notamermaid

Hello Heart26,

the weather is unsettled with cool temperatures, light wind, a little bit of rain. There is snow forecast for tomorrow in the East of Germany down into some of the valleys with a sharp drop in temperatures!

But here on the Rhine we will have cool temperatures between 5 and 13 with a peak of 16 Celsius maximum forecast for tomorrow. Lots of rain over the coming weekend, unfortunately.

Water levels are fine.

notamermaid

Hello Kryssa,

hostjazzbeau has put together an excellent overview with lots of suggestions for those starting to look into river cruising. It is the sticky on the front page of the river cruise board: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2046067

A few things that spring to mind, having read you post: You are certainly in the younger demographic range of river cruisers. You might like to have a look at the company Arosa (based in Germany). They have a young-ish image in Germany. Past cruisers have mentioned that overall Viking seems to have the older demographic range. With the other companies being anywhere inbetween. Arosa is relatively new to the North-American market, so there might be a change in the age range in the coming years. there are not many English reviews of their itineraries yet.

If you are very active and into cycling you might even try CroisiEurope with their unusual itineraries. It is a French company.

Weather and your comfort zone can be an important factor in choosing a river cruise in Europe. Think boiling hot in the South of France in Summer to freezing cold temperatures with rain, snow and ice in Germany and the Netherlands in November and December.

Any buildings or landmarks you have been wanting to see from a young age? Like the Eiffel Tower or ...

The Rhine has been mentioned here on CC to be a great river for first time cruisers, usually posters mean an 8-day-cruise from Basel to Amsterdam or vice versa. But there are all sorts of combinations and also shorter cruises available.

Choosing the excursions is a tricky business, the companies vary so much in what they offer and even what they mean by "all-inclusive". However, the ports of the typical Rhine itinerary are very similar among the companies that are on the North-American market. I would also look at the terms and conditions of the various companies. They differ.

Have fun planning.

notamermaid

What a great thread for a local girl! It is fascinating to read what you folks like (or do not like).

I have read with interest that Vantage uses the small town Schweich on the Moselle as a port on their Rhine/Moselle itinerary. It is close to Trier and a convenient stop for bus trips to Trier and Luxembourg. I did not know they could accommodate large river cruise ships at that town!

I would love to hear from cruisers how they enjoyed the town. There are lots of small Roman remains sites in the area, but cruisers will obviously be taken to Trier, formerly also known as Treves in English. Apparently that name is not used anymore.

notamermaid

Still sunny and pleasant in the Rhine valley, but bad weather with lots of rain is forecast for the coming week. We can do with some rain, but not too much.

Aah, the good old days of 2001. :D When Viking had just jumped the ocean to North America, getting bigger and bigger. When ships still looked like ocean liners and did not need innovative designs. KD Viking Flusskreuzfahrten has ceased to exist, but the Deutschland is being lovingly maintained by another owner and chartered out to a German company. She sails the Rhine under her new name Alemannia.

The info sheet in Dutch, but you can guess most of the info, on the bottom right hand side you can read the ship owner's names:

http://www.debinnenvaart.nl/schip_detail/213/

Have fun, remydiva, especially at the castles at Cochem (19th century!) and Marksburg (old!).

notamermaid

Hello possumcat,

Thank you for the info. These sound like very scenic cycle rides. I am not so familiar with the terrain around Trier, but that ride I think is not too bad as regards hills as the Schloss is right on the river bank. I would ask the experts onboard about that tour, if I did the cruise. You will certainly see a lot of the attractions. I had not heard of Schloss Monaise, as I have not been to Trier that often. Did the typical "Roman remains tour" lots of years ago. For the architectural fan in me it was a delight to find out about the summer palace, so intriguing:

http://www.trier-info.de/english/monaise-palace-info

I find this itinerary more and more appealing, wish I could go. :(

notamermaid

Hello dmrbmr,

which cruise line is it?

notamermaid

beachtango,

a difficult choice indeed! As regards the Danube: I loved it, but my cruise started in Passau, so I did not do the upper stretch usually offered to North-American cruisers. That is pre-cruise Prague then being bussed to Nuremberg to start the cruise. The Danube is less frequented by barges, the Rhine river is busier. The Wachau valley is very picturesque and more tranquil than the famous Rhine stretch with the castles. Budapest is magnificent with a feel of its own (sort of Eastern-European but due to the language and history stands out alone in Europe). Vienna is interesting, but they were not really "my people". I prefer other parts of Austria. I was pleasantly surprised by Bratislava.

The Rhine undergoes a great change of scenery from the upper stretch to the Dutch section you will travel on. Yes, North of Cologne it is more industrial and the river enters the "plains". Apart from Basel, Strasbourg and Cologne most of the towns will be smaller or feel small compared to the others, I believe. Koblenz is a great setting on two rivers. And the castles are unrivalled anywhere in Europe, they say, as there are so many over so few kilometres. For cathedrals: I was impressed by what I saw on the Danube, but prefer Cologne (I have not seen Strasbourg yet).

The Moselle is smaller than the Rhine or the Danube on the lower stretch towards Budapest. It meanders more than the Rhine or the Danube, is famous for its steep vinyards and has smaller ports. I think in Trier you stop in an industrial area, but not far from the town. Trier is the oldest town in Germany and has great preserved Roman architecture.

If you love Roman artifacts certainly do the Rhine/Moselle. For scenery, I am undecided. Although, if I am honest, I prefer my "home river". :)

Perhaps looking at previous posters reviews through the search button here on CC might give you some ideas. When you type in Trier, for example, you will get some threads were people have asked questions about the port and been given answers or suggestions.

The UNESCO world heritage internet pages give you some great information, quite a few of the sights are in or near ports that you stop at on all three rivers.

I also find the google maps/Earth option good for photos (zoom in). Better than television sometimes. ;)

Have fun planning.

notamermaid

Hello Hydrokitty,

good to hear you enjoyed the canals and the typical Dutch landscape. It has an appeal of its own and I enjoyed my land trips. One just needs to know that it is very different from the romantic Rhine upstream. Over its more than 1000km journey the Rhine changes so much and the scenery with it. And of course, you get off the Rhine in order to get to Amsterdam.

Brussels as a pre-cruise also sounds great, the town is so famous for its architecture and certainly worth visiting.

notamermaid

Perhaps a couple of suggestions which might make it easier to decide:

would you prefer to go upstream or downstream - presuming you will be doing the standard Amsterdam - Basel itinerary? Look at the dates that are possible for you and compare the two companies in that way.

Might you prefer an itinerary that includes the Moselle as well as the Rhine?

Any personal preferences and special interests that might set the two companies' itineraries apart from another?

One tiny but perhaps import aspect - seeing it has been mentioned on CC as a disappointment once - could be: Cologne cathedral is reserved for worshippers on Sunday mornings - that means no tours allowed inside. If you want to see it in full glory wandering around you need to be in Cologne on a different weekday or in the afternoon.

No normal shopping hours on Sundays in Germany.

Museums are closed on Mondays in Germany.

The Rhine itinerary is a very popular and I also think it is a great choice for first time cruisers.

Some cruise lines, by the way, offer special anniversary packages that you can buy in advance. Special cake and stuff... :)

Have fun planning.

notamermaid

Last weekend was very sunny and warm, the beergardens had their first busy weekend this season.

This weekend is cool and cloudy, temperatures are between 10 and 12 degrees today lunchtime.

It has not rained much, in fact, too little so far for April. The water level on the Rhine is lower than average, but fine for sailing.

notamermaid

Hello lupe lu,

so you have booked! I did not mention any reviews for the ship as the only ones I could have linked would have been in German.

It is interesting to find out that this company is also "branching out" into the English-speaking (but not native English-speaking) world.

Your experience - apart from the basics about the ship - could be quite different from the past German cruisers experience as you are going on an English-speaking "group travel" trip.

Would you like to tell us why you chose this company and specifically the Moselle?

Enjoy your cruise.

notamermaid

The sections before Amsterdam on the Basel - Amsterdam and vice versa are mainly canals or canalized rivers. And the Netherlands are mostly flat compared to other countries. Hence, I think, the reason people find it not very scenic. The famous Keukenhof is not on a canal that the big ships use, busses take you there. I do not recommend going at the end of March and also tend towards your idea, hostjazzbeau, of splitting the holiday into two parts. I would suggest you have a look at the various cruise lines, meaning not only the usual North-American lines. You could fly into Amsterdam, spent a day there, then go to Keukenhof DIY the following day. There are a couple of cruise lines itineraries that start in Cologne cutting out the cruising in the Dutch canals. That way you get to see the Rhine. Most tours end in Basel, but CroisiEurope end their itineraries in Strasbourg as it is the company base.

When you go to google maps and switch to "Earth" have a close look at the area by zooming in. The photos that come up give you a good idea of what to expect.

There are a few threads and reviews about the Spring tours in the Netherlands here on CC.

Have fun planning.

notamermaid

Hello lupe lu,

the Bellriva is indeed a ship that caters for the German-speaking market as the company offering river cruises is German. I have seen in the past that river cruises on this ship are bookable online. Here on CC it is not allowed to link to such websites. Here is the link to the German company called, indeed, 1Avista Reisen. I am posting this as an exception as most people will not be familiar with German enough to make it worthwhile, but the photos are nice:

http://www.1avista.de/ms-bellriva.html

Just some quick information: middle class ship, sailing under Dutch flag, language on board German.

Hope this helps.

Nearly forgot, if you are looking for itineraries specifically for the Moselle you could have a look at CroisiEurope. They do the Moselle as well.

notamermaid

Hello Tinkindling,

that sounds as if you went upstream to Boppard. That is still the port that follows after Koblenz on their 2015 itinerary. I think that this is a nice stretch as it looks as if it might that you along the Rhine off the main road. I personally like their itinerary as the stop in Boppard means they spent more time in that section of river.

notamermaid

I am also interested to see what such an itinerary will look like. This sort of cruise could work for well-traveled kids from age 10 upwards I think. A very active boy of six I cannot see enjoying that sort of holiday, and not for his parents either. ;)

To set the record straight I would to pint out an error in the contence in the article:

connecting cabins are not unique to this new ship or the river cruise world. The ship I travelled with, the Belvedere has them and Arosa also offers them at least on the Arosa Brava, but possibly on other ships as well. Arosa also offers family-themed river cruises, possibly only to the German-speaking market.

notamermaid

Great weather in the Rhine valley, set to be the hottest day of this year so far. T-shirts and ice-cream cones all around me!

Thank you Host Jazzbeau for the interesting link. Certainly opens up a new target group.

May I point a mistake in the article: connecting cabins are not unique to this new ship or the river cruise world. The ship I travelled with, the Belvedere has them and Arosa also offers them at least on the Arosa Brava, but possibly on other ships as well. Arosa also offers family-themed river cruises, possibly only to the German-speaking market.

notamermaid

Yes, great scenery all around the ship, the side does not really matter much. :)

One thing I would like to point out though as you are going at Christmas: as you will be travelling downstream the sunset can be best enjoyed from a cabin on the portside. Unless you are moored in a port then usually on the starboard side, the ship being anchored against the direction in which the water flows. In Koblenz it is different as you will quite likely be docking on the Moselle. There it is not possible for me to predict how much or little you will be able to see from a cabin.

The sun sets around 4pm, you can look this up online.

Hope you will be able to see some snow at Christmas it always makes it extra special. :)

notamermaid

That sounds like a great itinerary!

On such a long trip expect the weather to change quite a bit, you will be travelling through different areas of Europe with slightly changing climates. As beeskate has written, a lot depends on what you are used to. But definitely take a light jacket for those windy evenings on the ship or excursions starting early in the morning. On the Rhine and Moselle temperatures can get as high as 30 degrees Celsius at midday, but be as cool as 10 degrees Celsius in the mornings in June. A small umbrella is a good idea, but I have heard of past cruisers here on CC having borrowed an umbrella on board, perhaps your ship will also provide them. You might find this out in the small details within your travel documents.

Enjoy your cruise.

notamermaid

Hello,

as I write the Viking Eir is in the Rhine valley not far from the Lorelei rock which you will of course see next week.

Looking forward to your review and your opinion on the excursions, especially Breisach, as I am thinking of going to Neuf-Brisach (not on a river cruise):

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2195258

The weather is relatively pleasant for April, currently around 14 degrees Celsius. Expect chilly conditions in the mornings as we still get night frosts around this time of year when it is a clear sky.

Water at good level for cruising.

Enjoy your cruise. :)

That is an amazing review, thank you for pointing it out!

It is interesting to read that the boat waited for them in Remich. So far I had only heard of people being bussed from Trier to Luxembourg at the end of their cruise.

One important note about Koblenz on their trip in 2011: it was the year of the federal horticultural tour, a one-off event. Do not expect that many people, flower displays and cleanliness in town this year.

About Rüdesheim: The ruins of the Hindenburg bridge are at the end of Rüdesheim when you walk along the bank upstream. The bridge was one of the three sister bridges of more or less identical design over the river Rhine. The other two were the Urmitz bridge and the Remagen bridge. You might not be able to do this, but perhaps you can cram it into your itinerary if you are interested in history. I strongly advice only to do this in daylight.

http://www.ruedesheim.de/en/discover-ruedesheim/castles-buildings/

Oddly, the Irish Pub just round the corner form the docking station in Koblenz (if you dock on the Moselle, that is) has just been voted one of the ten best outside of Irland by an Irish newspaper. But perhaps you prefer the German Biergarten on the river bank. ;)

Have fun planning and a great trip.

notamermaid

Great photos of the interior, thank you! :)

Here she is in action on her first trip along the Rhine, which I believe has just finished in Amsterdam:

On the Moselle in Koblenz pulling out of her berth backwards with the Switzerland (greenish ship) next to her, who follwed her out, sort of in tow.

notamermaid

I need to add that I have only just found out that the Jane Austen was christened in January of this year. I was under the assumption that she was as old - or as young - as her sister ship the Lord Byron. It seems the first sailing will be on 29 April. So there are no reviews yet.

http://www.scylla.ch/en/news/ms-jane-austen-christening-newest-scylla-ship-hardinxveld-nl

notamermaid

Spring in the Rhine valley, lots of sunshine and the first butterflies!

I think September is a nice month to go in, although for autumn colours October is better. Expect September to be pleasant -cool or warm, but not hot - as regards the weather conditions. Probably warmer than Manchester and certainly less rain! I have been near Stockport a few times and therefore can judge the differences to my country :D

I have seen that the tours on the Jane Austen on the Rhine start in Cologne. It seems that you can book the Eurostar train connection from London St. Pancras or fly in from several airports including Manchester. That sounds like a good itinerary, from Cologne to Basel.

A few people have commented here on CC about the Rhine being less interesting and more industrial North of Cologne. So going straight to Cologne is certainly an idea to consider.

I personally would take the train option, Peak district train and Eurostar then First Class Thalys to Cologne if I had lots of money to spare!

Enjoy planning.

notamermaid

Thank you every for the nice replies.

Glad to report that the weather is improving. Temperatures are scheduled to reach the twenties (Celsius) this weekend. Lots of sunshine to be had already. Spring is finally here.

notamermaid

Hello hostjazzbeau,

it caught me right in my usual posting schedule this morning between 9 and 11am European Summer time. :D

I am glad everyone is back.

notamermaid

P.S.: Weather is improving. Spring is here. Magnolia trees are in bloom.