Christmas Market cruise question

[rslinky]

Going on our first river cruise so also first visit to Christmas Markets.  We are sailing on Emerald and we know our itinerary of course, but not times in each stop.   Dinner on the ship  is at 7:00.   So wondering if most of the time available for Markets is during the day.  All the variables of when the ship is in motion, the fact that it gets dark early, etc, just wondering if on a December cruise if it is likely to have both day and night opportunities.  Thanks for sharing your experiences.  

[Ritabob]

Usually every evening before dinner there is a port talk in the lounge.  That is when the cruise director goes over the schedule for the next day and  other changes that may come up. At that time you will have an idea when the all aboard time is.  Sometimes you are sailing away during dinner, other times it might be 11pm, or later depending on distance to the next port, how many locks there are, water levels, etc.

River cruising is very fluid. 😉

 

[CPT Trips]

27 minutes ago, Ritabob said:

River cruising is very fluid. 😉

 

Clever! 👏 👏 👍👍

[Queen of my Heart]

There might be opportunities for evening visits to markets if sailing schedules allow but you might not always be moored centrally (i.e. within easy walking distance). This is certainly the case in Nuremberg, Vienna and Strasbourg which all have large and vibrant markets, though others may well be just a stroll away.

[mozfoz]

Since it will get dark rather early, there should be opportunities to see the some markets at night with their vibrant lights and atmosphere. You did not mention which river you will be sailing. I can only say that when we did the Danube Markets, there were several opportunities to do the markets at night. Of course, as mentioned previously, the mooring location plays a significant role in opportunities. You may need to miss a port review before dinner, but worth the experience.

 

[steamboats]

It gets dark by 4 pm so there should be some time to visit the markets lit up.

 

steamboats