01.10.2022 Flussgenuss

KD ships become floating banquet halls during the Advent season

Fascinating decorations in the 'Winter Wonderland'

The pre-Christmas season is a time brimming with light, shine, glitter, boughs of evergreen and beloved customs and habits. For many of our Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt guests, this also includes special Advent offers aboard our festively decorated KD vessels.

The richly varied Advent programmes are offered in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Mainz. They include Advent brunch, afternoon trips with Santa Claus and all-inclusive evening tours with a Christmas theme. Köln-Düsseldorfer devotes its largest vessels to the Advent tours. In Cologne, these are MS RheinFantasie and MS RheinEnergie; in Düsseldorf, the new event liner MS RheinGalaxie and MS RheinPoesie are used; and in Mainz the joyous mission is left to MS Godesburg.

Festive, any time of day

Whether with friends or the whole family, the brunch tours offer a perfect start to a relaxing Advent Sunday. Leave winter on land; the atmosphere on board is pleasantly warm and cosy. Guests are greeted with champagne. Coffee and tea are served at the festively decorated tables. With cold and warm entrées and sweet surprises, our Christmas brunch buffet leaves nothing to be desired. Afternoon tours throughout the Advent season also have a festive atmosphere in store. Guests will enjoy the 2-hour tours with a background of Christmas music. Children in particular will eagerly await St. Nicholas’ arrival. The friendly gentleman with the imposing beard will step aboard in Cologne to visit the girls and boys. The ship glides lightly across the water to the sounds of discreet and atmospheric music. Guests can also delight in fantastic views of the winter cityscapes, perhaps with coffee and a waffle topped in hot cherries.

Buffets to enjoy

Afternoon advent cruises with Santa Claus

Golden hours aboard

“...a ‘winter wonderland’ ... with esprit, creativity and lots of passion.”

Decorated ships as eye-catchers

During the pre-Christmas season, these floating banquet rooms themselves become a part of this fascinating winter world. There are magical moments, for example, when several festively decorated KD ships are lying at anchor, one after the other, at the KD docks near the Old Town of Cologne. It actually looks as if they’re in a competition to see which vessel can shine the brightest. It’s a great effect and a real eye-catcher. If you take a little time and slowly stroll past the parade of ships, you will see that each is wearing a different holiday outfit. This is not a coincidence and is just as intended. The ships’ exceptional decorations bear the signature of Nicole Gandelau and her team. The company ‘DieGandi’ has partnered with Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt for more than ten years, transforming several ships of the KD fleet into a ‘winter wonderland’ year after year with esprit, creativity and lots of passion.

Each vessel with a decoration concept of its own

Company head Nicole Gandelau spoke with ‘RheinZeit’ and revealed a few of the secrets behind this particular brand of magic. ‘There is an individual, and tailor-made concept for each ship. Light plays a very major role. The garlands, balloons and table decorations aboard the RheinEnergie, for instance, also look different from those aboard the RheinPoesie or the Godesburg. We coordinate all the colours and detailing.’ The composition comprises the entire decoration, the stage, the salons, the foyer and the tables. ‘Each ship gets its own stage and table decoration. This is very important to us, and we devote a great deal of love and care to doing it right. It’s also something very well received by the guests’, Nicole Gandelau points out. A few little spoilers: The tables aboard the MS RheinPoesie feature lovely angels, while table decorations aboard the MS RheinEnergie showcase tiny trees. Stage décor aboard this event ship can be quickly moved aside if need be. The decorated Christmas tree, like the reindeer, is mounted on castors and even features a sleigh

"DieGandi" CEO Nicole Gandelau

Exeptional Christmas decoration of the KD ships

MS RheinGalaxie as a fresh challenge

At ‘DieGandi’, the decorations are made in the company’s own décor workshop. Everything must be ready to use well before the first weekend in Advent. ‘By then at the latest, the last tip of the artificial snow must be tucked into proper shape. We begin decorating the ships in late October’, Nicole Gandelau explains. Smaller vessels, such as MS Godesburg, MS Loreley and MS Jan von Werth, are finished a bit sooner, while transforming the large event ships is much more elaborated. This is especially true for the MS RheinFantasie. ‘At three days, this is the ship that takes the most time to decorate. The colour blue prevails on the RheinFantasie, for example; there is no room for green fir garlands, for example. We spray everything white instead.’ True masterpieces are the huge blue-silver balloons or spherical Christmas tree ornaments hanging beneath the ceiling to create a harmonious unity with the basic colour of the ship and the remaining Christmas décor. A special challenge this year is decorating the new KD event liner, the MS RheinGalaxie, with its laterally arranged stage. Of course ‘DieGandi’ came up with a tailored concept for this, too.

Quality time with family and friends

Festive atmosphere

Chartering a ship for the holidays

The beautifully decorated ships also provide the perfect setting for Christmas parties hosted by private families or corporations. Even with as few as 65 guests, it pays to rent an entire ship. The experienced KD Charter Team offers competent and comprehensive advice to customers on all aspects relating to the event. An individual offer is drawn up based on the customer’s wishes. Good to know: All events aboard KD vessels are still held in compliance with the applicable hygiene and protection regulations, which are of course immediately adapted to the latest regulations and specifications.

WHAT ELSE DOES KD OFFER IN COLOGNE, DÜSSELDORF AND MAINZ DURING ADVENT?

BRUNCH CRUISE
- The seductive aroma of bread rolls, coffee and tea pervades the ship during the brunch cruises. Guests can indulge in a festive buffet brunch with a welcome glass of Sekt while enjoying views of the Cologne, Düsseldorf or Mainz city panorama.
- Dates: 20/11, 27/11, 04/12, 11/12 and 18/12/2022 (Sundays)
AFTERNOON CRUISE
- Guests can look forward to two hours of festive pleasure aboard with live music and sweet delicacies. Food and drinks can be ordered à la carte.
- Dates in Cologne and Düsseldorf: 18/11 to 18/12/2022 (Thursdays to Sundays) Dates in Mainz: 25/11 to 18/12/2022 (Fridays to Sundays)
ALL-INCLUSIVE EVENING CRUISE
- Dates in Cologne and Düsseldorf: 18/11 to 17/12/2022 (Thursdays to Saturdays) Dates in Mainz: 25.11 bis 17.12.2022 (Fridays to Saturdays)
  
  Visit www.k-d.com for more information on the individual dates and to book tickets.