Stay active on your cruise down the Rhine and Moselle Rivers! You’ll enjoy a bevy of active options, including:

• Extend your walks! Your Cruise Director or local guide can suggest scenic routes by location
• Reserve a complimentary bicycle aboard ship and explore designated biking routes in select cities
• Make use of your ship’s fitness room and spa services, including massage

Some of the richest culinary traditions in the world can be found in this region, and you’ll experience them firsthand on this journey. In addition to savoring delectable meals, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in intimate cooking classes with our world-class chefs, learning how to prepare local delicacies – and then savoring them! Here are just a few of the culinary treasures that await you on this journey:

Cologne — You’ll sample local beer with regional specialties throughout your trip, but perhaps the most special experience will be a special tasting of Kölsch beer. The New York Times once stated that drinking a Kölsch is “more than just drinking a beer: It's like drinking an entire culture.” Experiencing it is a pleasure.

Cochem — Gain insight into a signature regional dish when you join an interactive beef roulade cooking lesson. Your chef will share the secrets of making this delectable dish, and then you’ll enjoy the results.

Bernkastel — Our culinary discoveries continue with another cooking demonstration: dark beer-braised pork. You’ll have another opportunity to learn about the cuisine in this part of Europe during a demonstration on dumplings, which will also include a wine tasting. 

Trier — Enjoy a cooking demonstration of German sausages, one of the signature dishes of this region. Our chef will teach you how the sausage is made, as well as provide some background on why it’s a staple in the German diet. You’ll also visit a local wine estate, where you can savor a delicious lunch and learn about wine making in this part of the world.

Koblenz/Mainz — Learn about making Swabian Meat Pockets.

Breisach — Enjoy yet another captivating culinary educational session, as you learn to make the German equivalent of macaroni and cheese, called Käsespätzle. We will also have a special wine tasting.

Special Dinners — Celebrate the tastes of the regions we visit with themed dinners, included Dutch and Swiss-themed Captain’s Dinners and a home-hosted dinner in Speyer.

Make the most of your free time with a free deluxe bike on your Vantage river cruise ship. This trip has been created with just the right balance of enriching activities, exciting adventure features, and enough leisure time to enhance your discoveries — including by bike.

We’ll provide you with a lock and helmet, so all you need to do is bring comfortable clothing and shoes and an appetite for adventure! Find a route using one of our handy maps, which are also available upon arrival. 

For biking, please bring firm-soled shoes, lightweight layers in moisture-wicking fabrics, a windbreaker, and pants made of breathable fabric (or padded cycling pants). Hats and gloves are suggested for chilly months. Click here for more Biking information

This region of the world is renowned for its superb wines, and you’ll have a chance to enjoy and learn about them. As you travel from one charming town to the next, experience the viniculture of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers in authentic Vantage style.

Bernkastel — In the “Town of Vines and Wine,” you’ll savor local wines and sit down to a delicious lunch at a local wine estate.

Cochem — Meet the “count” and sip a glass of fine Riesling during a guided tour through historic Reichsburg Castle.

Alsatian Wine Route — Set off on a full-day tour of this fabled route, enjoying wine tastings in the fairytale French towns of Colmar and Riqueur. 

Harvest departures — For our Fall Harvest departures, we’ve added exciting features to help you get even closer to the wine-making world, including a chance to pick grapes at a vineyard.

On this journey, you’ll be immersed in the many facets of local culture, whether you are sampling superb vintages, admiring masterpieces in a renowned museum, or uncovering the hidden history of some of Europe’s most remarkable sites.

Amsterdam: Discover the artistic treasures of the Rijksmuseum, home to one of Europe’s most respected art collections.

Speyer: You’re invited into a German home in Speyer to share coffee and cake with your hosts, a fun and unique chance to share traditions and customs and be reminded of all that we have in common, no matter our culture. 

Mainz: Learn about the moveable type printing press, one of the greatest inventions in history, at the Gutenberg Museum.

Trier: Step back into Roman times at the amphitheater in Trier, one of Europe’s most impressive remnants from the days of empire.

Cochem: Meet the “count” and sip a glass of fine Riesling during a guided tour through historic Reichsburg Castle.

Bernkastel: Wine is vital to the identity of Germany’s Moselle Valley, and you’ll get a chance to learn about Germany’s light and fruity vintages during a wine tasting here.

Breisach: A full-day tour of the Alsatian Wine Route.

Discover some of the most significant cultural and historic treasures in the world throughout your cruise.

• Cruise the scenic Upper Middle Rhine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with commentary from the bridge
• Visit the Johannes Gutenberg Museum, dedicated to the inventor of moveable type
• Embark on a guided tour of Trier, whose Roman ruins are the best in Germany
• See the remarkable Speyer Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once one of the largest cathedrals in the world
• Set off on a lovely cruise along Amsterdam’s 17th-century canal ring, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Take a walking and canal boat tour through Strasbourg, whose Grande-Île is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

With four countries on this itinerary, you’ll want to capture the unique atmosphere and landmarks of each. Here are some tips to get you started on your photographic vision quest:

• Don’t be afraid of the dark! Exploring cities and landmarks at night offers different lighting and unique new perspectives — just make sure you have a tripod or your camera comes equipped with a night feature!
• Change your perspective. Try shooting from a different angle, for example. Climb a stairwell and shoot a landscape from up high or, alternately, get low and shoot a scene from the ground. Wherever you are, embrace this artistic challenge by getting out of your comfort zone!
• Take a selfie! You’ll be glad to have a few portraits of yourself at the distinctive landmarks you’ll find on this journey
• Look beyond the landmarks — sometimes everyday scenes are just as inspiring, and provide a lesson in embracing the unexpected and seizing the moment in front of you

For millennia, this part of Europe has been an epicenter of impressive monuments to faith. On this journey, you’ll marvel at grand cathedrals and learn about the spiritual history of this deeply religious region.

Speyer: Explore this city’s 11^th-century cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once one of the largest cathedrals in the world.

Cologne: Enjoy free time to discover the UNESCO-listed, twin-spired Cologne Cathedral on your own.

Mainz: Visit the Gutenberg Museum and see the famed Gutenberg Bible, one of the most important books in the world.

There are just three departures that bring into the heart of this fertile region during harvest time. So you will only soak in the culture of charming wine-growing towns like Bernkastel, Colmar, and Riquewihr. You’ll also witness and participate in their timeless traditions of wine harvesting.  

Cochem – Meet the "count" of Reichsburg Castle, a stately fortress that dates back 1,000 years, while enjoying some wine and music.

Bernkastel – Enjoy a walking tour and wine tasting, including Eiswine in Bernkastel, known as the “International Town of Vines and Wine.” You’ll also enjoy an exclusive grape picking and pressing at the renowned Weingut Fritz Georg von Nell vineyard in Trier.

Breisach – Set off on a full-day tour of the famed Alsatian Wine Route, getting a chance to truly experience the vintages and the storied culture here.

Koblenz – Savor distinctive local wines with a sommelier on board the ship.

Your solo-friendly river cruise has been enhanced with special features catering to independent travelers, including:

• Complimentary biking options — take a spin alongside your Destination Manager, who will lead small-group bike rides, or explore independently with our complimentary locks, helmets, and biking maps
• A lively social media night and musical performances most nights
• Solo-friendly social activities, including a Solo Connection mixer
• Onboard entertainment, lectures, and cooking demonstrations

Prior to your expedition cruise, our complimentary Concierge service will be available to help you customize your journey. Here are just a few services your Concierge can provide:

• Do you have a special birthday, anniversary, family reunion or other important event you want to celebrate on board? Let your Concierge know and he or she can make all the special arrangements, whether it’s a private reception in your suite, a gathering in the lounge, and more
• Restaurant reservations. Just notify your Concierge of your interests, and he or she will be happy to make recommendations, and will call ahead to reserve your table
• Special excursions. Would you like a limo to take you for a special night in the city? Perhaps you’d like to look up long-lost relatives. Your Concierge is here to help!
• Extend your stay! Your Concierge can help modify your hotel reservations and flights if you decide to stay on
• Tickets to local concerts, exhibits, theater, sporting events, and more

Take advantage of this free, start-to-finish service by making your requests prior to your journey or during your journey. We are one of the only companies to offer this level of service! Call 1-888-982-6824 or email Concierge@vantagetravel.com to speak to a Concierge today, or simply log into My Portfolio up to two weeks prior to departure.

During your journey, your onboard Destination Manager can assist with any special requests such as spa reservations, hotel reservations, and more.