... And what about the Christmas market cruises?

[notamermaid]

Strasbourg confirmed as of 19 or 20 September by the lady mayor, German newspaper additionally confirms on 5 October mentioning that the plan is not to check vaccination status, i.e. no such restrictions. Supposed to start on 26 November but no events programme online yet: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/en/

 

Basel I do not know/have not checked.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited October 20, 2021 by notamermaid

[notamermaid]

German river cruise ships are sailing and there is even increased demand. We can only hope that this continues to be the case,  seeing that the situation is getting worse in Germany. But everyone who can is determined to make this happen through winter. The same applies to Christmas markets of course. The ways in which this is done vary. Trier is determined to go ahead with the 2G scheme, that is fully vaccinated or recovered. If you are 16 years old and have only had one vaccine so far - hard luck. Also if you have not got your vaccine certificate with you.

 

Passau has also - with the usual caveat - confirmed the dates online. Note that the English website does not give all the info about 3G (meaning that you unlike in Trier can get in with a test), that is why I am posting the German one: https://passauer-christkindlmarkt.de/

 

notamermaid

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by notamermaid
clarification

[notamermaid]

On 11/3/2021 at 7:48 PM, notamermaid said:

Trier is determined to go ahead with the 2G scheme, that is fully vaccinated or recovered.

As of tomorrow, there will be a new set of regulations. The latest amendment has the effect that Trier has decided to change to a mix of free visit to market and a 2G-rule applies only at isolated large events, as for example on 26 November. However, the market will be slightly smaller in number of stalls and the schedule of events is reduced so as not to attract large crowds that will stand together. Here is the German info: https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/trier/weihnachtsmaerkte-in-region-trier-mit-lockerungen-100.html

 

A good move so that we can all enjoy it, I find. I just hope that people do not overdo it. This is an outdoor event, the rules for indoors are much stricter, of course.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

A bit more info on the Christmas markets, examples of ones held and ones not - and regulations. No event or market will be held without regulations or restrictions. It may be hardly noticeable ones, like more space or severe ones, like restricted entry with a 2G scheme.

 

https://www.dw.com/en/german-christmas-markets-to-reopen/a-59707446

 

It does make you wonder if a four day river cruise (a typical German thing) can be as much fun as pre-pandemic.

 

notamermaid

 

[NavyCruiser]

Thanks, notamermaid, for the updates & links.

Got the below quotes from the links:

"Germany's festive markets typically open from around mid- or late November until Christmas."

"The 41st Trier Christmas Market is from November 19 to December 22, 2021"

We'll be in the fol cities, in the coming days, So just curious if we're lucky enough to catch any early Xmas markets:

Nov 16: Cologne

17, Koblenz

18, Miltenberg

19, Wurzburg

20, Bamberg

21, Nuremberg

22, Regensburg

23, Passau

[sjde]

I just saw the U.S. State Dept  changed Netherlands and Switzerland to the highest alert level which is Level 4-Do Not Travel, due to Covid. Germany and France are at Level 3-Reconsider Travel. I wonder if this will cause our cruise on the 27th to be cancelled. And if not, I'm wondering if we should cancel?  😞  What a mess this still is!!

Edited November 9, 2021 by sjde

[KathyK13]

45 minutes ago, sjde said:

I just saw the U.S. State Dept  changed Netherlands and Switzerland to the highest alert level which is Level 4-Do Not Travel, due to Covid. Germany and France are at Level 3-Reconsider Travel. I wonder if this will cause our cruise on the 27th to be cancelled. And if not, I'm wondering if we should cancel?  😞  What a mess this still is!!

We are booked on a Danube Christmas Markets cruise Vienna to Nuremberg December 7-13, spending a few days in Budapest pre-cruise, then Munich after.  We had until October 26 to postpone our trip.  AT that point, numbers in Europe were low and we have all received the booster, so we decided to go ahead.  How things have changed in just a few weeks!  Covid numbers are high in the 3 countries we are visiting! Now it's too late to cancel without a penalty so we are still planning to go.  I am feeling mostly comfortable going; we have had the booster shot, everyone on the flights will be vaccinated as well as on the river cruise.  According to Avalon's website there are only 23 cabins booked, so the boat won't be crowded.  We will just wear our n95 masks everywhere and avoid crowds whenever possible.  It won't be the same as pre-covid, but  The challenge will be getting the PCR test needed for entry into Budapest within the 72 hour window, but we will still enjoy it. I think we have that figured out.

Edited November 9, 2021 by KathyK13

[sjde]

We are on AMA and I figured if things got bad that the cruise line would cancel and then we would get a credit. But I don’t think they are going to. 

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Thanks, notamermaid, for the updates & links.

Got the below quotes from the links:

"Germany's festive markets typically open from around mid- or late November until Christmas."

"The 41st Trier Christmas Market is from November 19 to December 22, 2021"

We'll be in the fol cities, in the coming days, So just curious if we're lucky enough to catch any early Xmas markets:

Nov 16: Cologne

17, Koblenz

18, Miltenberg

19, Wurzburg

20, Bamberg

21, Nuremberg

22, Regensburg

23, Passau

Lovely, it could be wintery with a bit of snow in the hills surrounding your ports of call, but I am afraid you may be too early for the markets. Cologne at the Cathedral (Domplatz) is scheduled to start on 22 November, Miltenberg on 26 November and is only at the weekends, Würzburg is due to start on 26 November. I have not checked the others. Unfortunately, some pages are not available in English and I do not blame the respective admin people to be able to do that in these times. Würzburg issued a press release on 27 October which you can read/translate: https://www.wuerzburg.de/events-termine/veranstaltungshighlights/416788.Wuerzburger-Weihnachtsmarkt-2021.html

Basically gives the dates and says market is open to all, more spacious, one way system for food and drink, social distancing applies. No events, but one special event/exhibition that is indoors/covered area for which the 3G rule applies.

 

Decorations may not be all up, but shops do stock all sorts of goodies already, for some festive cheer and food visit a café or good old fashioned bakery (Bäckerei with or without Konditorei) that sells its own biscuits.

 

Christmas trees are going up. Trier erected theirs yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ghgUzc1vEA

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Talking of Trier. There are of course Christmas markets along the Moselle so if anyone is in the area, or as a suggestion for looking them up next year, here is a page of markets and similar events: https://www.visitmosel.de/services/veranstaltungen/advents-und-weihnachtsmaerkte

 

The dates are there (always with a caveat) and some info. The early one at the Weinmuseum in Gondorf looks inviting. There is quite a bit of info on Kobern-Gondorf in the thread on the Moselle, #293 and #308: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2268619-the-river-moselle-infos-and-river-cruising-experiences/page/12/

 

This looks really nice, from 26 to 28 November, I like Winningen anyway - and it is not far from Koblenz: https://winningen.de/tourismus/feste-aktivitaeten/winningen-im-lichterglanz/

 

My local supermarket now has poinsettia plants, so the festive season cannot be far away!

 

notamermaid

 

 

[steamboats]

It was just announced today that Munich will tighten the rules... 2G (vaccinated or recovered) for all restaurants by next week.

 

The main Christmas market which will be "stretched" out over the whole pedestrian zone area in downtown will be a mandatory FFP2/KN95 mask area. All food and beverage areas will be 2G. You can´t take the food and walk around. You have to eat it at the booth (food islands as they call it).

 

It´s pretty likely that all of Bavaria moves from 3Gplus to 2G (which should affect you as you all have to be vaccinated for the cruise anyway but you have to have your vaccine card on hand).

 

steamboats

[rcaruso]

32 minutes ago, steamboats said:

It was just announced today that Munich will tighten the rules... 2G (vaccinated or recovered) for all restaurants by next week.

 

The main Christmas market which will be "stretched" out over the whole pedestrian zone area in downtown will be a mandatory FFP2/KN95 mask area. All food and beverage areas will be 2G. You can´t take the food and walk around. You have to eat it at the booth (food islands as they call it).

 

It´s pretty likely that all of Bavaria moves from 3Gplus to 2G (which should affect you as you all have to be vaccinated for the cruise anyway but you have to have your vaccine card on hand).

 

steamboats

Ok, we figured as much our place in Karlstadt, zum Fehmelbauer put up a sign earlier this week that they are a 2g restaurant/guest house.  Nevous, but we are triple vaccinated and have kn95, we fly 11-19 to Budapest on Lufthansa.

[Blue Eyes]

State Department added Belgium to the “red” do not travel area,  too, due to Covid and or “terrorist threats.”    So far no comment from Tauck.  What to do…what to do???

[Host Jazzbeau]

11 hours ago, Blue Eyes said:

State Department added Belgium to the “red” do not travel area,  too, due to Covid and or “terrorist threats.”    So far no comment from Tauck.  What to do…what to do???

State Department adds countries to 'red' list.  Americans yawn...

[Canal archive]

Oh I do want to do the European Christmas markets but DH not impressed so stuck with our local one in Bath.

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

Oh I do want to do the European Christmas markets but DH not impressed so stuck with our local one in Bath.

From what I have heard, Bath has a nice one. Birmingham is supposed to be quite "German" as they have people coming over from Frankfurt I believe. You could always have a Eurotunnel trip to Lille. A long way from you I know, but if you parked your car at St. Pancras...

 

I will probably not go to Bavaria. It may be a day trip to Metz in France or an overnight stay somewhere in Rhineland-Palatinate. In the last 18 months I have realized how much I have not yet seen in my state.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

A Frankfurt spokesperson says they want a Christmas market for all people, so there will be few restrictions, only a small area (whatever that means) will have 2G rules. That is nice and based on science, we all know outdoors is safer than indoors. Quite frankly I would rather walk along stalls for an hour with a mask on than sit in a 2G event for ten minutes. But who knows what will happen. I think in a week's time we will know more - not looking good for large indoor events.

 

notamermaid

 

[sjde]

Might you explain for us Americans what 2G and the other Gs mean? 

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, sjde said:

Might you explain for us Americans what 2G and the other Gs mean? 

Happy to do so. steamboats and I have "translated" it before, but I am sure not everyone has read it . G comes from the German words: geimpft, genesen, getested. So 2G means geimpft (vaccinated) and genesen (recovered). 3G then means the first two and added to that getestet (tested). There is also a 2G+ and a 3G+ which I am not able to explain in detail. When you go to Germany, Austria and Switzerland you will find this in regulations, at doors (we are a 3G establishment, this is a 2G event, etc.), and in brochures and on websites. In short, wherever you go, take your vaccine card. It will be checked. If you do not have one ready, you need a test or are denied entry, depending on 2G or 3G.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by notamermaid

[sjde]

Thank you!

[notamermaid]

The first (is it?) Christmas market has opened in Germany! Yesterday, Duisburg started its market with the 2G rule. They have got something special, a Viking ship - no, not that Viking, this one is made out of wood and is on land. A gluhwein Viking ship. She is called Freyja II and has been christened today (a different article), this is the arrival at her spot on the market: https://www.radioduisburg.de/artikel/der-duisburger-weihnachtsmarkt-hat-wieder-ein-gluehweinschiff-1121952.html

 

notamermaid

 

 

[steamboats]

3G+ means that your test must be a PCR test.

 

2G+ means that even a vaccinated or recovered person needs at least an Antigen test.

 

1G means vaccinated only.

 

steamboats

[sjde]

Thank you.!

[sjde]

Are the quick tests ( 10 minutes) all antigen and are all the PCR tests slower( 1-2 days)? 

[steamboats]

Antigen tests are 15 min to 30 min.

 

PCR tests are available starting at 2 hours (but then they are really expensive). The longer it takes the cheaper they are. The tests I usually do are sort of overnight. You go there in the late afternoon and have the result the next morning. But it depends on the lab.

 

steamboats