Book by February 28, 2021 to receive “Super Earlybird” discounts
Boston, MA (January, 2021) – Scoring a ticket to watch the historic Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, is a major but somewhat elusive wish list item for many travelers—especially as the performances only take place every decade. Since 1634, the inhabitants of this small Bavarian town have put on an epic portrayal of the life and death of Jesus, originally produced in gratitude for being spared from the bubonic plague. Since then, the seasonal show has been performed only 42 times and is considered the world’s longest running play. The next performance, originally scheduled for 2020, has been rescheduled to 2022, but pent-up demand is resulting in more limited opportunities for travelers to access the event.
Emerald Cruises has planned six special Passion Play river cruise departures ideal for North American travelers looking to make the most of their time in Europe. These 10-day journeys combine an eight-day sailing along one of Europe’s most famed rivers, the Danube, with a complete Passion Play extension package. Departures are available in May, June, July and September 2022, giving potential guests lots of choice in planning.
Depending on the departure date, guests will either begin or end their eight-day Danube sailing aboard one of Emerald Waterways’ modern 180-passenger river ships with the Passion Play package. These cruise itineraries visit four countries—Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany—with port calls in capital cities Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna as well charming small towns and villages. Daily tour options include the opportunity for guests to get active with a guided bike tour in Vienna or a hike to Bratislava castle as well as coach and more leisurely paced walking tours.
The Passion Play portion of the journey includes one day admission to the play, one-night stays in both Munich and Oberammergau with a tour of Munich, transfers to or from the airport and ship, and some meals.
Guests booking their Passion Play sailing by February 28, 2021 will receive a savings of $2,000 per couple or discounted roundtrip airfare of $295, making the starting price for this once in a lifetime adventure $3,490 per person for a category E stateroom. Those paying in full 12 months in advance of sailing will receive an additional 10% off when booking Panorama Balcony Suite categories C and above. As with all Emerald Cruises sailings, daily excursions, meals, gratuities, port charges, ship transfers and wine and beer with dinner and lunch, plus all gratuities are included in the price of the sailing.
Passion play enthusiasts looking to travel together can take advantage of Emerald Cruises Group Value Program. Groups can be as few as 10 guests, and perks of group travel include one tour conductor credit with every nine paying guests and up to $100 per person savings or a free extended drinks package for each guest. Group quotes are available on the Emerald Cruises website.
In addition, all bookings come with the line’s flexible booking policy that allows guests to defer travel plans and transfer to an alternate departure date or itinerary up to 60 days prior to departure with no Emerald Cruises fees.
Emerald Cruises is the parent brand of Emerald Waterways and the newly formed Emerald Yacht Cruises. The Emerald Azzurra, the first yacht to launch under the Emerald Yacht Cruises brand, is a 100-guest super yacht that will ply the warm waters of the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Red seas. Emerald Waterways features nine branded Star-Ships offering river sailings in Europe and on the Mekong, as well as a chartered river ship along the Volga River in Russia (MS Nizhny Novgorod). The brand offers contemporary deluxe ships, outstanding service and an incredibly inclusive pricing plan that has won them the honor of being named Best River Cruise Line for Value by the Cruise Critic Editors’ Choice Awards for five years running.
Emerald Cruises can be found on Twitter at @emerald_cruises, on Facebook as EmeraldCruisesGlobal and on Instagram as @EmeraldCruises.global.
Additional information can be found by contacting your local travel advisor; on Emerald Waterways’ website, www.emeraldwaterways.com; or by calling the consumer/travel agent reservations line at 844-428-8389. Digital brochure downloads are available on the website.