It's a Great Big Beautiful World! Let's Discover it Together

Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Princess' BEST SALE EVER!

Travel makes an incredible gift and is the one thing you can buy that makes you richer. And Princess is offering an amazing deal that you don't want to miss! You can easily wrap it up and give it to your family this Christmas!
It's the BEST SALE EVER. You can choose any destination, any stateroom category, and any sailing after April 2020 for 3 nights or longer and receive FREE wifi, FREE gratuities, FREE beverage package (with tips included) for each guest in the room, and no hidden fees.
Alaska? The Caribbean? Hawaii? Australia/New Zealand? Asia? The Mediterranean? Northern Europe? The Panama Canal? South America & Antarctica?...it's all available! The choices are yours!
If you've been considering a cruise - or even if you haven't - reach out and let's have a conversation. You can book now, and travel later, with months to pay. Sailings are available through January 2022.



Saturday, February 4, 2017

Ireland Here I Come!! A Compilation of Thoughts About The Trip - Day One...Travel & Arrival - Before the FAM Begins

February 3, 2017 @2:07 pm

I'm off to see the wizard, the wonderful...no, wait, I'm not headed to Emerald City but to the Emerald Isle! Look out Dublin, Limerick, Cashel, Cork, Killarney, Foynes, Adare, Bunratty and Offaly because here I come!

As shared from my Facebook posts, be warned my friends, for instead of political banter and heavily skewed opinions your feed may be interrupted for some beautiful scenery and images throughout the next week. I'm sure you'll be sad to see them instead of the muck and mire from left and right, but it's my job and I have to report on what is going on in the world. 😎 Note: I am going to be only posting on Facebook during this trip but will be compiling what I post here into a few entries with multiple segments pieced together.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

It's Been a Full Day!

 

It was a very long day here in NYC booking great vacations for people! Hot topics of the day included Alaska, Bermuda, Sandals resorts, and European River cruises. I'm excited with the results thus far and looking forward to another great day tomorrow. After the show, it was great to eat in one of my favorite places here in the city - Junior's Restaurant, where I enjoyed an enormous roast beef sandwich. After such a big meal, the cool night air feels great as I walk back to my hotel for a little rest before the show starts again tomorrow. Good night from Times Square!



Sunday, January 22, 2017

Chicago Travel Show Has Been So Busy!!

Time for another great day at the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show! Cuba, Europe, Cruises, Walt Disney World, and Hawaii, plus a Destination Wedding were all the hot topics yesterday...excited to learn where else I can send today's guests. If you're local, come see us! Next weekend is New York City. It's (always) the vacation booking season!



Friday, March 11, 2016

Why You Should Visit Europe in the Springtime

 Europe in the Spring makes for a fantastic vacation. May is a great month to visit, actually, it's one of the three best months to tour Europe. The weather is likely to be excellent, and the big crowds are at work/school/college.

 
Following are the BEST PLACES TO VISIT in Europe this spring. Here are a few festivals going on in May (in no particular order):
 

Italy 

  • Feast of San Nicola in Bari, the Feast of San Gennaro in Naples, the Festival of Snakes in Abruzzo.
  • Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence is Italy's oldest music event focuses on opera, ballet and concerts.
  • Vogalonga in Venice is hundreds of small, man-powered boats racing 30km, finishing in the Grand Canal.


France

  • Cannes Film Festival. Actually, that’s a bad thing unless you’re a film freak.
  • Chaumont Garden Festival – thirty wonderful and sometimes wacky show gardens around a perfect chateau (castle), every year May 15-October 19.

 

England

  • Isle of Man TT (motorcycle) Races, May/June.
  • Chelsea Flower Show in London – 11 acres of the UK’s (and arguably Europe’s) best flowers and gardens event, with plenty of original, even wacky ideas.
  • Glyndebourne Festival Opera (in a stately home outside London), late May-early July.

 

Netherlands

  • It's Tulip season. Seeing all those glorious blossoms in full bloom...spectacular!     
       

 

Czech Republic 

  • Prague Spring International Music Festival.


Austria

  • Vienna International Festival from mid-May to mid-June; a wide range of arts, especially music, naturally, but also dance and theatre, sometimes challenging pieces, all set in magnificent buildings.


Greece

  • Athens Festival – drama, dance, and music in the 2,000-year-old outdoor Odeion theatre at the base of Acropolis Hill. Location, location!

 

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Suggested Itinerary: SCENIC RAILWAYS IN THE SWISS ALPS AND ITALY'S LAKE DISTRICT - 8 DAYS

 This is a group suggested vacation but can easily be customized to fit your individual travel needs.


Tour Description

This 7-night itinerary kicks off with an unforgettable rail journey through the heart of the Swiss Alps on the legendary Bernina Express. After enjoying incredible views of glaciers, dramatic mountain passes, verdant valleys, pristine lakes, and magnificently constructed bridges, your group will arrive at the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland for a healthy dose of Mediterranean temperatures, interesting sightseeing, and relaxation on Lake Lugano. From there you will continue into Italy and spend three nights on the shores of Lake Como before finishing up in Milan, the fashion capital of Italy.


Highlights and Inclusions

>Guided tour of Chur, the oldest town in Switzerland
>Discover Alpine landscapes on the Bernina Express, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
>Free time to explore Lake Lugano and its beautiful environs
>Enjoy wine tasting and a cooking class near Lake Como
>Visit Bellagio after an invigorating day of hiking
>Panoramic sightseeing tour and free time in Milan
>Accommodations: Chur 1 night, Lugano 2 nights, Como 3 nights, Milan 1 night
>Meals: Continental breakfast daily. Lunch and dinner as noted in the itinerary
>Ground transportation via air-conditioned luxury coach
>English speaking assistants and guides
>Admission tickets as outlined in the itinerary


Chur - 1 night


Day 1: Arrive Chur. 
Welcome to Switzerland! Upon arrival, a local assistant will meet your group inside the arrivals hall and accompany it to the train station inside Zurich Airport. Your group will then travel by train to the city of Chur, the journey should take roughly 90 minutes. As the oldest city in Switzerland, it is believed that Chur was already inhabited over 5,000 years ago; long before the Romans established the city in 15 B.C. Not only is Chur's Old Town like something out of a storybook, but the Alpine scenery that surrounds it is indescribably beautiful.

Upon arrival at the rail station in Chur, a local guide will meet your group on the platform and accompany it to the hotel in Chur where your group can either check-in (presuming rooms are available as official check-in times are generally 3:00 pm) or store baggage with the hotel staff. You will then set off on an exciting, 90-minute walking tour of Chur's Old Town during which your group will see the Bishop's Court, the 800-year old Cathedral, St. Martin's Church, and the Town Hall. After the tour has finished, the remainder of the day is free for you to relax and continue exploring Chur on your own. For dining suggestions, please feel free to ask your guide.

Lugano - 2 nights


Day 2: Arrive Lugano. 
After breakfast, check-out, and a short walk to the Chur rail station; prepare yourself for what surely will be the highlight of your entire trip to Switzerland. Today your group will take the legendary Bernina Express scenic train, traveling south through breathtaking Alpine scenery. You are about to enter a stretch of unbelievably picturesque land graced with glaciers, lakes, tunnels, viaducts, valleys, and incredible mountain bridges. And as you relax during your 4-hour, picture-perfect journey from Chur through St. Moritz and Poschiavo to Tirano, your views will gradually change from mountain-capped glaciers to palm tree-lined lakes. This historic railway and the surrounding landscapes constitute an official UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After the panoramic train ride of your life, your group will take a scenic bus ride from Tirano along the shores of Lake Como to the Swiss town of Lugano, which is located on beautiful Lake Lugano. Lugano is the largest city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Despite its small size (just a tad smaller than a combined New Hampshire and Vermont), Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. During your stay in Lugano, you will undoubtedly notice not only linguistic differences from the northern part of Switzerland but also cultural and gastronomic differences.
Upon arrival, check in to the hotel in Lugano and enjoy the evening at leisure in "Mediterranean" Switzerland.


Day 3: 
After breakfast in the hotel, your group will set out on a morning sightseeing tour of Lugano, a city that is home to pleasant Mediterranean temperatures, superb natural beauty, pretty architecture, and tasty Italian cuisine. The tour will feature the city's lovely Parco Civico, which lines Lake Lugano; the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, which is known for its 16th-century frescoes by Bernardino Luini; and the St. Lawrence Cathedral.

Your guided tour of Lugano will finish just before lunchtime. At its conclusion, the remainder of the day is free for you to explore Lugano on your own. For group members interested in spending the afternoon on Lake Lugano, it is a paradise for water sports fans. Windsurfing, water skiing, sailing, scuba diving, and swimming are all popular water sports in the area. Another fantastic option is to rent a bicycle and explore the tiny villages in Lugano's vicinity. This area is home to more biking paths than anywhere else in Switzerland. It is easy to rent a bike at the railway station in Lugano. Possible villages to consider visiting include Ponte Capriasca, Tesserete, Colla, Sonvico, Dino and Ponte di Valle. And should you prefer to stay and simply relax in Lugano, there is plenty of shopping to be had; check out Via Nassa if interested. No matter what you decide to do today, you really cannot err as the entire area is beautiful, invigorating, and relaxing!

Como - 3 nights


Day 4: Arrive Como.  
After breakfast and checkout, your group will travel a short distance south along the shores of Lake Lugano to the village of Morcote, which is often called the "Pearl of Lugano" because of its truly spectacular lakefront position and baroque architecture. You will have a couple of hours to wander through Morcote. Consider visiting the historic church of Santa Maria del Sasso, which dates back to the 13th century, Scherrer Park, and the Chapel of Sant'Antonio Abata. After time for lunch, your group will reboard its coach and cross over the border into Italy. Your destination is the nearby city of Como, which is located on Lake Como (part of Italy's famed Lake District). Writers from Hemingway to Goethe have immortalized the ethereal beauty of this area, and even their words cannot seem to do it justice!

Before arriving in Como, your group will visit a villa for a tasting of locally produced wine and olive oil. After checking in to the hotel in Como, take some time to relax and freshen up before tonight's group dinner.


Day 5: 
Today your group will spend the day exploring Lake Como and the pretty villages that surround it. While it is certainly true that Lake Como (much like Lake Lugano, Lake Maggiore, and Lake Garda) is a favorite retreat for the rich and famous, it is also a paradise for nature lovers. This is a day to get outside and experience the beautiful surroundings of Italy's northern landscape!

Following breakfast, strap on your walking shoes and travel by private coach to an area of beautiful hiking trails. You are in for some truly gorgeous views of mountains unfolding into low woodlands and sparkling lakeshore.
After soaking up the natural beauty and fresh air, transfer to the town of Bellagio where you have time on your own to enjoy a well-deserved lunch at a local cafe. Many consider this the most beautiful part of the lake. After lunch spends the afternoon exploring Bellagio before returning to Como by private coach with your group members. (Alternatively, should someone want to leave earlier or stay longer, there are ferry boats that run across the lake as well as public buses).
Enjoy an evening at leisure in Como.


Day 6: 
After breakfast in the hotel, today your group will learn all about Northern Italian cuisine during a private cooking class in a local restaurant. Although you can find delicious Italian specialties like pizza and lasagna all over the country, you will discover there is a wide array of local dishes worth sampling! Follow along as your chef-instructor shares the subtleties of how to prepare Northern Italian cuisine, and try to wait until the end of your demonstration before devouring this tasty feast.

Note: Regarding cooking classes, small groups can generally include these quite easily on itineraries. Simply because of classroom space, larger groups should either divide into two smaller groups; or elect to have a cooking demonstration instead (which is still very interesting).
Depending on what time the cooking class finishes if your group has time this afternoon; we recommend visiting either the town of Varenna or Menaggio with your private bus. Alternatively, if you prefer to hang around and relax in Como, you could always ride the funicular to the village of Brunate for some amazing views of Lake Como.
Your last evening on the lake is yours to enjoy as you see fit.

Milan - 1 night


Day 7: Arrive in Milan.  
After breakfast and check-out, your group will travel south to Milan, the financial and fashion capital of Italy. Upon arrival at the city center, a local guide will meet your group and lead it on a 2-hour panoramic tour of Milan. Afterward, the afternoon is yours to soak up the Milanese culture. If you are an art fan; consider paying a visit to the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie. This UNESCO World Heritage Site houses Leonardo da Vinci's 15th-century mural The Last Supper. Alternatively, you could visit the Pinacoteca di Brera, one of the finest art museums in all of Italy. Inside you can see medieval and renaissance masterpieces by Raphael, Caravaggio, and Piero Della Francesca. History buffs should check out the Castello Sforzesco, and opera lovers can visit the museum of Milan's La Scala Opera House. Last but not least, shoppers can bargain hunt for great designer deals in one of Milan's discount outlets!

By early evening, all group members will meet in a pre-designated meeting point in Milan and board its private coach to travel to the hotel near Milan's Malpensa Airport. Upon arrival at the hotel, your group will check-in and have time to freshen up before tonight's farewell dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Enjoy your last meal in Italy.


Day 8:  
After breakfast and check-out, take the hotel's shuttle bus to Milan's Malpensa Airport for your return flight to the USA or Canada. (Note: The suggestion to stay nearer Milan's Malpensa Airport comes from the fact that the airport is located 30 miles from the city center, and that traffic in Milan is notoriously bad. That being said, if your group has a late-morning flight and prefers 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Suggested Itinerary: 8-Days in AMSTERDAM & BRUSSELS

 Today's Suggested Itinerary is: AMSTERDAM & BRUSSELS – 8 DAYS


We can help personalize this trip with our preferred contacts at Europe Express for your personal or group travel needs. Make it a group (10 or more adults traveling together) or an individual experience. 

The Netherlands welcomes visitors with picturesque canals, colorful flower markets, and a laidback atmosphere. Its history centers on the merchants and fishermen who leveraged the city's location and waterways.

As the capital of Belgium and the unofficial capital of the European Union, Brussels houses a remarkable mix of cultures. While the majority of its residents speak French, visitors to Brussels will also encounter many Flemish speakers. And – due to Brussels' international presence, you'll hear a lot of English spoken here as well. Its terrific mix of cultures, rich heritage, excellent museums, green parks, and exceptionally tasty food are just a few reasons to spend some time enjoying Brussels. As part of this itinerary, the group will also experience the Flemish Region of Belgium with day trips to Ghent & Bruges.

Highlights and Inclusions:
> Guided city tour of Amsterdam
> Tour Keukenhof Gardens' seventy-nine acres of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths in Lisse
> Guided tour of the remarkable Anne Frank House
> Guided city tour of Brussels including brewery visit
> Excursions to Ghent & Bruges
> Canal cruise in Bruges
> Accommodations: Amsterdam 4 nights, Brussels 3 nights
> Meals: Continental breakfast daily. Lunch and dinner as noted in the itinerary
> Ground transportation via air-conditioned luxury coach
> English speaking assistants and guides
> Admission tickets as outlined in the itinerary

 

Amsterdam – 
4 nights

Day 1: Arrive in Amsterdam
Arrive in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. After exiting customs, meet your local assistant in the terminal's arrivals hall. Your group will then travel by private coach to the hotel. Even though your group will arrive before the hotel's check-in time, feel free to store your luggage with the reception staff. There will be free time until this evening to begin exploring Amsterdam. Consider visiting one of its excellent museums like the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum. Tonight join your fellow group members for a welcome dinner of Dutch specialties in the hotel's restaurant.

Day 2: After breakfast in the hotel, your group will meet a local guide in the lobby for an exciting tour of this scenic city.

Approximately 800 years ago, the Amstel River was dammed, giving the town its name. Where medieval fishing boats once docked, your group will see 17th-century houses, street performers, and some of the city's most luxurious stores. Here in Dam Square lies the historic heart of Amsterdam. See the Royal Palace, which was originally constructed as the Town Hall. Pass the Mint Tower, with its clock and bells that still seem to echo Amsterdam's Golden Age. Also of particular interest is the 16th-century Weeping Tower, which according to legend derived its name from the sailors' wives who used to bid their husbands an emotional farewell from here. Then we'll pass the Floating Flower Market on Singel Canal, which is a stunning mass of flowers strung along the canal on permanently moored barges.

After free time for lunch, the group will proceed to the Anne Frank House, where eight people from three separate families lived together in near-total silence for more than 2 years during World War II. It was here that Anne wrote her famous diary as a way to deal with the boredom and her youthful jumble of thoughts, which had as much to do with personal relationships as with the war and the Nazi terror raging outside her hiding place. The tour will finish in the city center, and the rest of the day is free to shop, wander alongside Amsterdam's canals, and sample more of this country's cuisine.

Day 3: After breakfast in the hotel your group will depart on a full-day excursion of windmills and tulips. The first stop today will be in Zaanse Schans, a neighborhood in the town of Zaandam, to admire its collection of historic windmills and its traditional craft shops. Afterward, the group will travel south to the lovely city Haarlem, where it will have free time for lunch. The group will then continue traveling south to the city of Lisse to tour the legendary Keukenhof Gardens where vast numbers of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths create dazzling patches of color. Blooms here – at their peak- have a short but glorious season. The park is said to be the greatest flower show on earth, and it's Holland's annual spring gift to the world.

Day 4: This morning is free to relax, sleep in, shop, or sightsee. Lunch is on your own. This afternoon's guided tour will consist of a fun boat tour of Amsterdam. This is undoubtedly the best way to appreciate this city of canals. Afterward, the group will undergo the Heineken Experience, a self-guided tour at its former brewery. Learn all about one of the Netherlands' best exports. The group will go straight to a local restaurant for a farewell-to-The-Netherlands dinner. After dinner group members can walk back to the hotel or stay in the center.

 


Brussels – 3 nights


Day 5: Arrive in Brussels
After breakfast and check-out, the group will transfer by private coach to the station. Travel first class by train to Brussels, the capital of Belgium. As the train pulls into the station, a local guide will meet your group on the platform and lead it to the hotel by private coach. Even though the group's rooms will most likely not be ready this early, group members can store baggage with the hotel's reception staff before setting off on an exciting city tour of Brussels.

This is a city of contrasts. One district of Brussels is home to major European organizations and governing bodies like the European Commission, the European Parliament, NATO, and many others. However, it also contains a very historic city center and neighborhoods that have maintained traditional architecture and a slower pace. During the tour, your group will visit one of Europe's most beautiful squares, the Grand Place, which is home to the medieval Town Hall. The tour will also feature a tour and tasting at the Cantillon Brewery, which has been brewing beer since the 1800s. As a country, in addition to chocolate – Belgium produces some of the finest beer in the world. The tour will finish at the hotel where there will be time to check-in and fresh up before the group goes to a local restaurant for dinner.

Day 6: After breakfast in the hotel, the group has the morning at leisure to explore Brussels. This city has an amazing variety of museums, churches, green parks (and chocolate shops). After the group members have had lunch on their own, they will all reunite in the hotel lobby for an afternoon excursion by a private coach to the historic city of Ghent. During the walking tour, the group will see St. Bavo's Cathedral, the gothic Cloth Hall and Belfry tower, Friday Market Square, Groot Kanonplein Square, and the streets of Graslei and Korenlei whose historic houses line Ghent's canals. After the tour, the group will return to the hotel in Brussels by private coach. A group dinner is not scheduled tonight, so group members can go out and individually explore Brussels' superb foodie scene.

Day 7: After breakfast in the hotel, today the group will travel by private coach to one of Belgium's best-loved cities, Bruges, the capital of West Flanders. The entire city center of this Dutch-speaking city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival to Bruges, the group will meet a local guide who will lead it on a walking tour of this especially beautiful city, which is often called the "Venice of the North."

In addition to exploring its cobblestone streets and medieval quarters, the group will take a boat cruise to experience Bruges' picturesque canals. During the visit to Bruges, there will be free time for lunch and shopping before all group members meet back up with the local guide who will accompany the group back to its private coach. After boarding the coach, the group will return to the hotel in Brussels. After freshening up, the group will dine together in a local restaurant on its last evening in delightful Brussels.

Day 8: After breakfast and check-out, the group will travel to the airport for its return flight to the US.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Tips on Thursday - 24 Romantic Honeymoon Destinations

I’m in the mood for love - or at least the mood is in the air! 

Love. Romance. Words that tend to pop-up a lot in the month of February, what with Valentine's Day having just passed us by and the thoughts of the coming spring season, and the traditional wedding season. Weddings. Honeymoons. It's that time once again where couples are planning that once-in-a-lifetime trip that they'll take after they first get married.  But where to go? Despite that well known Disney theme park attraction song... the world really isn't small - there are SO MANY terrific places that couples might go to enjoy their first few days or weeks as married people.  

Last summer, CNN featured an article listing the Top 24 Romantic Destinations, which I'm featuring here:  


In reading through this article once again, I was thrilled to see all the cool destinations. Some were a no brainer. Others were a true gem that many may have not considered.  All of them are available to you through Cruise Planners. 

The Top 5:
5. South Africa
4. Portugal
3. Morocco
2. Tahiti
1. Switzerland

The best thing about love is that it doesn’t have to be about falling in love for the first time. It’s falling in love every single day with your significant other. It’s a special birthday celebration. Or an anniversary. It’s a simple “thank you” and “I love you”.
  
Personally, each of these 24 destinations is on my bucket list before I die.  So far I've got three of them checked off already...21 more to go!

If you would like to check out one of these places but don’t know how it can be possible, give it a shot. It’s totally possible with a little help from your friends and family. So many weddings today are for older folks - people who have either waited to get married and they're now in their 30's, or it's a second marriage.  Individuals who are blending two existing households full of toasters, blenders, board games & towels.  So what kind of a gift to give those people who already have two of this, that, and everything else?  Why not travel?  Or simply components of travel, such as a shore excursion, a massage, a special meal, or a bottle of wine? There are so many possibilities.    At Cruise Planners, we offer a fun, innovative way to make it all possible, through our Travel Gift Registry.  





This Travel Registry works just like any other gift registry. So if you are thinking of a destination wedding and honeymoon we can handle it all.  




Thursday, January 19, 2012

Tips on Thursday - Riding the Wave

Welcome to wave season - the best time to book your next cruise vacation. It happens every year. Between January through the end of March, all the cruise lines offer their very best deals of the year on cruises to just about every corner of the globe. There are some outstanding early booking incentives and extras that can vary from cruise line to cruise line. Some of the most common of the incentives include:
  • Special Pricing
  • Extra Value Offers
  • On-Board Credits
  • Cabin Upgrades (usually within the same category)
  • Reduced Deposits
  • On-Board Coupon Booklets
Family summer vacation to the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean, sure why not? River cruise through Paris and Normandy, no problem. Cruise through the Mediterranean on the coolest ship ever, Norwegian Epic we’ve got it! Anniversary trip to a long dreamed about trek down under to Australia or New Zealand on Princess Cruises? OK! Taking a trek to the great northern wonderland of Alaska with Disney? No problem. 

If you haven't already received the January issue of the Cruise Planner Magazine, visit my website today to be sure and sign up for the next issue coming out in July. It's packed full of Wave Season specials that will get you thinking about your next vacation. And until then, why not sign-up for my weekly ePostcard, using the special "Travel Deals" green box here, which will provide 4-6 exclusive offers and discounts directly to your email's inbox each week. You never know when inspiration will strike and the sea calls you. Why not be ready to answer the call and this question:

Where would you like to go?

Monday, January 9, 2012

Magical Mondays - River Cruising: The Pros About Going Small

River cruising is a HOT new way to explore, since nothing quite compares with the river. Where else but on the river can you journey into the heart of the world’s greatest cities and towns, and discover the true nature of the land? Comfortable and convenient, river cruises offer a greater variety of destinations than you could encounter any other way. Spend less time getting there and more time being there. Little wonder that river cruising is the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry.  With River Cruising, you get up close and personal on the rivers of Europe, China & Egpyt.


For those only familiar with the rules of big ships, here are three reasons riverboat fanatics come back, time and again, for more.

Dinner
Forget buffet dining with 2,000 strangers. River cruises average about 200 passengers per boat, so the waitstaff will likely know your name by the end of the first meal (and so will your fellow travelers).

Evening Entertainment
Instead of dance clubs, karaoke, and glitzy Vegas-style reviews, nightlife on river cruises trends toward string quartets, guest lectures on regional history, and staring out at actual scenery, not just a watery horizon.

Extra Costs
The dirty little secrets of ocean cruises? They always charge extra for excursions, and beer and wine costs are on par with pro sports arenas. River cruise lines opt for flat fees up front.

River cruising is such a fast-growing trend that there are twice as many new river ships debuting in 2012 than there are traditional big ships. In fact, Viking River is building 6 new ships to accommodate the demand. I for one thought that this was for the older generation but I was completely wrong in more ways than one. This new way to cruise is for the adventurous. You are docked right into the heart of the city. You walk on cobblestones. You are eating pho, knockwurst and other traditional foods. You are there to really experience the cultures and sounds of the world.  This is for the “Bucket List” crowd. 

If you would like to learn more about river cruising, let me know, and I'd be happy to discuss ships, itineraries and more with you.