Having never experienced a River Cruise before (only ocean cruising), I had a lovely time on board MS Geoffrey Chaucer with Riviera Travel. If you would like to hear all about my experiences, please do read on or come and see me in our Clevedon shop.
Day 1-
Today was the start of a wonderful 7-night River cruise down the Rhine & Moselle with Riviera Travel. This would be my first experience of a river cruise, having previously only ever done Ocean cruises before, I was really looking forward to it. There was a group of four of us from Miles Morgan Travel who met up with our group leader Paul from Riviera Travel at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. Check in was very smooth and the flight was only 60 minutes, so it was all very quick & easy.
On arrival in Dusseldorf, we were met by a Riviera representative and coached down to our beautiful ship The Geoffrey Chaucer, which was docked in Cologne. I was very excited to find out what that lovely ship and itinerary had to offer. As soon as I boarded, I was amazed by the glitz and glamour of this river ship. There are 88 cabins which can accommodate 169 passengers. I was lucky enough to be allocated a cabin on Diamond deck with beautiful floor to ceiling sliding doors and a Juliette balcony. The cabin was a very generous size with a huge double bed, modern bathroom with walk in shower, a table and two chairs. It also had a TV, hairdryer, Nespresso machine as well as tea and coffee making facilities. On our first evening we dined in the main dining room which had a selection of tables seating 2,4,6, or 8. The dining room had a lovely ambience, it was very bright and airy with beautiful views looking out on the river. We were treated to a lovely 3 course dinner with a choice of menu, wines, beers and soft drinks, which are all included at mealtimes. After dinner we retired to the lounge area with a bar, where each evening there is some form of live entertainment. They also use this area to host quizzes and a daily presentation which is always about the following days itinerary and complimentary excursions that they offer.
Day 2-
This morning we were given a guided tour of the Geoffrey Chaucer. We saw all the facilities the ship had to offer. The sun deck is a great area to take in the stunning views of the vineyards, castles and churches as you cruise down the Rhine & Moselle. There is a wide selection of tables, chairs, sun loungers and deckchairs. There is also a small hot tub, a putting green and a waiter service for all your drinks. We also had a tour of the different cabin categories, all of which were very spacious and luxurious. The lower deck cabins had a small head-height window, middle and upper deck cabins all had floor-to-ceiling sliding doors. The suites had a small balcony with a table and chairs, they were all very impressive! Next was to visit the small fitness room which had treadmills, bikes and weights, there was also a small beauty room for massages and treatments. The other restaurant on board is called the Bistro which is featured at the back of the ship which serves 3 course lunch and dinner menus offering a variety of dishes including homemade burgers, club sandwiches and pizza. You can dine here once in the evening during your cruise and at any lunchtime. We had two lovely meals here which I can highly recommend!
After the guided tour we sat on deck and took in the ambience of the scenery around us as we passed through three lock gates (which was very interesting), past stunning vineyards and spectacular castles. After lunch we arrived in our first stop Cochem, which is a medieval town. We were met by a guide for our 1.5 hour walking tour of the area. Cochem is a delightful town full of winding streets, medieval gates, churches and walls. It is also the heart of the Moselle Wine trade with thousands of vineyards everywhere you look. They produce 90% of white wine and only 10% red. There is also a chairlift to the top of the mountain which allows you to take in the spectacular views of the area. After our tour we headed back to the ship for a 3-course dinner followed by a German Folklore performance in the lounge.
Day 3-
This morning we continued our cruise up through the heart of the Moselle vineyards to our next port of Trier. We arrived at midday and were transferred by coach to the oldest city in Germany “Trier”. The former capital city of the huge Roman province of Gallia Belgica with 282 hectares within its walls and may have had as many as 80,000 inhabitants. The most imposing sight in Trier is the grey sandstone Porta Negra gate which towers above the surrounding medieval buildings. This was originally part of a system of 4 city gates guarding the town, the Porta Negra is now the only remaining gate. Other historical sights are the Basilica of Constantine, the Cathedral of St Peter, the roman bridge and an amphitheatre. This was a beautiful city to wander around, it also had a wide selection of shops, bars and restaurants. After our tour, we returned to our ship which had now cruised to our next destination Bernkastel. Here we boarded and this evening, we had a lovely dinner in The Bistro.
Day 4-
Today was another walking tour, Bernkastel is a beautiful town with a medieval market square andtown gate. Again this town is famous for wine produce, Riesling is the main variety and it is one of the world’s 20 most popular varieties. There are vineyard’s everywhere and even wine vending machines in the town! The town hall is also a famous landmark dating back to 1608 as well as Landshut castle which was built 1277. You can ether walk up to it or there is an hourly shuttle bus. The other attraction is Spitzhauschen which is a tiny, pointed house which is a classic example of the Moselle’s vintners dwelling. There was a real hustle and bustle atmosphere in this gorgeous little town. I enjoyed just sitting in a café watching the world go by drinking local coffee. After the tour we headed back to our ship & once back on board we started our journey downstream to the next port of call Koblenz. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon just taking in the stunning scenery sat on deck in the glorious sunshine with a very small glass of the local Riesling! Dinner tonight was in the main dining room again we were offered a delightful array of local dishes as well as usual favourites.
Day 5-
This morning we arrived in Koblenz which is where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet. Here we had a guided tour of the beautiful historical town, visiting lots of lovely monuments, bridges, outdoor cafes and bars, tiny streets, alleys and an array of shops. After our walking tour we took a short ride in a cable car up over the river to the 19th century fortress of Koblenz, the views were spectacular and the whole are was full of history and stories of medieval times. After this we headed back to the ship for a cruise to the town of Boppard which is a Unesco world heritage site and a town known as “The Pearl of The Rhine”. Here you will find the Electoral place which is one of the most important fortified complexes on the middle Rhine. There is also Thonet Museum to visit, St Severus church, towers and ancient ruins as well as the quayside which is lined with boats and cafes. We spent a lovely few hours just wandering around before we returned to the ship. Tonight, we were moored overnight which enabled us to leave the ship to enjoy local bars and entertainment.
Day 6-
This morning we left Boppard & headed back through the Rhine Gorge past the famous Loreley Rock and wine villages which were on either side of the Rhine. The weather was amazing and the scenery was stunning. We arrived in Rudesheim around lunchtime and met our guide for another complimentary walking tour of this fascinating town. This town has 200 freight trains passing through every day, we also saw the Niederwald monument, Bromserburg castle which dates back to 1275 and the toy museum which was fascinating. We were also lucky enough to be visiting the town whilst they had their 3-day wine festival on. The town was buzzing and the wine was flowing! Tonight, we had a gala dinner on board which was lovely with everybody dressing up for the occasion. After dinner we went back into the main town to join in all festivities of the wine festival and were treated to a spectacular firework display. The atmosphere was wonderful and the town was full of happy people enjoying local foods and wines. This was probably my favourite day if the cruise!
Day 7-
This morning we continued our cruise downstream arriving to our final destination “Cologne”. Here we had a guided tour of this busy city. We saw all Cologne had to offer including the famous Cologne Cathedral (Kolner Dom). This is a Gothic church dating back to 1248, The town Hall, churches, Ludwig museum, The famous chocolate factory and the brewery. There is also a huge variety of shops, bars & restaurants. After the tour we stopped at the brewery to sample the local Beer! Once back on board we had our final dinner and were treated to a chocolate presentation. This involved tasting some of the famous Lindt chocolate. This was a fun night and all the guests seemed to love the chocolate experience!
Day 8-
Home time! This morning we all had check out of or cabins by 9am, we then had our final breakfast before our transfers arrived to take us back to Dusseldorf Airport. Again, the return flight was quick and easy, it was only an hour back to Heathrow. I would just like to say what a wonderful week we had. I can highly recommend Riviera Travel for the standard and quality of the ship, food and activities, everything was just perfect. It was my first river cruise, but it certainly will not be the last!
