The Cruise Report With Cruise Specialists Cruise Reporter Ralph Grizzle

Our cruise ended in Trier, Germany’s oldest city and an outpost of the Roman Empire as early as the 3rd century BC. Roman ruins are found throughout the city, including an ancient Roman gate.

Dark clouds rolled in on the last day of our seven-night cruise, but spirits remained high on board. As passengers head into Trier, Germany’s oldest city, we conduct a series of exit interviews on our final full day before disembarking.

Heidelberg’s pilot house, where the captain navigated the river vessel, raised and lowered to pass under low-lying bridges. In this scene, you can see the pilot house rising after passing under a low bridge on the Moselle River.

One of the more charming ports of call during our seven-night cruise was on the Moselle River. Heidelberg docked within a 5-minute walk from the city center of Bernkastel and within a 20-minute walk (with a moderate grade) to the castle ruin of Burg-Landshut that overlooks the city. The community’s wine-growers tend Germany’s largest continuous expanse of vineyards. Needless to say, the wines here are heavenly.

The reserved section in Heidelberg’s lounge was for a woman affectionately known as Tanta Hedwig (or Aunt Hedwig). Our cruise marked her 90th river cruise with Peter Deilmann. She began traveling when her husband passed away in 1981. She is considered family by the crew, and thus they call her Tanta Hedwig. We interview Heidelberg Hotel Manager Wilhelm Bahrs and speak briefly to Tanta Hedwig in this video.

Heinhold from Hamburg attempts to teach me a German beer drinking song.

. . . and the crew in high spirits on our October cruise up the Moselle River. Cruising on Peter Deilmann River Cruises’ Heidelberg, we passed quaint villages and acres of vineyards in this region famous for its white wines (and in a country famous for its beer).

On one morning of each cruise, Bavarian Morning Pint is offered. The buffet falls between breakfast and lunch. On the menu, free beer, brats, sauerkraut, German potato salad, pretzels, music and more.

“Attention ladies and gentlemen. We are approaching a very low bridge, and we kindly ask that you vacate the sundeck until we have passed.”

Welcome to river cruising in Europe, where the experience is unlike any other cruise you’ve likely encountered. Floating down the Moselle River toward Germany’s border with Luxembourg and France, we are passing under a bridge that requires not only all tables and deck chairs to be removed from the sundeck but also the side railings and even the captain’s pilot house to be lowered so that they are flush with the upper deck.  Read more... (229 words, estimated 55 secs reading time)

Cruising the Moselle River this afternoon, we spoke with Eiko Yamamoto, an Orange County, California, resident on her fifth cruise with Peter Deilmann River Cruises. Filming against the beautiful backdrop of vineyards and villages, we talk about the benefits of river cruising over coach tours in Europe and how river cruises differ from ocean cruises.