Leaving home for the holidays can be a hard. For some it feels like you are leaving behind tradition, family and friends, all of which seems unthinkable. I was one of those people – until I took my first Christmas Markets cruise.
The year was 2010, and I was a mere 15 years old. I had done only one other river cruise, and that was on the Mekong. So not only was this my first Christmas Markets cruise, but also my first river cruise in Europe.
While it was hard to say goodbye to most of my immediate family and my lifelong Christmas traditions, I knew that taking a Christmas cruise on the Rhine was going to be a wonderful opportunity. The snowcapped villages, charming markets, and cheerful locals awaited me, and I was ready to take it all in.
Shortly after boarding AmaBella, I knew that the journey ahead was going to be a memorable one. Everyone on the ship seemed to adopt the Christmas mentality to “eat, drink, and be merry.” There were many late nights spent in the lounge where we danced, shared stories about our own holiday traditions back home, sang, and more.
It is hard to say what stood out more – the beautiful towns and markets that we visited on this trip, or the time spent aboard with my fellow passengers. Both complemented each other so well. In fact, a large group of us made sure that we were in the same tour group for most excursions so that we didn’t have to part ways throughout the day.
This was easily my favorite river cruise that I have ever taken, but enough about my Christmas cruise, let’s take a look at Christmas Market cruise pricing for 2025, so you can start planning a holiday trip of your own.
2025 Rhine River Christmas Markets Cruise Pricing
| AmaWaterways | Avalon | Emerald Cruises | Riviera | Riverside | Scenic | Uniworld | Viking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | AmaLucia | Avalon View | Emerald Star Ship | Geoffrey Chaucer | Debussy | Scenic Space Ship | River Duchess | Var |
| Rate | $3,923 | $5,858 | $8,390 | $3,049 | $6,519 | $9,790 | $3,199 | $3,499 |
| Sailing Date | December 5, 2025 | December 9, 2025 | December 7, 2025 | December 22, 2025 | December 23, 2025 | December 7, 2025 | December 9, 2025 | December 6, 2025 |
| Nights | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Itinerary | Christmas Markets On The Rhine | Festive Time On The Romantic Rhine | Christmas Markets Of The Rhine | Christmas On The Rhine | Four-Country Christmastime On The Rhine | Rhine Christmas Markets | Rhine Holiday Markets | Christmas On The Rhine |
| Embark-disembark | Basel-Amsterdam | Amsterdam-Basel | Amsterdam-Zurich | Cologne-Cologne | Basel-Amsterdam | Amsterdam-Zurich | Basel-Cologne | Amsterdam-Basel |
| Cabin Category | Category E | Panorama Suite | Stateroom, Category D | Emerald Deck Suite | Melody Suite | Balcony Suite | Classic | Standard F |
| Square Footage | 160 | 200 | 162 | 172 | 188 | 160 | 151 | 150 |
| Room With A View? | Window | Window | Window | Window | Balcony | Window | Window | Window |
| Per diem | $560 | $837 | $1,199 | $436 | $652 | $1,399 | $457 | $500 |
| Port Charges | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Gratuities (on ship) | $18 | $18 | Included | $18 | Included | Included | Included | $18.00 |
| Gratuities (on shore) | $2.50 | $2.50 | Included | $2.50 | Included | Included | Included | $2.50 |
| Beverages | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Shore Excursions | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Current Incentive | N/A | $250 | $4,195 | N/A | N/A | $4,895 | N/A | N/A |
| Value of Incentive | N/A | $36 | $599 | N/A | N/A | $699 | N/A | N/A |
| True Per Diem | $581 | $822 | $599 | $456 | $652 | $699 | $457 | $520 |
| Per Diem/Square Foot | $3.63 | $4.11 | $3.70 | $2.65 | $3.47 | $4.37 | $3.03 | $3.47 |
| Balcony Upgrade | $1,299 | SOLD OUT | $900 | $800 | N/A | $1,500 | N/A | $500 |
| Balcony Per Diem | $767 | SOLD OUT | $749 | $570 | N/A | $914 | N/A | $583 |
| Upgrade sq footage | 210 | SOLD OUT | 180 | 183 | N/A | 205 | N/A | 135 |
| Upgrade sq foot per diem | $3.65 | SOLD OUT | $4.16 | $3.12 | N/A | $4.46 | N/A | $4.32 |
| 9/10/2024 |
2025 Danube River Christmas Markets Cruise Pricing
| AmaWaterways | Avalon | Emerald | Riviera | Riverside | Scenic | Uniworld | Viking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | AmaBella | Tranquility II | Emerald Star Ship | William Wordsworth | Mozart | Scenic Space Ship | S.S. Maria Theresa | Var |
| Rate | $3,923 | $3,579 | $8,390 | $3,099 | $5,245 | $12,790 | $4,199 | $3,499 |
| Sailing Date | December 2, 2025 | December 9, 2025 | December 1, 2025 | December 22, 2025 | December 2, 2025 | December 6, 2025 | December 9, 2025 | December 5, 2025 |
| Nights | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Itinerary | Christmas Markets On The Danube | Christmastime On The Danube | Christmas Markets On The Danube | Chrismas On The Danube | Danube Holiday Delights | Danube Christmas Markets | Danube Holiday Markets | Christmas On The Danube |
| Embark-Disembark | Budapest-Vilshofen | Vienna-Nuremberg | Budapest-Munich | Budapest-Budapest | Budapest-Passau | Munich-Budapest | Passau-Budapest | Regensburg-Budabest |
| Cabin Category | Category E | Deluxe Stateroom | Stateroom, Category D | Emerald Deck Suite | Harmony Suite | Balcony Suite | Classic | Standard F |
| Square Footage | 170 | 172 | 162 | 172 | 215 | 205 | 162 | 150 |
| Room With A View? | Window | Window | Window | Window | Window | Balcony | Window | Window |
| Per diem | $560 | $597 | $1,199 | $443 | $656 | $1,827 | $600 | $500 |
| Port Charges | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Gratuities (on ship) | $18 | $18 | Included | $18 | Included | Included | Included | $18.00 |
| Gratuities (on shore) | $2.50 | $2.50 | Included | $2.50 | Included | Included | Included | $2.50 |
| Beverages | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Shore Excursions | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Current Incentive | N/A | $375 | $4,195 | N/A | N/A | $6,395 | N/A | $500 |
| Value of Incentive | N/A | $63 | $599 | N/A | N/A | $914 | N/A | $71 |
| True Per Diem | $581 | $555 | $599 | $463 | $656 | $914 | $600 | $449 |
| Per Diem/Square Foot | $3.42 | $3.22 | $3.70 | $2.69 | $3.05 | $4.46 | $3.70 | $2.99 |
| Balcony Upgrade | $1,299 | $1,414 | $700 | $800 | $2,524 | N/A | $1,800 | $800 |
| Balcony Per Diem | $767 | $790 | $716 | $578 | $971 | N/A | $857 | $549 |
| Upgrade Square Footage | 210 | 200 | 180 | 183 | 219 | N/A | 194 | 135 |
| Upgrade Square Foot Per Diem | $3.65 | $3.95 | $3.98 | $3.16 | $4.43 | N/A | $4.42 | $4.07 |
| updated 11/30/2022 |
Breaking away from my family traditions and going on a Christmas Markets cruise was an extremely rewarding experience. So rewarding, in fact, that I hope my Christmas cruise this year starts a tradition of its own. I encourage everyone who is thinking about taking a Christmas cruise to do so. Trust me, the magic of Christmas is felt just as easily across the Atlantic as it is back home.
8 Responses
Please note it took us two years to get our covid cancelled cruise money, $14,000, back from Vantage.
I’m a little surprised that I don’t see Vantage Deluxe World Travel company in listing of river cruise companys doing the Christmas Markets
Feel free to use this however you need to, just be sure to credit us. 🙂
This is an EXCELLENT summary of Christmas Market river cruises and comparison of cruise lines pricing. VERY HELPFUL reference tool. I have no need to share the entire document in any manner. But, it would be helpful if I could share the section, for example, AmaWaterways and the descriptions of its offerings by name, countries visited, stops and overnights. It would be helpful to the customer in choosing the best river cruise. Is this permissible? By no means do I want to reproduce even a section without permission. Your response would be much appreciated.
I so wish what will happen come November 2021….we are scheduled on the Crystal Raval November 10-17. My gut says it won’t happen…the Christmas Market River Cruise sounds wonderful as well. Thanks for opening my thoughts to this alternative!
Sixty years married. To celebrate we want a Christmas river cruise in Nov-Dec 2010
Not really Bobby. The Christmas markets are the stars of the show. Walk yourself into town (or transfer) and enjoy the coziness of the holidays. I hope you get snow, though I realize your cruise is a year away.
Hi there. We just booked viking nuremberg to Budapest during first week of December 2020. Your podcast mentioned that viking doesn’t do a christmas cruise like the others but allows you to still visit the markets. Is there any other differences and will we miss out anything on this trip that others would do differently?
Thank you