Rhine River Cruise Tour

Planning for European holidays, a luxury Rhine river cruise tour is the best choice. The Rhine River begins from the Alps in Switzerland and falls into the North Sea flowing through France, Germany, Luxembourg and Netherlands. Rhine river cruises start from a number of cities situated at banks of the Rhine, including Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Cologne and Basel. There are number of itineraries to choose from to sail Rhine, ranging from single day cruises to multiple night cruises covering all five countries.

Affectionately called Romantic Rhine, Rhine Valley and Rhine Gorge, The Middle Rhine in Germany is considered to be the most scenic part of Rhine This segment of the river begins in Mainz and extends till Koblenz. It boasts picturesque castles and vineyards and is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Dating back to Middle Ages, many castles on the ridge tops have been restored and are now open to tourists. Burg Eltz is the most remarkable of all. Nestled amidst lush green surroundings, Burg Eltz is a visual delight and here tourists also get see armour, medieval kitchen and Rococo furniture. Some castles have been converted into hotels and hostels as well. Travellers who wish to stay at royal abode from the Middle Ages overlooking the mighty river Rhine may customize their luxury Rhine river cruise itinerary and stay overnight at Castle Auf Schonburg.

Apart from scenic castles, there’s one more highlight of many Rhine Gorge cruises – Lorelei Rock. Named after the feminine water spirit, the rock has a popular folklore associated with it and it has been mentioned in many works of art, literature and music.

Rhine cruise itineraries including French destinations, Stratsourg and Breisach, are even more enthralling as tourists get to visit romantic villages and the opportunity to savour wine at the famed Dopff & Irion Vineyard.

Best Time for Rhine River Cruise: The season for cruising along the Rhine begins in May and extends till fall. During the Christmas season, at the ancient streets snaking along the river, tourists would come across chocolate Santas, candle markets, and plenty of wurst and glühwein. Shopaholics would find sailing on the Rhine the most fascinating way to visit these seasonal markets.

A Guide for Cruising Holidays

Cruising holidays have become an integral part of tourism industry. In comparison to land based tours, holidaymakers now prefer to sail to different ports every day during their leisure trips. With facilities like restaurants, swimming pools and spas on board, luxury cruises are sailing five- star hotels offering outstanding value for money. Top-notch personalized services, state-of-the-art amenities, choicest wines and gourmet cuisine are the hallmarks of luxury cruises. The moment you set your foot on board, a hostess welcomes you proffering a drink, while an adept steward offers to heft your baggage as he escorts you to your cabin which is going to be your new abode for the next few days.

There has been a constant increase in demand for cruise holidays over the last decade. As a result, cruise lines have come up with more ships and more itineraries to match interests of tourists of different tastes and budget. If still you didn’t find any cruise offer 2014 as per your requirement and budget, you may opt to customize your cruising tour itinerary, which is not limited to the selection of destinations but may also include special arrangements for parties on board, extended stays and port transfers by the car of your choice. Private tours in and around cities, villages and towns, theatre tickets or an event ticket are common features of any luxury cruise offer 2014, but luxury of extended stays at any destination and then flying to the next destination to embark the cruise ship makes a tailor-made cruise offer 2014 an exciting holiday package.

Cruising holidays are usually more expensive than traditional tours. So as to get the best value for money, travellers should follow the below mentioned two tips on finding best prices and selecting the best sailing itinerary.

Advance Booking: Booking well in advance is the golden rule of the travel industry to get the best price, no matter whether you are booking an airline ticket, hotel or a cruise deal. Cruise bookings start about a year before departure. Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Crystal Cruises have already unveiled itineraries for their luxury cruises 2015. As the dates of departure come nearer, travellers are left with limited choice of cabins and with fewer options to negotiate with. If you have not booked your cruise offer 2014, you may check deals for luxury cruises 2015, compare them and book the one you find better in terms of money, itinerary and value-added services.

Check deals with cruise companies/ travel agents dealing with multiple cruise lines: In this era of the internet, you can contact number of travel agents online in a single day sitting in the comfort of your own home. You just need to make a list of your preferences, destinations, date of travel and flexibility, cruise line, special arrangements and budget and email them. They will make a customized cruise deal for you and you just need to choose the one you find the best. This way you can save your time and money in contacting various cruise lines individually and scrutinizing endless itineraries to find the best cruise deal.

Luxury Cruising Around the World

Want to travel all over the world without going through the hassles of repacking, browsing through endless list of itineraries, negotiating with airlines and travel agents for booking flights and hotels? Embark on a world cruise.

No doubt, sailing around the world is about a one-third-year long voyage but is worth to go at least once in a lifetime. On a world cruise passengers not only get a chance to see and experience the diversity of culture but they also get a chance to discover the real pleasures of life, peace and tranquillity, without compromising on modern amenities and luxury. As compared to other cruise tours, a world cruise gives you more time to enjoy things as you travel at a slower pace.

How to Select Right World Cruise?

Around-the-world cruise tours have gained much fame and popularity so much so that more and more cruise lines are coming up with lavish and lengthy voyages around the globe. This means now travellers have an opportunity to choose from a variety of deals for the best world cruise 2014 in terms of price, itinerary and ship.

Small versus Big Ships:Size of the ship matters a lot. Till recently, there were limited options in terms of size of ships cruising around the world. But as the years passed, more cruise lines came into existence and ships of different sizes became available for world sailing tours as well. And if we talk of world cruise 2014 deals, travellers have choice to select from smaller, luxury ships such as Silversea to giants such as Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.

For the reason that they have more space, larger ships offer more variety in terms of facilities and entertainment. However, they are limited in their ports as larger vessels have to look for larger ports to dock at while smaller ones can dock close to a city.

Cruise Lines: Regular cruisers having a favourite line would just need to check whether their favourite cruise line offers around-the-world cruise. If yes, half of their work is done as they just need to check its itinerary and price for world cruise 2014. But for first timers, it becomes essential to find out their preferences inreference to style of cruising and size of ship they would want as they will be at sea for 3-4 months before zeroing in on any around-the- world cruise deal.

Cunard Line enjoys the reputation of offering the grandest around-the-world cruise experiences; while Silversea and Seabourn are famous ultra-luxury small ships combing off-beaten-track destinations. And if we talk of mid-size luxury ships, Crystal’s is unbeatable.

Evaluation of Itineraries: Last but not the least, cruisers need to evaluate the itineraries to avoid heading off to destinations where they have already been, though a few repeats are acceptable. Other parameters include duration of stay at ports and perks making the journey eventful.
An around-the-world sailing tour would be a revitalizing experience if you select the right deal.