Depart the USA on your overnight flight to Zurich, Switzerland. Welcome to Switzerland! Upon arrival, you will be met by a representative of Mayflower Cruises and Tours and transferred to your awaiting motorcoach. Journey to the town of Basel where your captain and crew await to welcome you aboard your luxurious Emerald Waterways Star-Ship. Enjoy time to become acquainted with your new accommodations, and this evening, join your fellow guests for dinner on board. Your Cruise Director will also conduct a port talk to review the activities and itinerary for the days ahead. Meal: D Visit a typical black forest village, full of charm, cuckoo clocks, and other German specialties. It perfectly encapsulates a traditional way of life, all amidst the backdrop of the holiday season. Meals: B, L, D

EmeraldPLUS: Black Forest Cake demonstration and tasting

Upon arrival in Kehl, travel by coach across the river to Strasbourg, the capital city of the Alsace Region in France. A local guide leads you on a walking tour through this picturesque town. Stroll along the Grand Île and through the charming Old Quarter, ‘La Petit France’. Admire the historical city center and UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its medieval black and white timber-framed buildings, old tanning houses, baroque sandstone buildings, canals and river locks and its centerpiece, the Gothic cathedral. Enjoy free time to visit the stalls of Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik, one of the oldest in Europe, before returning to the ship. Meals: B, L, D

EmeraldPLUS: Guided Tour of Strasbourg

DiscoverMORE: Tour of Riquewihr (additional expense)

Continue to the town of Mannheim, located at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar Rivers. Travel by coach to the medieval town of Heidelberg, where you will enjoy a guided tour. Don’t miss out on shopping for unique treasures at the Christmas Market in Heidelberg. Meals: B, L, D Sail through the spectacular Rhine Gorge, where a landscape of castles and quaint towns awaits. Don’t miss the infamous Lorelei rock and statue and other photo opportunities that abound around every bend. Cruise to the 2000-year-old town of Koblenz, situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers.

Enjoy a tour of Koblenz and visit the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress on the opposite side of the river. In the old part of the city, six areas offer more than 100 glittering, festive, cottage-style stands and Lebkuchenherzen (traditional gingerbread hearts) to create a magical European Christmas experience. Meals: B, L, D

DiscoverMORE: Moselle & Cochem Castle Visit (additional expense)

NOTE: you can only choose either the included tour of Koblenz or the DiscoverMORE option as both tours operate at the same time. Seven markets transform picturesque Cologne into a winter wonderland over the Christmas season. Following a guided tour of the city, be sure to pay a visit to the shopping stalls around the Alter Markt, Neumarkt, Rudolfplatz and the cathedral, beneath which you’ll locate the Christmas tree. Decorated mugs hold steaming hot Glühwein, and local vendors sell handmade sweets and local delicacies. Don’t miss the mesmerizing ‘Stars at Night’ theme adopted around the Neumarkt, where looking up unveils a beautiful light display overhead. Meals: B, L, D Appreciate the windmills and landscapes as you sail through the Dutch countryside. Today you’ll enjoy a glass-top canal boat tour through Amsterdam’s canals, passing historic merchant houses and delightful Christmas stalls along the way. Return to the ship for the farewell dinner. Meals: B, L, D It’s time to bid farewell to the Captain and crew and depart for Schiphol Airport as you say goodbye to Europe and return home with lifelong memories of your Christmas markets cruise along the Rhine River. Meal: B