Viking Christmas Cruise Recommendation

[Escaper]

I have read the 2023 Christmas cruise thread that our German residents have populated with tremendously helpful information.

 

We like Viking, so that narrows the field a bit.

 

They offer:  1) Paris to Zurich; 2) Paris to Prague; 3) Amsterdam to Basel; 4) Budapest to Regensburg; 5) Budapest to Passau; and, 6) Berlin to Prague.

 

How would you rank those options?

 

Very much appreciate the input, and belated Merry Christmas to All!

[Deb922]

Having done the Rhine Getaway last year and Cities of Light (Paris to Prague) this year. Both not Christmas Market but both last cruise before the market cruises started. 
 

liked the Rhine better as far as less bussing. Felt  Paris to Prague was a lot of time on a bus. It was the itinerary. 
 

also the markets did not open until after advent started on the CoL cruise. On the Rhine we did see earlier opening markets. If you are thinking of earlier in the season, I would understand that the markets might be just opening or not open on Paris to Prague. Markets did not open in Prague until December 3. 
 

we did love Paris and we did love Prague though. Definitely worth spending time there. 
 

no experience on the Danube. 

[Escaper]

We are going during the time frame markets open, early December.

 

Thanks for the info on Bussing. That is not so fun!

[Haqdeluxe]

We've done both the Danube and Rhine at Christmas time. We enjoyed both but if pressed would pick Basel to Amsterdam and look to post-extend in The Hague as they have a nice market there too. Basel and Cologne have nice markets with Cologne having the bigger and busiest of the two cities. But our favorite is Strasbourg. We were lucky enough to have a little snow on our last visit. You will also get a chance to visit Colmar on the Rhine cruise and should go there if you can.

While not options on the river cruises, Brussels and Nuremburg also have wonderful Christmas markets. Lastly... there are like 7 different Christmas markets in Paris proper. It can be a visit all on its own. Would plan 4-5 days. It's Paris! 

[Deb922]

I’m pretty sure Nuremberg is on the itinerary on the Christmas on the Main and Moselle

 

https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/christmas-main-moselle/2024-paris-prague/index.html#search/sfym=2024-12&sftcm=christmas-main-moselle

[Pushka]

We just completed Amsterdam to Basel but can't recommend it. We were caught by the floods. Upstream and downstream. We ended up swapping ships then not moving again for 3 nights plus permanently berthed to another ship so our balcony was unusable for over half the trip. Missed multiple ports and markets. One of those  we did see were cut short and rushed. Long bus trips. I'd not have risked travelling from Australia and outlaying such money if I'd know this was a potential risk. 

Edited December 29, 2023 by Pushka

[AnhaltER1960]

20 hours ago, Escaper said:

1) Paris to Zurich; 2) Paris to Prague; 3) Amsterdam to Basel; 4) Budapest to Regensburg; 5) Budapest to Passau; and, 6) Berlin to Prague.

 

How would you rank those options?

Looking on the map, options 3, 4 and 5 are on the same river (3 on the Rhine, 4 and 5 on the Danube), options 1, 2 and 6 are not. So they inevitably include a substantial part of bus tours even in the standard itinerary, not accounting for deviations necessary in high or low water situations. Read the programmes carefully, Viking have a tendency to use a bloomy language to obscure things. Also look at the maps given, the more straight lines, the more busses involved.

 

There are pretty Christmas markets in all the cities, bigger and smaller ones. So chose the cities according to your preferences. First Advent next year will be Dec 1st, so expect Christmas markets to open in the last November days.

[notamermaid]

I would shy away from the Paris to Prague one as to get to Trier you need a whole day's coach ride from Paris in which they include Reims according to the brochure - which is a great city - making it a long journey. At the end you have another, not quite so long, coach ride to Prague. Berlin to Prague is basically the same idea: international flight hub with overwhelmingly big city which you can only scratch the surface of and then have a river cruise in between. Mind you, Prague is fabulous. I just cannot rank these, partly because I do not like Viking and would never sail with them. For me as regards feel, towns and river landscape I would go for Budapest to Regensburg. But if I could book the river cruise without the coach extensions (which are part of the actual itinerary in this case) I would go for Paris (Trier port) to Prague (Regensburg? port).

 

2 hours ago, AnhaltER1960 said:

There are pretty Christmas markets in all the cities, bigger and smaller ones. So chose the cities according to your preferences.

I agree. Look at the cities on the internet. Perhaps also think about the culture and language you want to experience. For me, little can top the "home of the Christmas tree" that is Alsace.

 

@Pushka experienced the extremes of weather this year and the major disruptions coming with it. It is something you really need to be aware of when you decide on your cruise, Escaper. It is unlikely to happen to you but it can.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Something I forgot to mention. Not sure how many snow photos there are in river cruising brochures... It will likely look all great and romantic but more often than not you are going to encounter icy rain and plain rain rather than snow. Remember that the rivers suitable for river cruising in Europe are mostly below an altitude of 200m and it does not snow much. You could hit the right day and it will truly look magical. Last year in December we in my warm valley had two days of great snow that actually stayed with us for a bit, this year we have had about two hours that vanished within 12 hours. I mean in these last six weeks, so no snow for Christmas markets at all really. There is more snow in January and February. The two highest places in altitude as ports are Nuremberg (on the lower "slope" of the Main Danube Canal) and Regensburg on the Danube (unless you dock in Kelheim which is very unlikely). Regensburg town centre is at 337m above sea level. If you choose the Rhine you may for example dock and find the place rainy but take the excursion into the Black Forest and find yourself in a winter wonderland.

 

notamermaid

 

[itsnotjustme]

I just recently looked at the Christmas cruises for my wife and her friend.  I love to cruise but prefer ocean class ships and I don't need 7 different Christmas markets in a week!

 

My only regret is my wife will add two countries to her country count that I do not have.  This will put her in a 37 to 36 lead!  Living in Europe for 4 years, and cruising in a variety of locations helped us reach these levels.  (Actually, by the date of the cruise that may be a 41 to 40 lead.

 

We picked the Danube Christmas Delights starting on 30 Nov 2025.

  

[Canal archive]

Would a sneaky side trip by yourself to the Czech Republic on your cruise even you up?