A wine-lovers dream cruise! AMAWATERWAYS will cruise along the Wine, er, make that Rhine and Mosel rivers on a wine cruise this coming November. In Bernkastel, pictured, visit the castle ruin overlooking the city center of half-timbered buildings and cobblestone streets.

AMAWATERWAYS will offer a “Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel” cruise this fall, departing November 12, 2010, on the luxurious MS AMALEGRO.

The special 7-night itinerary includes visits to world-famous wineries, off-site dinners hosted by renowned winemakers, onboard lectures and more.  Hosted by AMAWATERWAYS President Rudi Schreiner, the 7-night cruise will travel from Amsterdam to Trier, Germany, followed by three nights in Paris.

Accompanying the cruise will be winemaker Jim Clendenen, owner of the internationally-acclaimed Au Bon Climat winery in Santa Maria, California and Archie McLaren, founder and chairman of the Central Coast Wine Classic.  A portion of the cruise proceeds will be donated to charities supported by the Central Coast Wine Classic, one of the country’s preeminent wine auctions.

Moselle River cruises offer wine tastings in such wine villages as Cochem, settled by the Celts and later by Romans before being granted a town charter in 1332.

Cruise Highlights Include Dinners & Wine Tastings

Highlights of the “Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel” itinerary include a dinner and wine tasting with a representative from the renown Georg Breuer winery at the Ruedesheimer Schloss in Rudesheim, Germany.  The scenic Rhine Gorge town of Rudesheim is famous for its quaint wine taverns and surrounding vineyards, including the family-owned Breuer estate.

In Koblenz, guests will discover a 2,000-year old wine town at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers.

Mosying Along The Mosel

Continuing through the Mosel river valley, the world’s steepest vineyards and certainly one of the world’s most beautiful rivers, picturesque villages and charming wine towns appear at every turn. During the cruise from Koblenz to the riverside wine town of Winnigen, guests will enjoy an exceptional luncheon, with menu items paired with wines from the Heymann-Lowenstein winery.

In Cochem, guests will discover perfectly preserved timber-framed homes, medieval squares and the spectacular Reichsburg Castle perched above the Mosel.  A welcoming wine fest awaits in the Mosel town of Zell, famous for its “Zeller Schwarze Katz” (Black Cat) wine.

An evening wine tasting in a local underground wine cellar showcases the area’s famous varietals.  In Bernkastel, guests will enjoy a walking tour followed by a wine tasting at the Wine Museum hosted by Michael Stahlmann from the famous Dr. Loosen winery.   Strategically located in the heart of the Mosel wine-producing region, Bernkastel boasts more than 500 years of documented wine history, and is known as “the international town of vine and wine.”

Situated on the Moselle River is the Romanesque city of Trier, Germany’s oldest city and also one that claims to be 1,300 years older than Rome itself. Trier's Porta Nigra (Black Gate) dates from the 2nd century, when Trier was a Roman city.

Of course, throughout the cruise, guests will enjoy gourmet dining accompanied by complimentary local wines (plus beer and soft drinks) at dinner.  Additional AMAWATERWAYS amenities include French Balconies, complimentary 3G high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi; complimentary first-run Hollywood films; complimentary specialty coffees and bottled water, a fleet of bicycles on board plus much more.

After the 7-night cruise, guests will head to Luxembourg for a city tour of the Grand Duchy, followed by a high-speed TGV transfer to Paris.  The three-night stay in the City of Lights includes a guided city tour, plus an exclusive excursion to the Champagne region.

AMAWATERWAYS wants you to enjoy one of Europe’s most celebrated traditions this fall — Oktoberfest in Munich — FOR FREE. The “Be Our Guest at Oktoberfest” promotion includes a complimentary two-night stay in Munich on bookings made from February 2 to February 9, 2010 of the line’s new “Oktoberfest Escape” program.

The new itinerary takes place from September 21, 2010 to October 1, 2010, and begins with the complimentary two-night stay in Munich at the Le Meridien Hotel or another luxury hotel.

AMAWATERWAYS guests will enjoy a complimentary city tour, daily breakfast, plus the chance to enjoy Oktoberfest with the locals as they mark the 200th anniversary of this famous, fun-filled tradition.

After the stay in Munich, guests will enjoy a luxurious seven-night cruise on the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers from Nuremberg to Amsterdam aboard the ms Amalegro. The “Be Our Guest at Oktoberfest” promotional price starts at $2,699 per person.

A stunning day-after-Christmas sailing as AMAWATERWAYS’ Amalyra makes its way along Germany’s Rhine River.

Posted from my Blackberry.

Rudesheim, Germany (October 14, 2006) : We are walking along Drosselgasse, the lively narrow pedestrian street in the best known wine village along the Rhine River. Saturday night, and the street is festive, with people dancing to oompah bands in beer gardens and wine cellars on either side. At one open-air beer garden, waitresses carry glasses of beer with froth sloshing. At a wine cellar nearby, patrons sip the Rheingau’s famous Rieslings, sparkling Sekts or locally distributed brandies.

There is no need to rush. Our riverboat, Peter Deilmann River Cruises’ Heidelberg, will remain docked here overnight. During our seven-day cruise along the Rhine and Moselle rivers from Mainz to Trier, the ship overnights in each port, docking within walking distance of the town centers. That proximity allowed us to walk back into the towns after dinner. It was as if we were staying in an elegant hotel in town.

In fact, the newest of Deilmann’s nine-vessel fleet, the 110-passenger Heidelberg resembles — and functions like — a deluxe boutique hotel. Each time we disembarked the ship, we left the brass key to our stateroom at the front desk, much the same as you would do at a hotel. Standard staterooms were large, 190 square feet, with rich colors — golden hued walls, carpet and drapes, light-wood tones and crown moulding. The queen-sized bed featured European style duvets with feather pillows. The bath was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling tile and brass fixtures, a pedestal sink and showers so large that you don’t have to step out of the shower if you drop the soap as you do on large ocean liners.

Heidelberg features French balconies. You can’t step out on them, because there is nothing to step onto. With double glass doors that slide or swing open, French balconies offer the same functionality as a balcony on a large ship, providing open-air views of the passing countryside.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? If you don’t speak German, you’ll find the ship a safe haven. Though many Germans do speak English, and some with fluency, there is a language barrier, and it can slow you down when touring the towns and cities on your own. On the ship, the staff speaks English well, and they can direct you to whatever you need ashore — whether it’s a museum, restaurant or internet cafe.

There is a downside to the ship’s bilingual nature. What might have been a great presentation on Moselle wines turned out to be laborious, because the speaker had to present in two languages (ship announcements too are given in two languages). And there were times when fellow passengers (the mix was about 60 percent European, 40 percent American) simply could not communicate. That did not stop a group of Germans from inviting us to song and drink one night.

There are, of course, things that may irk some travelers: Smoking is permitted in Heidelberg‘s lounge; river cruisers typically offer no alternative dining venues, meaning that you either dine in the main dining room or ashore at your own expense (room service is offered only during breakfast); there are only a few tables for two; and for those who must remain connected, no internet access.

Are you a fan of duck liver pate? If so, you’ll love the cuisine, and you may also want to try the herring. I joked with a fellow passenger that if they labeled it “Sushi,” Americans would be clambering over one another to fill their plates.

Okay, aside from a few dishes that I was not accustomed to, the food on Heidelberg was outstanding. Breakfast was European-style, a smorgasbord that even offered champagne, or Sekt, as the German sparkling wine is known. And on one morning of each cruise, Bavarian Morning Pint is offered. It falls between breakfast and lunch. On the menu, free beer, brats, sauerkraut, German potato salad, pretzels, music and more.

For those seeking an upscale European river cruise experience, Heidelberg gets high marks as a floating deluxe boutique hotel cruising on what may just be the most beautiful rivers in Europe.

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.

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.

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