Rhine River Cruise: Cologne to Amsterdam
In this fourth and final post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores the last part of her Romantic Rhine cruise on Avalon as she travels from Cologne, Germany to Amsterdam.
My very first river cruise was the wonderful Romantic Rhine cruise on Avalon Waterways. I had been considering a river cruise for a while but wasn’t sure if it was something I would like or not. From doing a bit of research online, the average passengers on a river cruise seemed to be married retirees. On this cruise I would just be turning 45 and I would be traveling solo. But the idea of getting to see so many wonderful places in one relatively short time span was appealing, as was the notion of only having to unpack once. So, I made the plunge and booked the trip. Long story short, it was the start of an ever-growing love affair with river cruises in general and Avalon in particular!
Please join me in this and related posts as I relive this wonderful experience on the Avalon Tranquility II in June 2017. This final post in the series highlights the last part of the cruise, with a day in Cologne, Germany and then sailing on to Amsterdam for the final days of the cruise.
Romantic Rhine Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the cruise. This post includes details about Days 6 through 8 of the cruise.
- Pre-Cruise – June 22: Zurich, Switzerland
- Pre-Cruise – June 23: Zurich, Switzerland
- Cruise Day 1 – June 24: Lucerne and Basel, Switzerland (embarkation)
- Cruise Day 2 – June 25: Breisach/Black Forest, Germany & Colmar, France
- Cruise Day 3 – June 26: Strasbourg, Alsace, & Obernai, France
- Cruise Day 4 – June 27: Mannheim, Heidelberg, & Mainz, Germany
- Cruise Day 5 – June 28: Rudesheim, sailing the Rhine Gorge, & Koblenz, Germany
- Cruise Day 6 – June 29: Cologne, Germany & sailing to Amsterdam
- Cruise Day 7 – June 30: Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cruise Day 8 – July 1: Amsterdam, Netherlands (disembarkation)
Cologne, Germany
Day 6 of my Romantic Rhine cruise started in Cologne, Germany. Once again, we were docked mere steps from the center of town. I had a wonderful view of the bridge from my suite, and from the opposite side of the ship I could see the spires of the iconic Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral). Cologne has approximately 1.1 million inhabitants, making it the fourth-most populous city in Germany.
Walking Tour
My morning started with a walking tour through Cologne. It was one of the most heavily bombed Germany cities in World War II, and nearly all of the city center was destroyed. After the war, some major historic landmarks were restored. But many new, modern buildings were also built after the war. So, the city is an interesting mix of old and new architecture.
Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral)
The walking tour ended with a tour of the striking Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral). This Gothic Catholic cathedral stands an impressive 515 feet (157 m) tall, which makes it the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the second tallest church in Europe, and the third tallest church of any kind in the world. Construction began in 1248. It has gone through several renovations and restorations since then. It is absolutely stunning inside and out.
Sailing to Amsterdam
After lunch, we set sail from Cologne to Amsterdam. This will be the longest stretch of sailing during the entire cruise, sailing all afternoon and overnight before arriving in Amsterdam.
Galley Tour
During the sailing we had an opportunity to get a tour of the ship’s tiny galley. Our head chef, Tomas, showed us around the galley. He explained how their staff of 10 (8 chefs and 2 dishwashers) prepares up to 10 different meals for 130 passengers, along with feeding the 40 crew members, each and every day.
Düsseldorf and the Ruhr Region
Once the galley tour ended, I headed back up to the Sky Deck to enjoy the sights as we sailed past Düsseldorf and through the Ruhr region. It was a nice afternoon to be up on the Sky Deck, but it was a bit windy! Along the way, it was an interesting juxtaposition of old and new, with historic buildings and modern architecture shoulder-to-shoulder in many areas.
Farewell Gala Dinner
Day 6 on the Romantic Rhine concluded with a festive Farewell Gala Dinner. I enjoyed a delicious five-course meal, starting with a duck pate amuse bouche. French onion soup followed, with a wonderful rock lobster tail appetizer after that. The main course was a delightful medallion of beef, artfully presented. A baked Alaska dessert capped off a marvelous dinner.
After dinner the full ship’s crew participated in a fun parade through the dining room. My fellow passengers and I all gave them a hearty round of applause and many cheers for a fantastic cruise! The entire crew is simply wonderful on Avalon ships. They all do a great job of ensuring that each and every passenger is well cared for, without being ostentatious.
Amsterdam
We arrived at our final stop, Amsterdam, at 7:00am on Day 7 of the Romantic Rhine cruise. Another full and entertaining day of excursions kicked off shortly after breakfast.
Canal Cruise
First up was a canal cruise through Amsterdam. This is a wonderful way to see all of the sights of the city from a unique vantage point. We boarded the small canal boat near where our ship was docked and set sail through the city. We first saw some of the areas near the port, including the NEMO Science Museum and the VOC Ship Replica. Then we meandered through the many canals, past houseboats and beautiful architecture.
Gassan Diamond Factory
Our canal cruise ended at the Gassan Diamond Factory, located in a restored diamond factory building built in 1879. The original factory was steam driven. Once inside, we had a tour of the factory and learned about the “4 Cs” of diamonds: cut, color, clarity, and carat. We also got to see diamonds being cut and polished by hand.
Zaanse Schans
After lunch on the ship, I headed out for an optional afternoon excursion to Zaanse Schans. This adorable open-air museum has a collection of typical Dutch houses, windmills, and craft stores. I loved this excursion, as it provided a wonderful sampling of a lot of Dutch history all in one spot.
The highlight of Zaanse Schans is the large windmill village. These wooden windmills are a beautiful sight to see. Each windmill is still working…some saw wood, others mill spices, pigments, oil, or flour. We had the opportunity to go into the De Kat mill. This mill produces paint, chalk, pigments, and oils. It was fascinating to see the inner workings of the mill. The views from the upper deck were pretty amazing, too…just don’t forget to watch out for the large sails whipping by!
Next up was a visit to the wooden shoe workshop at Zaanse Schans. Here a very knowledgeable and friendly guide gave us a demonstration of how traditional wooden shoes are made. There is also a small display area with different types of wooden shoes. Of course, there is also a shop where you can purchase your own shoes.
Our final stop at Zaanse Schans was to the cheese workshop. Here the guide gave us a demonstration of how Gouda cheese is made. We also had an opportunity to sample the finished product, and to purchase some to take home with us as well.
Bicycles!
Of course, you cannot visit Amsterdam and not notice all of the bicycles! In the city of Amsterdam, there are approximately 900,000 bicycles and the population is around 900,000 people. So, to say that there are bicycles everywhere is an understatement! There are also dedicated bike lanes, with their own corresponding traffic lights, all over the city. As a pedestrian, it is imperative to pay attention to the bicyclists whizzing around the city. Be sure to stay in the pedestrian walk lanes or run the risk of getting yelled at (or worse, getting hit!).
Captain’s Farewell Reception
Day 7 also included the Captain’s Farewell Reception to cap off a delightful cruise. We all enjoyed a champagne toast before heading into the final dinner on the ship.
Red Light District
After dinner, I participated in one final excursion, an evening walking tour of Amsterdam. On this tour we walked through the infamous Red-Light District and saw some of the coffeeshops. It was another interesting tour, as we learned a bit more about the history of Amsterdam and the Red-Light District itself. At the time of this trip (2017), they were discussing eliminating tours of the Red-Light District altogether, so I am not sure if this is still an option on current or future cruises. We also learned the difference between a coffeeshop (a licensed seller of cannabis products), a coffee house (a place that sells coffee and light meals), and a café (a casual restaurant or bar).
Getting Ready to Head Home
Day 8 of my Romantic Rhine cruise started with one last breakfast on the ship. My flight back to the U.S. was not until later in the afternoon, so after breakfast I took a shuttle bus from the ship to a local hotel where Avalon had arranged a meeting room. Here passengers with later flights could drop off their luggage and explore or just relax in the room itself prior to heading to the airport. Since I had a few hours, I chose to leave my luggage and head out for one last walk in Amsterdam. It was a rather blustery day, but I was still able to enjoy walking around the area.
Conclusion
What an amazing journey! My first river cruise was a wonderful experience from start to end. I really did not know what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised with the entire trip. My first two days on my own in Zurich were a lot of fun, and I enjoyed having that time to acclimate before starting the actual cruise. The cruise itself was full of entertaining and educational experiences. The Avalon crew definitely took wonderful care of me, and the ship itself is beautiful and comfortable.
As a solo traveler, I also found the river cruise to be an easy way to meet others when I wanted to. It is quite easy to strike up conversations with fellow travelers, as you all have at least one thing in common. Sharing experiences about the different excursions people went on and learning more about where people are from is a great way to meet new people.
I fell in love with river cruising in general, and Avalon specifically, on this inaugural cruise. After this first cruise, I have taken four other cruises with Avalon (to date…I am sure more will follow in the future!). Be sure to check out the other blog posts on bethanyexplores.com for more information about my other Avalon cruises!
Links
Click the buttons below to read the first three posts in this series:
Click the button below for more information about Avalon Waterways:
