Offering consumers and travel agents a head start on planning next year’s vacations, Peter Deilmann EuropAmerica Cruises will begin accepting bookings on August 1, 2009 for its 2010 schedule of European river cruises; full details and pricing are currently available on the company’s web site, www.deilmann-cruises.com. Both hardcopy and downloadable versions of the 2010 Deluxe “Great Rivers of Europe” brochure will be available this fall.

Deilmann, known for its seven luxury river ships that are small floating hotels with exceptional passenger-to-crew ratios of 2.5 to 1 – is offering 189 deluxe European river departures between March 22 and November 7, 2010, sailing the classic rivers of Europe on 4- to 11-night itineraries with the vast majority running seven nights. The company also offers 9- to 17-day all-inclusive cruise-tour vacations – in 2010, 9 different itineraries with nearly 100 departures combine cruises with shore excursions, hotel stays and sightseeing for maximum convenience.

The cruises explore the main arteries and byways of these rivers and provide memorable visits to countryside villages, sophisticated cities and countless sites in between. The cruise-tours expand and enrich this experience with added two- and three-night stays in nearby grand cities.

· The Danube River is the focus of two five-star Deilmann ships — the Mozart and Casanova — sailing seven-night round-trips from Passau in southeastern Germany, just two hours from Munich. Highlights include overnights in Vienna and Budapest as well as stops in Slovakia’s capital city of Bratislava and the picturesque wine villages of Melk, Esztergom and Dürnstein in Austria and Hungary. 10- and 11-night cruises that reach the Black Sea are offered between Passau and Romania’s Tulcea in June with included charter air between Tulcea and Frankfurt. Fares are $1,691 to $5,376 per person, double, for the seven-night sailings and $2,995 to $7,815 for the 10- and 11-night cruises.

· The Elbe, Havel and Moldau Rivers, as well as the historic cities of Berlin and Dresden, are on the cruise itineraries of three deluxe Deilmann ships: the Frederic Chopin and sister ship Katharina, which offer alternating weekly sailings between Potsdam, just outside of Berlin, and Prague; and the five-star Dresden, which makes it way along the Elbe River between Dresden and Hamburg. All three vessels take in the smaller towns of Wittenberg, Meissen and Bad Schandau, with a full spectrum of sightseeing opportunities — Fortress Königstein, the birthplace of Martin Luther’s Reformation, Meissen’s world famous porcelain and Saechische Schwiez National Park are examples. Seven-night cruises are $1,597 to $4,110 per person, double.

· The five-star Cézanne sails along one of France’s most appealing rivers, the Seine, roundtrip from Paris and between Paris and Rouen, visiting the Normandy region along the way. Highlights include Giverny, where the home and gardens of Monet are located; Honfleur, with its half-timbered houses, scenic harbor and grand medieval buildings; Les Andelys, set beneath Château Gaillard, the famous castle once inhabited by Richard the Lionhearted; and Rouen, the historic capital city of Normandy where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Prices are $2,003 to $3,300 per person, double.

· The 110-passenger Heidelberg offers a host of well-designed seven-night Rhine itineraries. Among them, a roundtrip from the capital city of Amsterdam, with port calls in large and small Dutch cities – Rotterdam, Dordrecht and Middleberg, and the historic Flemish cities of Ghent – where an optional excursion takes in the well-preserved and popular city of Bruges, Antwerp (for Brussels) and Volendam in Belgium. Another favorite is the voyage from Amsterdam to Mainz (Frankfurt), combining the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, and calling at the modern port city of Rotterdam, historic and art-filled Cologne with its grand cathedral, Koblenz at the confluence of the two rivers, and the Rhine wine town of Rüdesheim. Other itineraries include a classic Rhine sailing, between Amsterdam and the centuries-old Swiss city of Basel, with port calls in four countries — Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland, and a variety of sailings between the cities of Düsseldorf, Basel, Cologne, Basel, Trier and Mainz. Fares range from $1,600 to $3,402 per person, double.

The intimate Deilmann ships provide guests with a relaxing mode of travel through the heart of Europe on a deluxe floating hotel without having to worry about constantly packing and unpacking. The river cruises are designed for both the first-time and frequent vacationer who likes traveling in comfort with attentive service and fine dining. Dining on board is single seating and the cuisine is continental. Mid-afternoon tea and coffee are served every day both on deck and in the lounge and there is a late evening buffet. The friendly, multi-lingual staffs are there to cater to the passengers’ comfort. A non-smoking policy applies to all areas inside Peter Deilmann River vessels. Port Charges of $130 per person, are additional and fuel surcharges have been discontinued for 2010. All offered shore excursions feature a new personalized audio headphone system that ensures the accompanying guide can be heard under all circumstances.