October 15, 2025 • 44 mins
We're answering all your most-asked questions about Christmas market river cruises so you can plan the perfect holiday trip with confidence. Be sure to check out Part 1 & Part 2 of our Christmas Markets River Cruise Planning Guide.
Discover practical advice and answers to burning questions, like:
- How to choose between the Danube & Rhine rivers?
- When is the ideal time to go?
- Do market vendors accept credit card payments?
- What foods can you look forward to at the markets?
- Do you really need to add the concert in Vienna?
- Do you get to see the markets during the day & night?
- Can you ship your souvenirs home?
- …and more!
We'll walk you through what to expect onboard, share our essential winter packing tips for staying warm and comfortable, and explain what excursions look like during the colder months.
Whether you're deciding if a Christmas market cruise is right for you or you've already booked and want to know what to expect, we're giving you honest answers to help you navigate potential challenges and make the most of this magical holiday experience in Europe.
- For Christmas Markets photos and even more info, check out our Christmas Markets River Cruises: All You Need to Know article.
- Packing Tips: Our 5 River Cruise Must-Pack Essentials episode highlights our hotspot that keeps us connected at Christmas markets & AirTags—ESSENTIAL for tracking your day pack, luggage, & more.
We use our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card at the markets whenever possible. Use our referral link to get bonus rewards for signing up!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dan (00:01):
Welcome to Small Ship Cruise Talk, a show where we
share insider tips and firsthand experiences about this
outstanding but yet lesser knownform of travel.
We are passionate about sharingour knowledge about river
cruises, expedition, yacht, andbarge cruises, so you are
informed when it comes tochoosing your own education
(00:21):
experiences.
We're your co-hosts, Dan &Mikkel, and we are your cruise
experts and the co-founders ofSometime Sailing, a website that
focuses on small ship cruising.
Welcome and warm holidaygreetings.
This is part of our Christmasmarket cruise series.
(00:44):
We've got two other episodes onthe Christmas markets
currently, and those will belinked in the show notes below.
Today we're going to answeryour questions about river
cruising and visiting theChristmas markets.
So we've got a lot to cover.
Mikkel (01:00):
We do.
So just for an overview of whatyou are going to learn, if you
haven't booked your Christmasmarkets river cruise, we are
going to talk about thedifference between the Danube
and Rhine Christmas Marketscruises very briefly because
that is the two that people mostcommonly choose between.
We're going to talk about whento go for the best experience,
(01:23):
what you can expect from theexcursions you'll take and the
markets, but also what to expecton board and what that's going
to look like during theChristmas holiday season.
We're going to talk aboutshopping at the markets, the
food you can try and lookforward to tasting at the
markets.
We're going to talk about somepayment tips and what forms of
payments are accepted and whatcurrency you should have, how to
(01:47):
get your treasures home safely,what else there is to buy at
the markets besides Christmasstuff, and what to pack and wear
for your festivities during thecruise.
So grab a cozy drink.
I have made myself, if I cansay, some peppermint coffee.
Dan is not into peppermint orany other flavored coffees, but
(02:10):
I am.
And settle in because we aregonna take you to the markets.
Yes.
Dan (02:17):
I was going to say we're recording this in Florida, so
I'm I have shorts on andMikkel's diving into the
Christmas spirit with peppermintcoffee.
Mikkel (02:25):
Yes, but if you are watching on YouTube, because you
can see our beautiful faces onYouTube, I am wearing a
decorated t-shirt, a fancyt-shirt, which is my favorite
kind of t-shirt, with pearls onit, and sparkly earrings.
And like I said, I've got myholiday drink.
So do you have whiskey?
That's your holiday drink orbourbon.
Dan (02:46):
I'm going water for this, so this so the podcast doesn't
end with me.
Mikkel (02:52):
And before it starts.
So I guess the age-old questionhere is which is better, the
Danube or the Rhine.
These are obviously the mostpopular to choose between.
And there's a little bit of abreak between when the ships
sail.
Very short, very short for somecruise lines, not at all for
(03:14):
others actually, but the fallseason kind of ends and the
markets go up in November, andthen the ship starts sailing the
Danube or the Rhine.
So what are the highlights ofthe Danube?
Dan (03:29):
The highlights of the Danube are Nuremberg, Vienna,
Linz, Milk, Dernstein, Budapest,Regensburg, and well, you can
add on Munich, but there is noriver in Munich, so you're gonna
get bust there.
So just FYI.
Mikkel (03:47):
And for the Rhine, you can expect highlights like
Straussburg, Rudesheim, Cologne,Speyer, Basel, and possibly
Amsterdam.
It depends where you areembarking or disembarking.
And it is worth noting thatStrausburg in the Alsace region
of France is considered theChristmas capital of the world.
(04:11):
So you're not gonna get that onthe Danube.
But our tip is having sailedboth itineraries, you really
can't go wrong.
I personally loved the Rhinehighlights because you see the
castles on the Rhine.
But then again, the Danube hassome key cities.
People really want to go to theChristmas markets, like Vienna,
(04:32):
like Budapest.
So if you had to choose betweenthe two, if you had to, what
would you pick?
Maybe for you know, for yourfirst, obviously.
You can always do the secondone later if you find that you
love it.
Dan (04:45):
Yeah, I think if I was gonna do it my first uh do it
all over all again.
Uh my first, I would go withthe Danube, I think.
Okay, because you've got thehits there, right?
You got Nuremberg.
Really enjoyed Nuremberg.
The Christmas markets weregreat there.
And then Vienna, and thenBudapest, come on, those are all
great.
Mikkel (05:05):
Yeah, and I feel like you get a little bit of the
small village feeling on theDanube in Dernstein or in
Nuremberg, especially.
Like you said, Nuremberg'sactually a bigger city than I
expected, but it does have thatmedieval timber houses sort of,
you know, dreamy fairy tale feelto it, too.
(05:28):
So I've seen people write insome uh Facebook groups and such
that you don't get as much asthat small town charm on the
Danube, and I don't agree withthat.
I don't agree with that.
Dan (05:40):
Yeah, that's that's interesting because every
Christmas market is so differentand just how it kind of
meanders through the city, andlike you can find that small
feeling in a Christmas market inin a big city, you know?
Mikkel (05:53):
Yeah, it's almost like being, let's say, if you're in
Frankfurt, which we started oneof our Christmas markets, river
cruises in big city, manydifferent, there's almost like
these microcosms of Christmasmarkets within those big
Christmas markets and littlealmost like villages within
them, especially in Frankfurt, Ifound.
Dan (06:10):
Yeah.
Mikkel (06:11):
And in a city like Passau, which is really small
where the rivers converge, theDanube converges with other
rivers.
It's a very popular stop on theDanube River.
You know, you get that smalltown feeling.
So yeah, it's kind of a hardcall, but I I you really can't
go wrong with either.
Dan (06:31):
Yeah, I I would agree.
Mikkel (06:32):
Yeah.
Okay.
So when is the best time to goon a Christmas market cruise?
Obviously, this is gonna bewithin the season.
We all know you cannot go on aChristmas markets cruise in
July, even though Christmas inJuly is a thing for many people.
It is not in Europe.
They are not setting up themarkets for that.
So most markets start the firstSunday of Advent.
(06:55):
So this year the first Sundayof Advent is November 30th, but
like Hanukkah varies year toyear, but next year it's
November 29th, so perhaps it'sthe same.
It fluctuates a little bit, butit's almost like American
Thanksgiving time to the firstweekend of December, let's say.
So that's usually when themarkets start.
(07:17):
It's kind of like a benchmarkmarker.
Is that redundant?
Dan (07:20):
Hmm.
It's a marker.
Mikkel (07:23):
It's lots of markers for these Christmas markets
cruises.
Dan (07:28):
Best time to go, however, is first two weeks in December.
So everything is open and youget that excitement of Christmas
is coming and everybody'sramping up and getting excited
about it.
And so, with that being said,you definitely want to book
early.
So you get your choice ofstateroom and itinerary and all
of that.
So um, right now we'rerecording this in October.
(07:50):
That might not be the best timeto book your Christmas markets
cruise, but um, you know, seewhat uh see what's out there if
you're so inspired from thispodcast and see what's still
available.
Mikkel (08:02):
I would say if you're gonna book late to your point,
like let's say you are gonnalook up cruises in October, I
would say be open to othercruise lines.
We love Riverside, has the mostamazing interior design and
great staff, great crew, andthey also have incredible food.
It's a newer cruise line, soyou might have some more
(08:22):
availability on there.
And I would say be open to thestate room location if you are
gonna book last minute.
Don't listen to the naysayerswho say it's impossible to book
last minute.
I would say it is hard.
It is one of those cruises thatpeople book really far in
advance and plan really far inadvance.
The demand is high and thissupply is very small and short
(08:46):
because of the season.
But it's not impossible.
But as Dan said, as you said,Dan, book early for your choice
of stateroom.
It's unlikely you're gonna getthe owner's suite because
there's only usually one or twodepending on the ship, if you
book so close, but if you plan ayear or two out, and a lot of
cruise lines do allow you tobook two years out, if not, you
(09:07):
know, for sure a year out,perhaps a year and a half out.
So I think that's a greatthing.
Also, I would say go earlyenough to shop for gifts and
return home before Christmas.
If you want to, a few things,if you want to ship those gifts
back to you, you're gonna wantto make sure that you have an
ample two weeks just in case.
(09:29):
We're gonna talk about how toget those gifts back later in
this episode.
Get back to your home.
But also you wanna make surethat you have cushion room to
get back home if you'retraveling really close to
Christmas and maybe you'retaking your gifts backing your
luggage, which obviously is agreat option.
But you wanna, you know,account for flight delays
(09:50):
because it is the holiday seasonand weather could definitely
affect it, not just weatherwhere you live.
I mean, we live in Florida,it's very unlikely a snowstorm
in Florida is gonna affect ourflight path through the state,
but it could affect it from,let's say, Germany or you know,
a storm in the New England areacould affect the flight
(10:10):
schedule.
So you always want to leave afew days to get back and also a
few days to get there as well.
We always recommend going inearly.
I would say another thing isbecause most markets start that
last weekend of November orfirst weekend of December, if
you want to get maybe a betterprice on a Christmas markets
cruise, I would say look intothe week of Thanksgiving or
(10:34):
before.
You could be risking somemarkets not being open.
But when we were in Portugal,for example, doing a Duro River
cruise, which was in Novemberlast year, we were shocked that
there was a Christmas market inLisbon that was already open and
all the Christmas lights wereup in the city, and that was
(10:55):
really cool.
Dan (10:56):
Right.
They were still building a lotof Christmas displays in some of
the squares and things likethat, but the market was open.
Mikkel (11:03):
Right.
And whereas a Duro River cruiseis not really a Christmas
markets cruise, especially whenyou go north to Porto, but they
do start in Lisbon.
If you want to do a pre orpost-cruise on your own,
especially, not just with, let'ssay, the river cruise line has
an extension in Munich, forexample, you can add on, and
Munich does have an amazingChristmas market that I would
(11:24):
highly recommend.
But if you want to kind of hopbecause you're gonna be in
Europe anyway, then don'tdismiss looking up the markets
and other areas.
Usually there is a tourismwebsite for that city or you
know, that country that'll linkto the city you want to get to.
And just kind of Google, youknow, Lisbon Christmas market
schedule.
And what you want to look forin the search results is the
(11:47):
official tourism website thatgives the official calendar.
So that's just a hot little tipfor you.
Dan (11:54):
Would you say Christmas market cruises are more
expensive or kind of on par withjust a regular cruise?
Mikkel (12:02):
Yeah, for sure.
That's a great question.
I would say because of thatsupply and demand, demand is
high and supply is short,seasoned, I would say they could
be a little pricier.
But the fact of the matter isthe time frame of those
Christmas markets cruises arenever going to change.
Dan (12:20):
Right.
Mikkel (12:20):
So if you want to go and this is a dream cruise for you,
and it really is one of themost magical cruises you can
take, don't shy away from it.
But, you know, on your point ofaffordability, be open to
another stateroom.
You know, I think somethingimportant during the Christmas
markets cruises to recognize isthat it's not impossible for you
(12:41):
to sit out on your balcony witha hot cocoa or a hot coffee or
a hot toddy and or a spiked, youknow, uh coffee with Irish
coffee or whatever.
But you're not gonna sit out onthe balcony in the open decks
as much.
And if you are trying to savemoney and do a state room
(13:03):
without a balcony, I would sayif you're gonna forego that
veranda, this is a great cruiseto do it because you still have
those open decks.
And again, not only is it coldoutside, but it can be a little
wind, a little bit windier inthis time of year, too.
Dan (13:18):
Yeah, 100%.
And coming back to the room, ifyou're going for the Christmas
markets, you're probably notgonna be spending that much time
in the room or on the ship.
You're gonna be off exploringas much as possible.
Mikkel (13:31):
Right, and those common areas, and let's parlay this
into the onboard experiencediscussion.
Those common areas are extracozy because I would say all of
the ships decorate for theholidays.
They have garlands, they havelights, they have holiday trees
up, and that's really special.
So I think it's an additionalreason for people to be out and
(13:53):
about in the lounges and thepublic spaces and the bar area.
Um, and that really just addsto the excitement of booking a
Christmas markets cruise.
Dan (14:01):
Yeah, there is truly a slightly elevated energy on a
Christmas markets cruise becauseeverybody's just excited and
and the holidays are coming, andum the even like the bar, you
know, at the bar they have alittle tree or little ornaments
or something.
Like everybody's kind ofputting their own little touches
on their area within the ship,which is is is fun.
(14:22):
It's it's fun.
Mikkel (14:23):
Are there holiday events or themed nights on board?
Is a question that we havegotten.
Dan (14:29):
I remember in the lounge them playing Christmas music and
also some Christmas themedactivities on a few vessels, but
anything like wildly out of theordinary, I don't think so.
I think it's like tastefullydone.
Tastefully enough.
So you're not over Christmas,but you're not under Christmas.
Mikkel (14:48):
There's there's a I like this, but I what do you mean by
that?
Dan (14:54):
Like it it's not like the it's the ship is overly
decorated and you get too muchChristmas exposure.
I've felt like it's justenough.
It's like I feel like I'm inthe spirit, but not like I'm at
Disneyland.
Mikkel (15:09):
I also, you made me think of this.
We're not religious, and byupbringing and culture, I'm
Jewish.
So I just want to make a notethat if anybody listening to
this is not that religious, I'venever felt like it, you know,
is ramming a religion down yourthroat with all these holiday
decorations.
I think they're very muchnon-denominational, except for
(15:30):
if I've seen like a little SantaClaus or obviously Christmas
tree, we can argue about youknow what religion the Christmas
tree is from, but we're notgonna do that here.
We'll do that offline.
But I've never felt like it'syou know overly one religion or
another.
One one cruise line, I doremember seeing a holiday
menorah for Hanukkah, andHanukkah changes every year.
And I think as all us Jewsknow, Hanukkah's not really
(15:53):
affecting the airport airlineprice increases like Christmas
does.
But yeah, I've never felt likeit was like a religious
decoration kind of cause.
It's all just very much in thewarmth and the magic of twinkle
lights and garland and tinseland kind of the spirit of the
season.
Dan (16:10):
Yep.
Yeah, I agree.
Mikkel (16:11):
I will say there are Christmas dinners if you are
cruising over Christmas, likemaybe a special menu, like you
know, carved turkey kind ofthing.
But I would say in general, youknow, as you alluded to,
there's nothing really out ofthe ordinary.
We were on a kind of the end ofChristmas season, and actually
going back to the question aboutthe best time to cruise,
(16:35):
Christmas markets are actuallythey close most of them on
Christmas.
Everybody in Europe is withtheir families that day.
So the Christmas markets arenot open on Christmas, and it's
actually quite deadactivity-wise.
We were in Frankfurt, or wewere in Frankfurt one year for
Christmas, just like we would inthe United States.
(16:55):
We got Chinese food that nightbecause it was one of the only
restaurants open.
And um, kebabs, Middle Easternkebabs were another option that
we considered, and like therewas like one convenience store
that was open, but that was it,and it was just like eerie.
Frankfurt was like dead, andthat was on Christmas on
December 25th.
So we're lucky we ate.
We kind of hung out in thehotel room, and that was
(17:16):
back-to-back Christmas cruiseswe did.
Actually, the next one we didwith Riverside was a New Year's
Eve river cruise.
So, this is the point I want tomake.
We were in Bratislava and theChristmas market did reopen, and
it was kind of likepiggybacking on a New Year's Eve
celebration.
So, for the best time of year,it's not impossible to find
Christmas markets open afterChristmas.
But because most of thesevendors are selling Christmas
(17:39):
gifts and Christmas has passed,it is unlikely that the majority
of them will be open.
That said, we were on a NewYear's Eve river cruise, and
there was a special ban that wasbrought on board, and that the
crew decorated the main loungewith balloons and such.
So there might be a reason foryou to cruise kind of at that
tail end, and that could beanother savings, even though the
(18:02):
New Year's Eve obviously thatonly happens once a year, so
that could be not acost-effective one if the supply
is really one night and thedemand is high, but it could be
another fun time for you tocruise.
So definitely something toconsider.
Dan (18:15):
Yeah, you kind of touched upon it when you were talking
about things that are open andwhat to expect.
So Christmas markets areoutside, so you're gonna be
doing a lot of walking and a lotof exposure to the elements.
So make sure you packaccordingly and understand your
tolerance for cold temperaturesand just being outside for a
(18:36):
long period of time.
Mikkel (18:37):
Okay.
Okay, so what should you pack?
Also, piggybacking off of thatChristmas dinner or New Year's
Eve dinner kind of thing, whatdo people wear to dinner?
So I would say, in a nice way,you don't actually have to pack
anything fancier.
I think one of the big mythsabout river cruises is that
people dress up, you know, andthen once people go on their
first river cruise, they'relike, oh, it was a lot more
(18:58):
casual than I thought.
It is pretty casual.
I would say if you're thereover Christmas, maybe it's worth
packing a nicer sweater or likea scarf to dress it up or
something that makes you feelspecial, jewelry or a watch or
something, you know, that makesyou feel special.
But don't feel the need to.
It's not like everybody dressesup all of a sudden.
(19:19):
So if it helps you say room inyour suitcase, you can leave
anything fancy at home becauseyou're gonna need the room in
your suitcase for gloves, hats.
Maybe you want to packwaterproof boots, not just in
case it rains, but if there'ssnow on the grounds, I would say
hand warmers would be awesome.
I always love those.
You could do rechargeable ones,you can do the hot hands that
(19:42):
um you know trigger when youopen them and they get warm over
time.
Comfortable shoes becauseyou're gonna be walking a lot on
cobblestone streets kind ofthing.
You want to pack your raingear, and I'm gonna link in the
show description.
We just did an episode aboutthe five essential things you
want to pack.
So we did mention comfortablefootwear and your rain gear as
(20:03):
well as your air fly that allowsyou to do the quiet box
cordlessly so you're not wrappedup in cord headphones and such.
What am I missing from thispacking list, especially for
that holiday season when it'scold?
Dan (20:16):
Yeah, I think for me it's just flexibility, layers.
You want to be able to takethings on and off and footwear.
You've got cobblestones, you'vegot maybe rain, maybe snow.
So just make sure that'scomfortable.
Because those excursions, likethat's the reason you're there,
right?
Is you're you're there to goexplore the markets and really
get out there.
Mikkel (20:35):
Right.
So I like to do kind of acapsule wardrobe of jeans.
I bring leggings to wear undermy jeans if it's really cold
outside to layer, layer, woolsocks, and then also I make sure
that I bring my staple blacklong sleeve shirts and then like
cardigans and things to putover them for layering.
We're both New Yorkers.
It's kind of like New York inDecember.
(20:58):
It's cold, you know?
Dan (20:59):
Yeah.
Mikkel (21:00):
It's cold.
Dan (21:02):
Now that you know what to pack for your adventures out in
the Christmas markets, let'stalk about what you can expect
on the excursions.
Mikkel (21:11):
I think the nice thing about the Christmas markets
cruises is that it's not likethey cut out every other
excursion, right?
So, like you want to see somehistory, you want to see some
landmarks.
I'm trying to think of likeones that stand out and come to
mind.
I think like the thing withexcursions is that a lot of
people want to know how muchtime do I get to spend at the
market?
They really want to maximizethat time.
But then you also have peoplethat want to balance it with
(21:34):
those historic walking tours andsuch.
So I think you can expect thosewalking tours to still be
there.
Like they would be an optionmonths before, you know, in
summer.
Dan (21:43):
But because it is winter, your options for excursions will
be a little bit less.
So maybe not as many wineriesor no bike rides, maybe a cable
car may not be running,something like that.
So just be aware that therewill be weather or element
related things that things thatare just not available.
Mikkel (22:00):
Yeah, you just made me think of in Rudersheim, two of
the most popular uh tours withany cruise line.
Most of these cruise lines dothe same kind of tours, by the
way, is a guided coffee tourthrough Rudesheim and also this
cable car.
Well, don't expect the cablecar to be open in December or
November.
It closes, it's reallyseasonal.
So that's a good point aboutthat seasonality.
Dan (22:22):
Yep.
And then great indoor activityin Vienna, of course, is a
concert.
Mikkel (22:28):
I would say most cruise lines offer this.
It is a paid upgrade to go tothis concert.
Do not miss it.
It's amazing.
The only time we've missed thecruise line one, and um not
missed, but opted not to do it,is when some friends of ours
were on the cruise and invitedus to a different excursion we
booked ourselves.
So it was in this church and itwas I would say four string
(22:53):
instruments.
Dan (22:54):
Yeah, yeah.
Mikkel (22:55):
And that was really special.
I'm glad we saw it because itwas different.
But I would say if I had a pickbetween doing that on my own,
and we had never done the cruiseline offered concert, the
cruise line offered concert isphenomenal.
Dan (23:11):
Yeah, two very different experiences.
One was in a concert hall, onewas in a church from 16,
whatever.
But they were both greatconcerts, or all of them have
been great concerts, but thesetwo uh I'm thinking about in
particular, just a differentexperience.
Mikkel (23:26):
Yeah, so speaking of being off the ship and doing
excursions, let's talk aboutexperiencing the Christmas
markets.
Do you spend a lot of time inthe markets?
It really depends on theitinerary and the timing and
what your cruise line hasdecided.
Normally, I would say onaverage, it's between two and
four hours in the markets.
(23:46):
I would say four hours is alot.
You can certainly find what todo there, especially if it's a
bigger city, and that's likelywhen they're gonna give you a
little more time for that.
And then, you know, anotherthing to highlight is the time
of day, right?
So if it's 4 p.m., the sun'sstarting to set in most places
in Europe that these cruises goto.
So keep that in mind,especially in relation to a lot
(24:08):
of people want to see themarkets during the day and at
night for obvious reasons whenall the lights come on.
And just so you know, there isa lot to see during the day.
You often can't see the detailon these incredible like
Christmas kiosks almost atnight, but those lights come on
at night, and that's reallyspecial.
So I completely appreciate andunderstand firsthand people
(24:29):
wanting to see the marketsduring the day and the night.
So if you are in the port tilla little bit later, you'll see
that.
Also, if that's a concern toyou, try to book a cruise with
an itinerary that provides alate night stay in a port or an
overnight stay, because that'sgonna allow you to have more
free time to go out and exploreon your own.
Dan (24:49):
Yeah, absolutely.
The the nights in the market,it's a completely different feel
and the atmosphere, and there'suh a lot of drinking and lights
and eating and a lot ofconversation and energy.
But the daytime you're gonnasee all the the real richness of
the stalls and the atmospherethat's there.
Mikkel (25:08):
I think also something to keep in mind is that a lot of
locals go to these markets whenthey get off from work.
So it's a place to gather andmeet your friends for like an
afterwork glass of glue vine orget dinner there.
So it is gonna be crowded alittle bit busier after those
work hours when the sun sets andon weekends.
(25:29):
So if you're looking at youritinerary and you are worried
about the crowds, just kind ofbeware of what day of the week
your cruise is gonna port in oneof those cities.
I wouldn't be concerned thatthey're gonna be closed on like
a Monday, let's say, like a lotof restaurants are closed in the
states on a Monday.
Don't be concerned about that.
They're gonna be open everyday.
(25:49):
I'd more so be concerned aboutthe day of the week, just for
crowds, and then also the timeof the day.
Most markets don't open until11 o'clock, if not later.
Dan (26:00):
Right, right.
So keep that in mind.
There's going to be crowds.
Like it's a popular activity, alot of locals there, so be
patient.
That's something I always haveto remind myself to be patient.
And maybe you get a glass ofwine and you can't find a table,
or you have to wait around forsomeone else to leave, or
something like that.
But for the most part,everybody's in a pretty good
(26:20):
mood, and it seems like it's acelebration.
Mikkel (26:23):
Yeah, and I would say also the closer it gets to
Christmas, the little bit busierit gets the closer and closer
to Christmas.
I think it's because peoplefeel like, you know, the time is
running out to go to themarkets, so they they go more
frequently before they close.
Dan (26:38):
We talked about exploring the markets with your excursion,
but you can also do it on yourown.
And you can also visit othercities from wherever your ship
is docked.
So you may want to jump in anUber or grab a taxi and then
explore some of the smallersections of the city outside of
the center of the city, or elsemaybe other towns, things like
(26:59):
that.
That's always an option.
Mikkel (27:01):
Yeah, I think what comes to mind is Basel and
Switzerland.
So we docked actually a littlebit outside of Basel in France.
It actually was not inSwitzerland.
So we had to take a taxi to getto Basel.
So that's just an example.
You can explore on your own.
It's easy to get a ride chairor whatever.
We've used Bolt, which is kindof like Uber.
We've used Uber in the cities.
(27:21):
The concierge or the front deskof the river cruise line can
very easily help you get a taxiif you want.
And you can also ask the frontdesk to make sure that they take
credit cards, let's say, if youdon't have Euros on you or
foreigns in Hungary.
You can walk, you know, thatbring that comfortable footwear
for walking.
And I think it should be fairlyeasy to get a taxi or ride
(27:43):
share back as well.
Keep in mind you're gonna wantto note where your ship is
before you get off.
So I would say 99% of the timethere are maps at the front desk
that show the location, thecurrent location of your ship.
So do not forget to take thatwith you or take a photo of it.
(28:04):
Don't forget to check that thephoto is in your phone and that
your phone is charged, right?
Because you don't want yourphone to die and then your SOL
and you don't want to go intoyour phone later to realize that
the photo didn't actually take.
Dan (28:19):
Right.
Yeah.
You want to get back to theship.
Mikkel (28:21):
You want to get back to the ship for multiple reasons.
It's pretty safe, but on thatnote, pickpockets and phone
thieves, be alert.
We have been asked, are therepickpockets?
Are you concerned?
Especially in big cities, theyare targeting Taurus.
They are targeting Taurus.
Dan (28:39):
Yeah.
And we talked about this whenwe we were talking about the
airflies for using yourheadphones when you're on an
excursion.
When you have that quiet vox orthat listening device around
your neck and it's you know,it's like the Viking logo all
over it.
Or any other cruise line, yeah.
Or something in it.
Like you're really just saying,hey, I'm on a cruise.
So if you're advertising thatyou're on a cruise, then you may
(29:02):
become a target for thieves.
Mikkel (29:05):
You have that Avalon logo on there.
Any of the above, the tourguides have those lollipops,
those signs that say that youare on a river cruise.
I am a tourist.
So yeah, I think that's areally good point.
And also in that episode,linked in the show notes about
our essentials with that airfly, are air tags.
So we put air tags in even ourday packs.
(29:27):
We had a friend that this waspre-air tags, was enjoying the
market in Budapest, put hisbackpack down at his feet, had
his camera in it, looked down,and it was gone.
We're not saying the camerawould have still been in the
bag, but Dan, as you said lastepisode that we were mentioning
our essentials, at the veryleast, you might be able to
recover the bag if the air tagis in there, which is not to say
(29:49):
that you're gonna get it alland not be sad.
But I just think it's a reallysmall investment financially for
an air tag for a lot of goodreward to be able to track your
bags.
So be Alert, be aware, getthose air tags or those tiles in
your bags to track them.
Dan (30:05):
Yep.
Alright, so let's talk aboutone of the best things about
Christmas markets and cruisingin general, and that is food.
Let's talk about the food.
Mikkel (30:15):
Food, glorious food, yeah.
Okay, so what kinds of thingscan you buy at the markets?
And one of those things isfood.
So I would say one of myfavorite things within the food
realm, of course, food ingeneral is one of my favorite
things, but there is this salmonthat they they do these salmons
smoked on a piece of wood, slowfire smoked, and they put them
(30:40):
in like a sub roll, like ahoagie roll, and it's one of the
best things Ivy in in Europe atthese Christmas markets.
Another favorite of mine, youknow, is German sausages.
So bratwurst or sausage in, youknow, a pretzel roll or just
cut up sausage.
That's another one of myfavorite things.
Dan (30:57):
Pretzels, those are also good.
Fries.
You love a French fry.
I love I love a French fry.
But the the markets they offernot only great trinkets and
candies and things, but alsoit's a culinary delight to go
through and try.
You get to try a lot ofdifferent things, and there's a
lot of local dishes and localdelicacies, and there's plenty
(31:20):
of drinking.
There's beer gardens or there'sglue wine, which is warm.
Mikkel (31:25):
Like a warm mold wine.
Yeah.
We've seen white.
It's the red is the mostcommon, but we have seen white.
Dan (31:33):
Yeah.
So there's plenty of things totry, and I don't think you're
going to be disappointed withyour selection.
Mikkel (31:39):
Yeah, and we have an article about this on our
website, sometimes sailing.com.
It's actually everything youneed to know about the Christmas
markets, and a section of itdoes have photos of some of the
food that we have enjoyed atthese Christmas markets.
Another one of my favorites,which is so seasonal, is
chestnuts roasting on an openfire.
They call it Moroni.
(32:00):
So if you see a sign formoroni, that's what that is.
And usually you get a cone of10 of them for about like four
euros.
Uh depends on the vendor andwhere you are, but it's
approximately four euros.
Sometimes I kind of like closethe top of the cone and bring it
back to the ship to have with aglass of wine later.
There's obviously a ton ofgingerbread cookies.
(32:21):
They're decorated.
I've never seen somebody openthem and eat them in the market.
That's not really a thingpeople do.
They're more so for kids, likea gift that you give kids on
Christmas.
We've seen spazel dishes.
I remember one was kind of likea mac and cheese, like a spazel
and cheese that was so good.
I remember we saw roastedmushrooms talk about those local
(32:41):
delicacies.
Dan (32:42):
Yeah.
Mikkel (32:43):
And I will say, if you are vegetarian or vegan, more
and more every year at themarkets, we've seen more options
that are meat-free.
Dan (32:51):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mikkel (32:52):
Yeah.
Okay.
So how do we pay for all thisamazing food?
I would say a lot of vendorstake credit cards again, more
and more every year, but youwant to have some cash.
Again, it's Euros in Germany,in Austria, in Hungary, it's
foreign.
But I will say there have beentimes that we don't have cash
and we just simply ask beforepurchasing, do they take credit
(33:15):
card?
You're going to want a Visa orMasterCard.
Most places do not acceptAmerican Express, even though we
have that and that is ourpreferred card, but most places
don't take it.
So we have a Visa Chat ChaseSapphire Reserve card, which we
love, that I will also link inthe show notes, that does not
charge an international fee.
So they take credit cards, someof them, but you might want
cash if you don't want to belimited because you don't have
(33:38):
cash.
Another thing is back to thefood, something really popular
with gluevine is that the mugsare different everywhere.
So that's like a cool thing.
So a lot of people collect themugs.
We went cruising with ourfriends and they were taking all
the mugs back for one of theiraunts.
And if you don't want the mug,you get your deposit back.
So what you do is you pay forgluevine, let's say it's four
(34:01):
euros for the glue vine, andthat includes a two euro
deposit.
So when you bring the mug back,you'll get that two euros back.
Some places you need cash forthat, some places you don't.
You can include that in yourcredit card charge.
So be aware of that.
And again, the mugs aredifferent at every Christmas
market, and they often say theyear and the city of the
(34:23):
Christmas market.
So that could be a cool thingto keep your eye on if that
excites you.
Dan (34:27):
Right.
Yeah.
Our friends definitely had afull collection of mugs by the
time they take it.
Mikkel (34:33):
Yeah, rabbing clothes and such.
Yeah.
What other things can you buyat the Christmas markets besides
the food?
Dan (34:40):
Well, there's there's plenty of gifts, so and plenty
of gifts for children, so maybetoys or trinkets, snow globes,
things like that.
And there's plenty of sweets,so desserts that you can
purchase, clothing, scarves,hats, things like that.
Ornaments, a lot of ornaments.
I think I even saw some stufffor pets, like doggy uh outfits
(35:02):
and leashes and whatnot.
Mikkel (35:04):
We don't have a pet, but I'd still buy that stuff.
Dan (35:07):
But it is interesting.
Every market is very different.
You'll see a lot of thingsrepeating, maybe because they're
just traditional gifts orthey're just local, uh local
vendors that do somethingsimilar.
But every market has its ownpersonality and its own list of
vendors and a lot of differenttreats just to discover.
Mikkel (35:27):
I would say if you see something that you are really
excited by, a food item, a gift,buy it because you might not
see it again.
But you know, a part of me alsocan't help but feeling all the
markets are different, butthey're all the same.
Dan (35:42):
Yeah.
Mikkel (35:43):
You know what I mean?
Like you kind of see the samethings over and over again.
But the um risk you run is whatif you don't see it again?
And that did happen to us.
I remember wanting salmon onemore time, and we like just
never saw it again past one ofthe cities that we were in.
So if you are dreaming ofsomething and you have your
heart set on something and yousaw a gift that you were like,
oh, I would really like this forour home, or I know so-and-so
(36:05):
my sister would like this, orwhatever, buy it.
Or you can kind of walk awayand if you're still thinking
about it, an hour later beforeyou head back to the ship, go
back and buy it.
I've seen the question, areitems different from city to
city?
And I think that answer that wejust talked about kind of
covers it.
The items are similar, but likeyou said, Dan, those local
foods might vary and decorationsmight vary as well.
(36:27):
If you want something that'shandmade, can you get something
that that is handmade?
We did see a lot of handmadethings.
Now we also saw a lot of thingsthat we thought were shipped
from maybe China over to thesevendors, but you can tell what's
local, like local spices weeven saw.
And don't hesitate to ask, youknow, and you can tell by their
answer if it is handmade or not.
(36:48):
What about is there anything tobuy if you don't celebrate
Christmas?
Dan (36:52):
I would say the food.
Mikkel (36:53):
Well, yeah, the food too.
But what about trinkets andtreats and stuff?
Dan (36:56):
I think there was other stuff.
Mikkel (36:58):
Yeah, there was like regional art.
We're not big shoppers.
We we shop for food and drinksmore than anything.
But yeah, like you had said,those gloves, scarves, hats.
Another thing to think about isthat it's the holiday time
everywhere in the city, not justat the Christmas market.
So I recall seeing a lot ofBlack Friday sales, which was so
funny to me because BlackFriday is so American.
Dan (37:20):
Right.
Mikkel (37:21):
So they tap into those American sales too.
And a lot of the clothingstores were doing Black Friday
sales, which is just to say thatthere are gonna be shops that
are doing Christmas sales, youknow?
Dan (37:32):
Sure.
Yeah.
I'm pretty sure all the BlackFriday sales we saw were more
like campaigns, like all seasonlong Black Friday sale.
It's Black Friday.
Instead of just one day, whichis also funny.
We should we should do that.
We should have Black Friday allyear.
Mikkel (37:48):
Yeah.
But I think being realistic andwhat you can expect, you're not
gonna see Hanukkah items at theChristmas markets, you're not
gonna see Kowanza items.
I didn't see anything butChristmas-wise Christmas
intended gifts.
I did see nativity things, likeyou said, there's a lot of
great ornaments, but honestly,some of the ornaments, I think
it's cool to be able to buy itthere and say it's from the
Christmas market in, let's say,Vienna, but I've seen some of
(38:11):
like the same ornaments in adepartment store, you know.
Dan (38:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Mikkel (38:15):
So just be aware.
Dan (38:16):
Yep.
Mikkel (38:17):
Getting your purchases home.
So now that you have all thesesouvenirs, can you mail
souvenirs or gifts home from theship?
No, you cannot.
I've never if you're listeningto this and your ship arranged
the transportation for youritems through DHL or whatever
shipping, let us know.
(38:38):
But we've never encountered ariver cruise ship ourselves that
offers to ship it for you.
While on AmaWaterways you canship postcards from the ship any
time of the year, which welove, we've never had anybody
say yes to shipping things.
So either you're gonna want tobring an extra piece of luggage
or carry-on for the items tobring back, or you're gonna want
(39:00):
to account for being off theship and going to a local post
office.
You also want to look up ifthere are any holidays that
you're not aware of during thattime that are local European
holidays specific to thatcountry or maybe even that city.
Nobody takes as many vacationdays as Europeans, and the post
(39:20):
office might be closed then orDHL.
And you also want to check thehours and how far it is from the
ship.
So I would say the safer thingis to bring an extra piece of
luggage, even if you have tocheck it, put that air tag in
there and check it with yourflight.
Dan (39:37):
And then it same rules apply, right?
As far as carry-ons, you don'twant any liquids or anything
like that.
Make sure you pack those inyour check luggage and just be
smart about it so you don't haveany issues at the airport.
Mikkel (39:51):
Another thing to note is that I would recommend not
wrapping any of your gifts thatyou put in your checked luggage
or your carry-on.
And the reason is becausesecurity could open them to see
what's inside.
I would say don't check anyhigh, high valuables.
Um, if you spent a lot of moneyon something, please don't
check it just in case there aresome dishonest people.
(40:13):
I would say it's a lot of thetime in the United States and
TSA, we've heard stories.
So you just want to, you know,be careful with that.
Additionally, if you get leadedglass, like certain glassware
that you buy at the Christmasmarkets or any canned or jarred
patties, especially in France,that could trigger the security
scanners.
So you want to make sure thatyou're able to take that out and
(40:35):
unwrap it and show the securitypeople.
I recall when we were dating,and two weeks after we started
dating, I was actually going onmy first river cruise with
Viking.
That was a Christmas marketscruise, and you love pate.
And I said, I'm gonna bring itback for you.
That was the most expensivething because not only did I pay
(40:56):
for pate, but it's considered aliquid because it's a cream.
So I ended up having to checkmy bag at the airport, which
cost way more than paying for itin advance, and I learned a
valuable lesson.
So now, whenever I see pate inFrance, I think, well, now I'm
with you usually, but I think,how much do I want to check a
(41:19):
bag to get this pate home?
So we usually forego it.
But that's just a little funnyantidote to recall and um warn
everybody listening who istempted to bring that home that
you're gonna have to check thator ship it back home.
Speaking of ground, um, anotherquestion: what happens if the
river freezes or if there's lowwater?
(41:41):
Now, as the years go by andclimate change is a thing, this
is a really big concerntravelers have, and we're not
gonna sugarcoat it.
The truth of the matter is ifthe ship cannot safely sail
under bridges, and there aremany on these rivers, the Danube
and the Rhine in Europe, youmight be bust to the next
(42:01):
location.
The good thing is they're notgonna leave you high and dry.
Multiple reasons, but you aregonna get from point A to B, but
your river cruise might turninto more of a land cruise.
So, you know, there's nothingreally you can do about that.
I just want to say a realisticnote about that.
We did travel in December 2023when the rivers were flooding
(42:25):
and the rivers were too high tosail.
So we actually started theriver cruise in Bilshoffen when
we were supposed to start inanother location, maybe
Nuremberg, I can't quiteremember.
Dan (42:36):
It was, yeah.
Mikkel (42:37):
But yeah, that was a major issue that year.
Um, and know that it affectsall aspects of tourism and the
residence of people livingthere, so you are not the only
one dealing with it.
Dan (42:49):
Yeah, yeah.
So we covered a lot of ground.
What are some key takeaways?
Mikkel (42:54):
I would say a takeaway for me is this is a bucketless
cruise.
I think if you are looking forthe magic of the holiday season,
you are gonna be challenged tofind it anywhere as strongly or
warmly as Europe during theholiday season.
How about you?
Dan (43:14):
Yeah, Europeans know how to really make a market special
and and make it an experience,and it feels like a community
and it it's very welcoming.
So if this is on your list, Iwould say definitely go do that
and uh you will not bedisappointed just by the sheer
variety of things, uh the theenergy, it's really yeah, it's
(43:40):
magical.
Mikkel (43:41):
I think even if you don't buy a single thing, and
you don't have to, you know,there's plenty to do and see,
there's plenty of photoopportunities.
If all you want to bring backis photos, you're not gonna be
disappointed.
So definitely check out thoseshow notes.
Go look at that article that wehave linked about the Christmas
markets, all you need to knowfor those photos.
(44:02):
Keep those questions coming.
We're happy to answer them atany time.
Join our Facebook group that isalso linked so you can continue
the conversation with us.
And happy holidays, no matterthe time of year you're
listening, and we will talk toyou next episode.
Dan (44:18):
Bye, everybody.
Welcome to Small Ship Cruise Talk, a show where we
share insider tips and firsthand experiences about this
outstanding but yet lesser knownform of travel.
We are passionate about sharingour knowledge about river
cruises, expedition, yacht, andbarge cruises, so you are
informed when it comes tochoosing your own education
(00:21):
experiences.
We're your co-hosts, Dan &Mikkel, and we are your cruise
experts and the co-founders ofSometime Sailing, a website that
focuses on small ship cruising.
Welcome and warm holidaygreetings.
This is part of our Christmasmarket cruise series.
(00:44):
We've got two other episodes onthe Christmas markets
currently, and those will belinked in the show notes below.
Today we're going to answeryour questions about river
cruising and visiting theChristmas markets.
So we've got a lot to cover.
Mikkel (01:00):
We do.
So just for an overview of whatyou are going to learn, if you
haven't booked your Christmasmarkets river cruise, we are
going to talk about thedifference between the Danube
and Rhine Christmas Marketscruises very briefly because
that is the two that people mostcommonly choose between.
We're going to talk about whento go for the best experience,
(01:23):
what you can expect from theexcursions you'll take and the
markets, but also what to expecton board and what that's going
to look like during theChristmas holiday season.
We're going to talk aboutshopping at the markets, the
food you can try and lookforward to tasting at the
markets.
We're going to talk about somepayment tips and what forms of
payments are accepted and whatcurrency you should have, how to
(01:47):
get your treasures home safely,what else there is to buy at
the markets besides Christmasstuff, and what to pack and wear
for your festivities during thecruise.
So grab a cozy drink.
I have made myself, if I cansay, some peppermint coffee.
Dan is not into peppermint orany other flavored coffees, but
(02:10):
I am.
And settle in because we aregonna take you to the markets.
Yes.
Dan (02:17):
I was going to say we're recording this in Florida, so
I'm I have shorts on andMikkel's diving into the
Christmas spirit with peppermintcoffee.
Mikkel (02:25):
Yes, but if you are watching on YouTube, because you
can see our beautiful faces onYouTube, I am wearing a
decorated t-shirt, a fancyt-shirt, which is my favorite
kind of t-shirt, with pearls onit, and sparkly earrings.
And like I said, I've got myholiday drink.
So do you have whiskey?
That's your holiday drink orbourbon.
Dan (02:46):
I'm going water for this, so this so the podcast doesn't
end with me.
Mikkel (02:52):
And before it starts.
So I guess the age-old questionhere is which is better, the
Danube or the Rhine.
These are obviously the mostpopular to choose between.
And there's a little bit of abreak between when the ships
sail.
Very short, very short for somecruise lines, not at all for
(03:14):
others actually, but the fallseason kind of ends and the
markets go up in November, andthen the ship starts sailing the
Danube or the Rhine.
So what are the highlights ofthe Danube?
Dan (03:29):
The highlights of the Danube are Nuremberg, Vienna,
Linz, Milk, Dernstein, Budapest,Regensburg, and well, you can
add on Munich, but there is noriver in Munich, so you're gonna
get bust there.
So just FYI.
Mikkel (03:47):
And for the Rhine, you can expect highlights like
Straussburg, Rudesheim, Cologne,Speyer, Basel, and possibly
Amsterdam.
It depends where you areembarking or disembarking.
And it is worth noting thatStrausburg in the Alsace region
of France is considered theChristmas capital of the world.
(04:11):
So you're not gonna get that onthe Danube.
But our tip is having sailedboth itineraries, you really
can't go wrong.
I personally loved the Rhinehighlights because you see the
castles on the Rhine.
But then again, the Danube hassome key cities.
People really want to go to theChristmas markets, like Vienna,
(04:32):
like Budapest.
So if you had to choose betweenthe two, if you had to, what
would you pick?
Maybe for you know, for yourfirst, obviously.
You can always do the secondone later if you find that you
love it.
Dan (04:45):
Yeah, I think if I was gonna do it my first uh do it
all over all again.
Uh my first, I would go withthe Danube, I think.
Okay, because you've got thehits there, right?
You got Nuremberg.
Really enjoyed Nuremberg.
The Christmas markets weregreat there.
And then Vienna, and thenBudapest, come on, those are all
great.
Mikkel (05:05):
Yeah, and I feel like you get a little bit of the
small village feeling on theDanube in Dernstein or in
Nuremberg, especially.
Like you said, Nuremberg'sactually a bigger city than I
expected, but it does have thatmedieval timber houses sort of,
you know, dreamy fairy tale feelto it, too.
(05:28):
So I've seen people write insome uh Facebook groups and such
that you don't get as much asthat small town charm on the
Danube, and I don't agree withthat.
I don't agree with that.
Dan (05:40):
Yeah, that's that's interesting because every
Christmas market is so differentand just how it kind of
meanders through the city, andlike you can find that small
feeling in a Christmas market inin a big city, you know?
Mikkel (05:53):
Yeah, it's almost like being, let's say, if you're in
Frankfurt, which we started oneof our Christmas markets, river
cruises in big city, manydifferent, there's almost like
these microcosms of Christmasmarkets within those big
Christmas markets and littlealmost like villages within
them, especially in Frankfurt, Ifound.
Dan (06:10):
Yeah.
Mikkel (06:11):
And in a city like Passau, which is really small
where the rivers converge, theDanube converges with other
rivers.
It's a very popular stop on theDanube River.
You know, you get that smalltown feeling.
So yeah, it's kind of a hardcall, but I I you really can't
go wrong with either.
Dan (06:31):
Yeah, I I would agree.
Mikkel (06:32):
Yeah.
Okay.
So when is the best time to goon a Christmas market cruise?
Obviously, this is gonna bewithin the season.
We all know you cannot go on aChristmas markets cruise in
July, even though Christmas inJuly is a thing for many people.
It is not in Europe.
They are not setting up themarkets for that.
So most markets start the firstSunday of Advent.
(06:55):
So this year the first Sundayof Advent is November 30th, but
like Hanukkah varies year toyear, but next year it's
November 29th, so perhaps it'sthe same.
It fluctuates a little bit, butit's almost like American
Thanksgiving time to the firstweekend of December, let's say.
So that's usually when themarkets start.
(07:17):
It's kind of like a benchmarkmarker.
Is that redundant?
Dan (07:20):
Hmm.
It's a marker.
Mikkel (07:23):
It's lots of markers for these Christmas markets
cruises.
Dan (07:28):
Best time to go, however, is first two weeks in December.
So everything is open and youget that excitement of Christmas
is coming and everybody'sramping up and getting excited
about it.
And so, with that being said,you definitely want to book
early.
So you get your choice ofstateroom and itinerary and all
of that.
So um, right now we'rerecording this in October.
(07:50):
That might not be the best timeto book your Christmas markets
cruise, but um, you know, seewhat uh see what's out there if
you're so inspired from thispodcast and see what's still
available.
Mikkel (08:02):
I would say if you're gonna book late to your point,
like let's say you are gonnalook up cruises in October, I
would say be open to othercruise lines.
We love Riverside, has the mostamazing interior design and
great staff, great crew, andthey also have incredible food.
It's a newer cruise line, soyou might have some more
(08:22):
availability on there.
And I would say be open to thestate room location if you are
gonna book last minute.
Don't listen to the naysayerswho say it's impossible to book
last minute.
I would say it is hard.
It is one of those cruises thatpeople book really far in
advance and plan really far inadvance.
The demand is high and thissupply is very small and short
(08:46):
because of the season.
But it's not impossible.
But as Dan said, as you said,Dan, book early for your choice
of stateroom.
It's unlikely you're gonna getthe owner's suite because
there's only usually one or twodepending on the ship, if you
book so close, but if you plan ayear or two out, and a lot of
cruise lines do allow you tobook two years out, if not, you
(09:07):
know, for sure a year out,perhaps a year and a half out.
So I think that's a greatthing.
Also, I would say go earlyenough to shop for gifts and
return home before Christmas.
If you want to, a few things,if you want to ship those gifts
back to you, you're gonna wantto make sure that you have an
ample two weeks just in case.
(09:29):
We're gonna talk about how toget those gifts back later in
this episode.
Get back to your home.
But also you wanna make surethat you have cushion room to
get back home if you'retraveling really close to
Christmas and maybe you'retaking your gifts backing your
luggage, which obviously is agreat option.
But you wanna, you know,account for flight delays
(09:50):
because it is the holiday seasonand weather could definitely
affect it, not just weatherwhere you live.
I mean, we live in Florida,it's very unlikely a snowstorm
in Florida is gonna affect ourflight path through the state,
but it could affect it from,let's say, Germany or you know,
a storm in the New England areacould affect the flight
(10:10):
schedule.
So you always want to leave afew days to get back and also a
few days to get there as well.
We always recommend going inearly.
I would say another thing isbecause most markets start that
last weekend of November orfirst weekend of December, if
you want to get maybe a betterprice on a Christmas markets
cruise, I would say look intothe week of Thanksgiving or
(10:34):
before.
You could be risking somemarkets not being open.
But when we were in Portugal,for example, doing a Duro River
cruise, which was in Novemberlast year, we were shocked that
there was a Christmas market inLisbon that was already open and
all the Christmas lights wereup in the city, and that was
(10:55):
really cool.
Dan (10:56):
Right.
They were still building a lotof Christmas displays in some of
the squares and things likethat, but the market was open.
Mikkel (11:03):
Right.
And whereas a Duro River cruiseis not really a Christmas
markets cruise, especially whenyou go north to Porto, but they
do start in Lisbon.
If you want to do a pre orpost-cruise on your own,
especially, not just with, let'ssay, the river cruise line has
an extension in Munich, forexample, you can add on, and
Munich does have an amazingChristmas market that I would
(11:24):
highly recommend.
But if you want to kind of hopbecause you're gonna be in
Europe anyway, then don'tdismiss looking up the markets
and other areas.
Usually there is a tourismwebsite for that city or you
know, that country that'll linkto the city you want to get to.
And just kind of Google, youknow, Lisbon Christmas market
schedule.
And what you want to look forin the search results is the
(11:47):
official tourism website thatgives the official calendar.
So that's just a hot little tipfor you.
Dan (11:54):
Would you say Christmas market cruises are more
expensive or kind of on par withjust a regular cruise?
Mikkel (12:02):
Yeah, for sure.
That's a great question.
I would say because of thatsupply and demand, demand is
high and supply is short,seasoned, I would say they could
be a little pricier.
But the fact of the matter isthe time frame of those
Christmas markets cruises arenever going to change.
Dan (12:20):
Right.
Mikkel (12:20):
So if you want to go and this is a dream cruise for you,
and it really is one of themost magical cruises you can
take, don't shy away from it.
But, you know, on your point ofaffordability, be open to
another stateroom.
You know, I think somethingimportant during the Christmas
markets cruises to recognize isthat it's not impossible for you
(12:41):
to sit out on your balcony witha hot cocoa or a hot coffee or
a hot toddy and or a spiked, youknow, uh coffee with Irish
coffee or whatever.
But you're not gonna sit out onthe balcony in the open decks
as much.
And if you are trying to savemoney and do a state room
(13:03):
without a balcony, I would sayif you're gonna forego that
veranda, this is a great cruiseto do it because you still have
those open decks.
And again, not only is it coldoutside, but it can be a little
wind, a little bit windier inthis time of year, too.
Dan (13:18):
Yeah, 100%.
And coming back to the room, ifyou're going for the Christmas
markets, you're probably notgonna be spending that much time
in the room or on the ship.
You're gonna be off exploringas much as possible.
Mikkel (13:31):
Right, and those common areas, and let's parlay this
into the onboard experiencediscussion.
Those common areas are extracozy because I would say all of
the ships decorate for theholidays.
They have garlands, they havelights, they have holiday trees
up, and that's really special.
So I think it's an additionalreason for people to be out and
(13:53):
about in the lounges and thepublic spaces and the bar area.
Um, and that really just addsto the excitement of booking a
Christmas markets cruise.
Dan (14:01):
Yeah, there is truly a slightly elevated energy on a
Christmas markets cruise becauseeverybody's just excited and
and the holidays are coming, andum the even like the bar, you
know, at the bar they have alittle tree or little ornaments
or something.
Like everybody's kind ofputting their own little touches
on their area within the ship,which is is is fun.
(14:22):
It's it's fun.
Mikkel (14:23):
Are there holiday events or themed nights on board?
Is a question that we havegotten.
Dan (14:29):
I remember in the lounge them playing Christmas music and
also some Christmas themedactivities on a few vessels, but
anything like wildly out of theordinary, I don't think so.
I think it's like tastefullydone.
Tastefully enough.
So you're not over Christmas,but you're not under Christmas.
Mikkel (14:48):
There's there's a I like this, but I what do you mean by
that?
Dan (14:54):
Like it it's not like the it's the ship is overly
decorated and you get too muchChristmas exposure.
I've felt like it's justenough.
It's like I feel like I'm inthe spirit, but not like I'm at
Disneyland.
Mikkel (15:09):
I also, you made me think of this.
We're not religious, and byupbringing and culture, I'm
Jewish.
So I just want to make a notethat if anybody listening to
this is not that religious, I'venever felt like it, you know,
is ramming a religion down yourthroat with all these holiday
decorations.
I think they're very muchnon-denominational, except for
(15:30):
if I've seen like a little SantaClaus or obviously Christmas
tree, we can argue about youknow what religion the Christmas
tree is from, but we're notgonna do that here.
We'll do that offline.
But I've never felt like it'syou know overly one religion or
another.
One one cruise line, I doremember seeing a holiday
menorah for Hanukkah, andHanukkah changes every year.
And I think as all us Jewsknow, Hanukkah's not really
(15:53):
affecting the airport airlineprice increases like Christmas
does.
But yeah, I've never felt likeit was like a religious
decoration kind of cause.
It's all just very much in thewarmth and the magic of twinkle
lights and garland and tinseland kind of the spirit of the
season.
Dan (16:10):
Yep.
Yeah, I agree.
Mikkel (16:11):
I will say there are Christmas dinners if you are
cruising over Christmas, likemaybe a special menu, like you
know, carved turkey kind ofthing.
But I would say in general, youknow, as you alluded to,
there's nothing really out ofthe ordinary.
We were on a kind of the end ofChristmas season, and actually
going back to the question aboutthe best time to cruise,
(16:35):
Christmas markets are actuallythey close most of them on
Christmas.
Everybody in Europe is withtheir families that day.
So the Christmas markets arenot open on Christmas, and it's
actually quite deadactivity-wise.
We were in Frankfurt, or wewere in Frankfurt one year for
Christmas, just like we would inthe United States.
(16:55):
We got Chinese food that nightbecause it was one of the only
restaurants open.
And um, kebabs, Middle Easternkebabs were another option that
we considered, and like therewas like one convenience store
that was open, but that was it,and it was just like eerie.
Frankfurt was like dead, andthat was on Christmas on
December 25th.
So we're lucky we ate.
We kind of hung out in thehotel room, and that was
(17:16):
back-to-back Christmas cruiseswe did.
Actually, the next one we didwith Riverside was a New Year's
Eve river cruise.
So, this is the point I want tomake.
We were in Bratislava and theChristmas market did reopen, and
it was kind of likepiggybacking on a New Year's Eve
celebration.
So, for the best time of year,it's not impossible to find
Christmas markets open afterChristmas.
But because most of thesevendors are selling Christmas
(17:39):
gifts and Christmas has passed,it is unlikely that the majority
of them will be open.
That said, we were on a NewYear's Eve river cruise, and
there was a special ban that wasbrought on board, and that the
crew decorated the main loungewith balloons and such.
So there might be a reason foryou to cruise kind of at that
tail end, and that could beanother savings, even though the
(18:02):
New Year's Eve obviously thatonly happens once a year, so
that could be not acost-effective one if the supply
is really one night and thedemand is high, but it could be
another fun time for you tocruise.
So definitely something toconsider.
Dan (18:15):
Yeah, you kind of touched upon it when you were talking
about things that are open andwhat to expect.
So Christmas markets areoutside, so you're gonna be
doing a lot of walking and a lotof exposure to the elements.
So make sure you packaccordingly and understand your
tolerance for cold temperaturesand just being outside for a
(18:36):
long period of time.
Mikkel (18:37):
Okay.
Okay, so what should you pack?
Also, piggybacking off of thatChristmas dinner or New Year's
Eve dinner kind of thing, whatdo people wear to dinner?
So I would say, in a nice way,you don't actually have to pack
anything fancier.
I think one of the big mythsabout river cruises is that
people dress up, you know, andthen once people go on their
first river cruise, they'relike, oh, it was a lot more
(18:58):
casual than I thought.
It is pretty casual.
I would say if you're thereover Christmas, maybe it's worth
packing a nicer sweater or likea scarf to dress it up or
something that makes you feelspecial, jewelry or a watch or
something, you know, that makesyou feel special.
But don't feel the need to.
It's not like everybody dressesup all of a sudden.
(19:19):
So if it helps you say room inyour suitcase, you can leave
anything fancy at home becauseyou're gonna need the room in
your suitcase for gloves, hats.
Maybe you want to packwaterproof boots, not just in
case it rains, but if there'ssnow on the grounds, I would say
hand warmers would be awesome.
I always love those.
You could do rechargeable ones,you can do the hot hands that
(19:42):
um you know trigger when youopen them and they get warm over
time.
Comfortable shoes becauseyou're gonna be walking a lot on
cobblestone streets kind ofthing.
You want to pack your raingear, and I'm gonna link in the
show description.
We just did an episode aboutthe five essential things you
want to pack.
So we did mention comfortablefootwear and your rain gear as
(20:03):
well as your air fly that allowsyou to do the quiet box
cordlessly so you're not wrappedup in cord headphones and such.
What am I missing from thispacking list, especially for
that holiday season when it'scold?
Dan (20:16):
Yeah, I think for me it's just flexibility, layers.
You want to be able to takethings on and off and footwear.
You've got cobblestones, you'vegot maybe rain, maybe snow.
So just make sure that'scomfortable.
Because those excursions, likethat's the reason you're there,
right?
Is you're you're there to goexplore the markets and really
get out there.
Mikkel (20:35):
Right.
So I like to do kind of acapsule wardrobe of jeans.
I bring leggings to wear undermy jeans if it's really cold
outside to layer, layer, woolsocks, and then also I make sure
that I bring my staple blacklong sleeve shirts and then like
cardigans and things to putover them for layering.
We're both New Yorkers.
It's kind of like New York inDecember.
(20:58):
It's cold, you know?
Dan (20:59):
Yeah.
Mikkel (21:00):
It's cold.
Dan (21:02):
Now that you know what to pack for your adventures out in
the Christmas markets, let'stalk about what you can expect
on the excursions.
Mikkel (21:11):
I think the nice thing about the Christmas markets
cruises is that it's not likethey cut out every other
excursion, right?
So, like you want to see somehistory, you want to see some
landmarks.
I'm trying to think of likeones that stand out and come to
mind.
I think like the thing withexcursions is that a lot of
people want to know how muchtime do I get to spend at the
market?
They really want to maximizethat time.
But then you also have peoplethat want to balance it with
(21:34):
those historic walking tours andsuch.
So I think you can expect thosewalking tours to still be
there.
Like they would be an optionmonths before, you know, in
summer.
Dan (21:43):
But because it is winter, your options for excursions will
be a little bit less.
So maybe not as many wineriesor no bike rides, maybe a cable
car may not be running,something like that.
So just be aware that therewill be weather or element
related things that things thatare just not available.
Mikkel (22:00):
Yeah, you just made me think of in Rudersheim, two of
the most popular uh tours withany cruise line.
Most of these cruise lines dothe same kind of tours, by the
way, is a guided coffee tourthrough Rudesheim and also this
cable car.
Well, don't expect the cablecar to be open in December or
November.
It closes, it's reallyseasonal.
So that's a good point aboutthat seasonality.
Dan (22:22):
Yep.
And then great indoor activityin Vienna, of course, is a
concert.
Mikkel (22:28):
I would say most cruise lines offer this.
It is a paid upgrade to go tothis concert.
Do not miss it.
It's amazing.
The only time we've missed thecruise line one, and um not
missed, but opted not to do it,is when some friends of ours
were on the cruise and invitedus to a different excursion we
booked ourselves.
So it was in this church and itwas I would say four string
(22:53):
instruments.
Dan (22:54):
Yeah, yeah.
Mikkel (22:55):
And that was really special.
I'm glad we saw it because itwas different.
But I would say if I had a pickbetween doing that on my own,
and we had never done the cruiseline offered concert, the
cruise line offered concert isphenomenal.
Dan (23:11):
Yeah, two very different experiences.
One was in a concert hall, onewas in a church from 16,
whatever.
But they were both greatconcerts, or all of them have
been great concerts, but thesetwo uh I'm thinking about in
particular, just a differentexperience.
Mikkel (23:26):
Yeah, so speaking of being off the ship and doing
excursions, let's talk aboutexperiencing the Christmas
markets.
Do you spend a lot of time inthe markets?
It really depends on theitinerary and the timing and
what your cruise line hasdecided.
Normally, I would say onaverage, it's between two and
four hours in the markets.
(23:46):
I would say four hours is alot.
You can certainly find what todo there, especially if it's a
bigger city, and that's likelywhen they're gonna give you a
little more time for that.
And then, you know, anotherthing to highlight is the time
of day, right?
So if it's 4 p.m., the sun'sstarting to set in most places
in Europe that these cruises goto.
So keep that in mind,especially in relation to a lot
(24:08):
of people want to see themarkets during the day and at
night for obvious reasons whenall the lights come on.
And just so you know, there isa lot to see during the day.
You often can't see the detailon these incredible like
Christmas kiosks almost atnight, but those lights come on
at night, and that's reallyspecial.
So I completely appreciate andunderstand firsthand people
(24:29):
wanting to see the marketsduring the day and the night.
So if you are in the port tilla little bit later, you'll see
that.
Also, if that's a concern toyou, try to book a cruise with
an itinerary that provides alate night stay in a port or an
overnight stay, because that'sgonna allow you to have more
free time to go out and exploreon your own.
Dan (24:49):
Yeah, absolutely.
The the nights in the market,it's a completely different feel
and the atmosphere, and there'suh a lot of drinking and lights
and eating and a lot ofconversation and energy.
But the daytime you're gonnasee all the the real richness of
the stalls and the atmospherethat's there.
Mikkel (25:08):
I think also something to keep in mind is that a lot of
locals go to these markets whenthey get off from work.
So it's a place to gather andmeet your friends for like an
afterwork glass of glue vine orget dinner there.
So it is gonna be crowded alittle bit busier after those
work hours when the sun sets andon weekends.
(25:29):
So if you're looking at youritinerary and you are worried
about the crowds, just kind ofbeware of what day of the week
your cruise is gonna port in oneof those cities.
I wouldn't be concerned thatthey're gonna be closed on like
a Monday, let's say, like a lotof restaurants are closed in the
states on a Monday.
Don't be concerned about that.
They're gonna be open everyday.
(25:49):
I'd more so be concerned aboutthe day of the week, just for
crowds, and then also the timeof the day.
Most markets don't open until11 o'clock, if not later.
Dan (26:00):
Right, right.
So keep that in mind.
There's going to be crowds.
Like it's a popular activity, alot of locals there, so be
patient.
That's something I always haveto remind myself to be patient.
And maybe you get a glass ofwine and you can't find a table,
or you have to wait around forsomeone else to leave, or
something like that.
But for the most part,everybody's in a pretty good
(26:20):
mood, and it seems like it's acelebration.
Mikkel (26:23):
Yeah, and I would say also the closer it gets to
Christmas, the little bit busierit gets the closer and closer
to Christmas.
I think it's because peoplefeel like, you know, the time is
running out to go to themarkets, so they they go more
frequently before they close.
Dan (26:38):
We talked about exploring the markets with your excursion,
but you can also do it on yourown.
And you can also visit othercities from wherever your ship
is docked.
So you may want to jump in anUber or grab a taxi and then
explore some of the smallersections of the city outside of
the center of the city, or elsemaybe other towns, things like
(26:59):
that.
That's always an option.
Mikkel (27:01):
Yeah, I think what comes to mind is Basel and
Switzerland.
So we docked actually a littlebit outside of Basel in France.
It actually was not inSwitzerland.
So we had to take a taxi to getto Basel.
So that's just an example.
You can explore on your own.
It's easy to get a ride chairor whatever.
We've used Bolt, which is kindof like Uber.
We've used Uber in the cities.
(27:21):
The concierge or the front deskof the river cruise line can
very easily help you get a taxiif you want.
And you can also ask the frontdesk to make sure that they take
credit cards, let's say, if youdon't have Euros on you or
foreigns in Hungary.
You can walk, you know, thatbring that comfortable footwear
for walking.
And I think it should be fairlyeasy to get a taxi or ride
(27:43):
share back as well.
Keep in mind you're gonna wantto note where your ship is
before you get off.
So I would say 99% of the timethere are maps at the front desk
that show the location, thecurrent location of your ship.
So do not forget to take thatwith you or take a photo of it.
(28:04):
Don't forget to check that thephoto is in your phone and that
your phone is charged, right?
Because you don't want yourphone to die and then your SOL
and you don't want to go intoyour phone later to realize that
the photo didn't actually take.
Dan (28:19):
Right.
Yeah.
You want to get back to theship.
Mikkel (28:21):
You want to get back to the ship for multiple reasons.
It's pretty safe, but on thatnote, pickpockets and phone
thieves, be alert.
We have been asked, are therepickpockets?
Are you concerned?
Especially in big cities, theyare targeting Taurus.
They are targeting Taurus.
Dan (28:39):
Yeah.
And we talked about this whenwe we were talking about the
airflies for using yourheadphones when you're on an
excursion.
When you have that quiet vox orthat listening device around
your neck and it's you know,it's like the Viking logo all
over it.
Or any other cruise line, yeah.
Or something in it.
Like you're really just saying,hey, I'm on a cruise.
So if you're advertising thatyou're on a cruise, then you may
(29:02):
become a target for thieves.
Mikkel (29:05):
You have that Avalon logo on there.
Any of the above, the tourguides have those lollipops,
those signs that say that youare on a river cruise.
I am a tourist.
So yeah, I think that's areally good point.
And also in that episode,linked in the show notes about
our essentials with that airfly, are air tags.
So we put air tags in even ourday packs.
(29:27):
We had a friend that this waspre-air tags, was enjoying the
market in Budapest, put hisbackpack down at his feet, had
his camera in it, looked down,and it was gone.
We're not saying the camerawould have still been in the
bag, but Dan, as you said lastepisode that we were mentioning
our essentials, at the veryleast, you might be able to
recover the bag if the air tagis in there, which is not to say
(29:49):
that you're gonna get it alland not be sad.
But I just think it's a reallysmall investment financially for
an air tag for a lot of goodreward to be able to track your
bags.
So be Alert, be aware, getthose air tags or those tiles in
your bags to track them.
Dan (30:05):
Yep.
Alright, so let's talk aboutone of the best things about
Christmas markets and cruisingin general, and that is food.
Let's talk about the food.
Mikkel (30:15):
Food, glorious food, yeah.
Okay, so what kinds of thingscan you buy at the markets?
And one of those things isfood.
So I would say one of myfavorite things within the food
realm, of course, food ingeneral is one of my favorite
things, but there is this salmonthat they they do these salmons
smoked on a piece of wood, slowfire smoked, and they put them
(30:40):
in like a sub roll, like ahoagie roll, and it's one of the
best things Ivy in in Europe atthese Christmas markets.
Another favorite of mine, youknow, is German sausages.
So bratwurst or sausage in, youknow, a pretzel roll or just
cut up sausage.
That's another one of myfavorite things.
Dan (30:57):
Pretzels, those are also good.
Fries.
You love a French fry.
I love I love a French fry.
But the the markets they offernot only great trinkets and
candies and things, but alsoit's a culinary delight to go
through and try.
You get to try a lot ofdifferent things, and there's a
lot of local dishes and localdelicacies, and there's plenty
(31:20):
of drinking.
There's beer gardens or there'sglue wine, which is warm.
Mikkel (31:25):
Like a warm mold wine.
Yeah.
We've seen white.
It's the red is the mostcommon, but we have seen white.
Dan (31:33):
Yeah.
So there's plenty of things totry, and I don't think you're
going to be disappointed withyour selection.
Mikkel (31:39):
Yeah, and we have an article about this on our
website, sometimes sailing.com.
It's actually everything youneed to know about the Christmas
markets, and a section of itdoes have photos of some of the
food that we have enjoyed atthese Christmas markets.
Another one of my favorites,which is so seasonal, is
chestnuts roasting on an openfire.
They call it Moroni.
(32:00):
So if you see a sign formoroni, that's what that is.
And usually you get a cone of10 of them for about like four
euros.
Uh depends on the vendor andwhere you are, but it's
approximately four euros.
Sometimes I kind of like closethe top of the cone and bring it
back to the ship to have with aglass of wine later.
There's obviously a ton ofgingerbread cookies.
(32:21):
They're decorated.
I've never seen somebody openthem and eat them in the market.
That's not really a thingpeople do.
They're more so for kids, likea gift that you give kids on
Christmas.
We've seen spazel dishes.
I remember one was kind of likea mac and cheese, like a spazel
and cheese that was so good.
I remember we saw roastedmushrooms talk about those local
(32:41):
delicacies.
Dan (32:42):
Yeah.
Mikkel (32:43):
And I will say, if you are vegetarian or vegan, more
and more every year at themarkets, we've seen more options
that are meat-free.
Dan (32:51):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mikkel (32:52):
Yeah.
Okay.
So how do we pay for all thisamazing food?
I would say a lot of vendorstake credit cards again, more
and more every year, but youwant to have some cash.
Again, it's Euros in Germany,in Austria, in Hungary, it's
foreign.
But I will say there have beentimes that we don't have cash
and we just simply ask beforepurchasing, do they take credit
(33:15):
card?
You're going to want a Visa orMasterCard.
Most places do not acceptAmerican Express, even though we
have that and that is ourpreferred card, but most places
don't take it.
So we have a Visa Chat ChaseSapphire Reserve card, which we
love, that I will also link inthe show notes, that does not
charge an international fee.
So they take credit cards, someof them, but you might want
cash if you don't want to belimited because you don't have
(33:38):
cash.
Another thing is back to thefood, something really popular
with gluevine is that the mugsare different everywhere.
So that's like a cool thing.
So a lot of people collect themugs.
We went cruising with ourfriends and they were taking all
the mugs back for one of theiraunts.
And if you don't want the mug,you get your deposit back.
So what you do is you pay forgluevine, let's say it's four
(34:01):
euros for the glue vine, andthat includes a two euro
deposit.
So when you bring the mug back,you'll get that two euros back.
Some places you need cash forthat, some places you don't.
You can include that in yourcredit card charge.
So be aware of that.
And again, the mugs aredifferent at every Christmas
market, and they often say theyear and the city of the
(34:23):
Christmas market.
So that could be a cool thingto keep your eye on if that
excites you.
Dan (34:27):
Right.
Yeah.
Our friends definitely had afull collection of mugs by the
time they take it.
Mikkel (34:33):
Yeah, rabbing clothes and such.
Yeah.
What other things can you buyat the Christmas markets besides
the food?
Dan (34:40):
Well, there's there's plenty of gifts, so and plenty
of gifts for children, so maybetoys or trinkets, snow globes,
things like that.
And there's plenty of sweets,so desserts that you can
purchase, clothing, scarves,hats, things like that.
Ornaments, a lot of ornaments.
I think I even saw some stufffor pets, like doggy uh outfits
(35:02):
and leashes and whatnot.
Mikkel (35:04):
We don't have a pet, but I'd still buy that stuff.
Dan (35:07):
But it is interesting.
Every market is very different.
You'll see a lot of thingsrepeating, maybe because they're
just traditional gifts orthey're just local, uh local
vendors that do somethingsimilar.
But every market has its ownpersonality and its own list of
vendors and a lot of differenttreats just to discover.
Mikkel (35:27):
I would say if you see something that you are really
excited by, a food item, a gift,buy it because you might not
see it again.
But you know, a part of me alsocan't help but feeling all the
markets are different, butthey're all the same.
Dan (35:42):
Yeah.
Mikkel (35:43):
You know what I mean?
Like you kind of see the samethings over and over again.
But the um risk you run is whatif you don't see it again?
And that did happen to us.
I remember wanting salmon onemore time, and we like just
never saw it again past one ofthe cities that we were in.
So if you are dreaming ofsomething and you have your
heart set on something and yousaw a gift that you were like,
oh, I would really like this forour home, or I know so-and-so
(36:05):
my sister would like this, orwhatever, buy it.
Or you can kind of walk awayand if you're still thinking
about it, an hour later beforeyou head back to the ship, go
back and buy it.
I've seen the question, areitems different from city to
city?
And I think that answer that wejust talked about kind of
covers it.
The items are similar, but likeyou said, Dan, those local
foods might vary and decorationsmight vary as well.
(36:27):
If you want something that'shandmade, can you get something
that that is handmade?
We did see a lot of handmadethings.
Now we also saw a lot of thingsthat we thought were shipped
from maybe China over to thesevendors, but you can tell what's
local, like local spices weeven saw.
And don't hesitate to ask, youknow, and you can tell by their
answer if it is handmade or not.
(36:48):
What about is there anything tobuy if you don't celebrate
Christmas?
Dan (36:52):
I would say the food.
Mikkel (36:53):
Well, yeah, the food too.
But what about trinkets andtreats and stuff?
Dan (36:56):
I think there was other stuff.
Mikkel (36:58):
Yeah, there was like regional art.
We're not big shoppers.
We we shop for food and drinksmore than anything.
But yeah, like you had said,those gloves, scarves, hats.
Another thing to think about isthat it's the holiday time
everywhere in the city, not justat the Christmas market.
So I recall seeing a lot ofBlack Friday sales, which was so
funny to me because BlackFriday is so American.
Dan (37:20):
Right.
Mikkel (37:21):
So they tap into those American sales too.
And a lot of the clothingstores were doing Black Friday
sales, which is just to say thatthere are gonna be shops that
are doing Christmas sales, youknow?
Dan (37:32):
Sure.
Yeah.
I'm pretty sure all the BlackFriday sales we saw were more
like campaigns, like all seasonlong Black Friday sale.
It's Black Friday.
Instead of just one day, whichis also funny.
We should we should do that.
We should have Black Friday allyear.
Mikkel (37:48):
Yeah.
But I think being realistic andwhat you can expect, you're not
gonna see Hanukkah items at theChristmas markets, you're not
gonna see Kowanza items.
I didn't see anything butChristmas-wise Christmas
intended gifts.
I did see nativity things, likeyou said, there's a lot of
great ornaments, but honestly,some of the ornaments, I think
it's cool to be able to buy itthere and say it's from the
Christmas market in, let's say,Vienna, but I've seen some of
(38:11):
like the same ornaments in adepartment store, you know.
Dan (38:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Mikkel (38:15):
So just be aware.
Dan (38:16):
Yep.
Mikkel (38:17):
Getting your purchases home.
So now that you have all thesesouvenirs, can you mail
souvenirs or gifts home from theship?
No, you cannot.
I've never if you're listeningto this and your ship arranged
the transportation for youritems through DHL or whatever
shipping, let us know.
(38:38):
But we've never encountered ariver cruise ship ourselves that
offers to ship it for you.
While on AmaWaterways you canship postcards from the ship any
time of the year, which welove, we've never had anybody
say yes to shipping things.
So either you're gonna want tobring an extra piece of luggage
or carry-on for the items tobring back, or you're gonna want
(39:00):
to account for being off theship and going to a local post
office.
You also want to look up ifthere are any holidays that
you're not aware of during thattime that are local European
holidays specific to thatcountry or maybe even that city.
Nobody takes as many vacationdays as Europeans, and the post
(39:20):
office might be closed then orDHL.
And you also want to check thehours and how far it is from the
ship.
So I would say the safer thingis to bring an extra piece of
luggage, even if you have tocheck it, put that air tag in
there and check it with yourflight.
Dan (39:37):
And then it same rules apply, right?
As far as carry-ons, you don'twant any liquids or anything
like that.
Make sure you pack those inyour check luggage and just be
smart about it so you don't haveany issues at the airport.
Mikkel (39:51):
Another thing to note is that I would recommend not
wrapping any of your gifts thatyou put in your checked luggage
or your carry-on.
And the reason is becausesecurity could open them to see
what's inside.
I would say don't check anyhigh, high valuables.
Um, if you spent a lot of moneyon something, please don't
check it just in case there aresome dishonest people.
(40:13):
I would say it's a lot of thetime in the United States and
TSA, we've heard stories.
So you just want to, you know,be careful with that.
Additionally, if you get leadedglass, like certain glassware
that you buy at the Christmasmarkets or any canned or jarred
patties, especially in France,that could trigger the security
scanners.
So you want to make sure thatyou're able to take that out and
(40:35):
unwrap it and show the securitypeople.
I recall when we were dating,and two weeks after we started
dating, I was actually going onmy first river cruise with
Viking.
That was a Christmas marketscruise, and you love pate.
And I said, I'm gonna bring itback for you.
That was the most expensivething because not only did I pay
(40:56):
for pate, but it's considered aliquid because it's a cream.
So I ended up having to checkmy bag at the airport, which
cost way more than paying for itin advance, and I learned a
valuable lesson.
So now, whenever I see pate inFrance, I think, well, now I'm
with you usually, but I think,how much do I want to check a
(41:19):
bag to get this pate home?
So we usually forego it.
But that's just a little funnyantidote to recall and um warn
everybody listening who istempted to bring that home that
you're gonna have to check thator ship it back home.
Speaking of ground, um, anotherquestion: what happens if the
river freezes or if there's lowwater?
(41:41):
Now, as the years go by andclimate change is a thing, this
is a really big concerntravelers have, and we're not
gonna sugarcoat it.
The truth of the matter is ifthe ship cannot safely sail
under bridges, and there aremany on these rivers, the Danube
and the Rhine in Europe, youmight be bust to the next
(42:01):
location.
The good thing is they're notgonna leave you high and dry.
Multiple reasons, but you aregonna get from point A to B, but
your river cruise might turninto more of a land cruise.
So, you know, there's nothingreally you can do about that.
I just want to say a realisticnote about that.
We did travel in December 2023when the rivers were flooding
(42:25):
and the rivers were too high tosail.
So we actually started theriver cruise in Bilshoffen when
we were supposed to start inanother location, maybe
Nuremberg, I can't quiteremember.
Dan (42:36):
It was, yeah.
Mikkel (42:37):
But yeah, that was a major issue that year.
Um, and know that it affectsall aspects of tourism and the
residence of people livingthere, so you are not the only
one dealing with it.
Dan (42:49):
Yeah, yeah.
So we covered a lot of ground.
What are some key takeaways?
Mikkel (42:54):
I would say a takeaway for me is this is a bucketless
cruise.
I think if you are looking forthe magic of the holiday season,
you are gonna be challenged tofind it anywhere as strongly or
warmly as Europe during theholiday season.
How about you?
Dan (43:14):
Yeah, Europeans know how to really make a market special
and and make it an experience,and it feels like a community
and it it's very welcoming.
So if this is on your list, Iwould say definitely go do that
and uh you will not bedisappointed just by the sheer
variety of things, uh the theenergy, it's really yeah, it's
(43:40):
magical.
Mikkel (43:41):
I think even if you don't buy a single thing, and
you don't have to, you know,there's plenty to do and see,
there's plenty of photoopportunities.
If all you want to bring backis photos, you're not gonna be
disappointed.
So definitely check out thoseshow notes.
Go look at that article that wehave linked about the Christmas
markets, all you need to knowfor those photos.
(44:02):
Keep those questions coming.
We're happy to answer them atany time.
Join our Facebook group that isalso linked so you can continue
the conversation with us.
And happy holidays, no matterthe time of year you're
listening, and we will talk toyou next episode.
Dan (44:18):
Bye, everybody.
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