More ships, more rivers, more options for
APT’s new-look 2012 Europe River Cruising brochure
More ships on more rivers, more Freedom of Choice excursion options, the introduction of APT’s Dine Around Dinner options to Europe, new itineraries, two-day extended stay in Vienna and new high-speed Thalys trains replacing Amsterdam-Paris coach transfers are among many new features of APT’s full-version Europe River Cruising 2012 brochure issued today (Monday, May 2).
APT General Manager Marketing, Debra Fox said that APT had elevated the product, in terms of new ships and a wider choice of itineraries that agents can tailor for their clients. APT now has more choice of sightseeing excursions and city dining, new choice of activity levels and tours for late starters. The introduction of a pillow menu and designer toiletries are amongst other initiatives.
In fact, APT’s new brochure features 22 “New and Exclusive” additions to its program for the 2012 season.
“We’ve now stamped our hallmark Dine Around Dinners across Europe, with dining options in Vienna, Berlin, Split, Lucerne, Saint Malo, Como, Porto, Marbella and Sorrento,” said Ms Fox.
“This brochure presents the most comprehensive collection of luxury river cruises in the Australian market, linked to very high standard land touring experiences and accommodation.”
Significantly, a new brochure design better reflects APT’s understated high standards of style and service it presents to the discerning traveller/ luxury travel market segment, she added.
“While the brochure has an appealing softer look, it will be an easier tool for agents to use too, with aids such as coloured tabs defining product regions and a sell highlight on each itinerary,” she said.
(The new subtle look will be applied to other APT brochures following.)
The cover of this 202-page brochure carries two gold laurel awards won in a cruise magazine’s poll, a splash banner promoting year-round early booking fly-free deals (valued at up to $5,400 a couple) as well as straplines “Luxury Five-star APT Ships”, “Floating Boutique Hotels with Balconies” and “Small Group Land Journeys”.
It carriers 57 cruise and land touring itineraries for the destination categories Magnificent Europe Cruising, Rhine, Rhone & Moselle Treasures, Grand Europe, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Italy/Croatia/The Balkans, France, Spain/Portugal, Scandinavia, Russian Waterways, Christmas Time and Botanica (garden tours)..
Free return airfares, free companion airfares or APT SuperDeal savings of up to $2600 a couple are among the pre-September 30 2011 booking deals displayed in the brochure. Early booking deals apply to almost all itineraries in the brochure.
Itineraries range from an eight-day garden tour to a 36-day Grand Europe package, priced respectively from $2995 to $18,795 per person, twin share.
The lead-in cruise is the core 15-day Magnificent Europe holiday between Amsterdam and Budapest, priced from $6395 per person, twin share (based on March 16 & 18 departures). A new and interesting experience added to this cruise is a wine event hosted by the Aulic Council in Germany’s oldest wine cellar in Kitzingen.
In 2012, a third Concerto class ship will join the fleet – the MS AMACERTO, APT’s 10th custom-designed rivership in partnership with AMAWATERWAYS, cruising the European waterways.
A new itinerary for 2012 is the 28-day France Rhine, Rhône and Moselle Treasures (from $15,895) which includes a 10 day Paris-Paris coach tour through Normandy, Brittany and Loire Valley before a super-comfortable three-hour Thalys train trip to Amsterdam (coach transfers currently take about eight hours) for cruising on the Rhine and Moselle, coach travel through Switzerland before a seven-night cruise down the Saône and Rhône rivers to Arles and then coach tour to Monte Carlo for a three-night stay.
The price includes touring, 14 nights’ accommodation in stylish hotels, 14 nights’ luxury cruising, 59 meals including Dine Around Dinners, comprehensive sightseeing and excursions, tipping and airport transfers (valued at $1340 per couple). In nine locations, passengers have Freedom of Choice tour options, included at no additional cost.
As with most APT river cruises, local wine, beer and soft drinks are included at lunch and dinner each day.
Contact: call 1300 278 278, visit www.aptgroup.travel or contact your local business development manager.