July 2, 2025 • 24 mins
We're taking you on a complete journey through Christmas market river cruising in Europe in two parts (you'll find Part 1 here), sharing everything we've learned to help you create the most magical holiday cruise experience possible.
In part 2 of our 2-part series, you'll discover:
- Our pertinent booking strategies
- Essential packing tips
- Advice on what type of stateroom location and why
- How to manage expectations, including regarding winter water levels and potential itinerary changes, as well as mobility concerns
Importantly, we'll show you how to tap into the incredible sense of community and connection that makes these markets so special – a remarkable aspect of river cruising, especially during the holidays. We wrap up by inviting you to send us your questions about Christmas Markets river cruises.
For additional reading, you’ll find these resources (with photos!) helpful:
- All You Need to Know about the Christmas Markets River Cruises
- Viking Christmas River Cruise with Dazzling Markets along the Danube
Giving someone the gift of a cruise? Check out our surprise cruise reveal ideas!
Want to grab our complimentary Essential River Cruise Budgeting Guide? Head over to Small Ship Cruise Talk, scroll halfway down the page to a blue box where you'll find the signup form, and claim your copy!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
UNKNOWN (00:00):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
Welcome to Small Ship Cruise Talk, a show where
we share insider tips andfirst-hand experiences about
this outstanding, yetlesser-known form 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 vacation
experiences.
(00:23):
We're your co-hosts, Dan andMikel, and we are your cruise
experts and the co-founders ofSometimes Sailing, a website
that focuses on small shipcruise music.
SPEAKER_01 (00:35):
Welcome back to the show where we are talking about
Christmas markets river cruises.
This is part two of two partsthat are both available right
now.
In this episode, you will findout all about maximizing your
river cruise experience.
This includes our firsthandknowledge of tips and tricks,
(00:56):
things you should know about,and managing expectations like
what the water levels will belike potentially during a winter
cruise.
where your stateroom bookingshould be geographically
speaking with the ship deckplan.
Does having a balcony matter ornot for a Christmas markets
river cruise?
What can you see on theriverbanks?
(01:18):
We're also going to talk aboutmulti-generational travel and
which cruise lines we recommendfor children, which you might
want to know in case you want toavoid children too.
Also, some mobility things to beaware of during your cruise.
Tips for packing.
What do you need to pack for aChristmas market?
with its river cruise and alsosome shopping tips.
(01:39):
Shopping in Europe is great, butespecially during the Christmas
times and we're gonna tell youwhy.
And additionally, knowing thecities you wanna visit big and
small and some of our favorites.
In part one of this, just incase you are listening in from
part two to start, we discussedthings like what makes the river
cruises during Christmas timespecial.
When are they?
(02:00):
Of course, they're duringDecember, but we told you the
best times to book, the optimaltime to book.
So if you haven't listened tothat, definitely go back and
give that a listen.
Additionally, we talked aboutwhat itinerary to choose and
why.
So the Rhine versus the Danubeis the most popular.
We talked about must-trycruises.
Christmas markets treats andglue vine and the special mugs
(02:23):
there and what to know aboutthem.
Also, a little programming note.
Don't forget to send us yourquestions about Christmas
markets river cruising becausewe are going to answer those in
a future episode about theChristmas markets, specifically
your FAQs answered in just a fewweeks.
I'll remind you of this at theend of the episode as well so
you don't forget.
(02:44):
You can contact us by DMing uson socials at sometimes sailing
or you can You can email us.
You'll find that in the shownotes or just go to
smallshipcruise talk dot com.
So at the end of part one ofthis two part Christmas markets
river cruise episode series, ifyou can call it that.
(03:05):
we left off talking aboutextending your cruise pre or
post with a pre or post cruiseextension.
And we brought up the point thatif you are cruising closer to
Christmas time, that you'regoing to want to do a pre
extension instead of a postextension, because things start
shutting down December 24th and25th for the holiday.
(03:27):
And you're going to find a lotof things are closed, if not
mostly everything, except formaybe a convenience store or a
restaurant here or there, eventhough most restaurants are
closed on December 25th.
So we're going to continue thatconversation.
Take it away, Dan.
SPEAKER_00 (03:42):
Also, when you're thinking about booking, you're
going to want to do this inadvance.
And what I mean by in advance isat least 12 months to get the
best selection and to ensurethat you get a spot on these
cruises because they sell outfast.
High demand with limitedseasonal availability.
Now, also, these cruises startaround$3,000 per person for a
(04:04):
seven-night cruise.
As an alternative, RiversideLuxury Cruises has a three- and
four-day option if you don'twant to commit to a full
seven-day As you know, we loveriver cruising and it's such an
excellent value because of allthe things that are included.
So your excursions, your meals,your gratuities, but it also
gets you that front row drop-offlocation into these cities that
(04:28):
you can easy on, easy off theship and you're exploring right
away.
And you're really in the heartof the city also.
So that's bringing you evencloser to the markets.
SPEAKER_01 (04:40):
Yeah, and even in the instances that you are in
the heart of the city, butperhaps not right by the old
town area like Vienna, you'reactually not that far.
So you can't step off the shipand be right at the Christmas
market, but you can step off theship and just walk to the subway
right there or all these placeshave Uber.
So the convenience of doing ariver cruise is definitely
(05:04):
fantastic.
It's going to get you closerthan the airport in most cases
where most people are cominginto these cities.
So you're really hopping fromthe heart to the heart of these
cities, especially in thesmaller cities, like you were
alluding to with Passau and withRegensburg, you are right there.
Speaking of these small cities,They're easier to do
(05:26):
logistically, you know, in acouple hours just going to the
Christmas markets.
But if you are in a big citylike Vienna and you are having
FOMO of not being there for thebetter part of an entire
afternoon into the evening,you're going to want to be aware
of itineraries that haveovernight stays at these market
locations.
(05:47):
Or ask your travel agent.
We have a travel agent werecommend in the show notes for
this very reason because she'svery knowledgeable, as is her
husband.
that does this with her aboutthe markets that are going to
overnight.
It changes from year to year.
The itineraries change a littlebit, not a ton, but it's
important to you to maximizeyour time at the markets and you
think you're really going towant hours there.
(06:09):
Then look for those overnightstays at the market locations
that are top of mind for you,like Vienna, like Budapest, like
Nuremberg.
SPEAKER_00 (06:18):
As you're making your decision on what
itineraries to choose, also, asI said earlier, be thinking
about the cities you're mostinterested in visiting.
So Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne,Comar, Vienna, Nuremberg,
Budapest, Prague, those are thebig cities and they're gonna
have multiple markets withinthose cities.
(06:39):
A lot of little neighborhoodsare gonna have their own
markets.
So you get a lot of markets forthat particular stop.
But the smaller markets or thesmaller cities like Passau offer
excellent markets just not asmany as the bigger cities.
SPEAKER_01 (06:56):
And two points to add on to that.
Strasbourg on the Rhine inFrance in the Alsace region is
considered the capital ofChristmas because it has some of
the oldest Christmas markets.
So the city really does it up.
It's very close to Colmar, whichyou can very easily do, you
know, pre or post.
It's very easy to get to Colmarby train too.
(07:17):
And the smaller cities, as wellas the big cities, but the
smaller cities too, we havefound have some of the best
retail shops for additionalitems if you're shopping for
more.
Don't forget about the shopsthat are around the city that
have these permanent strip mallskind of locations especially
(07:38):
along the pedestrian streetsbecause a lot of them run sales
for the season like we've seenBlack Friday sales which is
really funny to us because BlackFriday is always after
Thanksgiving which is anAmerican holiday you know the
third week of November we knowCanada has it too we know Canada
has Thanksgiving but theAmerican Thanksgiving is
followed by Black Friday whenall the sales happen so we've
(08:00):
giggled a bit when we see BlackFriday sales in Europe but they
do have them so keep that inmind in terms of what river
cruise lines offer the Christmasmarkets cruises, we're only
briefly going to mention itbecause the truth is every river
cruise line that sails in Europethat we know of do them.
These are all of the majorcruise lines that target the
(08:23):
North American audience and theneven cruise lines that target
European markets or Chinesemarkets.
They all do them.
Even when a cruise line is newin the industry, the first
themed cruises that they do,even perhaps before wine and
culinary cruises, is theChristmas markets river cruises
(08:43):
because they are such afavorite.
So anyone from Amawaterways toRiverside Luxury, cruises like
Dan said, Viking, Emerald,Scenic, Uniworld, Avalon,
Riviera, they all do them.
What about our staterooms on theship?
Now this is interesting becausenormally I would say we always
get a balcony, but this is theexception.
SPEAKER_00 (09:04):
When you're picking your stateroom, keep a couple
things in mind.
We love to have a balcony whenwe cruise, but for these
particular cruises, you youprobably won't need one.
And what I mean by that is, hey,it's December.
It's cold outside.
So you're not going to behanging out on the balcony that
much.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
Maybe it's cold outside.
SPEAKER_00 (09:25):
Also, you're not going to see large Christmas
lights displays and nativityscenes and things like that
outside your window.
And candidly, it gets dark atfive o'clock at night.
So there isn't going to be muchscenery to be looking at while
you're cruising.
So if you want to do this on abudget, I would say you can
easily skip the balcony view.
SPEAKER_01 (09:46):
Yeah, that's an excellent point and a great way
to save that money for Christmasgift shopping if you want.
SPEAKER_00 (09:52):
We have a few extra tips for you, and we're going to
start with packing.
Again, it's December.
Think warm and cozy.
Think layers.
You want to get your wintercoat, your hats, your gloves,
your scarves, and anything thatyou need to stay warm because
you're going to be exploringthese markets for quite a few
hours.
Granted, some of them have smallfireplaces that you can warm up
(10:13):
next to.
SPEAKER_01 (10:14):
Oh, yeah, like a fire pit.
I remember those.
They smell so good, too.
SPEAKER_00 (10:17):
And, of course, glue vine is going to help warm you
up.
But ultimately you want to makesure you're protected and
comfortable throughout the day.
SPEAKER_01 (10:24):
Speaking of comfort, you want to make sure you have
great footwear.
You're going to be walking alot.
Make sure it's waterproof orwater resistant for sure.
Every year I'm like, oh my God,those Uggs look so comfy.
The lambswool insulated boots.
But the truth is I don't bringUggs because they're suede and
they're not great in the rain orthe snow.
(10:45):
So I would leave that at homeunless like you pack a big bag
and you want to wear it.
Wear them on the ship.
They are good for that, as areslippers.
Think cozy, cozy, cozy, like Dansaid.
Sweaters, long sleeves.
Ladies, it's a great time tobreak out the velvet.
I love a velvet moment duringChristmas.
SPEAKER_00 (11:03):
I leave all my velvet at home at all times.
SPEAKER_01 (11:07):
Leave your velvet velour at home, Dan.
But bring your rain gear,speaking of.
Bring your rain gear because itwill likely be damp, if not kind
of precipitous, might I say,snow.
snow, rain, a drizzle.
There's usually like a dampness.
Not always, but usually.
SPEAKER_00 (11:24):
Yeah.
And definitely bring an umbrellatoo.
SPEAKER_01 (11:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:28):
A lot of the ships will provide one.
Rest in peace, the umbrella thatTranscend let me borrow because
that turned inside out with thegale force winds.
It did.
It was left in a cold trash canin Germany.
SPEAKER_01 (11:43):
Yes, that's true.
But there was a rainbow thatday, so that was a saving grace.
SPEAKER_00 (11:47):
Right.
So an umbrella got its wingsthat day.
SPEAKER_01 (11:51):
Yeah, that might have been in Koblenz.
SPEAKER_00 (11:53):
I think it was.
SPEAKER_01 (11:54):
Yeah.
So, RIP umbrella, but also...
RIP moisturized skin unless youbring some really great hand
cream.
And if you find yourself inEurope and don't have great hand
cream, now you want actual handcream, not the lotion that's
water-based.
You want it to be oil-based toactually medicate and revive
your skin because it's so drythere.
(12:16):
You can hop over to the pharmacyand buy some excellent hand
cream, which we inevitablyalways end up doing even though
we bring some because we justreally like what they offer
there.
SPEAKER_00 (12:26):
And you'll know a pharmacy when you see it because
it has a Thank you.
very large green cross that ismost likely blinking and
obnoxiously bright.
SPEAKER_01 (12:35):
It's like a little plus sign almost.
Yeah.
So the big one, and now this isa big topic of conversation.
I think one of the mostdisappointing things to people
is that the water levels canaffect your cruise.
So you need to manage yourexpectations when you are going
on a Christmas markets rivercruise.
So the water levels can be veryhigh, which means that your
(12:57):
itinerary might change.
So this could affect if you planto do something on your own or
it can affect if you bookedsomething through a third party
not through the ship for anexcursion or you made dinner
reservations somewhere therivers are not predictable i
remember we were in europe in2023 and they even changed our
(13:18):
embarkation location because therivers were flooding a
SPEAKER_00 (13:22):
lot of people talk about water level being too low,
but it can also be affected ifthe water level is too high,
like Mikel said.
SPEAKER_01 (13:29):
Right, right, right.
And also, if you are consideringventuring out on your own when
there's a group tour option, butyou want to do markets all the
time, then know thyself, I wouldsay.
just because a river cruisemarket exists doesn't mean it's
for you necessarily.
If you're going to be reallybummed out that it's not 100%
(13:50):
Christmas markets all the time,then you might want to do a
land-based trip instead andreally focus on those Christmas
markets.
I would say that Christmasmarkets cruises are a really
nice mix of optional tours thatyou can do for the history and a
walking city tour and also focuson time in the Christmas
markets.
But honestly, it's not 100%Christmas markets all the time.
(14:13):
I really appreciate I don't wantto be at the Christmas market
all the time.
As we said before, theysometimes get a little
redundant.
What's your feeling on that?
SPEAKER_00 (14:22):
I would say you're going to want to mix.
The Christmas markets are great,but to your point, after your
third or fourth one, day afterday, you're ready for a good
cathedral tour.
SPEAKER_01 (14:35):
That's true.
Or museum.
And on that note, actually,something to be aware of during
this time of year is that themuseum hours that you're going
to visit might vary or bereduced.
Now, this isn't really going tohappen in big cities like Munich
or Frankfurt or Vienna.
But in the smaller cities, youare going to find that holiday
(14:55):
hours might affect the abilityto go to a museum, you know,
just on a random Wednesday or aMonday, even at 2pm.
We did a feel the effects ofthat in some of the smaller
cities we were in when we wantedto see like the Gutenberg Press.
Remember that?
Yeah.
Yeah, so be aware of that,especially if it is, like I
(15:17):
said, a Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday, not the weekend.
So I would say be open to, youknow, change during these
cruises because, of course, theytry to stick to the itineraries,
the cruise lines.
They want everybody to be happy,but they want everybody to be
safe.
They want their boat to be safeas well, their ships to be safe.
So keep that in mind.
Also, if you're going to explorethe area all day versus shorter
(15:39):
amounts of time, depending onyour personal experience,
mobility especially becausethere's cobblestones in a lot of
these old city centers justmanage your expectations and be
realistic with yourself abouthow much you're going to want to
stay on the ship or how muchyou're going to want to do a bus
tour that kind of thing and Withthat, the ship probably will not
release the exact schedule forwhat time they dock and what
(16:02):
time they are leaving that cityuntil you are a week away or
until you're on board.
And especially because it canchange because of the water
levels.
SPEAKER_00 (16:12):
If you're interested in bringing your child...
or your kids along on the rivercruises, make sure you do your
homework as to which cruiselines allow children.
Some, like Adventures by Disney,specialize in having children's
entertainment on board, and theyreally cater to the younger
audiences, and some of thecruise lines do not.
So just make sure you do yourresearch so you know if your
(16:35):
children are going to have agood time or not.
SPEAKER_01 (16:37):
Yeah, and you know your kid best if you are
traveling, especially if it'smulti-generational, and maybe
you're the adult kids and yourparents are going and then you
have kids or teenagers, youknow, they might be perfectly
fine with limited entertainmentand not a ton to do and no
specific kids programming.
But just know your kids.
The Christmas markets could be areally special trip for you
(16:59):
guys.
And as Dan said, Adventures byDisney is a great option.
They charter Alma Waterwaysships.
And we have an article aboutAdventures by Disney on Alma
Waterways.
So we're going to put that inthe show notes.
So speaking of more great tips,just some quick things for every
day.
I would say, because again, I'mso food focused, have a late
lunch if you are going toexplore the markets in the
(17:21):
afternoon and want to, you know,eat your way through the market.
SPEAKER_00 (17:25):
Another tip is if you want to explore the markets
both during the day and atnight, that's easy to do because
they don't open till 11 a.m.
You can visit maybe for a latelunch and then hang around for
until 4, 435 when the sun startsto go down, and then you can see
the lights come on.
(17:46):
So you really get the best ofboth worlds with the market.
SPEAKER_01 (17:49):
Yeah, that's true.
That's true.
And looking forward to most whenyou are out in the cold after
you've already checked the boxfor the day to see the markets
is returning to the ships.
So it's the perfect solution,Christmas Markets River Cruise,
to experience multiple marketsin a short amount of time, as we
were saying earlier.
It allows some flexibilitybecause you can take a tour, but
(18:13):
also be spontaneous and go outon your own.
By that time that day whenyou're deciding, you know,
finally what you want to do, doI want to commit to this?
included tour do I want to signup for another tour you will
know what time all aboard is soyou can have spontaneous
exploration because you'll knowwhat your time frame is
SPEAKER_00 (18:32):
and when you're building out your schedule for
your day consider mobility andthe time it's going to take you
to get back to the ship nowthere's going to be cobblestones
it's going to be dark if you'regoing out later just keep that
in mind so you make sure you getback to ship before all aboard
time
SPEAKER_01 (18:48):
right and if you are with the group tour of course
there going to make sure thatyou get back to the ship on
time.
If you're not, don't forget thatUber functions everywhere that
we know of that we havementioned because we've been to
90% of these places, if not 100%of these places that we
mentioned.
Uber functions there if you'rein a bind.
They have public transportation.
(19:10):
And lastly, you can run.
No, I'm kidding.
I'm only half kidding.
I'm only half kidding.
Another thing, though, that cameto mind is that some of these
cruise lines offer complimentarybikes if you want a bicycle
around town it might be lesspossible during winter just
because of the weather and it'sreally cold so i wouldn't rely
(19:30):
on the biking if biking isreally important to you during a
christmas markets cruise be sureto ask the cruise line
specifically if they're going tohave bikes even if the weather
isn't isn't great you know we'vebeen on cruises we were just on
a cruise that the weather youknow it was raining and they
kind of like tried to go anywaybut it was also very different
weather because it was in the60s degrees fahrenheit that is.
(19:51):
So just maximize your markettime in terms of a full picture
and full spectrum of knowingeverything we just said with the
flexibility in your schedule,your mobility, understanding
what all aboard time is andunderstanding the hour that the
sun sets to really maximizeseeing it during the day and at
(20:13):
night.
SPEAKER_00 (20:14):
Yeah, it's a good point.
SPEAKER_01 (20:15):
So my last piece of advice, if you'll indulge me
listening and you, Dan, as well,is is that one of the most fun
things about the size of a rivercruise, it being typically 190
passengers or less, Vikinglongships are 190 and most river
cruise lines have lesspassengers than that, is the
(20:37):
friends that you make and thepeople you're with every day.
So my piece of advice is if youwant a really extra memorable
time during the Christmasmarkets, then Don't be afraid to
make plans to meet up with yournew friends from the cruise at
the Christmas market, exchangephone numbers, or if you see
(20:57):
them at the market, bring overyour Glühwein and gather around
at a table.
These are, for the most part,very communal situations.
People are gathered around thatfire pit, like you said.
People are cheersing andtoasting and you see somebody
with food and you ask them, ohmy gosh, where did you get that?
Everybody speaks English.
(21:18):
If they're not tourists, thenthey're locals and every German
or Austrian or French personwe've met speaks English.
So get in the holiday spirit andbe friendly and toast, say
prost, say a votre santé to yourhealth in French and really just
kind of get in on the communityof it all.
SPEAKER_00 (21:39):
The markets truly are a community.
And if you go in with an openmind, you're going to be
welcomed into that community.
And, you know, it never hurts tohave a glass of your favorite
beverage in hand and maybe apretzel or sausage and go out
and make some new friends at themarket.
SPEAKER_01 (21:57):
Ah, I love it.
And open your heart.
I'm cheesy.
I love that.
Open your heart to really themagic of it all.
Don't be a curmudgeon.
Don't be a Scrooge.
Just...
bring yourself into the spiritof the season.
There are so many other pointswe could talk about.
For example, you might bewondering, do they take credit
(22:20):
cards at the Christmas markets?
What if I don't wanna go to theChristmas markets?
What if I don't celebrateChristmas?
Is there any Hanukkah gifts?
Truthfully, Dan and I don'tcelebrate Christmas really, but
we like going, but it does crossyour mind.
Can I find Hanukkah gifts?
So anyway, these are allquestions that we've seen it
(22:41):
again and again.
So Dan and I have decided thatwe are gonna do a separate
episode in a few weeks,answering all your questions.
This will include questions thatwe have already received.
This will be questions that wesee all the time in Facebook
groups and such.
And we want to encourage you, ifyou are listening and we haven't
(23:02):
addressed something that you arewondering, don't be afraid to
check out the show notes or goto our website,
smallshipcruisetalk.com.
Reach out to us.
We are at Sometimes Sailing onall social media.
DM us and send us thosequestions.
Until then, and until thatepisode, don't forget that we
(23:25):
publish a new episode every weekon Wednesdays.
So definitely follow andsubscribe.
Thanks for listening.
And until next time, keepexploring.
SPEAKER_00 (23:35):
Merry Christmas.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
Welcome to Small Ship Cruise Talk, a show where
we share insider tips andfirst-hand experiences about
this outstanding, yetlesser-known form 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 vacation
experiences.
(00:23):
We're your co-hosts, Dan andMikel, and we are your cruise
experts and the co-founders ofSometimes Sailing, a website
that focuses on small shipcruise music.
SPEAKER_01 (00:35):
Welcome back to the show where we are talking about
Christmas markets river cruises.
This is part two of two partsthat are both available right
now.
In this episode, you will findout all about maximizing your
river cruise experience.
This includes our firsthandknowledge of tips and tricks,
(00:56):
things you should know about,and managing expectations like
what the water levels will belike potentially during a winter
cruise.
where your stateroom bookingshould be geographically
speaking with the ship deckplan.
Does having a balcony matter ornot for a Christmas markets
river cruise?
What can you see on theriverbanks?
(01:18):
We're also going to talk aboutmulti-generational travel and
which cruise lines we recommendfor children, which you might
want to know in case you want toavoid children too.
Also, some mobility things to beaware of during your cruise.
Tips for packing.
What do you need to pack for aChristmas market?
with its river cruise and alsosome shopping tips.
(01:39):
Shopping in Europe is great, butespecially during the Christmas
times and we're gonna tell youwhy.
And additionally, knowing thecities you wanna visit big and
small and some of our favorites.
In part one of this, just incase you are listening in from
part two to start, we discussedthings like what makes the river
cruises during Christmas timespecial.
When are they?
(02:00):
Of course, they're duringDecember, but we told you the
best times to book, the optimaltime to book.
So if you haven't listened tothat, definitely go back and
give that a listen.
Additionally, we talked aboutwhat itinerary to choose and
why.
So the Rhine versus the Danubeis the most popular.
We talked about must-trycruises.
Christmas markets treats andglue vine and the special mugs
(02:23):
there and what to know aboutthem.
Also, a little programming note.
Don't forget to send us yourquestions about Christmas
markets river cruising becausewe are going to answer those in
a future episode about theChristmas markets, specifically
your FAQs answered in just a fewweeks.
I'll remind you of this at theend of the episode as well so
you don't forget.
(02:44):
You can contact us by DMing uson socials at sometimes sailing
or you can You can email us.
You'll find that in the shownotes or just go to
smallshipcruise talk dot com.
So at the end of part one ofthis two part Christmas markets
river cruise episode series, ifyou can call it that.
(03:05):
we left off talking aboutextending your cruise pre or
post with a pre or post cruiseextension.
And we brought up the point thatif you are cruising closer to
Christmas time, that you'regoing to want to do a pre
extension instead of a postextension, because things start
shutting down December 24th and25th for the holiday.
(03:27):
And you're going to find a lotof things are closed, if not
mostly everything, except formaybe a convenience store or a
restaurant here or there, eventhough most restaurants are
closed on December 25th.
So we're going to continue thatconversation.
Take it away, Dan.
SPEAKER_00 (03:42):
Also, when you're thinking about booking, you're
going to want to do this inadvance.
And what I mean by in advance isat least 12 months to get the
best selection and to ensurethat you get a spot on these
cruises because they sell outfast.
High demand with limitedseasonal availability.
Now, also, these cruises startaround$3,000 per person for a
(04:04):
seven-night cruise.
As an alternative, RiversideLuxury Cruises has a three- and
four-day option if you don'twant to commit to a full
seven-day As you know, we loveriver cruising and it's such an
excellent value because of allthe things that are included.
So your excursions, your meals,your gratuities, but it also
gets you that front row drop-offlocation into these cities that
(04:28):
you can easy on, easy off theship and you're exploring right
away.
And you're really in the heartof the city also.
So that's bringing you evencloser to the markets.
SPEAKER_01 (04:40):
Yeah, and even in the instances that you are in
the heart of the city, butperhaps not right by the old
town area like Vienna, you'reactually not that far.
So you can't step off the shipand be right at the Christmas
market, but you can step off theship and just walk to the subway
right there or all these placeshave Uber.
So the convenience of doing ariver cruise is definitely
(05:04):
fantastic.
It's going to get you closerthan the airport in most cases
where most people are cominginto these cities.
So you're really hopping fromthe heart to the heart of these
cities, especially in thesmaller cities, like you were
alluding to with Passau and withRegensburg, you are right there.
Speaking of these small cities,They're easier to do
(05:26):
logistically, you know, in acouple hours just going to the
Christmas markets.
But if you are in a big citylike Vienna and you are having
FOMO of not being there for thebetter part of an entire
afternoon into the evening,you're going to want to be aware
of itineraries that haveovernight stays at these market
locations.
(05:47):
Or ask your travel agent.
We have a travel agent werecommend in the show notes for
this very reason because she'svery knowledgeable, as is her
husband.
that does this with her aboutthe markets that are going to
overnight.
It changes from year to year.
The itineraries change a littlebit, not a ton, but it's
important to you to maximizeyour time at the markets and you
think you're really going towant hours there.
(06:09):
Then look for those overnightstays at the market locations
that are top of mind for you,like Vienna, like Budapest, like
Nuremberg.
SPEAKER_00 (06:18):
As you're making your decision on what
itineraries to choose, also, asI said earlier, be thinking
about the cities you're mostinterested in visiting.
So Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne,Comar, Vienna, Nuremberg,
Budapest, Prague, those are thebig cities and they're gonna
have multiple markets withinthose cities.
(06:39):
A lot of little neighborhoodsare gonna have their own
markets.
So you get a lot of markets forthat particular stop.
But the smaller markets or thesmaller cities like Passau offer
excellent markets just not asmany as the bigger cities.
SPEAKER_01 (06:56):
And two points to add on to that.
Strasbourg on the Rhine inFrance in the Alsace region is
considered the capital ofChristmas because it has some of
the oldest Christmas markets.
So the city really does it up.
It's very close to Colmar, whichyou can very easily do, you
know, pre or post.
It's very easy to get to Colmarby train too.
(07:17):
And the smaller cities, as wellas the big cities, but the
smaller cities too, we havefound have some of the best
retail shops for additionalitems if you're shopping for
more.
Don't forget about the shopsthat are around the city that
have these permanent strip mallskind of locations especially
(07:38):
along the pedestrian streetsbecause a lot of them run sales
for the season like we've seenBlack Friday sales which is
really funny to us because BlackFriday is always after
Thanksgiving which is anAmerican holiday you know the
third week of November we knowCanada has it too we know Canada
has Thanksgiving but theAmerican Thanksgiving is
followed by Black Friday whenall the sales happen so we've
(08:00):
giggled a bit when we see BlackFriday sales in Europe but they
do have them so keep that inmind in terms of what river
cruise lines offer the Christmasmarkets cruises, we're only
briefly going to mention itbecause the truth is every river
cruise line that sails in Europethat we know of do them.
These are all of the majorcruise lines that target the
(08:23):
North American audience and theneven cruise lines that target
European markets or Chinesemarkets.
They all do them.
Even when a cruise line is newin the industry, the first
themed cruises that they do,even perhaps before wine and
culinary cruises, is theChristmas markets river cruises
(08:43):
because they are such afavorite.
So anyone from Amawaterways toRiverside Luxury, cruises like
Dan said, Viking, Emerald,Scenic, Uniworld, Avalon,
Riviera, they all do them.
What about our staterooms on theship?
Now this is interesting becausenormally I would say we always
get a balcony, but this is theexception.
SPEAKER_00 (09:04):
When you're picking your stateroom, keep a couple
things in mind.
We love to have a balcony whenwe cruise, but for these
particular cruises, you youprobably won't need one.
And what I mean by that is, hey,it's December.
It's cold outside.
So you're not going to behanging out on the balcony that
much.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
Maybe it's cold outside.
SPEAKER_00 (09:25):
Also, you're not going to see large Christmas
lights displays and nativityscenes and things like that
outside your window.
And candidly, it gets dark atfive o'clock at night.
So there isn't going to be muchscenery to be looking at while
you're cruising.
So if you want to do this on abudget, I would say you can
easily skip the balcony view.
SPEAKER_01 (09:46):
Yeah, that's an excellent point and a great way
to save that money for Christmasgift shopping if you want.
SPEAKER_00 (09:52):
We have a few extra tips for you, and we're going to
start with packing.
Again, it's December.
Think warm and cozy.
Think layers.
You want to get your wintercoat, your hats, your gloves,
your scarves, and anything thatyou need to stay warm because
you're going to be exploringthese markets for quite a few
hours.
Granted, some of them have smallfireplaces that you can warm up
(10:13):
next to.
SPEAKER_01 (10:14):
Oh, yeah, like a fire pit.
I remember those.
They smell so good, too.
SPEAKER_00 (10:17):
And, of course, glue vine is going to help warm you
up.
But ultimately you want to makesure you're protected and
comfortable throughout the day.
SPEAKER_01 (10:24):
Speaking of comfort, you want to make sure you have
great footwear.
You're going to be walking alot.
Make sure it's waterproof orwater resistant for sure.
Every year I'm like, oh my God,those Uggs look so comfy.
The lambswool insulated boots.
But the truth is I don't bringUggs because they're suede and
they're not great in the rain orthe snow.
(10:45):
So I would leave that at homeunless like you pack a big bag
and you want to wear it.
Wear them on the ship.
They are good for that, as areslippers.
Think cozy, cozy, cozy, like Dansaid.
Sweaters, long sleeves.
Ladies, it's a great time tobreak out the velvet.
I love a velvet moment duringChristmas.
SPEAKER_00 (11:03):
I leave all my velvet at home at all times.
SPEAKER_01 (11:07):
Leave your velvet velour at home, Dan.
But bring your rain gear,speaking of.
Bring your rain gear because itwill likely be damp, if not kind
of precipitous, might I say,snow.
snow, rain, a drizzle.
There's usually like a dampness.
Not always, but usually.
SPEAKER_00 (11:24):
Yeah.
And definitely bring an umbrellatoo.
SPEAKER_01 (11:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (11:28):
A lot of the ships will provide one.
Rest in peace, the umbrella thatTranscend let me borrow because
that turned inside out with thegale force winds.
It did.
It was left in a cold trash canin Germany.
SPEAKER_01 (11:43):
Yes, that's true.
But there was a rainbow thatday, so that was a saving grace.
SPEAKER_00 (11:47):
Right.
So an umbrella got its wingsthat day.
SPEAKER_01 (11:51):
Yeah, that might have been in Koblenz.
SPEAKER_00 (11:53):
I think it was.
SPEAKER_01 (11:54):
Yeah.
So, RIP umbrella, but also...
RIP moisturized skin unless youbring some really great hand
cream.
And if you find yourself inEurope and don't have great hand
cream, now you want actual handcream, not the lotion that's
water-based.
You want it to be oil-based toactually medicate and revive
your skin because it's so drythere.
(12:16):
You can hop over to the pharmacyand buy some excellent hand
cream, which we inevitablyalways end up doing even though
we bring some because we justreally like what they offer
there.
SPEAKER_00 (12:26):
And you'll know a pharmacy when you see it because
it has a Thank you.
very large green cross that ismost likely blinking and
obnoxiously bright.
SPEAKER_01 (12:35):
It's like a little plus sign almost.
Yeah.
So the big one, and now this isa big topic of conversation.
I think one of the mostdisappointing things to people
is that the water levels canaffect your cruise.
So you need to manage yourexpectations when you are going
on a Christmas markets rivercruise.
So the water levels can be veryhigh, which means that your
(12:57):
itinerary might change.
So this could affect if you planto do something on your own or
it can affect if you bookedsomething through a third party
not through the ship for anexcursion or you made dinner
reservations somewhere therivers are not predictable i
remember we were in europe in2023 and they even changed our
(13:18):
embarkation location because therivers were flooding a
SPEAKER_00 (13:22):
lot of people talk about water level being too low,
but it can also be affected ifthe water level is too high,
like Mikel said.
SPEAKER_01 (13:29):
Right, right, right.
And also, if you are consideringventuring out on your own when
there's a group tour option, butyou want to do markets all the
time, then know thyself, I wouldsay.
just because a river cruisemarket exists doesn't mean it's
for you necessarily.
If you're going to be reallybummed out that it's not 100%
(13:50):
Christmas markets all the time,then you might want to do a
land-based trip instead andreally focus on those Christmas
markets.
I would say that Christmasmarkets cruises are a really
nice mix of optional tours thatyou can do for the history and a
walking city tour and also focuson time in the Christmas
markets.
But honestly, it's not 100%Christmas markets all the time.
(14:13):
I really appreciate I don't wantto be at the Christmas market
all the time.
As we said before, theysometimes get a little
redundant.
What's your feeling on that?
SPEAKER_00 (14:22):
I would say you're going to want to mix.
The Christmas markets are great,but to your point, after your
third or fourth one, day afterday, you're ready for a good
cathedral tour.
SPEAKER_01 (14:35):
That's true.
Or museum.
And on that note, actually,something to be aware of during
this time of year is that themuseum hours that you're going
to visit might vary or bereduced.
Now, this isn't really going tohappen in big cities like Munich
or Frankfurt or Vienna.
But in the smaller cities, youare going to find that holiday
(14:55):
hours might affect the abilityto go to a museum, you know,
just on a random Wednesday or aMonday, even at 2pm.
We did a feel the effects ofthat in some of the smaller
cities we were in when we wantedto see like the Gutenberg Press.
Remember that?
Yeah.
Yeah, so be aware of that,especially if it is, like I
(15:17):
said, a Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday, not the weekend.
So I would say be open to, youknow, change during these
cruises because, of course, theytry to stick to the itineraries,
the cruise lines.
They want everybody to be happy,but they want everybody to be
safe.
They want their boat to be safeas well, their ships to be safe.
So keep that in mind.
Also, if you're going to explorethe area all day versus shorter
(15:39):
amounts of time, depending onyour personal experience,
mobility especially becausethere's cobblestones in a lot of
these old city centers justmanage your expectations and be
realistic with yourself abouthow much you're going to want to
stay on the ship or how muchyou're going to want to do a bus
tour that kind of thing and Withthat, the ship probably will not
release the exact schedule forwhat time they dock and what
(16:02):
time they are leaving that cityuntil you are a week away or
until you're on board.
And especially because it canchange because of the water
levels.
SPEAKER_00 (16:12):
If you're interested in bringing your child...
or your kids along on the rivercruises, make sure you do your
homework as to which cruiselines allow children.
Some, like Adventures by Disney,specialize in having children's
entertainment on board, and theyreally cater to the younger
audiences, and some of thecruise lines do not.
So just make sure you do yourresearch so you know if your
(16:35):
children are going to have agood time or not.
SPEAKER_01 (16:37):
Yeah, and you know your kid best if you are
traveling, especially if it'smulti-generational, and maybe
you're the adult kids and yourparents are going and then you
have kids or teenagers, youknow, they might be perfectly
fine with limited entertainmentand not a ton to do and no
specific kids programming.
But just know your kids.
The Christmas markets could be areally special trip for you
(16:59):
guys.
And as Dan said, Adventures byDisney is a great option.
They charter Alma Waterwaysships.
And we have an article aboutAdventures by Disney on Alma
Waterways.
So we're going to put that inthe show notes.
So speaking of more great tips,just some quick things for every
day.
I would say, because again, I'mso food focused, have a late
lunch if you are going toexplore the markets in the
(17:21):
afternoon and want to, you know,eat your way through the market.
SPEAKER_00 (17:25):
Another tip is if you want to explore the markets
both during the day and atnight, that's easy to do because
they don't open till 11 a.m.
You can visit maybe for a latelunch and then hang around for
until 4, 435 when the sun startsto go down, and then you can see
the lights come on.
(17:46):
So you really get the best ofboth worlds with the market.
SPEAKER_01 (17:49):
Yeah, that's true.
That's true.
And looking forward to most whenyou are out in the cold after
you've already checked the boxfor the day to see the markets
is returning to the ships.
So it's the perfect solution,Christmas Markets River Cruise,
to experience multiple marketsin a short amount of time, as we
were saying earlier.
It allows some flexibilitybecause you can take a tour, but
(18:13):
also be spontaneous and go outon your own.
By that time that day whenyou're deciding, you know,
finally what you want to do, doI want to commit to this?
included tour do I want to signup for another tour you will
know what time all aboard is soyou can have spontaneous
exploration because you'll knowwhat your time frame is
SPEAKER_00 (18:32):
and when you're building out your schedule for
your day consider mobility andthe time it's going to take you
to get back to the ship nowthere's going to be cobblestones
it's going to be dark if you'regoing out later just keep that
in mind so you make sure you getback to ship before all aboard
time
SPEAKER_01 (18:48):
right and if you are with the group tour of course
there going to make sure thatyou get back to the ship on
time.
If you're not, don't forget thatUber functions everywhere that
we know of that we havementioned because we've been to
90% of these places, if not 100%of these places that we
mentioned.
Uber functions there if you'rein a bind.
They have public transportation.
(19:10):
And lastly, you can run.
No, I'm kidding.
I'm only half kidding.
I'm only half kidding.
Another thing, though, that cameto mind is that some of these
cruise lines offer complimentarybikes if you want a bicycle
around town it might be lesspossible during winter just
because of the weather and it'sreally cold so i wouldn't rely
(19:30):
on the biking if biking isreally important to you during a
christmas markets cruise be sureto ask the cruise line
specifically if they're going tohave bikes even if the weather
isn't isn't great you know we'vebeen on cruises we were just on
a cruise that the weather youknow it was raining and they
kind of like tried to go anywaybut it was also very different
weather because it was in the60s degrees fahrenheit that is.
(19:51):
So just maximize your markettime in terms of a full picture
and full spectrum of knowingeverything we just said with the
flexibility in your schedule,your mobility, understanding
what all aboard time is andunderstanding the hour that the
sun sets to really maximizeseeing it during the day and at
(20:13):
night.
SPEAKER_00 (20:14):
Yeah, it's a good point.
SPEAKER_01 (20:15):
So my last piece of advice, if you'll indulge me
listening and you, Dan, as well,is is that one of the most fun
things about the size of a rivercruise, it being typically 190
passengers or less, Vikinglongships are 190 and most river
cruise lines have lesspassengers than that, is the
(20:37):
friends that you make and thepeople you're with every day.
So my piece of advice is if youwant a really extra memorable
time during the Christmasmarkets, then Don't be afraid to
make plans to meet up with yournew friends from the cruise at
the Christmas market, exchangephone numbers, or if you see
(20:57):
them at the market, bring overyour Glühwein and gather around
at a table.
These are, for the most part,very communal situations.
People are gathered around thatfire pit, like you said.
People are cheersing andtoasting and you see somebody
with food and you ask them, ohmy gosh, where did you get that?
Everybody speaks English.
(21:18):
If they're not tourists, thenthey're locals and every German
or Austrian or French personwe've met speaks English.
So get in the holiday spirit andbe friendly and toast, say
prost, say a votre santé to yourhealth in French and really just
kind of get in on the communityof it all.
SPEAKER_00 (21:39):
The markets truly are a community.
And if you go in with an openmind, you're going to be
welcomed into that community.
And, you know, it never hurts tohave a glass of your favorite
beverage in hand and maybe apretzel or sausage and go out
and make some new friends at themarket.
SPEAKER_01 (21:57):
Ah, I love it.
And open your heart.
I'm cheesy.
I love that.
Open your heart to really themagic of it all.
Don't be a curmudgeon.
Don't be a Scrooge.
Just...
bring yourself into the spiritof the season.
There are so many other pointswe could talk about.
For example, you might bewondering, do they take credit
(22:20):
cards at the Christmas markets?
What if I don't wanna go to theChristmas markets?
What if I don't celebrateChristmas?
Is there any Hanukkah gifts?
Truthfully, Dan and I don'tcelebrate Christmas really, but
we like going, but it does crossyour mind.
Can I find Hanukkah gifts?
So anyway, these are allquestions that we've seen it
(22:41):
again and again.
So Dan and I have decided thatwe are gonna do a separate
episode in a few weeks,answering all your questions.
This will include questions thatwe have already received.
This will be questions that wesee all the time in Facebook
groups and such.
And we want to encourage you, ifyou are listening and we haven't
(23:02):
addressed something that you arewondering, don't be afraid to
check out the show notes or goto our website,
smallshipcruisetalk.com.
Reach out to us.
We are at Sometimes Sailing onall social media.
DM us and send us thosequestions.
Until then, and until thatepisode, don't forget that we
(23:25):
publish a new episode every weekon Wednesdays.
So definitely follow andsubscribe.
Thanks for listening.
And until next time, keepexploring.
SPEAKER_00 (23:35):
Merry Christmas.
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