Danube River Cruise Including Munich, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest with Fr. John A Williamson and Fr. Leo Patalinghug

Depart on an overnight flight to Munich.* Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Quotes for add-on flights and optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request. Specific seats may be requested at the airport or possibly upon receipt of travel documents three weeks before departure. You may be able to go online and choose seats. Due to group air restrictions, we are not able to request specific seats on the flights. * Group air pricing will be available in November

Welcome to Germany! We are greeted at the airport by our English-speaking tour guides and transferred to the city for Mass and time at leisure before we proceed to our hotel in the center of Munich for dinner and overnight.

This morning we celebrate Mass and participate in the opening procession for Oktoberfest. In the afternoon, enjoy a 90-minute walking tour of Munich hosted by local guides. Later in the afternoon, we are transferred to the Oktoberfest tents, where seating for our group is reserved. Overnight in Munich. (B) Food and Beverages at Oktoberfest are not included.

Following breakfast, we board our bus and drive through the beautiful Bavarian countryside to Altotting, often called the “Lourdes of Germany” due to the thousands of pilgrims coming here every year for healing. Today the shrine attracts over one million pilgrims each year. Many crutches and other votives on display here testify to the healings attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Altotting. In 1980 Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage here. A young Joseph Ratzinger came here with his father, and it is known to have been one of his favorite shrines long before he became Pope or even a Cardinal. Many young people from Germany make pilgrimages here in the summertime, often walking for 50 miles or more on their journey. Here we see the “Black Madonna,” a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. Opposite the altar, the hearts of the Bavarian dukes, kings, and electors are stored in richly decorated silver urns as a special sign of their deep loyalty to this Bavarian national shrine. Among them is also the heart of the fairy tale King Ludwig II. We also visit the Basilica of St. Anna, the Holy Chapel, the Collegiate Church, and the treasury, housing the gifts donated to the Basilica. Celebrate Mass at St. Konrad Monastery. Following time for an independent lunch, we depart for Passau, where we embark on the cruise ship, our comfortable home for the next seven nights. Settle into our cabins, and enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner. Overnight on the cruise ship.

This morning, we wake up in Krems, where we disembark to visit the magnificent Gottweig Monastery for a tour and Mass. Our next stop is Winzer Krems Winery to learn about local wine production and have a wine tasting. In the afternoon, we sail through the most picture-perfect area of the Wachau wine valley toward Budapest. Dinner and overnight on the cruise ship.

Enjoy the morning on the ship, where we have a retreat with Bishop Parker and time to enjoy the beautiful scenery and relax on the upper deck. Fr. Leo will give a talk on St. Elizabeth of Hungary before our early lunch today. Upon arrival in Budapest, we disembark for a city tour and Mass at St. Stephen’s Cathedral. We see the Fisherman′s Bastion, which takes its name from the guild of fishermen responsible for defending this stretch of city walls in the Middle Ages. We tour Matthias Church and take in the breathtaking view. We continue our exploration of this beautiful city with a tour of the Buda side of the city. Tonight, enjoy one of the highlights of the cruise as we see Budapest by night from our ship. Dinner and overnight on the cruise ship.

Enjoy the morning on the ship with a cooking demonstration with Fr. Leo and talks by our priest hosts. Following lunch, we arrive in Bratislava. Celebrate Mass at St. Martin Cathedral (TBC), followed by time at leisure to explore Bratislava on your own. The ship is docked in the city center, and you may return in the afternoon. Late in the evening, the ship sails for Vienna. Dinner and overnight on the cruise ship.

Spend the day in beautiful Vienna. Following breakfast, we disembark and our private buses transfer us to the Polish Church, which houses a small St. John Paul II relics museum and a lovely little gift shop. Here we celebrate Mass. During our panoramic tour of the Ringstrasse area, we see St. Stephen Cathedral (outside view), followed by a 90-minute guided walking tour of the city center, including Donners′ Fountain, Belvedere Palace Gardens, Hofburg Palace, and the Spanish horses training site (outside view). You may choose to stay in the city for lunch on your own and to explore at leisure OR return to the ship for an included lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy an optional visit to the famous Schonbrunn Palace ($69.00 per person). Return to the ship for a Viennese Evening. Following dinner, relax on the ship OR attend the optional “Sound of Vienna” classical music concert in a nearby private villa ($129.00 per person). Overnight on the cruise ship. (B.L.D) Optional: Schonbrunn Palace Visit – $69.00 per person Private Classical Music Concert – $129.00 per person Pre-registration and pre-payment required.

We enjoy sailing on the ship in the morning, arriving in Melk, a small Austrian town, for a visit to Melk Abbey. The magnificent Baroque-style structure is surrounded by a gorgeous town with Renaissance homes and winding streets reminiscent of the Middle Ages. The Abbey is the setting for Umberto Eco′s novel ′The Name of the Rose.′ Among the treasures housed here are paintings, sculptures, and decorative art from the 9th to 15th centuries. We celebrate Mass and can linger in the lovely little town of Melk, return to the ship to relax, or take an optional 90-minute bike tour along the river ($75.00 per person). Tonight we enjoy the Captain’s Dinner and an opportunity to dress up for our gala evening. Overnight on the cruise ship. (B.L.D) Optional: 90 minute Bike Tour $75.00 per person. The rental includes a guide for the bike tour, a bike rental, and a helmet.

Today our ship is docked in the historic city of Linz. Disembark after breakfast for Mass and a guided city tour. Enjoy time to explore the city on your own before lunch. In the afternoon, we drive to the beautiful St. Florian Monastery for a visit and a private music concert. Then return to the ship for time at leisure and dinner. Overnight on the cruise ship. (B.L.D) Optional: Full-day excursion to Salzburg with time at leisure to explore the city on your own and Mass at Maria Plains Shrine – $119.00 per person. Lunch not included. A minimum of 30 passengers is required for the excursion to take place.

We say goodbye to the crew of our ship as we disembark in Passau early this morning for a drive to Prague. Our visit starts with Mass and lunch at a brewery belonging to Strahov Monastery. Later we tour the Prague Castle and see St. Vitus Cathedral and Vladislav Hall. Enjoy time to walk across St. Charles Bridge before settling into our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Prague.

After breakfast, we are transferred to the airport for our flight home.

We depart for Krakow this morning, crossing from the Czech Republic into Poland. We stop for a delicious lunch in Slovakia at a local brewery. Upon arrival, check into our hotel and enjoy leisure time in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Mass will be celebrated. Dinner at leisure. Overnight in Krakow.

Our sightseeing tour of Krakow includes sites in the Medieval Old Town and on Wawel Hill, where we see the Cathedral with the St. Stanislaus Shrine, which contains the relics of Poland’s patron saint. We see the Pope’s room and the famous Pope’s Window honoring St. John Paul II. Then travel a short distance to visit the Divine Mercy Shrine, where St. Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, lived and died. We celebrate Mass at Divine Mercy Shrine (TBC) and visit the new center “Have No Fear,” dedicated to St. John Paul II, to venerate his relics. Dinner and overnight in Krakow.

We visit Jasna Gora Monastery to see the miraculous icon of the Black Madonna. We have time to explore the monastery and celebrate Mass. Time for prayer and reflection is also included. Lunch today is at a local restaurant. Return to Krakow for dinner and overnight.

Today, we drive to Wieliczka to visit Europe’s oldest salt mine, which UNESCO has listed as a World Heritage Site. The mines are a unique place where many generations of Polish miners have created a world of underground chambers and decorated chapels carved out of salt, including the famous Chapel of St. Kinga. We celebrate Mass at St. John Paul II Chapel (TBC) before we continue to Wadowice, the hometown of Pope St. John Paul II, and visit his childhood home, which is now a museum. We visit the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, where he was baptized. Enjoy a farewell dinner evening tonight in a local restaurant with a folklore show. Overnight in Krakow. (B. Farewell dinner)

After breakfast, we are transferred to the airport for our flight home.