It is a testament to the appeal of European river cruising that the much-talked-about low water levels and cold weather didn't deter me from a recent Danube cruise with Emerald Waterways.
Although I'd previously visited the destinations along the route -- originally scheduled to sail from Nuremberg, Germany, to Budapest -- I'd seen most of them only in summer.
But holiday decorations, sparkly lights and charming Christmas markets go a long way toward making up for that.
My recent sponsored cruise upped the ante by adding a celebrity guest: Mary Berry of "The Great British Bake Off," who was on hand for part of the sailing to create a holiday menu for us, sign autographed copies of her latest cookbook and pose for selfies. Call it a theme twofer.
According to my admittedly unscientific poll, many of my fellow passengers -- largely English-speaking guests from the U.K., the U.S. and Australia -- were hard-core Berry fans like myself, and some even chose the itinerary specifically to meet her. Others were primarily interested in the Christmas markets and regarded Berry's presence as, well, icing on the cake.
The notion of having a celebrity guest onboard is one the cruise line has already dabbled in by partnering with Fabien Morreale, a finalist on the French "Top Chef" and the owner of several restaurants in Provence. Morreale cooks a Provencal dinner for guests onboard France sailings when the ships are docked in Avignon.
The partnership with Berry, however, is Emerald Waterways' first time working with an internationally known celebrity, and there are plans to have her sail on the Douro River in Portugal onboard the Emerald Radiance, scheduled for June 22.
On our cruise, Berry's plentiful baked goods had some stiff competition from the onslaught of great onshore food -- especially the sausages, gingerbread and gluhwein, or hot mulled wine -- that we sampled at the Christmas markets along our itinerary.
Despite low water levels and, ironically, heavy rain, Emerald Waterways stepped up to the challenge of making sure we experienced those markets.
Instead of being transferred from Munich to Nuremberg upon arrival, for example, we were transported directly to a more navigable stretch of the river in Passau, where the Emerald Sun was swapped in for the originally scheduled Emerald Destiny.
More changes happened on day two, when we skipped Kelheim and transferred to Regensburg via a 90-minute bus ride. Here we participated in a wet walking tour, followed by a cozy, traditional tavern lunch before the long ride back. Because of the weather, this was by far our most challenging day, but the city is an especially beautiful medieval charmer that I wouldn't have wanted to miss.
The next day, blessed with steadily improving weather, nearly half of the passengers embarked on an optional Discover More excursion to Salzburg, Austria, by bus, which everyone I talked to afterward enjoyed, especially those who have a special fondness for "The Sound of Music," a film that is practically synonymous with the city. Discover More tours incur an added fee and require advance reservations.
Since I've been to Salzburg many times and nothing could have induced me to get on another long bus ride, my husband and I chose instead to wander the streets and tiny Christmas market of Passau, which we accessed by simply walking off the ship.
We continued on to Linz, Austria, that evening, where we wandered the Christmas market on our own and where the passengers who had joined the Salzburg tour met us.
Subsequent days were spent at Melk, where we participated in an excursion to a 900-year-old monastery, accessible on foot or via short bus ride; a cruise through the scenic Wachau valley, a Unesco World Heritage Site known for its gruner veltliner wine, which passengers were invited to taste onboard; and a self-guided walk through tiny Durnstein, with its vineyards and mountaintop castle.
The last three days were devoted to the most blockbuster ports of the cruise -- Vienna; Bratislava, Slovakia; and Budapest -- where passengers were given various options on how to explore.
In Vienna, for example, an included tour that combined a panoramic bus circuit around the Ringstrasse with a walking tour and free time at the Christmas market near St. Stephen's Cathedral drew the most crowds, but a few passengers opted instead to tour the city by bike.
In fact, complimentary cycling and hiking versions of the tours are available at many of the destinations and only require that passengers sign up in advance. So-called gentle versions of walking tours also are available for passengers uncomfortable with longer walks, many of which are on cobblestone streets.
Some of the most popular Discover More add-ons included a first-rate private evening concert in Vienna and a museum tour of Vienna's Belvedere Palace to see paintings by Gustav Klimt, including the famous "The Kiss."
Of course, our onboard experience played a role in our enjoyment of the cruise, particularly the cozy lounge that was brightly decorated for the holidays. Because the roof deck was too cold for all but the hardiest passengers, the lounge was the main public space, and yet it didn't seem overcrowded except during special events, like the Hungarian Folklore Show in Budapest and the two appearances by Mary Berry.
By contrast, the dining room, only accessible during meal times, seemed a little congested to me, since there was only one nightly seating. There were plenty of two-top window tables, but they were positioned only a few inches from neighboring four-seaters, so you were essentially sitting at a table for six unless you opted for one of the larger round tables scattered around the room.
Spurred by the close quarters, a spirit of conviviality set in very quickly on the ship. The cruise was populated mostly by couples and a few very small groups of friends and family, and we all readily joined strangers for meals, chatting easily, since we all spoke English.
The onboard cuisine was appealing and incorporated some local specialties, like German potato salad and Hungarian goulash, and beer and wine were complimentary and plentiful at lunch and dinner.
Our Panorama Balcony Suite was comfortable for the two of us at about 180 square feet as was the bathroom, which offered plenty of storage. A floor-to-ceiling window opens halfway down in warm weather, and amenities included a TV with CNN and other cable channels and an on-demand, free movie channel with recent releases.
Cruises range from $2,775 on the lower deck to $4,045 for a Panorama Balcony Suite on the top deck.