LET'S BOOK AN ENTIRE CRUISE SHIP GROUP

LET'S BOOK AN ENTIRE CRUISE SHIP GROUP.
I'm starting to take names of those who may be interested in a Christmas market river cruise in November of 2026. By showing the cruise line I have this many people interested in a sailing we may be able to get lower prices and even have everyone on the ship part of the group. right now I'm only collecting information of those interested. no credit cards or money.
If you would like to be added to the email list when this cruise is announced I need the following
Full names as on passports
date of births
mailing address
phone number
When we have the full details of the trip I will emaileveryone on thelist and book them on a first come first served basis.

[baydweller]

Is this just for Canadian travelers or US, too? Imagine a whole ship filled with people who agree with Don's cruise etiquette! Sounds wonderful.

[catherinewhite]

Yes, river cruises are more expensive but they do include the excursions

[nicolenichol]

I wish I could afford that trip. I've never cruised before. The money I would want to spend would need to be equal to the entire trip. I bet those places will be filled with awesome things to buy. I'll be watching regardless and cheering people on. I would love to see you all book the entire ship. It would be a great trip because we all agree "don't touch the food, use the serving utensils" 😂.

[judygundlock]

This sounds like something I would love, but as a solo traveler I can only imagine how expensive it would be.

[edstuff]

I've been living in Europe for 25 years now. I spent the first 9 years living in Nürnberg and Heidelberg. I've been to Christmas markets large and small all over Germany and other European countries. I think the Christmas market in Nürnberg which is called the Christstkindlesmarkt is the best Christmas market in the world.

The Christlindlesmarkt is one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world. The main part of the market is located in the main market square in the city, the Hauptmarkt which is in the middle of the Altstadt or Old City of Nürnberg which is a very beatiful and historic city with an almost 1, 000 year history. In addition to the main market there is a special children's Christmas market on a side street off of the market square.

The Altstadt is surrounded by an ancient wall about 3 miles in diameter. Inside the walls ar emany beautiful old buildings, 2 large Gothic style churches, many museums, restaurants, and other attractions. The Altstadt is divided in half by a river wich flows from east to west. Many of the streets in the Altstadt are for pedestrians only which makes it very nice to walk around there. Because the Altstadt is relatively small it's easy to go from one attraction to another on foot. On a large sandstone hill in the northwest corner of the Altstadt is an imposing castle dating back to the 12th century overlooking the city. The castle looks like it has organically grown out of the sandstone which it was built on and all of the buildings of th ecastle compound are made of sandstone blocks which were quarried locally. The Imperial castle was one of the main castles of the Holy Roman Empire. It is the only major castle in Europe that was never conquered by an enemy. The German kings and emporers would travel around the empire and stay in certain cities for a time to conduct business for a time and then move on to tne next Imperial city. In the Middle Ages Nürnberg was a very important city for trade as well. The major east west and north south trade routes in Europe converged in Nurnberg because it is close to the geographic center of Europe. Because of that Nürnberg was a very wealthy city. Today the mansion of a wealthy trader is the city museum called the Fembo Haus. The 5 story buiding which was built in the 16th century is well worth visiting. Not only is the museum full of historic artifacts such as the first watch ever made by a Nürnberg craftsman, but the roomsin the building have been beautifly restored to give you an idea of how wealthy people lived in that time. The German National Museum is located int he Altstadt and it's a treasure trove of German history. Just outside of the wall around the Altstadt is the Deutsche Bahn railriad museum. The first train in Europe, the Adler (Eagle), ran from Nürnberg to the adjoining city of Fuerth is there as well as many fascinating exhibits of railway equipment and several actual locomotives and train cars from the first train to modern times. Also in the Altstadt is a toy museum. Nürnberg is famous for it's history of being the center of toy making in Europe for hundreds of years. Nürnberg is famous as well for it's Nürnberger bratwurst and also Lebkuchen (gingerbread) both of which are available all over the city. There are 2 restaurants that feature nothing but Nurnberger bratwurst that both claim to be the oldest bratwurst restaurants in the world They both were established in the 15th century and are in their original location. One of them, the Bratwursthausle is located on the northwest corner of the Hauptmarkt.

I could go on and on about the history and attractions of Nürnberg. Suffice to say it is one of the most beautiful and historical cities in Europe. One of the biggest advantages is that while it can be crowded during the Christmas Market when people from all over the world come to vist, the city is usually not as crowded as most of the other main tourist attractions in Europe. Nürnberg is situated on one of the main east west canals in Europe, the Main-Donau canal which connects the Main river in the west to the Danube river in the west. North-south canals in Europe connect to the Main-Donau canal in many places. There is a river cruise port on the canal very close to the city and a short trip via taxi or public transportation.

If Don could book a river cruise that began or terminated in Nürnberg then folks could book a few day stay in Nürnberg to explore the city. The airport in Nürnberg has regular connections to the Frankfurt, Munich, and Amsterdam airports which are the main international airports on the continent. The airport is a short ride from the city center via taxi or public transprtation. A word of advice, because of the worldwide popularity of the Christkindlesmarkt you shouldl book a hotel as far in advance as possible There are many hotels in and around the Altstadt from budget chain hotels to small botique hotels in buildings hundreds of years old and everything in between.

I've travled all over Europe to cities large and small. I would consider a river cruise to Nürnberg for the Christmas market and other attractions a bucket list item for sure. In addition if you spend some time in Nürnberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, probably the best preserved Medieval city in Europe is about 1 1/2 hours by car or 1 hour by train from Nürnberg. Rothenburg is quite small and their Christmas market is also very famous so expect large crowds if you go there. Just do a Google search for Nürnberg to see how beautiful the Altstadt is and how much there is to see and do there. Nürnberg is one of my favorite cities in the world (I also lived in Asia for 6 years) and I think it's one of the best kept secrets in Europe. In my experience a lot of the tourists in Nürnberg are Germans from other parts of the country. The city is well worth a vist any time of the year.

[thestooges]

Depends where it is. And as long as they don’t charge you double for a single

[nicolemiller]

That sounds magical. I have no doubt that you can book the entire ship. I'll keep my ear on this.

[kylady]

I would like to see You and Tony have a group cruise one day. Depends on the price, but sounds good

[travelwithdebandnick]

Oh wow Don this cruise would be a once in a life time ❤❤ if I am still here and haven't gone onto the other realm yet. This would be out of this world amazing ❤❤

[bigjay]

I can't believe people even know what they're going to eat tomorrow.🤔🙄 Can't imagine booking a late 2026. God bless if you can do something that far in advance.

[jacquelyns]

Most well known Christmas Markets are in Germany but they do occur in other countries as well.
Many river cruises visit more than 1 country depending on where they start and end the cruise.
The last time I visited a Christmas Market (in the mid 1980s), many of the booths sold Christmas ornaments ranging in price from inexpensive to very expensive. Also there were lots of baked goods and hot spiced wine.
Many cities in Europe are known for their candy and gingerbread, especially at Christmas time.

[jadedelarge]

Sounds so good and fun, but so far away. So many things can happen until 2026. Nowadays, I feel that we are lucky if we can plan one day at the time.

[bethrenaud]

We booked our Danube Christmas Market cruise for 2025. So excited!

[randijaffe-]

Wow! Sounds like fun!! Never did one.
I don’t want one in November, love going on ocean cruises at holiday time where you see all the decorations and songs! We did the Celebrity Summit, last Christmas and loved it! Went back in February and didn’t enjoy at all- must of been the holiday spirit!

[daniellecarrie]

Hi Don, I’m a travel agent in Ottawa too! I would love to go ❤on a Christmas market river cruise!

[amandagreen]

Viking often includes the airfare in the ticket price. I’d guess a solo traveler might have to pay 10K plus; free airfare would be very helpful.

[NeedtoSpeak]

I like this channel, but I can be critical of the content. Don isn’t always the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. But, this is a good idea. River cruising is great, and intimate. A Christmas market one, just with Don’s group is a fantastic idea. If you have never done a market or river cruise…..this may be for you. BTW…..this isn’t a Caribbean cruise, take real winter clothes.

[alancole]

Sounds great Don. We have previously been on two Christmas market river cruises both with Viking the first along the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel which would be our preferred route as the cruise scenery gets better day by day. The second along the Danube from Regensburg to Budapest both were awesome and with excursions included worked out a cost-effective way of travelling.

[jacquelyns]

Don, which lines are you considering?

[davidbutton]

I would love to do a river cruise, but I think Tony's group cruise will be all I can do in 2026. Best of luck, I am sure you and your group will have a great time!