COVID-19 Kills Our Christmas Markets Cruise…

Rats!  We had this fantastic trip to Europe planned for December and found out this week that the cruise we were booked on is canceled.  We really needed this trip… a whole year without travel is killing us.  I’m a travel junky.  I may need therapy!  We already canceled our 18-day May trip to London, the Cotswolds and Ireland.  And now mainland Europe.

This was definitely a splurge trip.  We rarely book high-end trips but this was a celebration of our 4th anniversary, Lisa’s 60th birthday and the friends we were traveling with were turning 50 and 60 this year, so we went all out by booking a Crystal Cruises Christmas Markets cruise.

Crystal is a premium brand where absolutely everything is included – gratuities, shore excursions, Wi-Fi, airport transfers, drinks, 24-hour butler service and only 106 guests.  We got a good deal going through United Airlines Cruises plus we get 35K bonus United miles once the cruise is completed.

The cruise was to begin in Amsterdam, wend its way up the Rhine stopping in Cologne, Koblenz, Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Strasbourg and culminating in Basel, Switzerland.  From Basel we were flying to Salzburg, Austria to see friends for a few days before coming home.

As I go about canceling our flights, our Eurostar Train reservation from London to Amsterdam through the Chunnel and hotels in Amsterdam and Salzburg, I’m wiping up the big crocodile tears as they hit my keyboard.

I’m not much of a cruise fan for the simple reason that all the cruises I have been on have toured the Caribbean and after a while, all the ports look the same, sell the same kitschy stuff made in China and the ships are just too big for my liking.

But… I’ve always wanted to do a European river cruise because the ships are smaller, the scenery as you’re underway is fantastic and, well, it’s Europe!  Fortunately, we were offered the option of just moving our booking to December of 2021 at no additional charge, so we did and now have something to look forward to next year.

In addition to missing the train ride under the English Channel, there are two other things I’m disappointed about.  First, the stateroom we reserved had a king-sized bed facing the river with floor-to-ceiling balcony windows, a walk-in closet and dual vanity bathroom.  As I said, this was a huge indulgence.

Second, I had been able to score Delta One seats on the way over to London (their premium first-class seats) for a ridiculously low number of Delta Skymiles.  I don’t do well on long-haul flights going East; losing 5-6 hours without enough time to get a decent amount of sleep really takes a toll on me and it takes several days to catch up.  So, flying overnight to Europe in a 180-degree flat-bed seat makes a huge difference.

Plus, Delta One seats have privacy doors so you can sleep better and you have lounge access before the flight.  I doubt I’ll be able to get these seats when I re-book, but maybe I’ll get lucky again if Delta is still flying at reduced capacity next year.

OK… gotta go.  I still have flights to cancel.  ☹

Brian

As an avid traveler, Brian has explored and enjoyed cultural encounters in over 40 countries while spending many years refining The Points Game — using credit card sign-up bonuses and other tricks to get nearly free travel.  Getting the most out of every trip is an art and Brian launched My Travel Traxx to help others enjoy the art of travel.