Christmas Markets, plus a river cruise. What could be a better way to spend the holiday season? If you’ve ever wanted to experience the Christmas markets in Europe, a cruise is the ideal way to do it. Booking early is the best way to guarantee the best dates and prices.
Over Christmas we sailed the Rhine River in Europe with A-ROSA cruises. We sailed the A-ROSA CLEA on the 7-Night Southern Rhine Christmas itinerary, round trip out of Frankfurt, Germany.
It was our second sailing with A-ROSA. Our first sailing was over the summer, and on the newest, and largest ship in the fleet, the SENA. Our second, in the winter, on one of the older ships. While quite different, both adventures were unforgettable.
Let’s talk about the Christmas cruise, and 7 reasons why we loved it:
# 1: 8 cities, 2 countries
During our weeklong sailing we stopped at 8 cities in 2 countries. In Germany, we visited Frankfurt, Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Wiesbaden, Speyer, Mainz, and Mannheim. The ship also stopped in Strasbourg, France.
The cruise took us to ports we might not have previously considered visiting. We started our adventure in Frankfurt. We arrived a day early in order to experience the Christmas market before our sailing.
In Koblenz, we took a cable car to a holiday lights festival. In Rüdesheim, we tried the famous Rüdesheimer Kaffee, a German coffee cocktail made with Asbach Uralt brandy. In Wiesbaden, we rode a ferris wheel. In Speyer, we stopped at a fascinating transportation museum. In Mainz, we walked to the Imperial Cathedral. In Mannheim, we had lunch at McDonald’s, one of the only places open on Christmas Day. And Christmas Eve in Strasbourg, France was absolutely magical. Picture twinkling lights and sparkly snowflakes.
# 2: Unpack Just Once
The beauty of cruise travel is that the ship is your floating hotel. We only had to unpack once the whole week. This is a huge advantage when traveling as a family.
Once on-board, we like to spend our first hour getting settled into our room and unpacking our suitcase. We use packing cubes, which typically fit within a dresser drawer. We recommend using different color packing cubes for each family member.
# 3: Easy Access to Cities
The smaller size of a river cruise ship like the A-ROSA CLEA allowed it to dock close to the cities. In most cases we were just a 10 minute walk to the city center.
Prior to each stop, the A-ROSA Cruise Director would hold an information session to share suggestions for what to do upon arrival. He would explain how to get into the city, and offer ideas of things to do in each place, and he would inform us of the very important “all aboard time.”
A-ROSA offers excursions at each stop. You can sign up for these activities in advance of your sailing, or when you board the ship. For this particular sailing, we didn’t book any excursions as we knew we wanted to spend our time exploring the holiday markets.
[ Related: Sail Though Europe Together on A-ROSA’s Family-Friendly River Cruises]
# 4: Visited 6 Christmas Markets
On this special holiday sailing, we got to explore six different Christmas markets, trying the Glühwein (mulled wine) at every stop. The ability to experience a variety of Christmas markets was appealing to us. Some markets were big, others quite small.
Our favorite stop was in Strasbourg, France, which is referred to as the Capital of Christmas. It’s one of Europe’s oldest and largest markets. There are eight markets, all within walking distance. One sits right at the base of the famous Strasbourg cathedral.
The holiday markets offered a mix of food and gifts. Most foods cost between 5 and 10 euros and are served in large portions that are ideal for sharing. Glühwein cost about 4 euros but expect to pay an additional 2-4 euros for a Pfand, or a mug deposit. When you finish the beverage, return the mug to get your deposit back, or you can keep the mug as a souvenir.
It’s essential that you travel with cash, as most vendors don’t take cards.
It can be very cold, and you might encounter rain or snow while visiting the markets. We wore a thermal layer under our clothes, and brought heavy winter jackets. You’ll want to pack a hat and gloves, and perhaps hand warmers, too. Another necessity is comfortable and study shoes for walking on cobblestones and uneven streets.
# 5: All-Inclusive Vacation
Another perk of cruise travel is that it’s all-inclusive. We saved money by dining on-board for most of our meals. It was nice to start the day with breakfast on the ship so we could start exploring once in port.
This particular sailing was “Premium All Inclusive” which meant that all meals were included, as well as soda, wine, beer, and most cocktails. (The A-ROSA Spritz is our favorite!)
On the CLEA, breakfast and lunch was served buffet style. Dinner was a 3-course menu with meat, seafood, and vegetarian options, served table-side.
KidTripster Tip: If traveling with a food allergy, your wait staff will assist you at the buffet and when ordering dinner.
A-ROSA cruises are pretty casual and don’t have strict clothing requirements for the dining rooms. We each packed one nice outfit for dinner, knowing we’d be dining on-board on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Otherwise, we’d recommend packing comfortable and practical clothing, especially when traveling in the winter.
# 6: Great Views of the Rhine River
Something else that was included in our sailing – free views! The beauty of a river cruise though Europe allows you the opportunity to sail past places you might otherwise miss.
Our rooms on the CLEA had a “Juliette Balcony,” which meant that we had a sliding door that opened. The balcony did not have and space for seating, but you could lean over the railing and peer over.
We slept with the curtains open so we didn’t miss a thing, including passing through narrow locks in the middle of the night. At times, we could hear music or laughter emanating from the river banks.
# 7: Affordable and Family-Friendly
The price point of A-ROSA makes it affordable for families. Many European river cruises are just too expensive for families and don’t cater to children.
On A-ROSA, kids under 15 sail free on certain cruises, or receive a discount on other sailings. There were several kids and teens on our cruise. To ensure the child discount, you’ll want to book early as there’s limited availability for this special rate.
KidTripster Tip: While children are welcome on all A-ROSA sailings, we found the experience on the SENA to be more ideal for families with younger children. The SENA has family cabins with bunk beds that can accommodate up to five guests. The SENA also has a kids club, and a special section at the buffet that serves kid-friendly foods. The CLEA would be a better fit for older kids and teenagers.
Things To Know About A-ROSA
A-ROSA is a German based company. Safety information, port talks, and menus are presented in both German and English.
Each of our two sailings included a few other American families. If traveling with kids, we recommend searching “River Cruises with Kids” on the A-ROSA website. This will bring up cruises that offer a kids club and family cabins.
Prior to your sailing, A-ROSA will send you an email that contains luggage tags that you can print from home, packing information, and details about your embarkation and disembarkation.
You can secure the best rate, and best selection of rooms, by booking early. The A-ROSA early booking price is valid until August 31, 2026 for all 2026 Christmas cruises.
[ Related: Finally A Family-Friendly River Cruise]
