European Waterways Now Booking "La Bella Vita" Inaugural Venice Cruise for September 5

Online, June 1, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Venice, one of the most romantic cities in the world, will soon be home to one of European Waterways' newest luxury hotel barges, the 20-passenger La Bella Vita. The latest addition to European Waterways' extensive fleet, La Bella Vitais a wonder of modern comfort and convenience, with a unique cruise itinerary that spans the Venetian Lagoon and the River Po Valley to the Renaissance city of Mantua. As on all European Waterways cruises, guests enjoy gourmet dining, fine wines and memorable visits to famous cultural and historic attractions - all while being attended to by a friendly and knowledgeable, English-speaking crew.

Bookings are now being accepted for its inaugural cruise on Sunday, September 5. All of European Waterways' luxury cruise vacations offer a minimum of 10% commission to travel agents.

The Beautiful Life
La Bella Vita, which is Italian for "The beautiful life," offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience that truly lives up to its name. The vessel features comfortable, air-conditioned accommodations, with a bright and spacious dining room and bar area, side decks for viewing, and a spacious sun deck from which to enjoy the picturesque man-made and natural scenery that includes magnificent architecture, lagoon islands, wild beach dunes and pine woods with an abundance of birdlife.

Among the cruise highlights is a guided tour of Venice that takes guests deep into the heart of the famous city to explore its hidden gardens, as well as its many artistic and cultural treasures. Guests also tour the colorful port of Chioggia, where they accompany their vessel's master chef to the famous red fish market to select the catch of the day for the evening meal. Other tour highlights feature private wine tastings at renowned local producers, a cruise along the Bianca Canal, which follows the Po River to Adria, to visit its museums and cathedrals. The tour culminates at the picture-post-card perfect city of Mantua, which is surrounded by lakes on three sides. The cultural and musical center of Northern Italy, Mantua was once home to one of the greatest Renaissance courts in Europe. In 2008, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its medieval and Renaissance planning and architecture. A complete brochure on La Bella Vita is available online at http://bitURL.net/La_Bella_Vita.

"With so many opportunities to enjoy Europe's diverse and delightful countryside and marvelous attractions, European Waterways cruises are ideal for the individual travelers and small groups. Passengers can charter the entire vessel to enjoy even greater value," remarked Derek Banks, Chairman, European Waterways. "La Bella Vita is the latest addition to our fleet and offers travelers the opportunity to enjoy Venice and the Veneto the way the city's designers meant for it to be enjoyed - by water."

About European Waterways
European Waterways is Europe's largest all-inclusive luxury hotel barging company, offering vacations in nine countries and carrying thousands of passengers a year. Founded nearly 40 years ago, the company designs, builds, owns and operates a private fleet of luxury barges with exclusive cruises in France, Italy, Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. Pioneers in hotel barging, they were the first company to operate a hotel barge on the Upper Nivernais in Burgundy, and the "real" Loire Valley. They are also the only cruise company offering barge cruises in Scotland and in the Venetian lagoon and River Po valley, as well as the first company to offer an Avignon-to-Amsterdam 6-week trans-Europe cruise, a 1,000 mile journey along Western Europe's inland waterways.

For more information, pricing, cruise schedules, and a copy of their new brochure, contact European Waterways at 1-800-394-8630, by email at [email protected], or visit their website at www.gobarging.com