Wednesday, December 1, 2027

Embark in Amsterdam

Independent flight arrivals into Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) / Embark Transcend Connect / Welcome Reception with featured historians and cruise staff / After-dinner viewing of Band of Brothers Episode 4, “Replacements” / Conversation with Band of Brothers actor and featured historians

Accommodations: Transcend Connect (R, D)

Thursday, December 2, 2027

Nijmegen

Excursion Option 1 (Historical): British 1st Airborne 

Airborne Museum Hartenstein / Arnhem Oosterbeek Airborne War Cemetery / John Frost Bridge / Lunch on own in Arnhem / Nijmegen Bridge walking tour / Waal River crossing / Sunset March Touring can be half day (return to the ship for lunch) or full day (return to the ship for dinner.

Excursion Option 2 (Historical): American 101st Airborne

Nuenen / Zon Bridge / Lunch at Hotel Erica / Schoonderlogt Farm / Easy Company’s “Crossroads”

Evening Activities for All Guests: Evening lecture onboard / After-dinner viewing of Band of Brothers Episode 5, “Crossroads” / Conversation with Band of Brothers actor and featured historians

Accommodations: Transcend Connect (B, L, D)

Friday, December 3, 2027

Wesel

Operation Varsity / 17th Airborne sites, including Diersfordt Castle, “Burp Gun Corner”, and Haus Duden / Bombing of Wesel and British 1st Commando Brigade / Lunch at Hotel Wacht am Rhein / Memorial to the POW Enclosure Büderich / Driving tour of the crossing sites of US 30th Infantry Division

Accommodations: Transcend Connect (B, L, D)

Saturday, December 4, 2027

Cologne

NS Documentation Center / Walking tour of Old Town Cologne and the cathedral / Lunch and free time in center city to enjoy Christmas Markets / Evening lecture onboard Touring can be half day (return to the ship for lunch) or full day (return to the ship for dinner).

Accommodations: Transcend Connect (B, D)

Sunday, December 5, 2027

Bonn

Excursion Option 1 (Full-Day Touring, Historical):

Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery / Hürtgen Forest / Included group lunch / Remagen

Excursion Option 2 (Half-Day Touring, Historical):

Vogelsang International Place guided tour / Lunch onboard

Excursion Option 3 (Full-Day Touring, Cultural):

Guided tour of Drachenburg Castle / Beethoven House and Museum / Free time in city center to enjoy Christmas Markets

Evening Activities for All Guests: 

Evening lecture onboard / After-dinner Beethoven concert

Accommodations: Transcend Connect (B, L, D)

Monday, December 6, 2027

Koblenz

Scenic Cruising Day

Relax onboard while sailing along the Rhine and take in the spectacular landscapes of Germany / Midday reception on the top deck to view castles, vineyards, and other notable landmarks / Additional activities include presentations by the featured historians and a viewing of the 1970 film Patton

Accommodations: Transcend Connect (B, L, D)

Tuesday, December 7, 2027

Mainz

Excursion Option 1 (Historical):

Mainz Underground tour OR Mainz Citadel / Nierstein / Oppenheim, where Patton crossed the Rhine / Lunch and wine tasting at a vineyard

Morning at Leisure or Excursion Option 2 (Cultural):

Morning at leisure on the ship OR morning at the Christmas Markets / Lunch and wine tasting at a vineyard

Accommodations: Transcend Connect (B, L, D)

Wednesday, December 8, 2027

Heidelberg 

Campbell Barracks “Mark Twain Village” / Heiligenberg Thingstätte / German War Cemetery / Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma / Lunch onboard / Guided tour of Heidelberg Castle / Final conversations onboard with featured historians and speakers

Accommodations: Transcend Connect (B, L, D)

Thursday, December 9: Disembarkation

Strasbourg

Disembark Transcend Connect and transfer to Strasbourg Airport (SXB) OR join the post-tour

(B)

• Nine-night cruise aboard the exclusively chartered Transcend Connect 
• Daily touring and nightly conversations with featured cruise historians and Band of Brothers actor 
• A custom collection of “design your own journey” included shore excursions 
• Full-time logistical tour managers 
• Expert local battlefield guides 
• All meals aboard Transcend Connect 
• Beer, wine, spirits, coffee, water, tea, and soft drinks throughout the cruise 
• Personal listening devices on all included excursions 
• Entrance fees to all sites, museums, and attractions on included excursions 
• Video oral history presentations from the Museum’s collection 
• Private, air-conditioned motor coach transportation on all shore excursions 
• Roundtrip airport transfers (when arriving and departing on scheduled group tour dates)* 
• Gratuities to shipboard crew, guides, drivers, and porters 
• Informative specially curated keepsake guidebook including useful battlefield maps and archival images to be used throughout your journey 
• Personalized luggage tags and customized name badge 

*Airport transfers are included with additional hotel nights if booked through the Educational Travel Department

2027 History for the Holidays Rhine River Cruise Reading List

Pre-Tour: Occupation and Resistance in Amsterdam

• Warsaw 1944: Hitler, Himmler, and the Warsaw Uprising by Alexandra Richie
  Not Netherlands-based, but a deeply researched study of resistance under Nazi rule, resonant with themes in Amsterdam and Haarlem.
• This Cannot Happen Here: Integration and Jewish Resistance in the Netherlands, 1940-1945 by Ben Braber
  A deeply researched academic work on how Jews resisted—often invisibly—within Dutch society.
• Resistance: The Underground War Against, 1939-1945 by Halik Kochanski
  A comprehensive account of resistance to Nazi tyranny throughout Europe.
• The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
  An autobiographical book published in 1971. During World War II, Corrie and her family risked their lives to help Jews and underground workers escape from the Nazis. In 1944, their lives were forever altered when they were betrayed, arrested, and thrown into the infamous Nazi death camps. Corrie was the only member of her family to survive.

Pre-Tour: Dunkirk

• The Rise of Germany, 1939-1941: The War in the West, Vol. 1 by James Holland
  Friend of the Museum James Holland looks at the early years of World War II in Europe—before the United States entered the war. From the build-up to and outbreak of war in 1939, Holland focuses on Nazi Germany’s swing west, with the infamous “blitzkrieg” that overran the British, French, and Belgian forces as well as the millions of Europeans who were now occupied.
• Duty Calls: Dunkirk by James Holland
  A work of historical fiction geared towards a student audience, but rich in historical accuracy and storytelling from Holland. It follows one private in the British Expeditionary Force who fought against the German onslaught and served in rearguard action, to make it to the beaches of Dunkirk in hopes that he would be one of the over 300,000 troops evacuated back to England.

Nijmegen

• September Hope: The American Side of a Bridge Too Far by John McManus
  Featured Tour Historian John McManus’s telling of the American role in the daring Allied plan to end the war by Christmas—Operation Market Garden. Providing “big-picture” history interwoven with personal accounts of those who participated in the largest airborne operation in history.
• Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose
  Ideal pre-reading by the Museum’s founder that blends personal narrative and military history covering this storied journey of “Easy” Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from D-Day to V-E Day.
• A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan
  Ryan’s 1974 epic, which was the basis of the Hollywood classic of the same name, covers Operation Market Garden in its entirety, from the Allied, German, and Dutch perspectives.
• The Battle of Arnhem: The Deadliest Airborne Operation of World War II by Antony Beevor
  Friend of the Museum Beevor takes the same approach as Ryan, incorporating all angles of the infamous battle, and includes new findings from official archives and personal accounts of the individuals fighting, as well as those caught in the crossfire.

Wesel

• Four Hours of Fury: The Untold Story of World War II’s Largest Airborne Invasion and the Final Push into Nazi Germany by James Fenelon
  Featured Tour Historian Fenelon follows the 17th Airborne Division as they prepare for and launch Operation Varsity, the Allies’ crossing of the Rhine River in March 1945. It was a campaign that would rival Normandy in scale and become one of the most successful and important of the war.
• Crossing the Rhine: Breaking into Nazi Germany 1944 and 1945 by Lloyd Clark
  Clark, co-founder of the Centre for Army Leadership at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, looks at both Operation Market Garden and Operation Varsity, the former being the Allied failed attempt in the fall of 1944, and the latter the successful March 1945 crossing of the German’s last defensive barrier in the West.

Cologne

• Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II by Adam Makos
  A riveting account of one American tank gunner’s journey into the heart of the Third Reich, culminating in a fateful duel between American and German armor. This personal focus gives the reader a raw appreciation of what tank and urban warfare were like and shows how postwar bonds overcame wartime animosity.
• The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots by Archbishop Philip Hannan
  Before he became Archbishop of New Orleans, Philip Hannan served as a chaplain with the paratroops in World War II. While this memoir covers his entire life, his WWII years are enlightening, especially those experiences in Cologne in 1945.
• Masters of the Air by Donald L. Miller
  The basis of the AppleTV miniseries of the same name, Miller’s book follows the “Bomber Boys” who flew the missions over German skies, to halt the German warmaking effort and output of the industrial centers—many of which are on this tour.

Bonn / Koblenz / Mainz / Heidelberg

• The Bridge at Remagen by Ken Hechler
  This classic narrative, which was turned into a movie of the same name, gives an hour-by-hour account of the seizure of this critical bridge and the Americans who made the charge, aware that it could be blown at any moment and go crashing into the Rhein during their brave assault. It also goes into detail about the efforts to use the bridge to gain a secure lodgment on the east bank of the river, and how it significantly aided the Americans in their efforts to take the fight into the heart of the Third Reich.
• The Bloody Forest: Battle for the Hüertgen, September 1944-January 1945 by Gerald Astor
  Rich in eyewitness accounts, Astor weaves these personal stories into the broader story of this ill-fated battle that saw so many lost for so little gained.
• A Dark and Bloody Ground: The Hürtgen Forest and the Roer River Dams, 1944-1945 by Edward G. Miller
  This book provides a higher-level approach to the battle, from the army, corps and division levels of combat, which pairs well with Astor’s more personnel-focused account.
• Hell in Hürtgen Forest: The Ordeal and Triumph of an American Infantry Regiment by Robert Sterling Rush
  The book focuses on one specific regiment, the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division. In 18 days, the regiment suffered more than 2,800 casualties, out of its normal strength of 3,250 officers and men.
• Hitler Youth by Michael H. Kater
  A scholarly work that traces the history of the Hitler Youth, examining the means, degree, and impact of conversion, and the subsequent fate of young recruits who answered the Nazis’ call. Many Hitler Youth would train at complexes like Vogelsang for their future military service.
• The Lost Book of Bonn: A Novel by Brianna Labuskes
  A historical fiction work that follows a librarian sent by the Library of Congress to Germany to help the Monuments Men retrieve and catalog precious literature that was plundered by the Nazis. Though a work of fiction, it brings to the page real historical organizations and acts of resistance against the Nazi regime’s efforts.

Caen & Normandy

• D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II by Stephen Ambrose
  The definitive single-volume account of D-Day and the Normandy Campaign, providing context for nearly every excursion here.
• Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose
  Ideal pre-reading by the Museum’s founder that blends personal narrative and military history covering this storied journey of “Easy” Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from D-Day to V-E Day.
• The Dead and Those About to Die: D-Day – The Big Red One at Omaha Beach by John McManus
  Though D-Day focused, it introduces key units also involved in the brutal fight for Brest and offers McManus's trademark narrative energy.
• Armies Afloat: How the Development of Amphibious Operations in Europe Helped win World War II by John Curatola
  Before the US Army could launch the Normandy landings, it had to learn how to conduct amphibious operations against a contested shore.

Post-Tour: Patton’s Fifth Army

• The Maginot Line by Kevin Passmore
  Published in late 2025, this is an authoritative and original history of the Maginot Line that helps to reshape our understanding of interwar France and the events of 1940.
• The Guns at Last Light by Rick Atkinson
  The third volume in Atkinson’s masterful WWII trilogy, this book covers the Norwest European campaigns, including actions in Lorraine, Strasbourg, the Colmar Pocket, and, ultimately, the German surrender to the Western Allies in Reims, France.
• Patton’s War: An American General’s Combat Leadership, Vol. 2, August-December 1944 by Kevin Hymel
  The second book in his trilogy, Hymel covers Patton’s masterful leadership in the Lorraine Campaign, which heightened his legendary status.
• To Lose a Battle: France, 1940 by Alistair Horne
  This work is a balanced telling of the six-week war that saw France and her allies unable to stop or counter the Germanblitzthat ultimately led to the inglorious surrender of France to Germany aboard the same railcar in Compiègne where the Germans had been forced to sign the Armistice of November 11, 1918.

Films

A Bridge Too Far (1977, dir. Richard Attenborough)
Clocking in at nearly three hours, this film tells the heroic but failed Allied attempt to “end the war by Christmas”—Operation Market Garden.James Caan, Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, Ryan O’Neal, and Sean Connery are but a few in this all-star cast that tell the story from the American, British, Polish and German perspective.

The Bridge at Remagen (1969, dir. John Guillermin)
Starring George Segal, Robert Vaughn and Ben Gazzara, this is the type of WWII movie Hollywood is known for putting out in the 1960s. It tells the story of the American unit rushing to capture and hold the Ludendorff Bridge that spanned the Rhein River at Remagen.

When Trumpets Fade (1998, dir. John Irvin)
This HBO original movie follows members of the 28th Infantry Division (the “Blood Bucket”) as they struggle against the enemy and their own will to survive in the horrific conditions in theHürtgen Forest in the fall of 1944.

Patton (1970, dir. Franklin J. Schaffner)
This classic, coming in just under three hours, follows the WWII career of General George S. Patton, from North Africa and Sicily, to France, the Battle of the Bulge, and the crossing of the Rhine River.

Band of Brothers (2001, HBO miniseries)
This must-watch Emmy winner follows the men of “Easy” Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from jump training to D-Day, Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and Berchtesgaden. Several filming locations parallel the actual sites visited on tour.

Black Book (2006, dir. Paul Verhoeven)
A Dutch resistance thriller based on real events. Follows a Jewish woman working as a spy inside the German command in the Netherlands.

He Has Seen War (2011, dir. Mark Herzog)
A follow-up toBand of Brothers, this documentary focuses on the postwar experiences of “Easy” Company veterans. Produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman.

Dunkirk (2017, dir. Christopher Nolan)
Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.

Jojo Rabbit (2019, dir. Taika Waititi)
A young German boy in the Hitler Youth, whose hero and imaginary friend is the country's dictator, is shocked to discover that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

Enjoy a three-night stay at InterContinental Amstel, ideally located for exploring the historic coastline. Your program includes:

• 3 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 welcome reception, and 1 dinner
• All touring with expert local guides and your featured historian
• Comfortable motorcoach transportation throughout
• Seamless transfers from Amsterdam to Transcend Connect

Walk the Evacuation Beaches
Trace the footsteps of soldiers who waited under constant threat of air and artillery attack, and consider the logistical miracle that brought them home.

Explore the Dynamo Museum
Housed in the original 1940 command headquarters, this remarkable museum brings Operation Dynamo vividly to life through artifacts, maps, and personal accounts.

Lunch Aboard the PS Princess Elizabeth
Step aboard one of the famed “little ships” that participated in the evacuation and enjoy a memorable lunch on this historic vessel—an evocative connection to the civilian mariners who answered the call.

Visit the Fort des Dunes
Examine this preserved coastal fortification, used by both French and German forces, and gain insight into the defensive efforts surrounding Dunkirk.

Your exploration extends beyond Dunkirk to illuminate the broader context of total war in Europe during the 20th century:

• Reflect on the tragic loss of life connected to the sinking of HMS Crested Eagle, a sobering reminder of the evacuation’s peril.
• Descend into the massive underground complex at La Coupole, where Hitler’s engineers developed the V-2 rocket—an ominous glimpse into the war’s technological escalation.
• Travel through the battle-scarred landscapes of Flanders with a visit to Ypres, where the legacy of the First World War adds powerful context to the conflict that followed.

Accommodations & Inclusions

Enjoy a three-night stay at the Radisson Blu Dunkirk, ideally located for exploring the historic coastline. Your program includes:

• 3 breakfasts, 1 lunch aboard a historic vessel, 1 welcome reception, and 1 dinner
• All touring with expert local guides and your featured historian
• Comfortable motorcoach transportation throughout
• Seamless transfers from Brussels and onward to Amsterdam and Transcend Connect

Battle of the Colmar Pocket
Examine the last major German foothold in France, where Allied forces fought through snow, mud, and entrenched defenses to secure Alsace in a hard-fought winter victory.

The Maginot Line
Descend into the massive underground bunkers of France’s prewar defensive network. Consider the strategic assumptions behind this engineering marvel—and how German forces ultimately bypassed it in 1940.

Liberation of Strasbourg
Stand before the soaring Strasbourg Cathedral, liberated in November 1944. Its survival and symbolic importance made it a powerful objective for French and American forces alike.

Lorraine American Cemetery
Walk among the graves of more than 10,000 American service members who fell during the Lorraine campaign, a solemn reminder of the cost of liberation.

Arnaville and the Moselle Crossing
Visit Arnaville, where U.S. forces established a critical bridgehead across the Moselle River under intense fire—an essential step in continuing the advance east.

Verdun: Legacy of Total War
At Verdun, reflect on the devastating battles of the First World War and their lasting imprint on the landscape later contested again in World War II.

Reims and the Meaning of Victory
Explore the grandeur of Reims Cathedral before visiting the Compiègne Armistice Museum, where the end of World War I—and its deliberate echo in 1940—reveals the deep historical currents that shaped Europe’s wartime experience.

Accommodations & Inclusions

Enjoy a thoughtfully paced program with stays in three historic regions of eastern France:

• 2 nights in Strasbourg at Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Île
• 2 nights in Metz
• 2 nights in Reims at La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Your journey includes:

• 6 nights’ accommodations in well-appointed hotels
• Daily breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 welcome reception, and 1 dinner
• All touring with expert local guides and featured historian
• Private motorcoach transportation throughout