Festive Season · CHRISTMAS CRUISES
A heated deck solves the one problem with a December evening. These 15 range from a forty-five-minute run round an old town to a full dinner sailing, each priced and clear about whether the mulled wine is included.
Review of Cologne’s 1.5-hour winter Rhine cruise, with cathedral views, live festive music, warm Glühwein, and practical booking tips.
“Very pleasant gentle ride on the Rhine with a singer and table service for drinks. Lovely way to spend a morning away from the hustle and bustle of the markets.”
Review of Wrocław’s 45-minute heated Christmas cruise, with festive lights, mulled wine, Old Town views, pricing, access, and practical tips.
“Audioguida scaricabile tramite QR Code ma, per quanto riguarda l'italiano abbastanza pessima, praticamente inutile (alcune parti non tradotte, erano in spagnolo). Forse conviene prendere le imbarcazioni più grande che offrono la guida almeno in inglese.”
See Wrocław’s Christmas lights from the Oder River on a 45-minute heated boat cruise with cathedral views, festive décor, and flexible booking.
“I think we would like to be during the day. We choose the trip when it was dark outside and we cannot see to much outside the boat. But inside the boat was a really Cristmas atmosphere :).”
Review of Wrocław’s 45-minute heated Christmas cruise, with mulled wine, festive lights, Oder River views, tips, costs, and drawbacks.
“No audio guide - no information whatsoever . Ship was supposed to be heated but was freezing. Mulled wine was pretty undrinkable. Not good value - don’t bother.”
Welcome New Year from Funchal Bay on a catamaran with Madeira wine, champagne, Christmas lights, and a famous fireworks show.
“Déjà le lieu de rdv n'était pas le bon ! Arrivée à la Marina j'ai vu le bateau s'en aller, heureusement que je connais un peu Funchal ! J'ai dû traverser la foule dense pour arriver de l'autre côté parmi les dernières alors que j'étais là depuis 22h00. Au stand du Sea Born, une dame m'a conduit dans la file mais en oubliant de me donner le pass, conclusion lorsque ce fut mon tour, je n'ai pas pu monter sur le bateau et j'ai dû retourner au stand où l'on ne m'a pas cru ! Là, l'arrogance de la personne m'a énervée, "oui, oui, on connaît, je vous l'ai donné…”
Review of NYC’s Christmas Cocoa Cruise, with Statue of Liberty views, festive decor, hot drinks, practical tips, and honest value advice.
“It was a wonderful experience. Our kids ages 12 and 10 loved it. They were pleasantly surprised with the tour, cookies and hot chocolate. The captain and crew were so nice and friendly. Thank you!”
Sail into Faxaflói Bay for Reykjavik's New Year's Eve fireworks, champagne, warm overalls, and a clear citywide view from the sea.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve aboard Budapest’s Gróf Széchenyi with a five-course dinner, live folk music, drinks, landmarks, and a midnight party.
“Repas n’est pas raffiné! Cher pour rien!!!! Pas beaucoup d’ambiance.”
Celebrate Christmas Day on a Thames lunch cruise with roast turkey, festive music, London landmarks, and open-air river views.
“A fabulous way to spend Christmas. Great vegetarian option. Loved the space between parties on the table to allow for a more intimate setting. Staff were friendly, hospitable and nothing was an issue. Entertainment was great to set the mood.”
Review of Sydney’s 2026 to 2027 New Year’s Eve cruise, with fireworks views, lobster, Champagne, practical details, price, and booking advice.
“This truly checked off a top item on my bucket list. John maneuvered the boat so that we had a front row view of the New Years fireworks over the Harbor Bridge. In addition, the food was abundant and tasty, and there was champagne, wine, and beer flowing freely for those who wanted it. It was an experience I will never forget!”
Cruise the Rhine from Rüdesheim for two festive hours of castles, Christmas tales, St. Nicholas, and a visit to the holiday market.
“Very nice with the narrator. Service also very good.”
Cruise the Thames on Christmas Day, with heated seating, live commentary, festive drinks, and views of Tower Bridge, Big Ben, and more.
“Contrairement à ce qui est marqué, il n’y a pas de traduction en plusieurs langues, dommage pour ceux qui ne sont pas encore a l’aise avec l’anglais Cependant, superbe croisière au départ du Palais de Westminster jusqu’à Tower Bridge, je recommande car ça permet de commencer la journée tranquillement et en ce temps frais, le bateau es chauffé”
Ring in 2025 aboard a New York harbor cruise with buffet dinner, open bar, DJ music, skyline views, and fireworks from the water.
“-meals and drinks not very interesting, despite a fairly high price -servers a bit overwhelmed -very long start, about 45 minutes after the announced departure time -the circuit seemed truncated to us, we expected to go to the Hudson side of Manhattan, but we didn't go further than the Statue of Liberty. -return also strange, we returned to the departure dock (PIER15), and we stayed about 30 minutes opposite before docking, as if it was to use up the time planned for the cruise.. -too bad for these negative points, because the views of Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty were very beautiful, as well as the fireworks for…”
Review of Istanbul’s 2027 New Year’s Eve Bosphorus cruise, with dinner, open bar, live shows, hotel transfers, fireworks, and value advice.
“It was a fantastic New Year's Eve party. We had so much fun, everything was wonderful.”
Cruise Koblenz at Christmas with mulled wine, music, and views of Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, Deutsches Eck, and Stolzenfels Castle.
“We celebrated my mother's birthday with a large group of people. Everything was excellent, the atmosphere was pleasant, there were no crowds, and you could sit outside or go inside to warm up. We give it a 10 out of 10. Thank you to the organizers.”
Pick a market, a lights route or a sled team.
