River cruise passengers looking for a 2020 bargain are in for a bonanza if they are ready to book. You can save up to $6800 per couple if you choose to cruise in Europe with Avalon Waterways, for instance.

Avalon is offering a 17-day Magnificent Rivers of Europe on the popular Budapest to Amsterdam itinerary at $8222 per person – reduced from $11,622 – a saving of $3400 pp. The cruise departs Budapest on 12 June next year and arrives in Amsterdam on 28 June.

You will experience the joys of cruising down the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers and call at the city of music, Vienna. Your cruise will then take you to Durnstein to walk in the steps of Ruchard the Lionheart. You will also be able to explore the magnificent Benedictine Abbey above Melk and savour the wines of Wachau Valley vineyards on board your ship.

In Germany you will cruise to Passau to tour the city of three rivers, visit the Bavarian town of Regenburg, go sightseeing in Nuremberg or join a guided excursion to Munich to see Nymphenburg Palace.

On board, you will enjoy complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, free WiFi and premium L’Occitane toiletries.

Viking River Cruises is offering free flights to Europe for a 15-day Grand European itinerary with prices starting from $6995 pp if you book your European cruise by 31 August.

The all-inclusive voyage will visit Vienna to experience’s Europe’s city of classical music with some of the finest pieces composed by Strauss and Mozart. You will then visit the wine growing region of picturesque villages and hilltop castles in Melk, visit Regensburg, the oldest city along the Danube River and admire the city’s best preserved medieval city. You will cruise to Wurzburg and visit the Bishops’ Residenz, one of the Germany’s most ornate palace and a UNESCO heritage site. For a mix of old and new, you will call at Cologne, then cruise to the country of windmills visiting the South Holland village of Kinderdijk before arriving at Amsterdam with its colourful gardens, thousands of bicycles and lattice of canals.

Viking offers one free shore excursion at every port of call, free WiFi, free wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, 24-hour specialty coffee and tea, bottled water and premium Freya toiletries, plush robes and slippers.

APT also has free flights to Europe for a 15-day Magnificent Europe itinerary from Budapest to Amsterdam with prices starting from $7095pp. Bookings must be made by 30 November. Your journey will call at 16 destinations, freedom of choice excursions in 10 places, enjoy up to seven different dining places on board and there’s butler service in selected suites.

Teeming River Cruises has a seven day itinerary visiting Lyon, Aries, Avignon and four other destinations in France with prices from $1877pp. The voyage starts and ends in Lyon visiting Viviers, Tain L’Hermitage, Vienne and Collonges-Au Mont D’Or. The cruise on MS Rhone Princess will cost you $268 a day and departs Lyon on 2 April 2020 There will be complimentary WiFi, a Teeming App city walking tour in all destinations and free coffee and tea.

Scenic River Cruises is also offering free flights for all 2020 European river itineraries of 11 days or more, provided bookings are made before 31 August this year. The all-inclusive luxury voyages will sail on the Rhine, Moselle, Main and Danube rivers visiting countries such as Netherlands. Germany, Austria and Hungary. If full payment is made by 31 October this year, guests will be get an additional discount of $600 per couple and solo passengers can enjoy a 50 per cent discount off the single supplement.

Scenic has an 11-day itinerary from Bordeaux to Bordeaux, visiting Saint Emilion, Pauillac, Medoc, Cadillac, Bourg and Cognac from $7195pp departing Bordeaux on 12 October 2020. The river cruise will take passengers through remarkable landscapes where they can experience delicious French cuisine, matched with regional wines and visit elegant chateaux and churches. They will call at the Grand Cru Class wine estates, explore the Cognac region and savour its famous brandy and sample delicious oysters from the waters of Arcachon Bay.

Uniworld is also offering free economy flights for any 2020 European river cruise or they can upgrade to business class flights for an additional $3999 pp. You can also save 10 per cent if you book and pay in full by 30 September this year.

Uniworld has a 10-day itinerary from Vienna to Prague priced from $7499pp departing on 15 May 2020. The cruise will call at the Nuremberg, Kelheim, Regensburg, Passau, Melk, Weissenkirchen, Wachau Valley before arriving in Vienna. Passengers will visit mesmerizing castles, old towns and villages steeped in history and explore vineyards. The more active passengers can hop on a bike and explore the towns of Regensburg, Straubing, Deggendorf, Passau and Engelhartszell, all rich with magnificent architecture and outstanding breweries. All cabins and suites have handcrafted Savoir beds of England, marble bathrooms with Asprey toiletries and bathrobes. Uniworld’s all-inclusive cruises include complimentary drinks.