The other day we got an unsolicited catalogue from a tour company/organization that had a couple late November/early December "Holiday Markets" river cruise offers. My wife and I had briefly considered a "holiday markets" kind of trip in the past. This latest offering has perked our interest (assuming Covid is under control).
Any experiences or suggestions out there? Things to consider or avoid?
We're not new to European travel per se, having made at least one trip per year since 2013, either together or separately as part of our respective special interests (me biking, her plants).
Posted by
Irving
2962 posts
Hi Alan, is it a legitimate company? If so make sure it’s fully refundable or that you can postpone it until 2022 at no additional cost.
Posted by
Paradise
6648 posts
I've done some very enjoyable day cruising on the Danube, Rhine and Mosel rivers during the warmer months. But I am unable to grasp the charm of cruising at a cold, wet time of the year. Christmas markets are great fun, especially at night. But 99% of Christmas market tourists get themselves a snug room close by the market square so that, when it is wet or cold, they have a convenient place to retreat to and set out from later - as well as local eateries, sights and activities at their doorstep. A brick-and-mortar base should provide a more flexible and efficient way of exploring a place than a more distant dockside base, I should think.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4876 posts
Christmas market cruises have been around for a while - allowing the river cruise lines an excuse to extend their season. I'd recommend that you check out Cruise Critic and the subforum devoted exclusively to river cruising. You might be able to get feedback and reviews on the specific cruise you are interested in.
Posted by
72 posts
I took a Christmas Market River cruise in December 2019. I went on AMA Waterways. I enjoyed it quite a lot. You were able to go to many different towns to see the various different markets and appreciate just how different they can be. Prior to this I have traveled to Belgium and Germany several times during the Christmas Market season on my own. Both kinds of trips are enjoyable.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
13952 posts
When Rick's tours are back up and running his Munich, Salzburg and Vienna 8-day land tours do Christmas Markets on the departure dates for end of November and early December.
I'd be very cautious about booking with a company you're not familiar with during these Covid times. I'd want to do a lot of research to see what kind of response they provided for cancelled cruises during the pandemic and would c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y read their fine print on cancellation policies. Ask every question you can think of. If you get "Cancel For Any Reason" tour coverage, make sure you understand what "reasons" apply. I looked at it one time several years ago (pre-covid) and no, it did not allow cancellation for ANY reason, lol.
I have a Christmas Market/decoration trip in mind for whenever travel is good but haven't booked anything yet. One of the things I want to do might appeal to your wife. I want to do the Christmas lights at Kew Gardens outside London. It's a special program although I suspect it will be too dark to actually view the plants there, lol!!
Posted by
Lancaster PA
246 posts
I would add the note of caution that many market stand holders may be thinly capitalized and may not be financially able to return after a year of no income. It may take some time for the markets to return to their pre-Covid variety.