The river Main infos and river cruising experiences

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

Great photo, by the way, of one of my favourite ships on the rivers - the River Cloud as she was called and which is now the Royal Crown (which makes the photo a bit "old" of course).

I zoomed in on the main photo on the link, and although the ship name got a little fuzzy it seems to be Royal Crown.  She is regularly chartered by Noble-Caledonia:

https://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk/ships/river/royal-crown/#related_tours

 

[notamermaid]

Oh thanks, I read it as River Cloud (both capital R and C) and the livery looked a little old. Should have zoomed in myself. The Royal Crown ex-River Cloud is a beautiful ship I find, I loved the reception area (all I was allowed to see on a chance encounter). Good to read she will be sailing again this year for the company - and traversing Europe on a 24-day itinerary! Not stopping at Wertheim, but Miltenberg on the Main, among other places: https://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk/tour/2592/across-europe-by-river-2022/itinerary/?search_url_id=2

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

Responding to @notamermaid - We visited Wertheim on our first river cruise from Vienna to Amsterdam.  It was 15 years ago so my memories are a bit foggy.
The enrichment activity on board before we arrived in Wertheim was a glass blower that had a shop there. He came aboard that morning the with his equipment and an assistant a gave a demonstration and not surprisingly sold his art. Our walking tour had our first stop was to meet our guide at his studio and for a beer. It was after lunch😉.
My most vivid memory of Wertheim is the castle ruins above the city. Quite a climb up to them. The castle itself was not all that impressive but the view was well worth the effort expended to get there. This was on our own, not part of the walking tour. 15 years and pounds later, I don’t think I would attempt that again.
 

[notamermaid]

On 3/27/2022 at 4:34 AM, CPT Trips said:

The enrichment activity on board before we arrived in Wertheim was a glass blower that had a shop there.

I have seen the glass blower in the videos of Viking. A popular activity it seems, it having been done for so many years.

 

The castle I think has been mentioned in connection with Amawaterways. But I reckon it is an obvious choice with many tour operators.

 

I wonder if anyone has been on an excursion from Wertheim or on a bike tour?  I think Rothenburg ob der Tauber is mostly done from Würzburg, isn't it?

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

Our cruise line for this trip was GCT, not Viking.

I know that the tour to Rothenburg was on a cruising day. My recollection (foggy at best) is the ship went from Würzburg to Wertheim stopping briefly in Gerlachshausen to disembark those taking the optional tour to Rothenburg. 
 

Now that I’m typing this, I realize the that I may have erred in post 103 on the timing of when the glassblower boarded the ship.

[notamermaid]

Oh, I see. GCT has also employed the glass blower(s). They may be connected to the museum. Looks a pleasant little place: https://glasmuseum-wertheim.de/en/

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

The artist that did our demo had his own studio. 
My hunch is that it was a very profitable demo; it looked like a lot of purchases were made. Not us though, no fragile and/or bulky souvenirs allowed. 😎

[notamermaid]

Size of souvenirs can be awkward. I tend to go for the standard small ones: fridge magnets, pens, pencils, leather bookmarks. But I have also purchased birthday cards (with motif of the town), old replica coins, jewellery, etc. The bulkiest one so far must be the bathrobe from the Budapest baths, I think. On the Main I perhaps should have bought a mirror in Lohr (the Snow White town) but was only there for two hours. No shopping as such. A fridge magnet and a few postcards it was in Würzburg.

 

Next place on the Main for a souvenir purchase should be Ochsenfurt. I look forward to returning there. It was a pleasant surprise as a place to explore, checked it out for ten minutes. When I am there I must have a look at the old hospital. Apparently it is a well-preserved complex of buildings dating from the 15th century. Intriguing. I stumbled across it as I read an article that the German foundation for the preservation of monuments gave a grant for the renovation in 2021. The hospital as a building site (text says 1.1 million came from a government institution, which is a different source of monies): https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/millionen-foerderung-fuer-ochsenfurter-spital,SfgReiV

The building before renovation: https://www.ochsenfurt.de/index.php?id=120&L=6

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

My mother collected thimbles, beautifully small. As a teenager a travel rep asked my mother and I to fly home with two swords left behind by a customer myself and a rather nice young man had a fence off up and down the eisle can you imagine that now?

[Host Jazzbeau]

50 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

My mother collected thimbles, beautifully small. As a teenager a travel rep asked my mother and I to fly home with two swords left behind by a customer myself and a rather nice young man had a fence off up and down the eisle can you imagine that now?

Wow!  How the world has changed (sadly)...

[jpalbny]

2 hours ago, Canal archive said:

My mother collected thimbles, beautifully small. As a teenager a travel rep asked my mother and I to fly home with two swords left behind by a customer myself and a rather nice young man had a fence off up and down the eisle can you imagine that now?

 

That's awesome. Definitely not happening these days.

 

We bring home local wine and spices as souvenirs. That way they never build up or collect too much space (except for how they inexplicably expand my belly...)

 

For example - we brought home some sea salt from Croatia, and a "few" bottles of wine. While coming home through Paris we went to the gourmet food store at Galleries Lafayette and got some sel gris de Guérand too. It went very well with yesterday's steak!

 

The only other souvenir-type that we bring home is small animal figurines, especially if they are carved out of local stone. We have a collection of them on a shelf in the living room.

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by jpalbny

[notamermaid]

On 4/11/2022 at 6:45 PM, jpalbny said:

We bring home local wine and spices as souvenirs.

That is a nice idea. On the Main around Würzburg that is probably an even better idea as elsewhere. Franconian wines are not that easy to get outside of the wider region it seems. Happy to be proven otherwise.

 

We have talked about hiking recently. I found this article about hiking in Franconia: https://www.travelpulse.com/opinions/blog/hike-through-bavarias-wine-region.html

 

Randersacker! Now that rings a bell perhaps. Yes, it was a village we walked through during a trip to Würzburg in 2020, #post 55: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2670259-the-river-main-infos-and-river-cruising-experiences/page/3/#comment-60446776

 

 

I enjoyed Randersacker for the fact that it was a place that attracted few international tourists (a sign of the time in 2020 perhaps) and was quiet, with an attractive spot at the river bank to just watch the locals and the scenery. Würzburg has so much to see and could keep you busy for two days, but if that couple offered wine tours on a river cruise I would definitely not say no to such an excursion.

 

The Main and especially the bends in Franconia have so much to offer, it is worth repeating that I would like to see an international river cruise company offer a more intensive itinerary in that area. On a seven-day trip there is no need to go all the way from Regensburg to Cologne for example. I would be willing to spend all days and nights of such a trip on the Main.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Today and tomorrow are days when you can not only watch the barge and tanker traffic on the Main but may also be able to spot an unusual sight. Another ship hull is on its way to the Netherlands for outfitting. This one is the Viva Two. She is being pushed by Zasavica as she really is only steel and nothing else yet. Currently around Eltmann, she passed the Viking Ve about an hour ago. As she is sailing more slowly than a vessel going downstream on a river would, she still needs quite a bit of time before she reaches the Rhine and her shipyard.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

For a bit of ship spotting and panoramic views of Würzburg: https://webtv.feratel.com/webtv/?design=v4&cam=3068&c1=0

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

We talked about in a previous year how the Main river is somewhat underrepresented as a river that you sail as the main focus of your trip or even as the only river. German lines have been doing Christmas market cruises that are almost exclusively on the Main for years, kind of "five nights of glühwein, stalls and festive cheer galore". It is nice to read that more international cruise lines now use Frankfurt as an embarkation port and there appear to be a few more stops the names of which I did not read several years ago. I may have missed some interesting itineraries of course while reading through the websites...

 

Anyway, we see more cruises with variations on popular itineraries, different embarkation ports and differing itinerary lengths. More choice for river cruisers!

 

Here is one I recommend from looking at the ports, by the relatively young company Viva Cruises (German, operating bilingually). Düsseldorf to Regensburg: https://www.viva-*****/en/cruisedetail?id=352&adults=2

The details that created my interest:

1. Recommendation of Benrath Palace as an outing, if you have enough time on your own in Düsseldorf before embarking. Düsseldorf has a major airport, is an interesting city and quite different from Cologne.

2. Cologne is not in the itinerary but Koblenz is.

3. Wiesbaden-Biebrich with the splendid palace and visiting the sophisticated spa town Wiesbaden.

4. Evening in Frankfurt and overnight docking there.

5. Wertheim, a standard port but ever so pleasant (which I learnt recently), check out the local history museum there if you have enough free time.

6. Schweinfurt, hardly served by international ships.

7. Kelheim (unfortunately there is an error in the description so it is not possible to read what is offered on that day, hopefully a boat excursion to the Danube Gorge).

8. It is on a 110m ship.

 

While it is not solely on the Main, I find this itinerary puts the river nevertheless more into its focus, adds the great Rhine Gorge while not having to do it from the more distant Trier and presents start and end points that are accessible for international cruisers (Düsseldorf and the not too distant Munich airport) and are of great interest in themselves.

Also 10 nights is a nice duration in between the slightly short seven nights along the Rhine or the more demanding 14 (15?) nights on the Grand European.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[rcaruso]

On 6/1/2022 at 12:34 PM, notamermaid said:

For a bit of ship spotting and panoramic views of Würzburg: https://webtv.feratel.com/webtv/?design=v4&cam=3068&c1=0

 

notamermaid

 

That's too funny.  That's the hotel we stay at when in Wurzburg.  Quite a hike from the train station, but best view of the river and fortress.  Love it!

[notamermaid]

To my delight I have read of a few more variations on river cruise itineraries and that includes ports on the Main. Mainly I see a rise in Frankfurt as an embarkation port, to me noticeably over the last three years. But a couple of smaller ports appear in descriptions of itineraries more as well. Now I have had a look at a 2023 itinerary of Avalon Waterways. I am not sure if it is completely new but it is not bookable for 2022. It is called German Grandeur and has as a typical extension Munich: https://www.avalonwaterways.com/river-cruise/german-grandeur-with-2-nights-in-munich-eastbound/WZNE/?season=2023

This is the route Basel to Nuremberg or vice versa. Upper Rhine, Main and Canal is not such a typical route but is offered by a couple of other companies as well. This itinerary sticks out a little as it does not directly go from Mainz to the Main but does a short trip further down the Rhine into the Rhine Gorge which means you can sail much of the castle stretch. Turnaround port is Boppard, a good choice if you do not want to sail all the way down to Koblenz in my opinion. One port struck me as I have not read it in an itinerary before at all - Seligenstadt. I did not even know of that town having a port so I checked. It appears to only have a marina and ferry; I did not read anything of a river cruise port. It turns out that Avalon Waterways only offers an excursion to Seligenstadt from Frankfurt, so no docking in the smaller town. I do not recall ever having been to Seligenstadt so cannot tell you anything about it from my own experience (I may have been there while visiting family nearby as a small child). The other ports are standard offers on the Main. I like the offer of Neuschwanstein Castle on the Munich day.

 

Another North American river cruise company that sails this route is Amawaterways. Also from Basel to Nuremberg, it does not sail into the Rhine Gorge but also does the short "detour" from Mainz. Only it stops at Rüdesheim just before the castle stretch and then turns back. This itinerary called Medieval Treasures goes to two other unusual small ports, Kitzingen and Volkach (a bicycle tour): https://www.amawaterways.com/destination/europe-river-cruises/2023/medieval-treasures

Here the extension is Prague.

 

Both offer the excursion to Rothenburg ob der Tauber which is a must in my opinion if you can take coach rides and enjoy Medieval town walls.

 

The two itineraries naturally have a different focus as is reflected in the titles they have been given and I can imagine you may have difficulty deciding between these two itineraries if you want to do this route. Having sailed with neither company I think I would go with the Avalon Waterways one for three reasons. 1. Boppard turn around port (bearing in my that Boppard is really nice but not spectacular - I like it) 2. I would like to see Seligenstadt where I would likely be among only a handful of river cruise tourists 3. Neuschwanstein extension, do not fancy going to Prague, would prefer Munich for return journey. Just my thoughts on these two.

 

A third option is CroisiEurope. The French company sails from their base at Strasbourg all the way to Linz in Austria. You may find another company that takes you on this journey on the Rhine and Main onto the Main Danube Canal and possibly further.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

This is the route Basel to Nuremberg or vice versa. Upper Rhine, Main and Canal is not such a typical route but is offered by a couple of other companies as well.

This is actually the second half (in reverse) of the Vienna-Basel cruise I took with Uniworld in 2011. There were people disembarking in Nuremberg, as well as new people embarking. We also did the extra bit down to Rudesheim before turning around to sail up the Rhine. 

Edited October 10, 2022 by gnome12

[notamermaid]

30 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

This is actually the second half (in reverse) of the Vienna-Basel cruise I took with Uniworld in 2011.

Thank you. Uniworld, interesting. I had not looked at their offers. 2011 is some time ago so I have had a quick look now for 2023. Uniworld describes this as new for 2023 so I expect it is a variation on a previous itinerary: https://www.uniworld.com/us/river-cruise/central-europe/rhine/zurich-and-the-rhine-river-valley/2023-nuremberg-to-zurich/day-to-day

This particular itinerary does not do the little trip down to Rüdesheim. Interesting about Uniworld is that they dock in Rastatt on the Rhine which makes this stand out from other offers. Of the Main river villages it includes Volkach. Uniworld offers a longer version which may well be two legs like the half you did, gnome12: https://www.uniworld.com/us/river-cruise/central-europe/rhine/grand-central-europe/2023-basel-to-vienna

 

notamermaid

 

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by notamermaid

[notamermaid]

I return to the Main thread briefly for a report of the saving of a cow on the river at Würzburg. The cow is made of metal and carries the name "Mainkuh". The stationary excursion boat is a restaurant and was in danger of being hit and most likely badly damaged by a barge whose steering failed and turned sideways. It happened over Christmas. It was quite dramatic but the barge has been turned and the river is free, traffic is running again smoothly - if you have been on a Christmas river cruise you may have been delayed by the incident - and the restaurant can greet guests again. A German news report with sped-up video: https://www.tvmainfranken.de/querliegender-frachter-ist-weg-main-in-wuerzburg-wieder-frei-308712/

 

notamermaid

 

 

[rcaruso]

On 12/28/2022 at 8:33 AM, notamermaid said:

I return to the Main thread briefly for a report of the saving of a cow on the river at Würzburg. The cow is made of metal and carries the name "Mainkuh". The stationary excursion boat is a restaurant and was in danger of being hit and most likely badly damaged by a barge whose steering failed and turned sideways. It happened over Christmas. It was quite dramatic but the barge has been turned and the river is free, traffic is running again smoothly - if you have been on a Christmas river cruise you may have been delayed by the incident - and the restaurant can greet guests again. A German news report with sped-up video: https://www.tvmainfranken.de/querliegender-frachter-ist-weg-main-in-wuerzburg-wieder-frei-308712/

 

notamermaid

 

 

Wow that's the Chinese Restaurant and casino in bottom.  Close call.

[notamermaid]

The river cruising season on the Main at Frankfurt is not off to a good start. At least for one river cruise ship. According to German news reports, the (name undisclosed) vessel has hit the "Eiserner Steg" bridge and while the iron construction appears to be fine, the ship has sustained damage.

 

While try and find out a bit more about it.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Just managed to sneak behind a couple of tracking/pay walls. It is the MS Annika of Phoenix Reisen. She tried to sail under the bridge. The crew must have though that the ship fits under at this spot although the river is high. Apparently there was just a bit too little headroom and bits from the superstructure landed in the river. This is all I can find out.

 

The many bridges on the Main and Main Danube Canal always pose a hazard and - just to mention it for those who are new to this thread - make many river cruise ships with high superstructures keep the sundeck or part of it closed for (almost) the entire river journey.

 

A few more details on this topic are on page 1 of this thread.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

So, more info and correction. The river was not on a very high level. The MS Annika lost some of the construction at the funnel, nothing from the sundeck or wheelhouse. Apparently she was not fully getting ready to sail for the season, just repositioning from Offenbach. According to Phoenix Reisen, repairs will take a week only and are considered "cosmetic".

 

notamermaid

 

Edited March 14, 2023 by notamermaid
grammar

[notamermaid]

With the Main Danube Canal inaccessible at this time of year due to maintenance (see Danube thread) it is of course not possible yet to have a Grand European journey or even start a river cruise in Frankfurt that goes upstream to Nuremberg. Roaming offers on the Main river I actually found one river cruise that is starting in March. That makes sense with this APT itinerary as it leaves from Amsterdam and will be on the Main when the Canal reopens. APT calls it "Highlights of the Rhine and Main".

 

I have said in the past that I would like to see a river cruise line focusing on the Main in an itinerary. This year we have the chance to sail only on the Main with Viva Cruises on a four night return trip Frankfurt. Available internationally, so certainly a nice short trip if you just want to see the Main river landscape or test out if a river cruise may be for you: https://www.viva-*****/en-us/cruisedetail?id=346&adults=2

 

Always having little time in between work; I would consider booking this for myself to just get away for a few days from home.

 

notamermaid