The cool charm of a Christmas market cruise

I’m going to be frank with you — I don’t like the cold. I’m born and raised in Southern California and now call the Bay Area home, neither of which are known for their frigid winters. So, it’s probably no surprise that of all the river cruises I have been on, the one category of river cruises I have managed to avoid thus far is the holiday or Christmas market cruises that run from late November to late December. Brrrr!

But I also have to admit that I’m really fascinated by these end-of-year cruises that are nearly upon us. Despite the chilliness, there is something seemingly very appealing about cruising through Europe on a cozy vessel, visiting vintage villages decorated to a tee and sipping hot beverages to stay toasty.

River cruise lines tout the attractive pricing and festiveness of these cruises. But I decided to ask a survivor, Linda Dinsmore, aka The River Cruise Lady — which is the name of her river and small ship specialist website, http://therivercruiselady.com — for the real scoop on Christmastime cruises. Dinsmore recently took a Christmas markets river cruise, and loved it. Here, she tells us why.

Q: What made you want to go on a Christmas markets river cruise?

A: I love everything about Christmas.

Q: Who did you go with?

A: Friends.

Q: What kind of passengers would you recommend a Christmas cruise for?

A: Friends for sure and couples too. Families? Probably, but they might get bored wandering around the markets?

Q: Do you think it’s more fun to go just before or after the holidays or actually during Christmas and/or New Year’s? Or both?

A: Since I like to be home at Christmas, for me it was important to go near the end of November or beginning of December. I had two couples travel together last year who disembarked on Dec. 24 and then they spent Christmas in Prague and loved it all.

Q: What were the highlights for you?

A: All the lights make the towns look so magical. Also, I really enjoyed the Budapest Christmas market as it was filled with locals, so I really got to mix with them and experience many of the treats they enjoy.

Q: Did you buy lots of gifts at the markets?

A: Due to luggage restrictions now, I don’t buy too much anymore when I’m away but did buy a few ornaments and a couple scarves made locally.

Q: How was the experience different than non-holiday-season river cruises?

A: It is different in the fact that it gets dark so early rather than the long days of summer. The plus side of that though is that it wasn’t nearly as busy at all the ports.

Q: Was the food and drink different than during a regular river cruise? How so?

A: It wasn’t different onboard but in the Budapest market, it was great to sample the seasonal treats like Kurtoskalacs (chimney cake), the mulled wine, and I will always recall the smells of fir and cinnamon throughout the air.

Q: And now, drumroll, the question we all (meaning me) want to know the answer to, how cold was it really?

A: We were actually really lucky, and the weather was kind to us. We never had snow, only a bit of rain and it wasn’t too, too cold. I had taken fleece-lined boots to wear, so my feet stayed warm. I did wear lots of layers plus gloves and hats, but the nice part is that most of the time you are so close to the ship so you’re only out for a few hours (at a time). Then when you head back onboard, they greet you with a warm drink.

Q: What should people pack to be best prepared?

A: Layers! Since I tend to always be on the cold side, I took thin fleece-lined long underwear that I wore beneath my jeans and sweaters so maybe that’s why I didn’t find it that cold, plus taking gloves, wool hat and scarves helps if it’s windy. You don’t have to pack umbrellas, as most lines include one in your cabin to use.