Christmas Markets Along the Rhine (2012)

This was our first GCT trip and it was FABULOUS! The ship and the staff were terrific. Leiven, our guide, couldn't have been better. The food was exceptional. Loved our home visit. It was a highlight. Our hosts, the Kogels, were exceptional . He was an accomplished artist, so it was like visiting a museum but in a warm comfy home. She taught pastry cooking and had actually written a book on it. Needless-to-say we had scrumptious desserts!
The markets were so beautiful and every city or village we visited had different decorations or treats to experience. My husband was a bit hesitant that he might not like visiting all the markets, but on the second day, he talked about taking another Christmas trip next year and is still talking about it.
For the next traveler, we brought too much winter garb. I brought two pairs of boots and only wore one pair once. They typically don't get much snow in these cities and villages we were later told. We did have rain almost everyday, so bring warm waterproof coats, a couple of hats and definitely gloves or mittens (Mittens keep you warmer.) and scarf. Umbrellas are a must.
I was told there were irons in the room, but there weren't any, so be prepared for that. The rooms were small but so well designed that it never felt cramped to us.
My only suggestion for GCT is that on the evening that the ship arrives in Cologne, have dinner an hour earlier or switch the crew show to another night. The crew show was absolutely hysterical. I didn't want to miss any of it, but it was while we were cruising into Cologne. The Cologne Cathedral is such a magnificent sight, I didn't want to take my eyes off of it. I kept looking out the window, taking pictures through the window, and trying to watch the show at the same time. If not for the show, I would have been up on the top deck to view the Cathedral.
Our trip extension to Brussels was great as well. Our hotel, The Hotel, was very well located and very nice. Would stay there again for sure.
I highly recommend this trip as well as GCT!!!

Traveler: Joan Pokrant from Lynnfield, MA traveled on December 09, 2011

I consider myself a seasoned traveler, having flown for Pan Am in the 60s, and having 19 OATGCT trips under my belt.

My experience with my last GCT trip in December, 2011, was the most disappointing trip due to the total lack of caring or helpfullness of my trip leader. It pretty much impacted the entire trip as he was unavailable for questions, learning and discovery (the MOTTO), cointroversial topic discussions, and he seemed to get rid of us the second he could by dropping us off at a 'meeting place' and disappearing, while the other two trip leaders were still walking around the various portsstops with their groups giving them information.

I did discuss this with the other two trip leaders and they told me that at least 5 others in my group had asked them if they could switch groups, which of course was not possible.

During the pre trip, I asked only one thing of my leader (the location of a brewery) and his reply was: "I don't know". End of discussion. During our bus ride through the Black Forest, someone asked why it was called the Black Forest. His reply was: "I don't know". UNACCEPTABLE. He was always telling us that he wasn't going to talk while we were riding to a destination so we could NAP even though we had just left the breakfast table.

To me, the trip leader is KEY to making or breaking the trip. I have had several telephone conversations with GCT folks who have all told me they would look into it, but no one has called me with any outcome. They have also asked me three times to write a review, so I am doing that.

The MS Concerto crewstaff were wonderful, the food was wonderful, the accommodations were wonderful, but the trip leader (a big part of the trip) was a zero. I will think long and hard before taking another GCT trip, trust me.

When I plunk out over $4,000 for a trip, I expect a little more than I got this time!

Traveler: Karen Byrne from Petaluma, CA traveled on December 09, 2011

We have taken similar trips in the past. GCT did a great job of getting us where we needed to be and the personalized care was unbeatable. We suggest they not charge for bottled water on the boat, and charge for wine. We suggest they not do Strasbourg, France and forget the cold miserable canal cruise there. Do more of Cologne. We suggest dropping Baden Baden also, not important. We arrived in Basel as it snowed, very nice and stayed there additional days on our own. We recommend GCT include one night in Basel and skip Strasbourg. Take winter clothes and gloves and scarves. Take your laptop. GCT should have CNBC channel on their tv. More movies in the evening on their tv. The meals on board were perfect. Wait staff and all were the best in the industry.

Traveler: Keith Neville from Cody, WY traveled on December 07, 2011

From our Cabin Steward to the Captain, the crew were friendly, responsive, and good at their jobs. To cite just one example: the Captain was always there both to bid us farewell when we left the boat for tours and excursions and then to welcome us "home" upon our return. The Program Directors were also superb: winsome, witty, and very hard-working. We had an extraordinarily good time on our trip and would highly recommend it to others.

Traveler: Thomas Wilkens from Georgetown, TX traveled on December 02, 2011

We looked forward to and thoroughly enjoyed our Rhine Christmas Market cruise. This was our third GCT river cruise and it once again met our (high) expectations. We were hoping for some holiday season snow, but ended up with some occasional rain and mostly cold (well, cold for us two So-Cal folks, anyway). We packed 3-in-1 jackets, warm hats, wool socks, gloves, and winter boots which prepared us for any weather concerns, and it didn't bust the checked-luggage limit.

We met a lot of fun fellow travelers and thoroughly enjoyed their company. Our PD host Robert's good spirits and excellent ‘local knowledge’ made for interesting tours. A note about the daily tours... you'll need to rise and shine early most days due to the limited winter daylight hours available for sightseeing. The good news is we were also had the opportunity to roam the Christmas Markets at night on our own. Can you say Glühwein, Bitte?

Now I'm not one usually caught singing Christmas Carols out loud, but I was slugging the tunes out with the best of them on the Christmas Carol night on the cruise. If you want to embellish your holiday spirit next year, definitely sign on for a Christmas Market cruise. You'll visit plenty of markets.

One suggestion to GCT for future river trips (especially the shopping-prone Christmas Market trips) is to perhaps identify a parcel shipper in the last port-of-call to recommend for travelers who would like to ship parcels home rather than fall victim to airline excess baggage fees.

GCT, we're shopping for our next trip in 2012.

John and Robin.

Traveler: John and Robin Hines from Anaheim, CA traveled on December 09, 2011

We were not impressed with the River Harmony. If GCT had not prompted me twice to write a review I would not have done so. Bottom line = the ships beds are narrow bunks and not true beds. The Viking River Cruise lines some ten years ago had far more comfortable cabin accomodations. The meals on board were excellent for breakfast, tolerable at lunch, and lack luster for dinner. I often skipped the wine served with dinner as it was dreary. The ports and venues were pleasant to be sure and helped compensate for an only "tolereable" ship, but we will return to this area on a different cruise line the next time.

Traveler: Donald Elliott from Gig Harbor, WA traveled on November 26, 2011

This was our first river cruise but it won't be our last. Although the weather was rainy, it didn't dampen our spirits. The program directors shared their knowledge of the cities during the walking tours. The history of the areas was so interesting.

I celebrated my birthday onboard and what a celebration it was! There was a sparkler parade by the hotel mgr., the captain, the 3 program directors, and dining room staff. The celebratory kisses were special too.

My husband told everyone that we were "gourmet eating our way down the Rhine." That we did--the food was superb. So many choices, so many native dishes, delicious desserts. Portions were just the right size to feel full but not overly stuffed.

Traveler: Beverly Baumgartner from Mesa, AZ traveled on December 09, 2011

This was my second Christmas Markets Down the Rhine trip. I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time in 2006. The River Rhapsody captain, crew, staff, and program directors were wonderful. They bent over backwards to make sure everyone had a great time. Even though the water level on the Rhine was very low and we had to modify our trip due to a WWII Bomb in the Rhine by Koblenz, the captain and program directors made sure that we safely saw Christmas Markets every day.
If you want a relaxing Christmas vacation to put you in the Christmas spirit, see amazing castles and cathedrals, and meet new friends this is the trip.

Traveler: Terron Mote from Irving, TX traveled on November 27, 2011

This was our third cruise with GCT, the second time doing the Rhine Christmas markets. In the past the ships, crew, and PD's have been exceptional. Sadly not all of that was the case this cruise.

The ship was supposed to have WiFi - technically that is true, there was a WiFi router on board. It just couldn't connect to the rest of the world for nearly the entire trip. We were told it was because of the tied next to us, then we were told it was because we were too close to the dock, when neither of these were available as an excuse a crew member would go up and hit the router to "make it work", which also didn't work. FInally near the end of the cruise, with no other excuses in sight, the desk clerk admitted that the service wasn't good in any cities except Strasbourg and Amsterdam, the beginning and end of the cruise. Looks like they went with the lowest bidder on this one.

Our Program Director for the pre-trip and cruise seemed more concerned with other things than the passengers. What, we never did find out. Our PD for the post-trip was fantastic however and went a long way toward making up for our earlier disappointment.

Our waiters were excellent, as was our cabin attendant. Some of the other members of the staff and crew were not so wonderful.

In the past we've had a great cruise because of Grand Circle's attention to detail and quality. This time we had a good cruise in spite of Grand Circle.

Traveler: Ronald Ackermann from Port Orchard, WA traveled on December 04, 2011

I have always wanted to visit Christmas Markets in Europe so we signed up well over a year before the trip. We are independent travelers (just returned in November 2011 from a 16 day trip to Mali, West Africa) so this was something really new to us.

It is very hard to impress peopls such as my husband and I, but GCT did just that. The size of our cabin was perfect, the food amazing, what you received for your dollar extraordinary. The little things like the bag of candy outside our doors, the Advent Calendar, the glass angel, the hot towels when we returned from a day trip, the list goes on and on.

Oh, and the crew plus our program director, they were all fantastic. I just cannot say enough about it AND we had the Christmas Markets to look forward to most days. I would highly recommend this trip.

Traveler: Michel Puckett from Columbus, OH traveled on December 02, 2011

What a delightful trip! The 'kaffee klatch" had to be a hightlight for my husband and me as our host was a retired veterinarian. In talking with him and his wife, we found out that he had been to our area and had stayed with a colleague who had been our vet and also a good friend of ours from church. What a small world!

Traveler: Ann Cummings from Bremerton, WA traveled on November 27, 2011

Xmas Rhine in 2011 was my second Xmas markets trip, having taken the Xmas Danube in 2009. Being from Seattle, I found the weather for both trips warmer and drier than we get at home -- not by much but noticeably.

One type of weather that was unexpected was the wind. The winter wind blowing off the North Sea just cuts right through you, and it comes right up the entire Rhine valley. (I've seen pictures of windmills in the Netherlands since I was a child. Did I ever make the mental connection that there must be a lot of wind to power them? Not quite!) So I really wished I had taken a heavier coat, instead of the Goretex shell plus fleece that I normally travel with. That knee-length boiled wool or Melton coat I have in the closet but seldom wear would have been absolutely perfect.

Traveler: Rachel Yobs from Bainbridge Island, WA traveled on November 27, 2011

The 200 year low water in the River Rhine did not prevent us from our destinies. The Captain did an outstanding job of getting us there safely. Sometimes we had to leave a city early to make up for the slower speed needed. We also averted a WW II bomb found in the low water near Köln. It was discovered the day after we had visited. We were grateful and this info makes our Christmas letters more interesting! Also, the ship contained about 100 Miniature afficionados. Their activities made for very warm interchanges amongst passengers.
The pre trip to Brussels, Brugge & Antwerp was delightful. We "saw" and were informed of the many International agencies situated in Brussels.

Traveler: Alyce A Schaffer from Tacoma, WA traveled on November 26, 2011

The historically low water in the Rhine did not prevent our GCT's River Harmony from cruising past the 20 plus castles flanking the Rhine. That was an exhilirating experience surpassed only by the marvelous Christmas markets we explored during our daily port stops.

Traveler: Laurence Webster from Syracuse, NY traveled on November 19, 2011

I had enjoyed Xmas markets on the Danube a couple of years ago and enjoyed that so much I went on the Rhine. I was one of the seven mentioned earlier by Heather. Our group had a great time. The markets were fantastic. The variety of the drinks, merchandise, decorations were superb. The crew, program directors on the Concerto were way more wonderful than I could ever put into words. I highly recommend this trip and am looking froward to my next trip in September of 2012. Thank ya'll!!!!

Traveler: Jo Ellyn O'donnell from Austin, TX traveled on November 22, 2011

This was my first river cruise and it will not be the last. Grand Circle made everyone feel special. The markets along the Rhine river were fabulous. Each city that we visted the markets were all different in some ways. The food, mulled wine, and crafts were unique and something to see and experience. The trip that I took was 111911. I would recommend this trip to anyone and it will put you in the Christmas spirit.

Enjoy the cruise.

Traveler: Edith Salladino traveled on November 19, 2011

Having taken the Danube Christmas Market trip a couple of years ago, I decided to take the Rhine Christmas Market trip this year and invite some family and friends along. We had seven in our group and could not have had a better time.

The tours, including the optionals were outstanding, the program directors, especially Robert, were enthusiastic, knowledge and entertaining. The entire crew was wonderful, Claudia, our head of housekeeping, and Martina taking care of us in the bar deserve special praise.

We were extremely fortunate and had some outstanding weather to further enhance our experience. Be sure however, to bring appropriate warm clothing, it can be chilly and the right coat, hat and gloves will make all the difference.

Thanks for another outstanding job, I am looking forward to my next trip in September.

Traveler: Heather Hornstrom from Buda, TX traveled on November 22, 2011

I loved this, my first GCT trip. I have taken 3 more and I have plans for more. I have one suggestion for those traveling to the markets. Bring a cloth shopping bag. The market vendors will carefully wrap your purchases, but you need a way to carry them. Many people use a backpack, but if you buy lovely ornaments, they could be damaged more easily in a backpack.

Traveler: Jacqueline Densing from Pewaukee, WI traveled on December 02, 2008

What better place to get in the spirit of Christmas than take a Christmas Markets
Cruise along the Rhine River with GCT!!

Soon, we will arrive in Amsterdam where we will begin our third visit to the Rhine River Cities. For us the highlight is the Markets which are filled with friendly shoppers looking at colorful displays of Christmas art If you need a snack, there are pretzels, sausages, and a variety of other traditional holiday treats.

A Market visit is not all that Grand Circle offers. There are city tours with interesting history told by a city guide or your program director. We especially enjoy the walking tour of Cologne and Mainz. After a morning at the Market You can walk back to the ship where a warm drink and lunch is waiting

If you are looking for a new way to celebrate the Christmas Holiday we suggest this Rhine River tour. Also, we recommend the Markets on the Danube
which are excellent.

Bon Voyage
Margaret and Harry Weiland



Bon Voyage

Traveler: Margaret Weiland from Friendsville, PA traveled on December 05, 2009

Arriving in Amsterdam on December 16th, we found a beautiful white world. The entire trip was superb, viewing the scenery along the river and stopping in the towns to visit the Christmas markets. One of the outstanding features was the home hosted visit with a family in a suberb of Speyer, Germany. It was very interesting to see how the "locals" live. Cologne, Heidelberg, Cochem, Strasbourg and Kayserberg were beautiful cities to visit in the winter. The crew on the Rhapsody was outstanding, from the captain to the waiters, as was the food. We also appreciated our program directors, Steven, Markus and Johannes, all very knowledgeable regarding the cities and towns we visited, could direct you to whatever you asked them about. We are looking forward to our next GCT river cruise, maybe the Great Rivers of Europe.

Traveler: Robert E. from La Habra, CA traveled on December 15, 2009

We found this to be one of most enjoyable trips we have taken. We were blessed with snow in the Black Forest. We enjoyed viewing the scenery along the river from our cabin. The crew, group leaders and all were most helpful. All meals were excellent. Due to the cooperation of fellow travelers a Christmas Eve service was held on ship. It was very meaningful for the many participants. We are looking forward to Christmas along the Rhine in 2010. This was our sixth river trip with Grand Circle and we have enjoyed each of them.

Traveler: Ethel & Howard from Murrells Inlet, SC traveled on December 15, 2009

We took this trip because of the fabulous experiences we had on the Danube X'mas Markets tour the year before. Fortunately, we had the pleasue of having the same excellent ship Captain (Martin) on both tours.

The Brussels tour covered all the main interesting sights and one of our favorites was the Grand Place (Market Square)

I could write a book about all the interesting cities and X'markets that we visited but I am afraid time will not permit but we did enjoy a lot of Gluhwein and brought back 18 gluhwein cups which we have already used during our X'mas functions at home during the holidays.

The 10 day river cruise with excellent staff, food, service , entertainment and land tours far exceeded our expectations.We loved the old quaint towns where most of the wonderful X'mas markets were located with their goodies from handcrafts, food, gluhwein, and decorative booths.

We do enjoy our tours with GCT as we have taken 19 already and have three scheduled for 2010.

Wishing you happy travels filled with excitement and many learning experiences. Bill and Barbara Crowson, Killen, Al. 35645

Traveler: William from Killen, AL traveled on November 22, 2009

Having taken several river cruises with GCT, we were particularly interested in seeing the European cities during the Christmas season--what a treat that was.
Captain Rolf and his crew on the Harmony, were wonderful and very accessible. Could not have asked for better care and we thought the pacing was just about perfect.
We stayed for the optional trip to Basel and were absolutely delighted with the side trip to Bern and the Affoltern Valley where cheese is made. As always with GCT, you learn a great deal about the areas and the cultures that you visit.
We are looking forward to next year's Christmas Markets on the Danube.
As always, GCT delivers a superior opportunity at a very affordable price.

Traveler: Norman from Columbus, NC traveled on December 01, 2009

We had a wonderful time on our cruise. The food was excellent, the staff was very helpful & friendly. The towns along the Rhine were so picturesque, it was like something out of a storybook & the cathedrals were magnificient.
We are already planning our next trip with you on the Christmas Markets on the Seine.
However, the pace of the tours need to be slower, as it is hard for some of us older passengers to keep up.
Thanks for a lovely trip.
Joe & Maddy Yokum

Traveler: Joseph from Gretna, LA traveled on November 25, 2009

I decided to take this trip after meeting my new friends from Mass. on a GCT trip to
Sicily. They had previously taken the Christmas Markets on the Danube and
loved it so much they wanted to do the trip
on the Rhine the next year. So the "gals"
set off down the Rhine and never looked back. Everything and everyone on the River Harmony were wonderful. And our Tour Director Katy was just terrific. Katy
along with Karla and Peter, the other Tour Directors were such a great team. They made everything so exciting and so much fun. I've always loved my land tours with GCT, but the river cruise is now my new best way to travel. And I would recommend the Christmas Markets trip to anyone who enjoys great fun, great food, great staff and wonderful sights and shopping. I'm already planning my next one on the Seine.

Traveler: Janet from Sewell, NJ traveled on December 01, 2009

I really enjoyed the trip on the Rhine River, but being 43 years old was a slight damper. I'm a go kind of person and I thought we were on the boat too much. When the company is geared towards retires, it means just that. There were a couple extra excursions I paid for that we should have had more time to see the sights but were hurried a bit. The sights were outstanding! Nothing I ever saw before. Old towns and historic neighborhoods, well worth the little money I paid to go. It was a nice change to be on a ship of retires as to young families. Quiet, slow paced and friendly but I'll wait until I retire to go with them again. Outstanding vacation, highly recommended for 60 to 75yrs.old.

Traveler: Susan from Luxemburg, WI traveled on November 25, 2009