WELCOME TO THE PRIDE CAPITAL OF EUROPE, AMSTERDAM!
Once you’ve cleared customs at the Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport(AMS), you will be greeted by a BearCruise.com representative and transferred to your floating hotel for the week, the refined and all-new river ship, The Nobleman. Enjoy lunch onboard and then guests may choose to visit the Anne Frank House for an engaging orientation and tour of the home. This evening, join your fellow travelers for an exclusive opening reception, an exquisite dinner onboard, and an incredible performance by some of Europe’s top drag performers. Choose to head out for the evening to enjoy Amsterdam’s nightlife or remain onboard for an evening filled with music by DJ T’Don Marquis.
Today, guests will enjoy the convenience of their floating hotel being docked in the heart of Amsterdam, just opposite the Central Train Station (De Ruiderkade East). Enjoy today exploring the city at your own pace, returning to the ship for lunch and dinner at your leisure. We’ve arranged for each guest to receive a 3-day IAMSTERDAM Pass. This provides unlimited travel each day aboard the city’s buses, metros, ferry boats, and trams. Today would be a great start by taking Tram Line #2. National Geographic named this one of the world’s best tram rides. During your tram ride, you will pass the beautiful Museumplein, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, the flower market, the Royal Palace, and you even cross over the canals.
Additionally, your I Amsterdam pass includes admission into over 70 world-class museums during your stay, allowing you to make the most of your visit, including the Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt House, and more. This afternoon, we also offer those guests with late arrivals on embarkation day the opportunity to visit the Anne Frank House for an engaging orientation and tour of the home.
The Amsterdam World Pride 2026 street parties will be in full swing upon your arrival. The city of Amsterdam ensures that the pinnacle weekend of World Pride 2026 festivities culminates in a series of incredible street parties each evening. With a theme of celebrating that we can be ourselves unabashedly and uninhibitedly, this sets the tone for this iconic weekend. From Marnixstraat to Stoperaplein and from Reguliersdwarsstraat to Dam Square, the capital city of the Netherlands will overflow with Pride. Don’t forget to return home aboard The Nobleman for another incredible cocktail reception and dinner this evening before venturing back out to continue your Pride festivities.
Today, the world-famous Canal Parade on the canals of Amsterdam takes place. It is expected to be one of the most memorable events commemorating World Pride 2026, where more than 80 elaborately decorated barges and equally exuberant passengers take to the water, while spectators line the banks of the city’s historic waterways. Nowhere else in the world will you find a comparable festival. In this way, Amsterdam celebrates the free spirit of the city, in which cisgender people, gay men, lesbian women, transgender people, and every other person from the LGBTQI+ community live together. As a spectator, you can continue the party on the quays of the Prinsengracht and the Amstel.
BearCruise.com guests will enjoy privately reserved grandstand seating from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm today at the most prime location along the parade route. Unlimited beverages, food, and more will be available throughout the day.
A look back at the 2024 Amsterdam Canal Pride Parade
Today, enjoy a restful morning at leisure, followed by an incredible Brunch served al fresco by our culinary team. This afternoon, we continue our Pride festivities onboard with our signature BearCruise.com Tea Dance featuring open-air performances, dancers, and more!. This evening, continue the celebration with a very special Pride-themed dinner and evening performances in the lounge.
Known as the true gay capital of Germany, Cologne hosts the country’s largest gay pride AND carnival celebrations annually, and there is a reason for this. Whether gay or straight, Kolners know how to throw a party!
This morning, following breakfast, we’ll head off for our tour of Cologne for a look at the city’s charming Old Town, including the Overstolzenhaus – home of the Academy of Media Arts – and Cologne Rathaus, and the historic town hall and the stunning 13th-century Cologne Cathedral. Afterward, we visit Cafe Bach, a local cafe whose proceeds are contributed to Aidshilfe, a German nationwide network established for the prevention and promotion of HIV/AIDS health. We’ll then finish our visit to Cologne with the option of Cologne’s famous Fragrance museum, or end on a sweet note at the Chocolate museum. We’ll return to the ship for a late lunch.
This afternoon, we will dock in Bonn, located at the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia, which was formerly the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is also a gem for classical music lovers, offering a chance to soak up more culture! We’ll visit Beethoven Haus, Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthplace(December 1770), and enjoy a memorable performance that brings his legacy to life. Although there is no definitive answer to whether Ludwig van Beethoven was gay, he never married and didn’t have any documented intimate relationships with women, there are various interpretations and theories about his sexuality and emotional attachments and we’ll learn more during this fascinating visit surrounded by history and music, immersing yourself in the stories of history’s greatest composers.
Koblenz is a fascinating town, dating back over 2,000 years. It grew at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. A famous monument to Emperor William II marks the German Corner.
This former trading settlement rests on a massif of the Middle Rhine Highlands. Its cobblestone streets, wood-beamed houses adorned with flowers, ancient market square, and medieval churches recall the fairy-tale Germany of old. We’ll hop aboard a funicular that soars up the mountainside to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. Take in breathtaking views of the Rhine River Gorge and the fortress, situated on a hill overlooking Koblenz. The fortress includes a vibrant cultural center with a fascinating history, four exhibition halls of the Koblenz State Museum, and numerous culinary delights. The museum focuses on photography, archaeology, viticulture, and culinary delights, as well as the economic and cultural history of the region.
We’ll return to The Nobleman and depart Koblenz for a scenic Rhine Gorge sailing to Rüdesheim. As you sail its most picturesque stretch, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Middle Rhine, you will pass vineyard-blanketed hills whose steep slopes require vintners to pick grapes by hand, keeping a centuries-old tradition alive. Splendid castles line the banks, all of which have stories to share, and the Lorelei Rock presides at a dramatic curve in the river. This infamous river maiden is said to mesmerize sailors with her song and lure them to their demise at her feet.
Upon arrival in Rüdesheim, enjoy time at leisure in these very friendly and walkable villages. Visit one of the many charming Weinstubes for a taste of the regional wines the region is known for before returning to the ship for dinner.
Heidelberg is sometimes referred to as 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 stunning castle ruins overlooking the town. Your tour will take you to the castle, with its views of the red-tile roofs of the city 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.
We love to find ways to make our journeys even more meaningful for our BearCruise.com guests. While docked in Mannheim this afternoon, we’ll host a panel conversation and reception with trans, gay, and lesbian U.S. service members stationed at nearby Ramstein Air Base. Their stories of service, identity, and resilience are powerful and especially important in today’s political climate.
Following breakfast, we bid you farewell and provide airport transportation to the Frankfurt International Airport(FRA), with memories of a remarkable cruise, or opt to continue with BearCruise.com’s Berlin Adventure Optional Post Cruise Program, just $299 per person when you book by August 22nd!
Click here to learn more about Bearcruise.com’s Berlin Adventure Optional Post Cruise Program!
