Christmas Markets Along The Rhine

[katbird]

My husband and I are planning our first Christmas "getaway"on GCT's Christmas Markets along the Rhine. Has anyone taken this particular trip? Good, bad..? Typical weather? Would love any feedback from prior travelers. Thanks.

[dakrewser]

I saw that one but it leaves a bit early (12/11) for us.

 

 

I'm interested in "Christmas market" cruises around 12/17-19. I know Viking, Uniworld and Amadeus offer them (any one else?) and would be interested in cruisers' experience with these companies or that itinerary...

[AZPam]

My Mother and I are taking this cruise departing December 1st! We are so excited and look forward to all the SHOPPING! Which date are you on? We are also doing the precruise stay in Basel and will be departing Phoenix Nov 28. My first time to Europe!

 

Can you tell I am excited? :D

 

Pam

[katbird]

Yes, I can tell you are VERY excited, with good reason to be. Europe is a great place to visit..We are leaving from Basel on December 11th and will be taking the post trip extensin in Amsterdam before flying back home to Atlanta. I know it will be cold, but just wanted to see how other travelers view the small river boats as this will be our first trip on one. Hope you and your Mom have a great time.

[AZPam]

Oh, so disappointed you won't be sailing with us. I was hoping there would be roll calls for the river cruises like there are for the big cruises. Oh well, I am sure we will both have a great time. My Mom and I just might buy out all the good stuff before you get there though! :D

 

My parents are doing a GC river cruise in mid Sept from Brussels to Bucharest (I think), so at least one of us will know what to expect. If you have any specific questions, I could get her to answer them for you.

 

Pam

[jdrblue]

We did GCT's Christmas Markets Along the Rhine in '04. The itinerary was different from yours. We did the pre-cruise in Bruges and then sailed from Antwerp to Mainz. This was our first river cruise. We have done 10 big ship cruises. The river cruise is very port intensive. Most days we were docked early in the morning and often didn't leave until 8 to 10 PM. The stretch along some of the most scenic part of the Rhine was really the only day we spent "at sea". We passed by castles, vineyards and the Lorelei. That day we arrived in Rudesheim about 2PM. We all had dinner that evening in a local hotel which was great fun.

 

We ejoyed the small ship and small number of passengers. There were about 40 in the Bruges precruise group. Once we boarded the ship we were divided into three groups with three different program directors as our guides. Our Bruges group all stayed together with the same program director. As a result, we got to know our fellow passengers much better than on the big cruise ships.

 

We were in Europe the last week of November and first week of December. The weather was milder nearer the ocean and got colder as we moved inland. We had a few sunny days and several very overcast days. It didn't snow. We got a light mist in Ypres, Belgium and maybe a few sprinkles another day or two. That was really the only moisture. I think the temperatures ranged form the mid 50s to the mid 30s.

 

We had such a good time we are leaving this September for GCT's Burgundy & Provence to the Cote d'Azur. We will have 46 passengers so this is a much smaller boat. You should be excited about your trip. It will be wonderful.

[katbird]

Thank you so much for your input.. So, the small river barges aren't so small? We are looking forward to this..our first trip during the American Christmas season. Looking forward to all of the European flavor during the season.

[jdrblue]

The cabins are small but very manageable. The two beds are folded into the wall and become a couch during the day. GCT allows one suitcase and one carry on so you don't need a lot of closet space. Bathrooms are also cozy but big enough for a pretty big guy. The lounge on the front of the ship is large and comfortable with lots of big windows. With the boat moving across the water there is often a pretty good chill outside. If you get a good seat in the lounge you can easily see both banks of the river.

 

We recently returned from an Alaska cruise on the Sapphire Princess. It had over 4,000 people on board including passengers and crew. It is almost 1,000 feet long, over 100' wide and has 18 decks. The GCT River Aria had less than 200 passengers and crew. It is 410' long, 38' wide and has 4 decks. It looks long, low and narrow and has a shallow draft. For us the River Aria was a welcome change from the huge cruise ships.

[katbird]

Thanks again. We have 12 big ocean cruises under our belts, so we're looking forward to a smaller experience and this trip looked like it would fit the bill. Guess lots of warm outergear is definitely in order!

[cruise-a-lot]

Well, doesn't look like any of us are on the same departure, but I bet we all have a blast. We are departing out of Amsterdam heading south. I hear the warm spiced wines are excellent at the various Christmas Markets.

 

Cruise-A-Lot

[katbird]

I've heard the same thing..in fact, I've heard many good things about this cruise. I'm just going to look forward to enjoying all of the new experiences and try to cram everyting we can into the short time we have over there. Have fun!

[AZPam]

Katbird,

 

Just thought you would like to know that my parents are currently on their GCT river cruise and having a wonderful time! They called from Serbia yesterday and said everything was just amazing. They are very happy with the boat/ship, said the rooms are very nice and the food is great. They have about a dozen big ship cruises under their belts and said this river cruise was every bit as nice as any of the big ships they have been on. The only thing missing is the shows/entertainment at night, but they have been so tired from their daytime activities that it didn't matter. Interesting observation they made on their pre-cruise stay with GCT in Budapest was that most everyone in the group had done river cruises before with GCT, a lot of them knowing each other from past cruises, and some not so welcoming to the "newbies". That was very surprising to my Mom since she is so used to being a social butterfly. She did say that now they are on the boat with others, that it's much better. Also said it is a much older crowd than they are used to, but she feels very young so that's okay!

 

I am anxious for their next phone call!

[katbird]

Thanks for the info..strange the other "cruisers" didn't make your parents feel welcome. Hope the remainder of their trip goes much better. Won't be much longer 'til we're off to Europe and those cold temps.

[AZPam]

They ended up having a wonderful time! Once they got on the boat, they were put into a group that was more in their age range and just had a blast. My folks can't say enough good thing about GC, so I am really looking forward to experiencing it myself in about 5 more weeks!

[katbird]

I'm glad everything worked out well for them. I'm really looking forward to this trip. Hope you've got a warm coat!

[AZPam]

Being from the Phoenix area, we don't even know what a warm coat is! Still working on that one. Thinking about investing in some long underwear too since my blood is so thin. Any suggestions from you cold weather types?

[katbird]

Pam: You had beter either invest in a down coat or something similar...it is going to be COLD when we're over there. Bring gloves and something for your head and ears-they tend to get really chilly. Check out the temps before you leave and be prepared!

[AZPam]

Well, I've ordered my silk long johns, so hopefully that will help! Have a hat and gloves, but will have to find a scarf too. Been watching the temps over there and they are still having highs in the mid to upper 60's, which isn't bad. I am sure that will change!

[AZPam]

Doing the doc dance! Got my cruise docs and schedule today in the mail!

[racephoto]

I love the Christmas markets in Germany. I have never done the ones along the Rhine, when I went I flew into Munich and stayed there. We took a trip to Salzburg in Austria too, they also have the markets. The one in Munich was amazing, it was snowing the day we got there. I'll never forget wandering around all the quaint, beautifully lit and decorated little stands, listening to the carolers, nibbling freshly baked gingerbread and slowly savoring the hot mulled wine as snowflakes the size of cotton balls drifted down. What a magical experience. You will have a great time.

 

Gail

[katbird]

AZ Pam- Maybe the temps won't be too awful for you..We will be leaving two weeks after you so maybe it will be okay, with a bit of a warm coat. Have a grand time!

[AZPam]

We leave in the morning! I'm all packed and ready to go! Looks like some cold weather will be waiting for us and hopefully some snow too!

[cmthomas]

Bon Voyage! You are in for a treat and we look forward to a report upon your return!

 

Clarence:)

[katbird]

Now we have our docs and we're packing and getting ready to leave Saturday afternoon. Temps are getting colder and we're ready.. Can't wait. Hope for a great time!!

[AZPam]

We are back! Had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the Christmas markets! Had one full suitcase just for all the treasures I bought! If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

 

Pam