Leaving home for the holidays can be a hard. For some it feels like you are leaving behind tradition, family and friends, all of which seems unthinkable. I was one of those people – until I did my first Christmas Markets cruise.
The year was 2010, and I was a mere 14 years old. I had done only one other river cruise, and that was on the Mekong. So not only was this my first Christmas Markets cruise, but also my first river cruise in Europe.
AmaBella docked along the Rhine. © Britton Frost
While it was hard to say goodbye to most of my immediate family and my lifelong Christmas traditions, I knew that taking a Christmas cruise on the Rhine was going to be a wonderful opportunity. The snowcapped villages, charming markets, and cheerful locals awaited me, and I was ready to take it all in.
Christmas Markets – like this one in Vienna, Austria – are all about unique crafts, local food and traditions. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders
Shortly after boarding AmaBella, I knew that the journey ahead was going to be a memorable one. Everyone on the ship seemed to adopt the Christmas mentality to “eat, drink, and be merry.” There were many late nights spent in the lounge where we danced, shared stories about our own holiday traditions back home, sang, and more.
New friends made aboard AmaBella. © Britton Frost
It is hard to say what stood out more – the beautiful towns and markets that we visited on this trip, or the time spent aboard with my fellow passengers. Both complemented each other so well. In fact, a large group of us made sure that we were in the same tour group for most excursions so that we didn’t have to part ways throughout the day.
This was easily my favorite river cruise that I have ever taken, and I am so excited to take my next Christmas cruise at the end of this year aboard AmaMagna. But enough about my Christmas cruise, let’s take a look at pricing as well as some of the Christmas Market itineraries offered in 2021 so that you can choose a sailing to give you the same wonderful experience that I had.
2021 Rhine River Christmas Markets Cruise Pricing
| AmaWaterways | Avalon | Crystal | Emerald | Riviera | Tauck | Uniworld | Viking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | AmaSiena | Expression | Debussy | Luna | Oscar Wilde | ms Grace | Antoinette | Kara |
| Rate | $3,299 | $3,099 | $7,598 | $1,595 | $1,159 | $5,490 | $3,899 | $2,899 |
| Sailing Date | November 25, 2021 | November 27, 2021 | November 25, 2021 | November 30, 2021 | December 5, 2021 | December 6, 2021 | November 28, 2021 | December 5, 2021 |
| Nights | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Itinerary | Christmas Markets On The Rhine | Festive Season On The Romantic Rhine | Christmas Time On The Rhine | Christmas Time On The Rhine | Enchanting Rhine & Yuletide River Cruise | Romantic Rhine | Rhine Holiday Markets | Rhine Getaway |
| Embark-disembark | Basel-Amsterdam | Basel-Amsterdam | Amsterdam-Basel | Frankfurt-Basel | Cologne-Cologne | Brussels-Amsterdam | Basel-Cologne | Basel-Amsterdam |
| Cabin Category | Category E | Category D,E | S5 | Emerald Stateroom Cat. E | Emerald Deck Suite | Category 6 | Classic | Standard F |
| Square Footage | 160 | 172 | 188 | 162 | 183 | 225 | 163 | 150 |
| Room With A View? | Window | Window | Window | Window | Window | French Balcony | Window | Window |
| Per diem | $412 | $387 | $950 | $319 | $232 | $686 | $487 | $362 |
| Port Charges | $25 | $25 | $25 | Included | Included | Included | $25 | Included |
| Gratuities (on ship) | $18 | $18 | Included | Included | $18 | Included | Included | $18 |
| Gratuities (on shore) | $2.50 | Included | Included | included | $2.50 | Included | Included | $2.50 |
| Beverages | Included | Included | Included | Included | $22.71 | Included | Included | Included |
| Laundry | $3 | $3 | Included | $3 | $3 | $3 | Included | $3 |
| Shore Excursions | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Current Incentive | N/A | N/A | $4,099 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $500 |
| Value of Incentive | N/A | N/A | $512 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $71 |
| True Per Diem | $461 | $433 | $462 | $322 | $278 | $686 | $512 | $314 |
| Per Diem/Square Foot | $2.88 | $2.52 | $2.46 | $1.99 | $1.52 | $3.05 | $3.14 | $2.10 |
| Balcony Upgrade | $1,599 | $1,249 | N/A | $650 | $350 | N/A | $900 | $400 |
| Balcony Per Diem | $661 | $589 | N/A | $403 | $322 | N/A | $625 | $364 |
| Upgrade sq footage | 210 | 200 | N/A | 180 | 183 | N/A | 196 | 135 |
| Upgrade sq foot per diem | $3.15 | $2.95 | N/A | $2.24 | $1.76 | N/A | $3.28 | $3.04 |
| Updated 7/16/2021 |
2021 Danube River Christmas Markets Cruise Pricing
| AmaWaterways | Avalon | Crystal | Emerald | Riviera | Scenic | Uniworld | Viking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | AmaSonata | Artistry II | Ravel | Destiny | William Wordsworth | Amber | S.S. Maria Theresa | Rinda |
| Rate | $3,299 | $3,149 | $8,398 | $1,595 | $1,139 | $4,695 | $4,099 | $2,999 |
| Sailing Date | November 27, 2021 | December 5, 2021 | December 1, 2021 | November 27, 2021 | December 2, 2021 | December 6, 2021 | December 2, 2021 | December 5, 2021 |
| Nights | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Itinerary | Christmas Markets On The Danube | Festive Season On The Legendary Danube | Delightful Danube Christmas | Christmas Time On The Danube | The Danube's Imperial Cities & Yuletide Markets River Cruise | Danube Christmas Markets | Danube Holiday Markets | Danube Waltz |
| Embark-Disembark | Vilshofen-Budapest | Nuremberg-Budapest | Vilshofen-Budapest | Vienna-Budapest | Budapest-Budapest | Nuremberg-Budapest | Budapest-Passau | Passau-Budapest |
| Cabin Category | Category E | Category D, E | S5 | Emerald Stateroom Cat. E | Emerald Deck Suite | Standard Suite Cat. D | Classic | Standard F |
| Square Footage | 160 | 172 | 188 | 162 | 172 | 160 | 162 | 150 |
| Room With A View? | Window | Window | Window | Window | Window | Window | Window | Window |
| Per diem | $412 | $394 | $1,200 | $319 | $285 | $587 | $586 | $375 |
| Port Charges | $25 | $25 | $25 | Included | Included | Included | $25.00 | Included |
| Gratuities (on ship) | $18 | $18 | Included | Included | $18 | Included | Included | $18.00 |
| Gratuities (on shore) | $2.50 | Included | Included | Included | $2.50 | Included | Included | $2.50 |
| Beverages | Included | Included | Included | Included | $22.71 | Included | Included | Included* |
| Laundry | $3 | $3 | Included | $3 | $3 | Included | Included | $3 |
| Shore Excursions | Included | Included | Included* | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Current Incentive | N/A | $500 | $4,699 | N/A | N/A | $1,500 | N/A | $500 |
| Value of Incentive | $0 | $63 | $587 | N/A | N/A | $188 | N/A | $71 |
| True Per Diem | $461 | $439 | $637 | $322 | $331 | $399 | $611 | $327 |
| Per Diem/Square Foot | $2.88 | $2.55 | $3.39 | $1.99 | $1.92 | $2.50 | $3.77 | $2.18 |
| Balcony Upgrade | $1,599 | $1,249 | N/A | $400 | $460 | $800 | $900 | $500 |
| Balcony Per Diem | $661 | $595 | N/A | $372 | $388 | $499 | $739 | $389 |
| Upgrade Square Footage | 210 | 200 | N/A | 180 | 183 | 205 | 194 | 135 |
| Upgrade Square Foot Per Diem | $3.15 | $2.98 | N/A | $2.07 | $2.12 | $2.44 | $3.81 | $3.81 |
| updated 7/16/2021 |
AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways has seven weeklong Christmas market itineraries. Four of these sail the Danube, and three sail the Rhine. Though some of these itineraries take place on the same river, each itinerary includes different stops. Magna On The Danube takes place aboard the double-wide river ship, AmaMagna.
Prices for Ama’s 2021 Christmas cruises start at US$2,349 per person.
Christmas Markets On The Danube – 7-nights from Budapest, Hungary to Vilshofen, Germany
Countries visited: Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
Stops in: Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Weissenkirchen, Melk, Linz, Passau, Vilshofen
Overnights in: Budapest and Vilshofen
Magna On The Danube – 7-nights from Budapest, Hungary to Vilshofen, Germany
Countries visited: Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
Stops in: Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Krems, Spitz, Linz, Passau, Vilshofen
Overnights in: Budapest, Vienna, Vilshofen
Christmas Markets On The Rhine – 7-nights from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Basel, Switzerland
Countries visited: France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland
Stops in: Amsterdam, Cologne, Rüdesheim, Ludwigshafen, Strasbourg, Breisach, Basel
Overnights in: Amsterdam
Iconic Christmas Markets – 7-nights from Nuremberg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary
Countries visited: Austria, Germany, Hungary
Stops in: Budapest, Vienna, Melk, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg
Overnights in: Budapest, Vienna and Nuremberg
Magical Christmas Markets – 7-nights from Nuremberg, Germany to Vienna, Austria
Countries visited: Austria, Germany
Stops in: Vienna, Dürnstein, Krems, Spitz, Melk, Linz, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg
Overnights in: Vienna and Nuremberg
Rhine & Moselle Delights – 10-nights from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands
Countries visited: France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland
Stops in: Basel, Breisach, Strasbourg, Ludwigshafen, Rüdesheim, Trier, Cochem, Cologne, Amsterdam
Overnights in: Rüdesheim and Amsterdam
Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps – 7-nights from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Basel, Switzerland
Countries visited:France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland
Stops in: Amsterdam, Cologne, Rüdesheim, Ludwigshafen, Strasbourg, Basel
Overnights in: Amsterdam and Basel
Avalon Waterways
Avalon Waterways has the most extensive list of Christmas Markets river cruises. Nine itineraries range from four to 16 days and sail the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. Avalon’s Christmastime From Vienna To Basel itinerary sails all three rivers in one journey. That’s perfect for travelers looking for a long journey that takes them through a large stretch of Europe. For those looking for a short sailing to give them a taste of what Christmastime on the river is like, Avalon’s four-day Christmas Markets sailings fit the bill.
Prices for Avalon’s 2021 Christmas cruises start at US$724 per person.
Christmastime From Vienna To Basel – 16-days from Vienna, Austria to Basel, Switzerland
Countries visited: Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland
Stops in: Vienna, Melk, Grein, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg, Frankfurt, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Breisach, Basel
Overnights in: Vienna and Nuremberg
Christmastime From Vienna To Frankfurt – 12-days from Vienna, Austria to Frankfurt, Germany
Countries visited: Austria, Germany
Stops in: Vienna, Melk, Grein, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg, Frankfurt
Overnights in: Vienna, Nuremberg
Christmastime From Nuremberg To Basel – 10-days from Nuremberg, Germany to Basel, Switzerland
Countries visited: Germany, France, Switzerland
Stops in: Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg, Frankfurt, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg, Speyer, Strasbourg, Breisach, Basel
Overnights in: Nuremberg
Festive Season On The Blue Danube Discovery – 8-days from Budapest, Hungary to Nuremberg, Germany
Countries visited: Hungary, Austria, Germany
Stops in: Budapest, Vienna, Krems, Melk, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg
Overnights in: Budapest, Vienna and Nuremberg
Festive Season On The Legendary Danube – 8-days from Nuremberg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary
Countries visited: Hungary, Austria, Germany
Stops in: Budapest, Vienna, Melk, Passau, Linz, Regensburg, Nuremberg
Overnights in: Budapest, Vienna and Nuremberg
Christmastime On The Danube – 7-days from Nuremberg, Germany to Vienna, Austria
Countries visited: Austria and Germany
Stops in: Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Melk, Vienna
Overnights in: Nuremberg and Vienna
Festive Season In The Heart Of Germany – 6-days from Frankfurt to Nuremberg, Germany
Countries visited: Germany
Stops in: Mainz, Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg
Overnights in: Nuremberg
Christmastime In Alsace & Germany – 5-days from Basel, Switzerland to Mainz, Germany
Countries visited: Switzerland, Germany, France
Stops in: Basel, Breisach, Strasbourg, Speyer, Heidelberg, Mainz
No overnights.
Festive Season On A Taste Of The Danube – 4-days from Budapest, Hungary to Vienna, Austria
Countries visited: Hungary, Slovakia, Austria
Stops in: Budapest, Bratislava, Melk, Dürnstein, Krems, Vienna
No overnights.
CroisiEurope
CroisiEurope offers four short Christmas market itineraries between four and five days.
Prices for CroisiEurope’s 2021 Christmas cruises start at US$608 per person.
Christmas Markets In Alsace – 4-days roundtrip from Strasbourg, France
Countries visited: France
Stops in: Strasbourg and Colmar
Overnights in: Strasbourg
A Bountiful Christmas In Alsace And The Black Forest – 4-days roundtrip from Strasbourg, France
Countries visited: France and Germany
Stops in: Strasbourg, Breisach, Freiburg, Colmar
Overnights in: Strasbourg and Breisach
The Magic Of Christmas – 5-days roundtrip from Strasbourg, France
Countries visited: France and Germany
Stops in: Strasbourg, Rüdesheim, Mainz, Gambsheim
Overnights in: Rüdesheim, Gambsheim, Strasbourg
Delightful Christmas Markets In The Neckar Valley – 5-days roundtrip from Strasbourg, France
Countries visited: France and Germany
Stops in: Strasbourg, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Eberbach, Speyer
Overnights in: Eberbach, Heidelberg, Strasbourg
Crystal River Cruises
Crystal offers travelers two Christmas cruise options – one on the Rhine and one on the Danube.
Prices for Crystal’s 2021 Christmas cruises start at US$2,150.
Delightful Danube Christmas – 7-nights from Budapest, Hungary to Vilshofen, Germany
Countries visited: Hungary, Austria, Germany
Stops in: Budapest, Vienna, Dürnstein, Melk, Passau, Linz, Vilshofen
Overnights in: Budapest and Vienna
Christmas Time On The Rhine – 7-nights from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Basel, Switzerland
Countries visited: Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland
Stops in: Amsterdam, Cologne, Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Mannheim, Strasbourg, Basel
Overnights in: Amsterdam and Koblenz
Emerald Waterways
Emerald Waterways offers four 5-day Christmas Markets itineraries.
Prices for Emerald’s 2021 Christmas cruises start at US$1,345 per person.
Christmas Markets On The Rhine – 5-days from Frankfurt, Germany to Basel, Switzerland
Countries visited: Germany, France, Switzerland
Stops in: Frankfurt, Mainz, Rastatt, Kehl, Breisach, Basel
No overnights.
Christmas Time On The Danube – 5-days from Vienna, Austria to Budapest, Hungary
Countries visited: Hungary, Slovakia, Austria
Stops in: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest
Overnights in: Vienna and Budapest
Christmas In Southern France – 5-days roundtrip from Marseille, France
Countries visited: France
Stops in: Marseille, Arles, Tarascon, Avignon
Overnights in: Arles and Avignon
Riviera
Riviera offers a five-day and a six-day Christmas Market itinerary on the Rhine and the Danube, respectively.
Prices for Riviera’s 2021 Christmas Markets cruises start at US$969.
Enchanting Rhine & Yuletide Markets – 5-days roundtrip from Cologne, Germany
Countries visited: Germany
Stops in: Cologne, Rüdesheim, Koblenz, Bonn
Overnights in: Cologne
The Danube’s Imperial Cities & Yuletide Markets – 6-days roundtrip from Budapest, Hungary
Countries visited: Hungary, Slovakia, Austria
Stops in: Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna
Overnights in: Budapest
Scenic
Scenic’s two Christmas cruise itineraries range are quite different in length – with one eight-day itinerary, and the other spanning 15 days. The most notable itinerary in Scenic’s lineup is 15-day itineraries that sails from Amsterdam to Budapest or the reverse.
Prices for Scenic’s 2021 Christmas cruises start at $3,595 per person.
Danube Christmas Markets – 8-days from Nuremberg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary
Countries visited: Hungary, Austria, Germany
Stops in: Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk, Dürnstein, Vienna, Budapest
Overnights in: Nuremberg and Budapest
Christmas Markets – 15-days from Budapest, Hungary to Amsterdam, Netherlands
Countries visited: Hungary, Austria, Germany, Netherlands
Stops in: Budapest, Vienna, Dürnstein, Melk, Salzburg, Regensburg, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Würzburg, Miltenberg, Cologne, Amsterdam
Overnights in: Budapest, Vienna, Amsterdam
Tauck
Tauck offers three eight-day Christmas itineraries. Tauck has two unique sailings that set it apart from the rest. First is the new Yuletide Spirit itinerary, which takes guests through Belgium and The Netherlands from Brussels to Amsterdam. Second is Tauck’s Holiday Magic itinerary – which is a Tauck Bridges itinerary geared specifically toward families. Tauck is the only company on this list that has an itinerary specific for families.
Prices for Tauck’s 2021 Christmas cruises start at US$2,890 per person.
Christmas Markets Along The Danube – 8-days from Nuremberg, Germany to Vienna, Austria *SOLD OUT*
Countries visited: Germany and Austria
Stops in: Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk, Vienna
Overnights in: Nuremberg and Vienna
Holiday Magic: Danube Family River Cruise – 8-days from Regensburg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary
Countries visited: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary
Stops in: Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Salzburg, Dürnstein, Melk, Krems, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest
Overnights in: Vienna
Yuletide Spirit: Brussels To Amsterdam – 8-days from Brussels, Belgium to Amsterdam, Netherlands
Countries visited: Belgium and Netherlands
Stops in: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Delft, Rotterdam, Gouda, Amsterdam
Overnights in: Brussels and Amsterdam
Uniworld
Uniworld offers four Christmas Markets itineraries, each eight days long.
Prices start for Uniworld’s 2021 Christmas Markets cruises start at US$3,099.
European Holiday Markets – 8-days from Nuremberg, Germany to Vienna, Austria
Countries visited: Germany and Austria
Stops in: Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg, Deggendorf, Passau, Linz, Dürnstein, Vienna
Overnights in: Nuremberg and Vienna
Rhine Holiday Markets – 8-days from Basel, Switzerland to Cologne, Germany
Countries visited: Switzerland, France, Germany
Stops in: Basel, Strasbourg, Heidelberg, Mainz, Rüdesheim, Koblenz, Cologne
Overnights in: Basel and Cologne
Classic Christmas Markets – 8-days from Nuremberg, Germany to Frankfurt, Germany
Countries visited: Germany
Stops in: Nuremberg, Bamberg, Rothenburg, Würzburg, Wertheim, Frankfurt
Overnights in: Nuremberg, Würzburg, Frankfurt
Danube Holiday Markets – 8-days from Budapest, Hungary to Passau, Germany
Countries visited: Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany
Stops in: Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Krems, Melk, Linz, Passau
Overnights in: Budapest and Passau
Viking River Cruises
Unlike the other cruise lines that we have looked at, Viking does not have many dedicated Christmas cruises. What Viking does do, however, is add in the components of a Christmas cruise to its Rhine and Danube itineraries. What this means is that guests will choose an itinerary from those listed below and if it coincides with the holiday season, guests will be able to visit Christmas Markets and partake in the holiday festivities.
Prices for Viking’s 2021 Christmas cruises start at US$1,899.
Danube Waltz – 8-days from Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary
Countries visited: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary
Stops in: Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Krems, Linz, Passau
Overnights in: Budapest and Passau
Rhine Getaway – 8-days from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands
Countries visited: Switzerland, Germany, France, Netherlands
Stops in: Basel, Breisach, Strasbourg, Speyer, Rüdesheim, Koblenz, Cologne, Kinderdijk, Amsterdam
No overnights.
Romantic Danube – 8-days from Nuremberg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary
Countries visited: Hungary, Austria, Germany
Stops in: Budapest, Vienna, Krems, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg
Overnights in: Budapest and Nuremberg
Paris To The Swiss Alps – 12-days from Paris, France to Zürich, Switzerland
Countries visited: France, Germany, Switzerland
Stops in: Paris, Reims, Trier, Bernkastel, Cochem, Koblenz, Mainz, Speyer, Strasbourg, Zürich, Basel
Overnights in: Paris, Trier, Zürich
Christmas Along The Elbe – 10-days from Berlin, Germany to Prague, Czech Republic
Countries visited: Germany and Czech Republic
Stops in: Berlin, Potsdam, Wittenberg, Dresden, Saxon Switzerland, Prague
Overnights in: Berlin, Wittenberg, Prague
Breaking away from my family traditions and going on a Christmas Markets cruise was an extremely rewarding experience. So rewarding, in fact, that I hope my Christmas cruise this year starts a tradition of its own. I encourage everyone who is thinking about taking a Christmas cruise to do so. Trust me, the magic of Christmas is felt just as easily across the Atlantic as it is back home.
This is an EXCELLENT summary of Christmas Market river cruises and comparison of cruise lines pricing. VERY HELPFUL reference tool. I have no need to share the entire document in any manner. But, it would be helpful if I could share the section, for example, AmaWaterways and the descriptions of its offerings by name, countries visited, stops and overnights. It would be helpful to the customer in choosing the best river cruise. Is this permissible? By no means do I want to reproduce even a section without permission. Your response would be much appreciated.
Feel free to use this however you need to, just be sure to credit us. 🙂
I so wish what will happen come November 2021….we are scheduled on the Crystal Raval November 10-17. My gut says it won’t happen…the Christmas Market River Cruise sounds wonderful as well. Thanks for opening my thoughts to this alternative!
Sixty years married. To celebrate we want a Christmas river cruise in Nov-Dec 2010
Hi there. We just booked viking nuremberg to Budapest during first week of December 2020. Your podcast mentioned that viking doesn’t do a christmas cruise like the others but allows you to still visit the markets. Is there any other differences and will we miss out anything on this trip that others would do differently?
Thank you
Not really Bobby. The Christmas markets are the stars of the show. Walk yourself into town (or transfer) and enjoy the coziness of the holidays. I hope you get snow, though I realize your cruise is a year away.