Offseason Winter Rhine River Cruise
By John Roberts
River cruise voyages in Europe are delightful.
In spring and summer, the flowers are blooming, and the vines terracing hillsides are heavy with grapes that will produce world-renowned wines. It’s these types of scenes that make the cruises so special — and why they are growing in popularity.
Weather-wise, fall also is a good time for a European river cruise, allowing travelers to experience Europe’s great capital cities and charming small towns dotted with castles and churches while learning about the continent’s rich history.
But how about taking a river trip in wintertime?
In recent years, some cruise lines have had ships running all year, so travelers can go on a Rhine River voyage, for example, even in January and February.
My wife, Colleen, and I joined an AmaWaterways’ sailing on the ship AmaLucia to try our first winter river cruise. We wanted to find out what it’s like to take a Rhine River trip during this time of year.
And, as beer fanatics, we felt compelled to be on this particular sailing because it was a theme cruise: “Captivating Rhine: Celebration of Beer.”
Combine our favorite beverage with our favorite way to travel — on a small ship cruise — and we’re in!
Here’s a look at our weeklong journey from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, with stops at cities and towns in Germany and France.
We drank a nice variety of beer and enjoyed city tours and fine meals with new friends, which made our mid-February sailing plenty of fun despite the overcast skies and cool days. that dipped into the 20s and low 30s Fahrenheit.
The cruise featured a beer expert who served as our host during the week, too. Ken Smith is a certified cicerone, a kind of beer sommelier, with over three decades of experience working with Boston Beer Co./Sam Adams.
Brief Overview: Is This Winter River Cruise Right For You?
AmaLucia carries up to 156 cruisers and sails on the Rhine and Seine Rivers, as well as the Dutch and Belgian Waterways. It is one of AmaWaterways’ vessels used for winter river cruising.
6 Reasons to Book an AmaLucia Winter Beer-Themed Cruise:
- This is a no-brainer for the traveler who also is a beer fanatic. You still get all the wine, but a focus on beer is a delightful added bonus.
- A expert host called a cicerone (kind of like a beer sommelier) is onboard to lead tours and give talks about beer history and beer culture in Europe.
- Offseason is a nice time to visit to avoid the crowds in Europe's major cities and tourist destinations.
- In the winter months, the ship is likely to sail with fewer people, too, so you have more space in the lounge and dining room; seating won’t be an issue.
- You still can enjoy all the traditional aspects of the AmaWaterways river cruise, with bike tours, a Wellness Host leading daily fitness classes and excellent food and service.
- Fares for wintertime cruises (Jan – March) cost less (often half as much) than cruising during prime months (May – October).
Potential Drawbacks
- Weather has the chance to be cold, windy and rainy.
- The sun sets much earlier than in spring and summer, so days are shorter.
- Also seasonally related activities on the sun deck are limited, such as time in the pool (although it’s heated, so you can easily brave it for a bit) and lounging in the chairs up top.
Our Winter Rhine Itinerary
- Day 1 – Embark in Zaandam, Netherlands (the city of Zaandam is about a 20-minute walk north of Amsterdam's Central Station)
- Day 2 – Cruise from Zaandam to Utrecht (then, overnight sailing to Dusseldorf)
- Day 3 – Dusseldorf (overnight sailing to Mainz)
- Day 4 – Mainz (overnight sailing to Ludwigshafen/Heidelberg)
- Day 5 – Ludwigshafen (overnight sailing to Strasbourg)
- Day 6 – Strasbourg (overnight sailing to Breisach/Lapoutrie)
- Day 7 – Breisach (overnight sailing to Basel)
- Day 8 – Disembark in Basel
By the end of the voyage, we had savored plenty of beers, shared memorable moments at lively cocktail hours, dined on fine food and visited several new destinations — and cooler weather didn’t dampen our fun.
READ MORE ABOUT THE RHINE RIVER: Here's Heidi's overview of the Rhine River — its history and highlights.
5 Reasons You'll Love An Offseason Winter Rhine River Cruise
Small-ship cruising is always a nice environment to meet people who love to travel. However, a theme cruise adds another layer. Many of the passengers aboard our sailing were on their first river cruise, while others were on their first cruise of any kind.
At least two dozen of the 90 cruisers were drawn by the “Celebration of Beer” theme.
This meant that we had a built-in ice-breaking topic to facilitate conversations and spark the friendships and community environment that would quickly blossom during the journey.
AmaLucia can carry up to 156-passengers, so it was just more than half full during our cruise. It was easy to get to know nearly everyone onboard, and both friendly chatter and beer flowed throughout the day.
We met a couple of beer buffs from Indianapolis, Cody and Leslie, as well as another couple — Bonnie and Scott — who, coincidentally, live just down the road from us here in Colorado. Turned out our beer sommelier, Ken Smith, also lives in Colorado, a state that’s known for its craft beer scene.
Another couple of beer aficionados from England, Sharon and Lee, rounded out our tight-knit group of eight. We all stuck together throughout the week, meeting up on tours, getting together for beer and laughs at cocktail hours, and lively conversations during delightful dinners.
2. Winter Cruises Often Focus On A Theme, Such As All Things Beer
AmaWaterways offers dozens of theme cruises; check the line’s website under the drop-down menu; go to “River Cruises” and then look for “Interests.”
You’ll see Christmas Markets, Latin Touch (Spanish-friendly with bilingual cruising and programming) and “Soulful Experience “(celebrating Black history and culture), as well as wine-, beer- and music-themed sailings, among others.
For us, beer was on tap throughout the entire week, on board and off, in these ports:
Utrecht
Colleen and I joined a table with a couple from Canada at our first brewery stop in Utrecht. Brouwerij Oudaen is located in a castle that’s been in the city center since 1296. It was a fine location to sip craft beers and chat about curling and the Olympics while trying traditional Dutch bar snacks, such as bitterballen (deep-fried balls with beef inside), beer cheese, cured sausages and fried snacks including Kaassoufle (chicken), Gehaktbal (meatball), and Kipcorn (crispy chicken), with mustard and syrup made from beer as dipping sauces.
Dusseldorf
In Dusseldorf, some chose the city tour that included a tasting of its renowned altbier (old beer). This is an amber-style created using traditional brewing methods that existed before lagers grew in popularity.
Cologne
We joined the other tour for a tour of the Cologne city center, Cologne Cathedral and a tasting, at Gaffel am Dom Brauhaus, of a traditional Kölsch, the designated beer of Cologne.
About three dozen people filed in to grab a seat at a long table that had been reserved for us on the Saturday afternoon. We blended in with the raucous locals who were a few beers ahead of us and cheering wildly as hometown team FC Köln had just scored in its Bundesliga game being shown on the TVs.
Strasbourg, Lapoutrie & Shipboard
We also had tastings at breweries in Strasbourg and Lapoutrie (Breisach), plus onboard beer-themed programming. Our resident beer expert, Ken Smith, gave a talk about the history of beer from the Sumerians to the fall of Rome. There also were cocktail hours with new beers to try and a full beer-pairing dinner with five different brews.
We downed bottle after bottle of beer while enjoying seared tuna, carrot and ginger cream soup, and beef filet. The dessert, a silky chocolate mousse, paired wonderfully with the Belgian kriek, a sour beer flavored with tart cherries.
3. AmaLucia’s Creature Comforts
Our floating hotel offered cozy confines for our trip along the scenic Rhine River.
Our Cabin
We stayed in a Twin Balcony stateroom, which has a standard balcony plus a French balcony, giving wide-open views from our cabin. The room has a separate living room area with seats and a small table by the French balcony, as well as a comfy queen-sized bed, desk area with a mini-fridge and coffee bar.
There is ample closet space with hanging space, shelves and a safe. Bath robes, slippers and umbrellas are provided. The large bathroom has a spacious shower, with complimentary toiletries — lotion, shampoo, conditioner and body wash — and a hair dryer.
VIDEO: Below is a tour of John's Twin Balcony Cabin aboard AmaLucia.
Lounges & Dining
The Lark Lounge is the main public area, with a bar, dance floor and plenty of seating. We gathered here each day for the Sip & Sail cocktail hour before dinner and for chats such as Ken’s talk on the history of beer.
The program also had nightly entertainment, including the La Strada string trio, disco night and trivia contests.
Meals are always a highlight of river cruising, and AmaWaterways offers a wide array of culinary choices. Food was available throughout the day on AmaLucia, with meals provided in three venues.
The main Journeys Restaurant offers breakfast and lunch buffets that also have a small a la carte menu for items like avocado toast or a cheeseburger. The dinner menu features multiple options for nice, plated four-course meals.
There’s a Bistro eatery at the front of the lounge featuring seating, at the bow, with nice views through floor-to-ceiling windows. The Bistro is used for the early-risers’ breakfast and a lighter lunch, with soups, salads, pasta and a variety of desserts. You’ll also find snacks —- candy, nuts and fruit — at the counter here all day. Plus, late-night snacks are available at 10 p.m. nightly.
The Chef’s Table is a specialty restaurant located aft on Deck 3, with panoramic views. There’s no added fee to dine here, but reservations are required. All cruisers will have a chance to enjoy the Chef’s Table multi-course wine-pairing meal at least once during their trip.
This was our favorite meal of the week, as we sipped a variety of wines (for a change!) and watched the chef prepare each course in the tiny show kitchen. We had courses of scallop and pear (an appetizer), carrot and ginger soup, king prawn, Angus beef striploin and dark chocolate and passion fruit entremet (dessert).
Chef’s Table also offers a daily Italian lunch. We ate here twice to enjoy the pizza, pasta and gelato of the day, plus daily soup and salad.
4. Other Pluses
About two dozen people were drawn to this cruise — at least in part — because of the beer theme, while the rest simply wanted to have a great time while experiencing the Rhine River and surrounding region.
Also, winter sailings are more budget friendly than river cruises at other more prime times of the year; they can be half the price.
Multiple Excursion Options
At its heart, this was just like a standard AmaWaterways cruise, so we all enjoyed the very best of what that means. We had a variety of included shore excursions, plus, as mentioned, the option to choose outings that included beer tastings on top of our regular city tours.
However, we also could have picked the excursion in Mainz that visited the Gutenberg Museum or the walking tour in the picturesque town of Colmar in France’s Alsace region.
A couple of bike tours and a guided hiking tour also were available. These tours were part of the popular AmaWaterways wellness program, which includes a “Wellness Host” who accompanies cruisers on biking and hiking outings and leads daily shipboard exercise classes.
Onboard Wellness Offerings
Colleen and I joined our Wellness Host, Antonio, every morning to start our day with Pilates, resistance bands and stretching sessions. We were the only people to get up for the early classes! (They were held in the lounge as it was too cold to do them up on deck as they're offered at warmer times of the year.)
Antonio also offered afternoon sessions for dance lessons, HIIT (high intensity interval training ) workouts and more, and he had more attendees for those workouts.
The bike tours were in Dusseldorf and Strasbourg. This is typically the type of activity we would choose but, on this cruise, we were here for the beer.
The ship also carries a fleet of bikes that cruisers can use in port. We didn’t do that on this trip because the weather wasn’t nice enough to make it enticing.
However, I did pick the hiking excursion during our day in Heidelberg (Ludwigshafen). We started at the castle and hiked the Philosopher’s Path into the hillside along the river. It was a fun out-and-back, five-mile hike with nice views down to the river and back to the castle.
Fitness Options
Speaking of wellness, AmaLucia also features a nice little gym with a treadmill, two bikes and other equipment including a resistance-training machine, light dumbells, exercise balls and yoga mats. The ship offers a small menu of spa services, so Colleen and I treated ourselves to a massage.
Additionally, there is a large, heated pool on the Sun Deck. We saw one couple hop in for a quick dip during the week, but, since it was February, it went unused otherwise. The Sun Deck also has a walking track and plenty of chairs and loungers for relaxing and enjoying the periods of scenic sailing.
On our voyage, the Sun Deck was used only a few times; people would pop out to see the castles as we cruised through the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Rhine Gorge on Day 4 or when we entered a large lock.
5. Light To No Crowds Onboard & Off
On our February sailing, it was delightful to move around the cities and town centers without the usual crush of people we would see during spring and summer river cruises.
We started our trip with an overnight stay in Amsterdam, and it was nice to walk through the city and easily blend in with residents. There were no lines, and we always found a seat quickly at restaurants and cafes.
Similarly, all the ports we visited had few tourists. This was a nice change of pace because we were able to move around freely, pop into stores and churches and get photos of the buildings without people swarming everywhere.
Since the ship also had fewer passengers than would be typical during high season (90 as opposed to a possible 156), it was easy to grab premium seats — by a window to enjoy the views — in the lounge and dining room.
This also meant that the staff could swing by more often to check on whether we needed drinks or anything else. The extra attention was nice.
Plus, excursions were less crowded, and we were able to meet everyone onboard and have a chat with most everyone on our trip.
Packing Tips For Winter River Cruising
- The weather can be chilly and rainy (or even snowing) during January and February along the rivers in Europe. The traditional season for river cruising begins in mid-March and extends until Christmas Eve (for the Christmas Markets cruises).
- You can get temperatures anywhere from 20s to 50s Fahrenheit, so pack layers to be prepared for a range of weather and wind and rain conditions. Nice fleece jackets, sweaters, gloves, hats and scarves will keep you comfy and ready to enjoy your tours in the towns and cities.
- Also, pack a rain jacket and water-resistant shoes in case you face rainy weather. The ship provides umbrellas.
- Bring a water bottle to refill so you can stay hydrated onboard and during your time ashore, also avoid wasting multiple disposable plastic bottles.
Our Offseason Winter River Cruise Worked In Large Part Because Of The Theme
Colleen and I had so much fun on the trip, trying new brews and feeding off the energy of our fellow beer fanatics. While we’ve cruised on the Rhine several times, it was our first theme cruise (outside of the traditional Christmas markets voyages) and our first time cruising on the river in wintertime. (Note, for 2027, there are two “Enchanted Rhine Beer Cruise” sailings scheduled for August and November.)
This made it all so fresh and fun. Our cicerone Ken Smith was incredibly knowledgeable, so we picked up some new information and a deeper appreciation for our favorite beverage.
Plus, we got to enjoy the typical wonderful food, attention, entertainment and itinerary that AmaWaterways has always provided on our voyages with the line.
We all can raise a glass and say prost to these kinds of special travel experiences.
VIDEO SHIP TOUR: Here's John's ship tour and trip vlog for his AmaWaterways “Celebration of Beer Cruise on the Rhine” cruise.
Interested In An Offseason Winter Rhine River Cruise With AmaWaterways?
Fares for a November 2027 Rhine River cruise with a beer theme, similar to what we sampled, start at $3,679 USD per person; note, almost always, a Rhine River cruise in January or February will be substantially lower priced, sometimes under $2,000 per person.
For help booking an AmaWaterways Rhine River cruise, with or without an appetizing beer theme, show your interest in the form below and we'd be glad to help you with the planning and booking process.
Interested In A Rhine River Cruise?
For years, we've been referring our readers to our favorite travel advisor, Kevin Flink, because of his excellent customer service and expertise in travel planning. Kevin owns a franchise of Cruise Planners, one of the highest producing land and cruise travel agencies in the world, which means he gets access to various discounts and perks from cruise lines, hotels and insurance companies that he can pass on to his clients.
To show your interest in booking a Rhine River cruise (or any cruise!) with Kevin, please tell us a bit more about what you’re looking for and we will be happy to get you both connected.
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HEIDI SARNA
