Ramblings from the Romantic Rhine, Basel to Amsterdam July 2014

Hi all, this posting will a generic reflection on the ports and excursions we took while on the Avalon Basel to Amsterdam July 5, 2014 sailing. I will also do a formal CC Avalon Felicity review which is ship specific.

In general, we enjoyed all the ports very much. The sailing along the Rhine passing the castles was the highlight of our cruise, as it should be.

Zurich - We arrived in Zurich on a Sunday and were able to participate in the Zurich tour. Everything is closed in Zurich on a Sunday, but that worked out fine for us because the old town was empty. We also spent time at Lake Zurich. It was a clear day, and we were thrilled we had a good view of the mountains. We understood from others that both Zurich and Basel are very expensive compared to Germany. Another highlight of the tour was to view Chagall's stained glass windows in the church.

Strasbourgh, France. A very lovely city, which we viewed with a canal cruise. The stork is the symbol of Strasbourgh and you can buy souvenirs with their likeness.

In the afternoon we took the optional excursion to the Elzas Countryside to a private family owned winery. The owner, Mr. Blanck and his family were very friendly and engaging. The ride through Elzas brings you through old walled medieval towns where you can imagine the Fairy Tales took place. Definitely a place to revisit and stay a few days to explore.

Speyer, Germany was our next stop. The highlight for us was the Speyer Cathedral with the medieval crypts and tombs dating back to the year 1000. It is also the place where pretzels were invented. The town square is lovely and shops selling authentic German wares and clothing can be found here. You walk through a lovely park from the ship to the Towns Square

In the afternoon, we visited Heidelberg Castle, and the old town of Heidelberg.You do need to walk up the cobblestone paths which can be steep in places. Both are wonderful, but when we were there there was a steady rain which "dampened", ha, our enjoyment. But even the rain won't ruin your fun. There are several pubs in Heidelberg as well with pastry shops which sell huge pastries that are the size of baseballs. Several of the buildings are authentic to the Middle Ages.

Mainz was our next stop. This a.m. it was pouring, but yet the tour must go on. We had our gortex waterproof jackets, so we were prepared. It was a short walk from the ship to the Gutenberg Museum. Our guide did an excellent job demonstrating and explaining the techniques used by Gutenberg and the historical content. Even though it was now raining cats and dogs we decided to walk to the Church of St. Stephen to view stained glass windows made by Marc Chagall. Even though it was so dark outside, once you enter the sanctuary you are enveloped in a sea of blue. Chagall dedicated the windows as a symbol of forgiveness, though he never returned to Germany to see them in person. It is a short walk from the museum and well worth the effort.

In the afternoon we visited the quaint town of Rudesheim. The shopping street "Drosselgasse" is what you imagine from a picture postcard. It is filled with authentic restaurants and outdoor Bier Gardens. We also visited Seigfried's Mechanical Instrument Museum. It was an interesting and enjoyable hour spent. Rudesheim is where you can purchase the Asbach brandy, which I found quite tasty. We were then treated to some Rudesheimer Kaffe at a local restaurant. From then until the end of the cruise my drink of choice was an Asbach Sour, which I'm sure I can't find in NY.

In the evening we returned to the restaurant for the optional "German Dinner" excursion. It was such fun! While in Germany do as the Germans Do! Lots of drinking, singing and dancing. If you don't want to do that, at least have a beer or two or a Rudesheimer Kaffe at one of the local restaurants on your own. Fortunately it has stopped raining, even though the previous two days it rained in those days as much as it usually does for the entire two months of the summer. But at least the rest of you won't have a Rhine River bus tour due to the very very low river.

Next day, it was time for the castles. It did not rain, but it was cold. Perhaps 60 degrees F. Don't worry we took the extra blankets from the room and wrapped ourselves in then. Or you can watch from the lounge. Not me, I stayed for every second and enjoyed it. Since it was overcast it was easy to imagine how the story Frankenstein took place here.

Onto Koblenz in the afternoon. Yes, the sun is out! Here is where the Main and the Rhine meet. We decided to take the cable car across the river for a gorgeous view and to enjoy the sunshine. There is also a fort you can visit if you wish. Otherwise Koblenz is filled with shops and cafes. Lots of sales when we were there and the prices were reasonable. The ship was parked directly in town. In fact I went back to the ship to use the bathroom instead of looking for a public one.

Next day Cologne and more sunshine. I must say, we loved everything about Cologne. It is a must see, so if you are planning your trip make sure this city is on your itinerary. The town squares, City Hall with the weddings, the massive cathedral, the Jewish Quarter ruins were all highlights for us. Again the ship was docked right in town.

Our last day, was a full day in Amsterdam. First we started with a canal cruise. Amsterdam is such a charming city. Again we were lucky because the sun was shining even though it rains 180 days a year in Amsterdam. We were dropped off at the Diamond factory, but we just walked through. We then walked around the area, including the nearby Flea Market (friends found some wonderful "treasures" at good prices, the Flower Market and Rembrandt's House.

After lunch we went on the Zaanse Schans excursion. It was another gloriously sunny afternoon, and the windmills and the recreated town were exactly how I pictured "Holland" to be. I loved every second of it.

After dinner we went on the optional "Red Light District" excursion, just to discover what it is all about. It was very crowded on a Saturday Night, but I never felt unsafe. Part of the tour was by canal boat, so we were able to see parts of Amsterdam that we hadn't discovered yet.

The next day was Sunday and the cruise was over. We then took a taxi $15 Euros, to the Hotel Esthrea and continued our adventure. We walked everywhere. The one thing you MUST DO is purchase tickets to the Anne Frank House (if you are not going to go through the ship) and the museums before you leave home. The line for the Anne Frank House snaked around the streets. We simply rang the bell and walked in at our appointed time. It does not cost extra. Simply go the the website. The same goes for the Van Gough Museum, which we thoroughly enjoyed, as we are intrigued by his life and art.

Yes, you do see many many things with the Rhine Northbound Itinerary Basel to Amsterdam because the Rhine is pulling you along, you can travel quicker. This is something to keep in mind. On the other hand if you'd rather spend more time watching the world go by, the other direction might be more suitable.

I'm going to try to upload a few pictures to give you an idea of things you might see. Any remarks and questions, feel free. Thanks for reading.

Great overview of this Cruise, we did it last year, agree with all you comments.

We did an almost identical tour (though Amsterdam to Basel) on Uniworld several years ago, and enjoyed reliving it through your post. We'll be doing it again this December, so enjoyed your post to whet our appetites. Thank you!

Thank you so much!

We are going on our first RC with AMA in Sept - the exact same tour!

Can't wait. Now all I need are some good chocolate factories to visit... :)

Glad to read your review, and glad you had a good time on your cruise! Unlike you, we had rain in Cologne, but I agree with you that it was a great city, and it looks like a really fun place to revisit some day. We had beautiful weather in Heidelberg, though.

I'm jealous that you got to spend the evening in Rudesheim. That looked like a real party town! We were there in the morning, and cruised the Castles section later that day.

Would you recommend Avalon? Been to Germany and loved it but on land.

Also, is this a good cruise for a first timer?

Thank yoy

Would you recommend Avalon? Been to Germany and loved it but on land.

 

Also, is this a good cruise for a first timer?

 

Thank yoy

Yes, I can recommend Avalon. They give a good value for the price. The service is wonderful. The other passengers are all very friendly. We met many nice people on both of our Avalon cruises. The Rhine Basel to Amsterdam is a perfect cruise for the first timer, most of the sailing is done at night while you are sleeping and then when you wake up you are at your next destination.

Thanks for the report!

Here are a few photos. If I had the photos on my iPhone it would be a breeze but this antiquated method is very frustrating for me. Time for CC to step up.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5557/14696212593_3e45c41f02_s.jpg' alt='14696212593_3e45c41f02_s.jpg'>Zaans Schaans by [/url], on Flickr[/img]

Blanck Winery Alsace by , on Flickr

Ancient tombs Speyer by , on Flickr

Munich Tavern by , on Flickr

Munich Cathedral by , on Flickr

Munich Food by , on Flickr

We would also recommend Avalon. We did our 1st RC cruise on Viking ( before the expansion)..Amsterdam to Vienna. It was very good. Our 2nd was the Grand France on Avalon. It was even better. We found Avalon comparable in price and a notch above Viking. We will be doing the Zurich to Amsterdam on Avalon the end of August. We really liked the mix of Aussies, Canadians, & Brits that Avalon markets to.

Got2Cruise ~ SO glad you had a great cruise!!! Heidleberg-Rudesheim-Castles-Cologne! all bring back wonderful memories from our Christmas Markets cruise last December!!!

Have you decided where your next adventure is yet??? We're getting ready to leave in September for Paris & a Bordeaux cruise - getting more excited as each day goes by!!!

This is an excellent report.

Keith

When in Rudesheim

at Heidleberg Castle by the worlds largest vat

inspiration for Frankenstein

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I enjoy reading your review. Thanks for the tip, I think we will try to go Basel-Amsterdam as per your suggestion.

Got2Cruise ~ SO glad you had a great cruise!!! Heidleberg-Rudesheim-Castles-Cologne! all bring back wonderful memories from our Christmas Markets cruise last December!!!

 

Have you decided where your next adventure is yet??? We're getting ready to leave in September for Paris & a Bordeaux cruise - getting more excited as each day goes by!!!

We thought about a Christmas Markets cruise for our first ever river cruise. We are leaning towards Avalon. My question is: Do you still get the same excursions during the day as any other time of year? And the markets in the evenings? Undecided.

Thank you for your post! We are new to river cruising. This will be our first. Sailing out 13, 2014. Having trouble finding forums for this ship and route :)