The above group portrait was taken on November 17 in Bratislava during a guided walking tour of the Slovakian capital. Besides the generous overnight accommodations by CroisiEurope, the Steigenberger Hotel and the Hilton Vienna Plaza Hotel, additional sponsors included, the Vienna Tourist Office, Welcome Touristic in Vienna, Welcome Touristic in Budapest and the Kursalon in Vienna.
Danube River Cruise Business Development Trip 2009 ITINERARY
Day / Date
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Day 0
Thursday
November 12
Depart USA on flights to Vienna
on board flight
on board flight
Day 1
Friday
November 13
Arrive Vienna in the afternoon or evening
Meet outside Customs/Baggage Claim
Transfer to Hotel
12:15pm Lunch near hotel Afternoon Walking Tour conducted by the Vienna Tourist Board
Dinner on your own
Day 2
Saturday
November 14
Breakfast at hotel
9:30 am Group Welcome
Schonnbrunn Castle tour
Lunch and Hotel Inspections
4:30pm Embark MS VIVALDI Ship Inspection
Welcome Cocktail Reception
Welcome Dinner onboard
Ship remains at dock
Day 3
Sunday
November 15
Breakfast onboardl
Morning Vienna City Tour
Lunch onboard
Ship Departs Vienna in the afternoon
Dinner served while sailing into Budapest
Ship arrives late into Budapest
Day 4
Monday
November 16
Breakfast onboardl
Morning Budapest City Tour
Lunch onboard
Afternoon Hotel Inspections and Sightseeing
Hungarian Dinner served onboard with local entertainment
Ship departs late
Day 5
Tuesday
November 17
Breakfast onboardl
Morning sailing the Danube
Lunch onboard
Afternoon arrival into Bratislava and Walking Tour
Farewell Dinner served onboard
Ship departs late
Day 6
Wednesday
November 18
Breakfast onboardl
Ship Arrives Vienna
Disembarkation and transfer to hotel
Full day at leisure
Lunch on own
Dinner on own
Join us at the Kursalon for a Mozart Concert
Day 7
Thursday
November 19
Breakfast at hotel
Transfers to the Airport
Lunch onboard
12pm Arrive Penang
Special Shore Excursion
Dinner onboard
8pm Ship departs
All Activities and Times are subject to change
Program Overview
November 13
Arrival at Vienna Airport with transfer to the Steigenberger Hotel. We have requested early checkin. If that is available, you will be given your room key. If not, the hotel will hold your bags and you will be advised as to when your room will become available. We will be greeting arrivals at the airport and the hotel on morning pickups only. At 12:00 Noon, we will meet in the lobby where Krista Suess of Welcome Touristic in Vienna will be introduced to our fam group. At 12:15 PM, we will have lunch at the Café Central that will include, Elke Bachner, a representative of the Vienna Tourist Office. Elke will have lunch with this prior to embarking on a guided walk around the Vienna city center. After the walking tour, participants will have the rest of the day free with dinner on their own. There will be suggestions for dinner by your guide, your hosts and the hotel personnel.
November 14
After breakfast and hotel checkout, we will meet in the lobby of the Steigenberger with our luggage at 8:45 AM for an inspection of the hotel. At 9:30 AM, a guide and motorcoach will be waiting to take the group on a coach tour to the Schonnbrunn Castle. The tour will be followed by a hosted lunch by Trend Hotels at their Savoyan property and an inspection. After lunch, there will be some other hotel inspections of various first class properties in the city center of Vienna. At the end of the afternoon (approximately 4:30 PM), the group will be transported to the MS Vivaldi for embarkation on their Danube River cruise. A ship inspection has been arranged prior to embarkation of the other passengers. After the inspection, everyone is invited to the Piano Bar Lounge for a welcome drink and an opportunity to meet Ursula Deutsch of the Danube River Commission. Ursula will inform the group about her work on the commission which involves coordinating policies with all the countries that border the Danube River from Germany eastward to Romania and Bulgaria. This is followed by the introduction of the crew in the main lounge and an Austrian-themed dinner. Overnight is in Vienna.
November 15
Buffet breakfast is served on board. This morning a coach tour of Vienna is planned. Vienna has been {the location of the imperial residence for more than six centuries and it has been deeply marked by the seal of the Hapsburgs. If, for many people, the Austrian capital evokes the rhythm of the waltz or the silhouette of the big Ferris wheel at the Prater Amusement Park, it owes its primary attraction, above all, to its monuments and memories of the Hapsburgs. Vienna is also known for the riches of its museums, its musical traditions (continued by the Opera) and by various illustrious ensembles. After the city tour, it is back to the ship for lunch on board followed by the beginning of the cruise to Budapest. This afternoon is devoted to sailing east on the Danube, a river rich in history and immense heritage. Dinner is served on board followed by an evening of dancing. Arrival is scheduled in Budapest sometime during the evening hours. Overnight is in Budapest.
November 16
After breakfast is served on board, a coach tour of Budapest is planned. You are invited to explore this astonishing city which has been cut in half by the Danube: You have Buda with its hills and valleys, and Pest with its flat plain. The panoramic view of the city from the Buda side overlooks Pest and the banks of the Danube River. Buda is very laid-back with narrow cobblestone streets, colourful shops, Turkish baths and the Royal Palace. Pest is a bustling city with main shopping areas, historical sites, major hotels and sophisticated restaurants. The cities were two separate entities divided by the Danube River until their official union in 1872. Budapest is also listed as part of the world's cultural heritage by UNESCO.. After the tour, it is back to the ship for lunch on board. In the afternoon, you will meet our ground operator partners at Welcome Touristic. They will arrive after lunch to take us around the city for hotel inspections and lead discussions of how they help manage pre- and/or post-cruise land programs in their area. Dinner is served on board with a “Hungarian theme” followed by an evening of entertainment. Departure of the ship is scheduled for around 12:00 Midnight, as we head back to the west towards Bratislava on an overnight sailing.
November 17
There is sailing during the morning with breakfast served on board. Lunch is served on board during the cruise with arrival in Bratislava scheduled for around 4:00 PM. A walking tour of the Slovakian capital is planned. The city of Bratislava not only occupies a highly privileged geographic location on the Danube River (between the imperial capitals of Budapest and Vienna), but the city is also favorably influenced from the north by the southern slopes of the Little Carpathian Mountains. The charm of Bratislava lies primarily in its “old town” with its splendid Baroque palaces, churches and pleasant squares. After the tour, it is back on board the ship for<0} dinner and a gala evening. Departure of the cruise heading back west to Vienna takes place during the evening hours with an overnight sailing scheduled.
November 18
Arrival in Vienna is scheduled for early in the morning with breakfast served on board. Disembarkation takes place at 9:00 AM. Upon disembarkation from the MS Vivaldi in Vienna, coach transportation will be provided to the Hilton Vienna Plaza Hotel. Upon arrival, an inspection of that hotel will take place. After the inspection, if rooms are available, you may check in. Plan B is to leave the bags with the concierge and head out for free time to visit the city, if the rooms are not yet available for check in. The rest of this day is planned free time. Dinner is on your own but please be advised that you have been invited to the famous Kursalon this evening for a classical music concert.
November 19
After breakfast and hotel checkout, transportation will be arranged from the Hilton to the Vienna Airport, according to flight schedules.
Our Hotels
Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof
Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof
Herrengasse 10
1010 Wien Österreich
Telefon +43 1 53404-0
Telefax +43 1 53404-155
Vienna, 1st district, Herrengasse 10: Behind the neoclassical façade of the former Herrenhof coffeehouse, where famous men like Friedrich Torberg and Robert Musil fostered the Viennese coffeehouse tradition, there will be a modern hotel for quality-conscious business travellers and tourists.
Built in 1913, the Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof blends in perfectly with the surrounding old town, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. It is only a stone's throw from the Hofburg Imperial Palace and the Kohlmarkt shopping centre.
Many other points of interest, including the Spanish Riding School, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Museumsquartier and the Albertina, are only a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.
The modern ambience of "Café Herrenhof" is continued in the restaurant, which has a separate entrance on Fahnengasse (U-Bahn/metro stop "Herrengasse"). The Viennese cuisine is equally modern, making the establishment a culinary jewel amidst the international restaurant scene of the 1st district.
For small, private occasions, we can section off seating areas with a curtain.
Hilton Vienna Plaza
Schottenring 11,
Vienna, Austria A - 1010
Tel: 43-1-313-900
Fax: 43-1-313-902-2009
The contemporary Hilton Vienna Plaza hotel is set in the heart of commercial Vienna, overlooking the historic Ringstrasse and decorated with more than 1000 original art works.
Dine on modern European cuisine, Austrian favourites and seasonal dishes at the light and airy Plaza Restaurant & Bar or La Scala Restaurant. Enjoy the onsite sauna, whirlpool and exercise room, or unwind in the special relaxing area.
All Hilton Vienna Plaza hotel rooms have wireless internet.
The contemporary hotel is in the heart of commercial Vienna, overlooking the historic Ringstrasse and decorated with more than 1000 original art works. Enjoy modern European creations like salmon medallions in Pernod and classic Wiener schnitzel at this contemporary Vienna restaurant. Sitting comfortably in high-backed leather chairs, locals and guests of the Hilton Vienna Plaza hotel love the airy minimalism and neutral tones of the Feel at home in this spacious 36m²/387sq.ft room with wireless internet access . The Art Deco-style room has large opening windows. Catch up on work at the desk, curl up in the easy chair or on the chaise longue or reinvigorate yourself in the marble bathroom.
Our Ship
MS VIVALDI
The MS Vivaldi – at the cutting edge of technology
The MS VIVALDI is the 27th and latest of CroisiEurope’s ships. It will join four other craft from the CroisiEurope fleet on the River Danube in order to meet the demands of the many passengers who wish to travel to this mythical destination. Developed along the same designs that characterize the entire CroisiEurope fleet, the MS VIVALDI is 110 metres long, 11.4 metres wide and has three decks. Equipped with the latest cutting edge technology, the MS Vivaldi combines comfort and safety in the optimum way. Its new satellite-assisted navigation/driving system is proof of this technology and it will provide genuine help with the ship’s navigation. Recently developed by the University of Stuttgart, this system has been designed to provide an automated back-up for the captain’s navigation through the calculation and interpretation of all data necessary to provide the ideal control. It gives both additional security and valuable assistance to navigational procedures.
The MS VIVALDI can accommodate 176 passengers in a total of 88 cabins, each equipped with en suite shower and wc, hairdryer, safe, radio, flat-screen television, radio-telephone and individually controlled heating and air-conditioning. The attractive restaurant located on Deck 1 can serve meals to up to 180 passengers in a single sitting. The ship’s galley kitchen is furnished with the latest top-of-the-range, high-precision kitchen utensils and equipment in order to provide meals of the highest quality. A very spacious lounge bar with a central dance floor offers passengers an ideal area to relax and socialise.
There is also a second bar, located towards the stern of the ship on Deck 2. Smaller and cosier than the main lounge bar, the Pianorama Bar has a Video-TV and a pleasant adjoining terrace for relaxing, reading or socialising. Of course it goes without saying that the MS VIVALDI also has a very large sun deck of more than 1000 square metres, where passengers can relax on sun-loungers and enjoy the sun and fresh air to the full. The inspired decor gives a new, modern touch which is in perfect harmony with the on-board ambience. The up-to-the-minute colours of the furnishings and the clean, uncluttered lines of the furniture create an atmosphere on board that is full of sparkle and shimmer. Once again, CroisiEurope, leader of European cruising, has produced a ship of exceptional quality with the MS VIVALDI, which bears testament to its renowned expertise in this field.
MS VIVALDI
Built : 2009 Length : 110 long Width : 11.40 m wide Cabins : 88 cabins Capacity : 176 passengers Equipements : all cabins are equipped with shower and toilet,hairdryer, satellite TV, radio, safe.
Central heating, 230V electricity, air-conditioning, radar, TV and video in the lounge. Facilities : lounge-bar with a dance floor - bar- dining room - large sundeck with deckchairs - terrace - gift shop.
Our River
Danube, Donau, Duna, Dunaj, Dunav: all names for a water course which knows no borders. It cuts through eight countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. It irrigates four capital cities: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade. It rises oh so modestly in the cradle of German Romanticism at Donaueshingen in the Black Forest and peters out in the east in the Black Sea in the most immense and unspoilt delta in Europe. Sulina, St George and Chilia, three generous arms covered in tropical vegetation, spill gently into an unspoilt natural world, populated by 300 species of bird and 45 species of freshwater fish. Here where fisherman who came from Russia cast their nets. Here where life holds its breath. Just before it reaches the sea. Here where you take the time to remember that it is a mixture of cultures, civilisations, sensibilities and races. A particular soul. That of the most cosmopolitan and peace-bringing river in the continent.
The Danube, the link between East and West, a connection between peoples, passes from the flamboyance of the Romantic, Gothic, Baroque and Rococo styles in the first half of its course to the welcoming beauty of the Asian world. Just after Vienna. It is a reminder that, for centuries, it was Europe's shield for countries seeking freedom and independence in the face of assaults from the Russians, the Turks and the Slavs. The impassable border between North and South, between Christian and Muslim.
Its banks remember Attila who, in the 5th century, founded the capital of the Hun kingdom at the site of Budapest, the Romans who left their fortresses here, which can still be seen today in the beautiful towns on the southern shore: Ulm, Passau, Linz, Vienna, Budapest. It is the mirror of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire which, in the 13th century, became the powerful Baroque empire of the Hapsburgs until Napoleon I blew it apart in a confederation of 39 states.
A lot of water has flown under the hundred bridges which cross it. But the Danube still had to witness the definitive appeasement of the Balkan region. The European Union is aware that the future of the European continent will be played out in this region often qualified as a "powder keg". Hungary and Slovakia have just joined, Leaving Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia ? Their membership will stabilise the entire region. Here lies the only black spot at the current time in this river which offers very comfortable sailing conditions.
The Danube is between 100-200 m and 2 km wide in its lower section. It flows along peaceably. Not more than 5 km an hour on average. The waters from the Alps, the Carpathians and the Balkan mountains feed it as it meanders between towns, forests, vineyards and fields of cereal crops. Thanks to a flow of 6,850 m3 per second, it can be navigated by the largest of vessels after Ratisbonne. Fifty cruise ships and convoys more than 350 m long transport dozens of tonnes of merchandise per year, pass each other in this water course which also provides colossal amounts of hydroelectric energy for Austria and Hungary and especially for Serbia and Romania, which share the power station at the "Iron Gate". This channel, which is 80 m wide and 3 m deep over 2,200 m, has been hollowed out of the rocks referred to as the Iron Gate (the name given to the Djerdap gorge which separates the Balkans from the Transylvanian Alps) to eradicate forever the reefs which, for centuries, had hindered international navigation on the Lower Danube. This gorge has made it possible to link East and West.
Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof 
Many other points of interest, including the Spanish Riding School, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Museumsquartier and the Albertina, are only a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. 
Hilton Vienna Plaza 
The MS VIVALDI can accommodate 176 passengers in a total of 88 cabins, each equipped with en suite shower and wc, hairdryer, safe, radio, flat-screen television, radio-telephone and individually controlled heating and air-conditioning. The attractive restaurant located on Deck 1 can serve meals to up to 180 passengers in a single sitting. The ship’s galley kitchen is furnished with the latest top-of-the-range, high-precision kitchen utensils and equipment in order to provide meals of the highest quality. A very spacious lounge bar with a central dance floor offers passengers an ideal area to relax and socialise. 
