Cruising down the river on a lazy afternoon will come quite easily when it's springtime in Holland, and it costs you just $99 roundtrip air across the Atlantic out of selected east coast gateways. Of course there's a catch--you have to pay from $1,349 per person to get that fare, but the price also includes your shared outside riverboat cabin, daily guided shore excursions, all onboard meals, and more.
This is the deal, with limited space still available, on four departures in April on a Viking River Cruise craft roundtrip from Amsterdam. In addition to the amenities already mentioned, there's a welcome dinner and cocktail reception on board, a captain's dinner and folkloric entertainment and lectures, as well as transfers between boat and airport.
The four departures from Amsterdam are on April 4, 5, 11 and 12, 2003, using two of the line's boats, the Viking Europe and the Viking Spirit. The ships are similar, and prices are the same on each. The itinerary includes free time on the first day, a canal cruise of Amsterdam plus a Rijksmuseum tour, a walking tour in Enkhuizen, a visit to Volendam, where you take a Zaanse Schanse windmill tour. On the fifth day, you visit Arnhem, where you can tour the Het Loo Palace. After that it's stops and walking tours in Schoonhoven and Delft. On the seventh day, you visit Rotterdam, where you have a bus tour including The Hague and the Keukenhof Gardens. You'll return to Amsterdam on the eighth day, where you'll disembark and be transferred to the airport for your flight home. On each day, the organizers promise you'll plenty of free time to set your own itinerary.
The $99 airfare is in addition to tour prices, which start at $1,349 and rise to $1,769, depending on cabin category aboard the ships. The $99 is from Boston, Newark and New York. Add-ons run $100 for Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington DC. Tack on an additional $200 for Denver, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
Space is limited so it's first-come, first served, Viking says. Prices are per person, double occupancy. Airport taxes and fees are not included, and amount to about $130 per person. For more information or to book, contact your local travel agent or Viking at 800/464-3595 or visit www.vikingrivercruises.com.