DEILMANN INTRODUCES GOLF PROGRAMS ON EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISES AND OCEAN LINER SAILINGS TO EUROPEAN, MEDITERRANEAN PORTS


PLAY ON TOP COURSES THROUGHOUT EUROPE

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2005 – Golf enthusiasts can sail the rivers of Europe, the Atlantic and Mediterranean and golf on some of the most renowned courses on the continent on Peter Deilmann river and ocean cruises this year. River cruises feature golf in the Rhône-Saône, Provence and Normandy regions of France, the Rhine areas of France and Germany and the Danube region of Germany, Austria and Hungary and include pre- or post-hotel stays that offer additional opportunities to golf at nearby courses.

For ocean voyagers, Deilmann is featuring golf and cruise vacations during three Atlantic and Mediterranean sailings of the five-star Deutschland. The first, the Ireland Golf Cup 2005 cruise, Aug. 3-14, features three courses in Ireland, one in Holland and France on a 12-night sailing to the Netherlands, England, Ireland and France. The Atlantic Golf Cup, Sept. 10-22, combines an 11-night sailing with play on five golf courses in France, Portugal and England. The fall Mediterranean Golf Cup, Sept. 22-Oct. 7, allows golfers to play six courses on the islands of Madeira and Elba, in Casablanca, Barcelona, the Côte d’Azur and Cantania, Sicily, on a 15-night sailing from Lisbon to Venice to 10 ports of call in five countries.

Four Deilmann river ships are offering golf theme cruises – two on the Princesse de Provence and Mozart and one on the Heidelberg and the Cezanne. The first golf theme river cruise is in France at the Bagnols Chateau Golf Cup 2005 in the Rhône and Saône regions aboard the four-star Princesse de Provence, May 7-17, roundtrip from Lyon, with golf played at six different French courses.

Courses include the Nimes Campagne Golf Club near the historic Roman town, the 240-acre Pont Royal Golf Club, designed by champion golfer Seve Ballestros, situated along the Durance River in the Luberon Valley and the Macon La Salle Golf Club, a 27-hole course built amidst the vineyards of Burgundy. The 11-day golf package provides seven nights of cruising and three nights at Hotel Chateau de Bagnols, green fees, golf cart, travel to and from the courses and guides starting at $4,000 per person for an outside twin cabin.

Brenner's Park Stay
On a Rhine cruise aboard the five-star Heidelberg, Deilmann offers a 12-day golf cruise tour, May 28-June 8, with six days of play at two courses in Strasbourg, France, and three in Germany. After the seven-night Rhine cruise, participants stay four nights at the deluxe Brenner’s Park Hotel and Spa in Baden-Baden in Germany’s Black Forest. The all-inclusive package price starts at $4,200 per person for outside cabin.

There are two Mozart Golf Cup cruise tours on the Danube, June 5-16 and Sept. 11-22, that feature tournament play at clubs in Vienna, Budapest, Castle Ernegg in Austria and at three of the six golf courses in the eastern Bavarian summer resort of Bad Griesbach, including one designed by golfer Bernhard Langer. This golfing cruise combines four nights at the Hotel King Ludwig in Bad Griesbach with a seven-night Danube cruise aboard the five-star Mozart roundtrip from Passau, Germany, to Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and old world villages and small towns in Austria and Hungary. The 12-day package rates start at $3,800 per person for an outside twin.

The other river cruise golfing holidays are in the Normandy and Provence regions in France. The Normandy Golf tournament players sail on a five-star Cezanne cruise on the Seine from Rouen to Paris, Aug. 30-Sept. 10. The 12-day program begins with a transfer from Paris to Deauville for four nights at the Hotel du Golf Barriere. The six golf courses on this itinerary include the 27-hole Omaha Beach Golf Club at Bayeux, the Saint Saens course, the Etretat golf course situated high atop spectacular white cliffs and the International Golf course outside Paris designed by Jack Nicklaus. The 11-night package is priced from $4,050 per person outside twin.

The Provence Golf Cup cruise tour in southwest Provence, a region that boasts a favorable climate and nearly a dozen beautiful golf courses, begins with golf and four nights at the first class Chateau Moulin de Vernegues in Mallemort. Golfers transfer to Arles to board the Princesse de Provence on the Rhône cruise to Avignon, Viviers, Vienne, Macon and Lyon. The Pont Royal Golf Club, where participants first play, is a 10-minute walk from the chateau hotel and golfers play at six courses before and during the cruise. Prices for this golf theme cruise, Oct. 11-22, start at $2,800 per person twin.

Golf Guides are Players
Depending on the itinerary, non-golfing river cruise companions deduct between $1,050 and $1,175 from the river cruise golf package price. Golfing guides for each of the tournaments are players and tour managers from different clubs in Germany. Deilmann arranges hotel stays, shore excursion packages, air transportation, meet and greet service and transfers between airports and ships for all river cruises. Additional cruise dates may be available for groups of six or more players.

Air/sea golfing holidays on ocean voyages aboard the MS Deutschland for a 15-night cruise start at $4,361 per person for an inside twin cabin and $5,576 for an outside twin. Singles start at $5,045. These air/sea packages are available from New York and 15 other U.S. gateways and include the cruise and golf program, air transportation, free transfers to and from the ship, green fees, golf cart, use of driving range if available, golf escort and tips. Non-golfing companions deduct $999 from this golfing ocean cruise and similar deductions from the other two.

Other new Deilmann theme cruises this year focus on gardens, music and cycling tours. Golfers can view and download the day-by-day itineraries of the golf programs online and also the cruise itineraries from the Great Rivers of Europe 2005 brochure at www. deilmann-cruises.com. Brochures are available from travel agencies or Peter Deilmann Cruises at 1-800-348-8287 or by e-mail at pdcmail@deilmann-cruises.com.