Romance of the Rhine & Mosel (2012)

Belgium • The Netherlands • Germany • France • Switzerland
  • 15 days
  • from only:
  • $2295
  • $153 per day
    River Cruise Only
  • 16 days
  • from only:
  • $3445
  • $216 per dayIncludes international airfare and government taxes
IN THIS SECTION:
Detailed Itinerary
Video: Travelers' experiences of Romance of the Rhine & Mosel
The Floriade Horticultural Exposition
It's Included
Hotel & Ship Accommodations
Pre- & Post-Trip Extensions
Bruges, Belgium
Lucerne, Switzerland
Optional Tours
Local Team & Insider Tips
Know Before You Go
Your Travel Handbook
Air information
LearnMore
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Customize your trip

Learn how to customize your River Cruise, or view standard air routing and travel times. The choice is yours with our True Choice program.

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CT

Customize your trip

With our True Choice Program, you can choose to stay longer before or after your trip on your own, or combine two vacations to maximize your value. Here are more ways to create the Grand Circle Cruise Line River Cruise that’s right for you:

  • Choose our standard air routing, or work with us to select the airline and routing you prefer
  • Make your own international flight arrangements directly with the airline, applying frequent flyer miles if available
  • International airport transfers to and from your ship or hotel are available for purchase
  • Stay overnight in a connecting city before or after your trip
  • Request to arrive a few days early to get a fresh start on your vacation
  • Choose to “break away” before or after your trip, spending additional days or weeks on your own
  • Extend your vacation with our optional pre- and post-trip extensions
  • Combine your choice of Grand Circle Cruise Line vacations to maximize your value
  • Upgrade to business or premium economy class

The air options listed above will involve an additional fee of $100 per person for confirmed requests (as well as incremental airfare costs based on your specific choice). This service fee will be waived for Inner Circle/Sir Edmund Hillary Club members.

Or, when you make your reservation, you can choose our standard air routing, for which approximate travel times are shown below.

(Brussels)

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta

9hrs

Baltimore, Houston, Washington, DC (Dulles)

12hrs

Boston, Chicago, Newark, Philadelphia

11hrs

Dallas

14hrs

Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco

15hrs

Detroit, New York (JFK)

10hrs

Orlando, Tampa

13hrs

Phoenix

17hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Brussels, Belgium. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

(Basel)

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta

12hrs

Baltimore

17hrs

Boston, Newark, Philadelphia, Washington, DC (Dulles)

11hrs

Chicago, Detroit, Houston, New York (JFK)

13hrs

Dallas

15hrs

Denver, Los Angeles, Orlando, Tampa

16hrs

Phoenix

18hrs

San Francisco

14hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Basel, Switzerland. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

REFER and EARN

Earn increasing rewards as a Vacation Ambassador

REFER and EARN as a Vacation Ambassador with
the BEST referral program in the industry

Inspiring new travelers to join the Grand Circle Cruise Line family is a rewarding experience—both for you and your new travelers.

Share your love of travel with others and, for each referral who embarks on a Grand Circle Cruise Line trip, you will earn $100 in CASH or credit. With your 4th referral departing on a 2012 departure, your reward increases to $200 in CASH or credit per person. And once you refer 8 travelers departing in either 2012 or 2013, you'll earn a FREE trip valued up to $4,500 per household—which will bring the total value of your earned rewards up to $5,600.

And you are also passing along savings to your new traveler: We'll instantly deduct $100 off the cost of their reservation when they mention your name and Customer Number while reserving.

To learn more about the benefits of our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-221-2610
or click here.

ALSO SEE:
2012 Itinerary and Prices
Photo & Video Gallery
View all River Cruises in Europe
Solo Friendly Travel
Frequently Asked Questions
See all Program Directors, read Insider Tips, and more
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Pre-Trip: Bruges, Belgium

3 nights from only $695

Join us for a pre-trip extension to Bruges, Belgium, one of Western Europe’s great medieval cities. Originally a ninth-century fortress built to protect the Flemish coast from marauding Vikings, Bruges today retains its reputation as one of the best-preserved Old World cities on the continent. Its museums hold some of the oldest and finest collections you will find anywhere, and its narrow winding streets meander through the city beside a centuries-old canal system. It is often said that the best way to experience the charm and storied history of Bruges is on foot, as almost every street is lined with historic buildings.

Single Supplement: FREE.

Please note: This extension may not be available for all departures. Additional taxes and fees will apply. Ask your Travel Counselor for details.

Bruges is a pre-trip extension on the Antwerp to Basel itinerary and a post-trip extension on the Basel to Antwerp itinerary.

It's Included

  • Accommodations—for 3 nights at the Grand Hotel Casselbergh Bruges
  • 3 meals—daily breakfast
  • Sightseeing—Bruges city tour with boat ride, Ghent city tour
  • Exclusive services of a resident Grand Circle Program Director
  • All transfers

Optional Tours

Oudenaarde—March-May departures ($115); Flanders Fields—June-Nov departures ($125 per person); Scenic Belgium ($75 per person)

Day 1
Depart U.S.

Leave the U.S. today on your flight to Brussels.
Day 2
Brussels, Belgium/Bruges

Arrive this morning or afternoon in Brussels. A Grand Circle representative will meet you at the airport and assist with the transfer to your hotel in Bruges.

The balance of the day is at leisure to relax after your overseas flight. You can also do some exploring on your own, or join an orientation walk to get acquainted with the vicinity around your hotel.

In the early evening, gather with your traveling companions for a drink welcoming you to Belgium. Your Program Director will give you suggestions on where you might want to dine on your own this evening.
Day 3
Bruges tour/At leisure/Optional Flanders Field tour

After breakfast and a briefing by your Program Director, set off with us on a walking tour of Bruges, capital of Flanders and a city still defined by its canals. Dating from the 13th century, Bruges is a living museum and a treasure trove of fine architecture. From the 13th to the 15th centuries, Bruges was the most important trading center of northern Europe, based largely on its thriving wool and textile industries. You’ll see signs of this mercantile history in the beautiful houses built by wealthy textile merchants.

Your walking tour takes you to Church of Our Lady and to Market Square, with its distinctive belfry tower and carillon of 47 bells. You also see the Holy Blood Chapel. Your tour continues with a look at Bruges from another vantage point—a tour aboard a canal boat. Then you’ll visit a lace shop to see some of the world’s finest lacemakers at work. You’ll enjoy some free time to have lunch on your own and to explore independently.

After the tour, return to the hotel and enjoy an afternoon at leisure. If you like, you can remain in town for shopping and independent explorations.

Or, join us this afternoon and evening for an optional excursion to Flanders Field, a museum commemorating World War I. We travel to the city of Ypres, now known as the “City of Peace,” and visit the interactive Flanders Field Museum. Accompanied by a local guide, we’ll learn about the Great War and then tour the battlefields. After dinner at a local restaurant, we’ll visit the Menin Gate Memorial and listen to the buglers from the local fire brigade who play there every night in remembrance of those lost in the war. The cost of this optional excursion includes dinner. Please note: On March-May departures, this optional tour will be replaced by an optional Oudenaarde tour that includes dinner. You’ll visit Flanders Field American Cemetery in Waregem and enjoy a guided tour of Oudenaarde, which includes a stop at the House de Lalaing, a stately 17th-century mansion that serves both as a restoration workshop and a museum for historic tapestries.

Spend your evening at leisure in Bruges. There are many fine restaurants in the area and your Program Director can help you pick a good one.
Day 4
At leisure in Bruges/Optional Scenic Belgium tour

Join an optional half-day tour of Scenic Belgium, featuring an excursion to the Flanders countryside. First, you’ll take an included tour (with audio guide) of the Alantikwall—an unfinished steel and concrete wall constructed by Germans during World War II to block England from invading German-claimed territory and to protect some of Hitler’s weapons. From this landmark, you’ll venture to the North Sea harbor town of De Haan, then drive along the coast to Damme, a former fishing village on the Zwin River. After a walking tour, you’ll return to Bruges via boat. As you cruise, you’ll sample some of the quality beers for which Belgium is known. Or enjoy the day at leisure in Bruges.

Day 5
Ghent tour/Antwerp/Embark ship

You check out of your Bruges hotel after breakfast this morning. En route to Antwerp, we stop to explore Ghent. Originally the site of two abbeys founded in the seventh century at the confluence of the Schelde and Leie rivers, the city grew slowly into a commercial center especially known for its textiles. It was here in the city's Pacification Hall that the Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1814, ending the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Britain. Historic Ghent boasts many beautiful buildings dating from medieval times.

During your guided walk in the city, you’ll see the imposing St. Bavo’s Cathedral, where the painting “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb,” by the Van Eyck brothers, resides. You also see the 800-year-old Castle of the Counts in the town center. From here, the Counts of Flanders ruled over the proud and sometimes rebellious Ghent people.

Marvel at wonderful old guild houses, and admire the Gothic Town Hall and Belfry Tower.

Once in Antwerp, you embark your river cruise ship.The balance of the afternoon and evening proceed as described in Day 2 of the Main Itinerary.