suggestions for short Rhine cruise 2024

[notamermaid]

4 minutes ago, CastleCritic said:

I actually looked again after I posted that, AMA has an itinerary that is Luxembourg to Basel (never been to Luxembourg but Basel isn't really a huge highlight) that does the Moselle and the Rhine in 7 days, so maybe that kind of itinerary?,

Sounds a nice idea. Luxembourg has got a spectacular setting. And an international airport.

 

notamermaid

 

[gnome12]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Sounds a nice idea. Luxembourg has got a spectacular setting. And an international airport.

 

notamermaid

 

Luxembourg may be an international airport but I don’t believe there are any trans-Atlantic flights to it, which likely means passport control in a European hub and a connecting flight to it. 

[CastleCritic]

43 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Luxembourg may be an international airport but I don’t believe there are any trans-Atlantic flights to it, which likely means passport control in a European hub and a connecting flight to it. 

there are none, but its very rare for me to ever be able to fly to or from the origin/end city from the USA anyway. (Basel, Prague/nuremburg, Budapest, Bucharest) 

 

Schengen control has been a non-issue every time Ive gone, you're going to have to do it anyway.

 

living in a midsize city the only direct flights I have to choose from are London and Paris anyway (and Paris still hadn't restarted when I went last year) so its stopping in London\Paris or stopping in JFK OR Dulles or Atlanta, not matter what there's no great choice there,

 

[notamermaid]

8 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Luxembourg may be an international airport but I don’t believe there are any trans-Atlantic flights to it, which likely means passport control in a European hub and a connecting flight to it. 

That is correct as far as I know - you people over there will know this better than me. I meant to imply that Luxembourg has good connections within Europe. Paris is a good one to fly into first. Fast trains connect Luxembourg city to other major cities in Europe (mostly involving one change).

 

notamermaid

 

[pontac]

13 hours ago, CastleCritic said:

I actually looked again after I posted that, AMA has an itinerary that is Luxembourg to Basel (never been to Luxembourg but Basel isn't really a huge highlight) that does the Moselle and the Rhine in 7 days, so maybe that kind of itinerary?,

 

Ama's description is vague, but I think the boat is at Trier and they are using Luxembourg airport for that end of the cruise. I mentioned earlier in this thread that I am doing the same route, but from Basel to Trier (for  Luxembourg airport) with Viking next week.

 

15 hours ago, notamermaid said:

TUI river cruises is another British company

 

Actually, @notamermaid it's a German company 😉

 

From Wikipedia: TUI Group is a German leisure, travel and tourism company. TUI is an acronym for Touristik Union International ("Tourism Union International"). TUI AG was known as Preussag AG until 1997

 

 

[Canal archive]

With a British subsidiary.

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, pontac said:

Actually, @notamermaid it's a German company 😉

 

Aaahh, I stand more or less corrected. TUI is massive, German. There used to be a TUI Flussreisen but that just operated for a few years. The new venture is solely on the British or English-speaking market, a British company "of sorts", but is part of the big TUI group.

 

Have a great cruise. I find Basel to Trier is a very worthy variation of the Basel to Amsterdam itinerary. If you folk out there love hills, rather than canals in flat country, go for Basel to Trier.

 

notamermaid

 

[Dennis_USA]

16 hours ago, notamermaid said:

The more I think about all this the more I like the Avalon Waterways itinerary. Just check which and how many castle and palaces are visited. You can always add another edifice if you extend your stay with a hotel stay and/or train ride.

 

notamermaid

 

I should have been more specific: Seeing the castles from the boat would be sufficient for my parents. Actually exploring inside the castles is not of priority on this visit. 

[notamermaid]

Just now, Dennis_USA said:

 

I should have been more specific: Seeing the castles from the boat would be sufficient for my parents. Actually exploring inside the castles is not of priority on this visit. 

Oh that makes it easier for sure. Then Rüdesheim and thereabouts is a great place to be. Rhine Gorge sailing perfect. Here is a guide for the castles: http://resc.deskline.net/documents/1/RPT/53feace2-f71c-46d2-8484-d32aa211649e/file.pdf

You cannot see all of them from the river, a map at the end of the guide comes in handy. Just to give you an impression of what to expect in the area. Pfalzgrafenstein castle is actually in the river, on an island. Looks amazing.

 

notamermaid

 

[Dennis_USA]

I have another question. How far in advance can one usually book? I was looking at A-Rosa last night for example and was unable to find anything later than January 2024. 

[CastleCritic]

that depends on the cruise line. I have an amawaterways cruise scheduled for next May and a quick check of the viking booking subside shows dates into 2025.

 

Less than a year seems really strange actually.  Most of my cruises have been booked about a year out.

Edited April 19, 2023 by CastleCritic

[notamermaid]

Just now, Dennis_USA said:

I have another question. How far in advance can one usually book? I was looking at A-Rosa last night for example and was unable to find anything later than January 2024. 

That could be normal for A-Rosa I think. Some other European lines will have 2024 dates bookable. Viking has raced ahead with opening 2025 dates, due to the immense marketing and people postponing all through Covid they have a high demand right now.

 

Will check on A-Rosa again. People in Germany often book at relatively shot notice, i.e. they may book in May for September, but you do find sailings selling out early. It depends in cruise line and itinerary.

 

Edit: No, A-Rosa not restricted, they have also opened up bookings for 2024. They are on their website: https://www.arosa-*****/river-cruises/rhine/rivercruises.html

I have tested the German version and the booking process appears to work.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by notamermaid
see edit

[pontac]

On 4/18/2023 at 1:40 PM, Dennis_USA said:

Seeing the castles from the boat would be sufficient for my parents

 

Middle Rhine would sate their appetite..

 

We ailed down there in Aptil last yera (and going agin next week. These are just two of the castles to  be seen along the gorge

 

 

Viking passengers are given this

 

 

As to how far ahead one can book, as @CastleCritic says, it depends on the line. We booked two 2024 cruises last year, and Viking are taking booking for their 2025 cruises.

The advantage of booking early is that one cane get the date and cabin one wants, also there are encouragements to book early - extras and/or discounts.

 

But if you are flexible then there are advantages to booking very late. I don't know how the others operate but Viking advertise different boats in the US/UK and Australian markets. Close to departure when there are unsold cabins they'll open up bookings from all the markets, so you could go on a date r boat that's not shown in your brochure. But as you're booking for your parents, the certainty of booking early is what you want

[notamermaid]

Just now, pontac said:

Viking passengers are given this

A nice guide, really helpful. I would not be able to name all the castles, by the way, but your photos are of probably the most iconic ones, Marksburg and Pfalzgrafenstein. I have been in both. The "stone ship" is open to the public. It can be reached with a ferry.

 

notamermaid

 

[sharkster77]

What's cool about Marksburg Castle is that it has never been destroyed and therefore needing to be rebuilt--it looks inside and out as it did in the 1400's (except for the gift shop, LOL).

 

It was an included excursion on our Viking Rhine criuise in 2019 but I believe it is now an optional tour.

 

We were sitting at breakfast and saw a castle in the distance, then realized we were docking right below it--it was Marksburg!

Edited April 19, 2023 by sharkster77

[CastleCritic]

12 minutes ago, sharkster77 said:

What's cool about Marksburg Castle is that it has never been destroyed and therefore needing to be rebuilt--it looks inside and out as it did in the 1400's (except for the gift shop, LOL).

 

It was an included excursion on our Viking Rhine criuise in 2019 but I believe it is now an optional tour.

 

We were sitting at breakfast and saw a castle in the distance, then realized we were docking right below it--it was Marksburg!

And if you've never been on a tour of a German castle this IS noteworthy because at some point the guide will always say.."and then it was destroyed by the French Sun King". there are NOT many castles that are really that original. (even though the remainder/ruins/rebuilt castle can still be pretty neat).

 

And yes "castle I wasnt expecting " is always a neat day.  Though the best two I ended up docking at weren't Rhine castles (Danube and Seine)

Edited April 19, 2023 by CastleCritic

[notamermaid]

Just now, CastleCritic said:

at some point the guide will always say.."and then it was destroyed by the French Sun King".

Oh, yes. Unless it was the Swedes, the odd one out that is. I guess that would be a good one for a guide: after several castles the passengers all go "... it was destroyed by the French" and the guide replies "no this one was destroyed by the Swedes". Not sure if there is one in the Rhine Gorge, but part of the castle on Drachenfels hill closer to Bonn was demolished by the Swedes.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by notamermaid

[CastleCritic]

27 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Oh, yes. Unless it was the Swedes, the odd one out that is. I guess that would be a good one for a guide: after several castles the passengers all go "... it was destroyed by the French" and the guide replies "no this one was destroyed by the Swedes". Not sure if there is one in the Rhine Gorge, but part of the castle on Drachenfels hill closer to Bonn was demolished by the Swedes.

 

notamermaid

 

Well the story at Wertheim (Main) is that the damage was caused by a maid with a flame source too close to the powder storage....it still made the castles I bought prints of, just dont spend too much time looking at where the walls inside the perimeter arent.