A Christmas Cruise on the Rhine

Ferry from Dover to Calais and journey to Koblenz for our overnight stay.

The charming town of Koblenz is situated at the confluence of the Mosel and the Rhine Rivers. Many of its cultural landmarks are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and we explore this area on a guided sightseeing walk. We then return to our ship and continue to the beautiful, wintery landscapes of the Middle Rhine Valley with spectacular vistas, the best of which is the view of the myth-enshrouded Lorelei Rock. We then board and check into our ship.

Our ship arrives in the former imperial town of Speyer, where we enjoy a guided sightseeing tour in the morning. We visit the traditional Christmas market before the magical Christmas dinner and party on board, with the chance to take part in decorating the Christmas tree, to the sound of carols. Those who wish can attend a mass at the Speyer Cathedral after dinner.

At lunchtime, the ship arrives in Strasbourg, in the Alsace region where the French joie de vivre is palpable everywhere. Explore the picturesque half-timbered houses and take part in an extended city sightseeing tour in the afternoon, which takes us to Strasbourg’s most beautiful sights. In the evening, we return to the ship and head for Mainz.

We spend Boxing Day in Mainz, the largest city in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. The town boasts numerous monuments and the Gutenberg Museum which, with its collection of the history of printing, books and writing, is one of the best-kept secrets. During a guided sightseeing walk, we admire the sights of the city, before the captain invites us to a festive Gala Dinner on board. We then cruise to Cologne overnight.

After breakfast, we enjoy a fascinating city tour through the Rhine metropolis. An eventful 2,000-year history has left its mark on this “city of churches” as it boasts countless highlights, such as the Cologne Cathedral and the Roman Dionysus mosaic. We have free time in the afternoon for shopping or a stroll before dinner on board.

We enjoy some free time in Cologne before heading to the hotel for our overnight stay.

On our return journey, we stop at Dunkirk/Lille for lunch and then continue to Calais, where we catch the evening ferry.