# Dlx River Cruise MS Leonora on the Rhine with Christmas Markets PGS - URL: https://bluemaxxtravel.com/en/dlx-nehir-gemisi-ms-leonora-ile-ren-nehrinde-noel-pazarlari-pgs-ile-t101296 - Category: Ship Tours - Duration: 4 Nights, 5 Days - Next available date: 16 December 2026 – 20 December 2026 - Starting Price: 699 € (39,757 ₺) / Per Person - Getting Around: Flight - Departure Point: İstanbul, Türkiye ## Tour Program ### Christmas Markets DLX RIVER CRUISE LEONORA WITH CHRISTMAS MARKETS ON THE RHINE GERMANY – FRANCE Düsseldorf (*Cologne) – Koblenz - Romantic Rhine Gorge – Rüdesheim - Worms /Speyer (*Heidelberg) – Strasbourg 1 night stay (*Colmar) – Stuttgart The ports marked with (*) cannot be docked at. (*) Cities and towns marked can be visited by private vehicle. FLIGHT INFORMATION 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 1 ISTANBUL SABIHA GÖKÇEN – DÜSSELDORF December 16, 2026 / Wednesday Meeting at the Pegasus Airlines counter in front of the International Terminal of Sabiha Gökçen Airport at the designated time, check-in and passport procedures, followed by departure to Düsseldorf on Pegasus Airlines flight PC 1007 at 07:35 and arrival. Upon our arrival in Düsseldorf at 08:50 local time, we will transfer to our ship via a vehicle waiting for us at the airport.. Check-in procedures will be done after 14:00. For guests who wish, there is an extra Cologne & Düsseldorf tour, one of Germany's most popular cities. Afterwards, we transfer back to our ship and complete check-in procedures. Our ship departs from Düsseldorf at 17:00 today. Day 2 KOBLENZ - PASSAGE THROUGH THE ROMANTIC RHINE GORGE - RÜDESHEIM December 17, 2026 / 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 extra by our guide, where you can also see the Moselle River. We take the cable car up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and from there view the famous German Corner of Koblenz, where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet, with a bird's-eye view. Afterwards, we take a walking tour in Koblenz and visit the Christmas Market. Our ship will depart from Koblenz port at 12:00. The Romantic Rhine Passage, the most beautiful part of the Rhine River, is underway. During this cruise, over 20 castles from the Middle Ages and magnificent views can be seen. After our ship arrives in Rüdesheim at 19:00 in the evening, it will remain at the port until 01:30 at night. Day 3 WORMS - SPEYER December 18, 2026 / Friday We arrive 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 noon and will depart from Speyer at 20:00 in the evening. Guests who wish may join the Heidelberg tour as an extra. We tour Heidelberg, a city whose majority of the population consists of students. Heidelberg is also famous for its printing presses and printing machines named after the city. Among the places to see are Heidelberg Castle, the giant barrel Grosses Fass exhibited in the castle cellars, Carl-Theodor Brücke (commonly known as the Old Bridge), and Heiligegeistkirche (Historical Church) located right in the center of the old town. After the tour, we return to our ship waiting for us at Speyer port. Day 4 STRASBOURG December 19, 2026 / Saturday We arrive at Strasbourg port at 08:00 in the morning. Our ship will remain anchored in Strasbourg tonight. In the morning, we begin the Strasbourg and Colmar City tour as an extra with our guests. Strasbourg, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988, also houses the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. As the seventh largest city in France by population, we first visit the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. After taking a photo break in front of the building, we come to the historic city and start our walking tour. In this tour, historical streets, Notre Dame Cathedral, Rohan Palace, Kammerzehl, shopping streets, and Kleber Square are among the places to see. Afterwards, we walk to the Petit France (Little France) neighborhood with guests who wish. Our tour ends with free time in central Strasbourg. Those who wish in Colmar can tour the city in detail with an extra mini train. Day 5 STRASBOURG – STUTTGART – ISTANBUL SABIHA GÖKÇEN December 20, 2026 / Sunday After breakfast in the morning, check-out procedures from the ship and before transfer to the airport where your return flight will depart, there is an extra panoramic Stuttgart city tour for guests who wish. We see the New Palace, the City Hall, and the Konning Strasse shopping street from the city center. After visiting the Christmas market at Markplatz, there is free time and transfer to the airport. After check-in and passport control, we depart at 18:10 on Pegasus Airlines flight PC 974 to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. After our arrival in Istanbul at 23:05 local time, our tour ends. CANCELLATION & REFUND TERMS Based on the date of cancellation request relative to the reservation, the following deduction amounts or rates will apply. TIME BEFORE DEPARTURE FROM RESERVATION DATE APPLICABLE DEDUCTION RATE 180 days prior %10 179 – 159 days prior %15 158 – 120 days prior %25 119 – 90 days prior %30 89 – 60 days prior %50 59 – 45 days prior %60 44 – 30 days prior %75 29 – 10 days prior %90 9 days or less prior %100 ### MS LEONORA SHIP SPECIFICATIONS The ship, which began its voyages in 2008 under the name Avalon Scenery, was later renamed Ms Leonora. In 2025, a complete renovation was completed. The ship is 110m long, 11.40m wide, 5.85m high, and has a total of 3 decks with 67 cabins; the passenger capacity is set at 138. French balcony cabins are 16 m² in size. All cabins feature amenities including air conditioning, TV, telephone, minibar, safe, hair dryer, clothes hanger, towels, shampoo, and more. Onboard, approximately 40 friendly staff members will serve you. Additionally, on the Sun Deck, the topmost deck of the ship, you can enjoy free sun loungers, tables, and seating areas to fully savor the river experience. At the restaurant section on the lowest deck of the ship, you can have your breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the table specified onboard. In the Club Lounge Bar area prepared for you at the rear of the ship, you can spend pleasant time playing card games, backgammon, okey, and other games. In the Lounge section located at the entrance of the ship, you can follow local shows, presentations about rivers, 'Welcome' and 'Farewell Cocktail' events, as well as activities like 'Tea & Coffee Hour refreshments'. Furthermore, thanks to the Turkish program delivered to your cabins every night, you can easily follow the schedule for the next day. ## What's Included Economy class flight ticket on the round-trip route Istanbul (SAW) – Düsseldorf (DUS) / Stuttgart (STR)- Istanbul (SAW) with Pegasus Airlines Airport taxes & port taxes 4 nights of full board accommodation on the Deluxe River ship, built in 2008 and completely renovated in 2025 (Within full board, service begins with dinner on the boarding day and ends with breakfast on the disembarkation day) Airport transfers (on the boarding day and on the disembarkation day) Live music and activities on board Coffee & tea station and afternoon tea refreshments available all day on board Free internet on board Welcome cocktail Captain’s Gala Cocktail, Gala Special Menu Baggage handling service on the first and last day of the ship Professional Turkish-speaking guide and assistant services Tourist city taxes (50 Euro) TURSAB mandatory professional liability insurance ## Not Included Visa fee and service charge Domestic connecting flight ticket Ship Crew Service Charge (Calculated at 15 Euros per person per night, a total of 60 Euros per person will be added to your room account) All alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on board All kinds of personal expenses Entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites not specified in the program Travel & Health Insurance and surcharge premium (for guests aged 65+) Tips for drivers and guides Departure tax fee ## General Information Important information regarding your flight; * The airport meeting time is generally 2 hours and 30 minutes before the flight, and 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 return flight. * Departure and arrival times are local times and are determined by the airlines.. * Limited capacity is available for domestic flight connections; availability must be checked and the booking processed accordingly during the final reservation. * 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 connection prices may not be valid for groups. Please ask about our special prices. * The Operating Agency acts as an intermediary between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol of 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 Operating Agency is obliged to notify you of these changes as soon as possible. Our passengers have purchased the tour knowing and accepting that flight details may change. THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT OUR RIVER TOURS; - There is no minimum participation requirement for our tour. It is guaranteed to operate in December and is conducted with a Turkish-speaking guide. - Guests holding an ordinary (Burgundy) passport need a visa. Multiple-entry / Multiple Schengen) - Guests holding a green passport or service passport do not need a visa. - Your passport must be valid for 6 months from the end date of the trip and must not be more than 10 years old. - Obtaining foreign currency in Euros before your trip will make cash payments easier during your shopping. - For purchases of 100 Euros or more, you may request a tax refund form. You can have your tax refund processed with this form 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 will call medical teams from the nearest healthcare facility to the ship within a very short time. However, whenever medical attention is needed, our ship stops at the nearest point to medical institutions 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 their prescriptions and take out comprehensive travel health insurance. Healthcare services provided on the ship and at healthcare facilities are subject to a fee. - We do not expect you to encounter any health-threatening problems with the meals you will have during your ship journey. Nevertheless, when you are not on the ship, we recommend that you be careful about eating and drinking, consume only bottled water, avoid ice, milk and dairy products, eat meat and fish products that you are sure have been well cooked, and choose fruits such as bananas and pineapples that can be peeled. - Since you may enter more than one country during your trip, the applicable local time for each port visited by the ship will be indicated. As your disembarkation from and boarding of the ship will be according to the time at the port where you are located, please adjust your schedule accordingly. - During navigation on river ships, especially when crossing borders, your mobile phone can be used if your line is open to international calls (roaming). Sometimes, your mobile phone may lose signal because there are no base stations in forested areas. - For the captain's Welcome & Farewell Cocktail evenings during your trip, 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 easily removable T-shirts, short- and long-sleeved shirts, cotton trousers, shorts, comfortable walking shoes, a light jacket and a thin sweater for the evenings. In addition, you may bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, earplugs for possible noise, a camera, video camera, their chargers and spare memory cards. In winter, we recommend clothes that allow you to move comfortably and keep you warm. The open areas of the ship can be cool in every season during navigation. - 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 in Turkey. - Accommodation in hotels before or after the river ship program may not be at the same standard as our river ship. Nor should the same services be expected. During fairs, congresses, concerts, events, sports tournaments and similar periods, hotels may be used at distances exceeding the stated kilometres. Triple rooms may be provided depending on hotel availability, and in such rooms the bed provided for the third person 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 any possible crowding in the rooms and the bed type. Child discounts are valid for one (1) child staying with 2 adults and falling within 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 of butter, jam, bread, tea or coffee, known as a continental breakfast, and may be served in a separate room allocated to the group. SOME TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR RIVER TOURS; - The times stated in the program were obtained from Pegasus Airlines‘ and Scylla Cruise. Otto Cruise is not responsible for any changes that may occur in the times. Therefore, in the event of any change in the schedule, Otto Cruise may make adjustments to the days without disrupting the content of the program or the services included. - The durations, places to be visited and order of the tours at the ports are determined by the operating company and may be changed or cancelled entirely 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/channels or the inability to dock at a 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 bring 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 a maximum of between 20 and 23 kilograms, provided that it is checked into the aircraft's baggage hold. - One of the dinners you will have during the ship journey 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 wish to charge their onboard expenses to a credit card must register their credit cards at reception within 5 days after the start of the trip. No charge will be made to your credit card and no particular amount will be blocked during the registration process. - *The ship's departure times must be strictly observed. At ports, you must board the ship at least 45 minutes before the ship's departure time. Otherwise, you may not be able to board the ship. Otto Cruise shall not be responsible for such a situation. Transportation expenses required for passengers who miss the plane or ship to rejoin the tour shall be borne by the passengers themselves. - It is strictly forbidden to bring alcoholic beverages, irons, hair dryers, water heaters, bottle warmers, electric blankets or similar items onto the ship. There is a hair dryer in every cabin and a water heater in many cabins. - At the beginning of our ship journey, luggage tags in specific colours will be allocated for your suitcases. Completing these tags fully is extremely important to ensure that your luggage reaches your cabins correctly. - Your luggage may not arrive at your cabin immediately on the first day of the ship's departure. Therefore, it is advisable to put your important necessities in a small hand luggage bag and take it with you on the first day you board the ship. - On the first day of your trip, a safety drill and presentation will be held so that you can familiarise 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 on the ship, 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 cabins or luggage. Support will be provided for sending your found belongings to you by collect-on-delivery courier 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 in front of 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 collected by the passengers there. --- Bluemaxx Travel · 540 400 25 83 - 0850 420 06 86 · info@bluemaxxtravel.com