Another cruise line throws in free tours worth big money if you book soon
Add AmaWaterways to the list of cruise brands offering customers a multiday land tour for free if they book a cruise in the coming months.
The California-based river cruise operator this week unveiled a limited-time offer that gives customers a complimentary pre- or post-cruise land tour package as an add-on to a cruise when they book select Europe, Egypt and Mekong river trips scheduled to take place in 2023.
To qualify for the offer, the booking must be made by Dec. 31.
The free add-on land tours that are available range from two to four nights in length and include:
- A four-night tour of Zurich and Lucerne in Switzerland that includes two nights in each of the cities. Normally costing $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. Normally costing $1,320 per person, the tour is available as a free add-on to select seven-night Danube and Rhine river cruises.
- A three-night tour to Lake Como, Italy. Normally costing $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. Normally costing $840 per person, the tour is available as a free add-on to select seven-night Danube sailings.
There are 15 such add-on tours available for free with various itineraries as part of the promotion. Other destinations where the add-ons are available include Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bangkok and Dubai.
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.
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In a related promotion, AmaWaterways is also offering customers a 10% savings on the cost of a cruise when they book a second cruise for 2023 and add a complimentary pre-cruise land package.
The AmaWaterways offer comes just days after upscale ocean cruise operator Oceania Cruises announced that customers who book select 2023 sailings will get a free pre- or post-cruise land tour worth up to $4,600 per person as an add-on.
The free pre- and post-cruise land tours with Oceania are available with 15 longer sailings scheduled for 2023. The tours range from one to three nights in length and include visits to such iconic destinations as the Taj Mahal in India and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Like AmaWaterways, Oceania's offer is only available to customers who book in the next couple of months.
The free add-on promotion comes as cruise lines look for ways to boost bookings without dropping their base fares.
Related: The ultimate guide to picking a cruise line
Many cruise lines have struggled to get occupancies on ships back to normal levels since they restarted operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In lieu of discounting fares, many lines have been offering "value-add" freebies to customers including free shore tours, drinks packages, Wi-Fi packages and gratuities.
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