Christmas Market River Cruise

Going on a European Christmas Market river cruise is my favorite way to enter into the Advent season. There is something magical about visiting Europe at Christmastime, and once you experience it, you may find yourself wanting to go again.

The year 2018 was a difficult one for river cruise lines. Low water had plagued the Rhine and Danube Rivers throughout much of the cruising season. When you live in a river city, as I do, you understand that water levels can change. For river cruise lines, that sometimes means coming up with a new plan.

Before we left home, AmaWaterways had already let us know that changing water levels might require a Plan B. Conditions continued to change, and instead of following our original itinerary, we remained docked in Vienna for several days, with trips to Budapest and Bratislava by motorcoach.

What follows is a pictorial tour of my Christmas Market cruise on the Danube with my friend Bonnie. And oh my, it was cold. But when you are prepared for cold weather, it doesn’t have to be a problem. My Cuddl Duds became my best friend, and with plenty of layers, I was never too cold.

Day One: Our Christmas Market River Cruise Begins

Embarkation day marked the beginning of our Christmas Market river cruise on the beautiful AmaCerto, our home for the next seven days. What do you do when you board a ship? Run around and take pictures, of course.

A cocktail party to meet other travel professionals on board. And a surprise appearance by AmaWaterways co-owner Kristin Karst. Kristin looks fabulous; me not so much. Note to self: next time, dress up. You never know who might show up.

Day Two: An Unexpected Change of Plans

This was our first day for excursions away from the ship. We were offered a full-day trip to Budapest or a half-day trip to Eisenstadt. Budapest was about 3½ hours away from Vienna by motorcoach, while Eisenstadt was about an hour away.

Neither city had been on our original itinerary, but both gave passengers an opportunity to get out and explore while the AmaCerto remained in Vienna.

As it turned out, Bonnie and I didn’t take either tour. She hadn’t been feeling well and needed to see a doctor.

So what do you do when you need a doctor and you’re on a river cruise? The ship arranged for a local doctor to come to her. There was a cost, of course, but this was also a good reminder of why travel insurance can be important. Bonnie submitted the bills associated with her illness to her travel insurance provider and, in her case, was reimbursed for all of them.

After a quick trip to a pharmacy that was open on Sunday, with the taxi driver waiting for me, I was back at the ship in no time. Bonnie was on the road to recovery, and I went in search of a comfortable place in the lounge to put my feet up and relax. I found one behind a Christmas tree.

With a cup of tea, my Kindle and my curiosity, I sat and watched what was going on around me.

Have you ever wondered how supplies are loaded when river cruise ships are docked three across? I found out.

That evening after dinner, our talented cruise director, Agnes, performed a Hungarian folk dance as part of the entertainment.

Day Three: Bratislava and Back on the River

Still docked in Vienna, a much-recovered Bonnie and I headed to Bratislava by motorcoach for an Old Town walking tour and a visit to the Christmas Market. Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is only about an hour from Vienna.

Back from Bratislava, we finally set off cruising to Tulln, Austria. Nothing special had been planned for us there because, after all, they weren’t expecting us.

That was just fine because something special was planned on board that evening: our Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinner.

The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinner was one of the special meals of our cruise. The video below shows the dishes we were served that evening.

And yes, it was every bit as delicious as it looks.

That brings us to the end of the first three days of our Christmas Market river cruise. It wasn’t quite the itinerary we had expected, but that was part of the adventure.

And we weren’t finished yet. From here, our journey continued along the Danube toward Vilshofen, with more Christmas markets and stops along the way.

If you missed the beginning of the trip, you can start with Christmas Time in Vienna. And for a memorable ending to the journey, read about my unexpected evening at Prague’s Old Town Square Christmas Market.