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If you’re travelling on a tight budget, opting for a cabin with a window instead of a balcony is an easy way to save money. While the panoramic views from the floor-to-ceiling windows in a river ship balcony cabin are lovely, you’ll probably spend most of your time out and about in port or chatting with other travellers. No matter how carefully you choose your itinerary, there will almost certainly be a few things on it that don’t particularly interest you. As someone who’s never been interested in war history, the prospect of touring Normandy’s World War II sites didn’t thrill me. However, learning about what happened at Omaha Beach and walking through the thousands of crosses at the Normandy American Cemetery was one of the most poignant and memorable moments of my trip.
Christmas Markets Cruise Tips You Need to Know
For culture mavens, there’s no better time to truly embrace local customs than at Christmas. Cruises to Antarctica take place during fall and winter months -- the only time of year when travel to the region is manageable. In addition to the adventure, you can expect holiday decorations and festivities onboard most ships during a late December cruise to the Land of Ice. American Cruise Line sails all the waterways mentioned above, while Viking offers itineraries solely on the Mississippi.
Just Back From TUI Skyla: A Christmas Markets Cruise on the Rhine - CruiseCritic.co.uk
Just Back From TUI Skyla: A Christmas Markets Cruise on the Rhine.
Posted: Fri, 29 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
American Cruise Lines' 8-Night Columbia & Snake River Cruise
The meter-long sausages, pretzels, pastries and spiked punch you will find in every market are undeniably delicious. The moment you fall in love is when you should buy (unless you feel like you're being ripped off). Otherwise, you will end up kicking yourself back on the ship, empty-handed and dreaming of that one little angel ornament you fell in love with three ports ago. Another highlight of the cruise is Krems, where the group will visit Göttweig Abbey and get exclusive access to the chapel in the inner courtyard to see the nativity scene. It's also a good idea to know the currency of each destination you're going to.
Best Time to Book a Christmas Markets River Cruise
The best way to know the times of each market you're visiting is to do a quick internet search close to the time of your river cruise. Put the name of the city and the words "Christmas Market hours" into your preferred online search tool to get the operational hours for each market. Picking a river for your cruise can be a challenge, especially if you're not familiar with the destinations on the itinerary. Cruises on the Danube and Rhine are the most popular at this time of year because their ports of call are where most of our Christmas traditions were first created. Miltenberg is a picturesque Bavarian village that thrived on income from river traffic. Its cultural wealth and affluence are reflected in the beautiful medieval and renaissance houses and the gothic splendor of the Merchant Hall shown to you during your guided walk.
The ships slowly sail from port to port, and market to market, allowing passengers to get a feel for each city's twist on tradition. As one of Europe's best-known waterways the Rhine is a popular Viking river cruise Christmas market destination. There's a scenic drive through wintery countryside to medieval Freiburg, on the edge of Germany's Black Forest, for a market visit and festive organ recital.
If you don’t have enough days off, you can cut your travel time by four whole days by booking Silversea’s Fly-Cruise Antarctica Bridge. These flights chartered by the cruise line allow you to avoid the Drake Passage by flying you straight there from Santiago and Punta Arenas in Chile. Off-ship experiences include sampling local beer and oysters in Astoria, Oregon; visiting Multnomah Falls or hiking Beacon Rock; and having a private vineyard visit and downtown wine walk in Walla Walla, Washington.
Then in Vienna, the City Hall Christmas market had an ice skating rink that was popular with families and couples. Depending on the river cruise line you book, the onboard attire may range from casual to a little more fancy. During the day on Viking, many people wore jeans or sweatpants and a casual shirt. Evenings brought out the more elevated fashion; women donned cute sweaters and dresses, while men dressed in jeans and nicer tops or sweaters.
During the day we'd get lost amidst alluring market stalls and when night fell, explore twinkling streetscapes enveloped with seasonal music concerts. Plus, there was plenty of culinary delights to sample throughout our travels—from regional fare to delectable mulled wine. A Christmas market river cruise is a great way to experience the holiday spirit of Europe. Whether you’re wandering through the stalls of Vienna or sipping mulled wine in front of Cologne Cathedral, there’s something for everyone on these cruises.
Don’t Forget to Dress Warmly and Wear Comfortable Waterproof Shoes for Cruises Along European Christmas Markets
If your vacation preferences favor mountain landscapes, wine tasting and pioneer lore, consider American Cruise Lines' eight-night Columbia & Snake River Cruise. You'll explore the Pacific Northwest from Portland, Oregon, to Clarkstown, Washington (or vice versa). There's eagle spotting in Red Wing and agricultural innovation in Quad Cities, Iowa. You'll enjoy Mark Twain lore in Hannibal, Missouri, and architectural landmarks, such as the soaring Gateway Arch, in St. Louis. You can cruise the entire length of this mighty river as you visit 14 cities in seven U.S. states on Viking's two-week sailing.
And best of all, Avalon Waterways took care of every detail so all we had to do was relax and enjoy the Christmas markets while sailing in style. Plus, the ship will be decorated to put you in the holiday spirit as you sail. Each day brings you to a new port, often dropping you just steps away from the markets. Also, at night is when you’ll see the brilliance of the lights and decorations. The markets have an even warmer and more festive feel after the sun sets. We usually stopped over in late afternoon to get that last bit of daylight and then also could enjoy sunsets and the vibrant night scenes.
Back in the Big Apple on day seven, you'll have time to explore before saying farewell to your ship. In The Dalles, you can enjoy a sommelier-led tasting of Columbia Valley wines, visit Multnomah Falls or get adventurous on a river kayak tour. During a call on Richland, Washington, you can admire the scenic beauty around the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers at Sacajawea State Park. More wine tasting or outdoor adventure awaits on the way to Clarkstown. In Tennessee's two famous music cities, you'll have a chance to visit Elvis Presley's Graceland, stroll blues club-lined Beale Street and check out the Grand Ole Opry. You'll also visit Paducah, Kentucky, and Dover and Clarksville in Tennessee, where experiences include whiskey and bourbon tasting, tours of landmark art murals and, of course, Civil War history.
All you need to do is be a guest on the ship and get off and on the ship in each port as you like. We recommend booking at least a year in advance if you want your choice of dates, stateroom, and itinerary. This is because these specialty cruises are in high demand and don't have many dates each year, so they fill up quickly. There are certainly a lot of food options at every Christmas market you go to, no matter the city. Though the food was more regionally specific years ago, the markets have become more cross-cultural in terms of foods you can find in recent years.
You can utilize the kids' long winter break to explore new cultures or escape on your own while letting the cruise line handle the party planning. If exploring the central U.S. — Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri — without driving is appealing, consider the 15-night Grand Ohio River Cruise offered by American Cruise Lines. You'll enjoy regionally inspired dining and eclectic landmarks along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers as you sail.
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