Welcome to the vibrant city of Amsterdam!
Those who book by Friday, July 19, will start their adventure with a bonus pre-night stay in this beautiful city aboard Advance by Transcend. Upon arrival, our team will meet and transfer you to your floating boutique hotel for the week. This afternoon relax, recharge, and explore the charming canals of this idyllic city at your own pace. This evening, join your fellow travelers for our Welcome Reception onboard, followed by the first of many incredible dinners curated by our LGTBQ+ resident Guest Chef, Todd Erickson. Following take on the lively LGBTQ+ scene in the Reguliersdwarsstraat district for a night of fun, setting the tone for a fantastic journey ahead.
Begin your day with a leisurely breakfast on board before setting out to explore Amsterdam this morning. Discover the city’s rich history and culture with our expert LGTBQ+ guides, including a visit to the Rijksmuseum and a walking tour of the picturesque Jordaan neighborhood. Return to the ship for a late lunch this afternoon and welcome our remaining guests aboard before we set sail with fond memories of Amsterdam. This evening following an incredible culinary journey with Cheff Todd, we’ll join Kelly Carey and Rick Santamaria for an evening filled with incredible music.
Spend your morning enjoying the scenic views along the Rhine River from a cozy corner in our sunlight-filled Skylight Lounge onboard. Arrive in Cologne after lunch, where you’ll have the opportunity to explore this historic city with us. Beyond its iconic Cathedral and rich history, Cologne’s strategic location along the Rhine River positions it as a central hub in Europe, and being close to Belgium and the Netherlands, Cologne serves as a gateway to the continent.
Cologne has played a pioneering role in LGBTQ+ rights in Germany, with some of the country’s earliest gay demonstrations in the 1970s. The city boasts one of Germany’s oldest gay communities, fostering an inclusivity and vibrancy that has drawn LGBTQ+ individuals for generations. This afternoon, during our tour, we visit the “Centrum Schwule Geschichte”, Cologne’s fascinating Gay History Center, where we more about the evolution of LGBTQ+ life in this region.
Return to the ship for our evening Cocktail Reception and epicurean dinner before enjoying an incredible private performance by Envy Peru, RuPaul’s Drag Race Holland’s winner and RuPaul’s Drag Race Germany contestants Nikita Vegaz and Metamorkide.
This morning we enjoy a lively brunch onboard before we head to the city center to participate in one of the most important days of a Kölner’s year. Every year, the Cologne Carnival season officially kicks off on the 11th November at 11:11am, when around 70,000 carnival-goers pack into Heumarkt Square, Cologne to celebrate the opening of Cologne Carnival Season together.
Cologne Carnival is opened by the three main carnival figures who are collectively known as the Dreigestirn. They consist of a Prince, a Peasant, and a Virgin, and the characters embody the spirit of Cologne Carnival. They are joined by traditional Cologne Carnival bands and a celebration in the city square. Following our time at the celebration we return to the ship and set-sail for a relaxing and restorative sail to our next port.
Arrive in the charming town of Cochem this morning. Nestled in the heart of the Moselle River valley, it’s perhaps one of Germany’s most colorful cities, Cochem feels just like a storybook with its dramatic castle, impressive landscapes, and pastel-colored shops, restaurants, and buildings lining the banks of the Moselle. Perched high above on a cliff sits the brilliant Cochem Castle, or Reichsburg Cochem, which brings German history and culture to life and provides panoramic views of the Moselle and Cochem below, which you’ll have the chance to see today on a walking tour of the city and enjoy a wine-tasting tour to sample the region’s renowned Riesling wines. Enjoy a leisurely afternoon exploring or relaxing before returning to the ship for cocktails and to see what Chef Todd has in store for you! Afterwards, enjoy a performance by Kelly Carey and Rick Santamaria, a John Heath Travel favorite.
Today, you’ll arrive in Koblenz, where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet. a historic town with a colorful past and eclectic architecture, and enjoy a visit to the stunningly medieval Marksburg Castle. As you come upon picture-perfect Koblenz, you’ll sail past Deutsches Eck (German Corner) with its historic monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I.
This afternoon we set sail as we begin lunch, enjoying one of the most scenic parts of your journey. We’ll head to the top deck this afternoon with our hot chocolate as we sail through the Rhine Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its stunning landscapes and medieval castles. Capture the breathtaking views and learn about the legends of the Lorelei Rock. This afternoon’s scenery is a true highlight of this itinerary! This evening we reach the pinnacle of entertainment onboard Advance by Transcend with a private performance by world-renowned Comedian, Pam Ann.
This morning, we embark on a brief drive to Heidelberg, sometimes called the most romantic city in Germany. It is home to the nation’s oldest university, a charming baroque Old Town lying along the banks of the Neckar River, and extraordinarily beautiful castle ruins overlooking the town. Your tour will take you to the castle, with its views of the red-tile roofs of the town below, the handsome Old Bridge and the wooded hillsides beyond, and then into Old Town, where you will see the late-Gothic Holy Spirit Church, the Student Prison and the longest pedestrian street in Germany. Following enjoy free time to enjoy the city before returning to the ship for an amazing dinner and our final performance with Kelly Carey and Rick Santamaria, followed by a night of dancing with DJ James Munich
Following lunch on board this afternoon, I will visit the Goethe House in the old town of Frankfurt am Main. It was the family residence of the Goethe family, most notably Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, until 1795. Johann Wolfgang was born here in 1749 to his parents, Johann Caspar Goethe, a lawyer, and Katherine Elisabeth Textor, daughter of Frankfurt’s mayor (Bürgermeister). Johann Wolfgang lived here along with his sister Cornelia until 1765, aged sixteen, when he moved to Leipzig to study law, returning sporadically after that. Following, we’ll enjoy an LGBTQ+- led tour of the Stadel Museum, viewing colorful works by Kandinsky, Chagall, and Matisse, among others. There are also plenty of LGBTQ+ themes on display, from Max Beckmann as an elegant dandy in a self-portrait with Champagne Glass to Karl Hofer’s Two Friends, highlighting gay life in 1920s Berlin. After, we visit Schäfergasse and Alte Gasse, Frankfurt’s predominantly gay neighborhood, visit the small square at the intersection of the two streets bearing the name of the gay writer Klaus Mann since 1995. For those still on the hunt for adventure, you may enjoy an evening shoreside as the ship overnights in Frankfurt.
