Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has announced details of its Christmas Market cruise offerings in Europe.
The cruise line is offering a 15-day sailing that celebrates the Christmas and New Years holidays in Europe while enjoying the festive markets, as well as 8-18-day Christmas Market cruises on the Danube and the Rhine earlier in the season.
The Christmas Markets of Europe are steeped in tradition and celebration, and guests will have the chance to shop stalls that sell unique gift items such as handcrafted wooden nutcrackers and toys, one-of-a-kind glass Christmas ornaments, local knick-knacks and more.
Booking any of these sailings early can save up to $1,500 per couple and, if the booking is paid in full within 72 hours, guests can choose between free or reduced airfare, a free land extension, or up to $2,000 per couple in additional savings.
The 15-day Christmas & New Years tour sails from Amsterdam to Budapest (Dec. 19) along three of Europe’s most popular rivers – the Rhine, Danube and Main-Danube Canal – where the bulk of the oldest and most traditional Christmas Markets are set. The tour will visit Nuremberg’s world-renowned market dating back to 1628; the 420-year-old Salzburg Cathedral Square Christmas Market; and Cologne’s dazzling array of puppet theatres, toy stalls, and the largest Christmas tree in Rhineland.
Culinary delicacies on offer include stollen (a bread-like fruitcake covered in icing), gluhwein (mulled wine served hot in souvenir mugs), homemade gingerbread, and candied almonds. Guests can also attend a traditional Christmas Mass in Würzburg and New Year’s in Budapest. Fares start at $7,395 per person, double.
Scenic River Cruises Explore Christmas Markets
Scenic’s 11-day Danube Christmas Markets with Prague tour will visit a variety of festive markets in several cities and towns along the Danube River. The three days in Prague will offer sightseeing opportunities such as the Astronomical Clock, the world-famous 14th-century Charles Bridge, the 9th-century Prague Castle, as well as dozens of museums, and centuries of history. Shoppers can visit the main Christmas Markets at the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, as well as many smaller markets dotted throughout the city.
Scenic’s 8-day cruise, which is also offered as a standalone, showcases Budapest, with a city guided tour or Jewish Heritage tour. The cruise will also visit Vienna, where guests can attend a Scenic Enrich exclusive event – a private evening concert at Palais Liechtenstein, the 300-year-old residence of the Princely family of Vienna. All in addition to the numerous Christmas Markets along the way. Multiple departures have fares starting at $4,105.
The 12-day Rhine Christmas Markets with Switzerland tour will allow guests to wander among the 100 cottage-style stands in Koblenz; enjoy live music in Baden-Baden where thousands of Christmas lights are framed by the mountains of the Black Forest; and visit Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik, one of the largest Christmas Markets in Europe.
A Scenic Enrich event, exclusive to the company, takes guests to a cheese-making experience at the Restaurant Le Chalet in Switzerland’s French city of Chateau d’Œx. Other activities include heading to Vevey to visit the Chaplin World Museum; and the opportunity to shop at the Christmas Markets in Lucerne. The Dec. 9 sailing has fares starting at $5,645.
For more information, visit scenicusa.com.
