremonies of 11 Hungarian kings and queens between 1536 and 1830, Bratislava certainly has earned the title "Coronation City of Kings," as you'll discover during your walking tour.   Along the way, be delighted by a few surprise musical performances.   If you prefer exploring the world through your tastebuds, join a special "Tastes of Slovakia" tour to sample traditional flavors from the region, including local beer.   For a more active adventure, hike up to Bratislava Castle, offering magnificent views of the city.   (B,L,D)

July 7, 2028, WACHAU VALLEY - MELK, AUSTRIA.     Spend your morning reveling in the postcard-perfect landscapes of Austria's picturesque UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Wachau Valley.   Later in the day, arrive in Melk.   Located above the city on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube, Melk Abbey is one of Europe's largest and most revered Baroque monasteries and a breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site.   Originally founded in the 11th century, the magnificent abbey now houses a museum chronicling its history and a famous library with countless medieval manuscripts.   During your tour you will see some of Melk's musical manuscripts as well as frescoes painted by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Paul Troger.   Plus, enjoy a live choir performance in or around the abbey.   (B,L,D)

July 8, 2028, LINZ, AUSTRIA.     Arrive in Linz, where you'll have multiple choices for excursions.   Fulfill your travel wish list in Salzburg a full-day excursion that includes a tour through the historic center, lovely Mirabell Gardens, Residenz Square and the Old Market.   You will also visit the museum at the famed yellow building known as Mozart Birth House and residence where the legendary composer was born in 1756 and lived until 1773.   Alternatively, join a full-day excursion to the charming Czech mountain town of Cesky Krumlov, where you can stroll its cobblestone streets; marvel at the city's picturesque Baroque and Renaissance-style buildings; and tour Krumlov Castle, one of Europe's largest castle complexes.   If you opt not to join the full-day excursions, tour Linz on a guided tour, taking in its contemporary architecture as well as the old city center, the old market and past the Mozart House, where he composed the Linz Symphony in only three days.   As another alternative, pedal through Linz on an exhilarating bike tour. In the afternoon, follow the whiskey distilling process from start to finish, then enjoy a sample of the finished product during a special tasting.   (B,L,D)

July 9, 2028, VIENNA, AUSTRIA.     Enjoy a full morning of scenic cruising, taking some time to sit back, relax and delight in the ever-changing views.   Sleep in late, participate in a complimentary wellness class, treat yourself to a massage and get to know fellow cruisers while exploring all the amenities on board. In the afternoon, enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride through the historic city center as a traditionally costumed coachman regales you with fascinating stories along your route, offering a new perspective on this sophisticated city.   Alternatively, take a thrilling guided bike ride along the romantic Danube Canal and through the city, traversing a bridge, cycling across a meadow and heading to Vienna's famous Ringstrasse Boulevard.  In the evening, join us for a special included concert on shore in Vienna you won’t soon forget.   (B,L,D)

July 10, 2028, VIENNA.     Following your overnight in the "City of Waltzes," explore the city of music while following in the footsteps of one or more world-renowned composers, such as Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, from their past residences to museums to grand monuments.   Next, visit the House of Music, an interactive museum where you can feel sound waves, learn more about composers of the Viennese Classical period and even enjoy a virtual simulation where you are the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra!  If you prefer to connect with nature, journey to the town of Cobenzl where you will embark on a hike through the famed Vienna Woods that inspired a waltz composed by Johann Strauss II.   (B,L,D) July 8, 2026 AmaWaterways – Marketing Detailed Itinerary

July 11, 2028, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY.     Budapest offers an unmatched combination of culture and tradition. Start your exploration with the treasures of Pest, admire the colossal Hungarian Parliament Building, Heroes' Square and the moving "Shoes on the Danube Bank" memorial.   Or revel in an itinerary-exclusive classical music tour of Budapest.   This special tour invites you to enter a world of grandeur as your knowledgeable local guide leads you through the exquisitely designed Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest, followed by a stop at the Franz Liszt Memorial Museum, where the renowned Hungarian musician and composer lived for many years.   For a more active tour, hike to Budapest’s Castle Hill. In the afternoon, explore the Buda side of the Danube, following your guide through the city's Castle District where you will marvel at the fairytale turrets of Fisherman's Bastion, gaze upon the breathtaking panorama below and see Matthias Church, renowned for its striking tower and colorful mosaic roof.   (B,L,D)

July 12, 2028, BUDAPEST     DISEMBARKATION    Bid farewell to Budapest and prepare for your flight home.

Itinerary is subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the itinerary schedule provided with your final documents.

Category E  160 Sq. Ft. with Window:       $3,989 DBL,     $6,489 SGL.
Category C    170 Sq. Ft. with Fr. Bal:       $5,588 DBL,     $8,887 SGL.
Category BB   210 Sq. Ft. with Veranda:   $6,188 DBL,     $9,787 SGL.   < < <  SOLD  OUT  > > >
Category AB   235 Sq. Ft. with Veranda:   $6,588 DBL,   $10,387 SGL.
Category AA+   290 Sq. Ft. with Veranda: $7,388 DBL,   $15,486 SGL.

Your $400 deposit will be applied to your final payment
Final Payment date: April 1, 2028
Cancellations after March 1, 2028 will incur penalties
If you are a veteran, you will receive a $250 discount
AmaWaterways’ alumni receive additional discount
Fares and itinerary are subject to change

3  Nights  Krakow
Optional Land Packages  (post-cruise)
Extend your journey with curated post-cruise land packages

$1,680 per person  (double occupancy)
$2,400 per person  (single rate)

3  Nights  Krakow

Post-Cruise - Day 1   Welcome to Krakow
Upon arrival in Krakow, transfer to your hotel and settle in.  The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax and begin enjoying the unique atmosphere of this historic city.

Post-Cruise - Day 2
Exploring Krakow's Historic Core.  Explore Krakow on a guided city tour that includes Wawel Castle, the historic Jewish Quarter and Schindler’s factory, offering insight into the city's layered history and enduring cultural identity.

Post-Cruise - Day 3
Krakow Departure Day
Bid farewell to Krakow and prepare for your flight home.

Clifford "Kip" Cranna, PhD
Condensed Bio

Kip Cranna is Dramaturg (Scholar in Residence) Emeritus of San Francisco Opera, where he was on staff for 40 years. He holds a PhD in musicology from Stanford University and writes and lectures frequently on classical music. He teaches courses on opera appreciation at Stanford Continuing Studies, the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) at U.C. Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and Dominican University. He has served as musical docent for San Francisco Opera patron travel as well as for Smithsonian Tours. He is the recipient of several awards, including the San Francisco Opera Medal in 2008

Clifford "Kip" Cranna, PhD
Full Length Biography

Dr. Clifford (Kip) Cranna is Dramaturg Emeritus of San Francisco Opera, where he served on the staff for over 40 years, 30 of them as Director of Music Administration. As Dramaturg (Scholar in Residence) he dealt with educational and community outreach projects, commissions of new operas, and musicological support to the staff. In 2008 he received the San Francisco Opera Medal, his Company’s highest honor. In 2012 his work was honored with the Bernard Osher Cultural Award for distinguished efforts by an individual to bring excellence to a cultural institution. In 2014 he received the Star of Excellence Award for outstanding service to the programs of the San Francisco Opera Guild. .

He received his B.A. in choral conducting at the University of North Dakota, and his Ph.D. in musicology at Stanford University, where he specialized in Renaissance and Baroque music history and theory.

He has managed the commission or co-commission of more than twenty new operas, including Esther (1993) by Hugo Weisgall, The Dangerous Liaisons (1994) by Conrad Susa, Harvey Milk (1996) by Stewart Wallace, A Streetcar Named Desire (1998) by André Previn, Dead Man Walking (2000) by Jake Heggie, Earthrise (2003) by Lewis Spratlan, Doctor Atomic (2005) by John Adams, Appomattox (2007) by Philip Glass, The Bonesetter’s Daughter (2008) by Stewart Wallace, Three Decembers (2008) by Jake Heggie, Heart of a Soldier (2011) by Christopher Theofanidis, Moby Dick (2012) by Jake Heggie, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene (2013) by Mark Adamo, The Secret Garden (2013) by Nolan Gasser, Dolores Claiborne (2013) by Tobias Picker, La Ciociara (Two Women) (2015) by Marco Tutino, Dream of the Red Chamber (2016) by Bright Sheng, Girls of the Golden West (2017) by John Adams, and If I Were You by Jake Heggie, for the Merola Opera Program (2019).

Dr. Cranna has served as Dramaturg and Jurist for Opera For All Voices, a consortium of seven opera companies working to commission new American chamber operas. In May of 2016 he served as Dramaturg for Washington National Opera’s presentation of Wagner’s Ring at the Kennedy Center

He has served as vocal adjudicator for numerous groups including the Metropolitan Opera National Council. For thirty years he was Program Editor and Lecturer for the Carmel Bach Festival. He has taught at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and currently teaches at Stanford Continuing Studies, the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) at Dominican University, U.C. Berkeley and San Francisco State University. He gives regular talks for the San Francisco Jewish Community Center and the Palm Springs Opera Guild, among various other groups.

He has conducted a number of choral groups in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has been active as a director of church music programs. He has served as a grant-award panelist for the Santa Clara County Arts Council. He was a longtime member of the Board of Trustees of Chanticleer, a professional vocal ensemble, and is currently on the board of Humanities West and the contemporary music group Opera Parallèle.

As a frequent guest lecturer throughout Northern California in the field of music appreciation, and has presented programs for such diverse groups as the San Francisco Symphony, Phi Beta Kappa, the Commonwealth Club of California, the Glimmerglass Festival, the Wagner Society, the Yung Institute, the Exploratorium, the National Opera Association, and the alumni groups of Stanford, Yale, and Columbia. He has written numerous articles on opera and recording liner notes, and music reviews for the online service San Francisco Classical Voice. He has also served as a musical Study Leader for Smithsonian Study Tours as well as for opera patron tours for San Francisco Opera, and as intermission host for the San Francisco Opera radio broadcasts. He was named 2006 “Man of the Year” by Il Cenacolo, a San Francisco men’s Italian cultural organization. He is an avid bicyclist and is proud of his world-class collection of martini shakers.

Your Hosts: Tom Taffel & Bill Repp

Tom and Bill have organized and hosted 88 group cruises, and will be
happy to welcome you aboard AmaWaterways' Classical Music Cruise.

We will celebrathe July 4th with an optional dinner in Hungary’s most famous restaurant: “Gundel” https://gundel.hu
the 130-year-old Gundel Palace and iconic home of Hungarian gastronomy where kings, queens, presidents and the Pope have dined.

Gundel is more than a restaurant – it is one of the most well-known symbols of Hungarian hospitality, which has preserved and represented Hungarian culinary traditions for more than 130 years.

At Gundel, everything is about respecting traditions and nurturing heritage: the timeless elegance of the 19th-century palace building, Károly Gundel's iconic recipes and the unparalleled hospitality that has defined the uniqueness of the moments spent here for generations.

Gundel is the only restaurant to be awarded the Hungaricum Award, and it is also the most famous Hungarian restaurant, which is deservedly on the bucket list of many. Its special location also raises its rank: it awaits its guests in the heart of Budapest, at the gate of the City Park, in the immediate vicinity of Heroes' Square!

The upstairs halls of the 130-year-old building serve as one of the most prestigious event venues in the capital, where weddings, balls, corporate events, conferences and trainings can also take place in a worthy environment – in the style of Gundel, with elegance in keeping with traditions.

Hungarian State Opera House

Magyar Allami Operahaz Opened in 1884 ~ UNESCO World Heritage Site The capacity is 1,000 guests The Hungarian State Opera House "Magyar Alami Operahaz" is a historic opera house located in central Budapest, on Andrassy Avenue. Known as the Hungarian Royal Opera House, Construction began in 1875, funded by the city of Budapest and by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary, and the new house opened to the public on the 27 September 1884. Many important artists were guests here including the composer Gustav Mahler, who was director in Budapest from 1888 to 1891 and Otto Klemperer, who was music director for three years from 1947 to 1950.

In the 1970s the state of the building prompted the Hungarian State to order a major renovation which eventually began in 1980 and lasted till 1984. The reopening was held exactly 100 years after the original opening, on the 27 September 1984. It is a richly decorated building and is considered one of the architect's masterpieces. It was built in neo-Renaissance style, with elements of Baroque. Although in size and capacity it is not among the greatest, in beauty and the quality of acoustics the Budapest Opera House is considered to be amongst the finest opera houses in the world. The auditorium is horseshoe-shaped and - according to measurements done in the 1970s - has the third best acoustics in Europe after La Scala in Milan and the Palais Garnier in Paris. Although many opera houses have been built since, the Budapest Opera House is still among the best in terms of the acoustics. In front of the building are statues of Ferenc Erkel and Franz Liszt. Liszt is the best known Hungarian composer. Erkel composed the Hungarian national anthem, and was the first music director of the Opera House; he was also founder of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. Each year the season lasts from September to the end of June and, in addition to opera performances, the House is home to the Hungarian National Ballet.

B     U     D     A      P      E     S     T

Buda + + + + + + + + + + ++ + + + + + + + + Pest

Hilly - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Flat

Hiking, biking, garden parties - - - - - - - - - -Cultural

Neighbors are closely tied - - - - - - - - - - - - -Theaters, movies, opera, museums, cafes, restaurants, ruin bars

Higher-richer/shower lifestyle - - - - - - - - - -Faster lifestyle

Mathias Church, Royal Palace - - - - - - - - - Heroes' Square, Parliament (3rd largest in the world: 700 rooms,

Castle Bazar, Funicular Railway - - - - - - - -224 statues, 80 pounds of 22 carat gold. The Shoes memorial,

Royal Palace, Castle Bazar Gardens - - - - -(2005 Holocaust Memorial), St. Stephen's Basilica with its 360

Turkish (Thermal) Baths, Citadel - - - - - - -degree panorama (1905), The Great Synagogue (1859, the

Liberty Statue - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -second largest synagogue in the world (NYC is the largest).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Opera House (1884 - financed by Emperor Franz Joseph -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -seen in the movie "Evita." Szechenyi Bath (1913 steambath).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Central/Grand Market Hall (1896 - Paprika, fruits & vegetables).

Across the Chain Bridge: stroll on the Promenade, cross the Chain Bridge and take the Funicular uphill For a panoramic view of the city by the Royal Palace - near the Matthias Coronation Church.

Stroll on Pest: Walk on the Promenade, pedestrian area. Pass the Basilica and continue to the Parliament. Stroll from the ship to the Market Hall, across the (green) Liberty Bridge up to Gellert Bath, ending at the Chappel in the Rock.

Try the Hungarian lard, spread on bread, bone marrow served in the bone, and famous liver dumplings in soup. Paprika chicken, Goulash, Langosh, Chimney cakes and strudels. Check out Hungary's world renown Herend china dating back to 1826 and Hungary's most famous Vass shoes.