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Romantic Rhine (Northbound) 2024

From Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands
Length: 8 Days - Departs: Tue, Jul 02, 2024
Operator
Ship
Departure
Jul 02, 2024
Arrival
Jul 09, 2024

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Special Offers

LOW UNPUBLISHED PRICES ON AVALON WATERWAYS (GLOBUS) CRUISES
We have Low Prices on Avalon Waterways (Globus) - Guaranteed!

Fly Free on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Mention Promo Code: PT3265
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Fly Free on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Fly Free on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Promotion Details
Book a select 2024 Europe river cruise to receive FREE round-trip economy class trans-Atlantic air from ATL, BOS, CHI (MDW, ORD) CHS, CLT, DFW, DTW, FLL, IAH, LAX, MIA, MCO, MSP, NYC (EWR, JFK, LGA), PBI, PHL, PIT, RDU, RSW, SAN, SFO, SLC, TPA, WAS (BWI, DCA, IAD). Other gateway cities available from $100 to $1,075/person additional (inclusive of taxes/fees).
Must Book By Tue, Apr 30, 2024
View Promotion Terms & Conditions ›

*Book a select 2024 Avalon Waterways Europe river cruise to receive free round-trip economy class trans-Atlantic air from ATL, BOS, CHI (MDW, ORD) CHS, CLT, DFW, DTW, FLL, IAH, LAX, MIA, MCO, MSP, NYC (EWR, JFK, LGA), PBI, PHL, PIT, RDU, RSW, SAN, SFO, SLC, TPA, WAS (BWI, DCA, IAD). Other gateway cities available from $100 to $1,075/person additional (inclusive of taxes/fees). Free air offer is based on lowest-priced economy class Flex airfare available for booking at time of reservation and scheduled to coincide with cruise itinerary; pre-assigned airline seats are limited and may not be available on all air segments. Alternate schedules may be available at an additional cost. An alternative promotion (in lieu of FREE AIR) can be requested by calling Avalon Waterways. Quotes available online, calling Avalon Waterways or from your Travel Professional. Offer is combinable with valid Welcome Back and other select partner offers. Limited to new bookings for US originating travelers and economy class Flex air tickets; must be booked & under deposit between September 5, 2023 and April 30, 2024. A $550 non-refundable deposit is due at time of booking. Offer does not apply to instant purchase air. Groups of 8 passengers or more don't qualify for this offer. Please call for Group promotion options. Promotional discounts do not carry forward on voluntarily changed air bookings; other promotions at time of change may be available. Once ticketed, air reservations subject to change/cancellation penalties of between $300 per ticket and 100% of ticket value. Changes to ticketed air reservations (including itineraries involving free round-trip trans-Atlantic air) also subject to airfare differentials between originally ticketed air itinerary and re-ticketed air itinerary. Additional airline baggage fees may apply; visit www.iflybags.com for details. Air schedules are available approximately 330 days prior to return travel date. Flight schedules, routings and air carriers are at the discretion of Globus family of brands. Additional restrictions apply; see Travel Terms for details. Air tickets are non-commissionable. Offer is capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. Offer available from participating GFOB offices only. CST#2017032-20. PRMYFJ PRMYFJ

Up to $500 Welcome Back Credit for Repeat Travelers

Mention Promo Code: PT2504
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Up to $500 Welcome Back Credit for Repeat Travelers

Up to $500 Welcome Back Credit for Repeat Travelers

Promotion Details
With the Welcome Back Credit, the more you travel, the more credit you earn toward future vacations. You can easily redeem your Welcome Back Credit towards a future Globus or Cosmos tour, or use your credit to experience a Monograms package or Avalon Waterways river cruise. In addition to the Welcome Back Credit program, if your plans changed, you could also be holding onto additional travel credits through a Letter of Credit and Peace of Mind Bonus Credit. The credit amount is based on the overall value of your vacation, from a $100 - $250 credit per person.
Must Book By Tue, Dec 31, 2024
View Promotion Terms & Conditions ›

The Welcome Back Credit is awarded upon completion of Globus family of brands vacations. Credit amount can only be applied to the land/cruise or cruise only portion of a new Globus family of brands vacation (excluding 2022 Oberammergau, Monograms City Getaways, and Custom/Charter vacations). Credit amount is per person and must be redeemed for a future vacation with a deposit within 2 years from date of credit issue. Bookings can be made by calling the Globus family of brands, online, or by contacting your preferred travel advisor. Passenger must activate redemption credit prior to redemption. Combinable with all applicable consumer promotions except those with any Globus family of brands special discount programs. Credit must be applied before final payment on a future booking. Credit is not redeemable for cash, non-refundable deposit, airfare, transfers, travel insurance, prepaid gratuities, pre/post nights, or optional excursions and is non-transferrable. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Valid for all participating Globus family of brands offices. Additional restrictions may apply.


River Cruise Itinerary

One of Europe’s most legendary rivers awaits you on this exciting journey along the Rhine River, which begins in Switzerland and visits France, Germany, and Holland! Board your Avalon Suite Ship® in Basel, Switzerland, then head for Breisach, Germany, at the foot of the Kaiserstuhl Mountain on the French-German border. Here you’ll find the gateway to Germany’s Black Forest, an area of unrivaled natural beauty, best known for Black Forest ham, cherry cake, and the cuckoo clock. Continue your river cruise to Strasbourg, France, and marvel at the red-sandstone Gothic-style cathedral with ancient murals and the fascinating astronomical clock. Stroll through the lovely La Petite France district with its quaint shops, delightful bistros, and peaceful waterfront promenade. Visit the ruins of Heidelberg Castle, towering magnificently over the city, or stop in Mainz for a guided walk and a visit to the captivating Gutenberg Museum. Sail to the charming wine town of Rüdesheim, and a visit to the unique Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum, then pass through the dramatic Rhine Gorge—the most beautiful view of the Rhine River where ancient castles stand on cliffs 400 feet above the water. Last stop in Germany is Cologne—a 2,000-year-old city known for its Gothic-style architecture and famous twin-spired cathedral.At the conclusion of your Rhine River cruise, you’ll spend time in colorful Amsterdam. See the treasures of this 700-year-old city on an included canal cruise along the elegant grachten lined with homes dating back to the city’s “Golden Age.” Spend free time discovering world-famous museums, and an abundance of restaurants in the vibrant, modern capital of Holland.

  1. Day 1
    BASEL, SWITZERLAND (EMBARKATION)
    Tue, Jul 02, 2024
    Welcome to Switzerland. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Zürich or Basel must arrive by 3 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.Enjoy dinner and explore the ship on your first night on board.EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH (D)BASEL-SUNSET.jpg
  2. Day 2
    BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
    Wed, Jul 03, 2024
    German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.ACTIVE Enjoy the view on a relaxing bike ride along the Rhine with your Adventure Host, OR:DISCOVERY Join a full-day Guided Tour to the magical Black Forest to experience the Vogtsbauernohf open-air-museum, visit an authentic water mill, and see a traditional butter-making demonstration, OR: DISCOVERY Visit to a local winery in Breisach, where you will learn about German winemaking and enjoy a wine tasting.CLASSIC Join A Guided Tour to explore Freiburg’s medieval city center, sheltered by the Black Forest amid vineyards and gardens of the Upper Rhine Valley.You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to visit the charming village of Colmar in the morning, with its half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings. EVENING CRUISE TO STRASBOURG(B,L,D)BLACK-FOREST-SCENIC.jpg
  3. Day 3
    STRASBOURG, FRANCE
    Thu, Jul 04, 2024
    A Grand Cathedral and La Petite FranceACTIVE Discover Strasbourg by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Join a City Sightseeing Tour, including Strasbourg’s Gothic, stained-glass cathedral with its celebrated ancient murals and astronomical clock, as well as the magical La Petite France District.You may also choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to the historic Maginot Line—the pre-WWII fortifications designed to protect the eastern border of France, or visit Alsace’s wine country today.Alternatively, take some free time in Strasbourg to visit a museum, or stroll across the city center. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MAINZ(B,L,D)STRASBOURG-PETIT-FRANCE.jpg
  4. Day 4
    MAINZ, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG
    Fri, Jul 05, 2024
    Castle Walls, and the World’s Biggest Wine BarrelACTIVE Join your Avalon Adventure Host for an inspiring walk in Heidelberg, the Philosophers' way, OR:CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Tour to Heidelberg Castle to see the ruins of the magnificent renaissance treasure towering above the city, and its famed Great Vat, the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel,” OR: CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided City Walk in Mainz, including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing.This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship after a short sailing to Rüdesheim.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RÜDESHEIM(B,L,D)HEIDELBERG.jpg
  5. Day 5
    RÜDESHEIM–RHINE GORGE
    Sat, Jul 06, 2024
    Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine CountryACTIVE Enjoy a hike with your Avalon Adventure Host through the picturesque vineyards of Rüdesheim, OR:DISCOVERY Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience; enjoy a tasting of the authentic Rüdesheimer coffee.En route to Koblenz, sail through the Rhine Gorge (a UNESCO World Heritage site). Take in the breathtaking views of ancient castles perched on cliffs 400 feet above the water, and pass the legendary Rock of the Lorelei—where the mythological siren’s songs lured ill-fated sailors.KOBLENZTravel Through 2000 Years Of Monumental History Enjoy free time in Koblenz before a relaxing evening on board with dinner and live entertainment. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN KOBLENZ(B,L,D)RUDESHEIM-VINEYARDS.jpg
  6. Day 6
    COLOGNE
    Sun, Jul 07, 2024
    Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.ACTIVE Enjoy a bike ride like the locals in Cologne with your Adventure Host, OR: DISCOVERY Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne’s important Jewish heritage sites, OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided City Walk of Cologne—with its soaring twin-steepled gothic cathedral.Spend free time over a glass of Kölsch pale lager—locally brewed for over 100 years! AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AMSTERDAM(B,L,D)COLOGNE-BEER.jpg
  7. Day 7
    AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
    Mon, Jul 08, 2024
    Canals of Colorful AmsterdamACTIVE Start your day joining your Adventure Host on an early morning walk in Amsterdam, OR:CLASSIC Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.” During tulip season, you may take a Guided Optional Excursion to Keukenhof gardens—with more than seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, as well as other bulbs, planted each year. Outside of tulip season, join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses. You may also choose an Optional Biking Tour to discover the countryside. Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM(B,L,D)AMSTERDAM-CANAL-CRUISE.jpg
  8. Day 8
    AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
    Tue, Jul 09, 2024
    Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. (B)AMSTERDAM-SUNRISE.jpg

Countries Visited

France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland

Rivers Visited

Rhine

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Inclusions

  • In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
  • Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
  • Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.


Accommodation Information

Gateway city for arrivals is Zürich.

Port charges:
$210

Avalon offers the opportunity for solo travelers to sail with no single supplement (subject to availability).

Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available.

OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-342-0019

Ship Information

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Cabins

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Life on Board

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Questions & Answers

Question: Will the day-by-day itinerary change?

Yes, the river cruise itineraries may change due to reasons such as inclement weather or unforeseen events. Your safety is the number one concern aboard and all precautions necessary will be taken in order to ensure passenger safety, including changing itineraries. Please note that when itineraries do change, the ship staff will do their best to substitute any missed port with an alternative destination.

Question: In what language is the river cruise conducted?

The river cruise will be conducted in English only.

Customer Reviews

Overall Rating
4.2
Accommodations
4.3
Itinerary
4.2
Professional Staff
4.5
Repeat with Operator
4
Value for Money
3.8

Ratings based off 58 reviews - currently showing 11 reviews with comments only

AVALON did NOT disappoint again--- this was our third Riverboat trip with Avalon. Ship was beautiful -- staff was excellent --- food was absolutely amazing. Entertainment was great -- guides for the off boat tours were very knowledgeable and personal.

Avalon vs. Viking: I would probably go back to Viking, but each has it's favorable points and room for improvement. The Avalon ship was spotless and the staff was quite good. The food was fine. The Cruise Director was the best I have experienced anywhere. The cabin was spacious, but I missed having the lanai. The guides were great and timing was spot-on. The onboard entertainer was mediocre at best, though, and that really was a downer. On our Viking cruise two years ago, the onboard entertainer was awesome and a good part of our social time was spent enjoying him in the lounge. This guy on Avalon could not sing and his music was intended for the 80 year old+ audience. No one danced or sang along. Disappointing. One of the special music guests was incredibly good, and the other was incredibly bad.

Our Avalon Waterways river cruise was phenomenal! So much fun! The cruise director was wonderful! The staff and the wait service are going to be missed! The excursions kept us up and moving everyday, which was expected. The local guides were all great! It was a dream vacation for sure! A guided tour of Europe was our best decision. Very happy indeed!

Very pleasant and helpful and resulted in significant savings versus booking directly.

I was a bit skeptical when I booked but that went away the first day. Everyone was very helpful and everything was fabulous, hope we can do another trip soon.

OUr cruise was exactly as described and actually exceeded our expectations. Everything was so well done. Ship was great. Staff wonderful. Food excellennt. Couldn't have asked for moore.

All was good EXCEPT the optional tours were not worth it. The places were beautiful by the guides were not helpful.

We had a change in boats due to water level. It seemed that this crew was not as motivated as the other trips he had with Avalon. The food though good did not give alternated to offer myself and my sister. Staff was not as good as previous trips, had this been our first trip we would not return as the others were outstanding.

Our vacation with Avalon Waterways was fantastic. The Tour Guide, Tony was the best person we have ever met for this type of tour. We are excited to look at other river cruises and will book with them again

Aga is the best. She responded to you promptly and goes out of her way to answer your questions. I had a complication situation in which the Avalon itinerary did not match and thus had arranged for buisiness in one city when indeed the ship was in another city. She call operations for the company found out the exact time things would occur and made a great recommendation for when i could have my business meeting. I encourage management to recognize her efforts!

Avalon River Cruises are GREAT!!! It is even more wonderful than Ocean Cruising. We will do this again.

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