Cruise RC92	Cruise & Tour RC92(NI) Lake Geneva
Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland
28 Apr-6 May 2024 9 days Fares from �1815	28 Apr-9 May 2024 12 days Fares from �2410
Aboard Swiss Crystal

Enjoy not only the romance and beauty of the Rhine all the way from Arnhem to Basel but also its famed wines. Other highlights include the sights and shops in Cologne and Strasbourg, a memorable day in the picturesque Mosel Valley and a visit to ancient Freiburg in the Black Forest.

RC92 Cruise Itinerary:			PRICES FOR CRUISE RC92(NI) Cabin Grade: Price per adult (�): Prom Deck Standard (Twin Use) 2665 Prom Deck Standard (Sole Use) 3124 Main Deck Standard (Twin Use) 2410 Main Deck Standard (Sole Use) 2818 Main Deck Superior (Twin Use) 3135   PRICES FOR CRUISE RC92 Cabin Grade: Price per adult (�): Prom Deck Standard (Twin Use) 2024 Prom Deck Standard (Sole Use) 2484 Main Deck Standard (Twin Use) 1815 Main Deck Standard (Sole Use) 2178 Main Deck Superior (Twin Use) 2540 Swiss Crystal deck plans for location of cabins
Sat 28 Apr London - Amsterdam - Arnhem	"Cruise Only" passengers fly from London to Amsterdam and join Swiss Crystal, berthed in Arnhem. We sail early evening.
Sun 29 Apr Cologne	A morning cruising to settle in to your new surroundings and perhaps listen to our Guest Speaker's introductory talk. Afternoon tour of the delightful city of Cologne. Visit the Cathedral with its magnificent stained-glass windows and art treasures. The city is also home to the impressive Roman Germanic Museum with an excellent collection of artefacts found along the Rhine Valley. Join the Captain this evening for our Welcome Cocktail Party and Gala Dinner. Arrive in Andernach late evening to overnight.
Mon 30 Apr Andernach - Koblenz (for Mosel Valley) - Cochem	We sail for Koblenz at breakfast time to disembark for our full-day tour to the Mosel Valley, famous for its Riesling wines. Alternatively, take our excursion to Trier. During our walking tour we see the city gate, Porta Nigra, and the Imperial Thermal Baths. We rejoin Swiss Crystal in the picture-postcard town of Cochem - an ideal opportunity to dine ashore and sample some of the local cuisine and wines.
Tue 1 May Cochem - Oberwesel	Enjoy a relaxing day as we cruise on the Mosel this morning before rejoining the Rhine. Admire the beautiful scenery from the Sun Deck as we pass terraced vineyards, picturesque villages and castles dotted along the valley slopes and the romantic Loreleii rock before we arrive in Oberwesel mid-afternoon. Enjoy a wine tasting ashore and afterwards why not take a stroll around the 14th century town walls?
Wed 2 May Oberwesel - Mainz (for Rheingau)	Relax in the Lounge with a book or admire the river scenery from the deck before we arrive in Mainz, at the confluence of the Rhine and Main, at lunch time. Join our excursion to discover the wines of the Rheingau; dry white wines are the speciality here, especially of the "Spaetlese" variety. Alternatively, visit the Museum of World Printing, dedicated to Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of printing, who set up his press in this town in 1450. Afterwards, explore the town at your leisure. Sail late afternoon and enjoy dinner as we cruise to Mannheim to overnight.
Thu 3 May Mannheim (for Heidelberg or Pfalz) - Speyer	Disembark in Mannheim for our morning tour to Heidelberg where we visit the Renaissance style castle overlooking the River Neckar. Enjoy some time at leisure in this bustling town before we continue to Speyer to visit the Cathedral. Or you may prefer to join our wine tour visiting some of the vineyards in Pfalz � Neustadt and Deidesheim are amongst the best wine villages in the region. Arrive in Strasbourg late evening.
Fri 4 May Strasbourg - Breisach	This morning we explore the city of Strasbourg, where we view the Parliament building and take a walking tour of the Old Town with its attractive timber-framed houses. Depart after lunch for an afternoon's sailing - reflect on the sights seen during the cruise with our Guest Speaker. Arrive in Breisach in the evening.
Sat 5 May Breisach (for Freiburg im Bresigau, Alsace or Colmar)	This morning we visit the ancient university town of Freiburg im Breisgau. During our tour we stroll through the attractive streets lined with "Baechle", shallow rivulets, formerly used for watering animals and fighting fires. Browse in the colourful Market Square with its magnificent cathedral. After lunch on board, explore our wine theme further in the Alsace region, home to the Sylvaner, Muscat and Gewurztraminer grapes. Or return to France to visit Colmar, with its picturesque 16th and 17th century houses. Sail for Basel where we arrive late evening.
Sun 6 May Basel - Zurich - London	"Cruise Only" passengers disembark after breakfast and transfer to Zurich airport for our return flight to London.
RC92(NI) Cruise & Tour: Lake Geneva
Sun 6 May Basel - Lausanne	"Tour & Cruise" passengers transfer to the Hotel de la Paix in Lausanne. Set on the shores of Lake Geneva, this will be our base for the next three nights.
Mon 7 May Lausanne	We visit the early Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame before driving to one of the local vineyards. Upon our return to Lausanne, we visit the Olympic Museum.
Tue 8 May Montreux	We join a cog-wheel railway travelling up to Rochers de Naye, giving breathtaking views of the Alps and Lake Geneva. After lunch we descend to Chillon Castle.
Wed 9 May Lausanne - Geneva - London	"Cruise & Tour" passengers transfer to Geneva airport for the return flight to London

Maggie McNie She entered the wine trade in 1974 and has been a Master of Wine since 1986. Author of books covering various aspects of food and wine worldwide. Among her interests are the fine wines of Germany. During her talks she will look at "The Riesling" and other grape varieties and discuss the rise and fall of modern German wine.

Please note Guest Speakers travel on the cruise portion of the holiday only.

Our expert will lead you through the historical background of the great WINE estates of the region and the rise and fall of the riesling grape.