The Rhein Melodie is part of the fleet of the renowned shipping company nicko cruises. It offers travelers the opportunity to enjoy the fascinating landscape of the Rhine. The river cruise ship combines modern comfort with a relaxed and stylish atmosphere that appeals to both experienced cruise guests and newcomers alike.
The ship – modern design and plenty of space
The Rhein Melodie impresses with its elegant design and generous amount of space. With a length of around 132 meters and a width of 11.4 meters, the ship offers space for up to 198 guests. The ship was renovated in 2023.
Thanks to the sophisticated design, passengers can enjoy the passing scenery in peace and quiet both in the interior areas and on the spacious sun deck. Large panoramic windows in almost all areas ensure that the magnificent views of the Rhine and its banks are always the center of attention.
The sun deck is a highlight of the ship. It has numerous seating and lounging options so that guests can enjoy the fresh air and the passing scenery to the full. A shaded area provides additional comfort if required.
It is particularly exciting when the ship passes under shallow bridges or when you experience a lock passage. We were able to observe how the covered superstructures were laid flat on the ground. Even the captain’s bridge was lowered until it barely peeked out. We were allowed to stand on the sun deck during a lock passage and when we passed through the lock gate, we almost automatically put our heads down. Jumping up would certainly not have been a good idea!
The cabins – comfort and functionality
The Rhein Melodie’s cabins are modern and functional and offer everything you need for a relaxing journey. A total of 98 cabins are available, spread over three decks.
The cabins are between 11.5 m² (main deck) and 14.5 m² (middle and upper deck) in size and have air conditioning, TV, safe, hairdryer and telephone. All cabins are equipped with single beds. Depending on your preference, these can be placed together or separately. I was surprised by the generous storage space with wardrobe, several large drawers and the suitcases easily found a place under the bed.
Cabin selection on the Rhein Melodie – where do you sleep particularly well?
The MS Rhein Melodie from nicko cruises offers cabins on three decks (main, middle and upper deck). The choice of cabin certainly depends on the price. The cabins on the main deck are cheaper than the cabins on the upper deck.
Most of the main deck is below the surface of the water. Although there are windows, they cannot be opened. There are two cabin sizes. The cabins at the rear of the ship are around 11.5 m² in size and are equipped with a folding bed and sofa bed. All other cabins on this deck are a good 12 m² in size and equipped as standard.
The middle deck is located above the main deck. The ship’s reception and restaurant are also located on this deck. The cabin sizes range from 14.5-15 m². Each cabin has a large panoramic window that can also be opened.
The upper deck, which also houses the bar and library, is located directly below the sun deck. At 14.5-15 m², the cabins are just as large and equipped as the cabins on the middle deck. Each cabin has a French balcony and floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows that can be opened.
Our choice of cabin
We stayed in a cabin on the upper deck. Before we booked, I gave it some thought. A cabin at the very back was out of the question. That’s where the engine is and I assumed that you would hear it in the cabin. I also didn’t want to stay in a cabin at the very beginning of the corridor. The lounge area adjoins the cabin there. Fellow passengers would always have to pass these cabins if they wanted to go to the bar, restaurant or reception. There is a staircase in the middle of the cabin corridor. This leads to the other decks and the sun deck. My thought was that you can not only hear the passengers on the stairs, but also the doors slamming shut. However, what I didn’t know when booking, but only noticed during a shore excursion, was that there was a very loud ventilation system right next to the stairs. I don’t know whether this was only running in port or all the time.
Our cabin was at the back of the ship and pretty much in the middle of the aisle. I didn’t hear my fellow passengers from the neighboring cabins at all – what good soundproofing! I only heard noises from the sun deck once, when a chair fell over. It was perfect for us!
There’s one thing you can’t influence at all when choosing a cabin – the view! Of course, this is not a problem during the journey. We didn’t really care whether we were looking at the right or left bank of the river. As we took the same route back, we automatically had the other bank on our side on the return journey.
I am referring here to the view during the berthing times in port. River cruise ships are often moored “in a package”. This means that two (sometimes three) ships share the berth. They are berthed hull to hull, which means that there is no view from the cabins on either side of the ship. However, it can also happen that you only have a high harbor wall in front of the window (also on the upper deck). There is no rule as to which side of the ship has a more restricted view and it can always be different on each trip (even if the tours are identical). Unfortunately, you have to cope with this and find a place on the sun deck or take part in the shore excursions.
Culinary delights on the MS Rhein Melodie
Next to the excursions, the food is certainly the most important aspect of a cruise. The Rhein Melodie’s panorama restaurant is located in the bow of the middle deck. Tables of different sizes and numbers are arranged here. Huge panoramic windows provide a great view of the river, the riverside scenery and, of course, the ship traffic during meals.
You are assigned a table as soon as you check in. This is where you sit for all meals. We got a seat at a table for 6 and had really nice company at mealtimes. We always sat in the same seat during meals, which really made the waiter’s job easier. He already knew on the second day who had which drink preferences and asked specifically in this direction.
Meals are highly regulated. Breakfast is offered in buffet form over a period of two hours in the morning. The selection of dishes was standardized and identical every morning. I would have been pleased if they had perhaps included some regional references here. In the Netherlands, for example, chocolate sprinkles on butter are something you find on the breakfast buffet in every hotel. I also missed real muesli (not the sweet flakes or Birchlermuesli). But I was certainly the only one. My fellow travelers were very satisfied with the selection of small bread rolls and different types of cold cuts. I made do with Birchlermüsli and added fresh fruit. That was good too!
The menus for lunch and dinner were already on the table at breakfast. In order to prepare the dishes as accurately as possible and produce as little surplus as possible, we were asked to decide in advance. There were always two options for lunch: “light lunch” and lunch in the restaurant. In the evening, there was a multi-course dinner in the restaurant.
Lunch in the restaurant also consisted of several courses. Here you could choose the starter, one of usually 3 main courses and the dessert in advance. We always opted for the “light lunch” at lunchtime. A small buffet was then set up in front of the bar area at lunchtime. Some of the dishes were identical to those in the restaurant. However, there were only one soup instead of two, for example. In addition to a hot main course, there were also salad components to put together yourself and sandwiches. We then ate in the bar area. We liked it!
We were then drawn back to the restaurant for dinner. We had already chosen what we wanted to eat in the morning. Cold starter, soup, main course (meat, fish, vegetarian, usually also chef’s salad) and dessert (fruit or dessert) were available. I must admit that I was impressed by the organization. Everyone at the table always received the food of the course at the same time.
And, what was particularly great, the waiters knew exactly who had ordered what, carried the plates in the “right” order on their arms and served in turn. There wasn’t a single dish that I didn’t like. Even “critical” dishes such as liver were cooked to perfection, still juicy and wonderfully tender. I was delighted and, if I interpreted the satisfied faces at our table correctly, so were the other guests.
Drinks package yes or no?
Anyone traveling on the MS Rhein Melodie can decide at the time of booking (and on the first day on board at the latest) whether they would like to book a drinks package. When we looked at the price, we asked ourselves – is it worth it?
The cruise price includes drinks during breakfast. All other drinks have to be paid for separately.
The drinks package includes, for example, a bottle of water in the cabin and “excursion water” (0.5 l still water per excursion). Coffee (including coffee specialties such as cappuccino), tea, soft drinks and water are also available. In terms of alcoholic drinks, some wines, beer, certain cocktails… are included in the price. You can see exactly what these are on the menu.
The drinks package must always be booked per cabin. So if there are 2 people in the cabin, everyone has to book the package.
Whether the price really pays off and you “drink it down” depends on your own habits. If you only drink one beer every evening, for example, and otherwise prefer water, it’s not worth it. Even though we knew in advance that we would definitely drink less and that the package wouldn’t pay off, we decided to go for it anyway. For us, it was simply a matter of convenience. Simply order, don’t sign anything and don’t have to pay another bill at the end of the trip – it was simply more relaxed.
What else does the trip on the ship offer?
A river cruise ship is not geared towards a permanent program and passenger entertainment. Things are more leisurely here.
In the evening, the on-board musician provides entertainment in the panorama saloon with its bar. The library not only offered comfortable seating. Here you could also borrow board games and follow the ship’s journey on a television.
The most important point, however, are the excursions offered along the route. It should be made clear in advance. You do not have to book them. There is always the option of going on excursions on your own. However, you should bear in mind that the ship does not always dock in the middle of the city. In Amsterdam, our berth was quite far out and so those who wanted to travel alone had to book a shuttle to get into the city.
We booked the excursion package with three excursions (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Enikhusen) and the additional half-day excursion to the tulip blossom in Keukenhof. Only on the half day in Nijmegen did we forego the excursion on offer and set off on our own.
How you organize the shore excursions is up to you. I found it very pleasant to get on the bus, be taken to our destination and be driven back to the ship without having to worry about punctuality. The booked excursions are waited for, even if the transportation is delayed!
Did I like the MS Rhein Melodie?
I definitely did! It was perfect for us (my mother and I).
However, I would like to point out that the ship is not barrier-free and also not barrier-free! You have to be able to climb stairs and getting from the ship to land is not always easy. If the program includes a city tour, you will also walk for 1 to 1.5 hours. Unfortunately, I noticed a few fellow travelers who overestimated their strength. This then had an effect on the whole group, who adapted and saw less than planned.
We will definitely be taking more river cruises. The trip along the beautiful landscape was simply fascinating and, above all, relaxing!
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