German Christmas Markets

The German Christmas Markets is a 6-night Europe cruise aboard Balmoral, operated by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines. Departing Southampton on December 16, 2026, the voyage visits 3 ports.

Length: 6 nights
Departs: Dec 16, 2026
Returns: Dec 22, 2026
Ports of call: 3
Days at sea: 2

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Itinerary

Day 1 Dec 16, 2026 Southampton Cruises from Southampton are part of a storied maritime heritage. Famous ships have sailed from Southampton port and, before commercial air travel, it was the gateway to the world with Hollywood celebrities like Bette Davis and Elizabeth Taylor passing through to board a Southampton cruise. In its atmospheric Old Town, 12th-century churches, cobbled streets, and timber-framed houses like the impressive Tudor House & Garden sit side-by-side, surrounded by one of the most complete Medieval city walls in the UK where the Bargate – the ancient entrance – still stands intact. There are bustling marina-side bars, shiny shopping districts and a vibrant cultural quarter where the Mayflower Theatre puts on West End musicals and the SeaCity Museum catalogues Southampton’s seafaring past. Some of England’s most impressive landmarks are an easy drive away, including the Neolithic wonder Stonehenge, the picturesque spa city Bath or Buckingham Palace, Tate Modern and Tower Bridge in the bustling capital of London. Discover 5,000 years of history and more on a Southampton cruise. Southampton port guide Search cruises visiting Southampton

Day 3 Dec 18, 2026 Hamburg, Germany Located between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, Hamburg will fascinate you from the moment you first set eyes on its elegant and austere buildings looking onto the port, one of the largest in Europe. When you reach this destination on an MSC Cruise of Northern Europe, you can get a taste of its glorious history. Hamburg is a cosmopolitan, wealthy and fashionable city, with an aggressive economy, that still prides itself of the title “free Hanseatic city”. It has, in fact, never cut its umbilical cord with maritime trade that has its heart in the port where your cruise liner will be waiting for you. Many tourist come here to visit the Reeperbahn, the red light district, but if you want to take in the atmosphere of the city, you shouldn’t miss an excursion to Speicherstadt (Warehouse Town), where the cobbled streets, gables and turrets combine to make the area on the other side of Zollkanal (Tax Canal) a world apart from the city opposite. Another city icon, St Michaelis, at the western edge of the city centre by Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse, is Hamburg’s iconic church and no wonder. More than any other building, the “Michael” mirrors the city’s irrepressible spirit. Burned down after a lightning strike in1750, it was rebuilt in Baroque style under Ernst Georg Sonnin but it again accidently caught fire in1906. In 1945, the Allies obliterated the roof and decor of church number three. Reconstructed again to Sonnin’s plans, it is now the finest Baroque church in North Germany. Probably the most gratifying attraction during an excursion on an MSC Cruise is the scenery you can admire from one of the best views over Hamburg: the 360-degree panorama takes in Speicherstadt, the container port and shipping on the Elbe, the Alster lakes, and the five spires of the churches and Rathaus. Hamburg, Germany port guide Search cruises visiting Hamburg, Germany

Day 6 Dec 21, 2026 Honfleur The crammed together, timber-framed houses of Honfleur's delightful waterfront simply beg to be painted, and the waterfront beauty has been immortalised on the canvases of artists like Monet, and Honfleur's celebrated son, Boudin. Located in scenic Normandy, where the Seine opens out into the Channel, this is one of France's - and the world's - most spectacular, historic harbours. Impossibly picturesque, the Vieux Bassin's Norman harbour townhouses are an artist’s dream, reflecting out onto the still water, between bright wooden fishing boats. View less It may be gorgeous, but it’s also a historically important port, and Samuel de Champlain's epic voyage - which resulted in the founding of Quebec - launched from these waters. Take a stroll back in time, as you wander cobbled streets where flowers spill down walls or sit to indulge in Calvados – brandy made from Normandy's famous apples. A museum dedicated to Eugene Boudin, the town's influential impressionist artist, displays visions of the harbour and region, as well as paintings of the town's stunning wooden church. Wander to Eglise St Catherine itself, to see the twisting structure, which is France's largest wooden chapel. Constructed from trees taken from nearby Touques Forest, it replaced the stone church that stood here previously, which was destroyed during the Hundred Years War. Out of Honfleur, The spectacular Pont de Normandie cable-stayed bridge loops up over the Seine's estuary, bringing excursions to Le Havre even closer. The pensive, sombre beaches of the D-Day landings stretch out across Normandy's coastline, while the Bayeux Tapestry unfurls within reach of Honfleur's picturesque scenery. Honfleur port guide Search cruises visiting Honfleur

Honfleur photo — Day 6 Dec 21, 2026 Honfleur The crammed together, timber-framed houses of Honfleur's delightful waterfront simply beg to be painted, and the waterfront beauty has been immortalised on the canvases of artists like Monet, and Honfleur's celebrated son, Boudin. Located in scenic Normandy, where the Seine opens out into the Channel, this is one of France's - and the world's - most spectacular, historic harbours. Impossibly picturesque, the Vieux Bassin's Norman harbour townhouses are an artist’s dream, reflecting out onto the still water, between bright wooden fishing boats. View less It may be gorgeous, but it’s also a historically important port, and Samuel de Champlain's epic voyage - which resulted in the founding of Quebec - launched from these waters. Take a stroll back in time, as you wander cobbled streets where flowers spill down walls or sit to indulge in Calvados – brandy made from Normandy's famous apples. A museum dedicated to Eugene Boudin, the town's influential impressionist artist, displays visions of the harbour and region, as well as paintings of the town's stunning wooden church. Wander to Eglise St Catherine itself, to see the twisting structure, which is France's largest wooden chapel. Constructed from trees taken from nearby Touques Forest, it replaced the stone church that stood here previously, which was destroyed during the Hundred Years War. Out of Honfleur, The spectacular Pont de Normandie cable-stayed bridge loops up over the Seine's estuary, bringing excursions to Le Havre even closer. The pensive, sombre beaches of the D-Day landings stretch out across Normandy's coastline, while the Bayeux Tapestry unfurls within reach of Honfleur's picturesque scenery. Honfleur port guide Search cruises visiting Honfleur

Pricing

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Per person · 2 guests · incl. taxes & fees

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Show all 48 cabin grades

Cabin grades and pricing
Name	Supplier code	Type
Superior Balcony Cabin	BA	Balcony
Balcony Cabin	BC	Balcony
Superior Balcony	LBA	Balcony
Balcony Cabin	LBC	Balcony
Wheelchair Adapted	BD	CABIN
Wheelchair Adapted	BJD	CABIN
Wheelchair Adapted	GD	CABIN
Standard Cabin	GLH	CABIN
Superior Interior	G	Inside
Guaranteed Interior Higher	GTYIH	Inside
Guaranteed Interior Lower	GTYIL	Inside
Interior Cabin	H	Inside
Interior Cabin	I	Inside
Interior Cabin	IS	Inside
Interior Lower Grade	LIL	Inside
Interior Higher	LIU	Inside
2 Bedded Room	LLH	Inside
Superior Single Inside Cabin	M	Inside
Single Interior Room	N	Inside
Single Interior	SI	Inside
Superior Ocean View Cabin	A	Oceanview
Superior Ocean View Cabin	B	Oceanview
Superior Ocean View Cabin	C	Oceanview
Superior Ocean View Fully Restricted	CO	Oceanview
Picture Window Ocean View Cabin	D	Oceanview
Picture Window Ocean View Cabin	E	Oceanview
Porthole Ocean View Cabin	F	Oceanview
Guaranteed Ocean View Higher	GTYOH	Oceanview
Guaranteed Ocean View Lower	GTYOL	Oceanview
Superior Ocean View Single Cabin	J	Oceanview
Single Ocean View Cabin	K	Oceanview
Single Ocean View Cabin	L	Oceanview
Ocean View Lower	LOL	Oceanview
Ocean View HIgher	LOU	Oceanview
Ocean View Cabin	OS	Oceanview
Single Ocean View	SO	Oceanview
Superior Ocean View	SOS	Oceanview
Balcony Junior Suite	BJ	Suite
Junior Suite	GBJ	Suite
Single Balcony Suite	JB	Suite
Balcony Junior Suite	LBJ	Suite
Marquee Suite	LMS	Suite
Premier Suite	LPS	Suite
Superior Suite	LSS	Suite
Marquee Suite	MS	Suite
Owner's Suite	OW	Suite
Premier Suite	PS	Suite
Superior Suite	SS	Suite