Expression & Poetry II, Rhine Rhone Revealed 2022 ex Amsterdam to Port St Louis
Cruise Line Avalon Waterways
Ship Avalon Expression
Destination EU Rivers
Nights 14
Departure Date 25 Oct 2022
Description 14 Night Cruise sailing from Amsterdam to Port St Louis aboard Avalon Expression and Avalon Poetry II.

DAY 1: AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to Holland. Your Suite Ship is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Amsterdam must arrive by 3:30 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm. Your day in Amsterdam is free to explore at your leisure. During tulip season, you may take a Guided Optional Excursion to Keukenhof gardens-with more than seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, as well as other bulbs, planted each year. Outside of tulip season, join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM (D)

DAY 2: AMSTERDAM
Canals of Colorful Amsterdam Join your Adventure Host for today's special activities. CLASSIC - Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam's "Golden Age." This afternoon choose among the Guided Optional Excursions available or take some free time to explore Amsterdam's colourful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops. AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO COLOGNE (B,L,D)

DAY 3: COLOGNE, GERMANY
Prost! Celebrate in the Rhineland CLASSIC -Take a Guided City Walk of Cologne-with its soaring twin-steepled gothic cathedral, OR: DISCOVERY - Choose a Guided Walking Tour of Cologne's important Jewish heritage sites. Spend free time over a glass of Kolsch pale lager-locally brewed for over 100 years! Later, local musicians will join us on board for live entertainment. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO RUDESHEIM (B,L,D)

DAY 4: RUDESHEIM
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Wine Country Sail through the Rhine Gorge to Rudesheim and past the legendary rock of the Lorelei-where the siren of mythology sang songs to lure ill-fated sailors. DISCOVERY - Take a Guided Tour of the incredible Mechanical Music Museum for a one-of-a-kind instrumental experience; based on your departure enjoy a local special treat. Enjoy live entertainment on board your ship this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN RUDESHEIM (B,L,D)

DAY 5: MAINZ. HEIDELBERG EXCURSION
Printing Halls, Castle Walls, and the World's Biggest Wine Barrel CLASSIC - Enjoy a Guided City Walk including a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to see the captivating history of printing, OR: CLASSIC - Enjoy a Guided Tour to Heidelberg Castle to see the ruins of the magnificent renaissance treasure towering above the city, and its famed Great Vat, the "World's Largest Wine Barrel," OR: ACTIVE - Join your Avalon Adventure Host for a Hike up Philosophers' Way for an inspiring view of the city below. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO STRASBOURG (B,L,D)

DAY 6: STRASBOURG, FRANCE
A Grand Cathedral and La Petite France Ask about today's energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities. CLASSIC - Join a City Sightseeing Tour, including Strasbourg's Gothic, stained-glass cathedral with its celebrated ancient murals and astronomical clock, as well as the magical La Petite France District. Choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the historic Maginot Line-the pre-WWII fortifications designed to protect the eastern border of France, or visit Alsace's wine country today. Alternatively, take some free time in Strasbourg to visit a museum, or stroll across the city centre. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BREISACH (B,L,D)

DAY 7: BREISACH, GERMANY. EXCURSION TO BLACK FOREST
German Winemaking and the Beautiful Black Forest DISCOVERY - Join a full-day Guided Tour to the magical Black Forest to experience the Vogtsbauernohf open-air-museum, visit an authentic water mill, and see a traditional butter-making demonstration, OR: DISCOVERY - Visit to Badischer Winzerkeller, the largest German wine producer in Europe. Learn about German winemaking in the vineyards of Baden, and enjoy a wine tasting You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to visit the charming village of Colmar in the morning, with its half-timbered medieval and early renaissance buildings. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BASEL (B,L,D)

DAY 8: BASEL, SWITZERLAND (DISEMBARKATION)-BEAUNE-ST. JEAN DE LOSNE (EMBARKATION)
Disembark your ship and drive on to Beaune. CLASSIC - Visit the Hotel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune, built in 1443, today home of the Van der Weyden's painting of the Last Judgement. This afternoon, travel to St. Jean de Losne to board your Suite Ship. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MACON (B,D)

DAY 9: MACON
Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saone Visit the Adventure centre for today's activities with your Adventure Host. Enjoy leisurely cruising en route to Macon along the majestic Saone River. Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to a Chardonnay wine cellar or to the Castle of Cormatin. DISCOVERY - Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting on board your ship. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN TREVOUX (B,L,D)

DAY 10: LYON
La Vie En Rose in Lyon Sail for lovely Lyon this morning. CLASSIC - Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour to survey Lyon from Fourviere Hill with its numerous churches. You'll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafes, monuments, and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux. Spend free time biking through Lyon's town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhone and Saone rivers meet. DISCOVERY - Be our guest for a WWII & French Resistance Lecture on board your ship. Later enjoy live entertainment after dinner. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON (B,L,D)

DAY 11: LYON
Adventures in Food and Wine CLASSIC - Join a Culinary Walk through the city to discover why it is known as the gastronomic capital of France. The rest of your day is free to explore, relax, or shop in France's third largest city. Take a bike from the ship and explore local produce markets and parks, or take a leisurely tour of the city's more than 100 murals. EVENING CRUISE TO TOURNON (B,L,D)

DAY 12: TOURNON
A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards CLASSIC - Take a morning Guided Walking Tour to explore Tournon-one of France's oldest medieval cities. See its 16th-century castle, and Roman ruins between the Rhone River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage. Enjoy a leisurely sail to Viviers after lunch. VIVIERS World History in a Charming French Country Village CLASSIC - Explore the pale-stone buildings of Viviers on a late afternoon Guided Walking Tour of this charming village. You'll see its Romanesque cathedral and Old Town with a mix of historical Christian, Roman, and medieval influences. Later, enjoy live entertainment on board. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AVIGNON (B,L,D)

DAY 13: AVIGNON
The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence Join your Adventure Host for today's special activities. CLASSIC - Take a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the fortress city of Avignon-with its ramparts encircling the city-and a visit to the amazing Palace of the Popes. Guided Optional Excursions include a visit to the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, or a trip to the famed wine cellars of Chateauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhone wine region. Explore Avignon on your own for the city's art and culture, theatre, and museums. Be sure to snap photos of the captivating countryside, historic monuments, and the medieval Pont Saint-Benezet. Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment. EVENING CRUISE TO ARLES (B,L,D)

DAY 14: ARLES
Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights ACTIVE - Grab a Nordic walking stick for a hike with your Adventure Host. CLASSIC - Enjoy a Guided Walking Tour of Arles-the captivating city of the Provence region. You'll visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city, OR: DISCOVERY - Attend a Painting Workshop to learn techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of the legendary artist. Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to the Carrieres de Lumieres (Cathedral of Images) a unique experience of art, sound, and light in the old quarries of Val d'Enfer. Take free time to stop in Cafe Van Gogh for a glass of wine. EVENING CRUISE TO PORT ST. LOUIS (B,L,D)

DAY 15: PORT ST. LOUIS (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. Flights should not leave Marseille airport before 10 am. (B)
Sailing Dates
  • 29 Mar 2022
  • 12 Apr 2022
  • 10 May 2022
  • 07 Jun 2022
  • 21 Jun 2022
  • 05 Jul 2022
  • 02 Aug 2022
  • 16 Aug 2022
  • 13 Sep 2022
  • 27 Sep 2022
  • 11 Oct 2022
  • 25 Oct 2022
Itinerary

Cruise Itinerary

DayDateActivityArriveDepart
1 25/10 Amsterdam, Rivers Embark Expression
2 26/10 Amsterdam, Rivers
3 27/10 Cologne, Germany
4 28/10 Rudesheim, Germany
5 29/10 Mainz, Germany
5 29/10 Heidelberg, Germany
6 30/10 Strasbourg, France
7 31/10 Breisach, Germany
8 01/11 Basel, Switzerland Disembark Expression & Transfer to St Jean de Losn
8 01/11 St Jean de Losne, France Embark Poetry II
9 02/11 Macon, France
10 03/11 Lyon, France
11 04/11 Lyon, France
12 05/11 Tournon, France
13 06/11 Avignon, France
14 07/11 Arles, France
15 08/11 Port-Saint-Louis-Du-Rhone, France Disembark Poetry II
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.

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