Christmas Markets on the Rhine aboard the Deluxe River Ship MS Leonora with PGS
Christmas Markets
CHRISTMAS MARKETS ON THE RHINE WITH THE DLX RIVER SHIP LEONORA
GERMANY – FRANCE
Düsseldorf (*Cologne) – Koblenz - Romantic Rhine Route – Rüdesheim - Worms /Speyer
(*Heidelberg) – Strasbourg 1 night accommodation(*Colmar) – Stuttgart
The ship cannot dock at the ports indicated with the (*) mark. The cities and towns indicated with the (*) mark can be visited by private vehicle.
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FLIGHT INFORMATION |
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DIRECTION |
DATE |
FLIGHT CODE |
ROUTE |
DEPARTURE |
ARRIVAL |
|
OUTBOUND |
16.12.2026 |
PC 1007 |
SAW – DUS |
07:35 |
08:50 |
|
RETURN |
20.12.2026 |
PC 974 |
STR- SAW |
18:10 |
23:05 |
Day 01 ISTANBUL SABIHA GÖKÇEN – DÜSSELDORF
16 December 26 / Wednesday Meeting at the designated time in front of the Pegasus Airlines counter at the International Terminal of Sabiha Gökçen Airport, followed by check-in and passport procedures, then departure for Düsseldorf at 07:35 on Pegasus Airlines flight PC 1007 and arrival. Following our arrival in Düsseldorf at 08:50 local time, we will transfer to our ship by our vehicle waiting for us at the airport. Check-in procedures will take place after 14:00. For our guests who wish, an optional Cologne & Düsseldorf tour, two of Germany’s most popular cities, is available. Afterwards, we will transfer to our ship and complete the check-in procedures. Our ship departs from Düsseldorf at 17:00 today.
Day 02 KOBLENZ - ROMANTIC RHINE ROUTE - RÜDESHEIM
17 December 26 / Thursday We will dock at Koblenz port at 06:00 in the morning. Guests who wish may join the Koblenz and Mountain Cable Car tour, organized as an optional excursion by our guide, where you can also see the Moselle River. We take the cable car up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, from where we enjoy a panoramic view of Koblenz’s famous German Corner, the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. Afterwards, we take a walking tour of Koblenz and visit the Christmas Market. Our ship will depart from Koblenz port at 12:00. The Romantic Rhine Passage, the most beautiful section of the Rhine River, will take place. During this cruise, more than 20 medieval castles and magnificent landscapes can be seen. Following our ship’s arrival in Rüdesheim at 19:00, it will remain in port until 01:30 at night..
Day 03 WORMS - SPEYER
18 December 26 / Friday We dock at Worms port at 09:00 in the morning. After a short technical stop, our ship will head towards Speyer at 09:30. Our ship will arrive in Speyer at 12:30 and depart from Speyer at 20:00.
You may join the Heidelberg tour as an optional excursion with our guests who wish. We tour the city of Heidelberg, whose population consists predominantly of students. Heidelberg is also famous for its printing and printing machines, named after the city. Heidelberg Castle, the enormous wine barrel Grosses Fass displayed in the castle cellars, Carl-Theodor Bridge, popularly known as the Old Bridge (Alte Brücke), and Heiliggeistkirche (Historic Church), located in the very center of the Old Town, are among the places to be seen. After the tour, return to our ship waiting for us at Speyer port.
Day 04 STRASBOURG
19 December 26 / Saturday We arrive at Strasbourg port at 08:00 in the morning. Our ship will remain anchored in Strasbourg overnight.
In the morning, we begin an optional Strasbourg and Colmar City tour with our guests. Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988, Strasbourg is also home to the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. Strasbourg, the seventh-largest city in France by population, is where we first visit the European Court of Human Rights. After a photo stop in front of the building, we come to the historic city and begin our walking tour. Historic streets, Notre Dame Cathedral, Rohan Palace, Kammerzell, shopping streets and Kleber Square are among the sights to be seen on this tour. Afterwards, guests who wish may walk to the Petit France (Little France) district. Our tour ends with free time in the center of Strasbourg. In Colmar, those who wish can take an optional detailed city tour by mini train.
Day 05 STRASBOURG – STUTTGART- ISTANBUL SABIHA GÖKÇEN
20 December 26 / Sunday After breakfast, guests who wish may join an optional panoramic Stuttgart city tour before disembarkation procedures and transfer to the airport from which your return flight will depart.. From the city center, we see the New Palace, the City Hall and the shopping street Königstraße. After visiting the Christmas market at Marktplatz, free time and transfer to the airport. Following check-in and passport control, we depart for Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport at 18:10 on Pegasus Airlines flight PC 974. Our tour ends upon arrival in Istanbul at 23:05 local time.
CANCELLATION & REFUND TERMS
The following deduction amounts or rates will apply based on the date on which the cancellation request is made, calculated from the date of reservation.
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FROM THE RESERVATION DATE UNTIL THE DEPARTURE DATE |
APPLICABLE DEDUCTION RATE |
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180 days or more before |
%10 |
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179 – 159 days before |
%15 |
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158 – 120 days before |
%25 |
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119 – 90 days before |
%30 |
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89 – 60 days before |
%50 |
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59 – 45 days before |
%60 |
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44 – 30 days before |
%75 |
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29 – 10 days before |
%90 |
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9 days or fewer before |
%100 |
MS LEONORA SHIP SPECIFICATIONS
The ship, which began its voyages in 2008, initially operated under the name Avalon Scenery and was later renamed Ms Leonora. It was completely renovated in 2025, with the refurbishment completed. The ship is 110m long, 11,40m wide, 5,85m high and has a total of 3 decks, with 67 cabins and a passenger capacity of 138. French Balcony cabins are 16 m² in size. All cabins are equipped with amenities such as air conditioning, TV, telephone, minibar, safe, hairdryer, clothes hangers, towels and shampoo. On the ship, where approximately 40 friendly staff members will serve you, you can also enjoy the river to the fullest on the Sun Deck, the top deck of the ship, with complimentary sun loungers, tables and seating areas. In the Restaurant section on the lowest deck of the ship, you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the table assigned to you on board. In the Club Lounge Bar section prepared for you at the rear of the ship, you can enjoy games such as card games, backgammon and okey. In the Lounge section at the entrance of the ship, you can attend events such as local performances, presentations about rivers, ‘’Welcome’’ and ‘’Farewell cocktail’i’’ events, and ‘’Tea & Coffee hour refreshments’’. You can also easily follow the next day’s program thanks to the program sent to your cabins in Turkish every night
What's Included
Airport taxes & Ship port taxes
4 nights’ full-board accommodation on a Deluxe River ship built in 2008 and completely renovated in 2025 (Full board service starts with dinner on the day of boarding the ship and ends with breakfast on the day of disembarkation)
Airport transfers (on the day of boarding and disembarkation)
Live music and activities on board
All-day coffee & tea station and afternoon tea refreshments on board
Welcome Cocktail
Captain’s Gala Cocktail, Gala Special Menu
Luggage handling service on the first and last day of the cruise
Professional Turkish-speaking guiding and assistance services
Tourist city taxes (50 Euros)
TURSAB mandatory professional liability insurance
Not Included
Visa fee and service charge
Domestic connecting flight ticket
Ship Personnel Service Fee (calculated at 15 Euros per person per night and added to your room account as a total of 60 Euros per person)
All alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on board
All personal expenses
Entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites not specified in the program
Travel & Health Insurance and age surcharge (for guests aged 65 and over)
Tips for the driver and guide
International departure tax
Important information regarding your flight;
* The airport meeting time is generally 2 hours and 30 minutes before the flight, and the details will also be communicated 2 days before the tour departure. Due to security checks at European airports, you will be transferred to the airport 3 hours before the flight on the return journey.
* Departure and arrival times are local times and are determined by the airlines..
* There is limited availability for domestic flight connections; availability must be checked during the final reservation and the arrangements must then be made accordingly.
* Cities providing connections other than Ankara and Izmir must also be confirmed.
* Confirmed domestic flight connections are valid for the most suitable domestic flight available within 24 hours.
* Domestic flight connection prices may not be valid for groups. Please ask about our special prices.
* The Operator Agency acts as an intermediary between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol dated 28.09.1955. There may be a risk of delays on scheduled and special flights, or flight times may change before the existing tour and flight. The Operator Agency is obliged to notify you of these changes as soon as possible. Our passengers purchased the tour knowing and accepting that flight details may change.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUR RIVER TOURS;
- There is no minimum number of participants required for our tour. It is guaranteed to depart in December and will be conducted with a Turkish-speaking guide.
- Guests holding an ordinary (Bordeaux) passport need a visa. Multiple-entry / Multiple Schengen)
- Guests holding a green passport and a service passport do not need a visa.
- You must have a passport valid for 6 months from the end date of the trip and issued within the last 10 years.
- Obtaining foreign currency in Euros before your trip will make cash payments during your shopping easier.
- For purchases of 100 Euros or more, you may request a tax refund form. You can have your tax refund processed at the last point where you leave the European Union, after customs and similar procedures.
- There are no doctors or medical personnel on river ships. In emergencies, reception calls medical teams from the nearest healthcare facility to the ship within a very short time. However, whenever medical assistance is needed, our ship stops at the nearest point to medical facilities and assists in the prompt transfer of unwell guests to hospitals or similar institutions. We also recommend that you bring the medications you regularly use together with your prescriptions and obtain comprehensive travel health insurance.
Medical services provided on the ship and at healthcare facilities are subject to a fee.
- We do not expect you to encounter any problems that could threaten your health in the meals you have during your ship journey. Nevertheless, when you are off the ship, we recommend that you be careful about eating and drinking, consume only bottled water, avoid ice, milk and dairy products, consume meat and fish products that you are sure have been thoroughly cooked, and choose fruits such as bananas and pineapples that can be peeled.
- Since you may enter more than one country during your journey, the time applicable to each port visited by the ship will be indicated. As disembarkation from and boarding of the ship will take place according to the local time of the port you are in, please arrange your schedules accordingly.
- During navigation on river ships, particularly when crossing borders, your mobile phone line can be used if it is enabled for international calls (roaming). Sometimes, your mobile phone may lose signal because there are no base stations in forested areas.
- During your journey, for the Captain’s Welcome & Farewell Cocktail evenings, we recommend that our male guests bring a suit and our female guests bring an evening dress. If travelling during the summer season, we recommend bringing t-shirts, short- and long-sleeved shirts, cotton trousers, shorts, comfortable walking shoes, a light jacket for the evenings and a thin sweater, all of which can be put on and taken off easily. In addition, you may bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, earplugs in case of possible noise, a camera, a video camera, their chargers and spare memory cards. During the winter, we recommend clothing that allows you to move comfortably and keeps you warm. The open areas of the ship may be cool in every season while sailing.
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the main dining restaurant on the ship. In addition, afternoon tea and light snacks at night are served in the lounge area upstairs.
- The electrical sockets in the cabins are the same as those in Turkey.
- Accommodation at hotels before or after the river ship program may not be of the same standard as our river ship. Nor should it be expected to provide the same services. During periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events and sports tournaments, hotels may be used at distances exceeding the stated number of km’s. Triple rooms may be provided depending on hotel availability, and the bed provided for the third person in such rooms may be smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed and 1 extra bed. Since extra beds consist of beds referred to as folding beds and coach beds, participants making reservations for a third person and/or child are deemed to have declared that they accept the possible lack of space in the rooms and the bed type. Child discounts are valid for one (1) child staying with 2 adults and belonging to the age group specified in the pricing section.
- If hotel accommodation is included in the tour program in addition to our ship, the breakfasts provided are served in accordance with the breakfast culture of the country visited and generally consist of a limited menu known as a continental breakfast, comprising butter, jam, bread, tea or coffee; for groups, they may be served in a separate room allocated to the group
SOME TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR RIVER TOURS;
- The times indicated in the program have been obtained from Pegasus Airlines‘ and Scylla Cruise. Otto Cruise is not responsible for any changes that may occur in the times. Therefore, due to any change in the times, Otto Cruise may make changes to the days without disrupting the content of the program and the scope of the services.
- The durations, places to be visited and itineraries of the tours at the ports are determined by the operator company and may be changed or completely cancelled when necessary.
- Otto Cruise shall not be responsible for natural disasters such as rises or decreases in river water levels, or force majeure situations such as strikes occurring in locks / canals or the inability to dock at the planned port.
- Otto Cruise shall not be responsible for out-of-program situations that may arise in such cases, such as changes of port or changes in the arrival and departure times at the port.
- During the flight, each passenger is entitled to take one piece of luggage into the cabin measuring 36 cm (height) x 23 cm (width) x 56 cm (length). In addition, each passenger is entitled to bring 1 suitcase weighing between a maximum of 20 and 23 kilograms, provided that it is checked into the aircraft’s baggage hold.
- Of the dinners you will have during the ship journey, 1 is a formal dinner, and our guests are expected to bring formal attire for this evening.
- During check-in on the ship, each guest will hand over their passport and receive their cabin key. Passports may be collected in some cases for the ship’s manifest and local procedures. Passports will be returned on the same day.
- Guests who will make their onboard expenditures by credit card must register their credit cards at reception within 5 days after the journey begins. No charge will be made to your credit card, nor will any amount be blocked, during the registration process.
- *It is absolutely necessary to comply with the ship’s departure times. At ports, you must board the ship no later than 45 minutes before our ship’s departure time. Otherwise, you may not be allowed to board the ship. Otto Cruise will not be responsible for such a situation. Passengers who miss the plane or ship are responsible for the transportation costs required to rejoin the tour.
- It is strictly forbidden to bring alcoholic beverages, irons, hair dryers, water heaters, bottle warmers, electric blankets or similar items onto the ship. A hair dryer is available in every cabin, and a water heater is available in many cabins.
- At the beginning of our ship journey, luggage tags in specific colors will be allocated for your suitcases. It is extremely important that these tags be filled out completely so that your suitcases are delivered correctly to your cabins.
- Your suitcases may not arrive at your cabin immediately on the ship’s first departure day. Therefore, on the first day you board the ship, it is advisable to put your essential items in a small handbag and carry it with you.
- On the first day of your journey, a safety drill and briefing will be held so that you can familiarize yourself with the evacuation procedures in an emergency. Participation is extremely important. Your guides and the ship employee responsible for your room will direct you to the meeting point for the drill.
- Every evening on the ship, a detailed program for the following day will be left in your cabin. This program includes complete information about all activities onboard, entertainment events and important notes.
- We kindly ask you to take great care of all your personal belongings throughout the tour. There is a safe in all cabins on the ship where you can store your valuables. Our agency assumes no responsibility for the loss or theft of money and valuable personal belongings left in the cabin or in the luggage. Support will be provided for sending found belongings to you by collect-on-delivery cargo service from the country where they were found.
At the end of your ship journey, the tags that will be left in your cabins the night before must be attached. You must leave your suitcases outside your cabin doors early in the morning; they will then be collected and lined up in front of the buses that will provide the transfer. They will be received here by the passengers.