Day 1 Vienna, Austria | Embark
Welcome to Austria. Your suite ship is ready for boarding. Flights into Vienna must arrive by 3:30 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
Indulge in traditional holiday fare and hot libations to warm your heart and soul before boarding.
Day 2 Vienna
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Take a guided tour of Vienna to see the Imperial Palace complex—the winter residence of the Imperial family, OR:
Discovery: Join a guided culinary tour of Vienna’s magical Christmas advent markets to sample Sachertorte and Apfelstrudel.
You may join a guided optional tour of Schönbrunn Palace—summer home of the Habsburg dynasty for 300 years.
Spend free time on your own to enjoy the Christkindlesmarkt, or relax by the fire’s glow in a Viennese café this evening.
Alternatively, this evening, you may choose to attend an optional excursion to a Royal Waltz Concert for an unforgettable evening of music in an elegant hall.
Day 3 Melk | Grein
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Take a guided tour of Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey to marvel at its frescoed ceilings.
Discovery: Enjoy an Austrian cookie tasting on board while sailing to Grein.
Classic: Take a guided walk of Grein including its historic theater, the oldest in Austria still holding regular performances.
Day 4 Passau
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Join a guided city walk to learn more about this beautiful “City of Three Rivers.”
You may like to join a guided optional excursion to Salzburg, Austria. See the setting of The Sound of Music, and learn the story behind the beloved Christmas hymn, Silent Night.
Day 5 Regensburg
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Join a guided city walk and see Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) and Porta Pretoria—entrance to the Castra Regina fortress built in 179 AD.
Take time to browse Regensburg’s sparkling Christmas markets. Enjoy hot-mulled wine, candied almonds, gingerbread, or bratwurst.
Discovery: Later, indulge in an on board beer tasting to sample regional German brews.
Enjoy live entertainment on board.
Day 6 Nuremberg
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Discovery: Enjoy a Christmas traditions lecture on board while sailing this morning.
Classic: Choose a guided tour of Nuremberg’s medieval architecture, gilded fountain, Gothic cathedral, and Kaiserburg Castle, OR:
Classic: Join a guided tour of the historic Nuremberg rally grounds used by the Third Reich.
Spend free time on your own to browse the spruce stalls of the Christmas markets of Nuremberg. Sample favorite Bavarian fare from dozens of bratwurst varieties, gingerbread, mulled blueberry wine, and countless other culinary delights of the Christkindlmarkt.
Day 7 Nuremberg | Excursion to Munich
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Enjoy a guided city tour which will show you the highlights of fascinating Munich. See Nymphenburg Palace—a former residence of Bavarian monarchs, along with the Old and New Town Halls of Marienplatz.
Take some free time today to stroll this pedestrian and bike-friendly city to see the famous Glockenspiel, outdoor cafés, or a Bavarian Biergärten for authentic brews.
Return to your ship in Nuremberg in the late afternoon.
Day 8 Nuremberg
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
A day to relax and enjoy Nuremberg at your own pace. Stroll through the festively lit streets, buy those last-minute Christmas gifts, or ask your cruise director for suggestions of things to do.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
Day 9 Bamberg
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Join a guided sightseeing tour of Bamberg—medieval home of Germany’s Roman Empire dynasties. Stroll through dozens of Bamberg’s nativity scenes from miniature to life-size.
Take free time to enjoy the quaint Christmas markets, and warm up with traditional German dumplings, sausage, and a glass of hearty Bavarian ale.
Discovery: Enjoy an onboard Christmas traditions lecture while sailing.
Day 10 Wurzburg
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Take a guided sightseeing tour of the “Pearl of the Romantic Road” with its old main bridge, towering fortress, and baroque Bishop’s Residence.
You may choose to join a guided optional excursion to the beautiful Bavarian town of Rothenburg. Visit the Käthe Wohlfahrt German Christmas museum, the world’s most extensive collection of traditional German Christmas decorations.
Spend free time enjoying the festive, warm glow of Wurzburg’s Christmas markets.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
Day 11 Main River Village
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Classic: Take a guided tour of a picturesque village along the Main River.
Discovery: Join a cookie-baking demonstration on board your ship while sailing.
Day 12 Frankfurt | Disembark
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.