Best Christmas Market Cruise - 2024

[Spurs Fans]

My wife and I have never been on a European river cruise but would like to plan one for our 25th anniversary in 2024.  Is there a best itinerary and cruise line that those of you with experience would recommend?  Thanks very much! 

[bubbulz]

I can't attest to "best" but my husband and I enjoyed our first Danube Christmas Markets cruise with Uniworld so much that we did a second one. Sailing out of Budapest at night is magical (if you start elsewhere make sure to add some days in Budapest either pre or post, and do a nighttime dinner cruise). On one trip we headed to Bavaria and Salzburg after the cruise for several days, staying in Berchtesgaden (lovely small town and an easy/inexpensive/short bus ride to Salzburg). On the other, we headed to Prague with a stopover in Cesky Krumlov for lunch and a tour. I would go back to both Budapest and Prague in a heartbeat, and really enjoyed all of the stops on both cruises. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by bubbulz

[Host Jazzbeau]

Welcome to the River Cruising Forum!  There is a series of Stickies at the top of this forum with lots of basic information about river cruise lines, itineraries, and other issues.  In addition, I suggest you use the search feature (on the word 'Christmas' in this forum) to find previous threads and posts on the specific topic.  Many river cruise lines do Christmas Market cruises, so you should pay attention to the differences between them.  Also pay attention to dates:  some lines advertise 'Christmas Market' cruises before or after the markets are actually open.

[Spurs Fans]

17 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Welcome to the River Cruising Forum!  There is a series of Stickies at the top of this forum with lots of basic information about river cruise lines, itineraries, and other issues.  In addition, I suggest you use the search feature (on the word 'Christmas' in this forum) to find previous threads and posts on the specific topic.  Many river cruise lines do Christmas Market cruises, so you should pay attention to the differences between them.  Also pay attention to dates:  some lines advertise 'Christmas Market' cruises before or after the markets are actually open.

Thanks for the information.  I think, though, that you folks might want to update some of the information.  After spending an hour reading material on Uniworld vs. Crystal, I went to another site and found out that Crystal stopped sailing a year or two back. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

29 minutes ago, Spurs Fans said:

Thanks for the information.  I think, though, that you folks might want to update some of the information.  After spending an hour reading material on Uniworld vs. Crystal, I went to another site and found out that Crystal stopped sailing a year or two back. 

Thanks for pointing that out.  I will remove the Crystal material when I get a chance.  However, the Crystal ships are back sailing under a new owner:  Riverside Luxury Cruises

[gnome12]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Thanks for pointing that out.  I will remove the Crystal material when I get a chance.  However, the Crystal ships are back sailing under a new owner:  Riverside Luxury Cruises

But that doesn’t mean they will be comparable to Crystal, so I agree it is better to remove Crystal and wait for further information on Riverside. 

[QueenofEverything]

We have done two Danube Christmas Market cruises (One Avalon, One Viking), and one Rhine Christmas Market cruise (Viking).  We loved them all but I think I would recommend the Danube for this itinerary.  I would definitely recommend one that includes Budapest, a fascinating city with great Christmas markets.  If you are interested in WW2, definitely include Nuremberg on your agenda.  Visit the documentation center and rally grounds.  Also, Nuremberg has one of the biggest Christmas markets!  Both of our Danube cruises were Nuremberg to Budapest, or the reverse.  If  you can, definitely add a couple of days on each end.  As someone else mentioned, be sure your departure date is actually after the markets open.  They vary from place to place.  The larger cities seem to open earlier with the smaller towns closer to the traditional first Sunday in Advent.  You can easily google the towns you will be visiting to check.  We like to travel right after Thanksgiving (Friday or Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend worked well, just avoid Sunday!)  Those early December departure dates also seem to be the most popular, so keep that in mind.  Be sure to pack light so you have room for all the treasures!  Happy to answer any questions if I can.

[bubbulz]

2 hours ago, QueenofEverything said:

Be sure to pack light so you have room for all the treasures! 

And bring some bubble wrap with you. 😉

[QueenofEverything]

26 minutes ago, bubbulz said:

And bring some bubble wrap with you. 😉

Yes! and tape!  I totally forgot that!  People on our last cruise thought I was brilliant and I had some to share.  And whatever space it takes up on the way over can be filled with beautiful Christmas market purchases on the way back!  Take some small scissors too

[Spurs Fans]

Thanks for all the tips! 

[cruisegal415]

On 5/11/2023 at 8:02 AM, QueenofEverything said:

We have done two Danube Christmas Market cruises (One Avalon, One Viking), and one Rhine Christmas Market cruise (Viking).  We loved them all but I think I would recommend the Danube for this itinerary.  I would definitely recommend one that includes Budapest, a fascinating city with great Christmas markets.  If you are interested in WW2, definitely include Nuremberg on your agenda.  Visit the documentation center and rally grounds.  Also, Nuremberg has one of the biggest Christmas markets!  Both of our Danube cruises were Nuremberg to Budapest, or the reverse.  If  you can, definitely add a couple of days on each end.  As someone else mentioned, be sure your departure date is actually after the markets open.  They vary from place to place.  The larger cities seem to open earlier with the smaller towns closer to the traditional first Sunday in Advent.  You can easily google the towns you will be visiting to check.  We like to travel right after Thanksgiving (Friday or Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend worked well, just avoid Sunday!)  Those early December departure dates also seem to be the most popular, so keep that in mind.  Be sure to pack light so you have room for all the treasures!  Happy to answer any questions if I can.

I have been trying to decide between the Danube and the Rhine for the Christmas market river cruise and was looking at one that sails Dec 22-29, but I read that some of the markets close right after Christmas. Also, being from south Florida, I wonder if it will be too cold for us?

[QueenofEverything]

5 hours ago, cruisegal415 said:

I have been trying to decide between the Danube and the Rhine for the Christmas market river cruise and was looking at one that sails Dec 22-29, but I read that some of the markets close right after Christmas. Also, being from south Florida, I wonder if it will be too cold for us?

Most of the Christmas markets close on the 23rd.  You can check individual markets for their dates as most have websites.  Of the 3 Christmas market cruises we have been on, 1 was very moderate, 1 was really cold and one was in-between.  Luck of the draw.  The biggest problem for us Floridians is we don't have the right clothes and are not inclined to spend a lot on clothes we will wear for a week.  Best advice is to layer.  If you have gloves and a hat (I didn't wear one much) and layer you will be fine.  You can warm up with some delicious gluwein!

[Canal archive]

Look for pretty silk long Johns and silk under gloves absolutely brilliant don’t weigh much and keep you ohh soo warm. Used mine for winter camping with my Girl Guides.

[Spurs Fans]

15 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Look for pretty silk long Johns and silk under gloves absolutely brilliant don’t weigh much and keep you ohh soo warm. Used mine for winter camping with my Girl Guides.

We have those for our August cruise on Celebrity Summit to Greenland and Iceland. 

[Canal archive]

Not to be confused are you a San Antonio (loved that city) basketball Spurs fan or a London Tottenham Hotspur’s soccer fan?

Edited June 12, 2023 by Canal archive

[twototravel]

Check out Gate 1 river cruises. They do several Christmas market cruises on different rivers, but they all occur in late Nov/early Dec.