Rhine and Moselle Wine Cruises: What Makes Them Different?
The Rhine and the Moselle are different rivers, and a wine title can include one or both. The recorded Moselle wine sailing also runs the Rhine and adds Lucerne. A Rhine-only wine sailing is a shorter, different port list.
It’s All Cruises · October 25, 2026
Choose the Moselle when Cochem, Bernkastel and Trier are the point, and the Rhine when they are not on the list. Among these sailings the Moselle wine route is a 12-night Avalon Imagery II sailing. The Romantic Rhine wine route is 7 nights on Avalon Envision.
Quick facts
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Rhine-only sample | 7 nights, Avalon Envision |
| Rhine and Moselle sample | 12 nights, Avalon Imagery II |
| Moselle towns on the long sample | Cochem, Trier, Bernkastel |
| Shared idea | A wine-lover title |
| Same ship | No. Envision and Imagery II differ |
| Moselle-only, without the Rhine | Not listed |
Rhine against Rhine plus Moselle
| Route | Ship | Line | Nights | Next departure | Matching dates | Ports | Sample fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romantic Rhine For Wine Lovers Northbound | Avalon Envision | Avalon Waterways | 7 | November 16, 2027 | 2 | Basel, Breisach, Kehl, Ludwigshafen, Rüdesheim, Rhine Gorge, Koblenz, Cologne, Amsterdam | $3,551, deluxe stateroom, departure October 24, 2028, checked October 13, 2026 |
| The Rhine Moselle For Wine Lovers With 2 Nights In Lucerne Southbound | Avalon Imagery II | Avalon Waterways | 12 | Not listed | 0 | Amsterdam, Cologne, Cochem, Trier, Bernkastel, Koblenz, Rhine Gorge, Rüdesheim, Ludwigshafen, Strasbourg, Breisach, Basel, Swiss Alps, Lucerne | Not listed |
The two ships
| Ship | Crew | Cabins | Length | Guests | Gross tonnage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Envision | 47 | 83 | 135 m | Not listed | Not listed |
| Avalon Imagery II | 37 | 64 | 110 m | Not listed | Not listed |
What actually differs
- The 7-night Rhine wine sailing calls at Basel, Breisach, Kehl, Ludwigshafen, Rüdesheim, Rhine Gorge, Koblenz, Cologne, Amsterdam.
- The 12-night sailing calls at Amsterdam, Cologne, Cochem, Trier, Bernkastel, Koblenz, Rhine Gorge, Rüdesheim, Ludwigshafen, Strasbourg, Breisach, Basel, Swiss Alps, Lucerne. Lucerne nights are not Moselle villages.
- Imagery II is shorter: 110 m and 64 cabins, with 37 crew. Envision is 135 m, 83 cabins, 47 crew.
- The sample fare on the long sailing is Not listed. The Rhine sample has a fare. Do not copy one price onto the other.
- A gorge day on the Rhine is scenery from the ship as well as a town. Time ashore is still Not listed.
- If you only have a week, the 12-night combination does not fit. The 7-night Rhine is the one that matches.
Fares are marketing prices, confirmed when you book. The long sailing's fare cell stays Not listed when the row has no price.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Moselle a section of the Rhine?
No. The long sailing includes both. The port list is how you can tell.
Why is one fare missing?
The Moselle row has no recorded headline fare. Printing the Rhine fare beside it would be a different sailing.
Are the ships interchangeable?
No. Length, cabins and crew differ, as the table shows.
Does wine-lover mean the same tastings on both?
That list is Not listed. The sure difference is the map and the night count.
Filed under river, wine