Interview: ‘We missed our ship – but would go again!’

When Terry Kitchener booked a European river adventure to celebrate his 25th anniversary with his wife Ann, they dreamt of drifting past Cologne Cathedral.

Instead, their trip got off to the worst start imaginable – as flight delays forced them to miss their embarkation time in the German city and their first two ports of call.

But with stellar support from Nicko Cruises and a train journey from Cologne to Amsterdam, the couple caught up with their ship, Rhein Melodie, in the Dutch capital for the remainder of their return seven-night sailing along the Rhine from Cologne to Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Enkhuisen and Arnhem.

Here Terry shares their experience – and his advice for first time river cruisers like him.

So, what happened?

We ran into problems with flights beforehand which made us miss our initial boarding time, so we’d like to try an itinerary closer to home next, such as the Seine River in France. Nicko Cruises was brilliant in helping us meet the vessel in another port but ideally, they wouldn’t have to have done so in the first place!

What advice would you give a first-time river cruise guest?

Do your due diligence. A river cruise is unique and if you’ve never cruised before like us, the pre-travel and logistics can be a bit daunting. Plotting out a time-by-time itinerary for before and after your sailing can help alleviate stress. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the line for help. They have brilliant customer support teams on hand to assist.

What was your favourite part of the cruise?

Visiting several places in one holiday was amazing. The staff on the ship were superb, well organised and friendly. The botanical garden Keukenhof in Lisse in the Netherlands was a particular highlight, with its amazing fields of beautiful flowers and tulips gardens, with more than 800 different varieties. The park was huge – it features more than seven million flower bulbs – with plenty of scenery and various food choices, like street food vendors serving authentic stroopwafels.

What’s on your river cruise bucket-list?

We’d love to sail the Seine and visit Paris. Seeing the Eiffel Tower in all its glory would be amazing, not to mention all the decadent pastries on offer shoreside.

Get on board

Nicko Cruises’

seven-night Holland in Bloom cruise aboard Rhein Melodie, return from Cologne via Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Enkhuisen and Arnhem, departs on 21 April 2025, from £1,795.