Cruising to Europes Christmas Markets with Avalon Waterways
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We have already mentioned the piano player in the Panorama Lounge each day during afternoon tea, happy hour and in the evenings. In addition, it seemed there was always some special event going on each day in the lounge. One afternoon, we enjoyed a Christmas cookie demonstration and tasting. The food was good, but no better than what we experienced in the Dining Room. However, it is a much quieter, more peaceful dining experience than the Dining Room, which could get quite noisy when full of guests since there is only one seating for dinner.
Destinations & Ports
Sailing down one of Europe's stunning rivers is a dream trip no matter the time of year, but at Christmas time it's even more special. Choose AmaWaterways if you enjoy biking and hiking, and really want to get active in every port. It's also a good choice for families as the vehicle for Adventures by Disney cruises.
Four of my most memorable river cruise experiences
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. Some river cruise lines offer pre-cruise extensions that you can bundle with the cruise booking and allow you to arrive early at the embarkation port. These extensions include a hotel stay, and some include a few meals and a guided tour, plus transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship.
Cruises
Avalon Waterways Adds New Departures to Meet Demand - Travel Agent Central
Avalon Waterways Adds New Departures to Meet Demand.
Posted: Thu, 11 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Both Avalon and AmaWaterways include at least one shore excursion in every port you visit. Excursions are typically guided by local experts who know the port's culture and history well and speak English almost perfectly. Both lines also offer premium excursions, which come at an additional cost. These excursions generally are limited to small groups and take you into smaller venues or provide immersive experiences that expose passengers to a port's culture and tradition on a deeper, often hands-on, level. 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.
Imagine sailing down one of Europe's iconic rivers as picturesque villages, castles and landscapes pass you by, all while twinkling lights from nearby Christmas markets dance on the water. While this might sound like a fairytale, it can be a reality on a Christmas market river cruise. Hi, we are Chris and Rickee and we have been cruise journalists since 2002. We love sharing our experiences on our website, blog and YouTube channel. On our cruise, the weather prohibited visits to the Sun Deck, other than to quickly go up to take some pictures. But, you can see that in warmer weather, this space would get a lot of use.
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Two men, a priest and a guitar player sang the song in its original format – all six verses. Not even understanding the words, I could feel the peace and stillness in that small church. Silent Night has become one of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time and has been translated into 300 languages. For example, while visiting Prague Castle, he tells us that The Rolling Stones financed its new lighting system, and that Mick Jagger celebrated his 60th birthday in Prague.
Thoughts on Avalon River Cruises (Christmas Markets)?
In Budapest, the market near St. Stephen's Basilica had a projection show on the exterior of the church, too. Eating and drinking is a key component of the Christmas market experience. Each market sells an abundance of food, and the food options change from town to town. If you're looking for a more active cruise, consider AmaWaterways, where bikes are always available to use in port. On the Danube Christmas Markets tour, you can bike from Weissenkirchen to Melk, passing picturesque villages and vineyards.
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. In addition, AmaWaterways offers cruises on the Douro in Portugal, on the Garonne and Dordogne in Bordeaux and tulip time cruises on the Dutch and Belgium waterways. (While Avalon has offered the latter in the past, none are listed on the website for 2019.) AmaWaterways also has several Africa trips that include a short cruise on the Chobe River. It's most important to choose a cruise based on which destinations you wish to visit and which travel dates and itinerary lengths work with your schedule. Uniworld offers its Belgian Holiday Markets cruise on four departure dates from late November through mid-December 2024 (and three December dates in 2025).
Other than the limited storage space and lack of electrical outlets, we found the Category P stateroom to be one of the most comfortable of any river cruise ship. We never heard our neighbors, and since Avalon has a "no announcement" policy, we were never disturbed by voices over the PA system. The mattress was one of the most comfortable we have found on a river cruise ship. The standard memory foam mattress topper made it feel like we were sleeping on a cloud! You can never have too many hooks to hang jackets, caps, scarves, etc. For a one-of-a-kind winter holiday, look no further than Avalon Waterways' European Christmas Market river cruises.
Around 4pm each day, there is a very nice selection of cakes, macarons and finger sandwiches available in the forward part of the Panorama Lounge. There are optional excursions available in some cities at additional cost such as an evening concert in Vienna. Clean modern motor coaches were used to shuttle guests from the ship to the walking portion of the excursions. Along with handmade and traditional goods, one of the bestparts of a Christmas market is the food! Gingerbread hearts, punch, mulledwine, and other regional specialties are favorites among visitors who arelooking to dive into a location’s food scene.
There were no 110 (US-Style) outlets, so you will need to bring adapters (220 Euro-style to 110 US-Style.) Adapters are available from Reception if you don't have one. There are no USB charging ports, something that every river cruise line should have added by now. There is a desk lamp that can be unplugged to free up an additional 220 Euro-style outlet. Along with their onboard experience, Avalon offers three typesof excursions for guests to choose from, Classic, Discovery, and Active.
Active tours will go faster and might include stairs, a hike or a guided bike ride. These tours can be challenging, with bike rides ranging from 14 to 21 miles. Holiday market river cruises typically begin sailing in late November, with cruises over Thanksgiving as well as during Christmas and New Year's. European (and American) Christmas markets usually take place during the four weeks of Advent -- the Christian holy season leading up to Christmas -- and extend into the first week of January. If your sailing starts in Budapest, you'll need to arrive a day early if you plan to explore the city; the cruise does not offer excursions here. Your first stop will be Mohacs, where you can enjoy the nearby Christmas Markets in Pecs or venture to Szekszárd for a wine tasting.
If you are on an Avalon Waterways cruise, you should definitely try The Bistro at least one time during your cruise. During breakfast and lunch, waiters are on hand to deliver your drinks or take orders for á la carté selections. Complimentary red and white wines, beer, and soft drinks are offered at lunch and dinner.
This color corresponds to the color of the flag the local guide was holding. Guests could choose to be in the "red" group one day, or the "green" group the next, and so on. Avalon also offered a "Gentle Walkers" group for those who may have mobility issues, or simply choose to go at a slower pace. The rivers of Europe are magical to cruise during the winter holiday season with Avalon Waterways. In almost every port you will encounter Christmas markets where locals set up stands to sell their crafts or delicious treats.
Before I drift off to sleep, I slide open the glass door of my room but see only darkness. With a shock, I realize that we’ve moved into a lock, and that we’re dropping down, down, down. The lock’s concrete wall is so close I can touch it, reminding me of the precision and discipline required for river cruising on the Danube River. 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.
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