Christmas Markets River Cruise in Germany

Cruise dates: December 1 - 8. The Monday after Thanksgiving we took off for a River Cruise in Germany. We've always wanted to try a river cruise there so we combined that desire with the famous Christmas markets in Germany. What fun!! We arrived a few days early for two reasons - to make sure our flights got us there in time and to allow us time to see Frankfurt and to do a day trip to Heidelberg. Good decision. Flights went at planned so no problems there. Using United miles we upgraded to business class so that made it an easy overnight flight.

Monday, Nov 28: CR flight to Chicago at 10:44 am and then a six hour layover. 6:45 pm flight from Chicago to Frankfurt. It was about a seven hour flight and we arrived in Frankfurt on Tuesday, Nov. 29 about 9:30 am their time. Don had arrived a driver to pick us up and take us to our hotel, the JW Marriott in Frankfurt. After checking in we both had long naps. We had a late lunch/early dinner at the hotel. We walked through the Christmas market (only a block away from our hotel) to the English Theater to see Sister Act. It was a very fun evening.

JW Marriott in Frankfurt

Frankfurt Christmas Market

Wednesday, Nov. 30: Day trip to Heidelburg

It was about an hour drive from Frankfurt to HEIDELBURG.  We had a great time with a super tour guide in Heidelberg.  We walked through the Christmas market, walked to and over the famous bridge, and drove up to the castle.  

Christmas market in Heidelberg

We returned to Frankfurt and had naps.  We walked to the Christmas market and had a fun evening trying the foods and drinks.  We collected two mugs with hot chocolate and mulled wine.  We tried the French fries with chili cheese, a brat and pork steak sandwich and then a Nutella crepe.  

Thursday, Dec. 1:  Day 1 of the River Cruise (Frankfurt)

We slept in and had breakfast at the hotel.  Later we walked to the Christmas market for chicken noodle soup and a waffle.

At 2:00 We got a taxi to take us to the river cruise.  Our boat is the River Queen and we are in room 410 on the top floor.  We settle in to our small room, but the big windows give us a good view.  After naps, Don had a zoom for work.

We attended a 6:00 meeting in the lounge for the safety presentation and general information.  

Dinner was A plus says Don - salad, soups, beef with roasted vegetables, peach cobbler and lemon tart.

Since we were still docked in Frankfurt we took a walk over the "walking bridge" that was near our boat. We went back to the lounge for drinks and back to our room for the night.

Lunch at the market

Sun roof of our boat

Too cold to hang out up there

Our cabin room. 410

Delicious beef

and dessert

The River Queen as viewed from the bridge.

Friday, Dec 2:  Day 2 of the Cruise (Frankfurt)

8:15 - Buffet breakfast 

9:00 - Informative talk on the customs of Christmas in Frankfurt

10:00 - "Taste of Christmas: Frankfurt Walking Tour". We went to the Christmas market and tasted..... hot apple wine, roasted chestnut, many different roasted almonds, gingerbread and chocolate strawberry.  

12:15  Lunch back on the boat

2:00 - Wiesbaden Twinkling Star Market.  W drove about 45 minutes to a smaller town of Wiesbaden to visit the Christmas Market.  We bought the boys wooden ornament and some nativity sets.

Captain's Welcome Dinner - spinach salad, chicken noodle soup, Don had veal tenderloin and I had prawns, we both had the chocolate mousse dessert.

We started sailing at 7:00

Saturday, Dec 3:  Day 3 of the Cruise (Wertheim)

We sailed all night (Friday - Saturday) and docked about noon at Wertheim.  We slept in a bit and had breakfast at 9:00.  

10:00 - Met in the lounge to hear about this week's places and excursions

Lunch on the ship.

Cruising to Wertheim

1:30. Baking demonstration of slot ton (fruitcake) on the boat

2:00. Walking tour of Wertheim

        Old castle on top of the hill

        an old church

        quaint village houses

        small Christmas market.

Demo of making fruitcake

6:30. the River Queen sets sail

7:00  Dinner with Roaring 20s

         salads, soups, Don  - perch with potatoes on top, Me - chicken, dessert was proliferates a Dutch cream filled donut

Roaring 20s party in the lounge. 

Sunday, Dec 4:  Day 4 of the Cruise (Wurzburg)

8:00 am - the River Queen docks at Wurzburg

Breakfast on the boat

9:15 - Wurzburg Residence Visit with Christmas Market

    We toured an incredibly lavish 18 century 300 room palace that was the residence of th church Bishop. We also walked through the beautiful attached chapel. 

    On the rest of the walking tour we went by churches, the town hall and the Old Main Bridge.

Lunch back on the boat.  We relaxed for about an hour and then walked back to the Christmas market.  We bought 3 glass tree ornaments and 3 Black Forest angels.

Dinner on the boat - salads, soups, strip steak and hot molten chocolate cake.

Monday, Dec 5:  Day 5 of the Cruise (Kitzinger, full day in Rothenburg)

8:00 Docked in Kitzinger

8:45 - 5:15. Full day in Rothenburg with walking discovery tour and Christmas Market

We loaded buses for an hour trip to Rothenburg along the "Romantic Road" .  

Highlights in Rothenburg

        stone wall with towers surrounding the old city

        Gothic arches and cobblestone streets

        sausage tasting

        historic churches - we visited St. James with the famous altar, Altar of the Holy Blood

        lunch at a local restaurant

        Kathe Wohlfahrt store

  

Lunch at a local restaurant

We arrived back at the boat about 5:30.

7:00. Dinner - salad with caramelized onions, shrimp cocktail, soups, prime rib, cannoli with pudding

Tuesday, Dec 6:  Day 6 of the Cruise (Bamberg)

Walking Tour of Bamberg with Christmas Market

Bamberg is a city of 7 hills and we walked up with our tour guide to the "Residence" which was like a castle and also a cathedral next to it.  Bamberg is known for it's nativity scenes around the city and a dark smoked beer. We walked along the river and went through the arch of the city hall to go to the Christmas market.  We bought little glass ornament at Kathe Wohlfarht.  We got our usual mugs with mulled wine.  After the tour we stayed in Bamberg and had lunch at the Muller restaurant and shopped the market.

Nativity 

Dinner on the boat - cream of mushroom soup, salads, Don had steak and I had butterfish, Don had a baked Alaska for dessert and I had walnut ice cream.  We enjoyed Christmas carols in the lounge and then dancing with music on the headphones 

Wednesday, Dec 7:  Day 7 of the Cruise Nuremberg

We traveled overnight and docked about 8 am in Nuremberg.  

9:00  Nuremberg city tour with Christmas market.  First we had about a 45 minute bus trip with a historical narration.  We walked through the old town and by the old wall with towers.  Don and I vitiated the church and walked through the market.  Back to the boat for lunch.

1:45 Nuremberg WWII Tour

The bus took us to the training field, Congress Hall, and the Nuremberg trial court room.

Dinner - Seabass

Thursday, Dec 8:  Disembark and Fly Home

We took a Uniworld bus to the airport and flew business class at 2:45 from Nuremberg to Frankfurt to New York City.  

The river cruise was a new and fun experience for us!