Riviera River Cruises is introducing two new Christmas markets cruises on Europe’s Danube and Rhine rivers for December 2018.

“We’re pleased to offer these festive new cruises for the Christmas season in 2018,” said Jana Tvedt, Riviera River Cruises’ U.S. Vice President. “The Danube and Rhine rivers offer stunning scenery during winter, and the ambiance of Europe’s yuletide markets is magical.”

Highlights of each cruise include:

• The Danube’s Imperial Cities & Yuletide Markets River Cruise: Begin and end in Budapest, Hungary, and cruise through the narrow valley of the Danube Bend, on the way to Bratislava, Slovakia, and Vienna. Tours take in Budapest’s parliament building and ancient castle district, Bratislava’s restored baroque old town and grand white castle, Vienna’s towering St. Stephen’s Cathedral and impressive Hofburg palace complex, and more. Markets are filled with classical music and smells of spiced gingerbread and goulash in Budapest, and artisan decorations, wooden figurines and pottery in Bratislava. And few places are as festive as Vienna, where more than 20 markets sell a wide variety of gifts and city hall provides a spectacular backdrop with its windows transformed into a giant advent calendar. Departures of this six-day cruise are available Dec. 1, 6, 11 and 16, 2018, starting at $739 per person based on double occupancy.
• Enchanting Rhine & Yuletide Markets River Cruise: Begin and end in Cologne, Germany, and cruise through the Rhine Gorge to Rüdesheim, Frankfurt and Koblenz. Tours take in the contrast of modern skyscrapers and the historic center in Frankfurt, the ancient squares, historic house frontages and quaint hidden passageways of Koblenz, and more. In Rüdesheim, market stalls glow, while the Christmas shop is open year-round. Frankfurt’s Christmas market is one of the oldest in Europe, having been held in the historic center for more than 600 years, while Cologne has seven markets and the largest tree in the Rhineland lit with 50,000 LEDs. Departures of this five-day cruise are available Dec. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 18, 2018, starting at $669 per person based on double occupancy.

Guests on both cruises will travel aboard Riviera River Cruises’ five-star ships: The MS Thomas Hardy on the Danube, and either the MS Robert Burns, MS Emily Brontë or MS Charles Dickens, depending on departure date, on the Rhine.