Monday, April 1, 2024

Christmas Riverboat Cruises

christmas river cruise 2023

The ship has spacious cabins with balconies, on-demand entertainment, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a main restaurant where you can sample the famous local Port wines. Explore Cologne’s seasonal holiday markets and shop for colorful gifts, arts and crafts. Each year, festive stalls form a carpet of colour in many of the squares and cobbled streets of towns and cities across Europe, each selling unusual gifts and trinkets that you just can’t resist. For something a little more festive, take a look at our Christmas cruises, where you’ll be sipping spiced wine and nibbling fresh-baked gingerbread as you stroll around some of Europe’s prettiest towns. Europe during winter is unlike anywhere else, with gingerbread stalls and twinkling fairy lights welcoming in the festive period.

Christmas on the Rhine & Moselle

As you lounge back and enjoy a relaxing Christmas Eve, the landscape becomes much wider and flatter, with gently rolling hills and vineyards that are home to the Liebfraumilch wines. Take to the deck and enjoy the bracing as we continue our Christmas journey upstream. We berth in historic Speyer, founded by the Celts and one of Germany’s oldest cities, celebrated for its illustrious past, for an afternoon walking tour. The breathtaking Imperial Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is among the largest Romanesque churches in the world; it’s also one of the finest. Its beautiful four-roomed crypt is the resting place of many Holy Roman emperors and German kings. Known as the hometown of Mozart, the Salzburg Christmas Market is one of the oldest and most traditional Christmas markets in Europe.

The year ahead for ... river cruising - Travel Weekly

The year ahead for ... river cruising.

Posted: Tue, 26 Dec 2023 02:10:23 GMT [source]

Pre: Budapest

After three days of touring smaller towns, you'll return to Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is visible from the banks of the Seine. All your meals, one excursion per destination, gratuities, Wi-Fi, butler service and transfers are also included in your cruise fare. Alcoholic drinks are only included with the Premium All-Inclusive Package, which can be selected at booking. Five-day Christmastime In Alsace & Germany sails the former packing in mulled wine, spice cakes, and biscuits in Heidelberg and Strasbourg, Breisach, the gateway to Germany’s Black Forest and Basel, Switzerland. Christmas shopping is a very important and exciting tradition amongst a lot of people. You can do your Christmas shopping from these beautiful markets for all your friends and family.

Best for families: Adventures by Disney's Rhine River Christmas Markets Cruise

You can enjoy warm, fatty sausages just off the grill, fresh pancakes, and garlic-and-cheese flatbread here. Visiting a Christmas market is one of the most fun and interesting things to do during the festive season. Various cruise lines offer this tour to make sure that all the visitors can experience the deep-rooted European tradition and feel the magic of these beautiful and enchanting Christmas markets.

Then welcome the New Year in style in Budapest, with the option of celebrating the festivities in the city with the locals. Regardless of reason, cancellations result in costly charges from our travel and hotel providers covering penalties and fees incurred by canceling confirmed bookings. During breakfast the ship effortlessly glides out of port as we commence a spectacular morning’s cruising, sailing upstream. When planning a Christmas market tour, make sure to book the cruise at least one year in advance as the demand is very high and the festive season is very short. Stroll the river promenade, decorated with festive holiday lights, and explore the Old Town. Glittering cities across France, Germany, Austria and beyond light up with Christmas markets offering hand-carved toys and ornaments.

Enjoy Christmas on a Cruise Ship with Cruises Across America

Alternatively, you can visit Valkenburg's underground Christmas market, located inside a cave. The last stop of the cruise is Antwerp, Belgium, where you can enjoy a concert, a beer tasting and time to enjoy the city at your leisure. The last day in Germany is spent in Cologne, where you can visit the beautiful Christmas markets that dot the city landscape, as well as lace up some skates to glide around an open-air ice rink. The cruise ends in Amsterdam, where you can choose to visit the Rijksmuseum, the Rembrandt House Museum or the Van Gogh Museum, along with taking a scenic canal cruise through the city. The next two days make Strasbourg, France the home port from which you can choose to visit Europa Park in Rust, Germany, or head to Colmar, France, which is famous for its Christmas Markets and Cheese Museum. Be sure to get the town's specialty, a steaming bowl of moules frites (mussels with fries), for Christmas lunch.

Spain and Portugal

It is known for its high-quality goods, festive atmosphere, and beautiful setting. One of the things that makes this Christmas Market so special is its focus on quality over quantity. The market stalls are run by local artisans and vendors, and the goods sold are all made with care and attention to detail. Taking a journey on the cruise ship is sure to delight you with her unique atmosphere and outstanding hospitality.

Three Rivers: Danube, Main & Rhine

christmas river cruise 2023

Pack comfortable yet sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in, as many of the sites visited were built centuries ago and have uneven surfaces, some steep inclines and many steps. For the welcome and farewell dinners, you may wish to dress more formally – jacket and tie for men, casually elegant attire for ladies (not required). Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate service animals on any river cruise for medical and legal reasons. If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and inform us at time of booking. Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling.

christmas river cruise 2023

Here, you will be able to get numerous unique gifts that are not available anywhere else in the world. River cruises during the winter offer travelers the chance to experience Europe in its most magnificent form. You can cruise on the Rhine with castles sitting on white frosted hills or walk the streets of Nuremberg, exploring the famous Christmas markets. Visiting the Christmas market in Europe will allow you to immerse yourself in the traditions and celebrations of the holiday season. You will visit cathedrals and abbeys, listen to local singers and musicians, and learn about local holiday traditions. The AmaDouro of the AmaWaterways is one of the best river cruise ships on the Douro River.

Christmas market cruises allow guests to visit markets at night to enjoy the beautiful and magical atmosphere created by the beautiful lights and decorated stalls, squares, and parks. Cities and towns in Europe also decorate public buildings and plazas with wreaths, bows, and lights. Revel in yuletide cheer as you discover beloved European holiday traditions during this scenic 12-day cruise tour. Admire festive seasonal displays in Paris, the vibrantly lit facade of the cathedral in Reims and Alsatian bonhomie in Strasbourg. Browse stalls full of local delicacies and handicrafts at the charming Christmas markets of Trier, Koblenz and Mannheim, and enjoy a warm mug of glühwein while in the shadow of the Alps in Zürich. Cruise lines are offering a range of celebrations and specialty voyages for travelers who want to book a last-minute getaway, whether you want to soak up some sun during the cold winter months or do some shopping at Christmas markets.

Enjoy these cities in full festive flow, tuck into gingerbread and visit the Christmas markets. While a cruise on the Rhine is very relaxing and the pace leisurely, to enjoy all the cruise has to offer, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances. If you are a resident of another country traveling internationally,  please contact an embassy or consulate of each of the countries we visit on this tour to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for your travel. If you have to interrupt your tour en route, you may be entitled to a refund for the unused land portion if it exceeds 24 hours; certain restrictions apply.

The cruise ends in Rousse, where you can venture further into Romania to Bucharest, which is known as the "Little Paris of the East" for a city tour and Christmas Market. Day four brings the group to Mannheim, Germany, where you can enjoy a funicular ride to Heidelberg Castle or tour the town of Baden-Baden where the Christmas market is not to be missed. Each ship in the Riverside Luxury Cruises fleet is all-suite and comes with butler service. Ships offer an indoor pool and a Jacuzzi to use before or after your trips ashore.

With Strasbourg locals spending time with loved ones today, the markets, shops, cafés and attractions may not be open. Take this time to appreciate this spellbinding capital of the Alsace region and its wonderful architecture in the gentle calm of Christmas Day. The festive period is a magical time to visit this picturesque part of Germany, and no country does it better. The historic Yuletide markets here are the ideal places to soak up the spellbinding atmosphere while seeking out unusual presents for friends and family back home. Strategically situated at the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Moselle, this 2,000-year-old city with its mighty fortress towering above, is full of appeal.

There’s free time to explore the numerous stalls decorated with twinkling lights before stepping back on board for another splendid dinner. Instead, try a glass of grog, a local drink made with rum, water, lemon, and sugar from this market, for a unique experience. The most important thing that attracts everyone to Prague’s Christmas Market is the food.

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