Exclusive to single travellers, cruise departs October 10, 2021
and includes 10% off on advance bookings
The solo travel market continues to expand as a new generation of healthier, independent and more confident single travellers “take to the road” to see the world. European Waterways is addressing this fast-growing trend with the return of its exclusive “solo cruise” aboard Italy’s 20-passenger La Bella Vita, the largest vessel in its fleet.
Spacious and stylish, with all the modern conveniences including en suite, air-conditioned cabins, La Bella Vita is the only hotel barge sailing out of Venice to the Renaissance city of Mantua along the Po River and Bianco Canal.
As with all European Waterways cruises, luxury, comfort, fine wine and gastronomic meals prepared by the onboard master chef ensure every guest is in the best of spirits as they enjoy the various activities and daily excursions.
European Waterways is offering 10% off on all advance bookings for this six-night, all-inclusive cruise, a saving of AUD793 off the AUD7,935 single rate.
“While our guests may be traveling solo, they will never find themselves alone,” said Derek Banks, managing director of European Waterways. “We have carefully curated every aspect of the cruise to allow for maximum social interaction among guests, should they wish to mingle, while also ensuring plenty of ‘me time’ to soak in the experiences and relish the moments in their own, personal way.”
On the Itinerary: Flamingos, a Countess and a Grand Palace
Itinerary highlights include an exclusive dinner with a countess at her 17th century riverside Villa Ca’Zen, where Lord Byron is said to have fallen in love with the beautiful Contessa Teresa Gamba.
Guests will also enjoy a private wine tasting at Villa Widmann-Borletti and, cruising the Po River Delta, Europe’s largest wetland, they will be treated to the sight of hundreds of local and migratory birds that include the elegant pink flamingos. Also on the itinerary is a visit to the coastal town of Chioggia, with a short tour of its picturesque canals in a traditional locally-built boat.
In Mantua, a UNESCO World Heritage site, guests will tour the gardens, museums and courtyards of the grand Ducal Palace, a group of buildings and a former royal residence that houses thousands of paintings and sculptures. The cruise concludes with a Captain’s Dinner back at the boat, where guests will often regale each other with highlights of the week’s best moments.
La Bella Vita will also make a stop on the island of Pellestrina for an aperitif at a bacaro, a local corner bar known for its cicchetti, Venetian-style tapas. Onboard, guests will enjoy interactive cooking demonstrations of regionally inspired cuisine where the master chef will reveal “secrets of the trade”. They will also enjoy an onboard “opera night”.
SOURCE: European Waterways
