Cruising European rivers in luxury

Nearly every destination in The Rhine, Moselle & Belgium Grand Discovery tour was a first for me.

I was excited to travel in luxury through five countries and to over 15 towns – and to do it without any stress. There were no bags to lug, no trains or planes to meet, no car to drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, no hotels to find, no handwashing in the bathroom sink. And I only unpacked once.

Oh, the places I saw

This was a stellar 15-day itinerary, starting in Brussels and finishing in Basel, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland (with Luxembourg too, if you opted for a day excursion there).

There was some scenic sailing (special mention to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, which is chock-full of fairytale castles), but most days were spent in port, where you could stay on the beautiful SS Victoria, wander off at your leisure, or join one of the included guided tours.

Generally, there were two included tours to choose from.

On one occasion my husband opted for a guided hike including a suspension bridge crossing while, not liking heights, I chose a tour of Reichsburg Castle in Cochem and a guided walking tour.

Reuniting for lunch, we both bubbled over with news of our morning adventures.

Uniworld offered a few bike tours and had bikes onboard, which could be used free of charge for adventures. We tried both.

This was a fabulous itinerary for cycling, as the Dutch canals and the Moselle and Rhine rivers have flat bike paths.

We loved cycling as a small group – a great way to make onboard friends – and enjoyed venturing out on our own.

Reichsburg Castle in Cochem, Germany.

Wine was a constant theme

We enjoyed various included tours where we were educated, particularly about riesling.

With a group of new friends, we enjoyed an unforgettable evening visit to the oldest riesling winery in the world – Schloss Johannisberg, perched above Rüdesheim in Germany.

On a guided tour explaining riesling production, we watched the sunset from the organic winery’s panoramic terrace and then tasted different rieslings in candlelit cellars dating from the 1700s.

Another memorable guided tour and tasting at Doktorenhof, near Speyer in Germany, centred around vinegar.

Dressed up in robes (channelling Harry Potter but looking more like monks), we learnt that vinegar is a non-alcoholic product of wine with health benefits.

Doktorenhof produces about 40 varieties of vinegar for drinking and medicinal purposes. They also make 17 varieties of mustard.

A fun fact I learnt that day – vinegar, like honey, never goes off.

We also opted for a Swiss Alps hike, which involved a cogwheel train journey and a boat trip across Lake Lucerne.

The views were almost too much to take in – mountains as far as the eye could see, turquoise lakes, grassy fields, and cows with their bells constantly chiming.

My floating, luxury boutique hotel

My 23.5 square metre suite on SS Victoria came with some added benefits, including unlimited laundry (I could get used to that).

With two vanities and a full-sized shower, the lavish and spacious bathroom offered a level of luxury rarely found on a cruise ship.

The floor-to-ceiling windows were a feature we loved. With the touch of a button, the glass lowered halfway to create a balcony-like effect.

This ‘magic’ window features in all SS Victoria staterooms.

The lounge aboard SS Victoria.

Food, glorious food

The food quality onboard SS Victoria was excellent. Buffets for breakfast and lunch, and à la carte for dinner.

There were also special, small-group dining experiences for an extra fee.

The Chef’s Table was sublime, and the Progressive Dinner was a unique behind-the-scenes experience – including a visit to the engine room, canapés in the galley, and soup in the laundry.

There was a different soup and a different carvery at every lunch and dinner, as well as different sides and desserts.

The wine also kept changing to reflect the region we were travelling through.

What is luxury?

Everything onboard was included.

To me, this was luxury.

I also had the freedom to choose what I wanted to do each day.

Several countries and languages are experienced on this itinerary, but I never had to worry about logistics. All I had to do was decide what to wear and be ready at the pre-
arranged meeting time.

Travel is about seeing people and places – their history and their culture. Seeing all that from a beautiful floating boutique hotel and not having to worry about a thing – that’s the ultimate luxury. 

The writer was a guest of Uniworld Cruises on the Rhine, Moselle & Belgium Grand Discovery cruise from Brussels to Basel.

Visit RACQ Travel for more great cruise ideas