NEW YORK, March, 2005 – Peter Deilmann Cruises is introducing European garden theme cruises this year on both its river ships sailing inland waterways and the luxury ocean liner Deutschland on Atlantic and Mediterranean sailings.  The cruises feature some of Europe’s most renowned gardens in England, Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Morocco.

 

River cruises on the five-star Dresden to gardens of Germany’s Saxony and Elbe River regions and on the Princesse de Provence to the gardens of Provence in France are the first two sailings departing June 4 and 18. July cruises sail on the five-star Cezanne to the gardens of France’s Normandy region on July 2 and the five-star Heidelberg to gardens along the Dutch and Belgian waterways on July 23. River ships dock right in the heart of town and Deilmann pre-arranges all aspects of the gardening shore excursions – transfers, entrance fees, meals or snacks, local guides, etc., together with the services of an experienced gardening escort.

 

On the gardening theme voyages on the five-star Deutschland, there are three cruises from which to choose: Holland, Ireland, England and France, Aug. 3-14; Germany, England, Spain, Portugal and France, Sept. 10-22; and Portugal, Morocco, Spain, France and Italy, Sept. 22-Oct. 7.  These cruises too offer pre-arranged packages and the services of an independent consultant for landscape and garden planning.

 

On the "Provence Gardens" cruise tour, June 18-25, the four-star Princesse de Provence sails roundtrip from Lyon visiting medieval gardens in Burgundy: the court gardens of Tournus cloister; the rose garden of Saint Nicolas and the Park George Novelle; formal and kitchen-style gardens of Chateau de la Chaize; baroque gardens and an English park at other chateaux. Other garden excursions include terraced Mediterranean and Japanese wine gardens; a walking tour of Arles Jardin d’Ele, Van Gogh’s garden of the Maison de Sante Cloiser; the lavender fields and herb garden near Avignon along with a private reception at the formal garden of the Chateau de Brantes.  Prices for this eight-day garden cruise tour start at $2,409 per person for an outside twin.

 

The "Gardens of Normandy" cruise tour, July 2-9, features daily garden visits that include the Royal Gardens at Versailles, Monet’s garden in Giverny, the terrace garden of Chateau de Filiere with its canals and parks and the flamboyant abbey garden of the Cloister of Saint-Wandrille. The Cezanne is participants’ hotel in Paris for two nights and then sails on to Vernon, Les Andelys, Caudebec en Caux, Le Havre and Rouen.  The eight-day garden cruise package rate starts at $2,674 per person for an outside twin and $3,274 for a single in a twin cabin.

 

Depending on the itinerary, non-gardening river cruise companions deduct between $479 and $679 from the garden cruise price.  Deilmann arranges hotel stays, other shore excursion packages, air transportation, meet and greet service and transfers between airports and ships for all river cruises.

 

“Luscious Flower Gardens around England” is the theme of the Deutschland’s Atlantic cruise, Aug. 3-14, to Amsterdam, Portsmouth, the isle of Scilly, Dublin, Cobh and St. Malo, France.  Garden visits begin at two 18^th century Dutch-style canal gardens in Amsterdam, continue with a 19^th century English cottage garden on Scilly and a boat ride to the island of Tresco to a garden renowned for its sub-tropical flora and fauna.  A morning seminar on gardening, tea with the hostess at an elegant Dublin city garden and the Irish castle gardens of Ardgillan are among the excursions in Ireland, while Mont-San-Michel and St. Malo are highlights in France and garden round-tables and flowers on the Isle of Guernsey round out the program.

 

Package prices for this 11-day air/sea garden cruise start at $4,484 per person twin and include air transportation from New York or 15 other U.S. gateways.  Singles start at $5,732.

 

The gardening theme cruise on the 15-day Deutschland sailing from Lisbon to Venice, Sept. 22-Oct. 7, features on board afternoon teas and wine-tastings with garden seminars, round-tables and demonstrations of sophisticated floral arrangements. The King of Morocco’s Royal Garden in Casablanca, the Spanish garden landscape along the Costa Blanca and the Andalusian coastal mountain region and the French Cubist Jardin de la Villa Noailles are among the shore excursions on this Mediterranean cruise along with visits to the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily to see a Sicilian villa’s English landscaped gardens, a terraced villa garden and to picnic in Catania. Package prices start at $4,876 per person twin for this 14-night cruise including air transportation from New York or 15 other U.S. cities.

 

All Deutschland gardening theme cruises include air fare, the cruise, airport transfers, local transportation, entrance fees, meals and snacks, if applicable, local guides and a noted landscape architect as tour escort.  Non-gardening companions deduct $799 from these two ocean cruises.

 

Other new Deilmann theme cruises this year offer golf, music and cycling tours.  Gardening enthusiasts can view and download the day-by-day itineraries of each gardening program and cruise from the Great Rivers of Europe 2005 brochure by logging on to www.deilmann-cruises.com. Copies of the Great Rivers brochure are available from travel agencies or Peter Deilmann Cruises by calling 1-800-348-8287 or by e-mail at pdcmail@deilmann-cruises.com.

 

Editor's note: The phone and Web information above is for residents of the U.S. and Canada. If you live in the Europe, visit the English-language Peter Deilmann River & Ocean Cruises (UK) or the German-language Peter Deilmann Reederei Web site.

 

Photos: Peter Deilmann Cruises. Used by permission.