Gardens and Natural Beauty of the Rhine - MS Emily Brontë
Holiday Highlights
- Marvel at the natural beauty of the Rhine during a scenic cruise through the Rhine Gorge, see the vineyards around Rüdesheim on the Winzerexpress tour, and enjoy Four Lakes View from Gedeon’s corner in Boppard.
- Discover the beautiful castle gardens of Heidelberg and Schwetzingen.
- Follow a guide through Koblenz’s Schlosspark and visit the Butterfly Garden of Sayn Palace with its vibrant display of colours.
- Explore Rheinaue Leisure Park in Bonn with a guide, including a visit to the Japanese garden and the apiary where we'll learn more about beekeeping practices.
- Enjoy a guided tour of Strasbourg, then savour the smell of fragrant blooms on a visit to the Rose Garden of Saverne.
What's Included
- Prices are per person, based on two people sharing a twin cabin with a limited number of sole occupancy cabins available, at the relevant supplement. The price includes:
- Full board dining (except 1 lunch), plus Chef's Dinner
- Free drinks package
- Complimentary on-board tea and coffee
- Complimentary on-board Wi-Fi (connection speeds may vary)
- All visits and excursions as mentioned
- Return flights or Eurostar with regional rail connections
- Coach travel as mentioned
- Transfers from the airport or station to and from the port of embarkation
- English-speaking expert guides
- The services of a Riviera Travel Cruise Director and Concierge
Itinerary
Day 1
After arriving in Germany, you'll transfer by coach to your five-star cruise ship moored in picturesque Cologne. The dedicated English-speaking crew will be ready to welcome you on board and help you to your cabin. After settling into your spacious and tastefully furnished accommodation, there'll be time to familiarise yourself with the ship before your first delicious dinner in the restaurant.
Day 2
Koblenz At the confluence of two of Europe's most prominent rivers - the Rhine and the Moselle - lies the German Corner, or Deutsches Eck, in one of Germany's oldest and most beautiful cities: Koblenz. Immersed in two millennia of history, it was founded by the Romans, and successively occupied by the Franks, chosen as a residence of the German prince electors, conquered by the French and fortified by the Prussians! All have left their marks in the city's rich array of castles, churches and historic buildings. Today, we'll enjoy a walking tour from the German Corner to the Schlosspark. Connecting the city centre with the Rhine, we'll wander through the palace gardens, boasting a modern interpretation of Prussian gardening, which showcases the harmony between nature and human creativity. Adorned with striking fountains, charming pergola walkways, and vibrant blooms, the garden offers a captivating tapestry of colours and scents - there's plenty to delight a budding gardener! Later, you can explore Koblenz's patchwork of narrow streets and squares at leisure - maybe taking in a little shopping - before heading back to the cruise ship for our first relaxing lunch. Sayn Butterfly Park After lunch, we'll travel just outside of Koblenz to Sayn Castle, a captivating gem nestled in the heart of the Middle Rhine Valley. Originating from the 12th century, this once Royal residence now graciously welcomes the public, offering a rich tapestry of history and natural beauty to explore. Here, you'll have the freedom to wander at your own pace. You could meander through the splendid palace park with its arboretum and serene ponds or climb to the medieval castle, perched high above the Rhine, to take in the view. Don't miss the ethereal butterfly garden, where you can watch beautiful butterflies gracefully dancing around you amidst vibrant tropical plants. This tropical paradise is home to palm trees and banana trees, trickling waterfalls and the colourful flourish of exotic butterflies from South America, Africa and Asia - like the Chinese Atlas moth and the blue Morpho of Brazil. We'll return to the ship in time for dinner and, as you sit down to dine, we'll gently slip our moorings and head to Boppard, where we'll moor overnight. After dinner, delight in the upbeat sounds of Rhenish folk music with a live performance on traditional instruments. Included experiences Walking tour of Koblenz, including a visit to Schlosspark Visit to Sayn Castle butterfly gardens A live folk music performance
Click here to take a virtual tour of the MS Emily Brontë
It is extremely difficult to convey just how extraordinary this outstanding ship really is and exactly what distinguishes it from similar vessels. It would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that; we have deliberately avoided the current trend for a minimalist style where you could be anywhere in the world, creating instead a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. Immediately striking is just how exceptionally spacious this new vessel is as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. Moving inside, exceptional creativity from Europe’s finest design studio has produced a superbly balanced masterpiece of onboard style, utilising sustainable rich hardwoods, gleaming brass and polished copper, sparkling glass and intricate wrought iron. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout – including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising which time after time you tell us you adore.
The restaurant rivals the finest on shore establishments taking fine dining to another level complemented by delicate European porcelain, gleaming glassware and the intuitive service in which the Swiss excel. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 169 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with our first class service levels.
Furthermore your suite will easily exceed your expectations for not only will you enjoy the most discerning décor, so too the ship’s dimensions afford the ultimate in space and comfort - a minimum 16 square metres (172 square feet), with upgrades available to ‘Superior’ and ‘Deluxe’ accommodation.