This is a sponsored post for TUI River Cruises.
Booking a river cruise gives you the chance to explore the heart of Europe, with its wonderful towns and cities, regardless of the time of year. But wow, do these destinations come to life at Christmastime.

Festive cruises are a truly magical experience, letting you escape to a twinkling world of Christmas markets with delicious food and drink to sample, alongside cultural attractions that are often remarkable.
Let’s take a look at the different options you can enjoy across the TUI fleet this festive season.
Explore TUI’s festive river cruises
Amazing value including flights, overseas transfers and more!
First, why book a TUI river cruise for the Christmas season?
TUI is a fantastic choice for your festive river cruise. You’ll get to enjoy beautiful ships and outstanding service, but with an inclusive fare that is often significantly cheaper than river cruise lines offering a comparable experience. The value is amazing!
This means you can look forward to all your dining and a range of included drink options, along with your comfortable accommodations. And all fares include your flights and overseas transfers too, so there’s nothing extra to pay if you don’t want to.
You can upgrade to a fully all-inclusive experience with more drinks throughout the day, and there are some organised tours you can book too if you wish. But these are optional, and with your stunning TUI ship dropping you right in the centre of the best destinations, you may just prefer to explore independently.
TUI Skyla’s Festive Cruises
Festive Flavours
Festive Flavours is a wonderful itinerary if you’re looking to enjoy a shorter break amongst some of the best ports Germany has to offer. You’ll begin in Mainz, which has charming architecture, a historic cathedral and some quaint gift stalls. Bonn offers incredible history and natural beauty, while Cologne’s Christmas markets are some of the best in the world. Although your next destinations of Dusseldorf and Koblenz may have something to say about that, too.

Christmastime on the Rhine
Christmastime on the Rhine is another 5-night itinerary departing from Mainz, offering alternative destinations to Festive Flavours. There are still beautiful German markets to enjoy in Speyer, Breisach and Mannheim, but with smaller crowds for a more relaxed ambience. You’ll also see the wonderful blend of French and German cultures in a call at Strasbourg, which is one of the absolute highlights of this itinerary – it’s often called the capital of Christmas in Europe!
A Rhineland Christmas
If you’re looking to spend Christmas itself on a cruise then A Rhineland Christmas offers a fantastic itinerary, with the big day in Dusseldorf, perfect for a scenic walk around your delicious dinner onboard. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the beautiful sights in Cologne, Bonn and more, with an overnight stay in Rudesheim also giving you ample opportunity to visit local vineyards if you’re a wine connoisseur.
New Year on the Rhine
Why not see in the New Year on a charming river cruise? You’ll be able to enjoy exciting experiences, such as riding the cable car in Koblenz or visiting Cologne’s chocolate museum. You’ll ring in the new year itself in Dusseldorf, amongst the vibrant atmosphere of this charming city. The fireworks are absolutely spectacular, too!
TUI Maya’s Festive Cruises
Christmastime on the Rhine
TUI Maya will also be offering the Christmastime on the Rhine itinerary, offering even more dates to sample the smaller German Christmas markets.
Winter Wonderlands
Enjoy a festive five-night getaway departing from Mainz that includes a less common call at Aschaffenburg, a delightful Bavarian town with stunning gardens and a life-size nativity scene during the festive season. You’ll also get to visit Frankfurt, the fifth-largest city in Germany and home to one of Germany’s most renowned Christmas markets, as well as the great ports of Speyer and Rudesheim.

A Festive Fairytale
TUI Maya’s Christmas cruise will have you spending Christmas Eve in Frankfurt and Christmas Day in Koblenz, with the scenic meeting points of the Rhine and Moselle serving as the backdrop for your onboard festivities. Further calls in Boppard, Speyer, Strasbourg and Rudesheim round out this exciting itinerary.
Sail Into The New Year
The ‘Sail Into The New Year’ itinerary is almost a carbon copy of the Christmas cruise, with New Year’s Eve spent in the lively city of Frankfurt before a more relaxed New Year’s Day in Koblenz. The key difference is that you’ll end this cruise with an overnight in Basel, packed with historic streets to explore.
TUI Isla’s Festive Cruises
Mistletoe & Rhine
Enjoy five festive favourites on this delightful cruise from Frankfurt, with each destination offering its own spin on the Christmas market. Be sure to visit the massive advent calendar in Koblenz, wander the hundreds of stalls in Cologne, and sample the great delicacies and drinks including Frankfurt’s signature apple wine.
Rhine Christmas Charms
Set sail from Frankfurt on this thrilling Christmas cruise, which sees you spend Christmas Eve in the rustic destination of Rudesheim followed by a visit to the magnificent city of Cologne for Christmas Day – when better to visit the spectacular Cathedral? You’ll also get to enjoy Dusseldorf, Bonn, Koblenz and Boppard on this cruise.

New Year Sail Away
New Year’s Eve is best experienced in a warm and welcoming city and this cruise lets you revel in the celebrations amongst beautiful Cologne. This itinerary then travels north, into the Netherlands and Belgium, offering something a little different to the rest of the fleet including calls at Antwerp, Ghent, and Rotterdam before wrapping up in Amsterdam.
Final word
The range of itineraries available for the festive season with TUI River Cruises really is exceptional, and if you’re tempted then I wish you luck deciding between them!
Whichever one you choose, you’ll be wowed by the amazing service of your onboard crew, who will go out of their way to give you a festive cruise to remember.
Explore TUI’s festive river cruises
Amazing value including flights, overseas transfers and more!
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.