Tantalize your taste buds and embark on an epicurean journey like no other with Top Chef Canada winner and TV celebrity Chef, Dale MacKay. Fresh from competing on Food Network’s epic international showdown – Top Chef World All-Stars television show – Dale is returning to Europe with Emerald Cruises on an exclusive 8-day Danube Delights sailing departing from Budapest to Regensburg.
Joining him on this wonderful culinary cruise is Scenic Group’s own, and Chef MacKay’s Top Chef World All-Stars castmate and friend, Tom Goetter. Chef Goetter trained under Thomas Keller and his team in Napa Valley before he took position of Executive Chef for Scenic Eclipse. Today he oversees the entirely culinary program for both Scenic Eclipse Discovery Yachts as well as the two Emerald Cruises yachts as VP of Hotel Operations for Scenic Group.
This eight-day sailing offers a unique opportunity for the celebrity chefs to collaborate as they blend their distinct culinary styles for a week of inspiring cuisine onboard Emerald Destiny.
Inclusions
- Airfare to Budapest and return from Munich
- 7 night all-inclusive river cruise aboard an Emerald Cruises Star-Ship
- 20 delectable meals including 7 breakfasts (B), 6 lunches (L), 7 dinners (D)
- Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
- The services of an Emerald Cruises Cruise Director
- Excursions and guided tours
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
- Complimentary Bicycles on board (when available)
- All tipping and gratuities on board the ship
- Airport transfers to and from the ship
- Port taxes and charges
- Exclusive Culinary Experience with Celebrity Chef Dale McKay and Chef Tom Goetter
- Book by May 31: Reduced airfare*! (price reflects discount)
| June 20, 2024 | Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax |
| Emerald Stateroom | $5549 |
| Panorama Balcony Suite | $6389 |
| Taxes & Fees | $475 |
New Bookings Only – Full payment is required upon booking
*Emerald Cruises must book flights and maximum ticket cost, including taxes, not to exceed $1,850pp.
Promotion is subject to change without notice.
Exclusive Culinary Experience with Chef Dale McKay & Chef Tom Goetter
Click here to learn more
- Hosted Cocktail Reception: Join Chef Dale and Tom for a special cocktail reception on board.
- Exquisite Danube-Inspired Dinner: Indulge in a specially crafted dinner by Chefs Tom and Dale, highlighting the flavours of the Danube Region.
- Live Cooking Demonstrations: Watch in awe as both chefs demonstrate their culinary expertise, creating unique dishes from identical ingredients.
- Interactive Q&A Session: Engage in a live Q&A, gaining insights into their behind-the-scenes experiences in TV and renowned restaurants.
- PLUS, two booked guests will be entered to win a chance to cook with our celebrity chefs
Dining Highlights:
- 20 delectable meals including 7 breakfasts (B), 6 lunches (L), 7 dinners (D)
- Including a Welcome and Farewell Reception & Dinner
- Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks served with lunch and dinner on board
Included Excursions
- Guided tour of Passau
- Guided tour of Göttweig Abbey
- Vienna art tour with a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Walking tour of Bratislava
- Guided coach tour of Budapest
- EmeraldPLUS:
- Traditional Hungarian folklore show on board
- Home-hosted coffee and cake with a Slovakian family
- Traditional Bavarian band on board
- Walking tour of Regensburg with Bavarian sausage tasting
- EmeraldACTIVE:
- Guided bike tour to the Walhalla monument
- Guided bike tour along the River Inn
- Guided bike tour along the Danube River
- Guided hike to Dürnstein Castle
- Guided bike tour in Vienna
- Guided hike to Bratislava Castle
- Hike to Buda Hill
Day 1 Fri, 21 Jun Budapest (D)
Welcome to Budapest, where you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your contemporary Emerald Cruises Star-Ship, before enjoying plenty of free time to explore the Hungarian capital at your leisure.
This evening, enjoy an authentic Hungarian folklore show on board, followed by a traditional dinner.
EmeraldPLUS
Traditional Hungarian folklore show on board
Please book your flight to arrive into Budapest prior to 05:00 PM.
Day 2 Sat, 22 Jun Budapest (B,L,D)
Architecture from across the centuries shines a light on the history of the Hungarian capital. Originally two separate cities, Buda to the west and Pest to the east offer incredibly different views on the culture of one of the liveliest cities in Eastern Europe. Today, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the city during a guided tour, including Heroes’ Square and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Andrássy Avenue and Buda Castle District. Alternatively, enjoy a hike to Buda Hill for a postcard-worthy panorama view of the Danube banks.
EmeraldACTIVE
Hike to Buda Hill
Included Excursion
Guided coach tour of Budapest
In the afternoon, join Celebrity Chef Dale MacKay for a special cocktail reception on board.
Day 3 Sun, 23 Jun Bratislava (B,L,D)
This morning, relax on board as we sail to Bratislava. An ancient landscape awaits, where remarkable towers add to a skyline that perfectly encapsulates the history of the city, and preserved medieval fortifications tell tales of a turbulent past. Your local guide will take you through the heart of the city, as you soak in the sights of the lavish Episcopal Summer Palace and the neo-Renaissance façade of the Slovak National Theatre.
If you’re feeling more active, you could instead choose to hike around the serene gardens of Bratislava Castle, which provides the perfect setting for the Shakespeare festival that occurs during the summer months.
This afternoon, you will be invited into the home of a local family to learn more about their traditions and culture over coffee and cake.
EmeraldPLUS
Home-hosted coffee and cake with a local family
EmeraldACTIVE
Hike to Bratislava Castle
Included Excursion
Walking tour of Bratislava
DiscoverMORE
Skoda tour of post-Communist Bratislava (extra expense)
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Carpathian wine route (extra expense)
Day 4 Mon, 24 Jun Vienna (B,L,D)
Sweeping boulevards and world-famous art exhibitions welcome you to Vienna, a city which perfectly encapsulates the opulence of the Habsburg Monarchy and their ornate Baroque palaces. The Austrian capital is an art-lover’s dream, and your guided tour will include a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the largest art museum in the country and one of the most important museums worldwide.
If you’re feeling more active, then you may opt to explore on two wheels instead, cycling along the riverbanks before touching on Danube Island and Prater, the famous Viennese amusement park, home to the traditional 19th-century Ferris wheel.
EmeraldACTIVE
Guided bike tour in Vienna
Included Excursion
Vienna art tour with a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum
DiscoverMORE
Viennese evening concert (extra expense)
Day 5 Tue, 25 Jun Krems – Dürnstein (B,L,D)
This morning, enjoy a guided tour of Göttweig Abbey, a true treasure overlooking the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wachau Valley. Visible from great distance, it’s one of Austria’s most important Benedictine abbeys and attracts visitors from all over the world and provides epic panorama views.
Afterwards, your Star-Ship will sail through the fascinating Wachau Valley, part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wachau Cultural Landscape, and on to Dürnstein.
Alternatively, embark on a guided bike tour from Krems to Dürnstein, passing terraced vineyards, castles and ruins along the way, before arriving where your Star-Ship is docked in Dürnstein.
In the afternoon we arrive in Dürnstein; a small town nestled in the heart of the Wachau wine region. You’ll have the chance to hike to the medieval ruins of Dürnstein Castle, the site where King Richard I was held prisoner following his return from the Third Crusade, and part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wachau Cultural Landscape, a place peppered with natural lookout points that highlight the beauty of the region.
Included Excursion
Guided tour of Göttweig Abbey
EmeraldACTIVE
Guided hike to Dürnstein Castle
EmeraldACTIVE
Guided bike tour along the Danube
Enjoy a specially prepared dinner by Celebrity Chef Dale MacKay inspired by the Danube region this evening on board your cruise.
Day 6 Wed, 26 Jun Engelhartszell – Passau (B,L,D)
After a morning of sailing along the Danube, we will take you into the heart of Passau. Nicknamed the Dreiflüssestadt, meaning the ‘the city of three rivers’, it’s situated at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers.
Your included guided tour of Passau will unveil its noteworthy Gothic and Baroque architecture. If you’re feeling active, you could join a bike tour along the River Inn, one of the three rivers converging in Passau.
After your tour, enjoy some free time to explore Passau at your leisure, before spending an evening sailing blissfully towards Regensburg.
Included Excursion
Guided tour of Passau
EmeraldACTIVE
Guided bike tour along the River Inn
DiscoverMORE
Excursion to the Bavarian Forest (extra expense)
Day 7 Thu, 27 Jun Regensburg (B,L,D)
This morning, we arrive in Regensburg, a city built on the site of an ancient Roman fort. Your guided walking tour of Regensburg will showcase its UNESCO World Heritage-listed medieval centre, where narrow cobbled lanes and tall façades help to define the character of this enchanting Bavarian city.
Alternatively, you could join a bike tour to the Walhalla monument, which towers high above the slopes of the Danube. From here, you can enjoy a fascinating view of the surrounding landscape and the river.
In the afternoon, join Chef Dale MacKay for a live cooking demonstration on board the cruise. Plus, a lucky guest will win a chance to assist him during the demo!
This evening, enjoy a traditional Bavarian band performance on board.
EmeraldPLUS
Traditional Bavarian band performance on board
EmeraldPLUS
Walking tour of Regensburg with Bavarian sausage tasting
EmeraldACTIVE
Guided bike tour to the Walhalla monument
DiscoverMORE
Excursion to Nuremberg (extra expense)
Day 8 Fri, 28 Jun Regensburg Disembarkation – Munich (B)
After breakfast, it’s time to say farewell to your fellow guests and disembark your Star-Ship for your transfer to the airport, taking memories of Roman architecture and the rich culture of the Danube River with you.
Please book your flight to depart out of Munich after 02:00 PM.
This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above. Please refer to our terms and conditions for further information.
Flexible Booking Plan
| River Cruising | Yacht Cruising |
| $125 | $200 |
- Should you choose to defer or cancel your booking, the total monies paid to us (less third-party fees) will be applied as a Future Travel Credit which is valid for 24 months for you to use on an alternate tour/cruise.
- If you do not re-book within 24 months, your FTC it will be forfeited.
- Non-refundable. Non commissionable.
- Excludes Russia cruising.
- Not available to guests using COVID Future Travel Credits
Platinum Protection Plan
The Platinum Protection Plan (“PPP”) is available for new river and ocean cruising bookings for travel after 1 January 2022 for Scenic and Emerald Cruises (“Eligible Booking”). By adding this plan, you are covered if you unable to travel due to health reasons, or your travel plans are impacted by COVID-19, up to 31 days prior to departure with a 100% refund (less airline cancellation fees and PPP cost), or a 70% refund between 15 and 30 days prior to departure (less PPP cost). The PPP must be purchased together with the Eligible Booking at time such booking is made and may not be added at a later date. The PPP is provided at a cost of $395 per person per river cruise, $495 per person per cruise on Emerald Cruises yacht cruising and $595 per person per cruise on Scenic Eclipse voyages (“PPP Fee”).
Visa Requirements
Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and US passport holders may require an ETIAS visa waiver from late 2023 when traveling to the E.U.
United Kingdom passport holders do not require visas (excluding tours that feature Russia and Turkey, where guests are required to obtain a Visa).
Visa regulations are subject to change at short notice, Scenic recommends that you contact the relevant Consulates for the latest information regarding visa requirements.
