$4,400 – $6,200 (plus air)
Priests: Father Peter Idler and Father Michael Baggot
After the success of my Danube River Cruise Pilgrimage in 2023, I’ve decided to charter another boat and offer the Rhine River Cruise Pilgrimage.
I’ve hand-crafted all our shore excursions – which are included in the price, of course. We’ll visit the highlights at each stop and a few off the beaten path churches.
There will be a cheese tasting, a beer tasting, and a few wine tastings, plus some surprises along the way.
This is a pilgrimage, so we will celebrate Mass each day in some of Europe’s most glorious churches with our own priests.
All your dinners, and six of your lunches, are included – as always, with unlimited wine, beer, soft drinks, and water.
All your tips are included.
This is a pilgrimage with The Catholic Traveler, so you know there will be some surprises mixed in.
If you’ve traveled with me before, or if you’ve been following along for any amount of time, you know that all my groups are typically small, usually 15 – 27 people max. But because this is a river cruise, and we are on the ship the whole time, we are just going to fill up the boat! If large groups scare you, I assure you, this is the best way to do this. As we will have the whole ship, it’s just us, a bunch of Catholic Travelers! Our shore excursions will be split into smaller groups, so you will not feel like you are in a large group. But in the evenings, and while on the ship, it’s one big happy family. And because this is a larger than average group, we are bringing two priests! Both priests are awesome, both have been traveling with me for many years, and they are two of the best pilgrimage priests I’ve even had the pleasure of working with.
Is this pilgrimage trip for you?
You need to be flexible.
This pilgrimage is not for grumpy people or those unable to be joyfully flexible. Europe is fully back to normal, but the world is still a bit uncertain. While I don’t expect any complications, we have be able to adjust our plans if needed.
Plus, we’ll be on a boat, meaning we are at the mercy of the river too.
If you are easy-going and excited to travel, even with some uncertainties mixed in, this could be the trip for you!
You should be in good physical shape.
We will do a lot of walking, much of it outside, and much of it on uneven ground. We can cover up to 5 miles per day. Please do consider this before signing up.
COVID Stuff
There are no vaccination or mask requirements in Europe or on the ship.
Itinerary
June 4th: Today is all about your arrival and getting settled. I will provide the exact dock location closer to arrival, but it’s in the city center. Check-in on the ship begins at 4:00 PM. Our only activities today are Mass and dinner. Overnight on the ship, it remains docked in Amsterdam.
June 5th: After breakfast, we board our buses and head to Mass. Today we travel through Volendam and Edam, where we will sample the local cheeses. We will continue to Utrecht, where we meet the ship. Lunch on board the ship as we head to Cologne. Dinner included.
June 6th: We start this morning with Mass in the gorgeous Cologne Cathedral, which contains the relics of the Three Magi. We will tour the church and the city before our afternoon beer tasting. Lunch is available on the ship (included in the price), or you can choose to stay in the city and get lunch on your own. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to enjoy the city. At 7:30 PM, everyone must be back on the ship as we depart for Cochem. Dinner included.
June 7th: Today we have a morning of sailing. We do not arrive in Cochem, the next port, until 2:00 PM. Here we will tour the town, including the impressive Reichsburg Castle. We will end our visit with a tasting of the local wines and liquors. Dinner included.
June 8th: This morning we wake up in Koblenz. We have a little time to explore the town before embarking on the most beautiful part of the Rhine. We have about six hours of daytime cruising to the next port, Rüdesheim. Here we will visit a local vineyard for a wine tasting. You’ll have the evening free to explore the town, full of wine taverns, beer gardens, and live music. We meet back on the ship at 8:00 PM for dinner. We depart Rüdesheim at 10:00 PM.
June 9th: This morning we arrive in Mannheim. After a walking tour of nearby Heidelberg, we return to the ship for lunch and sailing to Speyer. We will tour the town and celebrate Mass in the Cathedral. Dinner this evening on the ship.
June 10th: We dock this morning in Strasbourg. We will tour the town and celebrate Mass in the cathedral before returning to the ship for lunch and sailing as we head to Switzerland. Farewell Gala dinner this evening.
June 11th: We arrive this morning in Basel, Switzerland. Disembarkation by 9 AM. The closest airport is Zurich.
The Ship
We are traveling aboard the Amadeus Queen.
Deck Plan
Cabins and Pricing
Because this is a cruise, every cabin is priced for double occupancy, meaning two to a room. If you must have a single room, you will need to pay for the entire cabin – the price of two passengers.
If you are traveling solo and want to share a room, I will do my best to match you with another person traveling solo – of the same sex, of course – so you don’t have to pay for the entire cabin.
Please do take extra notice of the size of the cabins when considering sharing.
If you are considering the C cabins, also take notice of the size of the window. In the photo below…
- the window in purple is the suite with walk-out balcony,
- the window in blue is an A Cabin,
- in green is a B Cabin,
- and in red is a C Cabin.
Mozart Deck – Suites
$6,200 per person
26.4 square meters with a walk-out balcony.
Located on the same level as the bar, terrace, and pool.
Rooms can be arranged for one bed or two.
Mozart Deck – Staterooms A
$5,600 per person
17.5 square meters with drop-down panoramic windows.
Located on the same level as the bar, terrace, and pool.
Rooms can be arranged for one bed or two.
Strauss Deck – Staterooms B
$5,200 per person
17.5 square meters with drop-down panoramic windows.
Located on the same level as the restaurant. Identical to the Staterooms A, just one level below.
Rooms can be arranged for one bed or two.
Haydn Deck – Staterooms C
$4,400 per person
16 square meters with small porthole window – window cannot be opened.
Located on the lower level.
Rooms can be arranged for one bed or two.
Payments and Cancellations
Your $1,000 per person deposit secures your space. Deposit is fully refundable for two weeks to give you time to check out flights and make sure you can get the time away.
Final payment is due February 4th, 2025. Final payment is nonrefundable. I am usually super flexible with refunds on my pilgrimages, but since this one involves chartering a boat, a lot of that is out of my hands. For this reason, I highly recommend trip insurance.
Though trip insurance is not required, it is a wise investment in case something comes up while you are in Europe, or you think you may need to cancel. A “Cancel for Any Reason” plan will let you, well, cancel for ‘most’ any reason. Most plans should allow for at least a 75% refund should you need to cancel at any time before departure. I have a friend who specializes in trip insurance, you can contact him directly, but you are under no obligation to use him and I don’t get any sort of kick backs, so shop around and find what works best for you.
As always, if I need to cancel or postpone the pilgrimage, you will be refunded 100% of the cost of the pilgrimage.
Included in the price
Accommodations for 7 nights
7 nights onboard the Amadeus Queen.
Breakfast daily plus 13 additional meals.
Wine, beer, soft drinks, and water is included in all group meals.
All group ground transportation
We’ll be traveling in a private motor coach when not on the ship.
Full time service of a local tour guide
A local guide will be with us throughout the pilgrimage.
Full time service of a tour director
I’ll be with the group at all times.
No hidden costs
If we do it as a group, it’s included in the price! You are responsible only for things you do on your own, souvenirs you wish to buy, and Mass donations directly to the churches.
Guaranteed price
Unlike most tour companies, once I receive your deposit, your tour price will not go up.
All tips for group meals, guides, cruise staff, and drivers
Would you believe that many tour companies require you to tip as you go? Not only does that add to the advertised sticker price of a tour, it’s also a huge hassle to you! No need to worry about that here. Tips are already included.
Entry fees and tours
All entry fees and tours to our included group activities.
You time
We have a lot planned, but time on your own is important. We take our time in churches to give you the opportunity for prayer and reflection. We also include free time for you to explore, shop, and relax.
Not Included
Your flights
Our pilgrimage begins in Amsterdam. Airport code: AMS
You should arrive in Amsterdam no later than early afternoon on June 4th. Check-in on the ship begins at 4 PM. The ship docks near the Central Station, exact dock location will be sent closer to arrival.
Our only activities this day will be a late afternoon Mass, followed by dinner.
Our pilgrimage ends in Basel, Switzerland. The closest airport is Zurich. Airport code: ZRH
The official disembarkation is at 9 AM on June 11th.
Most airlines are offering free changes should anything happen. Some airlines are not offering refunds, but rather a credit.
If you need to cancel your trip for any reason, or if the situation in Europe changes and we need to cancel or postpone the trip, it’s your responsibility to work with your airline to cancel, reschedule, or request refunds.
Airport transfers
You are responsible for getting to the ship in Amsterdam. I will provide instructions on how to meet the ship.
When we arrive in Basel, I will have a few shuttles to the Zurich airport, or city center, which you can take for free. If your flight time does not match with the shuttle service, you’ll have to book a car to the airport. The shuttle times are still to be determined.