A Gay Traveler’s Honest Take on the Emerald Dawn Rhine & Moselle

First off, you can’t say “Wienerschnitzel” to a gay man. I know… technically it’s Austrian. But when you’re cruising through Germany, it still pops up on plenty of menus. And no, I never stopped giggling. Thankfully, everyone around me was far more mature than I was. With that level of sophistication established, I boarded the Emerald Dawn for a week of cruising the Rhine and Moselle Rivers through some of the most beautiful towns I’ve ever seen.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect from a river cruise. I pictured something pretty quiet. Maybe a little too quiet. I wondered if I’d be the youngest person on the ship or if I’d spend the week politely pretending I knew anything about architecture, wine or Germany in general

Turns out… I was way off.

The first surprise? River cruising is anything but boring.

The second surprise? German men. Listen… I’m only human. Somewhere between the fitted shirts, those deep accents, and men who apparently believe walking, running or riding everywhere counts as a gym membership, I realized this trip was going to test my attention span. Thankfully, my friend Joe was there to occasionally give me the look that basically said, “Down, boy.” To be fair, I behaved. Mostly.

Once I got past my very important sightseeing distractions, I fell in love with the pace of river cruising. There’s something really special about unpacking once and waking up somewhere new every morning. You sip your coffee or wine (yes you can do that in the morning while on vacation) while castles drift by, wander through storybook towns all afternoon, then come back aboard to swap stories over drinks like you’ve known everyone for years.

One thing I kept wondering before this trip had nothing to do with castles, wine, or handsome German men.

As a gay man, I wondered if I’d feel comfortable. It’s something I think a lot of LGBTQ+ travelers wonder before visiting somewhere new. Not because you’re expecting something bad to happen… but because you just don’t know. For me, the answer was easy. Yes. Honestly, everyone I met was just… nice. Not fake nice. Just kind.

The crew aboard Emerald Dawn made everyone feel welcome, our local guides were excited to share their hometowns, and every stop along the way felt relaxed and inviting. I never once felt like I had to hide who I was or tone myself down.

One moment has really stayed with me. While we were walking around Koblenz, a young woman rode past on her bike wearing a rainbow sweater over a Pride T-shirt. There wasn’t a parade. There wasn’t a festival. She was simply living her life. It wasn’t trying to make a statement. It was just normal. And honestly, I loved that.

Koblenz ended up being one of my favorite stops. Our walking guide was absolutely wonderful. You could tell she genuinely loved her hometown, and that made every story more interesting. My favorite was the story of the Pfefferminzje. I won’t ruin it for you because it’s worth hearing while you’re standing there yourself.

The afternoon ended exactly how every good afternoon should: with a cold German beer in a local biergarten.

Something else I couldn’t stop noticing throughout the trip was how Germany blends old and new. Back home it sometimes feels like we’re constantly choosing between preserving history or building something modern. Here they somehow figured out how to do both. You’ll be walking down a cobblestone street that’s been there for centuries, looking up at buildings older than our country, then you stumble into a sleek little Weinstube serving incredible wines. Someone zooms by on a bike. A modern boutique sits inside a building that’s older than anyone can really comprehend. It all just works.

Of course, beautiful places only get you so far. The people are what make you want to come back. Within what felt like a day, the bartenders and restaurant staff aboard Emerald Dawn knew our names, remembered what we liked to drink, joked with us every evening, and somehow always appeared exactly when my wine glass was getting dangerously close to empty. Coincidence? I’m choosing to believe they were simply outstanding at customer service. They made the ship feel like home almost immediately. It never felt formal or stuffy. They laughed with us, answered our endless questions, recommended local beers and wines, and managed to make every meal feel like you were sitting down with friends instead of eating in a restaurant.

By the end of the week, saying goodbye was honestly harder than I expected. When I think back on this trip, of course I’ll remember the castles. I’ll remember the vineyards, the churches, the abbeys, the little shops, the biergartens, the rivers themselves. But more than anything, I’ll remember how the trip made me feel.

Relaxed. Welcome. Comfortable enough to simply be myself.

Emerald Cruises gave me the chance to experience Germany instead of rushing through it. And somewhere during conversations, the laughter, the history, and yes… the occasional distraction caused by an attractive man with an accent… I found exactly what I was hoping this trip would be. Beautiful places, wonderful people, a newfound love for Riesling, a few harmless crushes, and memories I’ll be talking about for a very long time.

Oh… and for the record… I still can’t say “Wienerschnitzel” with a straight face.