Hank Schrader

June 24, 2021

Europe River Cruise

AmaWaterways Partners with Ancestry®

Hank Schrader

June 24, 2021

Europe River Cruise

AmaWaterways Partners with Ancestry®

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

AmaWaterways just seems to be on a relentless mission to enhance their offerings in river cruising –their moto “Leading the Way in River Cruising”—still rings true.

Their latest partnership, just announced on 23 June 2021 is amazing—a true home run in my opinion. AmaWaterways has partnered with Ancestry to offer a specialized Ancestry themed cruise on 30 July 2022. If you subscribe to Ancestry or are interested in genealogy this is the cruise for you!

They are calling this specialized cruise Heritage on the River: Your Personalized Ancestry® Experience

We anticipate this cruise will sell out fast. We are waiting for final approval but may soon be able to offer $250.00 off the listed price on this cruise per person—please don’t wait! Space can be reserved by a non-refundable deposit of $1,550. The cruise will have an extra fee of $1,500 for the Ancestry® services added to the cruise prices. Your total price will depend upon what type of cabin stateroom you select for this special voyage.

Please don’t wait—if this appeals to you, call me at 713-397-0188 or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com—at max there will be only 156 spaces but I suspect even less, as AmaWaterways will need to provide a cabin stateroom or 2 for the genealogy experts from Ancestry.

So, let’s explore together and learn about this special partnership and the new river cruise.

The Route

Your route. Map from AmaWaterways and used by permission.

The route is a modification of the Captivating Rhine Cruise we have taken in 2016 and 2018.

A couple of disclaimers here—this is still in development, so there could be changes but I would not anticipate any big changes. Second, with AmaWaterways’ permission, I have copied much of this almost word for word.

Itinerary Overview

Heritage on the River: Your Personalized Ancestry® Experience

The sailing dates are July 30 – August 6, 2022
7-night journey on the Rhine, Amsterdam to Basel aboard the AmaStella (135 meter vessel)
Optional 2-night in Amsterdam pre-cruise and/or 4-night in Switzerland (Lucerne and Zurich) post-cruise packages

Your Cruise Ship—the AmaStella

The AmaStella is a twin balcony designed ship with 78 staterooms and has a max capacity of 156 passengers. As with all AmaWaterways ships with this design, there is a Main Lounge, a Reception Area, the Main Dining Room, the Chef’s Table, a Massage & Hair Salon, a Fitness Room, an Elevator, and a Swim-up Heated Pool on the top Sun Deck. These style ships are wonderfully designed and tastefully decorated.

While we have never sailed on this ship, we have sailed on several other similar riverships with AmaWaterways and they are first class in every respect.

Each sailing has a dedicated Cruise Manager and Certified Fitness Host and an outstanding crew to make your vacation experience special.

The meals are outstanding; the service is excellent and you become part of the AmaWaterways family and will want to come back to sail with them soon.

The best part of your journey will be the outstanding standards AmaWaterways uses on all its sailings coupled with the Ancestry Cruise—a true winning combination!

The AmaStella. Picture used with permission from AmaWaterways.

The Chef’s Table on the AmaStella. This wonderful dining option is included in the price of the cruise—there are no additional costs to dine here. Photo from AmaWaterways and used by permission.

One of the 2 wine rooms that are part of the main dining room. Picture from AmaWaterways and used by permission.

Please note, guests will have opportunity to see Floriade if they take a pre-cruise in Amsterdam. There is no opportunity to visit Floriade on the main cruise, as guests will be taken from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Antwerp, Belgium for the Ancestry specific excursion on Day 2 of the main cruise.

If you are not familiar with the Floriade, it is a once a decade horticultural show, that runs from April to October in 2022. The theme is “Growing Green Cities.”

Optional 2-night pre-cruise in Amsterdam:

Day 1 Amsterdam Hotel check-in; on Day 2 in Amsterdam a Walking Tour and on Day 3 prior to embarkation, a visit to the Floriade.

The famous Gabled Roofs on the narrow buildings. Most were built as narrow as possible to limit property taxes that were assessed by the width of the building.

This is a former gate entrance to the city. All the walls have been torn down of this former walled city. It is now a restaurant.

The Cruise

Day 3 Embarkation - July 30, 2022

Day 4 Amsterdam Transfer to Antwerp by bus

Antwerp “In the Footsteps of Our Ancestors”: Visit to Red Star Line Museum, accompanied by an expert genealogist

Ancestry Specific Excursion Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp, Belgium

This excursion is exclusive to the Heritage on the River sailing and allows guests to go in the footsteps of the emigrants who were in search of a new home in North America.

Guests will arrive from Amsterdam to Antwerp by bus and start the tour from the Antwerp Central Station. For many who immigrated to the New World, this is where their story began, and the accompanying genealogist will bring that history to life in this grand hub.

Later, guests will have a unique experience at the Red Star Line Museum, considered Europe’s counterpart to Ellis Island. There they will follow in the footsteps of three million emigrants as they embarked Red Star Line Ocean liners in Antwerp between 1873 and 1934 on their way to North America.

This excursion includes time for guests to personally search the Red Star Line’s database for ship manifests that may uncover the names of your relatives. Following the excursion, guests will transfer to Utrecht where they will re-join the ship.

For more information on the Red Star Line Museum, please visit their website:

Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp

Day 5 Cologne “Holy City” walking tour and cathedral visit; OR Kölsch beer tasting; OR Cologne bike tour

This wonderful photo taken by Anne shows this magnificent Cologne Cathedral.

Day 6 Rhine Gorge Castles along the Rhine scenic cruising / Rüdesheim

In Rüdesheim you have several options--wine tasting, OR a Gondola ride; OR Vineyard hike; OR Guided bike tour of the Rheingau region; Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum; OR Rüdesheimer coffee

Rüdesheim narrow streets. On the far right, with the yellow lollipop sign, is Chris, the cruise manager for the cruise when Anne took this photo in 2016. Guides use the lollipop signs for the small walking groups when on tour.

Hank (right) with his West Point Classmate Jim, drinking Rüdesheimer coffee (coffee, whipped cream and Rüdesheimer brandy)

Day 7 Ludwigshafen “Romantic Heidelberg” excursion OR Heidelberg Philosopher’s Path hike; OR “Secrets of Speyer” tour; OR Ladenburg bike tour

The Gate Bridge entrance to Heidelberg over the Neckar River..

Heidelberg Castle ruins in the snow—there will not be any on your 2022 trip.

Day 8 Strasbourg “The Gem of Alsace” tour; OR Strasbourg bike tour

Day 9 Breisach Riquewihr walking tour OR Freiburg excursion; OR Black Forest hike; OR Breisach wine country bike tour

Riquewhir cobblestone streets. This colorful village was used as the inspiration of Belle’s village in the Disney production of Beauty and the Beast.

The old Merchants Guild Hall in Freiburg.

Day 10 Basel Day 10 DISEMBARKATION, August 6th, 2021

Optional 4-night post-cruise in Switzerland:

Day 10 Basel highlights tour begins with a Transfer to Lucerne by bus; Lucerne walking tour and Hotel check-in. Day 11 Lucerne Lion Monument and medieval city walls. Day 12 Lucerne Lucerne Lake cruise and scenic drive to Zurich by bus, Zurich Hotel check-in. Day 13 Zurich “Little Big City” tour. Day 14 Zurich Return flight home

The old city walls and watch tower in Lucerne,

Lion Monument in Lucerne. The Lion Monument is a tribute to the 1000 Swiss Gurads who died trying to protect King Louie XVI of France in 1792 during the French Revolution.

What’s Included Before the Cruise

The journey begins the moment you make a reservation. An expert Ancestry genealogist will begin performing research into the your family history.
A welcome call with a designated expert genealogist (about 1 hour).
A five-hour consultation and introductory research to study aspects of your family that are of particular interest to them. (Additional hours are available at extra cost)
A summary of findings from the five-hour consultation and introductory research. (The summary is completed as part of the five hours). Through this research, Ancestry will look to identify places guests will visit or pass on the river cruise that may be connected to their ancestry.
Guests will also have an option to add-on an Ancestral Home Visits.

What’s Included in the Cruise

In addition to AmaWaterways regular inclusions, the Ancestry experience includes:

An expert genealogists will be with our guests for the entire river cruise, personalizing their experience, setting the historical context, and answering questions about their family, history, and the next steps they can take to research them. This expert will connect the places we are visiting to the guests’ family history. The expert will also explain changes in national borders and regional politics over time, all while providing a glimpse into the guests’ ancestors’ likely experiences and daily lives.
The expert genealogist will deliver at least two historical and genealogical presentations during the cruise. These presentations will help guests learn more about what life was like for their ancestors and what records are available to find out more about them.
Each participant will receive one private consultation with the expert genealogist while on board. (They will sign up during the cruise.) T his is a great opportunity to review their Ancestry Tree with their expert genealogist.
An Ancestry-specific excursion with the expert genealogist

My Final Thoughts

What a great opportunity to learn about your ancestry. Not only will you get a fabulous vacation, the added benefit of 5 hours of personalized research is amazing. If you really want to learn about your family tree and history, this is amazing opportunity.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

March 17, 2021

Europe River Cruise

AmaWaterways 46-Night Europe River Cruise

Hank Schrader

March 17, 2021

Europe River Cruise

AmaWaterways 46 Night Europe River Cruise

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

AmaWaterways has done it again—a bold new program that is unmatched in European River Cruising. No wonder their slogan rings true—“Leading the Way in River Cruising”

Taking a note from the popular world ocean cruising offerings, AmaWaterways has created their version of a “world” cruise in Europe on a 46 night adventure using 4 different AmaWaterways riverships.

Please read this whole blog—I have some real new news about a second cruise that were released about 1 hour ago on 18 March 2021—a new opportunity to an added chance for a second added sailing that is slightly different!

The cruise will start on 1 June 2023 and is open for reservations on 15 March 2021.

So, let’s explore together and learn about this unique opportunity to visit 14 countries on 7 different rivers—you won’t be disappointed!

Overview of the Cruise

Map of the entire route. Image from AmaWaterways who gave us permission to use in this blog.

The 7 rivers of this unique sailing are the Seine, the Rhône, the Saône, the Rhine, the Moselle, the Main and the Danube Rivers.

The 14 countries on this trip are: France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic (if you take the Cesky Krumlov tour), Slovakia, Austria, Hungry, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.

The French Part of the Cruise—14 days

The Seine route is a 7 day round trip cruise into Normandy, starting and ending in Paris. The cruise highlights are Monet's village of Giverny; the harbor town of Honfleur; Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy and the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431 (also of special note is the 700 restored half-timber buildings in the old quarter); as well as a chance to visit the medieval towns along this scenic route and visit the D-Day Normandy beaches.

Statue at Normandy Beach in 2014 in France

This is a gentle voyage along farmland and meadows, historic towns and good food such as brie and camembert cheeses, calvados (apple brandy) and Normandy cider. If you like history, such as the 100 Years War between England and France, want to learn more about the largest amphibious landing in history at the D Day beaches, and like impressionist paintings, this portion of the cruise will especially appeal to you.

The first leg of the journey will be on the AmaLyra.

**Our first river cruise was on the AmaLyra in 2009—what a great experience—it got us hooked on river cruising and AmaWaterways**

When you arrive in Paris after completing the Seine portion of the cruise, you will then take the TGV to Lyon for the second leg of the France portion of the cruise. The transfer will be seamless—AmaWaterways will handle all the luggage and you will be escorted to the TGV high speed train. We have experienced a transfer similar to this on a previous AmaWaterways cruise in this region and it is a very easy process—professionally handled as you would expect from AmaWaterways.

The Rhône and Saône cruise goes from Lyon to Tarascon, France (Tarascon is about 14 miles south of Avignon). You will sail on the AmaKristina.

Starting in Lyon, the gastronomical capital of France, the cruise goes through France's legendary wine growing regions of Beaujolais and Cote du Rhone, and allows you observe medieval villages in the Provence region of France.

Truffle Dog during one of our 3 Provence river cruises.

Then on to the Papal town of Avignon.

Wine regions of the Rhone River Valley. Image from AmaWaterways

You will sample great wines, visit Roman ruins, and learn about the cuisine of Provence, among stunning scenery—fields of purple lavender, yellow sunflowers and vineyards.

We have sailed on this route 3 times and each time it was awesome—we are ready to return anytime.

From Tarascon, you will take the TGV to Mulhouse Germany.

The Middle Leg on the Rhine and its Tributaries—17 Days

This is combination of the best voyages on the Rhine, the Moselle, the Main and the uses the Main-Danube Canal to reach the Danube.

You will sail this leg on the AmaPrima.

The first part sails from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam (it is a version of the Enchanting Rhine itinerary). The first part of this cruise is a visit to the Alsace region of France for Strasbourg and Riquewihr or to Freiburg in Germany. At the port of Ludwigshafen, guests can take a trip to either Heidelberg or Speyer.

Strasbourg France canal—you can see the famous cathedral in the background.

Then to the Rhine River Gorge, with its 40 castles guarding the steep banks after a visit to Rüdesheim.

Among the many highlights of this leg is a visit to Lahneck Castle tour (a unique exclusive private tour only available on AmaWaterways). The last two stops are Cologne and Amsterdam. We hope you like our pictures from previous cruises:

Now, back south on the Rhine again, through the Rhine River Gorge again and off to the Moselle. Key port stops are Cochem, Bernkastel, Trier and Luxembourg.

Then back up north on the Moselle, with a chance to visit Berg Eltz, again, unique to my knowledge in the river cruise industry.

Here are some of our favorite pictures from the Moselle:

Now, a chance to explore more of Germany on the Main River, after a visit to Koblenz (the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine) and a third trip past the Rhine River Gorge (trust me it never gets old—most folks consider this the best stretch of sights on any river in Europe).

Port stops on the Main include Miltenberg, Wertheim, Wurzburg, Bamberg and Nuremberg before cruising the Main-Danube Canal with a final stop in Vilshofen. I really like the Main tributary and here are a few of our favorite pictures of this great leg:

The Final Leg on the Danube—14 Days

At Vilshofen, you will make a transfer to the AmaVerde (we haven’t sailed on it so no personal picture of this 135 meter rivership).

The Upper Danube is the other great route on Europe rivers (it is the single most popular river cruise route in all Europe—it has about 30% of all river cruise passengers that take a Europe river cruise every year)—and it goes from Vilshofen to Budapest on the first 7 day leg of this 14 day cruise segment. You will get to visit 4 countries (the four are Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, but you can up it to 5 countries if you take the Cesky Krumlov excursion in the Czech Republic), 3 capital cities (Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest), castles, Abbeys, wine-sloped terraces and even quaint villages--it is a great voyage.

**Schonbuhel Castle —The Watchman of the Danube**

The lower Danube is the gateway to Eastern Europe. This segment begins in Budapest and ends near the Black Sea. It starts with the rolling hills and vine-clad slopes of the Pecs in Hungary; then moves to the boundary waters that separate Serbia and Croatia; then traverses the narrow gorges of the Iron Gates, a stunning passage that divides the Balkan and Carpathian Mountains and ends near Bucharest, Romania.

What is included in this Epic Journey?

This cruise will have a dedicated cruise manager for the entire 46 night journey. Gratuities are included for the ship crew and for all the 130 included tours. Each ship will have all the standard wonderful offerings of AmaWaterways—great staterooms; awesome dining with included regional wines, beer and other beverages; Sip-n-Sail happy hour; complimentary laundry; free Wi-Fi; seamless transfers between ships; and included chef table at no additional costs.

Costs and Availability

The cruise is limited to 144 guests. Prices begin at $25,999 per person with $1350 port charges (also per person) for a fixed window stateroom. French balconies start at $34,988 per person with port charges of $1350 per person. Balconies start at $48,988 per person with port charges of $1350. There was a pre-cruise waiting list offer and currently AmaWaterways is contacting those on the list to apply their refundable deposit of $4,800 to the cruise.

As of 17 March 2021, according to a webinar I attended from AmaWaterways, there still are openings for this cruise—if you are interested, we suggest you contact us quickly!

Added Epic Cruise in April 2023 (20 April to 4 June) BREAKING NEWS!

This was announced last week (10 March 2021) during a weekly webinar for travel agents only by the AmaWaterways leadership—a slightly different version of the 46 night unique journey. This version will include only the Rhône cruise as the first leg and expand the Rhine leg by adding a Tulip Time route in the Netherlands and Belgium. The rest of this section will use the same route described above. The last segment will be on the Danube but use the double wide AmaMagna.

3 ships only on this route, so only one transfer by TVG from the Rhône to the Rhine. Reservations have not opened up yet and my friends at AmaWaterways gave me some amazing pricing just before I was about to send out the blog.

There is some amazing pricing for this trip. Each person has to pay $1350 port charges.

Cat E (fixed window) $24,999 Total Price with port charges $26,349

Cat D (fixed window $28,398 Total Price with Port Charges $29,748

Because their are different types of riverships on this cruise, balcony prices have a total range as follows:

$33,348 $35,348 $36,348 $40,348 $41,348 $43,348 $44,348 $51, 348

For those of you who want the ultimate suite staterooms, here are the prices (note very limited):

Suite/GS $57.384 total Suite/OS $62.348

Learn more About this Amazing Cruise

Here are some pictures and a map of the Tulip Time route:

My Final Thoughts

What a great adventure—a world cruise on Europe’s Rivers—just another reason we love the Old World of Europe so much!

We have sailed on all these rivers except the Seine and from personal experience can testify this will be a trip of a lifetime, unmatched by any other river cruise company. We hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as we enjoyed seeing them during our travels.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

March 4, 2021

Europe River Cruise

Why it is so Hard to Determine the Best River Cruise Company?

Hank Schrader

March 4, 2021

Europe River Cruise

Why it is so Hard to Determine the Best River Cruise Company?

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

In 2016, I wrote a blog about what is “luxury” in river cruising and which lines should be classified as luxury lines. It seems that some version of this question keeps popping up over and over again. It is clear there is a lot of confusion and conflicting opinions about choosing the best river cruise company.

It has happen in our business recently. Several recent inquiries from clients and potential clients want help in deciding this question--What is the best river cruise company line?

The problem is there is no single best line for everyone.

So, I thought maybe we could provide some answers by helping match the features of various cruise company lines to help you make an informed choice.

Snippets from my old Article

In 2016, the Editor-in-Chief of Travel Age West Magazine, a publication for travel professionals, posed this question to his readers and asked for comments from the field. He basically challenged us to explain how we explain “luxury” river cruising to our clients. He also asked if we have any amenities that we feel are mandatory to classify a river cruise line as “luxury”.

Before we begin, it is important to decide what luxury is. The American Heritage Dictionary defines luxury as: “1) Something that is not essential but is conductive to pleasure and comfort. 2) Something that is expensive or hard to obtain. 3) Sumptuous living or surroundings.”

Are there any “Luxury” River Cruise Lines?

We think we cannot define or segment river cruise lines using the “luxury” classification.

We feel that each client has different ideas of what luxury is, so a label of luxury has little meaning to most of our clients, if it does not include what is luxury to them.

Here are 2 important reasons why:

Reason # 1 Most River Cruise Lines are already in the Premium Oceangoing Category—Defining What is Luxury or Not Luxury is Difficult at Best

A problem, when trying to place a river cruise company in the luxury category and trying explain what is luxury river cruising to clients new to river cruising, is that the starting bar is already very high. By 2021 all of the eight major lines that market to US clients (AmaWaterways, Avalon, Crystal, Emerald, Scenic, Tauck, Uniworld, and Viking) have good accommodations, free Wi-Fi, wine & beer with lunch and dinner, limited entertainment and tours included in their base fare.

I have said over and over again—there is no bad river cruise, all are very good. Most ocean cruise lines charge extra for many of the included items by all of these 8 river cruise lines.

Each river cruise company offers suites on their riverships, so if a suite moves the needle to luxury, so be it.

This is a suite bath tub on an AmaWaterways suite. Most staterooms on river ships only have showers, so a suite bath tub might move this into the luxury category.

Does included all alcoholic drinks make it luxury? Does the quality of wine make it luxury? Does included gratuities make it luxury? Does a butler make it luxury? Does no extra charge for any tour make it luxury?

How about the food?

Seafood buffet on the Scenic Opal—lobster thurmidor is one the menu—one of my personal favorites!

Does the breakdown of the nationalities make it luxury—does the guest want to be with Americans or other nationals? Does one factor outweigh the others and make it luxury? Do you have to have a specific number of these factors to make it luxury?—we just do not presume to guess our clients preferences.

Reason # 2 There are no true Luxury River Cruise Ships like there are in Ocean Cruise Ships Due to Lack of Luxury Facilities on Riverships Except the AmaMagna

This is a pretty bold statement, but true.

The biggest reason for this is due to rivership size limitations. The most common rivership size is 110 m (361 feet) or 135 m (443 feet) longships and they are all 11.58 m (38 feet) wide or so. The size limitations are necessary so riverships can fit into most of the various locks in Europe, especially the Main-Danube Canal.

They also can only be 3 decks tall to fit under some bridges—while there is a roof sun deck 4, all items on the deck, including the navigation cabin can be lowered, so the rivership is only 3 decks in height when passing lower bridges.

The Tauck Treasures river ship. It is easy to see the 3 passenger decks. Level 1 is at the water line with fixed windows. Levels 2 and 3 are French Balconies. At the front is the lounge area.

The Emerald Sun lounge (top level) and dining room below on deck 2.

It was completion of the Main-Danube Canal that was the impetus for modern river cruising—pioneers like Rudi Schreiner realized this canal completion could offer a boat tour of unparalleled experience that would be far better than a bus tour along most of the heartland of Europe.

Hank and Anne with Kristin Karst of AmaWaterways

River cruising went from pretty sparse overnight accommodations in the early 1990s to really nice staterooms and riverships in the later 2000s.

A typical Scenic luxury balcony stateroom. This ship is the Scenic Opal.

AmaWaterways twin balcony stateroom—looks like luxury to me!

Riverships must use the limited amount of space to decide what to include with their onboard facilities. River cruise ships have smaller suites sizes; are missing many onboard upscale facilities found on oceangoing vessels (casinos, multiple restaurants, multiple shopping areas, huge entertainment areas, several pools and large gyms and large spa facilities) and there are no large entertainment shows.

A small exercise area on the AmaKristina rivership. This Compact exercise room is very small compared to the massive workout areas on ocean cruise ships.

These luxury items are common are oceangoing vessels, and are lacking on riverships. This is one reason the luxury designation is not a good term to use when describing river cruising.

Only AmaWaterways has found a way around this space problem by creating a double wide river cruise ship and sail it on only the Danube River. It was completed in 2019 and is widely accepted as close to luxury available on European rivers by most river cruise authorities.

An artist drawing of the double wide AmaMagna. Image used by permission of AmaWaterways.

Crystal tried this approach by refitting an oversized, older vessel, to get closer to the “Crystal Experience” that their clients have come to expect on their two Crystal oceangoing ships. The Crystal Mozart went into service in 2016 and they finally decided to remove the larger ship in 2019—it had constant maintenance problems and now Crystal sails 4 normal sized riverships with king sized beds, and walk-in closets.

The only problem with this approach to improve the onboard facilities with a double wide ship, is that now the destinations the ship can visit are limited to only the Danube River. It really is not that much of a problem, as there are a lot of smaller sized riverships to cruise the other rivers of Europe.

Our 2020-2021 River Cruise Company Comparisons

This is so complex a subject that only a complete comparisons like our 86 slide 2020-2021 River Cruise Company Comparison Guide adequately address these questions (there are 17 comparisons charts in the presentation).

Here is the link to this Guide:

2020-2021 River Cruise Comparison Guide

One Reasonable Segmentation Method: More Inclusive vs. less Inclusive River Cruise Companies

There are 4 more inclusive lines (Crystal, Scenic, Tauck, & Uniworld), but even on these lines, there may be extras, especially on Crystal (helicopter rides, speed launches, private tours, and an extra charge for exclusive dining).

There are butlers on Crystal, Uniworld and Scenic.

Our butler (left) doubled as a waiter at Portobellos on our Scenic cruise.

On Scenic, the butler service increases in relation with cabin category selected. For example, the Diamond category guests on Deck 3 have better butler services, and a unique dining experience (unfortunately in the same main dining room as the other guests).

Often these lines charge $1500--$2000 per person extra for minor perks and clients would come out ahead pricewise on other lines with as good or even a better cruise experience. If a butler and room service is luxury, then that may make it a luxury cruise to some and worth the extra price.

Even more inclusive lines may own or lease their ships—again a subtle difference—Tauck leases its ships and their ships just do not match others in the all-inclusive category.

Each river cruise line has its distinct advantages and disadvantages—it all comes down to the perception of value by each client.

We do not classify river cruise lines—we talk about their advantages and disadvantages, but most of all, what will be the experience for our clients.

Here is a link to one of our most popular blogs about the advantages and disadvantages of a river cruise:

River Cruise Advantages & Disadvantages

How we help Our Clients Navigate the Maze of River Cruise Companies

This is part of a blog I wrote earlier about the maze of river cruise companies.

“Here is how we start the process. Our first step is to match you with the available options.

We first learn who you are, visit with you by asking lot of questions about what you like and do not like and then find the best options.

We have developed a great Europe River cruise questionnaire that will help us learn what you really want on your river cruise.

We spend our time doing the research for you, so you can spend your time dreaming about the memories you are going to make.”

We never address luxury directly, we address the advantages and disadvantages of each line and what is included and how the line will best match their preferences. Then we discuss value—is the extra price worth the extra perks?

Our European River Cruise Questionnaire

Besides basic contact info, here is the absolute minimum info we need to help our clients get the best possible river cruise—previous cruise experience, days available for the trip, activities (we ask about 14 activities), what you like to see and where you want to go, how many Europe countries previously visited, how important is wine and food, passport data and special meal requirements and any physical mobility problems.

Then we start expanding on these responses until we get the perfect trip described from our clients in their own words.

Then, using our knowledge of all European Rivers, who sails them, and what factors are important to the client, we match them to the right company. Having written 50 Europe city guides, earning 6 river cruise specialist designation from all of the previous 8 mentioned lines that currently offer specialist programs and personally sailing on 18 river cruises, makes this process easy for us. We have also written 51 river cruise port guides that are available to you by request on our website.

Here is the link to our Questionnaire:

River Cruise Questionnaire

Destinations—the Number One thing to Decide on Selecting a River Cruise Company

The primary consideration for taking a river cruise, in my opinion, are the destinations—what you will get to visit and see.

Budapest Parliament Building at night on the Danube River—an amazing destination!

The Roman aqueduct—pony du Gard—difficult to see on your own but easy on a Provence river cruise.

This is a great look at just how large this engineering marvel of thebPont du Gard

Most companies use a pool of similar guides—we have seen the exact same guide led a tour from AmaWaterways one day in Nuremberg, Germany and the next day for Viking—pretty hard to miss a 6 foot 8 inch former pro basketball player holding a lollipop AmaWaterways sign one day and a Viking sign the next.

The real question boils down to what you will get to see and visit and if there are any exclusive tours or experiences that only the river cruise line you are considering to travel with offers.

Here is a unique tour—this is a trained truffle dog finding truffles buried—the guests just loved her! We took this tour on an AmaWaterways cruise on the Rhone River.

At present, only Tauck uses on-board guides, so if that is important, maybe it becomes more in the luxury category.

Does AmaWaterways Late Riser tours or Limited Edition tour make it luxury?

This is our tour guide on a late risers tour on AmaWaterways. There were only 3 of us—it was like hiring a private, professional guide but it was included for free!

Here is Hank on a food tour in Nuremberg with their famous sausage at a brewery. Again an included tour in the cruise fare.

Does Scenic’s Sundowner experience make it luxury?

This is a Scenic special Sundowner celebration in Durnstein, Austria. We had great music from these 2 gentlemen.

Here was our Sundowner meal spread, served with beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. It was a really fun experience, with tasty food and included at no cost to the guests on that sailing.

How about concerts in an exclusive location, like Tauck and Scenic offer or after-hours access to sights offered by Uniworld—are these luxury?

River Cruise Company Cruise Travel Industry Awards and Brochures Make it Difficult for Consumers to Decipher Claims About who is the Best River Cruise Line

When defining luxury cruise line on ocean going ships, the luxury lines usually have smaller ships (less passengers), offer better food and premium service, may include alcoholic beverages and spend more time in port and there is less emphasis on selling extras—there are more inclusions and they command a higher price point. The problem when trying to apply this to river cruising is that most all river cruise lines already include many of the distinguishing features of luxury cruise lines in their base fare.

Most river cruise lines have won several awards and selected as best in reader polls. Again, this confusion makes it very hard for the consumer to objectively evaluate the highly competitive Europe River cruise companies. Adding in world river cruises like the Nile, Amazon, Africa and Asia adds a whole other dimension to trying to segment river cruises into a luxury category—each area of the world is quite different and the experiences they provide are quite different.

Brochures often claim they are the best but the truth is there is no best river cruise for everyone.

The Bottom Line

Using a term like a luxury river cruise line and trying to put them into distinct categories does not translate well to river cruises—it is such a distinct product, that all lines fall into the premium category at least and most really are pretty much luxury in the Europe market, just different degrees of luxury depending upon one’s personal definition.

We prefer not to segment—we prefer to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each line.

The only thing that works for us is matching client expectations by knowing exactly what they want to experience and having an exceptional knowledge of what each lines offers. This is where we shine—we know Europe River Cruises better than most travel professionals.

My Final Thoughts

We hope this helps sort out a confusing subject—there is no short, easy answer. Focus on features about the varying offerings by the 8 major lines who focus on US clients and it is far easier to decide what is best for you.

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

March 21, 2019

Ocean Cruise, Europe River Cruise

Experience Cruising to Colorful Cities--Our Visual Guide

Hank Schrader

March 21, 2019

Ocean Cruise, Europe River Cruise

Experience Cruising to Colorful Europe Cities—Our Visual Guide

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, European Destination & River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

While a lot of folks who travel think about important landmark sites to visit in the various ports, many do not realize that a world of colorful cities are easily accessible by cruise ships and even riverships.

So, I thought I might let you see some of the wonderful, colorful places we have been able to visit by either a cruise ship or rivership.

Ready?—let’s explore together!

Portofino, Italy

We got to visit this great little town while on a SilverSea luxury cruise in the Western Mediterranean cruise in 2015. I can’t tell how much we enjoyed this quaint little city. After a short tender ride (a small boat to get from our larger ship to the port), we got to this interesting town.

**Color pops against the green trees in Portofino**

First we went on a special wine tasting, held at a cliff top castle.

**Two great wines Pinogino and our personal favorite Vermentino**

Later, we wandered the town and ended our visit eating some awesome prawns. We still rave about this visit and will return. Here are a few photos of this adventure:

**One of the colorful narrow alleys of Portofino**

**Prawns in Portofino—Are you hungry? They tasted as good as they looked!!**

Old Town Stockholm

This is a gem of a place that we got to visit on our Princess Royal Princess cruise in the Baltic in 2014. The Gamla Stan, the historic old town, is full of color, has great little shops and the royal palace and parliament buildings all concentrated in an easily walkable area.

To get there, we had to take a ship tour, as the port is too far from the docking area, but as we often do, we broke off from the tour and wandered on our own. Here are some of our photos of this charming place:

**Stortorget Square in Old Town Stockholm**

**Old Phone Booth in the Old Town of Stockholm**

**Old Town Stockholm Door—sure looks like a face to me!**

Positano, Italy

On our Celebrity Equinox cruise in 2013, we took a shore excursion along the Amalfi coast to Positano and Pompeii. The single lane road down the Amalfi coast on our small tour bus was dramatic and a little nerve racking but well worth the ride.

**A cliff side villa on the Amalfi Coast**

**The Dramatic Amalfi Coastline—look closely and you can see the cliff side road**

Positano, on a sharp cliff inlet, is a wonderful place to visit. It is a pedestrian only and there are only two real activities here—shopping and visiting the beach but it would be hard to find a more charming place to spend a couple of days. This is a place to slow down and enjoy the best things in life. Here are 3 pictures for you to see why we want to go back and stay instead of visit for a few hours.

**The steep, colorful buildings of Positano**

Two Greek Isles—Santorini and Mykonos

There is something about color that pops out on these two islands—the contrast of the white buildings, (often with blue domes), with colorful pastel buildings randomly popping up or stark white building suddenly adored with colorful plants is unique in our experiences.

Santorini with its 1000 foot cliff and the town of Fira clinging to the steep walls, seems to make the color even seem more magical. We have been to Santorini 2 times and are ready to go back—it’s that good! If the color of the town isn’t good enough, adding a sunset with your favorite beverage, makes it even better—it is hard for me to think of a place with a more dramatic sunset in the world. Please see if these pictures make you agree:

**Maybe the best sunset in the world—this is the view from Santorini!**

Mykonos is completely different—mostly white buildings, set in a maze like series of streets that were built to confuse pirates, is a delight to wander. It is the stairways, doors and plants that make it so colorful. Check out these photos:

**White Buildings with dramatic splashes of color in Mykonos.**

**Great color contrast with the white washed buildings**

Lisbon, and Pena Palace, Portugal

On our voyages of the wine traders cruise on the Azamara Quest in 2013, we got to visit the Alfama district of Lisbon and Pena Palace. The Alfama is the old sailors’ quarter of Lisbon and its tangled streets have many colorful buildings and exquisite blue tile work displays on some buildings. Here are some photos:

**Stunning Blue Tiles in the old section of Lisbon, Portugal**

**Close up look at the amazing tile work in Lisbon, Portugal**

We also took a short trip to Sintra by taxi—it is some of the best money we have ever spent. By using the taxi instead of the train as was our original plan, we got to see the town, the Royal National Palace and Pena Palace. Our driver was fabulous—we basically rented him for most of the day.

The fantasy Pena Palace is the most unique palace we have ever visited—colorful, full of towers, domes, with almost a Disney like creation feel and the rooms look like someone still lives there. See if these pictures make you agree with my description of the Palace:

One of the colorful rooms inside Pena Palace

Invergordon, Scotland

We visited Invergordon on an Azamara Journey cruise in 2017. One port was the small village of Invergordon. With a population of around 4,000 would not make anyone’s list of colorful towns for its buildings alone. However, this big cruise liner port and Highlands village splash with color due to its famous mural trail of 11 large wall paintings depicting past and present life in the Highlands. Take a look at some here (we have 9 of the 11 murals):

**#1 of 9 Invergordon Wall Murals—Parade Time—this remembers the Royal Marines who were stationed here for many years.**

**Wildlife Mural of the Highlands, Invergordon, Scotland**

**Fire! Fire! Firefighters in Action, , remembering when the Royal Hotel burned down in Invergordon, Scotland**

**Volunteer Special some of the rescue scenes and the Tugboat Mural, Invergordon, Scotland**

**Invergordon Highland Gathering—some of the sports competitions and cultural events of a typical gathering of the clans!**

**Sports played in the last 100 years in Invergordon**

**Scenes of the past from Saltburns—a sister town very near Invergordon**

Strasbourg, France

River cruising can provide some unique opportunities to visit some really colorful places. On our AmaWaterways Enchanting Rhine Christmas Market cruise in December 2016, we got a chance to visit this capital city of Alsace for the third time. This place is so good we stopped here for a day pre cruise and it is just amazing!

Our first visit was during Bastille Day (July 14th) many years ago—the French Independence Day. The combination of half-timber buildings among its many canals in the La Petite France area is both colorful and dramatic. See if you agree:

**Christmas decorations in Strasbourg, France**

**A picture of the wonderful canals taken by Anne of Strasbourg France in 1989**

Riquewihr

Another Alsatian town that splashes color is Riquewihr. Located on the Alsace wine road route, some have called this the most beautiful town in France. With a backdrop of the nearby Vosages Mountains and surrounded by vineyards, this old walled city looks like it is still in the 1500’s, with its cobbled streets and colorful half- timbered buildings.

A small population of about 1200 folks, great wines (especially Rieslings), excellent food and a tower and defensive walls—someone was thinking about a lot of things Hank really likes about visiting Europe! Check these pictures out to see if you agree with me:

**Christmas decorations in Riquewihr, France**

**Brilliant, vivid blue colored building in Riquewhir**

**Red and green half timbered building in Riquewihr**

**Windows all dressed up for Christmas in Riquewihr, France**

My Final Thoughts

In short, colorful places await you in Europe—please visit one of these great towns or villages!

We hope these words inspire you to become one of our clients or continue our travel relationship with us and learn to appreciate our world more. Cruising by ocean ship or on a river cruise is a great way to see great colorful sites.

When you are spending your hard earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience.

We want to help you achieve your travel dreams—remember if you want to Visit Dream Destinations—please contact Hank (713-397-0188) or email him at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com to get started or just tell us about your travel dreams. We are here to help you: Savor life . . . make memories . . . Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 45 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

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