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Riverside Luxury Cruises' Christmas Atmosphere Along the Danube cruises depart in early and mid-December 2024. While it's fun to splurge on some must-haves (it is a season of generosity and good cheer, after all), don't run through your Christmas market fund halfway through your cruise. You want souvenirs that give a well-rounded representation of everywhere you visited and not just one stand. Guests will also find holiday shops set up in Natchez, Mississippi, where craftsmen will have holiday goodies as carolers set the mood.
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American Queen Voyages Brings Christmas Markets to Natchez - Cruise Industry News
American Queen Voyages Brings Christmas Markets to Natchez.
Posted: Sat, 29 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Each river cruise port has a regional delicacy and while most cruise lines make an effort to include them on your dining menu, you should still try and taste every aromatic morsel that drifts your way in the town square. Even if you are in a port overnight, you'll need to get your shopping in during the allotted time on a day tour, or make a point to shop on your own during the afternoon and early evening. While markets are beautiful at night, typically the only stands that will be open will be for food -- a brat is a must -- and a mug of something warm and alcoholic. The Christmas market in Strasbourg, France, is the oldest one in Europe, dating back to 1570, and this four-day cruise from CroisiEurope takes you into the heart of it.
But Save Some Spending Money for Later Christmas Market Ports
While this might sound like a fairytale, it can be a reality on a Christmas market river cruise. Rooms are filling up fast on this eight-day cruise from Tauck, which takes guests along the Rhine River. The itinerary has several market visits, including Aachen, Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Strasbourg, Colmar, and Riquewihr.
Ships
Your trip ends in Brussels, with a whole day to explore the cute squares and charming markets and try local fare. Fares include shore excursions in every port; free Wi-Fi; all meals; beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; port taxes and fees; and visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In select ports, passengers can sign up for optional excursions that are an added cost. These could be worth the upcharge, depending on the type of experience you want to have. For something a little bit different, U.S.-based river line American Queen Voyages has worked with the city of Natchez, Mississippi in developing Christmas markets in the southern U.S.
Stroll through the castle gardens and enjoy breathtaking views of the city, then walk through a maze of cobblestone lanes down to the central Market Square. There, spread out before the Church of Our Lady, is the largest Christmas market in Germany. Two hundred stalls filled with holiday wares—ornaments, nutcrackers, seasonal treats, and hand-carved toys—await you, and the irresistible aromas of roasting nuts, cinnamon, and grilled sausages waft through the air. In every stop on your Christmas Markets cruise along the Rhine or Danube, you'll enjoy all the magic of your destination's holiday markets, each of which has taken on a distinctive character of its own over the centuries.
River Princess Staterooms
Cruisers can enjoy traditional music performances on the levee, as well as traditional Cajun/Creole holiday traditions. Join us for a festive season like no other where you can rejoice in the knowledge that all the bells and whistles are taken care of by Ambassador Cruise Line. It’s always a wonderful time of year sailing with us but for the festive period, we really do push the boat out. After a day at sea, guests will head to Bruges to explore the city's famous Christmas market. The market is filled with festive ice sculptures, horse-drawn carriage rides, and an array of wooden chalets offering dainty ornaments, toys, and more.
Trip Inclusions
Stops along the way include tasting the bredeles — biscruits that are traditionally baked during the holidays — at the Maison du Pain d'Alsace. A resident tour director is on-hand to guide guests through a tour of Munich's old town and its Christmas market, the Christmas market in Austria's Domplatz, and a private linzer torte baking class in Linz. New York’s Christmas Village, sponsored by the Bank of America, has become one of the most popular Christmas markets in the world. With its 17,000-square-foot ice skating rink (which is completely free to use), a fantastic iceless curling arena and over 170 glasshouse market stalls, Christmas in New York is something to behold. Visitors can also hire cosy igloos within which to enjoy the market’s plethora of gourmet food and drink.
You may wish to opt for an alternate optional guided excursion to the beautiful Bavarian town of Rothenburg. You’ll visit the Kathe Wohlfahrt German Christmas Museum which holds the world’s most extensive collection of traditional German Christmas decorations. The American Queen has Victorian-era features, including antique furnishings and intricate woodwork.
Night Cruise With 3 Nights Prague Pre-Cruise
You'll discover those local traditions… like the hot mulled wine known as glühwein, served in collectible mugs unique to each market… that have caught on to become an indispensable part of the holiday celebration. And on our Rhine Christmas Markets cruise, you'll experience some special holiday magic on an exclusive visit to the Thurn und Taxis family's Palace of St. Emmeram in Regensburg. Tour this lavish Baroque family home – converted from a monastery in the 18th century – and browse its private Christmas Market. The cruise then departs for Germany, where you will be able to explore the Christmas markets in Cologne and Rüdensheim on days three and four. Day five is when travelers can enjoy Mainz and see the Gutenberg Museum or travel further on a bus to Heidelberg to explore Heidelberg Castle. For 90+ years, the Tauck family has had a passion for sailing — aboard small ships and yachts at sea, riverboats along great inland waterways, and at home on the rivers and lakes of Connecticut and New York.
The magnificent grand staircase boasts the world’s largest ceiling fresco, painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Check out the spectacular Hall of Mirrors and the imposing Imperial Hall, which boasts a large oval dome and 20 half-columns. For VIP access to a classic German experience, enter the halls of Kundmüller Brewery. You’ll be treated to a close-up view of their operations and introduced to their beers with a tasting and some light snacks.
Together, we crafted a river cruise experience that was ahead of its time and inspired by the destinations we explore. If you've ever considered a Christmas market river cruise, 2024 is the year to finally cross the experience off your bucket list. On day one, take time to explore the city on your own after dropping your luggage off at the ship. Then on day two in the city, enjoy all the chocolate you can with a tour and chocolate tasting, plus a visit to the Christmas market. On day three, you'll need to decide whether to visit Ghent or Bruges, both of which have beautiful architecture and a Christmas market and offer opportunities to try local food. Considering the capacity of riverboats, which is significantly less than that of oceangoing cruise ships, cabins quickly fill for prime sailings.
The cruise continues into the Netherlands at Maastricht, where you can explore the city and its Christmas market, or head to Aachen, Germany, for festive fun. 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. Travelers looking to explore all of the Old World historic charm of Belgium will want to book Uniworld's Belgian Holiday Markets cruise. The seven-night cruise visits Belgium and the Netherlands, with port days in iconic cities like Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp. 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.
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