Deal alert: Get free tours worth thousands of dollars with this extended cruise line offer
One of the best cruise deals of the fall has been extended for three more months.
River line AmaWaterways on Wednesday announced it would give customers a multiday land tour worth thousands of dollars for free if they booked a cruise by the end of March.
The offer is an extension of a limited-time promotion the river cruise operator began in October that originally was scheduled to end Dec. 31.
Under the terms of the offer, AmaWaterways customers can get a complimentary pre- or post-cruise land tour package as an add-on to a cruise when they book select Egypt, Mekong and Europe river trips scheduled to take place in 2023.
In a new twist to the offer, passengers who plan to travel in a group that books five or more cabins on a 2024 sailing also will be eligible for the free tours in some cases when arranging their trip through a travel agent.
To qualify for the extended offer, the booking must now be made by March 31.
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The free add-on land tours that are available range from two to four nights in length and include:
- A three-night tour to Lake Como, Italy. Valued at $1,440 per person, the tour is available as a free add-on to select Rhine river cruises.
- A two-night tour of Budapest, Hungary. Valued at $840 per person, the tour is available as a free add-on to select seven-night Danube sailings.
- A four-night tour of Zurich and Lucerne in Switzerland that includes two nights in each of the cities. Valued at $1,680 per person, the tour is available for free as an add-on to select seven-night Rhine river cruises.
- A three-night tour of Prague in the Czech Republic. Valued at $1,320 per person, the tour is available as a free add-on to select seven-night Danube and Rhine river cruises.
In all, there are 15 different add-on tours available for free that can be combined with various itineraries as part of the promotion. Other destinations where the add-ons are available at no extra charge include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Vienna, Bangkok and Dubai.
The promotion brings savings of up to $3,800 per couple, depending on which add-on tour is booked.
Each of the land tour packages includes accommodations in hotels, daily breakfast, transfers and portage services between the hotels and ship, and city tours and experiences.
In a related promotion, AmaWaterways is also offering customers a 10% savings on the cost of a cruise when they book a second consecutive cruise for 2023, creating a back-to-back sailing.
AmaWaterways is just one of many cruise lines rolling out lucrative offers for 2023 sailings this month as the industry enters the important "wave season" booking period. Beginning in January, the period typically brings a surge in cruise bookings.
Celebrity Cruises, for instance, is offering seven-night sailings for as little as $239 per person as part of a wave season promotion. Norwegian Cruise Line has been touting voyages for as little as $37 a day.
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