Day 1 Amsterdam, Holland | Embark
Welcome to Holland. The suite ship is ready for boarding. Flights into Amsterdam must arrive by 3:30 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
The day in Amsterdam is free to explore at leisure.
During tulip season, there's an option to take a guided excursion to Keukenhof gardens—with more than seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, as well as other bulbs planted each year.
Outside of tulip season, join a guided optional excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses.
Day 2 Amsterdam
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a guided canal cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”
Join a guided optional excursion to Muiderslot Castle, or a guided optional biking excursion to the Dutch countryside.
Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries and shops.
Day 3 Cologne
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Take a guided city walk of Cologne—with its soaring twin-steepled gothic cathedral.
Discovery: Choose a guided city walk of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites.
Don’t miss the chance to enjoy free time over a glass of Kölsch pale lager—locally brewed for over 100 years!
Day 4 Koblenz | Rhine Gorge
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Enjoy free time in Koblenz this morning before sailing through the Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim. Sail past the legendary rock of the Lorelei where the siren of mythology sang songs to lure ill-fated sailors.
RÜDESHEIM
Discovery: Take a guided tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience. Based on departure, enjoy a local special treat.
Enjoy live entertainment on board the ship this evening.
Day 5 Mainz
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Enjoy a guided city walk including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing.
Classic: Enjoy a guided tour to Heidelberg Castle to see the ruins of the magnificent renaissance treasure towering above the city, its famed Great Vat and the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel.
Active: Join the Avalon Adventure Host for a hike up Philosophers’ Way for an inspiring view of the city below.
Day 6 Strasbourg
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Join a city sightseeing tour, including Strasbourg’s gothic, stained-glass cathedral with its celebrated ancient murals and astronomical clock, as well as the magical La Petite France District.
Also, choose to join a guided optional excursion to the historic Maginot Line—an impressive installation of pre-WWII defensive fortifications designed to protect the eastern border of France, or visit Alsace’s wine country today.
Alternatively, take some free time in Strasbourg to visit a museum or stroll across the city center.
Day 7 Breisach
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Discovery: Join a full-day guided tour to the magical Black Forest to experience the Vogtsbauernohf open-air-museum, visit an authentic water mill and see a traditional butter-making demonstration.
Discovery: Visit to Badische Winzerkeller, the largest German wine producer in Europe. Discover Germany’s southernmost wine country in Baden—ideally situated between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine River. Learn about the vintners’ process in the vineyards here and enjoy a wine tasting.
Choose to join a guided optional excursion to visit the charming village of Colmar in the morning, with its half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings.
Day 8 Basel | Disembark | St. Jean de Losne | Embark
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Dinner
Disembark the ship and drive on to Beaune.
Classic: Visit the Hôtel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune built-in 1443. Today it is home to the Van der Weyden’s painting of the Last Judgement.
This afternoon, travel to St. Jean de Losne to board the suite ship.
Day 9 Mâcon
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Enjoy leisurely cruising en route to Mâcon along the majestic Saône River. Consider a guided optional excursion to a Chardonnay wine cellar or to the Castle of Cormatin.
Discovery: Later, enjoy a delicious cheese tasting on board the ship.
Enjoy live entertainment while sailing for Trevoux this evening.
Day 10-11 Lyon
- Ship
- 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Classic: Join a guided sightseeing tour to survey Lyon from Fourvière Hill with its numerous churches. Also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafés, monuments and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux.
Spend free time biking through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet.
Discovery: Be our guest for a WWII & French Resistance Lecture on board the ship.
On the next day:
Classic: Join a culinary walk through the city to discover why it is known as the gastronomic capital of France.
The rest of your day is free to explore, relax, or shop in France’s third-largest city. Take a bike from the ship and explore local produce markets and parks, or take a leisurely tour of the city’s more than 100 murals.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
Day 12 Tournon
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Take a morning guided walking tour to explore Tournon—one of France’s oldest medieval cities. See its 16th-century castle and Roman ruins between the Rhône River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage.
VIVIERS
Classic: Explore the pale-stone buildings of Viviers on a late afternoon guided walking tour of this charming village. See its Romanesque cathedral and Old Town with a mix of historical Christian, Roman and medieval influences.
Day 13 Avignon
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Take a guided sightseeing tour of the fortress city of Avignon—with its ramparts encircling the city and a visit to the amazing Palace of the Popes.
Guided optional excursions include a visit to the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard or a trip to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhône wine region.
Explore Avignon freely for the city’s art, culture, theatre and museums. Be sure to snap photos of the captivating countryside, historic monuments and the medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet.
Later, enjoy on board live entertainment.
Day 14 Arles
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Enjoy a guided walking tour of Arles, the captivating city of the Provence region. Visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city.
Discovery: Attend a painting workshop to learn the style and techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create a unique painting in the style of the classic master who took inspiration from the Provence light and landscape in Arles.
Consider a guided optional excursion to the Carrières de Lumières (Cathedral of Images) and be immersed in a truly unique experience of art, sound and light in the old quarries of Val d’Enfer.
Take advantage of any free time remaining with a stop in Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine, to relax and watch the world go by.
Day 15 Port St. Louis | Disembark
The cruise ends with breakfast this morning. Flights should not leave Marseille airport before 10 am.
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