Christmas Markets on the Rhine: A Quilting Escape with Gudrun and Mr. HP (Dec 6-16, 2027)
December 6–16, 2027
Come for the markets. Stay for the people. Eleven days on the Rhine, your quilting friends beside you, every detail handled.
Traveling on your own? You won’t be alone. By Amsterdam, the quilters aboard feel like old friends.
- Only 20 cabins on this sailing
- The Swiss Alps before you sail
- A final night in Amsterdam
- One price covers it all
That's your 35% deposit, not the full price. It reserves your cabin now. You pay the balance in installments, final payment due September 2027.
Cancellation
- Change your mind in the first 14 days? Full refund, no questions.
- After that, your deposit holds your cabin and is non-refundable — but cancel any time up to 90 days before departure (September 7, 2027) for a full refund of everything else.
- Within 90 days of departure, the trip is non-refundable.
One price, everything handled
- 7 nights aboard the Emerald Star-Ship, plus 3 hotel nights on land
- Every meal on the ship, drinks included at lunch and dinner
- A guided excursion daily, plus every Christmas market
- A private visit to Madeira Threads in Freiburg
- Gratuities, transfers, and WiFi. No surprise add-ons.
Hosted start to finish by Gudrun and Mr. HP. Bring yourself and your quilting friends. We'll handle the rest.
Questions before you book? Call (952) 361-9772 or email help@gequiltdesigns.com. We're glad to walk you through it.
The Rhine in December, wrapped in winter light. Gluhwein and roasting chestnuts on the air. Storybook towns glowing with market stalls. Your quilting friends right beside you.
More than a river cruise. It's the Swiss Alps before, Amsterdam after, and every detail in between handled for you.
The journey
Your full route, Switzerland to Amsterdam
Eleven days from the Swiss Alps to Amsterdam aboard the Emerald Star-Ship, stepping off each day into a different European Christmas market.
- Zurich: a welcome dinner in the old town
- The Swiss Alps: the Mt. Pilatus "Golden Round Trip"
- Freiburg: your private Madeira Threads visit, then aboard at Basel
- Breisach: gateway to the Black Forest
- Strasbourg: half-timbered lanes in Alsace
- Heidelberg: the castle above the river
- Koblenz: cobbled Christmas squares
- Cologne & Düsseldorf: markets beneath the great cathedral
- Amsterdam: Golden Age canals and Christmas stalls
A private visit to Madeira Threads
Because this trip is made for quilters, we added something you won't find on any other sailing: a private visit to Madeira Threads in Freiburg.
Trip highlights
What's waiting for you
- 7-night Emerald river cruise, Basel to Amsterdam
- Guided visits to the Rhine's most beautiful Christmas markets
- A private visit to Madeira Threads in Freiburg
- Two nights on land before you sail: a welcome dinner in Zurich's old town, the Mt. Pilatus "Golden Round Trip" in the Swiss Alps, then overnight in Freiburg
- A final night in Amsterdam
- Hosted start to finish by Gudrun and Mr. HP
What it costs
Per person, everything included
Reserve your cabin today with a 35% deposit. We invoice the balance in two installments — 35% on February 1, 2027, and the final 30% on September 7, 2027, 90 days before departure.
Sharing a cabin
A companion you bring, or a roommate we pair you with.
A cabin to yourself
Single occupancy, no roommate.
Your price covers it all
- 3 hotel nights on land (Zurich, Freiburg, Amsterdam), plus 7 nights aboard
- All meals on the ship, drinks at lunch and dinner
- A guided excursion every day, plus the Christmas markets
- Gratuities, transfers, and WiFi. No surprise add-ons.
Not included: airfare to and from Europe. See "Good to know" below.
Traveling solo? You're in good company. Plenty of guests come on their own and sail home with a whole new circle of quilting friends.
Before you book
Good to know
- AirfareYour fare covers everything from Zurich onward, including all transfers between airports, hotels, and the ship. Flights to Zurich and home from Amsterdam are separate, and we're glad to help you book or recommend the best routes.
- PassportsYou'll need a passport valid for at least six months after you return, through mid-2028. If yours is expired or close, start your renewal now. It's the one thing we can't handle for you.
- Pace and getting aroundExcursions are guided but always optional. Walk as much or as little as you like; the ship is your home base the whole way. Market squares are charming and cobbled, so bring comfortable shoes.
- Traveling solo, open to sharingChoose "open to sharing" and we'll match you with a roommate so you split the cost. We'll confirm your match by February 1, 2027. If we can't pair you, you choose: pay the single rate, or cancel for a full refund.
- Bringing a companionYou each book and pay for yourselves. Add their details at checkout and they book within 48 hours to lock your shared rate. If they need a little longer, just reach out and we'll help.
- If the sailing doesn't fillThis trip needs a minimum number of guests to run. In the unlikely event we don't reach it, you'll receive a full refund of everything you've paid.
- Questions?Call us at (952) 361-9772 or email help@gequiltdesigns.com. A once-in-a-lifetime trip deserves a real conversation, and we're glad to have it.
Come for the markets. Stay for the people.
The kind of trip you'll talk about for years, made richer by the friends beside you.
Only 20 cabins on this sailing