Christmastime in Alsace & Germany (Southbound)

FRANKFURT, GERMANY (EMBARKATION) Welcome to Germany. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.

Flights into Frankfurt must arrive by 3 pm.

Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO SPEYER

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Speyer is a town located in southwest Germany situated beside the river Rhine. Originally founded by the Romans, it is one of the oldest settlements in Germany and is situated in the popular wine growing region of the Palatinate. A key attraction of Speyer is the Historical Museum of the Palatinate, which is one of the most celebrated culture-history museums in Germany. It features five permanent collections including Prehistory, Roman Times, Cathedral Treasury, Modern Era and Wine Museum. Not far from the museum, visitors will find the Imperial Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is considered the largest preserved Romanesque church in Europe. Originally constructed by Konrad II, this magnificent and looming building was intended to demonstrate the Lord’s religio-political claim to power against the papacy. Speyer has been producing wine since its Roman beginnings and wine tasting, festivals and events are popular all year round. The town is popular for outdoor activities such as hiking and cycling as well as guided walking tours of the town.

SPEYER. EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG Winter Wonders and a Wine Barrel Fit for a King

DISCOVERY Take a Guided Tour that includes the magnificent Heidelberg Castle and the Great Vat—the world’s largest wine barrel. After the tour, visit the local German Christmas markets in Heidelberg.

Alternatively, enjoy a relaxing sailing morning and explore the sights and sounds, tantalizing treats, and seasonal handiwork of Speyer Christmas markets.

This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board

EVENING/OVERNIGHT TO STRASBOURG

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STRASBOURG, FRANCE A Gothic Cathedral, Heaven’s Time, and Joyeux Noël

CLASSIC Come along for City Sightseeing, including the city’s gothic, stained-glass cathedral with its celebrated ancient murals and astronomical clock, as well as the magical La Petite France District.

You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to beautiful Alsace, for an afternoon in a French wine-country village.

Savor the warmth and glow of Christmas tradition by spending your free time this afternoon wandering the French winter markets of Strasbourg. Take in the lights, music, and the pleasures of the season.

EVENING CRUISE TO BREISACH

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Breisach is a town located in Southwest Germany on the French border. The town is situated in the Rhine Valley on the banks of the river Rhine and dates back over four thousand years. Breisach and its history can be experienced through the City History Museum, which houses a permanent exhibition taking you from Stone Age through the Celtic, to the Romans and Middle Ages, right up to modern day. St Stephen's Cathedral is home to the city’s famous art treasures, the wheel wells, which are housed in the neighbouring Radbrunnenturm with the forty one metre deep water well. The cathedral is also home to many other treasures including the High Altar of Master HL and wall paintings by Martin Schongauer as well as High Gothic and Roman architecture. A visit to the Blue House, the former Jewish Community Centre, is highly recommended. Now owned by the Friends of Former Jewish Community House Breisach it exhibits memorials to Breisach’s Jewish heritage.

BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest

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, OR:

DISCOVERY Join a Guided Tour to the magical Black Forest to experience local traditions and the vibrant Christmas mood.

In the afternoon you may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to visit the charming village of Colmar, with its half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings, or to spend your free time to enjoy the Breisach’s Christmas Markets.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BASEL

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Basel is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the Swiss, French and German borders. It is located on the bend of the River Rhine and benefits from a Mediterranean climate. It is the third most populated city in Switzerland and has been the commercial hub for Swiss arts and culture since the Renaissance. In 1967 the people of Basel voted to acquire two paintings by Picasso, who was so moved by the Basel people that he donated 3 paintings and a study to the city's Kunstmuseum (Museum of Fine Arts). Visit the Augusta Raurica, one of the largest Roman archaeology parks in Switzerland, and enjoy a river crossings over the River Rhine by non-motorised ferries. During the summer months, time is spent outdoors, either swimming in the River Rhine, dining al fresco, enjoying open air concerts, cinema, street parties and festivals. Basel is home to over 20 restaurants that have won GaultMillau or Michelin awards, and boasts Switzerland's largest collection of theatre shows, including modern contemporary dance, touring and puppetry theatre.

BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION) Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.

Flights shouldn't leave Zürich airport before 10 am or Basel airport before 8 am.

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