Cruise from Mainz

On the south side of the Rhine River is Mainz, and along the bank is the KD stand....where you can buy tickets for a Rhine River cruise.

So some bits of advice.

The stand is briefly up and running in the early morning....prior to the 8:30AM cruise.  You need to have tickets in your hand prior to 8:30....because they intend to leave within two or three minutes after they pull up and put the boarding platform over.

You can browse for the optional points to get off.....my advice is to stay on for at least two hours.

Parking around the KD area?  Almost non-existent (you really have to hunt and pay for it).

So my advice.....use the public transporation system, and arrive by train at the MZ bahnhof.  Take number 6 bus going to Wiesbaden, which will stop near the Mainz VHS School (find it on the google search, it's around the 6th possible stop after leaving the bahnhof area).  You are six minutes walking from that bus-stop to the KD stand (you can see the river from where they drop you off....so walk direct  across the street toward the river, and turn RIGHT, then march for about two minutes to the KD stand and boarding area....going EAST on the river).

You should on being there at the KD stand by 8:15 at the latest. Whatever railway ticket you used to get to Mainz.....will be good for the bus system as well, and conclude once you get to the VHS school drop-off.  Note about bus 6.....one direction goes to Wiesbaden and other to the Mainz-Gutenberg Centrum mall.  Don't confuse your way....get on the WI bus direction.  It's direct from the MZ bahnhof....to your 2 o'clock position from the front door of the station....300 feet away with the overhang on the building.  It typically leaves between 7 and 9 AM every twelve minutes, so you might want to be there at the right time to avoid missing the cruise boat.

I should note that from Mainz, they will advance port-wise and in ten minutes be over in Wiesbaden-Biebrich, which works just as well.....and have the same lousy parking circumstances, but with a great bus-drop off point from the Wiesbaden train-station.

KD offers a second cruise in the peak-months of summer  (around 9:30, but check their web site for the right time).

Several observations about the Rhine cruise deals.  Weather always plays into this....it can be windy and rainy.  The drinks onboard aren't cheap.  I wouldn't eat while onboard, unless it's cake and coffee.  Plan for a big lunch at the point where you get off.  Saturdays and Sundays are hectic, so I'd do the trip in the middle of the week.  Don't wear shorts unless you know for sure it's going to be 85-plus degrees.  Kids hate the trip....so unless these are fourteen or older kids.....don't waste your time or effort.  Returning?  I'd take the train and travel back rather than a 2nd cruise down the river.