Advice on Christmas Markets

[NANCYR2]

We are 2 couples looking to book a Christmas Market River Cruise for 2017. Are there any tips or comments on cruise line or advice for a starting and ending city?

Thanks,

Nancy

[papa B me]

My wife and I did a Christmas Cruise last year with Uniworld on the SS Maria Teresa on the Danube from BUDAPEST to Passau with a pre cruise stay in Munich. I did a day by day review titled, "Day by Day Uniworld's Christmas Market Cruise BUDAPEST to Passau Dec 1-8". If you put that in the search you can pull it up and it would give you a good feel for Uniworld and the Christmas Markets and cruise. We love Uniworld and really enjoyed the trip. Would be happy to answer any questions.

[Host Jazzbeau]

There are frequent threads about Christmas Markets on this forum. Just search "christmas markets" in the "Search this Forum" tab at the top of the page and you will find a lot of helpful info.

[QueenofEverything]

We did Viking last December from Nuremberg to Budapest. Great itinerary. Some of the Danube cruises don't go all the way to/from Nuremberg, or only go as far as Vienna on the other end. Nuremberg has one of the biggest Christmas markets, it was very nice. It is also a beautiful city and full of history. If you are at all interested in WWII history, be sure to go to Nuremberg. It was the headquarters of the **** party so there is a great tour you can take. Vienna was absolutely beautiful and the market there is huge. Budapest was very beautiful as well and the market there is very different from the others. Interesting Hungarian food! Happy to answer any questios. I don't think you can go wrong no matter which one you choose

[QueenofEverything]

Wow, that's kind of weird. Cruise Critic blotted out the name of the German party I was referring to. I think you can figure out who I am talking about. That's just silly because it is history, not a bad word. The Germans are very open about their history, realizing that being open about it will help to never repeat it.

[Jruns]

How much stuff did you actually buy with all of these Christmas markets?? We leave November 24th sailing AMA (Danube) and I don't know if we should all plan on bringing an empty carryon to bring back all our treasures? Do the markets carry a lot of the same items? How did you dress....was it so crowded and covered that you were warm or is it open and chilly....the markets ? Thanks so much!!

 

 

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[Jruns]

And yes, very weird they chose to X out your word!!!

 

 

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[notamermaid]

Hello NANCYR2,

 

We are 2 couples looking to book a Christmas Market River Cruise for 2017. Are there any tips or comments on cruise line or advice for a starting and ending city?

Thanks,

Nancy

 

Hostjazzbeau has already suggested looking for other threads and here is one of them: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2226181 with relatively recent entries but started last year.

 

As regards a starting city, I would suggest not Paris, as the market there is not that traditional from other cruisers have said. But then Paris is a great city to visit all year round. IMO your best bet is either Amsterdam or Basel or Budapest or the towns upstream on the Danube itinerary like Nuremberg. You could fly into Prague of course then head to the Danube (you are taken by coach).

 

If you do not go too late in December (your disembarkation date should be no later than 23 December if you want to see a Christmas market in all the places that you visit) you can avoid the darkest days. I find 30 November to 16 December this year as a good time to see the markets. If you are going to go through the Rhine gorge on a Rhine itinerary in the afternoon you will want to have some daylight for this. Could be tricky late in December.

 

Some people here on CC have been on a cruise on the Main that you normally sail on on a itinerary involving at least Nuremberg and a short sail on the Rhine. However there are a few itineraries that go Frankfurt to Nuremberg or vice versa, I believe.

 

Flying into Brussels for a pre-cruise stay I highly recommend for the Christmas market and architecture.

 

You can start in Cologne with a few cruise lines.

 

As regards cruise lines, well, there are many preferences for one line over another and some cruisers have been very pleased on two or more lines.

 

If you are very active and like spas, bikes, etc. you might prefer another line over Viking.

 

If you like a European touch you might like to check out CroisiEurope and ARosa.

 

Perhaps have a look at the Cruise critic info pages. Here is one: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1677

 

Cruisecritic also has pages on ports. They are a little difficult to find.

 

Perhaps there is a town you have always wanted to visit? Or might the list of UNESCO world heritage sites inspire you?

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

[terry&mike]

I did a Christmas Markets cruise a few years ago, sailing through Germany and Austria, it was practically magical! Uniworld and Viking do a great job of these itineraries. Sailing from the end of November until around Dec. 20 will get you the most markets.

 

I'm happy to share photos of our trip, if you are interested, feel free to email me at home(at)terryandmike(dot)com

[xmaser]

I love Christmas markets and go annually. The offerings in the markets tend to be unique. They take pride in being distinctive. Even different markets in the same city have variation. If you see it in Nuremburg you won't find it elsewhere. If you see it and like it, buy it then. The prices aren't cheap, but then you're not shopping in 'big box' stores. If you see the same merchandise in different places it's likely Chinese made. (An exception to this is the pewter Christmas ornaments made in Europe although different vendors tend to offer different designs.) The Kathe Wolfart stores in different cities will carry the same merchandise and you might enjoy shopping the market stalls instead.

 

If you like Germanic ornaments and cookies take a carry on for your purchases, particularly if you are looking for a Christmas creche.

 

You are more likely to find wood carvings on the Danube route, especially Vienna.

 

The baker's stalls will sell you one cookie for you to sample if they don't have free samples. In spite of what the dictionaries say, Lebkuchen are NOT 'American' gingerbread, they are spice/molasses cookies. Yum! :)

 

I've seen stalls selling "horn" items in several markets - handmade but origin unclear.

 

The glass bead ornaments from the Czech Republic are starting to appear in several markets. So far they are European made and make my 'good souvenir' list.

 

Nuremburg to Budapest will get you to several good markets including Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest.

 

Amsterdam (no markets) to Basel will get you to Cologne (at least 7 markets) and Strasbourg (several markets).

 

If you are a serious Christmas market fan, Dresden is a must. Realistically it requires a cruise extension in Prague and then your own scheduling of a tour (bus or private) to Dresden from there. I think it is the grandest market of all. Christmas cruises on the Elbe are extremely 'iffy' because of low winter water levels.

[QueenofEverything]

How much stuff did you actually buy with all of these Christmas markets?? We leave November 24th sailing AMA (Danube) and I don't know if we should all plan on bringing an empty carryon to bring back all our treasures? Do the markets carry a lot of the same items? How did you dress....was it so crowded and covered that you were warm or is it open and chilly....the markets ? Thanks so much!!

 

 

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We actually bought less than I thought we would. We each took a 21" carryon for the extras. We put our coats in them on the way over and carried the coats on the way back. We took some bubble wrap and scotch tape for the breakables. I was afraid to buy any of the really fragile looking ornaments, but we are going back next year and I'll probably try a few. There are SO many beautiful ornaments! A really nice souvenir are the mugs you get the Gluwein in. It is only a couple of euros extra to keep the mug. They are very cute and each market has their own. Some like Nuremberg have several mugs to choose from. The markets were crowded at night and on the weekends, not so much during the day. We were lucky and only got rained on in Nuremberg. I would dress warmly. Even though it gets much more crowded at night, it also gets much cooler. It also will get dark around 4:00. Lots of pretty table linens at really good prices. I bought alot of those for gifts because they are so easy to pack.

[Langoustine]

Wow, that's kind of weird. Cruise Critic blotted out the name of the German party I was referring to.

 

The filter is very sensitive about those 4 letters; it becomes really annoying when they're part of a perfectly innocuous word (try asking a question about the Hotel National in say, Rome, and spelling it in Italian).

[Jruns]

Thank you queenofeverything? I really appreciate your response and taking the time to answer!!

 

 

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[QueenofEverything]

You are very welcome! Have a great trip!

[purduemom1]

The Gluhwein mugs are great souvenirs because each market has its own. Check the date on the mug if you intend to keep one. We noticed that not all the mugs used for Gluhwein are from the current year. If the market has an information booth, you can usually purchase the current year mug and it will be clean and wrapped.

[Jruns]

Good to know!!! So great!! We did the Rhine in October on Viking and we had AMAZING weather and a fantastic trip but really appreciate all the tips! For some reason, I just can't imagine doing this on a river boat and it's cold and it gets dark early [emoji15]. Silly question, AMA has a pool and hot tub? Do they operate during the Christmas cruises? I know they are heated......

 

 

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[Second seating]

I always bring bubble wrap, tape and zip lock bags for treats (Lebkuchen and nuts) to bring home for gifts.

 

Second seating

[Jruns]

Love bringing home treats!! Now I'm making notes !

 

 

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[CPT Trips]

I always bring bubble wrap, tape and zip lock bags for treats (Lebkuchen and nuts) to bring home for gifts.

 

Second seating

 

Watch out for those cute little beagles at the customs baggage claim.

[SuzCruise]

Leaving in less than 3 weeks for the Crystal Mozart Christmas cruise on the Danube, so I'll provide a response to the OP when I return. But selfishly I'm following this thread for the great tips as we prepare for the fun and shopping ahead!

[Host Jazzbeau]

Wow, that's kind of weird. Cruise Critic blotted out the name of the German party I was referring to. I think you can figure out who I am talking about. That's just silly because it is history, not a bad word. The Germans are very open about their history, realizing that being open about it will help to never repeat it.

 

It has nothing to do with German history. It is censored because it was being used on Cruise Critic to attack posters who are fanatical about dress codes etc.

[CPT Trips]

It has nothing to do with German history. It is censored because it was being used on Cruise Critic to attack posters who are fanatical about dress codes etc.

 

Soup too?:p

 

Auto censoring can come up with stupid results. Such as when a religious right wing "news" site used an AP article about the US sprinter, Tyson Gay. Because of their homophobia, their website auto replaced "gay" with ""homosexual" . . . so the headline read "Tyson Homosexual sets World Record."

[belle907]

The Gluhwein mugs are great souvenirs because each market has its own. Check the date on the mug if you intend to keep one. We noticed that not all the mugs used for Gluhwein are from the current year. If the market has an information booth, you can usually purchase the current year mug and it will be clean and wrapped.

 

Thanks for the tip about the date on the mugs.

[Second seating]

"Watch out for those cute little beagles at the customs baggage claim."

 

Surprisingly it was not the Christmas treats or Belgium chocolates I brought back over the years that the beagles noticed. Years ago, we had just flown into Boston from Paris. My husband was standing with our carry-on luggage, which included about a 30 euro Laduree bag with Sea Salt Carmel macarons. I saw the beagle sniffing the bag and the only thought that went through my mind was an ill behaved dog from our past that would have eaten the entire bag of macarons! I yelled, "Not the macrons!!!" The handler and the dog just walked off. I was amazed I was not taken to an office to explain.

 

Second seating

[QueenofEverything]

Soup too?:p

 

Auto censoring can come up with stupid results. Such as when a religious right wing "news" site used an AP article about the US sprinter, Tyson Gay. Because of their homophobia, their website auto replaced "gay" with ""homosexual" . . . so the headline read "Tyson Homosexual sets World Record."

 

:D:D:D:D:D too funny!