Spending Evening in Mainz

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Staying Overnight

Artistry II was docked in the central area from where it was a 15 minute easy stroll to the core of the city.   The ship remained docked there overnight. 

The evening program began with the usual Port Talk in the lounge at 6:30 PM, followed by dinner at 7:00 PM in the main dining room or 7:15 PM in the lounge for those signed up for the Bistro Dinner.

Main Dining

Each evening the menu was posted outside the main dining room.  As with ocean cruising, the waiter brings you a menu and then you pick  a starter, main entree, and dessert.

We looked forward to entering the dining room to see what folded napkin creation had been created by the crew.

As usual the dining room was open seating, which meant you could sit with the same people every night or find new table mates each time.  There were also various size tables to pick from.

Tonight's Menu

 Tonight's chef recommendations included Cocktail of Marinated Mango with Serrano Ham and Roast New Zealand Rack of Lamb.

Soups choices were a Clear Fish Soup or Cream of Vegetable Puree.  One of our favorite starters was the always available Caesar Salad.

The ice cream creations were always a good selection for dessert.

 Wine, Beer, Soft Drinks

We may not have mentioned this previously, but every night the chef paired regional wines and beers with the menu.   Tonight we had some regional German wines that were included.

Select beers and soft drinks were also included with dinner.  There were additional beers and after dinner drinks that could be purchased as well.

 Entertainment

Following dinner, entertainment was provided by Tom & Michael, two local musicians who performed upbeat tunes in the lounge.  If you were still hungry, there was the usual Late Night Snack at 10:30 PM.

A local hangout was just across from where our ship was docked.  You could listen to the music from the Sky Deck or join the party in person.

For those used to ocean cruising, think of the onboard entertainment like one of the lounge shows.  This is a much more intimate experience than the shows in the main theater of an ocean cruise ship.

 
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Late Afternoon Tour of Mainz

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Home of the Printed Word

After all passengers returned from the morning excursion to Heidelberg, the Artistry II set sail for Mainz, Germany.  The schedule allowed for up to 2.5 hours of individual touring of the city.

Possibilities included a stroll thru the old town center, a visit to the Gutenberg Museum, shopping, or our choice of visiting the Church of St. Stephen with its stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall.

Strolling Thru Mainz

On Our Own

Johannes Gutenberg was born in early 1400s in Mainz, Germany. He would borrow money to setup a print shop and produce a 42-line Latin Bible. The process of using movable type in a cheap and efficient manner would change the world. The Gutenberg Museum, in the heart of the old town center, has an original copy of the famous bible. The museum was only open until 5 PM so we had to skip visiting it in order to get to the church before it closed for the evening.

Marc Chagall Windows

The highlight of our visit to Mainz, was our visit to the Church of St. Stephen (Stephan) where we saw the gorgeous stained-glass windows of Marc Chagall. 

The Chagall choir windows in St. Stephan are unique in Germany. Between 1978 and his death in 1985, Russian Jewish artist Marc Chagall created nine stained-glass windows of scriptural figures in luminous blue. The figures depict scenes from the Old Testament. 

 Cathedral (Dom)

Mainz Cathedral or St. Martin's Cathedral is located near the historical center and market square of the city.  Since it was only about a 20 minute walk back to our ship, we had decided to make that our final stop on our self-guided walking tour.

This 1000-year-old Roman Catholic cathedral is predominantly Romanesque in style, but later exterior additions over many centuries have resulted in the appearance of various architectural influences seen today.

Mainz is a very easy city to explore on foot.  If you only have a limited amount of time for exploration, like we did, we'd suggest picking one or more of the attractions mentioned here.

 
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Mainz - On Our Own
Mainz - St. Stephan
Mainz - Cathedral


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Playing Hide & Seek with Artistry II

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Last Seen in Mannheim, Germany

When we awoke, Avalon Artistry II was about to stop in Mannheim, Germany for what is known as a "technical stop".  That means, it wasn't going to stay there long.  The only reason for stopping was so that the motor coaches could meet the ship and pickup passengers for the morning excursion.

After touring Heidelberg Castle and the Old Town itself, it was time to re-board the motor coaches and seek out our ship.

Gernsheim, Germany

Since we last left her, she had moved to a different location:  Gernsheim, Germany.   Once again, this was to be another "technical stop", this time to pick up passengers from the tours.

Just Passing Through

You may have noticed that passengers are re-boarding Avalon Artistry II using a Viking River Cruise ramp.  Much like the Old West,  river cruise ships often tie up to the nearest dock while making their way along the river.   This is all planned out in advance, however, so don't worry about having some other ship kick you out for parking in their spot.

Lunch Menu

Today's buffet lunch included two soups: Cream of Broccoli and Cold Wine; Roast Leg of Suckling Pig; Braised Leg of Lamb; Steam Filet of Red Mullet; and Fettuccini Pasta.

Of course, there were various salad and vegetable fixings as well.   You could also order off the menu if you didn't like any of the above.

 Sailing for Mainz

While we dined in the main dining room, the Artistry II set sail for Mainz, Germany which would be our over-night stop.   We'd arrive around 4 PM or so, in time to do some sightseeing at our leisure before the evening program started.

After lunch, our Cruise Director had a briefing for travel agents.  It was our opportunity to get any questions answered and learn more about Avalon Waterways.  We were able to tour one of the Royal Suite cabins as well (since there had been a last minute cancellation).

 
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