CroisiEurope Rhine River Cruise — Peter Knego Reviews A Week Aboard Croisi’s 106-Passenger Symphonie

CroisiEurope Rhine River Cruise Review

By Peter Knego

On various journeys with a wide range of river cruise lines on European waterways, I’ve encountered the vessels of French-owned CroisiEurope with a certain level of curiosity.

Once or twice, I’ve even walked across the decks of their sleek little ships to get ashore in busy ports when several ships are rafted together, side by side.

Founded as Alsace Crosieres in 1976, the company grew from a local French-based charter operator to a full-fledged European river cruise line with a vast fleet of ships and was renamed CroisiEurope in 1997.

While generally European-focused in terms of passengers, Croisi began pitching its product to include more North Americans in 2013. That said, compared to lines like Viking and AmaWaterways, Croisi is still a lesser-known entity stateside.

Today, Croisi operates on the Seine, Rhone, Saone, Danube, Douro, Po and Elbe in Europe as well as the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia. Croisi also operates the coastal vessel, La Belle de L’Adriatique along the Dalmatian coast.

RELATED: Heidi reviews her CroisiEurope river cruise in France round-trip from Bordeaux.

Last year, when the opportunity came up to sample Croisi’s product on the Elbe, I jumped at the chance, especially since I had never cruised on that river, which runs through the Czech Republic and Germany.

Unfortunately, I would learn all-too-soon why I had never sailed on that particular body of water — the Elbe is subject to severe drought conditions, resulting in the cancellation of my anticipated cruise.

My CroisiEurope Rhine River Cruise

This year, I decided that a seven-night cruise from Basel to Amsterdam was a much less risky option. I had done the Rhine in both directions with Viking, Emerald and AmaWaterways, so this would be an ideal way to compare the Croisi product with other operators.

CroisiEurope’s 7-night Rhine River cruise, between Basel, Switzerland and Amsterdam in The Netherlands.

RELATED: Learn more about the history and geography of the Rhine River in this primer.

A nice touch for this repeat Rhine cruiser was that while the itinerary was tracing the same watery route, Croisi makes calls at a few places that I had yet to visit.

After a long series of train rides from Trieste to Basel and an overnight in Basel, we hired a cab to take us to our ship, the MS Symphonie, which was berthed several miles away from the city center.

Our first glimpse of the MS Symphonie at her berth in Basel.. * Photo: Peter Knego

We had originally planned to leave our luggage, take some photos of the cabins before other guests arrived (embarkation was scheduled for 6:00p.m.) and then head back to visit a museum or two in Basel.

However, when we got to the ship around 1:00p.m., the cabins were not quite ready, so we were graciously allowed to wait in the air-conditioned comfort of the Lounge. Several other early-bird guests were given the same courtesy.

After we realized how tired we actually were, how hot is was outside (Europe was simmering on that first week of August), and how far we were from anything scenic or interesting, we decided to stay on board and relax for the rest of the day.

A Deck by Deck Tour of the Symphonie

Last renovated in 2017, the 361 by 37.5 foot, 1997-built MS Symphonie, is a slightly shorter, narrower version of typical European river cruise vessels. She carries 106 guests in 55 cabins and has a crew of 25.

The MS Symphonie was built in Belgium in 1997. * Photo: Peter Knego

Symphonie has three passenger decks, beginning at the top with Sun Deck, which has open and shaded areas behind the wheelhouse.

The Sun Deck begins with a sheltered seating area, then continues aft with open deck space. * Photo: Peter Knego

Unfortunately, on this level, the forward portion is blocked, so there is no unencumbered view forward, which can be frustrating when one wants to take photos of what lies ahead.

Also, with crew deck at the fantail, the aft views are also somewhat compromised.

The Sun Deck furnishings here are basic but comfortable and there are no enhancements like the herb gardens, hot tubs, games courts and walking tracks one might find on other river cruise vessels.

The open sunning area on Sun Deck. * Photo: Peter Knego

Upper Deck begins with the Lounge, which has seating areas forward that face the bow through angled panes of glass. On most ships, the bow area is open but on the Symphonie, the only access to the bow is via a crew-only ladder that descends from Sun Deck in front of the bridge.

The Lounge in an aft-facing view. * Photo: Peter Knego

The Lounge is a pleasant space with a bar in its center, a small dance floor and nice views to either side through picture windows. The blue in the color scheme is inspired by the romantic “Blue Danube” and is nicely off set with white and gold accents. On the aft/starboard side, there is a coffee, tea and filtered water station.

Not unexpectedly, the Bar was one of the most popular spots on board MS Symphonie. * Photo: Peter Knego

Aft of and providing access to the Lounge is the reception lobby, which has a small boutique cabinet across from the desk.

A staircase on the port side leads down to 35 cabins on Main Deck and a passage continues aft, past 20 cabins to the Dining Room, another pleasant space with picture windows on either side and a basic but pleasing gold and blue color scheme.

The Dining Room in an aft-facing view. * Photo: Peter Knego

Symphonie‘s Cabins on a CroisiEurope Rhine River Cruise

The accommodations on the Symphonie range from a suite on Upper Deck to four singles (two each on Upper and Main Deck) while the rest are doubles, either with a French balcony (a glass door that slides open to create a balcony) or picture windows.

There are four single staterooms on the Symphonie. * Photo: Peter Knego

Standard double staterooms are located at the bottom of the ship on Main Deck. * Photo: Peter Knego

Aside from having a door that slides open to create a French balcony and their location on Upper Deck, French balcony cabins are identical to standards. * Photo: Peter Knego

There is one wheelchair access stateroom with a roll-in shower on the forward/port side of Upper Deck, directly aft of the reception area. There are no elevators on the ship and thus note that accessing the Sun Deck where the gangway is sometimes located, might be a challenge for anyone with serious mobility issues.

The wheelchair access stateroom has a more open floor plan and is located next to reception. * Photo: Peter Knego

The handicap stateroom bath has a roll in shower. * Photo: Peter Knego

All staterooms come with a TV that is tucked into the ceiling that flips down, an internal telephone, bathroom with shower and toilet, individually controlled air conditioning, safe, 220-volt electrical outlets (American devices will need a converter), headsets for excursions and free WiFi, the latter at times intermittent and weak.

Quietvox headphones are provided for use during shore excursions. * Photo: Peter Knego

Suites have a bit more space and can sleep up to three comfortably but otherwise aren’t that much different from the regular double staterooms.

An MS Symphonie Suite. * Photo: Peter Knego

Our Category A stateroom was located on Main Deck and thus did not have a French balcony, but the picture window had a narrow window at the top that could hinge open to let in fresh air.

Our standard double stateroom 111 had a small desk area, floor to ceiling windows and a pair of twin beds. * Photo: Peter Knego

There was a closet with a hanging rod and shelves where we could store our clothes, a desk with a chair and plenty of storage space to accommodate our suitcases under the bed. The one outlet was European and located next to the bed, versus the desk, where it would have been more convenient to plug in the computer.

The bathroom was somewhat tight but well laid out with toilet, sink and shower, which thankfully had a door, versus flimsy curtains. Croisi supplies shampoo/shower gel and moisturizer.

While compact, the bathrooms are well laid out and have solid shower doors. * Photo: Peter Knego

The line also provides fresh water via a carafe that is filled daily by the cabin steward during the cabin’s daily turnaround, otherwise, there was a water dispenser in the Lounge and another in the Dining Room if we needed more.

We brought along our own refillable bottles to take on excursion.

The Start of our CroisiEurope Symphonie Cruise on the Rhine River

After our fellow guests embarked, there was a welcome aboard safety briefing and cocktail party with complimentary Asti Spumante as the officers and staff introduced themselves in the Lounge.

Normally, the Symphonie is a bi-lingual ship where all announcements are made in French and English but on this trip, there was a large charter group of Spanish-speaking guests (most of whom we would soon find out came from Southern California, not far from where we live), so it was a tri-lingual cruise.

While there were no frills, the ship’s staff was warm and welcoming.

The Hotel Manager, Jose, ran a tight but fun and friendly ship and his team at reception were very helpful in providing tour information and assisting with the tours, themselves.

In lieu of printed programs, the unfolding stateroom televisions and a monitor at reception list the daily activities. * Photo: Peter Knego

There were not many on board activities because of the itinerary-rich schedule, but there were morning stretch classes on deck and the occasional quiz or game.

In the U.S., Croisi only offers the all-inclusive fare, which covers an excursion in each port (but not premium “Discovery” excursions), and wine and drinks at lunch and dinner as well as non-premium drinks at the bar, espresso drinks and travel insurance.

Normally, we are introverts and choose a table for two for dinner but that is not possible with Croisi, which ended up being a great thing.

Dining on the Symphonie

We were assigned a table for six with a couple from Australia, Teddi and Mark, and a couple from Slovenia, Breda and Ivan. We so enjoyed sharing meals with them — it was a delightful and enriching experience, similar to the way ocean cruising used to be when you could share a table with interesting, engaged and fun people.

Our assigned dining table had a delightful group of fellow travelers. * Photo: Peter Knego

I have a somewhat strange diet that is mostly vegetarian but includes the occasional chicken or cooked fish. Since Croisi has a fixed daily menu with a choice of three entrees, there was almost always something that worked for me.

While the menu was limited, each course was nicely presented and consistently delicious. This is a pankow fried chicken entree. * Photo: Peter Knego

Thoughtfully, they served exceptions to the starters and salads that contained meat or sea food. I may have started with low expectations, considering that this is a more budget-conscious product than most river cruise lines but my, was I pleasantly surprised!

The chef was superb and the cuisine overall was some of the best I have had on any river — with piping hot entrees, supremely fresh ingredients and delicate seasonings.

The next morning, we hit the breakfast buffet as Symphonie berthed at Breisach, Germany, in tandem with several other ships.

The buffet was set up in the back of the dining room and featured scrambled eggs, bacon, cold cuts, fresh fruit, yogurt, potatoes and beans as well as freshly baked breads and croissants. Nothing terribly fancy but the quality was good, if a bit limited in comparison with other river lines.

Shown at Breisach, MS Symphonie (right) is quite a bit smaller than most standard European river cruise ships. * Photo: Peter Knego

Our Excursions & Ports on Our CroisiEurope Rhine River Cruise

Colmar

After donning our headsets and filling our self-supplied water bottles, we filed ashore to the waiting coach. There was a light mist on the bank of the river as our coach crossed over the locks on its way to Colmar, which is some 30 minutes away.

In all my Rhine trips, this was my first visit to Colmar, a lovely little French hamlet with its 13th-century Dominican convent, now the Unterlinden Museum, that is home to numerous religious paintings, including the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald.

The Isenheim Altarpiece, a series of religious paintings by Matthias Grunewald, are on display at the Unterlinden Museum. * Photo: Peter Knego

After explaining the history of these paintings, our excellent guide gave us a nice walking tour of the town, passing by several Medieval structures, into a square where executions were once conducted and then to the courtyard of the home of sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, who created the Statue of Liberty.

We concluded our visit with a view of La Petite Venise, a lovely row of medieval buildings overlooking the main canal. In a rather brisk time, we saw a lot, but it would have been nice to have a little time on our own before heading back to the ship, where lunch awaited.

Your author with companion Mike Masino at Colmar’s Le Petite Venise. * Photo: Peter Knego

After lunch, which featured a delicious fish cooked with lemon, capers and leeks, Mike and I walked up the cobblestone road to the 12th- and 15th-century Stephanmunster cathedral overlooking Breisach. From there, we walked through the small town at its base but because it was Sunday, most of the shops and cafes were closed.

That evening, after dinner, a local French folkloric team did their best to lure all aboard onto the dance floor.

Bringing aboard a bit of local culture at Breisach, a French folkloric troupe performed in the Lounge following dinner. * Photo: Peter Knego

Strasbourg

In Strasbourg, the following morning, we wandered ashore to visit a small feeding zoo before I went for a run along the local waterfront. After lunch, we boarded a glass domed boat as part of the included tour that took us into the scenic part of town with its magnificent pastel stuccoed Medieval architecture.

Our included tour at Strasbourg provided some extra time to explore the canal-crossed city on our own. * Photo: Peter Knego

When we disembarked, we were met by a local guide who escorted us to the Notre Dame de Strasbourg Cathedral. For some extra time on our own, we excused ourselves and rejoined the group at our designated meeting place after wandering through the old town, which is one of the most beautiful on the Rhine.

After that, we cruised along the local waterways back to the Symphonie just in time for the daily briefing in the Lounge before dinner. Then after dinner, we returned to the Lounge for a quiz, which, along with a glass of wine or two, was a fun diversion to share with our dining room table mates.

Mainz, Germany

The next day’s excursion began alongside the ship at Mainz, with a walking tour that took us to the Gutenberg Museum where our excellent guide Michael demonstrated the printing process on a replica of Gutenberg’s press. He then led us through an extensive collection of printing equipment and various historic documents, including an original Gutenberg Bible.

From there, we walked across the main square to the Mainz Cathedral, then with the remaining time on our own, walked up the hill to the St Stephan Cathedral which has magnificent stained glass windows created by Marc Chagall.

Following our walking tour in Mainz, we visited the St. Stephan Cathedral, which has spectacular stained glass windows by Marc Chagall. * Photo: Peter Knego

The Rhine River Gorge, Germany

Back aboard Symphonie, we enjoyed lunch as the ship cruised downstream, past verdant orchards and vineyards on her way into the most scenic part of the Rhine — the Rhine River Gorge.

The Rhine River Gorge is one of the most scenic cruising spots in all of Europe. * Photo: Peter Knego

After lunch, it was all hands on deck to watch both sides of the river, which was lined with quaint villages and hillsides lined with Medieval Castles and the occasional Roman ruin.

A pre-recorded narration was played on deck in French and English, explaining the history and key landmarks along the way. This was where the limited forward observation was frustrating but thankfully, there was still much to be ogled from either side of the ship during our passage through all that scenic splendor.

Koblenz, Germany

At the end of the gorge, we had arrived at another charming German hamlet, Koblenz, which is situated at the intersection of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers.

Straddling both rivers like the bow of a gigantic stone ocean liner is the Deutches Eck, an imposing monument built in 1871 to commemorate German unity and Kaiser Wilhelm I. It’s bronze statue of the Kaiser on horseback is one of the largest in Germany.

The Deutches Eck monument towers over the convergence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers like the bow of a giant ocean liner. * Photo: Peter Knego

Mike and I took the ship’s walking tour shortly after arrival, passing through the town center and visiting a small cathedral, then headed on our own to the Deutches Eck before returning to the Symphonie for dinner.

Later, back at the base of Deutches Eck, we watched the sunset and I ventured through town in search of the “stumbling stones,” which are bronze plaques inset into the streets and sidewalks to commemorate local Jewish citizens who were murdered by the Nazis in World War II. Not pleasant, to be sure but an important reminder that even in such a beautiful setting, terrible things happened that will hopefully never be repeated.

A sobering reminder of human cruelty, the stumbling stones of Koblenz commemorate local Jewish people who were murdered by the Nazis in World War II. * Photo: Peter Knego

Cologne, Germany

Symphonie departed at dawn and spent the rest of the morning sailing down the Rhine to Cologne, where we disembarked for the walking tour and had the strange experience of watching our ship sail off to Dusseldorf, where we would rejoin her later in the day.

One of the tallest in Europe, Cologne Cathedral was restored after being bombed in World War II. * Photo: Peter Knego

Our guide in Cologne was very informative and engaging, leading us through highlights of the waterfront, making the requisite pit stop at the Perfume Museum and finishing up at the towering cathedral, the second tallest church in Europe.

We had free time, during which Mike and I chose to climb to the observation platform at the top of the cathedral, which for this particular height-fearing writer, had its share of vertiginous moments but overall was well worth the experience. At least once, anyway.

Overlooking the Rhine from the ramparts of Cologne Cathedral. * Photo: Peter Knego

After that, we were escorted to coaches that took us to Duesseldorf, arriving at the ship at sunset, once again just in time for the daily briefing and dinner.

A beautiful sunset hovered behind the MS Symphonie when we rendezvoused with the ship at Duesseldorf. * Photo: Peter Knego

Following dinner, we headed ashore for a walk along the bustling waterfront, which was full of locals just enjoying themselves. When we returned to the ship, we had drinks and a nice conversation with our dining table mates Teddi and Mark, before calling it a night.

We enjoyed another nice but somewhat rainy morning cruising the Rhine, allowing us a leisurely sleep-in and a chance to post some Instagram reels via the ship’s Wifi, which worked well that morning.

Nijmegen, The Netherlands

That afternoon, we had reached Dutch waters and berthed in Nijmegen. After lunch, we joined the tour to the Netherlands Open Air Museum in Arnhem, a fascinating place with little villages featuring windmills, farms and buildings recreating ordinary Dutch life.

The open air museum at Arnhem can be visited on a Croisi excursion from the Dutch town of Nijmegen. * Photo: Mike Masino.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

We returned to the ship with just enough time to take a run along the waterfront before we sailed off to Amsterdam.

When we awoke the following morning, Symphonie was berthed in the central part of Amsterdam, a short distance from the train station and most of the key attractions, which was especially nice since many river boats dock a mile or so away from the city center.

We opted out of the included morning tour as we have been to Amsterdam many times, so we ventured out on our own, passing through the Red Light District — no, those weren’t mannequins in the windows — on our stroll along the canals and back.

That afternoon, we joined the included tour to Haarlem, the beautiful town that the Manhattan neighborhood is named after. With another excellent guide, we embarked on a walking tour, passing through the main square on a spectacular day.

The huge cathedral in Haarlem’s main square. * Photo: Peter Knego

A word to the wise, be mindful of those speeding bikes, which were cause for much consternation and several narrow misses, before we clambered back on board the coach to Amsterdam.

That night, the gala dinner featured duck foie gras, quail filet with a port wine sauce, brie with Mascarpone and Baked Alaska in flamed Grand Marnier. For me, it was all about the vegetarian ravioli alternate main course, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

After the crew bade everyone farewell in the Lounge, we retreated to the cabin to pack and called it a night.

On our final, rainy morning, we had to clear the cabin by 9:00a.m. but were, once again, graciously allowed to wait in the Lounge with other fellow guests until it was time for our cab to whisk us off to the dizzyingly frantic world of Schiphol Airport and our flights home.

We left the Symphonie with fond feelings, having thoroughly enjoyed the low key, no frills but high-quality cruise and culinary experience with Croisi.

Would we do it again? Absolutely.

Interested in This CroisiEurope Rhine River Cruise?

Croisi’s 7-night Rhine River cruise starts at about $3,200 USD per person. Fares for US customers include an excursion in each port (usually a walking tour), and wine and drinks at lunch and dinner, and also non-premium drinks at the bar, espresso drinks and travel insurance.

Here are more details from CroisiEurope.

Or if you’d like help booking a CroisiEurope cruise, and any hotels or airfare to go with it, do drop us an email (Heidi@QuirkyCruise.com) and we can connect you with our favorite travel advisor colleagues who will assist you with all the details.

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