Hank Schrader

July 9, 2020

River Cruise Routes

The Lower Danube River Cruise Route

Hank Schrader

July 9, 2020

River Cruise Routes

The Lower Danube River Cruise Route

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

The Danube is 1,170 miles, making it the second longest river in Europe after the Volga River in Russia. This is a river of legends; serves as a borderline between countries; has four capital cities on or near its banks and romantic sights of medieval castles, baroque churches and abbeys and rococo palaces. There are 2 routes here. The upper portion is primarily in Austria and Hungry. The lower segment is in the Balkans.

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 either ends in Bucharest, Romania or at the Black Sea.

**The Lower Danube River Cruise Route. Photo from AmaWaterways**

Why Go on this Route?

This is a unique chance to visit some lesser known areas of Europe. Since these countries are not part of the Schengen area, it is much easier to visit on a river cruise—border formalities and many money issues are handled for you.

We enjoyed this trip, the friendly people and learning about new areas. We aren’t alone—here is an opinion from one of our great clients:

“What a great trip! I am an experienced traveler, have traveled all over the world, and this is the best trip I ever had! To be able to see 8 countries, explore a many venues and participate in a multitude of events created a unique vacation I will never forget. The food, wine, staff and overall experience was awesome! It allowed me to make a whole new set friends. I want thank my professional travel team of Hank and Anne for helping me make it possible.

— Jeff R Danube Cruise (lower and upper 2018) on the AmaCerto”

Pretty good reasons to go explore this region, don’t you think so!

The Ports

Budapest, Hungary

All routes either start or end in Budapest. It is the most interesting and beautiful city on the Danube route. It is really two cities linked by the Chain Bridge. The Pest side was the former home of the Royals and Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion are two great places to visit.

On the Pest side, my favorites are the Parliament Building and the Great Market. It is worthy of a couple of days or more.

Great Market Budapest — **Great Market on the Pest side**

Pecs, Hungary

Pecs is a city of art and history. It is the 5th largest city in Hungary. It first was a Roman city called Sopianae. The Hungarians conquered the area in the late 9th century. In the Middle Ages, Pecs was a center of learning and education. It was conquered by the Turks in 1543. When the Turks were expelled (they ruled for about 150 years), it became part of the Habsburg Empire. It has the largest Turkish ruins in Hungary. It is also famous for Zsolnay ceramics.

Here are some photos:

Old Fort Tower Pecs, Hungary — **Watch Tower of the Old Fort in Pecs Hungary**

**Fountain with Zsolnay porcelain spigots in Pecs Hungary**

Pecs Hungary — **Building in Pecs, Hungary**

Vukovar, Croatia

This is a somber stop on a Lower Danube cruise, as Vukovar is the only town since WW II that was almost completely destroyed during the Kosovo War in 1991. Vukovar held out for 3 months against an overwhelming Serbian force and many of the residents were killed.

Cross on the Danube—a tribute to all who gave their lives for a free and independent Croatia

The war sights are the main stops here. The cemetery is quite moving.

**Memorial statue in the Vukovar Cemetery. The statue has a symbolic flame at its center, and the stones present the image of the Christian cross facing outward in all directions.**

Eltz Manor Museum is the other main tourist site.

Novi Sad

Novi Sad is the 2nd largest city in Serbia. As with many places on the Lower Danube, the Ottoman Turks controlled this town for about 150 years (from 1526 to1687) and then it became part of the Habsburg Empire. Later, it was part of Yugoslavia, then a separate country and was bombed during the Kosovo War. It is now part of the Republic of Serbia.

The Petrovaradin Fortress is the best known landmark in the area. Novi Sad is also considered the cultural capital of Serbia. It has an interesting main square; the exquisite Bishop’s Palace and plenty of colorful wall paintings.

Here are some photos:

**Petrovaradin Fortress Novi Sad, Serbia**

**Bishops Palace Residence, Novi Sad. Serbia**

Belgrade, Serbia

Belgrade is Serbia’s capital.

The two key sights here are the Kalemegdan Fortress and the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Sava.

The fortress, on the banks of the Sava River and the Danube River is huge and once protected an entire city inside its walls. Today it is just a park to stroll through with displays of armaments in the Belgrade military museum, Ruzica Church, the zoo, and the observatory and planetarium.

**Part of the Outside display of Belgrade Military Museum**

St. Sava Cathedral is the largest Orthodox Church in the Balkan region and the 2nd largest in the world. Its’ dome is 70 meters high with a 12 meter cross on top, has 50 bells and 18 golden crosses. It can hold 10,000 (all standing—there are no pews) and work continues on the inside with mosaics. It represents faith and freedom to the Serbian people.

**A mosaic inside the St. Sava Cathedral**

Knez Mihailova Street-- is the main pedestrian and shopping zone in Belgrade, and is protected by law as one of the oldest and most valuable landmarks of the city. It features a large number of impressive buildings and mansions built during late 1870s.

**One of the ornate buildings on Knez Mihailova Street**

Princess Ljubica’s Palace—this palace was supposed to be the lavish seat for the Serbian Court, but warfare with Turks prevented it. Today it is a museum with a series of lavishly furnished rooms.

**Outside of Princess Ljubica’s Palace**

The National Assembly of Serbia—this perhaps is the most photogenic building in Belgrade. It used to be the home of Yugoslavia’s Assembly.

Iron Gates

The Iron gates is one of the most scenic cruise routes in all Europe.

The Danube narrows into an impressive series of gorges between the mountain ranges of the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains.

**The rugged cliffs of the Iron Gates on the Lower Danube River**

The banks of the river along this natural border between Serbia and Romania are lined with sheer-faced rocks that stretch high overhead

**A convent Orthodox Church in the Iron Gates**

One of the favorite sights is the rock carving of Decebalus (the last king of Dacis, who fought against the Roman emperors Domitian & Trajan to preserve the independence of his country, which corresponded to modern Romania). He gazes down at passengers as they cruise the Iron Gates towards Vidin.

Vidin, Bulgaria

Located in the northwest corner of Bulgaria, Vidin is known as the “The Danube’s Eternal Guardian.”

The best known site is the Baba Vida Castle. This well preserved castle is fun to visit and tour.

**A great view showing how the fort could defend the Danube Waterway**

Legend says that Vida (daughter of a wealthy Bulgarian Boyar), due to the unsuccessful marriages of her sisters, rejected all proposals for marriage and built the castle to protect Vidin and remained there for the rest of her life.

Vidin is the gateway to Belogradchik (about 50 km away), a hill town that has gigantic pillars of rust colored sandstone rocks and a fortress.

Here are some photos:

Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest is known as the “Paris of the East.

We first visited to the Open Air Museum, dedicated to preserving the traditional architecture of rural Romania.

The most impressive site in Bucharest is the Palace of the Parliament only for its sheer size—it is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon.

Another great stop is a tour or walk in the newly renovated Lipscani district, the historical center of Bucharest.

Vlad (Dracula) statue in Lipscani district, the historical center of Bucharest. — **Vlad (Dracula) statue in Lipscani district, the historical center of Buchares**t.

Ruins of the Old Courtyard in the Lipscani district, the historical center of Bucharest. — **Ruins of the Old Courtyard in the Lipscani district, the historical center of Bucharest**.

**Annunciation Church of Saint Anthony Lipscani district Bucharest**

Pre/Post Cruise Extensions

Brasov—a great place for a pre or post stay. It is a chance to see what a Transylvanian old city looked like. It is also a good gateway to Braun Castle (14 century) a military outpost controlling the entry route to Transylvania and nowadays is associated with the myth of Dracula.

**Old Gate entrance to Brasov, Romania**

I would also try to visit Peles Castle (built from 1873 to 1914) the former summer residence of the Romania Royal Family. I recently wrote about this fabulous structure in our 33 Palaces of Europe blog. It is the most visited museum in Romania.

Istanbul—the European portion of Istanbul is one of the most fascinating and interesting cities in the world. It is offered as a possible post stay to your cruise.

My three favorites were the Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia and the Spice Market.

This is a city worth several days and is another unforgettable experience.

My Final Thoughts

This is a chance for folks to explore a part of Europe that once was part of the Communist Block. It is a world many haven’t seen but it is special. A turbulent history of war and conflict has shaped this area but it has a lot to offer.

We highly recommend this cruise.

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 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
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Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

July 2, 2020

Veterans

The Significance of American Independence Day 4 July 1776

Hank Schrader

July 2, 2020

Veterans

The Significance of American Independence Day 4 July 1776

By Hank Schrader, USMA ‘71

www.dreamdestinations.com

As you know, Saturday 4 July 2020 is our Independence Day. In a bold move on 4 July 1776, the 13 Colonies declared their independence from British rule.

We now celebrate Independence Day as the day the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence has 3 important parts. First, is the goals of our nation. Second, is the complaints about British rule, especially against King George III. Third, why the 13 Colonies wanted to be free of British rule.

We had been at war for a year when the Continental Congress adopted and signed the Declaration of Independence, expressing our desire to become an independent nation.

The best known part of this document is in the Preamble. Among other statements, it declares that the authority to govern belongs to the people; all people are created equal; and we have unalienable rights—among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The document also states it is the right of the people to alter or abolish a form of government that does not come from the consent of the governed.

It ends with the words that the 56 undersigned delegates pledges “our Lives, our Fortunes and our Scared Honor”.

Words have meaning and these may be some of the most important words ever written about the form of governing the citizens of a nation.

We hope you give a few minutes of thought about these words and the principles of our nation.

Anne and I wish you a Happy Independence Day.

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

Hank Schrader

June 25, 2020

Europe Travel

Palace Intrigue--33 Interesting Palaces in Europe

Hank Schrader

June 25, 2020

Europe Travel

Palace Intrigue—33 Interesting Palaces in Europe

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

I really enjoy palaces of Europe but find them hard to write about. I guess that is why I have never written a summary blog about the palaces of Europe.

Perhaps the reason is palaces are difficult to precisely define—there are often more than a residence of royalty or a bishop or an important person and are often confused with castles.

A starting point is that a castle was primarily built for defensive purposes (designed to resist an attack or defend access to others of the surrounding area), while a palace is a residence.

Most have many rooms, are ridiculously lavish, have manicured grounds with statues and fountains and exceptional gardens. However, there is a blurring caused by function between castles (mostly defensive structures) and other functions (once a palace but now an art gallery or a museum).

I will try and sort through this for you and provide some interesting details about palaces of Europe and why you might want to visit them.

This really only an overview—each palace probably deserves a separate blog.

Ready for my personal palace tour?—Let’s go!

What exactly is a Palace?

As stated above, a palace is residence, but certainly no ordinary residence. The owner is also a factor—a royal, head of state, elite person or key religious leader.

Then there must be a factor that makes the buildings and grounds special. Vast size, ornate, royal, imperial, splendid, gorgeous, grand, private, glorious, mysterious, ancestral, gilded, elegant, and impressive are just some words often used to describe a palace. It often is decorated with the finest artwork, frescoes, or ceiling paintings; and ornately furnished with the finest available materials. They are designed to impress and show the owner’s wealth and power.

There are usually gardens and special manicured areas, often with fountains and sculptures or statues that adds to the appeal of the palace. Access is usually limited and the owners are provided protection and a degree of seclusion.

Let’s take a tour of some important palaces of Europe!

2 Palaces that now are Famous Art Museums

The Palace of the Louvre in Paris and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg are the best examples of a converted palace.

Louvre—with an unusual glass pyramid entrance to this world-renowned museum (the rest is an older style palace building), it displays many of the best art works in the world, to include Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. It is the most visited museum in the world, has about 380,000 works of art and occupies over 650,000 square feet. This former royal palace became a museum in 1793 during the French Revolution and displayed many confiscated royal works of arts. The collection has expanded since then to become the premier art museum in the world. Not all areas are open to the public, and works of art also are often relocated around the museum or sent out on loan. This helps keep any visit to the museum “fresh.”

**Louvre Palace Exterior—to see the size of this palace look carefully at the people walking in the courtyard**

The Winter Palace--Hermitage Museum—in St. Petersburg, Russia. Some of the highlights—the Jordan Staircase leads to 1st floor & Western European works—da Vinci, Michelangelo, Valazquez, El Greco, Murillo. Goya, Rubens, Rembrandt, Cezanne, Matisse, Monet, Degas, Gauguin, Renoir Pissarro & Picasso. The 1812 Gallery, the Malachite Hall, the Gold Drawing Room, opulent Pavilion Hall, the gold Treasures Gallery, the Jewelry Gallery—the last two require extra fee. It is one of the top 3 art museums in the world. There are long entrance lines and a skip the line options are well worth the extra expense.

**Exterior Winter Palace, St. Petersburg**

**Jordan Staircase in the Winter Palace**

Castles that really are Palaces

The Alhambra, Buda Castle, Prague Castle, Peles Castle, and Windsor Castle are really more of a palace than castle and fall into this category; however all could be defended, especially the Alhambra and Windsor Castle.

The Alhambra is the Moorish citadel formed by a complex of palaces, gardens and forts in Granada, Spain. It consists of 4 areas. The defensive area, including the outer walls, is known as the Alcazaba. Inside the walled area, there are 2 palaces. Nazaries Palace is the Moorish palace and is a work of outstanding beauty. After the Moors surrendered in 1492, the Spanish later built the Palace of Carlos V and added a church. Outside the defensive walls are the Genalife gardens.

**Alcazaba defensive wall of the Alhambra**

Nazaries Palace is special place. I especially liked the Fountain and Courtyard of the Lions. In the heart of the palace, the only people entitled to view this area was the sultan, his harem and the most trusted servants. The detail on the walls is unique and stunning.

Buda Castle, in Budapest Hungary, overlooks the city from its elevated position atop Castle Hill. It is often referred to as the Royal Palace. Today it is home to 2 museums, the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.

Prague Castle--In spite of many wars and fires, the Prague Castle (Prague, Czech Republic) has grown into a unique architectural complex. It contains the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, a convent, several towers and many palace wings. It includes the only privately owned building in the complex, Lobkowicz Palace, with its highly acclaimed museum (art works, porcelain, firearms and musical instruments).

Peles Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, Romania. It is on a medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia. It was built between 1873 and 1914. Many rooms have a theme-- there is a Concert Hall, a Music Room (India), Turkish Salon, Great Salon (Italy), the Council Room (Switzerland), and the Moor Hall. Rooms have great art works, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows and Cordoba leather-covered walls. It was the first European palace to have electricity. We really enjoyed our small group tour of this palace.

Windsor Castle was built by the command of William the Conqueror in the late 11th century. It has been the home to 39 monarchs of England and is the oldest royal residence still in continuous use in the British Isles. Visitors can tour the State Apartments, Queen Mary's famous dolls' house, St George's Chapel, and the Albert Memorial Chapel. Located in Windsor, England, and it can be visited in a day trip from London.

This is my favorite castle/palace in the UK.

**Changing of the Guard Windsor Castle. This is where the royals stay when at the castle**

Odd Palaces

Although named a palace, these two just are not true palaces.

The Palace of the Parliament—The People’s House—this imposing structure is the second largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. This huge structure has 1,100 rooms; is 12 stories high; and has 8 underground levels. It was commissioned by Ceausescu during his systemization plan (1972). It is built in a distinct, plain socialist style. This popular attraction, located in Bucharest, Romania and is fascinating for its size, but just is not ornate enough to be a true palace.

**Palace of the People Bucharest, Romania**

The Palace of Westminster is better known by its current name—the House of Parliament of England. It houses the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It has over 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 3 miles of corridors. There are 3 towers on this Gothic style building—the 323 foot Victoria Tower, the 315 foot Elizabeth tower, more commonly known as Big Ben, and the 299 foot octagonal Central Tower.

**Elizabeth Tower that is more commonly known as Big Ben**

**A good view of the Palace of Westminster from the Thames River**

Themed Palaces

Some palaces are more a theme site than a real palace—a fantasy rather than a residence to rule and impress others. I think 3 qualify here—Neuschwanstein, Kronborg, and Pena Palace.

Neuschwanstein—this is the fantasy castle and palace world of Ludwig II, the King of Bavaria. The palace is located on a hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. It was not a traditional palace designed as a residence for a ruler—it was a retreat so Ludwig could escape into a dream world. Neuschwanstein in English is “New Swan Stone Castle.” You must take a tour to visit—it takes about 35 minutes. Only 14 rooms were completed—some of the original plans called for 200 rooms.

**View of the hills around Neuschwanstein**

Kronborg Castle—this is the fictional site of Hamlet’s home, but it is a real castle that is more palace than castle. Kronborg Castle was built on the narrowest point between Denmark and Sweden to exact tolls from passing ships. An annual Hamlet festival is held in the castle. The statue of Holger Danske, a powerful Viking, who is known as the national hero of Denmark, is also inside the castle. It is the largest renaissance castle in Europe.

Pena Palace is a fairy-tale land residence high on hilltop overlooking Sintra, Portugal. This fantasy palace is very colorful and a mix of architectural styles. This palace has great rooms and is one of the best visits in Europe. Although the rooms may seem small for a palace, they are wonderfully decorated. The best rooms for us where the Chapel, the Dining Room, the Noble Room, both King and Queen Bedrooms and the Kitchen.

Really Big Palaces

The largest palaces in Europe are perhaps the most important (I have listed them from largest to smallest but all are really big!).

Hofburg—the imperial palace and former residence of Franz Joseph and other members of the Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg) dynasty is a complex of buildings that house a number of Vienna’s most impressive sights. It has 2,600 rooms. You can tour some rooms. It now houses 3 museums and is the current residence of the President of Austria.

Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms on a 40 acre site in London, England. The Queen of England still lives here. On tour you can see some of the 19 State Rooms (the 2 best are the White Drawing Room and the Throne Room), the Picture Gallery, the massive Ballroom and the Grand Staircase. There is also the famous Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace—only during spring, and summer—sometimes every other day and cancelled in very wet weather. The ceremony starts at 1130, it is free, but go early. Huge crowds sometimes make it hard to see.

**Changing of the Guard Ceremony Buckingham Palace**

Topkapi Palace--It was home to all the Ottoman sultans for a period of nearly four centuries. Topkapi Palace is in the European half of Istanbul, Turkey. This splendid palace is a museum now. The Treasury of the Museum of Topkapi Palace is considered one of the most celebrated treasuries in the world.

Versailles—this is the palace that every King wanted—opulent, innovative rooms like the stunning Hall of Mirrors, gardens, statues and fountains made of gold—there never has been a palace that displayed the wealth and power of the royals like Versailles. It has 2,143 windows, 1,252 fireplaces, 67 staircases and 5 chapels. The gardens and fountains are exceptional. It deserves a full day and is a relatively easy day trip from Paris, France.

My favorite room is the Hall of Mirrors. It is 250 feet long, with 17 windows and has stunning garden views. There are 17 arched mirrors combined with 24 candelabras; busts of Roman Emperors; along with painted ceilings telling the story of the Sun King’s battle victories. It was often filled with noble ladies in silk gowns, and men in wigs and fine clothes who loved to look at themselves in the mirrors. This is the room where the Treaty of Versailles was signed that ended World War I.

Royal Palace of Stockholm—has over 600 rooms, covering 7 floors and several sections of the Royal Palace are open to visitors. This includes the treasury, which houses the Swedish crown jewels and the Hall of State, where the king’s silver throne gleams. The changing of the guard ceremony takes place daily at noon.

**Cannons outside the Royal Palace of Stockholm**

Hampton Court Palace—this is the 500 year old palace of Henry VIII and his favorite residence. It is just outside London, England and an easy day trip. It has 1,000 rooms and impressive gardens on the 60 acres of this palace. 2 of the best areas are Henry’s State Rooms and the Tudor kitchens. This is a really worthwhile place to visit and we recommend it.

Schönbrunn Palace—this palace of 1,441 rooms was the summer residence of the Habsburgs and is located in Vienna, Austria. About 40 of the rooms and their furnishings are open to the public. Tours include the apartments of Maria Theresa, Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elizabeth (Sisi) and the Arch Duke Franz Karl, as well as the Blue Staircase, the Mirror Room and the Hall of Ceremonies. There are also lavish gardens. It is a must see for most folks.

Amalienborg Palace & Square—Queen’s residence—there is a changing of the guard when she is present at noon. Located in Copenhagen, Denmark, the palace consists of 4 rococo mansions. There is a museum in the palace, which displays some rooms and beautiful items belonging to the royal family.

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is located on Dam Square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is both a city Hall and a Royal Palace. It was built during the Dutch Golden Age and opened in 1655. It is open to visitors when not being used for official state functions.

Smaller but Impactful

Peterhof—the palace is probably the finest display of waterworks in the world. It is 18 miles west of city of St. Petersburg. A tour of the palace and grounds is best reached by hydrofoil boat from a pier opposite the Winter Palace. The Grand Peterhof Palace and Grand Cascade are at the center of the World Heritage-listed ensemble of gardens and palaces. Laid out in accordance with Peter the Great's wishes, the complex was completed in 1725 and is in many ways reminiscent of Versailles.

**Samson Fountain Peterhof. This symbolizes the defeat of Sweden by Russia during Peter the Great’s reign**

The National Palace in Sintra, Portugal is located in the center of town and has wonderful themed rooms, including the Swan Room, the Magpie Room, the King’s Bedroom and the Stag Room. It was built in the 14th century and was the favorite summer residence of the Portuguese kings.

Grand Master’s Palace—in Valletta, Malta, was the headquarters of the Knights of St. John for more than 2 centuries. It is now the House of Representative of Malta and features grand staterooms and the Knight’s armory. The knight’s armory is one of the finest collection of weapons and armor in all of Europe.

**Courtyard Grand Master’s Palace Malta**

Doge’s Palace—once the seat of government of Venice, the palace of justice, and the home of the Doges, the palace is a maze of grand halls that hold treasured works of art, including Tintoretto’s famed Paradise in the Hall of the Great Council. The Doge of Venice was the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice but was elected and not considered a royal. It is now a museum.

Blenheim Palace—is the ancestral home of Winston Churchill. It is located in Woodstock, England and is a grand palace to visit. Highlights of the place are the great hall (67 feet tall room), Sir Winston Churchill’s birth room, the West and South Corridors, the Green and Red Drawing Rooms, the Green Writing Room, the Saloon, the First, Second and Third State Rooms, the Long Library (my favorite room), and the Chapel. The Park and Gardens are also excellent.

Religious Palaces

These 2 are special for very different reasons.

The Palace of the Popes in Avignon, France was once the religious center of the Catholic Church--for about 100 years, this was the home of the Popes. In 1305 the cardinals elected Frenchman Clement V as Pope and he declined to move to Rome in the Vatican—he feared the dangerous conditions and unrest in Italy. After 4 years, in 1309, he moved his court to the papal enclave at Avignon. 9 Popes reigned in Avignon and they increasingly fell under the influence of the French crown. This schism of the Catholic Church was finally resolved in 1417, when the court was moved back to the Vatican. This is a rather austere palace.

Würzburg Residence Palace is located in Würzburg, German. The palace has over 300 rooms and was the home of the prince-bishops. The gardens and sculptures are exceptional. You can tour 40 rooms of this impressive building. The baroque palace was built in about 24 years and features 2 impressive sights—the huge staircase area (at 23 meters high) with the world’s largest fresco painting and the Imperial Hall.

Würzburg Residence Palace Exterior — **Würzburg** **Residence Palace Exterior**

Würzburg Residence Palace Gardens — **Würzburg** **Residence Palace Gardens**

The Château’s of the Loire Valley

Château de Chambord—this former hunting lodge has 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases and was designed to impress visitors. On first sight, it does just that—this place is massive. 80 of the rooms are on display. This is a great example of French Renaissance architecture. There are 4 main areas of interest of this palace.

The most famous feature of this place is the double helix staircase that allows people to use them without being seen by others. The second area of great interest is the furnished apartments of the first floor. The third area is the keeps—the vaulted rooms of the second floor. The roof (4th area) is quite unique—it has 11 different types of towers, 3 unique style chimneys and various columns and spires.

**Château de Chambord furnished apartments**

Château Chenonceau—built over the Cher River, this is a fairy tale looking palace. As you approach the palace, the forecourt has the Marques Tower, the old keep of the fortified castle that was demolished as the new chateau was built.

My favorite room was the 200 foot long Gallery. It instantly reminded me of the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles except with 18 windows instead of mirrors. The Gallery is actually the bridge over the river Cher. The dazzling chandeliers and tufa and slate floor of black and white tiles is stunning. It would be easy to imagine a wonderful evening ball here—there would be plenty of room to dance and socialize and this was exactly how this area was used by the royals for lavish parties

Château du Clos Lucé—located in Amboise, this complex is famous as the last home of genius Leonardo da Vinci, where he spent his last 3 years. In 1516 Leonardo traveled to France and among the items he brought was his painting the Mona Lisa and accepted a position working for the King of France as an engineer, painter and architect. Chateau du Clos Luce is an interesting look at Leonardo’s creativity—each room seems to emphasize his talents for painting, building and inventing. The models of some of his inventions and ideas are really well done.

**Leonardo’s Studio Château du Clos Lucé**

**Display of one of Leonardo’s War Machines Château du Clos Lucé**

Palaces on my Bucket List

Several rank here but there are 2 stand outs—these are places I still have to visit.

Catherine Palace--built by the same architect as the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the Catherine Palace is a gilded rococo masterpiece, and home of the famous Amber Room. This is in a village of Pushkin (named after the famous poet) and sometimes also call Tsarskoye Selo (Tsars Village) because of the parks and palaces built there in the 1700’s by empresses Elizabeth and Catherine.

Sanssouci—the palace of Fredrick the Great is translated as “Without Care, or carefree.” Built in 1747, it is small (only 10 main rooms) compared with other royal palaces but has excellent terraced gardens and the rooms are interesting. This palace of the Prussian royal is located in Potsdam, Germany, about 16 miles from Berlin. It was the summer place for Fredrick, and his retreat from the pressures of ruling in Berlin and his royal ceremonies and duties.

My Final Thoughts

Wow—I hope you enjoyed this tour as much as I enjoyed writing it!

This is an amazing collection of palaces but by no means the only one’s worth seeing in Europe. The hardest part of writing this was whittling down to a manageable number. Also, everyone has different tastes, so this may just be a starting place for your exploration. We would be proud to help you see any of these or other European palaces.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, 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.

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Hank Schrader

June 18, 2020

Europe Travel

Picturesque Squares--My 15 Favorite in Europe

Hank Schrader

June 18, 2020

Europe Travel

Picturesque Squares—My 15 Favorites in Europe

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

In almost every town in Europe, there is a square. Squares have always been important to cities and their citizens.

So, I thought you might enjoy hearing my thoughts and see some pictures about what I consider my 15 favorite squares of Europe.

Don’t expect any real rationale for my selections—I have organized it alphabetically by countries of Europe; there is not one favorite square over another; and my only rationale is that I liked them—something was cool in my mind.

Before I start, I do have to give some homage to the 2 most important ancient squares—the Acropolis and the Roman Forum.

So, let me defend my thoughts—I’ll tell you a little about my 15 favorite squares, maybe some history, but the real criteria is why they appeal to me.

Ready for my personal square tour?—let’s go!

Why Squares Are Important

Town squares are a unique Europe innovation.

They go by many names, such as: agora, forum, piazza, plaza, Platz, or market place

These town squares often are the most important place in a city. Many have town halls located on them and are ringed by other buildings. Most have restricted entrances, and are enclosed spaces which, in essence, makes it an outdoor building.

They helped cities develop a sense of community, often display culture items, important business buildings and foster democracy as a meeting place. Most also have at least one important religious building, sometimes more.

Perhaps more importantly, this gathering place is an ideal venue to exchange ideas and viewpoints. This area serves so many functions—people watching, political discussions, all sorts of markets, and fosters a sense of belonging because of these interactions.

2 Ancient Squares

The Acropolis means “upper city.” It is the symbol of the golden age of Greece. The largest building on the Acropolis is the Parthenon, which was a temple for the goddess Hera. The buildings here were built from 447 BC to 420 BC. It towers over the Agora of Athens. Both areas were gathering places for the ancient Greeks. This is the birthplace of democracy.

The Roman Forum was the center of ancient Roman life. It was the commercial, political and religious focus for all Romans. Almost every important event in Roman life happened here—elections, ceremonies, religious observances, parades for triumphant armies, speeches, markets, and political decisions and creation of laws. Many of the functions of the Roman Forum now happen in the current day squares of Europe.

Belgium

There are 3 great squares in this small country.

Antwerp is our first stop. The Grote Markt square has an impressive town hall and the wonderful statue of Barbo.

Barbo statue. According to the legend, a terrible giant, called Druoon Antigoon, lived on the banks of the river Scheldt. He demanded tolls, when refused, he cut off the hands of offending sailors. A Roman soldier, Silvius Barbo, killed the giant and by cutting his hand off, he ended his reign of terror.

With a legend like this, great place to visit!

Brugge is next up. The best place to start are the two squares—Market square and Burg Square. Markt (Flemish) or Market Square is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the well preserved medieval buildings and famous belfry. You can climb the 366 or so stairs for awesome views of the city, but we prefer to listen to the bells from the ground of the square.

Burg Square houses the city hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood (built by a Crusader to store drops of the blood of Jesus he brought back from Jerusalem). You can easily see the wealth of this city at one time by studying the opulent, gilded buildings. The city hall is a Gothic structure that was built in the late 1300s, making it the oldest town hall in Belgium. Don't miss the upstairs Gotische Zaal (Gothic Room) with its ornate decor and wall murals depicting highlights from Bruges's history. Most spectacular of all is the vaulted oak ceiling, dating from 1402, which features scenes from the New Testament. Here are some photos of Burg Square:

Brussels is the 3rd square in Belgium. The Grand Place (Grote Markt)—a fine medieval square—considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. It is a pedestrian only zone, North West of Central Train Station. The square has a daily flower market and a weekly bird market. From April through September, there is a music and light show.

One of the buildings on the square is the Gothic Town Hall—the town hall was the only building left intact when the Grand Place was destroyed by the French in 1695. On top of the slim tower on the hall, St. Michael, the patron saint of Brussels, protects the town. Limited English tours (40 minute). Admission charge for the tour.

My favorite building on the square is the Municipal Museum in King’s House—this is not a royal residence, but a civic museum. It is located opposite the Town Hall across from the Grand Place. Among its collections are 18th and 19th century ceramics and tapestries. It also holds the collection of the costumes for Manneken Pis—that’s why I like this museum so much!

Czech Republic

In Prague, the wonderful Old Town Square is fun to visit.

Old Town Square-- famous for its historical monuments, Old Town Square is a Prague must-visit. Climb to the top of the 660-year-old Old Town Hall Tower for spectacular views of the Baroque-style St. Nicholas Church (north corner of the square, it has a fine interior), Gothic-style Church of Our Lady Before Tyn (twin towers) and Old Town itself. The Astronomical Clock (Orloj)--on the side of the Tower--consists of an astronomical dial embellished with zodiac symbols, a calendar dial and colorful, moving sculptures. As the clock chimes, biblical figurines come out, and spectators may watch the "Walk of the Apostles." An hourly bell toll features a figurine representing death. The clock comes to life from 0900 to 2100.

On the square is the Church of St. Nicholas--There are plenty of impressive Baroque churches in Prague, but the St. Nicholas church at the Old Town Square is one of the most beautiful thanks to the colorful frescoes, intricate ironwork and stucco that decorate the interior.

Old Town Hall--Prague's old Town Hall was built in 1364. The astronomical clock in the town hall's tower is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. Originally the building served only as the city hall of the old town, but later became the city hall for all of Prague. It is now only used for ceremonial functions. Hopefully the renovations are complete now, as it was covered up on my last visit.

We have visited several times, and led tours here at all times of the year. It never gets old—especially during the Christmas markets.

Estonia

In this small Baltic country, the old town area of Tallinn is a jewel not to be missed. The Medieval Old Town is wonderful. It’s mostly intact city wall includes 26 watchtowers, each topped by a pointy red roof. The Old Town is actually 2 towns that merged together after years of feuding—the upper and lower Old Towns.

Town Hall Square (in old town)--A marketplace through the centuries, Town Hall Square is the starting point for exploring Tallinn's Old Town. The 15th-century Town Hall dominates the square; climbing the tower earns a commanding view of the entire Old Town. It is in the lower old town.

Germany

3 great squares make my list in Germany.

Let’s begin with Freiburg.

Münsterplatz is a cobblestone square in front of the Freiburg Münster (Cathedral of Freiburg). This quaint churchyard has plenty of colorful buildings, most of which were reconstructed following the end of WW II. Besides the church, the Historical Merchants' Hall and Wentzinger House are some of the many historical buildings within the square.

Münstermarkt Freiburg is an open-air farmer’s market that takes over most of Münsterplatz. Normally, there are about 65 stalls selling fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, and food items such as pastries, wines, and sausages. There are vendors selling woven baskets and other items. We bought some wonderful wooden utensils during one of our visits.

Next up is Munich.

Marien Platz—old town square, since 1158, is the place to gather in Munich. It is host to many festivals, and markets, especially the Christmas markets. It has a famous glockenspiel (1908), which performs at 1100 and 1200 all year. The story is of a 1500 wedding, of a Bavarian Duke (blue & white) and his French bride (red & white), knights and celebrations. The inspiration for this unique device is that jousting tournaments used to be held in the square.

In the center of the square is a statue dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Nuremberg also ranks high with me. The Market Square is a place of constant activity. It is home to one of the best Christmas market in all of Germany.

If not being renovated, the Schoner Brunnen--the Beautiful 19 meter Fountain on the edge of Market Square is quite impressive. There are two rings on the fence that are some popular legends about the power of the fountain. One is that if you turn the “golden ring” and make a wish, it will come true. The black ring, is said to bless women with children.

The market also has an impressive church on the square. Church of Our Lady constructed as an imperial royal chapel. Every day at noon the "Männleinlaufen" (mechanical clock and glockenspiel) chime to the delight of watchers below.

Italy

With a lot of choices, again I have 3 favorites here.

In Rome, Campo de Fiori is just awesome. The original name means field of flowers. During the day, it is best known for its flowers and fruit and vegetable markets.

After the sunsets, the area becomes a great meeting place since it has a wide variety of restaurants, cocktail bars and terraces.

We really like this area and try to visit when we are in Rome.

The next is St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. St. Peter's Square is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. In the center of the square is an ancient Egyptian Obelisk. The obelisk actually acts as a giant sundial.

Flanking either side of the square is a series of columns, which are to represent the welcoming arms of the church to the faithful. 284 columns and 88 pilasters that flank the square in a colonnade of four rows. Above the columns there are 140 statues of saints.

This is the home of the Vatican and the square is used for gathering of Catholics and religious ceremonies.

Venice, with its impressive San Marco Square should be visited at least once in your life. St. Mark’s Square—this is the most famous plaza in Venice. It is surrounded by sidewalk cafes and shops. A great way to visit this square is to arrive by gondola. Here are the most famous sight around the square:

Campanile—this is the dramatic bell tower overlooking St. Mark’s Square. Visitors can ride the elevator 300 feet to the top, but beware that when the bell chimes it can be an ear shattering event.

St. Mark’s Basilica—this Byzantine masterpiece sits by St. Mark’s square in the heart of Venice. It houses outstanding examples of mosaics and priceless works of art including the Pala d’Oro—a 10th century altar fashioned in gold and encrusted with precious gems. The exterior holds facsimiles of the four famous gilded horses. Free for the church, but Treasury, Golden Altar and San Marco Museum all charge separate admission.

Doge’s Palace—once the seat of government and the home of the Doges, the palace is a maze of grand halls that hold treasured works of art, including Tinotetto’s famed Paradise. Admission charge

Bridge of Sighs—connecting two wings of the Doge’s Palace—according to the legend, a condemned man would be led over the bridge on the way to prison and sigh.

Romania

The city of Brasov in Romania is square that I really enjoyed. The main square of Brasov is a great place to see people, eat and enjoy the buildings around this area. Town Hall Square has colorfully painted and ornately trimmed baroque structures. Perhaps the most famous sight is the Black Church, the largest gothic church in Romania. Its name comes from damage caused by the Great Fire of 1689, when flames and smoke blackened the walls of the church. The interior is impressive and well-kept and houses one of the largest organs in Eastern Europe

We had a great time during our stay.

San Marino

Although very tiny, I just really like the Liberty Square in this equally small country. San Marino is an enclave—totally surrounded by Italy. It is the oldest republic in the world.

In the center of the tiny square is the marble statue of liberty towering over a fountain. This is where citizens used to get water and the water is still drinkable today.

On the north side of the square is the city’s town hall, Palazzo Pubblico. It is modeled after buildings of the 13th and 14th century but was built in the 1900s. You can tour the hall and I just really liked the uniformed guard protecting this important building.

Cafes ring the east side—on the west is a protective defensive wall.

The folks of San Marino view this square as an important symbol of their fight for independence.

Spain

The most unusual square on my list is in Seville. Plaza de Espana was created in 1929. This monument was built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929.

It is truly a massive structure. It was created to showcase the achievements of Spain in industry and culture. Today it houses museums. It is often used in films as a good backdrop.

Sweden

Stockholm is the last of my 15 favorite squares.

Stortorget in the Gamla Stan—the old town is a medieval district with step-gabled buildings and cobblestone lanes. Stortorget, is the oldest square in Stockholm. Stortorget used to be the political heart of town until 1732, when the city hall was moved to the Bondeska Palace. In 1520, it witnessed a large execution as the Danish conqueror Kristian II had 82 Swedish dignitaries arrested and beheaded. It is a lot more fun to visit today.

My Final Thoughts

Wow—I hope you enjoyed this tour as much as I enjoyed writing it!

This is an amazing collection of squares but by no means the only one’s worth seeing in Europe. The hardest part of writing this was whittling down to a manageable number. Also, everyone has different tastes, so this may just be a starting place for your exploration. We would be proud to help you see any of these or other European squares.

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

Hank Schrader

June 11, 2020

Our River Cruise Services

Our 10 Best Europe River Cruise Blogs

Hank Schrader

June 11, 2020

Our River Cruise Services

Our 10 Best Europe River Cruise Blogs

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

I have written 75 blogs about Europe River Cruising—this will be number 76. I currently rank # 1 on Google in a search for “Europe River Cruise Blogs.” About 18 months ago, I wrote a blog about our 5 best Europe River Cruise Blogs.

It is time to update and provide you a better look at our best work. The goal is simple--to help you get a better understanding of a Europe river cruise vacation and experience.

To organize my thoughts, I thought I would first provide you a little background about how I write and research these blogs, and the goals of the blogs.

Next I will provide you my selection of the best blogs we have written. In my selection process, I decided not to include company specific blogs or food, service or cabin blogs—these are great for more detailed looks at a specific company or aspect of Europe river cruises but not the best overall works about Europe river cruising.

For each blog, I will provide a summary of the blog and then tell you why it matters—and provide a link to the actual blog.

Ready, to learn more?—let’s GO!

How I write and Organize Our River Cruise Blogs

Our blogs, by design, are much more detailed than most other blogs—usually 2000 words or more. There are two types of blogs we use to help you understand characteristics of Europe river cruises.

In the first type, we try to tell the story of each topic in a way you can see yourself there—can we capture the experience for you?

While some blogs easily fall into storytelling type of blog, others are designed as informational, data blogs. This is our second type of blog.

Both have immense value, in my opinion. Sometimes you just need the data in a form you can understand and make comparisons. But this alone is not enough—you need to know what you will experience on a Europe river cruise to get the full story. A key element of these blogs is a clear separation of facts (usually there is a source) and our opinion. When possible, we use many pictures in each blog to help enhance our descriptions.

As you can see from this blog, we break up our blogs into sub headings to make it easier to understand. Often, there is quite a bit of research that goes into the content—we try to sift through the overwhelming amount of information and advertising to paint an easily understandable summary of each topic. Most is first-hand information from our experiences, but some is news or research, or information facts (internet, blogs, books, travel publications, company brochures or other sources) you need to know to become a better traveler.

Our blogs have two goals—the most important is to inform you so you can decide if a Europe river cruise is right for you. The second, a bit more subtle, is to help you decide if we are the right folks to help plan your river cruise.

Our Top 10 Blogs

Our # 10 Blog—European River Cruise Ports

**Melk Abbey on the Upper Danube River**

Summary—this is a very good way to learn about what you can see at the various ports on a specific route. This a description about a section on our website under the River Cruises and it has great value for you in your search for accurate and useful travel information. It is called European River Cruise Ports and provides you an easy way to get specific information about the many ports you can see while on a river cruise in Europe. These are in a PDF PowerPoint format. They are organized by rivers or countries to make it easier to find a specific port you might be interested in.

Why it Matters—making the best use of your time while on vacation is a key to having an extraordinary trip. This is an unmatched resource—51 port guides to help you decide on what you want to see while in a particular port. The best part is you can order any port guide or all 51 from our website.

So, why should trust us to provide you a guide about European River Cruise Ports?

We have been on 18 European River Cruises; between the both of us we have been traveling to Europe for 49 years; and we both have been in the travel industry for 24+ years of experience and helped dozens of satisfied clients, so we do have some very good credentials to let you know what you will see in a specific port.

European River Cruise Ports

Our # 9 Blog—The Great Value of a European River Cruise

**Tournon Castle at night on the Rhone River**

Summary—value is not just the cost of a trip, it is what you get for your money. We have planned almost every type of vacation you might want to take. However, no matter how many we plan, we just keep realizing more and more the exceptional value you get when you take a river cruise, especially in Europe.

We try to travel to Europe 2-4 times a year, except maybe in 2020, (just like you, we are limited by travel costs and government restrictions) and have taken river cruise number 18 last year. I think that really makes our thoughts about river cruising even more important—we speak from experience. Our experience is that for most trips, it’s hard to beat the features of a river cruise, especially if you take a pre and post land option along with the cruise.

So, let’s explore the value of a Europe river cruise!

Why it Matters—learning about if the cost of a river cruise equates to a good value is important. For us, river cruising helps you escape the fast paced world we live in and have an experience you will always remember. There is a good balance of public and private space on the ship. You will usually be wined and dined in style. You will see sights you never knew existed. And most importantly, you will get a great glimpse of the culture of the area you are sailing through.

The Great Value of a Europe River Cruise

Our # 8 Blog—How to Get the Right Europe River Cruise for Your Next Vacation

**Church in the Iron Gates Section of the Lower Danube River**

Summary--Every time we plan a river cruise vacation, in some form or another, we have several steps we go through to get the right match for our clients. Our goal is to get our clients the best river cruise trip possible, based on what is most important to them.

In broad terms there are really 5 factors we consider. They are 1) the route (destination); 2) the desired activities during the cruise; 3) what do you want to see during the cruise? (We consider both while on the river and while in port); 4) time available for the vacation; and 5) what company do you want to sail with on your upcoming river cruise?

So, let’s explore these factors together to help you get the best possible river cruise for your next trip.

Why it Matters—after reading this blog, you should be able to objectively decide if the 5 factors we use are enough for you to get the right cruise for your vacation. We believe that better information + understanding the nuances of each company = a great travel experience.

Did we get it right and help you learn what to ask about during the planning process?

How to Get the Right Europe River Cruise for Your Next Vacation

Our # 7 Blog—River Cruise Advantages and Disadvantages

Summary—I write all the time about Europe river cruising and its value. But there is no vacation option that is right for all. Many who have never taken a European River Cruise, have no idea how much is included and the many benefits of this travel opportunity. While for most folks, river cruises are a great choice, for some this vacation just is not right for them

Why it Matters—a vacation needs to be tailored to the best interests of the person who wants to travel. For me, and most folks we work with, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. If you can afford this type of vacation, most will be thrilled beyond their wildest expectations.

River Cruise Advantages and Disadvantages

Our # 6 Blog--Are We River Cruise Experts and Specialists?

**Hank and Anne at the Captain’s Table on an AmaWaterways Cruise**

Summary--Almost every blog I write starts with the byline—Europe River Cruise Expert. Great sounding words, but are we really Europe river cruise experts?

According to the 2015 Census, there were 105,085 travel agents in the U.S. To evaluate what constitutes an expert in the travel industry, I believe there are 6 good measures that can provide a comprehensive and objective evaluation to determine if a travel advisor is truly an expert.

Here are the measurement factors: 1) experience; 2) certification; 3) knowledge of the industry; 4) first-hand knowledge of the industry; 5) professional organization membership and 6) can you trust them? You can use these 6 factors to determine the difference between travel advisors and help you decide—what makes us special about our knowledge of river cruises? How do we use that knowledge to help you get a better river cruise vacation experience?

So, let’s explore what makes a travel advisor a river cruise expert and try to answer the question—Are we Europe river cruise experts?

Why it Matters—it is easy to claim to be an expert, but what backs up that claim? The real important factor is can we use this expert knowledge and information to help you have a better river cruise experience.

After reading this blog, do you agree we have unique qualifications as Europe cruises advisors and can we help you?

Are We River Cruise Experts and Specialists ?

Our # 5 Blog—River Cruise Vibes 2

Summary--I have wanted to write this blog for a long time.

Since 2009, I have studied Europe River cruising to try to learn all I could about the river cruise industry. A few industry experts have tried to make comprehensive comparisons of the different lines. Each has a slightly different approach.

We have taken a unique approach by creating a PowerPoint presentation. Our 86 slide 2019 Comparison Guide is very good but even that lacks one factor—the vibe of the line and its ships. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines vibe as “the feeling that someone or something gives you.”

So, here goes—my evaluation of the vibe or feeling you will get on 8 river cruise lines.

Why it Matters—there is little information of the company vibes in one place together available to the consumer. Did we provide a good summary of each lines feelings? Will that help you decide on which line best fits your desired vacation experience?

River Cruise Vibes

Our # 4 Blog—Our 11 Step Europe River Cruise Planning Guide

**AmaKristina Lounge decorated on a Christmas Markets Cruise.**

Summary—Have you ever wonder what you should consider when planning a Europe River Cruise? I promise you, there is little clear cut information about what you should consider to get the best possible river cruise that is right for you. This is the process we use to ensure every facet of your upcoming river cruise will provide you the best possible vacation.

Why it matters—using a proven process helps us provide the best possible river cruise for our clients. We pride ourselves in making planning an art form—so let us provide you a step by step guide to ensure you will get the best possible river cruise for your vacation.

So how do we do it?—we ask a lot of questions by having you tell us what is important to you.

Our 11 Step Europe River Cruise Planning Guide

Our # 3 Blog—Why Buy a Europe River Cruise from Us?

**Anne and Hank at a SunDowners Party on a Scenic River Cruise**

Summary--There are about 75.000 to 100,000 professional travel agents in business in the United States. There are also the giants of the internet (Travelocity, Expedia, etc.) and wholesalers (Costco). You can also buy direct from many travel vendors. To be sure, you the consumer, have a lot of choices and ways to buy travel.

With the plethora of options, it got me to thinking—Why should you buy a river cruise or for that manner, any travel from us?—from Anne & Hank Schrader, of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC!

I will begin by answering this question by explaining what the Europe River Cruise Trends are and then talk about sellers of travel (travel agents and others).

For sellers of travel, my game plan here is to define our competition first, and then tell you who we are, what we stand for and who are customers are.

Finally, I will explain why you should buy a river cruise from us.

Why it Matters—you have lots of choices and deciding if we are the right folks to use is critical to your success. Europe river cruising is a wonderful vacation but is often sold by agents who just don’t know enough about the product to make a good vacation an exceptional one that exceeds your expectations. Did we convince you that we are the right folks to use to plan your Europe river cruise?

Why Buy a Europe River Cruise From Us?

Our # 2 Blog—What is the Best Europe River Cruise Route?

**Europe Rivers Routes. Photo from AmaWaterways.**

Summary--this blog covers the key rivers of Europe that are available to sail on for a vacation. The purpose of this blog is provide you a comprehensive guide of the available Europe River Cruise Routes, so you can decide on which route will be the best for your next Europe river cruise vacation.

Why it Matters—destinations are the real key to river cruising. River cruising is about the destinations, in my opinion, so the correct itinerary is critical to provide you the river cruise experience you desire for these special trips. We hope this quick summary will provide you a good overview of what is possible in Europe river cruising.

What is the Best Europe River Cruise Route ?

Our # 1 Blog—Our New 2018-19 Europe River Cruise Comparisons

**The first slide of our 86 slide presentation**

Summary--As many of you know, we have one of the best, in-depth, Europe River Cruise Comparisons available anywhere on our website. We have updated our 2016 version to provide even more accurate information on the ever changing Europe river cruise scene.

We want to emphasize all of these river cruise lines are good values and special trips. Many have won awards and there is really no official ranking system to provide you a valid comparison method.

To help overcome the lack of an official ranking system, we have found that The Berlitz River Cruising in Europe & the USA guide to be as fair an evaluation as presently available to the public. This book evaluates individual ships in its rating system instead of entire companies, so we have decided to compare the best rivership from each company to determine a ranking system as our method of comparison.

We have also provided our own personal rankings of each line with comments.

Why it Matters—this is an excellent summary—it ranks always on the first page of Google (this is earned—we have never paid to boast anything on the internet). Getting unbiased information about the various river cruise companies is difficult. There is no one company that is right for everyone. We believe we know enough to guide you to the right company that matches your travel style. Did we convince you?

READ OUR COMPLETE 86 SLIDE PRESENTATION

My Final Thoughts

It is my sincere hope you agree with us, that we have met our two goals—great useful, information and we are the right folks to help you plan your river cruise.

Now it’s your turn! What is your favorite river cruise blog? Please let us know! Also, don’t be shy, if we can do something better let us know your thoughts.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, especially a pricey Europe river cruise, 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.

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

Hank Schrader

June 4, 2020

Veterans

Pointe du Hoc--Rangers Lead the Way!

Hank Schrader

June 4, 2020

Veterans

Pointe du Hoc--Rangers Lead the Way

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

The crossing was rough—the weather was stormy and the seas were not kind to the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions. Most could not get any sleep, as the dread of an upcoming mission along with the rough seas made them restless. It is always that way before critical missions—no amount of training and preparation could ease their minds—they were going Pointe du Hoc to destroy an artillery battery on the top of a 100 foot cliff.

The capture of Pointe du Hoc was considered critical to the overall invasion plan. It was clearly one of the most dangerous areas of Normandy—high ground with good fields of fire and hard to capture during a raid. The 155 mm cannons could fire upon the landing zones of Utah and Omaha with devastating effect on the invading force. It had to be neutralized.

Pointe du Hoc was defended by elements of the 716th and 352d Infantry Divisions, along with artillerymen--it became a heavily fortified bastion for the Wehrmacht as part of the Atlantic Wall. Approximately 200+ German troops (125 infantry and 85 artillery men) were garrisoned in or around the Point du Hoc position.

The rangers had to take this defensive area or the whole D Day mission might fail.

This is the story of the Ranger mission during the D Day battle.

An Obstacle too Difficult to Take from the Sea

The Pointe du Hoc cliffs were considered too difficult to scale under combat conditions. This point of view was firmly held by the Germans. And, not surprisingly, most American military commanders also thought it was a suicide mission.

**A good view of Pointe du Hoc. From our 2019 Tour.**

**The east side of Pointe du Hoc where the rangers landed on 6 June 1944**

Yet, it was vital to the success of the overall invasion scheme. The 100 foot cliffs were almost 90 degrees from the base to the top.

**The sheer cliffs of Pointe du Hoc. Notice the narrow landing area. It is easy to understand why the Germans believed it was not feasible to attack from the sea. This is from our 2014 tour.**

The Germans planned the defense on the land bridge of Pointe du Hoc facing away from the sea by concentrating their forces for an inland assault. They developed a defensive position consisting of heavily fortified concrete casements interlaced with tunnels, trenches, and machine-gun positions around the perimeter.

The Germans lightly defended the approach from the sea—they though it would be easy to stop invaders trying to climb the cliffs with just a few defenders.

Rudder’s Rangers

On the fateful day, Lt. Col James Rudder led 225 men in an assault on the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc.

But to understand this superb combat unit, we must return to the days of 1943, where Rudder formed the Rangers. The 2nd Ranger Battalion was activated on April 1, 1943 at Camp Forrest, Tullahoma, Tennessee. They were volunteer units. Each soldier had to possess superb physical qualities and sharp mental skills. They also trained in Florida. Each ranger became skilled in all types of weapons, hand-to-hand combat and handling difficult terrain. The unit was deployed to Scotland next. Here they trained on scaling cliffs and trained with British Commandos.

The rangers were organized into 6 line companies, A to F per battalion sized units. Each company consisted of 65 men and 3 officers. The companies were organized into 2 platoons.

The Plan

The plan was for part of the 2nd Ranger Battalion to assault the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc at 0630 and take possession of the German position by 0700. This group was named Force A.

Force A had 3 ranger companies in the task organization. Company D was to scale the cliffs from the west; Companies E and F were to scale the cliffs from the east. They would then destroy the cannons once on top of Pointe du Hoc. After destroying the weapons, they were to establish a defensive perimeter on Pointe du Hoc and prevent the Germans from moving reinforcements down the coastal highway that connected Grandcamp and Vierville.

The rangers were to hold the ground until relieved by the 116th Infantry Division. Relief was scheduled for noon on 6 June 1944.

Force B, Charlie Company of the 2nd Rangers, was to assault and capture the area on the far right flank of the Omaha Beach on exit D-1. Their objective was Pointe de la Percée.

Force C, was comprised of the entire 5th Ranger Battalion, along with A and B companies of the 2nd Rangers. Here were their missions:

1). If the initial landing force failed, Force C was designated to assault and capture Pointe du Hoc, by landing at Omaha and moving inland to take Pointe du Hoc.

2) If the mission of Force A was successful, they were scheduled to also land at Pointe du Hoc as reinforcements, assuming the objective was taken by 0700.

A Landing that Started Off Wrong

At 0445 the rangers of Force A were loaded into landing crafts that held 22 men per landing craft. They men and supplies were loaded into 10 landing craft and 4 DUKW's amphibious vehicles. As they approached the beachhead, they were 3 miles off course, and LTC Rudder realized the error—they were headed to Pointe de la Percée, the objective of Force B.

**This a DUKW landing craft. LTC Rudder’s had 4 mechanical ladders ready to use in the assault.**

The landing craft had to travel exposed back to the correct landing site. By the time they arrived at the objective, 1 landing craft and 2 DUKW’s were sunk.

They were due to start their assault at 0630, but the currents and navigation errors delayed the landing until 0710. Since the plan called for the assault to begin at 0630, the naval bombardment stopped at 0625. This allowed the Germans to regroup and take up some defensive positions.

The Germans, however, were slow to reorganize, and this aided the assault.

The first landing crafts made it to Pointe du Hoc at 0710. Their landing area was only 30 yards wide and the tide was rising. There was no time to assault from both the west and east sides of Pointe du Hoc—they all had to go up the cliffs from the east side.

Some equipment was not useable. The 75-foot mechanized ladders mounted on the amphibious vehicles couldn’t get into positions to be used—it was too slippery for the tracks to get into position (there were only 2 available as they were transported by the DUKW’s and 2 were already sunk). They had lost ammo supplies. Ropes, men, radios and all their other equipment were soaked.

The only thing in their favor—the intense shelling and bombing had caused some of the cliff face to collapse into rubble piles. In a few places, the climb would only be 60 feet.

The rangers were going to scale the cliffs under their own power using ropes and rope ladders.

Over the Top and Success of Force A

Scaling the cliffs was one of the most impressive military feats ever successfully accomplished by a US unit in combat. Companies D, E and F landed and scaled the cliffs by using rocket-fired grappling hooks attached to ropes. They developed the scaling techniques primarily by trial and error during their training sessions. Their training was intense and it paid off—under pressure and enemy fire these soldiers responded, despite incredible odds against their success.

The landing problems resulted in an assault only from the east side of Pointe du Hoc. Some of the soaked ropes didn’t reach the top, but finally some worked correctly. They only had 15 casualties in the initial assault. The German defenders cut ropes, threw potato mashers and fired on the exposed soldiers. The rangers countered with mortar fire and small arms fire at the German positions above. Also 2 US destroyers fired their guns effectively at the cliff side German defenders.

5 minutes after landing, some rangers were already on top of the cliffs. Within 15 minutes of landing, the majority of Rudder’s assault force had made it on top of Pointe du Hoc.

Once up top, small groups of rangers went off to accomplish their missions. They were stunned by the results of the bombardments—one soldier said it looked like the craters of the moon. It looked nothing like the mock-ups and photos of the site.

**A really good view of the bomb damage craters at Pointe du Hoc**

But the biggest surprise was that the 155 mm cannons were missing—the Germans had placed painted telephone poles in the concrete bunkers to fool the aerial reconnaissance. The German ruse had worked.

Each gun position had been assigned a number and the rangers knew their primary mission was to destroy the position assigned to their unit. Now they had to find the missing cannons.

**This gun bunker was still under construction and not yet completed.**

**This is the Observation Post Bunker at Pointe du Hoc. It is the present day site of the Ranger Bayonet Monument on top of the bunker**

**One of the hardened gun positions at Pointe du Hoc.**

**Artillery Position #4 position at Pointe du Hoc**

**Gun Position # 6 Pointe du Hoc. This position was not yet hardened. In 1943, all the 6 gun positions were unprotected and open.**

Rudder divided his forces into two units. One group established a command post in the bunker area. The second group went off in search of the missing cannons. They were located, unguarded, in an apple orchard about a mile from Pointe du Hoc. With thermite grenades and other explosives, the rangers destroyed the weapons and ammunition supplies.

By 0830, Pointe du Hoc was secured and 5 artillery cannons were destroyed. Here is a picture of the 6th cannon, now on display:

155 mm Cannon on display at Pointe du Hoc — **This is the 6th 155 mm cannon now on display at Pointe du Hoc.**

Force A, led by LTC Rudder, was the first American unit to accomplish their mission on D Day. They had captured Pointe du Hoc and established blocking positions on the road.

Force B

Meanwhile, Force B (Company C, of the 2nd Ranger Battalion) was assaulting at Omaha and later would capture Pointe de la Percée. Their landing was at Charlie (farthest western sector of Omaha) on Omaha Beach, at 0645 in the second landing wave. They landed after Company A, 116th Regiment was being torn apart on Dog Green (now more famously known as the Bedford Boys, as 19 from the town in VA were killed in the D Day assault on 6 June). They too came under intense fire from 3 Widerstandnesten or Wn (resistance nests) defensive positions, Wn 71, Wn 72 and Wn 73. They fought their way to the seawall.

There were two possible plans for Force B. If the D-1 Draw was clear, move up the draw and attack Pointe de la Percée and eliminate Wn 74 (plan 1). Plan 2 was to climb up the cliffs (the worst option).

Force B lacked most of the specialized climbing gear that was allocated to Force A. With the draw not yet captured, the only option was climb the cliffs. Hugging the cliffs, they found a section to climb. PFC Otto Stephens climbed first, using his bayonet to dig hand holds. He and 2 other rangers established a rope for the remaining rangers, so they would be able to climb up.

The situation was so bad on Omaha, that the Force B commander, Captain Goranson, decided he had no other option than to attack Wn 73 and then proceed to attack Wn 74 on Pointe de la Percée. This turned out to be a great combat decision—Wn 73 was a really effective fighting position and Wn 74 was primarily a radar position, guarded by 2 anti-aircraft guns and several machinegun nests.

Only 29 of his 64 Rangers were able to fight—the rest were killed or wounded. The remaining 29 men began slowing clearing the trenches of Wn 73. They were later joined with 20 soldiers from 116th who also climbed the ropes. All worked together, clearing the trenches, to eliminate their lethal machinegun nests and other defensive positions.

At around 1400, Captain Goranson, after leading the men to clear the German defensive positions and block German reinforcements, led a patrol to Pointe de la Percée. He found it abandoned, with the defensive positions Wn 74 destroyed by naval fire as they approached. He returned to link up with Force C. Around night fall, Force B had only 12 men able to fight.

Force C

Force C was reluctantly waiting off shore, hoping to reinforce Rudder at Pointe du Hoc. His soldiers bobbed up and down in the rough seas. There was no signal received by the Battalion Commander, LTC Max Schneider, from Force A—he had ordered his landing crafts to lay-to offshore. Schneider knew how important it was to reinforce Force A at Pointe du Hoc.

There was no more time left; at 0740 six landing crafts with the rangers landed at Omaha beach at Dog White. They were met with intense fire. LTC Schneider, the only ranger officer with combat experience, moved the rest of the force to landing zone Dog Red. This was a pivotal decision during the early phases of the invasion landings at Omaha. He managed to get most of his force intact over the exposed 200 yards to the seawall—brush fires helped obscure the defenders from accurate fire upon his landing unit.

Getting a well-trained, elite unit almost intact to relative safety was a key factor in the fight for Omaha.

Shortly thereafter, he met up with BG Cota, Executive Officer of the 29th Division. It is here where Cota, urging the men off the beach, yelled out “Rangers lead the way!” They made it up the bluffs and probably were the key reason in the 29th Division sector succeeded in accomplishing their mission in taking their assigned sector of Omaha beach. LTC Schneider led his men through the obstacles, past the barbed wire and up the cliffs. They continued the assault to their initial objective near Vierville and later linked up with the remainder of Force B. They had been in almost 10 hours of constant combat.

However, they were badly shot up and could not effectively reinforce Rudder’s men at Pointe du Hoc on 6 June 1944 but they still wanted to try. Key leaders denied them the chance on 6 June 1944. The 29th Division had lost so many men, it needed the rangers to help defend the small beach head positions inland. Despite LTC Schneider’s pleas to go reinforce the stranded rangers, he was ordered to stay and help defend the beach head.

3 ranger companys were not as important as securing Omaha—a tough but correct command decision.

Hanging On at Pointe du Hoc

Rudder had signaled that he had landed late and taken Pointe du Hoc, but the message was garbled and not understood by the commanders at sea. They committed the reserve rangers (Force C) to land at Omaha beach. By the time he communicated success, and ask for help, the reply was “no reinforcements”.

Rudder’s group was now on their own.

Later that day, the Germans started their counterattacks. By night fall, Rudder’s men were forced back into defensive positions in a small 200 yard perimeter.

At 2100, 1st platoon of A Company, who had been unable to link up with the rest of the 5th Ranger Bn., had fought their way to Ponte du Hoc and linked up with Rudder’s men, with a force of 23 soldiers. They would be his only reinforcements on 6 June.

By 7 June, Rudder had a fighting force of fewer of 100 of the original 225 who had begun the assault. Ammunition and food were running low. He did get some reinforcements from the sea. About 60 men from the 1st Platoon of Fox Company of the 5th Rangers and a dismounted cannon platoon, help reinforced Rudder’s men and evacuate some wounded soldiers.

Rudder held on until 8 June, when the 5th Rangers and men from the 29th Division finally linked up with his force. His men had withstood 5 counterattacks.

The Price for Victory

The 2nd Ranger Battalion (a total force of about 488) had 77 killed and 152 wounded and 38 listed as missing. At the time of the relief, Rudder’s original force of 225 had less than 75 men capable of fighting.

Rudder was wounded twice in the battle and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). Thirteen other Rangers were awarded the DSC for their roles at Pointe du Hoc and the other ranger missions.

The 5th Ranger Battalion (again about 488 men, according to the Table of Organization & Equipment (TO&E)) had 23 men killed, 89 wounded and 2 missing.

Both the 2nd Ranger Bn. and the 5th Bn. were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre.

**Bayonet Monument on Pointe du Hoc. From our 2014 tour.**

Bayonet Monument on Pointe du Hoc. From our 2019 tour. — **Bayonet Monument on Pointe du Hoc. From our 2019 tour**.

My Final Thoughts

Competence | Courage | Sacrifice | Rangers Lead the Way

To me, the value of visiting a place like Pointe du Hoc, is to see first-hand the difficulties this unit had to endure to insure the success of the D Day invasion. Reading about this in history books or blogs just doesn’t due it justice—when you walk the terrain, the hardships and sacrifice leap out at you. It really is about the best of America military forces—superbly trained soldiers, given a near impossible mission, and they triumphed.

We have led two tours in Normandy in 2014 and 2019 and those experiences have made this operation much more real for me. We owe a debt of gratitude to these folks—their sacrifice and courage will stay with me for the rest of my life.

**Coin we handed out to our tour members from our 2019**

If you have never been to Normandy and seen the D Day Beaches, I would encourage you to go.

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.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 48+ 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

May 28, 2020

Veterans

Omaha and Utah Beaches 6 June 1944

Hank Schrader

May 28, 2020

Veterans

Omaha and Utah Beaches 6 June 1944

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

In November 1943, the Big Three (Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill) agreed in a conference in Tehran, that the Allied Western Forces of the United States and Britain would invade France in 1944 and open a second front against the German Fortress Europe.

The clock was now ticking for the D Day invasion of France. It was a race between German defenders and the Allied invasion force.

The ideal strategy was simple for the planners of the D Day amphibious invasion—attack lightly defended beaches, secure the beach, and move men and supplies quickly inland. Next, establish or capture a port quickly to reinforce with more men and supplies. Then, defeat the German forces and win the war.

Executing it proved to be one of the most difficult military tasks every attempted.

During the massive planning operations, Pas du Calais (the most favorable landing site) and Normandy were under consideration. Both had enough good characteristics to work for an amphibious landing. But Normandy was the best choice for two reasons. There were: 1) in 1943 it was a lightly defended part of the German Atlantic Wall and 2) the Germans anticipated an attack at Pas du Calais and fortified it and constantly moved more soldiers into defensive positions.

The German Defenders

The Germans realized they weren’t prepared to properly defend the vast Atlantic Wall in 1943. The German commander, General Gerd von Rundstedt, drafted a report to Hitler about the scant fortifications and poor quality units defending the area. Hitler responded by adding General Erwin Rommel (known popularly as the “Desert Fox” for his Africa campaign) to oversee improving the defenses.

The Germans knew an invasion was coming—they just didn’t know where or when. The choice that the Germans believed the Allies would select was an invasion of Pas de Calais, as it was the most logical invasion site—only 20 miles from England and had 20 miles of good landing beaches. The allies bolstered that illusion by creating a fake force under the command of LTG George Patton, complete with fake equipment, field barracks and even a docking area near Dover. They relentlessly bombed the Calais area in the build-up phase, as well as other targets in France. In an unusual operation, they also dropped dummies by parachutes, to harass and confuse the Germans.

**Dummy Paratrooper on display in the Caen Memorial Museum**

Field Marshal Rommel was also convinced Calais was the prime invasion site and deployed the 208,000 man 15th Army to defend this area. The deception plan of D Day was working as hoped for the Allies.

The first priority for the Germans was protecting the major harbors, as any invading forces would need constant supplies, more men and equipment.

After securing these major ports, they then began building “Widerstandnesten” (resistance nests) along the beaches. These were a series of pillboxes, gun positions, anti-aircraft weapons and trenches. The beaches were littered with obstacles, mines (over 4 million mines) to enhance these resistance nests. Inland, flooded lowlands and stakes were planted in the ground to cut into gliders during landings and make possible airborne landing zones potential death traps.

A key concept for the Germans was to stop the invasion on the beaches, so all defensive resources were placed at or near the beach areas and no defense in depth was planned. There were reserve units to stop breakthroughs but the best reserve unit of panzer tanks could only be released by Hitler. If the Allies could breach these tough defenses, and cut off the reserve forces, they had a good chance of success.

By June 1944 all the beaches used for the D Day landings in Normandy had at least some of these defensive measures in places.

Unknown to the allies, the best defended beach in Normandy was Omaha.

The stage was set for that fateful day 6 June 1944.

Concept of the Overlord Operation

You might be surprised to know the last successful armed assault across the English Channel happened in 1066 (yes, the famous Battle of Hastings). 8 centuries later, this was about to change.

Amphibious landings are complex operations. Trying to attack with 5 divisions over a 50 mile front in Normandy from a base in England would require naval forces, air forces and army units from British, Canadian and American forces. The allied armies and massive equipment needed to ensure success only added to the complexity. 150,000 soldiers would be required, with a fleet of 5,333 ships and an air armada of over 12,921 planes.

Synchronizing an operation of this size remains one of the most amazing military feats in the history of the world.

An Overview of the Invasion

**Overview of the D Day Invasion Plan Portsmouth D Day Museum 2014**

Operation Overlord, the code name for the D Day invasion, was a complicated multipart attack. To soften up and destroy some of the defending German forces, the area was bombed for about 6 weeks prior to the invasion. On the early morning hours of 6 June 1944, American and British paratroopers parachuted and later landed in gliders to secure the western flank (American forces) and the eastern flank (British forces). Then, prior to the start the landings, a naval bombardment of about 30 minutes in duration started, followed by an aerial bombardment. Next, the amphibious landings took place on 5 objective beaches.

The 3 beaches in the British Second Army sector, were Gold, Juno and Sword. They were attacked by British and Canadian units.

The 2 American beaches, under the U. S. First Army (commanded by Lt. General Omar Bradley), were Omaha and Utah.

**Ike gives the OK to Go! Portsmouth D Day Museum 2014**

The rest of this blog is the story of American forces attack on D Day in Normandy on the Omaha and Utah beaches.

Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach was the objective of the 1st Division (the Big Red One) and the 29th Division (the Blue and Gray Division). On the west of this 4 mile stretch of sand and bluffs, was Pointe du Hoc (next week I will tell you the story of this mission). The east limit was the town of Ste.-Honorine-des-Pertes. The beach was divided into 4 sectors (from west to east)—they were named Charlie, Dog, Easy and Fox.

A veteran (Charles Norman Shay) from the Big Red One who survived D Day with Hank. His unit crest is from the 16th Infantry Regiment—he was a medic. Hank’s first Army unit was in the 1st of the 18th Infantry of the Big Red One. Taken 3 June 2019. He… — A veteran (Charles Norman Shay) from the Big Red One who survived D Day with Hank. His unit crest is from the 16th Infantry Regiment—he was a medic. Hank’s first Army unit was in the 1st of the 18th Infantry of the Big Red One. Taken 3 June 2019. He remained in the Army and retired as an E-8 (Master Sargent). He was awarded the Silver Star (not visible in the picture) for his actions on D Day and the Bronze Star.

The terrain at Omaha was advantageous for the German defenders—bluffs over 100 feet tall, back from 300 yards or more of beach depending upon the tides. It offered really good fields of fire against any attack. The best way off Omaha was fighting up the 4 draw exits through the cliffs.

**Part of Omaha Beach as seen from the American Cemetery—these were good defensive positions for the German defenders to engage the American soldiers.**

**View of the Omaha sector from Pointe du Hoc. Taken in our 2014 tour**

Those of us, like me, with military training, instantly recognize the huge terrain advantage the defenders had, when visiting the Omaha beach area. Properly integrated defensive fire, with adequate numbers of defenders, would make the open area of the beach an instant killing zone, and the draws, if properly defended, would be hard to successfully attack without tanks in support.

American planners believed Omaha was lightly defended—in 1943 it was almost completely undefended. Rommel quickly upgraded these defenses, but the intelligence reports still reported poor fortifications and an under strength regiment of German defenders.

What the attackers faced at Omaha on 6 June 1944 were 85 machine guns nests, 38 rocket launchers, 35 pill boxes, 18 antitank gun positions, 8 artillery fortified positions, 6 mortar pits, and 4 field artillery positions. These were part of the Widerstandnesten system.

**Machine gun bunker guarding the beach and D-1 Draw. Take during our 2014 tour.**

There were 14 Widerstandnesten (Wn) positions in the Omaha sector. They were numbered Wn 61--Wn 74. The strongest was Wn 72. These positions were maned by a battle harden division (3 battalions) of very good soldiers. If these positions could survive the aerial bombardment and naval gun fire of an attacking force, they stood a good chance of stopping the invasion at the beach.

Wn 72, covering the exit draw D-1 was the best constructed of all of the Widerstandnesten in the Omaha sector. It protected an 88 mm cannon. It is now the memorial to the 29th Division. Here are 2 photos:

**Wn 72 Omaha Beach. It protect a 88mm cannon. Photo Hank Schrader**

Memorial of the 29th Division, Omaha Beach

When the first soldiers hit the beach, the beach erupted into withering fire from all directions—it was utter chaos!

Success at Omaha was still in doubt 6 hours after the attack begin.

The chaotic battlefield resulted in over 2,000-2,500 men killed, wounded or missing at Omaha—no one is really sure due the confusion and carnage of this intense battle site.

The plan was for the bombers to destroy as many as possible of the defensive positions and soldiers defending this area (part 1) and then naval gun fire would take out many of the remaining defensive positions (part 2). Despite dropping around 13,000 bombs, almost all were off target, too far inland. As the invasion force neared the coast, thick smoke and fog obscure the bluffs ahead, but the naval gunners opened fire. Bright flashes and horrible noise arose from the assault area. Soldiers were confident as they approached the beach area. With all the explosions, they expected most defenders were killed. That would soon change.

The first wave of 1,450 soldiers landed from 35 landing crafts. The beach was only wide enough to support two regimental size units. On the western sector, the 116th Regiment of the 29th Division landed; on the eastern sector the 16th Regiment of the 1st Division hit the beach. They were immediately engaged by the Germans. The defensive fire was devastating, and accurate, as it was delivered from very well designed defensive positions. In less than 5 minutes, 90% of the first wave were killed or wounded.

**Sculpture on Omaha Beach, from our 2014 tour.**

They were unsupported by tanks for the most part. 112 tanks were available for the attack in the Omaha objective area. 64 were released to swim on their own at 0300. Many of these tanks sank. Of the 56 tanks allocated to the Big Red One sector, only 13 made it ashore. A total of 58 tanks reached the Omaha beaches during the attack; by 0700 14 are destroyed. By the end of the day only 3 tanks are operational. Here is a picture of an amphibious tank outfitted to swim ashore:

**Tank outfitted to swim. From our 2019 tour. Photo Hank Schrader**

On the beach, 270 desperate engineer soldiers were trying to open 16 pathways for the tanks to get off the beach from the obstacles. They have 27 minutes to achieve their mission according to the plan; only 1 pathway is opened on time. Most of the engineers are dead or wounded by the end of their 27 minute first mission.

The landing waves continued. Rifle and machinegun bullets constantly flew around; mortar and artillery shells rained down; explosions, screams, destroyed and abandoned equipment and vehicles litter the beaches (especially the destroyed burning tanks); and confusion was everywhere. The only reasons most survived was there was just too many of them for the Germans to shoot everyone and the heavy smoke that offered some concealment to the exposed soldiers.

Without tank support, the original plan to take the heavily fortified draws was not a good option for soldiers only armed with light weapons.

At 0730, several hundred surviving soldiers were huddled against the seawall, and the outlook was bleak. Most of their leaders had been killed or wounded.

In the west, General Norman Cota, commander of the 29th Division, landed and sprinted to the wall around 0730. As he rallied the soldiers, he realized going up the draws, according to the original plan wouldn’t work. The only good option was to climb the less defended bluffs.

He found a group of rangers and told them of his plan and then yelled out “Rangers Lead the Way”, which has become the official ranger moto. Within an hour, the rangers and soldiers from the 29th reached the top. The German defenses were oriented to the sea and Cota’s growing band of soldiers captured the Vierville draw (D-1) about 2 hours later by attacking them from their rear. It took the engineer soldiers 8 hours to clear the Vierville draw of mines and other obstacles.

The beach head was still an intense killing zone at about 0830. Several thousand soldiers were stranded and easy targets for the Germans. A frustrated destroyer skipper (Lt. Commander Ralph Ramey), defied his orders, steamed his destroyed as close as possible and began to blast the cliffs with his 5 inch guns. Soon, all the other destroyers followed. Within 30 minutes, they had destroyed 6 gun emplacements. The tide was turning. With less effective fire raining down on the trapped men, leaders began moving soldiers up the bluffs and into the draws. The crowded beaches were slowly clearing.

With men still vulnerable on the beach, and landing craft prohibited from landed more soldiers as there was no space, soldiers were trying to fight their way off the killing zone. In 2 hours of intense fighting, by 1100, the beach started to clear up as the men were making progress against the Germans. Some landing craft commanders again defied orders and started to land more troops. These soldiers and equipment were still under fire, but it was not as intense as at 0630. The reinforcements help rally all in harm’s way--momentum now was on the American side.

By 1300, Gen. Bradley, who had considered abandoning Omaha and land the remaining soldiers at Utah, received a message that troops who had been previously pinned down on the beach were moving up the heights behind the beach area. Victory now seemed possible.

3 hours later, the Colleville Draw was in American hands. Now three of the four draws were under American control. Not until about 2000, would the 4th draw, Les Moulins, be captured.

**The stone marker is the site of the first American Cemetery established directly on the Omaha Beaches. The buried here were later moved to the larger American Cemetery.**

The Americans had won at Omaha. The unrealistic plan had called for the assaulting soldiers to capture the draw exits and bluffs by H+2 (0830). It had taken all day, but they had captured the beachhead and high ground and pushed in land in some sectors.

**Les Braves sculpture Omaha Beach 2019.**

**Memorial on Omaha Beach 2019. This is located on the Les Moulins Draw.**

Utah Beach

The story at Utah was completely different than Omaha.

Utah Beach was the objective of the 4th Infantry Division (Ivy 4). They were supported by the 82nd Airborne Division (most common nickname is the All American Division) and the 101st Airborne Division (the Screaming Eagles).

There was a 4 part plan at Utah--the strategy here had the added dimension of paratrooper support from the 16,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Divisions. They were to land after midnight by parachutes and later with gliders (part 1), followed with naval shelling (part 2) and air force bombing support (part 3). Then the landings by Ivy 4 (part 4).

The Airborne Assault—Part 1 of the Utah Beach

Part 1 of the plan, the airborne and glider assault, was the largest parachute assault ever attempted up to that time. The 101st mission code name was Albany; the code name for the 82nd mission was Boston. The overall mission was to act as a blocking force to help secure the western flank of Utah landing zone; capture the 4 causeway exits; and to establish crossing points over the Douve River to assist the link up of the beachheads of Utah and Omaha.

A former member of the 82nd Airborne poses with Iron Mike. Iron Mike is a tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives capturing and defending the bridge at La Fiere. It was part of the mission to capture and secure the river crossings during the … — A former member of the 82nd Airborne poses with Iron Mike. Iron Mike is a tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives capturing and defending the bridge at La Fiere. It was part of the mission to capture and secure the river crossings during the D Day airborne landings. The original statue is at Ft. Bragg, NC, home of the 82nd Airborne..

The plan was for a night jump of both divisions to be followed up by the gliders.

A night jump is an amazing experience for many paratroopers—I still remember my first night jump in Ranger school (jump #6—my first after 5 airborne school jumps) but we were dropped at about 2000 feet, and nobody was shooting at me. The exit height was 700 feet in the D Day airborne assault! To qualify for the D Day assault, 3 successful jumps was the standard in the training prior to the airborne assault. Most paratroopers carried 125-150 pounds of equipment into the battle drop zones during the assault.

**In 2014, Anne took this picture during a fly over the American Cemetery. This is a type of plane that was used by the American Forces to jump into either Albany or Boston Area of Operations.**

**Thompson .45 cal. Machine gun and ammo used in the D Day Assault. This is on display in the Airborne Museum in Ste. Marie Eglise, France.**

**A paratrooper Carbine with its jump case. Most soldiers jumped with their weapons ready instead of using the protective case. Airborne Museum**

**Paratrooper equipment and uniform on display in the Airborne Museum**

Jump plane on display Airborne Museum 2019

The Airborne Forces, though initially scattered (one account I read reported 75% were dropped at the wrong drop zones), performed with great success in one of the most daring behind the lines attacks in the history of warfare to secure their blocking positions. Some have been critical of their overall success since mission objectives were not achieved in the time frame desired, but this just ignores the fog of war—planners often think more is achievable than realistic when executing on the ground—plans look good on paper until someone starts shooting at you!

There were two reasons for their success, in my opinion. First, the scattered forces confused the Germans—they could not focus their forces on one single area. Second, the resolve of the soldiers and their leaders—makeshift units operated to accomplish the mission, when unit cohesion was lost. Again, the individual fighting spirit of the soldiers to do the job won the day.

It was not easy—after a week of brutal fighting about 2,500 were killed wounded or missing in action from the 2 Airborne Divisions.

The Landing at Utah Beach

At 0550, the Navy opened fire on the beaches of Utah (part 2); shortly thereafter 270 B-26 bombers began extensive bombing raids (part 3). Although many defensive positions in the beach area survived this onslaught, the defenders (“Russian volunteers“ and older, less able German soldiers) were seriously shaken, and put up little resistance.

**Higgins Landing Craft on display at Utah Beach**

Sculpture of assault at Utah Beach taken on 5 June 2019

Despite the perceived initial success with the shelling and bombing of the objective area, it looked like initially the landing was not going as planned (part 4). The actual landing site was wrong for the first wave of landing crafts—3 of the 4 guide boats hit mines and the other landing boats got disoriented. The planned landing site was off by 1000 meters.

It turns out this lucky mistake put the Americans at a lightly defended portion of Utah, with fewer obstacles, as compared to the more heavily defended planned landing site. A quick change of plans happened—the Americans took advantage of the poorly defended area and began pushing inland.

BG Teddy Roosevelt, Jr, assistant division commander, who landed with the first wave on Utah, recognized the error but also quickly realized the poorly defended area was a huge advantage and as we like to say in the military, “seized the initiative”. He and Col. James Van Fleet, commanding officer of the 8th Regiment, started sending troops inland on route #1 and pushed into the other route causeways as the beachhead expanded. By 1100 hours, exit causeway route #1 was secure—the soldiers of the 4th had linked up with soldiers of 101st. Around noon, all 4 causeway exits were secured.

Going inland on causeway #1. This is the Leadership Monument. The WW II Foundation selected Maj. Dick Winters of Easy Company as the symbol of leadership during the D Day Invasion. It was dedicated on 6 June 2012.

For his actions on this day, Roosevelt was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Other factors helped Utah to have the fewest casualties of any of the D Day beaches—fewer than 200 dead, wounded and missing from the amphibious landings. The navy skippers launched the swimming Sherman tanks closer to the shore than called for in the plan and 28 of the 32 made it ashore. Their immediate firepower was a critical element of success on Utah. Also, the engineer units were outstanding. They quickly breached the obstacles on the beach area and created avenues through the seawalls—men, vehicles and tanks started pouring onto and slowly off the beaches.

**1st Engineer Special Brigade Monument Utah Beach**

The rapid success on Utah caused too many soldiers and vehicles landed with no safe place to go. Congestion and traffic jams ensued (along with surrendering Germans) and could have proved deadly as many of the mines were not yet cleared, but by noon all was under control.

The beach defenders and defensive positions ultimately was not the major problem for the Utah attackers; it was the exit routes. These flooded fields that restricted movement and offered the Germans easy targets exposed the attacking force, as the attackers were forced to use the 4 exit causeway routes from the beachhead area for their vehicles. Some luck, determined leaders and resolute soldiers, overcame this dangerous situation.

Utah turned out to be a roaring success. As the darkness started, around 23,500 troops and 1,700 vehicles had landed.

Lester Holt with Hank Utah Beach 5 June 2019

My Final Thoughts

D Day was a success but what really stands out to me is the resolve of the soldiers, sailors and airmen who made the operation work. Heroic, innovative and resourceful, these military forces should be honored for their deeds. They did not really see themselves as heroes--most just wanted to live to see 7 June 1944.

The war’s end would not come for 336 days of more combat. It would have never happened so soon, if these forces had not taken the first step on 6 June 1944 that ultimately ended the German occupation of Europe.

If you have never been to Normandy and seen the D Day Beaches, I would encourage you to go.

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

Hank Schrader

May 21, 2020

Veterans

Memorial Day 2020 and WW II Cemeteries in Europe

Hank Schrader

May 21, 2020

Veterans

Memorial Day 2020 and WW II Cemeteries and Monuments in Europe

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71

www.dreamdestinations.com

There is a lot of confusion to the exact purpose of three major recognition days for all US military members and former members. Armed Forces Day honors those currently serving in the military. Memorial Day honors those who have died while on duty in the military services. Veterans Day is a tribute to all who have previously served in our armed forces.

Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the 3rd Saturday of May, as part of Armed Forces week. It honors the Army, the Air Force, the new Space Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard. The first 5 service branches are organized under the Department of Defense; while the Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security. In 2020, there are more than 1.3 million on active service and more than 800,000 reservists defending our country. In 1949 Armed Forces Day was first established when the Army, Navy and Air Force were organized under the Department of Defense, instead of each service just marking their own individual recognition day. The Marines did not come under this initial new holiday, and keep their separate celebration. They later joined in. In 1961 Armed Forces Day became a National Holiday. Each year of Armed Forces Day has a unique theme—some past themes are Dedication and Duty, Freedom and Patriotism.

The Memorial Day holiday has its origins from the end of the US Civil War—it was originally called Decoration Day. Although the correct purpose of this holiday is to recognize those who actually died while on active service, for most American it also includes those who served their country and have passed on. I know I personally honor my Dad on Memorial Day, even though he did not die on active duty but later in life after his retirement.

Veteran’s Day is celebrated on 11 November each year. The significance of this date commemorates the end of the fighting in WW I. For students of history, like me, we like to say “on the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month the guns fell silent”—an easy way to remember the date of the end of hostilities of WW I. This original celebration has changed in America from an Armistice Day observance into Veterans Day, the holiday that we celebrate today. About 19.6 million men and women have served our country.

WW II American Cemeteries and Monuments in Europe

I cannot think of a better way to recognize the courage and sacrifice made by our Armed Forces in World War II, than to tell you about the Cemeteries and Monuments dedicated to our Armed Forces in Europe.

There are 13 American cemeteries and 3 monuments in Europe. According to the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), there are 89,033 soldiers honored in the 13 cemeteries. 73,177 are buried; 15,856 are listed as missing. There are 3 monuments maintained by the commission—one in England and 2 in Normandy, France.

To help us learn more about these tributes for our fallen and missing soldiers of WW II, I have organized this by country to help make their unbelievable sacrifice a little more understandable.

This is a hard blog to write—the sheer numbers are staggering. Despite this tragic tale, these places are dignified and respectful. It is like Arlington Cemetery where my father and mother are buried—they use similar markers for each deceased, regardless of rank, but each has his or her legacy engraved on the markers. Here is what a marker looks like in Arlington National Cemetery:

**Henry Schrader Gravestone Marker in Arlington National Cemetery**

In Europe, the markers are a cross or other religious symbols. Here is a photo of an unknown hero from the American Cemetery in Normandy:

**Unknown Soldier Buried in the Normandy American Cemetery**

American Cemeteries in Belgium

There are 2 American Cemeteries in Belgium. The Ardennes American Cemetery contains 5,317 buried, with 65 percent of those being fallen airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces. There are also tributes to the 463 reported missing in action. This cemetery served as the central identification point for all of the Europe Theater of Operations towards the end of the war and continued that mission of identification until 1960.

The Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery has 7,992 soldiers buried here and there is recognition for 450 missing in action. The majority of the fallen Americans are from two major efforts of WW II. The first battles were a result of the U.S. First Army's drive in September 1944 through northern France, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg into Germany, and the second group of dead were from the Battle of the Bulge.

The American Cemetery in England

Cambridge American Cemetery is the only American Cemetery in England. The site was donated by Cambridge University. 3,812 are buried here; there is also tributes to the 5,127 reported missing in action. Most were crew members who died in the Battle of the Atlantic or in bombardments of Europe later in the war. In 2014, a visitor center was opened to help explain this critical phase of WW II. It even has a downloadable app to help visitors learn more about this vital war effort.

American Cemeteries in France

There are 6 American Cemeteries in France.

The Brittany American Cemetery is located near the eastern edge of Brittany. Here are buried 4,409 dead soldiers and there is recognition for 500 reported missing in action. Most of these military members died fighting in the Normandy and Brittany campaigns of 1944.

The Epinal American Cemetery is located near the Moselle River. It has 5,254 buried here, most of whom lost their lives in the drive by the 7th Army towards Germany in the northeastern portion of France. It also recognizes 424 missing in action.

The Lorraine American Cemetery contains the largest number of US soldiers killed in Europe—there are 10,489 buried here. Another 444 were reported missing in action and their names are listed on the plaques displayed here. Most of the dead here were killed while driving the German forces from the fortress city of Metz, France toward the Siegfried Line and the Rhine River.

The Normandy American Cemetery, perhaps the best known of all WW II cemeteries by Americans, is the final resting place for 9,385 killed and 1,557 reported missing during this campaign. It lies just yards from the Omaha Beach area. Walking this area is special—the rows of dignified markers honor these dead. It was the first cemetery established in Europe by the Americans. When I was walking this hallowed ground, it is a stark reminder of what it took to invade Europe—the sheer number of markers is just overwhelming.

Anne and I led a tour here in 2014 for the 70th Anniversary of D Day (June 6, 1944) and a tour in 2019 for the 75th Anniversary. During the 2014 ceremonies, each gave site was marked with a small American and French flag. It was indeed memorable and touching and a fine tribute to our lost soldiers. Here are 3 pictures from our 2014 and 2019 tours:

**American Cemetery in Normandy with French and American Flags 2014**

**This pictures shows the endless rows of the dead at the American Cemetery in Normandy 2014**

**2019 picture of the American Cemetery taken on 3 June 2019 as the cemetery prepares for the 6 June 2019 observances. Photo Anne Schrader.**

The Rhone American Cemetery is along the route used by the U.S. Seventh Army in its drive up the Rhone Valley. It was established on August 19, 1944 after the Seventh Army's surprise landing in southern France. There are 860 dead buried here and recognition of the 294 missing servicemen who were in this battle area.

The smallest WW II cemetery is near Paris. The Suresnes American Cemetery is primarily a WW I cemetery, but it also has 24 unknown soldiers killed in WW II buried on the grounds.

Italy

There are 2 American Cemeteries in Italy.

The Florence American Cemetery has 4,399 soldiers buried here and there is recognition of 1,409 reported missing in action. These are soldiers of the 5th US Army, who died in the fight to capture Rome and in the heavy fighting battles in the Apennines Mountains that lasted until almost the end of WW II.

The Sicily-Rome American Cemetery has 7,860 buried in the cemetery and 3,095 are listed on plaques as missing in action. According to the ABMC website

“The majority of these individuals died in the liberation of Sicily (July 10 to August 17, 1943); in the landings in the Salerno Area (September 9, 1943) and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead (January 22, 1944 to May 1944); and in air and naval support in the regions.”

Luxembourg

One of the most well-known cemeteries in Europe by Americans, is the American Cemetery in Luxembourg. Along with the 5,075 buried here and the 371 reported missing, it is the burial site of LTG George Patton. Anne and I visited this sacred ground in 1989 while I was still on active duty. It was truly emotional for me—I was so humbled and grateful for these soldiers. Many of these soldiers lost their lives in the Battle of the Bulge and the subsequent drive to the Rhine River. My Dad was part of the Battle of the Bulge and he survived—I am sure knowing that made me respected these dead heroes even more.

Netherlands

There is only one American Cemetery in the Netherlands. It has 8,301 buried here; another 1,722 are listed as missing on the plagues displayed at this site. According to the AMBC, this cemetery has a unique connection to the Dutch people.

“Since 1945 members of the local community have adopted the grave sites of our fallen. They bring flowers to the cemetery and research the life of the service member as a way to honor their sacrifice.”

It is a nice tribute to those buried here.

ABMC Monuments

There are 3 monuments in Europe commemorating the struggles our soldiers went thru in route to our victory in Europe. The first 2 are in the Normandy area. They are the Point du Hoc Ranger Monument and the Utah Beach American Monument.

As a graduate of the US Army Ranger School, when I first walked the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, I realized how difficult the climb was from the beach and I just could not imagine completing the climb under hostile fire. The monument is a ranger trench knife built on top of one of the bunkers of Pointe du Hoc. The mission of the second ranger battalion was to scale the cliffs and eliminate the 155 mm artillery cannons the Germans had placed on this key defensive position. In recognition of their successful mission, the monument was created by the grateful French people.

Here are some pictures of this monument:

**Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument from our 2014 visit.**

**Pointe du Hoc Bayonet Monument Inscription**

Pointe Du Hoc Ranger Monument from our 2019 tour. Picture Anne Schrader.

The monument on Utah Beach is a tribute to the successful amphibious assault landing on June 6, 1944. It commemorates the achievements of U.S. VII Corps forces that landed and fought in the liberation of the Cotentin Peninsula from June 6, 1944 to July 1, 1944.

The monument is a red granite obelisk set in a small park overlooking sand dunes of the historic site.

**Utah Beach Monument. Picture from the American Battle Monuments Commission Website**

The newest monument is in Dartmouth, England and was dedicated on June 6, 2017. Dartmouth was one of the staging points for the D Day invasion.

My Final Thoughts

While researching this blog, I realized how many members of our Armed Forces scarified their lives against nations determined to defeat us and impose their will upon our country. I hope you will take a few minutes to reflect on this monumental effort and the cost to many who made the ultimate sacrifice. They deserved to be remembered and honored. I hope this blog did them justice and I hope you will remember them also.

May we never forget—be thou at peace to each who gave so much for our country.

Hank Schrader, Major (Infantry) USA Ret.

Hank Schrader

May 14, 2020

Europe Destination

Reasons to Visit Some of the Least Vistited Countries in Europe

Hank Schrader

May 14, 2020

Europe Destination

Reasons to Visit Some of the Least Visited Countries in Europe

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Trying to define exactly what Europe is a matter of debate. Some include 44 countries; others 51—the additional countries are partly in Europe and in Asia (Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Cyprus and Turkey). The reason for this is geographers have used two key land features, the Ural Mountains and the Ural River to divide Europe and Asia. Since the landmass is not totally separated by a sea or an ocean, the division is really due to the distinct historical, cultural and political identity of Europe that is quite different from Asia and not by any true geographical physical boundaries.

If I were deciding upon what is Europe, I would count only the European part of Turkey, exclude the former Russian countries of Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine and most of Russia except St. Petersburg. I also would include Cyprus. While the Schrader Europe (41 countries) has no bearing on any geography division, Schrader Europe really is about the quality of tourist sites or experiences that appeal to enough travelers to make a visit worthwhile, in my humble opinion.

But this is not a geography lesson; this is a blog about why you should consider visiting some of the least visited countries in Europe.

As a concession to the correct definition of Europe, we do have PowerPoints on all 44 countries in Europe on our website. They are organized by the 4 regions of Europe and include a special section on Little Treasures that provides information on some of the smaller European countries. We also have city guides for 6 of the 8 countries covered in this blog—Reykjavik, Vaduz, Luxembourg, Monaco, San Marino and Belgrade. It is easy to order them from our website.

So, let’s visit 8 of the 10 least visited countries of Europe. Although Moldova (#1 least visited) and Belarus (#4 least visited) are in the top 10 of the least visited, there are not many reasons for the average person to visit and I am not writing about them in this blog.

A word about the data—it is from the World Tourism Council, some is outdated, and with the travel world on hold currently with COVID-19, is just for comparisons purposes only. I include the country’s rank (#1 being less visited), but choose not to include the number of visitors, as I cannot verify the data widely available is all from the same year, or has any meaning as all as numbers are sure to plummet in 2020. However, it seems the trends and rankings are quite valid—the 8 countries I have listed are the least visited countries in Europe for at least the last 5 years or more. I decided to list them alphabetically instead of ranking 1-10.

Ready? Let’s go!

Bosnia & Herzegovina (#7)

A small country of the former Yugoslavia, most folks know this country from the 1984 Winter Olympics and the devastating civil war that followed (1992-1995). Bosnia, as it is commonly called, has a very small coastline, especially compared to its immediate neighbor Croatia. We have not really visited here except for a 10 minute stop while on tour in Croatia.

Sarajevo was featured on TV during the Olympics before the brutal civil war and was a beautiful city. The war damaged some of the city, but it has since recovered. A great place to visit is in the old town, Sarajevo Bašcaršija, which features towering mosques, bustling bazaars with traditional handicrafts like copper plates and gold-gilded tea sets. Also try the outdoor cafes for sipping strong Bosnian coffee.

Another good place to visit is Mostar, which many call the most picturesque city in Bosnia. It has perhaps the most famous site in the country—the Stari Most bridge which arches across the Neretva River right in the center of the old town. Destroyed during the civil war, it has been reconstructed with great care.

The last good place to visit is just outside the city of Blagaj. There you can see the Velagić House and a monastery complex, both of these structures are dramatically built into the side of a cliff.

Iceland (#8)

This island nation has the northernmost capital city in the world. It is full of wonderful natural sights. I briefly visited while in the Army, but had little chance to enjoy the country as it was an official visit with military work that precluded any tourist destinations.

Most of the best sights in Iceland are the natural wonders. These include: the Blue Lagoon (a famous geothermal hot springs lake); the Golden Circle (The Golden Circle is the popular tourist route that includes Gullfoss waterfall, Geyser, and Thingvellir National Park); and the Northern Lights (best seen September to April, but often not visible due to clouds, rain or snow—it might take some luck and patience on your part to see the aurora borealis).

Reykjavík, the colorful capital city, is known for its nightlife. A little remote, but can be access by flights or for the really brave, an ocean cruise (I guess I don’t qualify as a Viking raider!).

Liechtenstein (#2)

This is one of the world’s smallest countries—it is only 62 square miles! I have driven through the entire country and visited its capital Vaduz in 1989. Vaduz has about 5,000 inhabitants. Most of the country is Alpine mountains or Alpine valleys. The language of Liechtenstein is German and they use Swiss Francs for currency. The capital is Vaduz and there are some interesting things to do including hiking up the castle of the Prince and visiting the stamp museum and Prince’s Art Gallery.

If you have ever seen the movie, The Mouse that Roared with Peter Sellers, for me, Liechtenstein was the model for the small country, that to avoid bankruptcy, declared war on the United States. The plan was to attack with a small force and surrender, so to have the US bail them out as it had done to other European countries under the Marshall Plan. However, in this farce, the small force captured a Q Bomb and now was the most powerful country in the world. It just seemed to me to fit, as I sat drinking a beer in an outdoor café, gazing up at the castle—I guess I’m a true romantic—small does not have to mean uninteresting!

Luxembourg (#10)

Luxembourg is a holdover of the Holy Roman Empire feudal system. This place is a gem, with interesting sights packed into a tiny country. The walled city, Luxembourg City, is a fortress city with steep cliffs surrounding the old city complex. Anne and I visited in 1989 and liked our brief overnight stay.

The old town is charming and the steep city walls make for great views in Luxembourg City and the surrounding rest of the town. Other sites in the town are the Grand Ducal Palace, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and the underground tunnels. Expensive but a great place—it is one of the richest countries in the world.

Outside the city, there is an awesome castle complex at Bourscheid Castle. There is an American Cemetery about 5 miles outside town and is the final resting place of Lt. General Patton and many other soldiers—quite a moving place to visit. World War II history buffs will also like a visit to the Ardennes region, with its Battle of the Bulge Museum.

**American Cemetery in Luxembourg—Lt. General Patton is buried here**

North Macedonia (#6)

The ancestral home of Alexander the Great, this tiny country does not have very many visitors but has endured a battle over the name of the country that has hurt tourism. Recently, the country in 2018 resolved a 27 year dispute over the correct name for this former part of Yugoslavia, after Macedonia declared independence in 1991. The problem here is that Greece has a part of their country also called Macedonia and both claimed the name. It finally has been resolved by renaming the new country—the correct name is now The Republic of North Macedonia.

Of all the countries of this blog, tourism has a way to go, in my opinion, as this country has not been able to join the EU (European Union) and the political disputes have hurt the tourism sector.

In the capital, Skopje, the old bazaar and Kale fortress deserve a visit. Perhaps the best place to visit in the Republic of North Macedonia is Ohrid. Ohrid is known for its churches. Two of the most famous are the church of Kaneo, and the monastery of Plaoshnik. They are stunning buildings on Lake Ohrid. Ohrid is known as Jerusalem of the Balkans, for the fact that it once had 365 churches, and was a very important area in the growth of Christianity.

Monaco (#5)

A remnant of the Holy Roman Empire, Monaco is an old principality—it is only about 2 square miles. It has the highest population density of any country in the world. This country is known for being a tax haven and is home to one of the most famous casinos in the world—Monte Carlo Casino. It has one of the best formula one races in the world—the Monaco Grand Prix. In Monaco, they speak French and use the Euro for currency.

I visited in 1971 and the first place I went was the casino—it was not lost on me that James Bond gambled here! The changing of the guard at the palace and the wonderful aquarium of Jacques Cousteau are also worth a visit. Just wander here—it is a playground of the rich and famous!

San Marino (#3)

This is an independent country completely surrounded by Italy (we in the geography world call this an enclave). It is only 24 square miles. It is the smallest and oldest republic in the world. The town of San Marino does not allow automobiles. Attractions include the 3 forts on the 3 peaks of Monte Titano, a Basilica, and shopping in the village’s narrow streets. San Marino postage stamps are highly sought after by collectors. The language used here is Italian and they use the Euro.

You have to love a place that has cross bow competitions, and parades at noon of villagers dress up in medieval costumes. We really enjoyed our visit and want to return. A little hard to get to but what a gem!

Serbia (#9)

It might seem strange for a relatively large country to be on this list, but it does not draw many visitors compared with other European countries. There are some very impressive fortresses and several large houses of worship. A good place to start is Belgrade, the capital city. Kalemegdan Fortress, on the banks of the Danube, is huge and an interesting site to visit. Also, the large Orthodox Saint Sava Church is an impressive structure.

**Kalemegdan Fortress, on the Danube near Belgrade, Serbia**

**Weapons Display, in Kalemgdan Fortress**

**St. Sava Orthodox Church, Belgrade, Serbia**

The Iron Gates on the Danube and Novi Sad deserve your time. We visited on an AmaWaterways lower Danube cruise and it was a great way to be introduced this interesting country.

**Petrovaradin Fortress near Novi Sad on the Danube River**

**Church on the Banks of the Danube in the Iron Gates**

My Final Thoughts

Wow—what unique places these 8 countries are for me! As we grapple with how travel will be after we resume our explorations, perhaps these lesser known places with draw more interest away from some of the sometimes crowded tourist top places to visit in Europe. I certainly hope so!

Please let us know if you have visited any of these 8 countries and as always, your pictures are welcome!

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

Hank Schrader

May 7, 2020

Best Value Travel

A Gift for You on National Travel Advisors Day

Hank Schrader

May 7, 2020

Best Value Travel

A Gift for You on National Travel Advisors Day

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

May 6 is National Travel Advisors Day. I suppose some deep thinkers could come up with all the wonderful reasons to enter this profession, but for us it is really simple—we just like to help folks travel better.

In our almost 25 years advising folks about travel, we have learned how to navigate the maze of travel options to deliver great trips for our great clients. The only thing that really counts in this business is that our clients are happy with our help.

A Thank You Gift

To say thank you, we would like to offer you a $50.00 on-board credit per cabin on any AmaWaterways cruise you book in May 2020 through us. The booking can be for sailing seasons 2020-2022. We picked this option, as our client satisfaction with AmaWaterways is off the charts good, and it always is good to get even a small discount on any travel booking.

You don’t even have to select your cruise yet. Just let us know you want to take advantage of the offer using this button

Get My $50 on-board credit

If you might need some help deciding upon which route to go on, either call us or read our route guide. Here is the link:

European River Cruise Route Guide

Now, to the Rest of Our Weekly Blog

So, this week, after a very brief summary of our qualifications, I’d like to introduce you to the real stars—some of the wonderful folks that have trusted their travels to us.

Just to make this a little easier to read, I have organized these folks by trip types, but don’t think they only take one type of trip—most often could easily fall into several categories.

Ready?—Let’s go!

We Are the Right Folks to Plan your Next Travels

If I had to select only one reason we are really good travel advisors, it is we try to match the trip to its purpose—why do our clients want to go on this particular trip?

Here is what you can expect from us:

· We design vacations that match your travel style

· We will help you reach your Dream Destinations

· We are your Travel Solution and Inspiration

We have 24+ years as a full service travel agency. We like to say we are small enough to give you personalized service, yet big and experienced enough to get you the right trip.

Our knowledge of Europe river cruises and Europe travel is exceptional. We have been on 18 Europe river cruises, written over 60 blogs about all aspects of Europe river cruises, have 3 items on the first page of Google, we have 51 port guides (they are free) for you, and we have help dozens enjoy river cruising in Europe. And if that we not enough, we have 50 free guides to most Europe Cities you might want to visit before or after your Europe river cruise.

River Cruisers

Perhaps our best overall ability to help you travel is our travel specialty, European River Cruises. Here are some folks who we have helped enjoy the special means of travel:

**AmaWaterways Rivers & Castles Cruise 2015.**

**AmaWaterways Danube Cruise 2015 Group**

**AmaWaterways Captivating Rhine Group 2019 at the Chef’s Table.**

**AmaWaterways Enchanting Rhine River Cruise**

**AmaWaterways Provence River Cruise Group**

**AmaWaterways River Cruise Group 2015**

Tour Clients

We handle both individual trips and group trips. In my humble opinion, our best ever group trip was the 75th Anniversary of D Day Trip. We would like to introduce you to some great folks who have trusted us with their travels:

**70th Anniversary of D Day Group in London**

**70th Anniversary of D Day at Victory Services Club in London**

**75th Anniversary of D Day at Ste. Marie Eglise Airborne Museum**

**Bob and Johanna at Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument**

**Lester Holt and Hank at Utah Beach June 5th 2019**

Special Occasions

Great memories, perhaps romantic, maybe a milestone or just family travel—another aspect of the business that makes us proud to have helped.

**Sisters Amber and Mindy in Las Vegas**

Ocean Cruisers

We have help many here also and sent folks to almost every sea and ocean on earth.

**Celebrating my 60th Birthday with family**

Avid Travelers

Avid travels do it all—from African safaris, to exotic locations, from Asia to Europe and Alaska, we have helped many folks. Why don’t we meet them?

**Ready for a Bike Ride on the Moselle River, Germany**

**Denise and Anne Baking Cookies in Nuremberg, Germany 2019**

The Patterson twins and their wives, Mont-Saint-Michel

**Mark and Denise on a Thames River Cruise, London**

**Jeff and Hank 2018 Danube River Cruise**

**Hank and Anne in Regensburg, Germany with their new hats**

My Final Thoughts

Wow—what a great group! It is an honor to have helped them and we look forward to future travels down the road.

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

Hank Schrader

April 30, 2020

Best Value Travel

You Are Our Ideal Customer!

Hank Schrader

April 30, 2020

Best Value Travel

You Are Our Ideal Customer!

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

This might seem like a strange topic for our blog, but in reality, it may be the most important aspect of our business—who is our ideal customer?

We believe you, our readers, our friends and associates are our ideal customer!

In my work lifetime of 49+ years, I have been a career Army Officer, a teacher and coach, and a travel advisor. These 3 careers have one item in common-it’s all about relationships with people. We think our best asset, while advising you about travel, is our relationship with you—we strive to be your trusted travel advisors.

We will do our best for you by matching you with the right trip so you can experience the joy of being in a wonderful place and learn all about it and share these experiences with family and friends.

So this week, I would like to boldly tell you who you are; what you want from travel; how we can help you achieve your travel goals; and how we recognize you.

Ready?—Let’s go on this journey together!

Who You Are

Here are some characteristics of most of our clients—how many of these match who you are and what you want from your travels?

First and foremost you are active folks. You have succeeded professionally, physically and socially in your lifetime. Probably, you are a college graduate and you are married. You may still be working or just recently retired but you have been in the workforce for over 40 years.

**Ready for a bike ride—Jane, Len and AmaWaterways Wellness Host June 2019 River Cruise**

You are reasonably affluent and willing to spend $10,000 or more on a trip that matches a travel experience you want. You are well traveled—you probably have visited Alaska, Hawaii or Europe, or all three or other great places in the world. You might have even lived for a while in a foreign country. You probably have been on a 7 day ocean or river cruise. You have realistic expectations—you know great trips are expensive.

**Christmas Eve Dinner in the Netherlands with Mark and Denise Thomas 2018**

You seek great value in your trip—the best experiences for your money. You know geography and world events—chances are you read a lot. You like art and history. You like both big cities and small villages and historic sites. Most of you really like good food and wine.

Vienne, France Picnic—many of clients love great food and wine

You often seek Authentic Travel. You often want to venture beyond the ordinary by getting to know a destination through its people and customs. These travel experiences are both educational for you and entertaining. You seek out local history and lore; local food; delight in meeting local people and like hands on experiences.

**A night visit to Cologne Germany Christmas Markets—Authentic Travel at its Best!**

Sometimes you want to be pampered—you want to have a temporary lifestyle that exceeds your daily lifestyle. You want to mark milestone celebrations with unique travel experiences. You have worked very hard in your lifetime and you want to reward yourself for your past and future achievements.

**Room Service in Suite 809 on SilverSea—awesome breakfast—luxury at its best!**

What You Are Seeking From Your Travels

Here are some common items we feel most of you seek during your travels—again, we would like you to see how many of these align with your travel desires:

You want travel to enrich your life with experiences. You want to travel with friends and family to share these experiences.

What an experience—for Anne’s 60th birthday, we prepared a chef’s meal in Wales by attending a cooking school led by famous chef Angela Grey at a vineyard. We prepared Cog au Vin, Lyonnaise Potatoes and Crepes Suzette!

You want a way to make your dream travels happen as easily as possible. You have done your research before you seek us out and you want to turn your dreams into reality (according to Google, 62% of all leisure travelers use the internet to research their trip and the average traveler visits 20 different websites prior to making a purchase—you may be one who has done such extensive research). But, you probably would prefer avoiding the hassle of making choices without all the facts and are often thankful for help you can trust, especially if it does not cost you extra or come with hidden expenses or deceptive descriptions of any aspect of your trip.

Many times your trips have different goals. Sometimes it is a new experience. Sometimes it is a familiar place. Sometimes it is an escape. Sometimes it is pure luxury—the best the world has to offer. Sometimes it is active and full of adventure.

Great Family Trip—the Boins in Chichen Itza

You dream about travel a lot. I’ll bet if you close your eyes and start thinking about where you would like to go and what you would like to experience, you can quickly think of 3 or more places—your own personal bucket list.

**Brugges, Belgium—Anne’s favorite place to dream about!**

The bottom line: You want a vacation that is fun, safe, hassle free and a good value for your money.

How We can Help You Achieve Your Travel Goals

According to Google, there are 5 distinct stages of travel. They are 1) Dreaming; 2) Planning; 3) Booking; 4) Experiencing; and 5) Sharing. We help you in all of the 5 phases of travel by turning ordinary trips into extra-ordinary experiences.

How do we do this?—we really know who you are! We know what you like and do not like. We do not want your trip to be okay or good—we want it to be the best vacation you ever take! We always ask a lot of questions about your travel desires so you dreams become reality by our careful planning and booking on your behalf.

We are not Hank.com or Anne.com—we do not work for a cruise line or a resort or a travel company—we work for YOU! There is no booking engine on our website—we need to talk with you, really know you and then plan and book your trip.

Then once are the details are in place, you get to experience a great vacation and share those experiences with your friends and family. Pretty cool, huh! We have been in business for 24+ years helping folks just like you have great vacations—believe me it is an honor to get it right for you and try our upmost to exceed your expectations.

We know what a great value is in travel and will find it for you. Ask yourselves—who do you know who have been on 27 ocean cruises, 18 river cruises, visited over 80 countries and written 50 city guides for European destinations and 51 port guides for Europe River Cruises?

We really know our stuff about travel and we use our experiences to enhance your trip. Maybe most importantly, we don’t want to be one and done with your travel—we want to be your trusted travel advisors for life.

You aren’t only our customer—you are our friend and we treat all our friends with respect and will do the right thing to help you achieve your travel goals.

Almost every time we plan a trip for someone, we ask ourselves why would anyone try to do it themselves, especially since it usually cost nothing extra to use us, as the vendors pay us and you will pay the same regardless if you use us or not.

The bottom line is we know what you are seeking from your travels and we can help you achieve your travel goals so we can get you the right experiences on all of your trips.

Our Traveler Hall of Fame

We have a unique way to recognize your trust in us by selecting us as your travel advisors. We have created the Dream Destinations Traveler Hall of Fame to thank you. Hall of Fames are design to recognize noteworthy people and their achievements and contributions and we are thrilled when we get to add a new person to our Hall of Fame.

So, doesn’t it make sense that we induct you into our Traveler Hall of Fame for using us to make your travel dreams reality? We love to recognize your value to us by expressing our appreciation that you trusted your travels to us. Any time we get it right, it motivates us more to maintain and improve our efforts on your behalf.

Erkuns at London Bridge—Great Father and Son trip!

**Bob and Johanna on our 75th Anniversary of D Day Trip 2019 at Pointe du Hoc with Ranger Monument in the background**

On our website we post pictures and the stories of the folks who have enjoyed their travel with us. Here is the link to view some of the wonderful folks we have helped have great vacations and we hope to add your name here soon!

Dream Destinations Traveler Hall of Fame

My Final Thoughts

Did we get it right—are you our ideal customer? We are pretty sure you are! The next time you are thinking about traveling, why not contact us to help you achieve your travel expectations?

Let us make you member of the Dream Destinations Traveler Hall of Fame.

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!

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

Hank Schrader

April 23, 2020

Travel Planning

Health & Wealth in Travel--a Devasting Impact but All is Not Lost

Hank Schrader

April 23, 2020

Travel Planning

Health & Wealth in Travel—a Devastating Impact but All is Not Lost!

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

It is a really rough time for our travel industry. The lock down and countries closing their borders is unlike anything we have ever seen in my 70 year lifetime. It will rebound but no one really knows when it will rebound. This blog is about confidence and why you should be confident about the future of travel.

Before I start, it would be insensitive to not recognize that leisure travel is discretionary spending; we are in exceptionally tough economic times; but still please recognize that of the current 22 million in the U.S. unemployed, over 8 million are in the travel industry—yes over 36% of the workforce!

But I have to get the bad news out first before building your confidence back. There is just no sugar-coating the truth about the woes of the travel industry right now, in late April 2020.

I’m going to provide you some alarming statistics that currently spell doom and gloom to show the magnitude of what is happening to the travel industry. At first glance, you could interpret these as the demise of much of the travel industry, but the truth it is only a lull—travel opportunities will return and most of us will be glad and hope it is sooner than later.

There are a lot of anxious folks in the United States—health, the economy and isolation from social distancing are all concerns.

But, believe me, all is not lost. Travel will return, maybe with some differences, but it will be back. My guess is it will return starting in this fall and be reasonably strong in 2021 with some (or maybe even a lot) pent up demand and postponed trips driving the train.

Confidence must return first—you need assurances you will be safe when you travel.

This week, we will help you get your confidence back—let’s start by defining exactly what travel confidence is and then take the next step by defining travel confidence through dreaming and thinking about why you want to travel. Then 10 prudent steps to determine if you are ready to travel and how to best protect yourself during travel planning and travel in our new reality.

And, finally, when the time is right, why you should use us to plan your travels.

So, this week, I’d like to write about how to get your travel confidence back.

First, Some Tough Statistics for the Travel Industry

8 million out of work in the U.S. travel industry by the end of April (source Oxford Economics impact analysis of COVID-19).
4 million will be out of work in U.S. hotel industry (source American Hotel & Lodging Association and Forbes).
95% decrease in air passenger traffic in the U.S. (source TSA passenger screening counts comparing to present counts and 2019 screening counts).
50% of the world’s aircraft grounded (source analysts at Cowan Bank in a CNN interview).
$80 Billion lost tax revenue to the U.S. government (source U.S. Travel Association).
$314 Billion lost revenue to airlines worldwide—a 55% drop from 2019 (source IATA—International Air Transportation Association).
$1.6 Billion lost each day by the airlines worldwide (source IBIS World market research).
15.8 Million American jobs at risk, directly or indirectly in the travel sector (source U.S. Travel Association).
96% worldwide destinations are closed. They have completely or partially closed their borders to tourists (source United Nations World Tourism Organization).

These are just staggering statistics and just highlight how import travel is to the U.S. economy and the world. But it is my belief, the worst will be over in less than 3 months. Recovery may be slow but it will be steady and things will improve.

What Exactly is Travel Confidence?

Oxford Dictionary defines confidence in part as “firm belief that one can rely on someone, firm trust”; and, “the state about feeling certain about the truth of something”.

More than ever, I am strong believer that the right travel providers will be the key to the return of safe travel and will lead us out of the current mess.

It is my feeling that most just are not confident about safe travel right now, so let’s examine that further.

All humans have needs. Perhaps, the best known description of the needs, is the famous Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory. It is a pyramid where 5 needs are identified. The most basic needs are at the base of the pyramid.

Maslow%u2019s-hierarchy-of-needs-e1541217259310.png

Despite disagreements about the accuracy of the model to describe our human behavior, most folks recognize that lower level needs need to be satisfied in some way to just survive. The lowest 2 levels, our basic physiological needs (food, shelter, etc.) on the first level is then just one rung above is safety.

Believe me, I am not anything close to a behavioral expert, but I know a thing or two about travel behavior. We need assurance our travel will not only be rewarding but also safe. And, there is an emotional loss here also—a great trip we have been anticipating just has suddenly been lost or postponed through no fault of our own—it just takes a toll on us—it is only human nature, and, trust me we feel your pain!

For confidence to return, we will need to know that there will be both 1) enough wealth (money) to pay for our desired trips and 2) it will be safe enough conditions to allow us to experience the wonders of travel again.

Some of us will have to wait for a while to regain enough confidence—if it is only safety concerns about travel, your wait will probably be shorter than those with money concerns.

But confidence will return. Medical folks at some point will come up with methods to deal with this problem, travel suppliers will strengthen their preventative measures and the travel industry will improve to provide you better, safer trips.

Travel Dreams

Do you want to dream about great destinations? We all do, I’m sure. There are so many benefits of travel that make folks want to go experience different places. Humans are curious, they like learning about others—their culture, their food, their living conditions, the cities and countryside’s they live in, and they way of living.

I would encourage you to start thinking about why you have traveled in the past and what you want to see in the future. The future is really about hope and travel should be part of this recovery plan.

In troubled times, I think we can’t help but think about what is really important to you. As you read this, we were planning to be in Europe, celebrating Anne’s birthday. We will still celebrate here at our home, but already we want to get back to normal and see our favorite places in Europe.

We have plenty of travel dreams—I hope you do too. We will be there to help when the time is right.

Here is a unique example of a travel dream that might be more meaningful due to the current pandemic. From times of troubles in the past, you can learn a little about how people handled infectious diseases in some our favorite places in Europe when travel resumes.

Isolation to prevent disease is not a new idea. Both Venice and Dubrovnik (it was known then as Ragusa) used quarantine for incoming ships in the early Middle Ages (1300s-1400s) by putting them in “quarantino” (Italian for 40 days). The big problem then was the plague or “Black Death.” There are also numerous plague monuments throughout Europe also—perhaps a little bit more of interest after present events in the world.

**South Harbor of the Old City Dubrovink**

**The Arrow points to the Lazaretto Complex where sailors were quarantined prior to be allowed in the Old City of Dubrovink**

**What it must have looked like when the ship and sailors were finally allowed in from quarantine**

**Plague Monument, Fisherman’s Bastion, Buda side of Budapest**

The lesson here is that the world has faced these health problems before and survived them. But then, as now, there was a lot of suffering and sadly death. Each generation tries to make life better and we will succeed.

Again, please remember that the future is really about hope and travel should be part of this recovery plan.

10 Prudent Steps to Get Your Confidence Back to Travel Safely in the Future

We hope that some of these steps you were already doing as savvy travel folks, but if you haven’t, now is the time to implement these 10 steps.

1. Travel Suppliers are facing daunting challenges right now but those with enough money resources and are efficient operations will survive and do well. More than ever, your choice of the right vendor is essential.

2. Don’t go it alone or try to use on-line travel agencies. Many have found a real live person can respond or will respond—the horror stories of the fall out of cancelled trips just has reaffirmed our profession. Again buyer beware—use the right person who matches your travel ideas and styles.

3. Always use a credit card unless you know exactly why another form of payment must be used. The only time we have resorted to wire transfers or check payments is with vendors who have a sterling reputation.

4. Buy travel insurance but know exactly what you are trying to protect. Look for exclusions that may render the policy useless to you. Supplier travel insurance that is offered by a third party supplier must be carefully examined.

5. Take a hard look at penalties, cancellation fees and supplier cancellation policies (often called contract of carriage). Recent events have made this once usually glossed over detail, really, really important now.

6. Review the safety measures all the vendors have added to their products. Realistically assess your risk. We will be glad to help here.

7. Review the risks of the places you want to see. Again, realistically asses your risk along with any travel advisories and warnings. I guess, it goes without saying, we can help here also.

8. Let’s recognize and thank the folks who clean our rooms, prepare and deliver our meals, help to protect us during our travels whether as a captain, pilot, cruise director, travel guide, housekeeper, waiter, and others—the front lines are the folks who will ultimately ensure our safety. Maybe give them better tips when it is appropriate.

9. Don’t deny your dreams for fear—address the problems, assess the risk and then take a leap of faith when the time is right—don’t worry, we again have your back.

10. If you have cancelled plans, carefully consider a future travel credit versus a refund. There is no right answer here for all. We are available to advise you on the advantages and disadvantages of your options. Many vendors are providing increased benefits if you take the waiver. Any refunds will take time to process (if even available) and there are some disputes ongoing right now, to include legal action against some vendors.

We Are the Right Folks to Plan your Next Travels

Here is what you can expect from us:

· We design vacations that match your travel style

· We will help you reach your Dream Destinations

· We are your Travel Solution and Inspiration

We have 24+ years as a full service travel agency. We like to say we are small enough to give you personalized service, yet big and experienced enough to get you the right trip.

We are financially and emotionally strong enough to see this crisis to the end and be there when the time is right—also, we like to say, “Thanks for your Trust in Us!” We will be there when you are ready.

My Final Thoughts

Wow!—what a strange time we are in right now! Travel confidence will return slowly but travel will be better than before, maybe just a little different. We want to earn that trust from you to use us for your vacation needs—start with your dreams first—when travel starts up again, we will make your dreams reality.

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

Hank Schrader

April 16, 2020

River Cruise Advice

Dream About River Cruising Now; Travel Later

Hank Schrader

April 16, 2020

River Cruise Advice

Dream About River Cruising Now; Travel Later

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

I don’t know about you, but I suspect you are feeling a little cooped up right now.

My mind wanders often these days, thinking about where we will travel next.

It will be somewhere in Europe when it is safe to go.

For me, many of my dreams involve a Europe river cruise and I hope soon we can help go again or sail on one for the first time.

This week, we will help you dream by examining why people take river cruises, and the routes available. Dreaming further, perhaps we can inspire you by one of our many blogs about European river cruising and when the time is right, why you should use us to plan your European River Cruise.

So, this week, I’d like to write about dreams to take you to Dream Destinations on European river cruises.

7 Reasons Why People Dream About & Take River Cruises

They like the Cool destinations & itinerary—almost always the most important reason.
They like All-Inclusive luxury vacation at a reasonable cost—a very good perceived value.
They want Real-life experiences in smaller towns & villages often combined with great cities of Europe—a great mix that is hard to do on your own but easy with a river cruise.
They really like included land programs and sightseeing.
They like smaller ships and intimate ambience.
They appreciate shipboard services and caring staff.
It is convenient and hassle free.

All great reasons in my mind—are your dreaming yet?

Great Routes to Dream About

Do you want to dream about great destinations?

Then our comprehensive guide of the available European River Cruise Routes is the best single resource available for you to quickly learn about European Rivers. It is designed so you can easily decide on which route will be the best for your next Europe river cruise vacation.

Old Town Lyon—a port on the Rhône River—one of the Routes we describe in our guide

Europe has the distinction of the continent with the largest number of navigable rivers compared to other regions of the world. They are often devoid of major obstacles such as waterfalls and rapids, and are usually wide and deep enough to allow a steady passage of people and material on all types of sailing vessels.

Combine the easy navigation with captivating sights such as castles, vineyards, capital cities and small, quaint villages and it is clear to me why folks would want to sail these amazing rivers!

Europe Rivers Map from AmaWaterways

Our route guide page will describe the river, point out a couple of highlights and why you might consider sailing on this river. The routes may be very short or may cover larger distances. While there are some variations, many lines essentially cruise the same route on the most popular European rivers.

Since most folks want to know what the best starting rivers are if they have never taken a European River cruise, by far the two most popular rivers are the Rhine and the Upper Danube, so let’s explore them first together. Then we will examine the remaining Europe Rivers you might want to consider for your vacation.

The Watchman of the Danube Schönbühel Castle

Sailing into Rüdesheim Germany on the Rhine

Ready?—Let’s cruise together!

European River Cruise Route Guide

Dream Using Our River Cruise Blogs

If you believe Google, I am the number one Europe River Cruise Blogger.

Our blogs, by design, are much more detailed than most other blogs—usually 2000 words or more. There are two types of blogs we use to help you understand characteristics of Europe river cruises.

In the first type, we try to tell the story of each topic in a way you can see yourself there—can we capture the experience for you?

While some blogs easily fall into storytelling type of blog, others are designed as informational, data blogs, our second type of blog. This blog is more the informational type blog.

Both have immense value, in my opinion. Sometimes you just need the data in a form you can understand and make comparisons. But this alone is not enough—you need to know what you will experience on a Europe river cruise to get the full story. A key element of the blogs is a clear separation of facts (usually there is a source) and our opinion. When possible, we use many pictures in each blog to help enhance our descriptions.

Read More River Cruise Blogs

Why We Are the Right Folks to Plan your Next European River Cruise

Our knowledge of Europe river cruises is exceptional. We have been on 18 Europe river cruises, written over 60 blogs about all aspects of Europe river cruises, have 3 items on the first page of Google, we have 51 port guides (they are free) for you, and we have help dozens enjoy river cruising in Europe. And if that we not enough, we have 50 free guides to most Europe Cities you might want to visit before or after your Europe river cruise.

My Final Thoughts

Wow!—what a quick way to get exceptional information and start dreaming about European River Cruising! We want to earn that trust from you to use us for your vacation needs—start with your dreams first—when European River Cruising starts up again, we will make your dreams reality..

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

Hank Schrader

April 9, 2020

River Cruise Reviews

AmaWaterways--High Performance during Tough Times

Hank Schrader

April 9, 2020

River Cruise Reviews

AmaWaterways—High Performance during Tough Times

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

I think I know a thing or two about High Performing Organizations. I have been part of at least 3 in my working career.

During my military career, I was the S3 (Operations Officer) of 2-23 Infantry, the Army’s first Light Infantry Battalion (about 560 soldiers). It was an amazing group, focused on being the best possible unit. Later in life, I was the defensive coordinator of the Bellevue Wolverines, who won the 2001 Washington State Football Championship with a record of 13-0.

In the river cruise world, I have learned that, in my humble opinion, AmaWaterways is just such an amazing organization, it ranks right up there also with my first 2 cited organizations. We have partnered with them to benefit our clients.

It is no wonder why they are the company we recommend first, but now, more than ever, I think they are handling these tough times better than other river cruise companies.

So, this week, I’d like to write about why AmaWaterways is a high performer in tough times. I first plan to tell about how they are protecting our clients in these difficult times and then explain why they are high performing.

Decisive Leadership in Troubled Times from Us & AmaWaterways

Since our primary business is Europe river cruises, and 95% or more of our annual river cruise business is with AmaWaterways, how they treat our clients is paramount to us.

From our view, not only do they protect our clients, they are flexible and offer options. They were the first to offer an enhanced Travel Waiver Plus in the river cruise industry, which protects our clients with a future cruise credit and refund option.

They instituted a 115% Future Cruise Credit for cancelled cruises, so our clients can reschedule and get an added benefit—more for their money! The Future Cruise Credits are good until 31 December 2022.

They have also changed final payment date to 60 days prior to sailing, instead of the 90 day normal final payment date.

Perhaps the best part is they are financially stable, with no debt and had a contingency plan in place for a crisis—there is no doubt in our mind they will weather this storm as well as possible with no risk to their clients. As you read on, you see exactly what I mean.

Let me assure you, we also will remain in business to serve you. We are resilient and can weather this storm both financially and emotionally. We will always serve your best interests, as we have always done.

You can trust us and AmaWaterways.

What is a High Performing Organization?

For me, a high performing organization has 7 characteristics. They are

1) A proper organizational design,

2) Sufficient structure to allow all to contribute to the mission,

3) Processes in place to maximize the talents of all members of the organization,

4) Appropriate use of technology,

5) Good leadership,

6) Skilled and willing people who want to do their best, and

7) A culture that promotes the organizations values.

In the right environment, an organization who excels in these tasks will outperform other similar organizations. So, using these factors, let’s learn why AmaWaterways excels during these tough times.

I think, when you meet the people of AmaWaterways, you will clearly see why this is our favorite river cruise company and should be yours also!

So, let me introduce to our AmaWaterways Family!

It starts at the Top—Good Leadership—Rudi & Kristin

If you want to talk about great disaster recovery plans, I was amazed at the foresight of Rudi Schreiner, the President of AmaWaterways. In 2018, with low water causing great concern for river cruising in Europe, he developed a plan for AmaWaterways to survive by worst casing a crisis. He decided the worst case would be an entire year of river cruising would be cancelled and began to plan for such a contingency.

**Rudi with Hank 2011 in the Netherlands—ready for our Tulip Time Cruise**

Among the plans necessary to survive, he would need to have all his riverships fully paid for, sufficient cash to operate and a plan to keep all his employees. It would also mean working with the European Union to keep crew available and meet their regulations. What great vision, now that we are facing exactly what he saw as a possible threat to his company--a sustained period where they could not conduct river cruises safely, AmaWaterways is handling this challenge with solid action and placing guests and employees above profits.

Now, a little bit about Kristin and Rudi. We have known the two owners since 2011. We first met on a Tulip Time cruise in the Netherlands.

Our most recent meeting was when they were honored at the 2018 TravelAge West Awards Ceremony. Kristin and Rudi were honored with the top award of the gala night for a lifetime achievement award for leadership in the river cruise industry and the travel industry. It was a great night for their company—they won several other awards.

We were proud to be part of it and even prouder to be the only other company to win an award as a couple during the entire award ceremony—all the other winners were individuals.

However, as great as awards are recognizing AmaWaterways as a special company, it is the tone they set for the company that makes the difference. They set out to create a river cruise company they would want to sail on themselves and they have succeeded beyond even their lofty expectations.

I also have to let you know that Kristin Karst is equally important in this company as Rudi and their other partner, Gary Murphy—it is her connection with the staff, the travel agent community and the guests that propels the company to be even better than others. She and Rudi have created a culture of high expectations, and great travel experiences.

The Company Culture

All the folks who work at AmaWaterways look to exceed your expectations—the culture of the company is consistent excellence, always improving and a genuine desire to make your vacation the best possible. On a webinar I recently attended, Kristin described the company’s core values—they are partnership (guests and the travel agent community); passion; and prepared.

It is amazing how both clients and travel professionals talk about their experiences with AmaWaterways—words like friendly, proactive, professional, caring, and cool always seem to be used to describe their experiences.

You know this company is on the right track when positive words, unsolicited, are used in interactions with others when talking about river cruise companies and AmaWaterways almost always receives positive accolades

The People of this High Performing Company

What makes this a great company? It is a combination of good leaders, staff that care and do their job in a superb manner and a fantastic product (great food and wine, luxury accommodations and well-designed excursions and experiences).

From top to bottom, AmaWaterways just does it right. There is a real emphasis on working together and it shows in all they do. I will tell you about the crew shortly, but the total organization, that works so hard to deliver good travel experiences, deserves recognition.

It Starts with the Sales Team.

Our Business Development Manager, Shelia Bielich is a gem. Complete knowledge of the ins and outs of AmaWaterways, she is always there to help. We did a joint presentation a couple years ago on French river cruises and it was a huge success. Thanks Sheila! In these tough times she is rock solid.

**Hank & Sheila 2017 at our French River Cruise Seminar**

The in-house groups department is just outstanding. We have done small groups for many years, and Yael, Kristie, Jennifer and now Brandon have helped out clients get the best possible deals. All of these 4 are passionate about great service and going the extra mile. Thanks folks for being so great!

Next up is the on-board teams.

Cruise Managers

Perhaps no one makes as much difference on your on board experience than the cruise managers. Their wealth of knowledge is exceptional and they love helping you get the most out of your cruise experience.

After 17 cruises on AmaWaterways, we have loved these unique folks who help us learn more about Europe and their rivers. Thanks Lilo, Kata (2 cruises), Czaba, Maddy, Dejan (2 cruises), Nikola, Kris (3 cruises), Nick, Rolf, Camille, Edward, and Jessi.

**Kata, Anne & Carmen AmaKristina 2018**

**Wine tasting on a Provence Cruise 2013—server (right) & cruise Manager Dejan**

**Cruise Manager Kris Provence Cruise 2014**

**Cruise Manager Kris dressed up as SnowWhite 2015 Rivers & Castles Cruise**

**Rolf outside with the coaches ready for a tour 2016 Enchanting Rhine**

Sailing Team

River Boat Captains and their crews are special folks. They are highly skilled and love being on the rivers of Europe. Here are a few pictures of these wonderful folks.

**2015 Christmas Time Cruise Captain Farewell to Guests**

The AmaWaterways Difference on their Riverships is the Crew

You are a guest that instantly becomes family—veteran cruisers often look for crew members who took care of them on past cruises. Some are even Facebook friends. It is a genuinely warm, welcoming and fully professional staff. Every effort is to enhance your comfort, your experience and the trip. They care and it shows.

The staff includes reception, hotel (housekeeping, bar staff and restaurant staff), and wellness personnel.

The Bar Staff—Miro, Peter and Tomas—what a crew!

**Lazlo with Anne Legendary Danube 2011**

Greetings on a Christmas Cruise—an Anne Creation on her sproket

Trust me, you will fondly remember the staff. If I was only allowed to pick one factor that is a difference factor among river cruise lines, it would be the staff at AmaWaterways—each performs their role superbly!

Local Guides

Tours that delight—small groups led by knowledgeable guides, organized by pace (gentle, regular, fast and even late-risers) that help you experience a destination, not just see it.

Hunting for Truffles in Provence—such a cool tour! — **Hunting for Truffles in Provence—such a cool tour**!

My Final Thoughts

Wow, what a company! I would encourage you to become a member of the AmaWaterways family. Trust me, go on a river cruise with them when this all subsides, and you will be glad you did—they will gladly adopt you as a new and valued family member!

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.

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

Hank Schrader

April 2, 2020

Best Value Travel

When Faced with the Unexpected, We Seek the Familiar

Hank Schrader

April 2, 2020

Best Value Travel

When Faced with the Unexpected, We Seek the Familiar

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

We are faced with a situation most of us never could have anticipated—stay at home orders, fear of an unseen health enemy and serious disruption of our economy. I think almost all of us would like to have a return to normalcy—the familiar rhythms of life.

And for most of us, that world is a world with travel.

So, this week, I’d like to write about how we in the travel world will get back to the familiar—our world with exciting travel.

Appreciation of What Travel Does for Us

Our world seems topsy-turvy—unexpectedly the simple things have just gone away temporarily.

For example, meals and meal time has changed in such a short time. It’s almost as if what could be a more fun and often exciting event, now has become a necessity instead of a memorable, pleasant experience (except maybe in our home—with a great cook like Anne, I am more than well fed!)—we just don’t like to be deprived of anything, especially the chance to eat outside our homes on occasion.

It sure makes me appreciate our world and the familiar even more than before this pandemic hit us.

Humans have always seemed to bond at meals, especially as societies matured.

A meal was even better with a view, at a different local and sometimes during a trip. Someone brings you your meal, often offering something unusual, different or even fabulous. It becomes an occasion and makes memories. Many times it was during a trip. You didn’t have to do dishes afterwards—don’t you miss that right now?

**A Memorable Meal on an AmaWaterways cruise with a group we led in 2015**

Familiar. Memorable. Exciting. Fun. Usually shared with someone special to you.

I’ll bet you sure would like to go to eat out at a restaurant right now, instead of carry-out. And get on an airplane, and start traveling again.

Where did it all go—the simple pleasures of life and our great experiences of travel?

The answer it is still there but just postponed a little. Trust me it will come back!

For me, I think I appreciate travel more than ever now. I am already ready to get going again and help folks return to normal.

I predict there will be a surge in travel requests when this event settles down, so it might be a good time to start thinking about a return to normalcy.

Resilient Travelers

Almost every one of our clients are resilient travelers. I define these as folks who still see the value of travel, know it will come back and anxiously want to get on the road, airways, the trains and ships.

**A true resilient traveler my classmate Jeff**

We all love to dream. Most of you can close your eyes and imagine a better place than you are presently experiencing (I pretty sure I am right about this right now!). Often it is travel you dream about—getting away, experiencing new places, the sights and sounds, the food and wine, the iconic buildings and spaces, and expanding your knowledge of the world.

**Dreaming about historic sites in France—I sure miss these!**

Doesn’t that just sound awesome right now? It sure does to me!

We will be ready to help our resilient travelers.

Perhaps the famous Irish poet (Nobel Prize in Literature 1995), Seamus Heaney, said it best in this quote which has some strong meaning for our resilient travelers

“If we winter this one out, we can summer anywhere”

We can get through this together.

Biding Your Time

It is a good time to bide your time—start thinking about what you are missing and what you are going to do to fix it. Maybe a bucket list. Maybe a trip with friends. Maybe that river cruise you were putting off.

So why do folks create bucket lists? Why do they anticipate travel and a break from the routine? What is it about travel that is so important?

**One of my bucket list places—Peterhof Palace, near St. Petersburg, Russia**

I certainly don’t have all the answers, but it usually begins with a desire to see and experience something different. We humans are curious people.

Anticipation is excitement about something that is going to happen. The key word is excitement. Our curiosity is endless—will it be fun, boring, memorable, dull or just average? Our minds are such a powerful thing—mankind has created such amazing things and better ways to live because we used our brain power. Now you should go and see what has been created or preserved.

**I was always curious about the beauty of the Alhambra. I promise you it didn’t disappoint! Alhambra Palace walls**

But in the time of the unexpected, how do we get to the familiar? I think the first step is for us to stay in contact with you and build better bonds as we bid our time together.

It is our job to discover what great is to you, and advise you, our client, how to get it. It is a constant process of getting to know you, building trust, adjusting to lifestyle changes—a dynamic process that requires us to contact you often. The more we know about you, the better job we will do when travel opens its doors shortly. .

Expectations

Expectations are a strong belief that something is going to happen. The key word is belief.

I just think many of us have dampened our expectations right now—where did the familiar go?

Please don’t lower you expectations. We expect to start traveling soon and so should you.

Believe travel will return soon—it will.

Believe you will travel safely, you will experience good things and have fun again—you will.

Don’t be a pessimist, be an optimist. I predict the familiar will come back soon!

Let me leave you with a though from Maya Angelou, the famous American poet:

“Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay”

We believe it should be hope—please be hopeful—we expect travel will get better when this subsides.

We will be Here When This Passes

Trust me, this too will pass. It is just a question of when.

Medical folks at some point will come up with methods to deal with this problem, travel suppliers will strengthen their preventative measures and the travel industry will improve to provide you better, safer trips.

My Final Thoughts

In the face of the unexpected in travel, we are going to help you get back to the familiar—great travel to dream destinations. We are here for your needs. We like to think of ourselves as your good friends, ready to help, because that is what real friends do for others.

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

Hank Schrader

March 25, 2020

Travel Planning

The Greater Good

Hank Schrader

March 25, 2020

Travel Planning

The Greater Good

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

I never thought I would never say this, but it is now true—travel just seems trivial right now.

Don’t get me wrong—I still believe travel is important and remember the words of a client just a couple of days ago, “I just live for my travel opportunities” (so do we) but it just is on the back burner right now. I doubt our zeal for travel will ever die and we hope it is the same for you.

At some point it will come back, but for now, the Greater Good requires all of us to pause our travel plans.

“The Greater Good Requires You to Pause Your Travel Plans Right Now”

Our business presently has shifted from helping people reach their dream destination to protecting their best interests as vendors cancel trips and governments restrict travel and their bookings are postponed or cancelled. However, even with this uncertainty, some have booked trips with us for later in 2020 and into 2021.

Our travel industry is facing a difficult time but so is the entire world. We are all being called upon to sacrifice for the Greater Good.

I hope for the Greater Good, folks will do as we do, by doing the right thing when no one is looking. Take responsibility and show some personal discipline.

There are many things in this life we can control, but other times we face uncertainty. This is especially true when we are faced with a coronavirus (the correct term is COVID-19) disease that is spreading quickly throughout in the world.

We will always face problems in life but there are usually solutions and those who deal decisively, using facts, almost always arrive at the best possible outcome for their predicament.

So, this week, I’d like to write about the Greater Good.

We All Will be Impacted

For the Greater Good, we are now facing restrictions on our lifestyles.

Wow, how a month has changed us.

The Greater Good requires us to be responsible, make some personal sacrifices, and to think about others instead of worrying about ourselves.

Along with our immediate clients, I can’t help but thinking about our key vendors, other agents and most of all, the folks who serve us on our trips, clean our rooms or staterooms and guide us to see and experience wonderful places.

I have read in one source (US Private Sector Job Quality Index) an estimate that 35 million low wage US jobs (defined as under $800 a week) are at risk short term. Particularly hard hit are the food and beverage sector, hotels, airlines, travel and attractions. Yes, most folks in our industry are suffering.

Simply put, the folks who can least afford it, are at the greatest risk.

We wish them all well, hope they can survive these trying times and they have our love and support.

May we all be strong in this difficult time!

We Are Your Travel Solution in these Trying Times

I want to clearly state right now, we are and will continue to be the source of reliable information and transparency.

Decisions about travel right now are difficult. Plans are upended, and there is an emotional toll of facing the right course of action—do you go if that is even an option, do you postpone or just outright cancel?

I want to make one point clear—we understand your frustration and potential loss and we have your back—you can count on us!

These are unprecedented times in the travel industry. Sadly, some businesses will not survive.

Let me assure you, we will remain in business to serve you. We are resilient and can weather this storm both financially and emotionally.

You Can Trust Us

We will all be faced with difficult decisions. We will help guide you through this unusual time. We will clearly explain your options, if you are already booked, provide updates as vendor policies change and, if we don’t know, tell you.

The situation is very fluid, and uncertain but not impossible to navigate.

We will never take advantage of this situation, especially if one vendor option might be more favorable to us—we will present all options clearly and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each only as it pertains to your best interests.

Your Safety is Our Primary Concern

Again, let me be crystal clear here—there is nothing more important than your safety and health when traveling. I would not consider any vacation that puts you in a high risk situation is worth taking, regardless of high important it might be to you or any others.

Remember, just because you don’t have any symptoms, or are sick, you could still be a carrier.

The Greater Good requires us to make the world and you as safe as we can.

Steps You Should Take Now

1. Please follow public health protocols. Try to limit touching your face, wash your hands thoroughly and social distance. We need to stem transmission of this virus and protect ourselves and others.

2. Sanitize. I live with a great lady who teaches me daily about how to limit my impact on others. Thanks Anne!

3. Comply with government restrictions as best you can. Take some personal responsibility for the Greater Good.

4. Try to help others. Reach out to those who might need your help. Try to support a struggling restaurant by ordering take-out food and leave a tip. Donate to a cause that might help others, like a food bank. Help the less unfortunate if you can.

5. Be responsible on Social Media. Enough said.

6. Give us a call, a text, or send an e-mail. Let us know what is happening in your world. We are here for you.

We will be Here When This Passes

To say the least this is going to shake the travel industry to its core. What once was a fun, exciting vacation plan, has now become a challenge for most folks concerning travel.

Trust me, this too will pass. It is just a question of when. Medical folks at some point will come up with methods to deal with this problem, travel suppliers will strengthen their preventative measures and the travel industry will improve to provide you better, safer trips.

My Final Thoughts

We are here for your needs. We like to think of ourselves as your good friends, ready to help, because that is what real friends do for others.

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

Hank Schrader

March 19, 2020

Europe Travel

Finally, Some Good News!

Hank Schrader

March 19, 2020

Europe Travel

Finally, Some Good News!

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Most of us would like to be dreaming about travel instead of reading and hearing about travel restrictions, cancellations and closed borders.

So, after a quick review of pertinent updates on the current world situation, the rest of this blog will be about the joys of travel. We all need some Good News and we are going to deliver!

We eagerly look forward to get back to making your travel dreams come true.

Since we can’t really travel now, let’s travel together with some of our best pictures, and dream about what is in our future!

Updates

In the space of less than a month, most normal ways we live in America have and will continue to change. Here are 3 updates to help you stay informed:

First, the value of working with us could not be more important. Here is a real headline from Travel Market Report: “Expedia Clients Experience Chaos with COVD-19 Disruptions.” Another headline reads: “Costco Travel Clients Fill Social Media with Complaints Amid COVID-19 Outbreak.” It goes on to say in the article the complaints include “seven hour hold wait times and poor communications at the company’s call center, as coronavirus fears result in soaring requests for cancellations, postponements and refunds.”

I guess it goes without saying when you work with us, we solve these hassles—and I promise you, no seven hour waits on the phone.

As I wrote last week, “I want to make one point clear—we understand your frustration and potential loss and we have your back—you can count on us!” I bet a lot of those folks now wish they had used us.

Second, restrictions on travel and unnecessary contact with others seem so upsetting but are for your safety. This disruption of our daily life and travel plans will not last forever and once lifted, travel will boom again.

Third, the vendors we use have made awesome adjustments to help protect you. Waivers to allow increased flexibility to postpone your upcoming trip is the norm, not the exception. Since most of our river cruisers choose AmaWaterways, we have to keep telling you about their excellent policies. Just like us, they really care, and have put you first instead of their profits.

Enough of this—let’s travel through our pictures!

Fun Irish & Kilt Pictures

St. Patrick’s Day was March 17th. Perhaps you didn’t get to celebrate this year, but you can party with us!

**Hank (Buzz Lightyear) and Anne (Jessie) —dressed as Disney Characters from Toy Story in the Sligo St. Partrick’s Day Parade 2009.**

**A pint during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Sligo, Ireland 2009**

And, who can resist 2 men in kilts with their ladies?

**Left to Right Denise, Mark, Anne & Hank on the AmaKristina 2018**

Awesome Gardens

Who doesn’t like great photos of gardens? Gardens parallel the first civilizations—some of the more wealthy created spaces that were visually pleasing, tranquil spaces to enjoy and escape from the pressures of life. These spaces have evolved and now are showcases of beauty and the more prominent ones features statues and fountains amidst the flora and fauna. Here are some of our favorites in Europe—enjoy.

Interesting Squares of Europe

The lifeblood of many old towns of European cities were their squares. Town squares are a unique Europe innovation. They go by many names, such as: agora, forum, piazza, plaza, Platz, or market place. These town squares often are the most important place in a city. They helped cities develop a sense of community, often display culture items, important business buildings and foster democracy as a meeting place.

**Campo de Fiore, Rome, Italy—a flower market by day & a lively restaurant & club scene at night**

**Square in San Mario—one of the smallest countries in the world!**

Europe’s Guild Shop Signs

We have always loved these signs. Many Europe cities have preserved the old parts of their cities to include the guild signs hanging over the narrow streets. These signs are usually made of wrought-iron and harken back to a time when many could not read but could recognize the symbols of a business. Here are some of our favorites.

**Golden Fleece Sign, Heidelberg Germany**

Europe’s Bridges

Bridges are symbolic, interesting and sometimes beautiful and wonders of engineering. Europe has some of the most famous and interesting bridges in the world. Bridges are designed to bypass some type of obstacle such a river, or valley but they often have developed into a more important function as a symbol of uniting places that once were separated. Here are some favorites:

Doors

Often, we ignore how we enter or leave a building.

This is probably not true now, as we are using methods to ensure we don’t transfer germs from door handles. But as many DIY shows will advise, one of the best curbside improvements will be to enhance your front door.

Now you are asking, “What does this have to do with travel?” Well, we’ve been fascinated with doors, handles and knockers that are in Europe. So many are sculptured and enhance a building that has basically a very plain design.

Adding intrigue to the visual aspects of the actual door, is a sense of mystery about the door—“What’s on the other side?”; “Who lives there?”

We hope you enjoy these shots (a small sampling of our collection):

**Door to Apollo Temple, Roman Forum, Rome, Italy**

My Final Thoughts

Wasn’t that FUN!

As I wrote last week, this too will pass! We will be ready when the time is right for you to resume your travels. Until then, remember your travels are just on hold, not gone!

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

Hank Schrader

March 12, 2020

Travel Planning

This Too Will Pass

Hank Schrader

March 12, 2020

Travel Planning

This Too Will Pass

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

We are in business for one reason only—to make your travel dreams come true.

Today, March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the coronavirus was a pandemic. The WHO has defined a pandemic as a disease that has become wide spread around the world.

We will always face problems in life but there are usually solutions and those who deal decisively, using facts, almost always arrive at the best possible outcome for their predicament.

So, this week, I’d like to write about the value of our services to help guide you through this trying time.

Overview

Decisions about travel right now are difficult. Plans are upended, and there is an emotional toll of facing the right course of action—do you go, do you postpone or just outright cancel?

I want to make one point clear—we understand your frustration and potential loss and we have your back—you can count on us!

These are unprecedented times in the travel industry. Sadly, some businesses will not survive.

First, let me assure you, we will remain in business to serve you. We are resilient and can weather this storm.

Second, we are your source for accurate, honest information.

Third, if you have booked with us, we will help guide you to the best outcome for already booked travel and future travel. If you have booked your travel on your own, without using a travel advisor, we may be able to direct you to a phone number or other source that you can use to contact the vendor for assistance.

Your Safety is Our Primary Concern

In January and February, business was booming for us, especially with a good number of bookings for European River Cruises. Then, what looked like a regional disease suddenly began to rapidly spread to other countries and regions of the world. It now is a pandemic.

This disease seems to be a higher risk for us seniors, especially those with previous respiratory problems, diabetes, and heart problems, so this is a key factor.

How We Are Helping Our Clients

Many of our folks are facing hard decisions about travel in 2020.

One of our first actions, was to quickly find out what changes travel our travel suppliers and vendors had made to help booked and future clients adjust their travel plans if needed. It is a changing landscape, sometimes daily, that requires us to understand what these changes will mean for our clients.

For example, we were among the first to accurately explain to our many AmaWaterways river cruise clients their changed Travel Waiver Plus Policy.

Basically, this waiver allows booked guests to postpone their trip up to 24 months into the future by purchasing this protection that previously only could be purchased at deposit time of the booking. It is a great program (it is not surprising that AmaWaterways was among the first to come out with a great alternative to its booked clients—great companies look out for their clients just as we do), that could reduce many travel worries and help reduce a financial loss to our clients. We provided examples of how much a client could expect in a future cruise credit and how much would get refunded to their credit card. Several clients have taken our advice and purchased this waiver.

Our Advice—Stay the Course if Possible

Cancellation of a dream vacation is a tough call. There is a likelihood of a possible financial loss, a hassle to change plans and an emotional toll of navigating all of this.

We rely on the World Health Organization (WHO), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for health information concerning travel health and risks. This is not a time to make any decisions without accurate information. We also monitoring our USA Embassy’s travel updates if a client has a tour in an overseas location.

Sometimes this decision will be made for us by a governmental ban on travel.

If you are our clients, we will help you navigate this difficult decision. We do advise that you make the decision as late as possible, as to avoid missing out on your trip, but early enough to avoid incurring any penalties.

Steps You Should Take Now

There are some sound steps you should consider for any travel in 2020. Here is what we recommend:

1. Consider the risks for your desired trip. There is a real possibility you could be stuck somewhere due to reduced travel services and government restrictions. Are you at a greater risk for this disease?

2. Buy Travel Insurance—especially consider cancel for any reason policy (sometimes just listed as CFAR). We use two great companies, Travel Guard and Allianz. Usually CFAR policies are only available on new policies purchased within 15 days of any payments made on a trip. We can guide you here.

3. Try to get refundable flights if booking air on your own.

4. Understand the cancellation policies and penalties of bookings with any travel vendor. Again, we can guide you here.

5. Use us—don’t go it alone.

We will be Here When This Passes

To say the least this is going to shake the travel industry to its core. What once was a fun, exciting vacation plan, has now become a challenge for most folks concerning travel.

My Final Thoughts

We are here for your needs. We like to think of ourselves as your good friends, ready to help, because that is what real friends do for others.

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

Hank Schrader

March 5, 2020

Our River Cruise Services

Quickly Learn About European River Cruises on Our Website

Hank Schrader

March 5, 2020

Our River Cruise Services

Quickly Learn About European River Cruises on Our Website

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Everybody wants to quickly and easily learn about any topic they want to know more about. That’s why a section of our website, European River Cruises is so valuable if you want to learn more about European River Cruises.

We have an exceptional section on our website to gain a complete understanding of Europe River Cruising. It contains a great overview about what European River Cruising entails , compares river cruise companies, provides a vibe of 8 river cruise companies, informs you of possible European river cruise routes and has a link to the 67 Blogs we have written about all aspects of European River Cruising.

So, this week, I’d like to write about the value of our website and why it is a great resource for you to quickly learn about European River Cruising.

Ready?—let’s go together and learn all about Europe river cruising!

Overview

We have an excellent overview of European River Cruising. It defines exactly what a European River Cruise is and a summary of the major cruise routes; provides a comparison of ocean cruises to river cruises; and uses our photos so you can see what a typical river cruise ship looks like. For a person who has never been on a Europe River Cruise, it helps you grasp the key elements of this type of vacation.

European River Cruises

**Sailing into Passau, Germany on the Danube River**

Company Comparisons

As many of you know, we have one of the best, in-depth, Europe River Cruise Comparisons available anywhere on our website. We have updated our 2016 version to provide even more accurate information on the ever changing Europe river cruise scene.

This is an excellent summary—it ranks always on the first page of Google (this is earned—we have never paid to boast anything on the internet). Getting unbiased information about the various river cruise companies is difficult. There is no one company that is right for everyone. We believe we know enough to guide you to the right company that matches your travel style.

Screenshot_2018-11-15 Europe River Cruise Company Comparisions - Europe+River+Cruise+Company+Comparisons+2018-19 pdf.png

We want to emphasize all of these river cruise lines are good values and special trips. Many have won awards and there is really no official ranking system to provide you a valid comparison method.

**Here is a sample of one of our slides in the Comparisons PDF Slide Shows**

We have also provided our own personal rankings of each line with comments.

So, let’s explore these ranking together, by going directly to our full PDF presentation at this link:

READ OUR COMPLETE 86 SLIDE PRESENTATION

River Cruise Vibes

Since 2009, I have studied Europe River cruising to try and learn all I could about the river cruise industry. A few industry experts have tried to make comprehensive comparisons of the different lines. Each has a slightly different approach.

We have taken a unique approach by creating a PowerPoint presentation. Our 86 slide 2019 Comparison Guide is very good but even that lacks one factor—the vibe of the line and its ships.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines vibe as “the feeling that someone or something gives you.” So, here goes—my evaluation of the vibe or feeling you will get on 8 river cruise lines.

This really matters, since there is little information of the company vibes in one place that you can quickly determine the vibe or feelings you will probably experience on a European River Cruise. This blog goes beyond just facts—it tells the story of each river cruise line.

These pictures capture a little bit of these vibes—two great lines, AmaWaterways (first photo) and Scenic—we know the vibe of both and want to help you understand the differences!

**AmaKristina Lounge 2018 decorated for Christmas**

Did we provide a good summary of each lines feelings? Will that help you decide on which line best fits your desired vacation experience?

River Cruise Vibes

Route Guide

Our comprehensive guide of the available Europe River Cruise Routes is the best single resource available for you to quickly learn about European Rivers. It is designed so you can easily decide on which route will be the best for your next Europe river cruise vacation.

**Old Town Lyon—a port on the Rhône River—one of the Routes we describe in our guide**

Combine the easy navigation with captivating sights such as castles, vineyards, capital cities and small, quaint villages and it is clear to me why folks would want to sail these amazing rivers!

It will describe the river, point out a couple of highlights and why you might consider sailing on this river. The routes may be very short or may cover larger distances. While there are some variations, many lines essentially cruise the same route on the most popular European rivers.

Since most folks want to know what the best starting rivers are if they have never taken a European River cruise, by far the two most popular rivers are the Rhine and the Upper Danube, so let’s explore them first together. Then will examine the remaining Europe Rivers you might want to consider for your vacation.

**The Watchman of the Danube Schönbühel Castle**

**Sailing into Rüdesheim Germany on the Rhine**

Ready?—Let’s cruise together!

Route Guide

River Cruise Blogs

If you believe Google, I am the number one Europe River Cruise Blogger.

Our blogs, by design, are much more detailed than most other blogs—usually 2000 words or more. There are two types of blogs we use to help you understand characteristics of Europe river cruises.

In the first type, we try to tell the story of each topic in a way you can see yourself there—can we capture the experience for you?

While some blogs easily fall into storytelling type of blog, others are designed as informational, data blogs, our second type of blog. This blog is more the informational type blog.

Both have immense value, in my opinion. Sometimes you just need the data in a form you can understand and make comparisons. But this alone is not enough—you need to know what you will experience on a Europe river cruise to get the full story. A key element of the blogs is a clear separation of facts (usually there is a source) and our opinion. When possible, we use many pictures in each blog to help enhance our descriptions.

Do You Really Value Our Services?

Hank Schrader

February 27, 2020

Travel Planning

Do You Really Value Our Services?

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Everybody who reads this travels somewhere. Yet, to me, it is amazing how many don’t really take advantage of our expertise to make their trip better.

I’m sure there are lots of reasons—here are just a few I’ve heard--“Oh, my friend planned this”; “I found a great deal on the internet”; “I didn’t want to bother you”; and my personal favorite, “I know I’ll save money doing it by myself.”

And then there are folks who ask for our help after already booking a trip either by themselves or with another travel agent. Often, if possible, we want to help but can’t if we’re not involved from the beginning. Folks don’t realize travel suppliers won’t work with us if we aren’t representing the clients—we can perhaps take over the booking but the client has to contact the suppler directly, give permission and the supplier has to agree with the switch. It is a process suppliers do not like, as some in our industry try to gain clients by stealing them from other travel agents. We often wish they had just come to us first, so we could properly help them.

So, this week, I’d like to write about the value of our services and let you decide if you value what we provide for you.

Ready?—let’s examine this closer and perhaps, you will let us help you expand your travel experiences by using our full range of services!

Yes, We are a Full Service Travel Agency

We have been in business for 24 years. Here is a partial list of places we have helped folks travel—Bora Bora, Vietnam, Australia & New Zealand, China, Mexico, most Caribbean islands, most every country of Europe, Russia, ski resorts in North America, Africa, Alaska, and almost all top vacation spots in the United States (California, Washington State, Las Vegas, Florida, Washington D.C, NY City).

**Our 2018 TravelAge West Award June 2018**

We have helped folks with group and individual tours, single vacations, single country trips, multi-country trips, river and ocean cruises, destination weddings, and honeymoons—just about most types of vacation travel you can imagine.

**Kevin & Son in London on a Trip we planned for them 2019**

I guess, with all these trips we have planned, it just goes to show that (as listed on our website) “we are small enough to give you personalized service yet big and experienced enough to get you the right trip”. No limits for us to help you!

Why You Should Use Us to Plan Your Trip

I think there are 2 factors to help you get the right trip. They are 1) trip satisfaction and 2) convenience. I think we solve these two factors 4 ways. Here they are:

We will provide you trips that will:

exceed your expectations;
help you make wise choices;
eliminate hassles;
And we will help you get the best value for your money!

It really takes a combination of experience and expertise—in short, professionalism. We add value to your travel and it usually does not cost you anything more to use us. But this is a double edged sword—by not charging fees, some tend not to value us as much as they probably should, and not look to us as true professionals.

In the 24+ years we have helped folks, I have learned that those who value our services, almost always get a better trip than they could on their own.

So, let’s examine some of these issues

Why We Don’t Charge a Service Fee for Most Trips

Contrary to most folks in the travel industry with our level of experience and knowledge, we choose not to charge fees for most of our clients.

While only about 10% of all home based travel agents, like us, charge service fees, almost all who do charge fees have our experience and professional credentials (data from Travel Weekly Magazine 2019 Travel Industry Survey).

Perhaps the #1 reason we should charge a fee is for our expertise, our research and our customer service, just as they would pay any professional like a lawyer, doctor or financial planner.

But here is the reason we don’t want to charge you a fee—we want you to be part of the Dream Destination Travel Tribe!

The Dream Destination Travel Tribe

Why did we choose not to charge fees? We feel strongly we should provide a service, we are worth hiring and you shouldn’t have to pay more for a vacation by using us. In short, we value you and provide value to you, so we do not charge extra for our expertise, our research and customer service.

We really don’t want a formal client, distant relationship—we want you to be part of the family and have mutual respect for your concerns and problems in travel and you respect us for our expertise and execution. Somehow fees just don’t fit into our vision of this relationship.

**2 Travel Tribes Members—we call them Travel Chums—Denise & Mark Christmas Eve 2018**

The only problem to this approach happens when folks don’t value our services. But most don’t even think they aren’t crossing that invisible boundary in a professional relationship—they just have a problem, or need some information and often know we are a good source to help them solve the problem.

Folks Who Want Us to Fix the Unfixable

Imagine you are at a party with a great doctor, who specializes in an area of medicine that you need advice about. So you ask specific questions and he politely refuses to help. Why does he not want to help you?—most likely he just doesn’t have enough facts and information to properly address your concerns and questions and, quite frankly, this should be done in a professional setting.

We face the same problem—usually we don’t have the correct facts and the time to fully address these inquires due to our work load. And, if you are already booked or using another travel agent, it is very difficult to fix the problem and may be actually illegal for us to help you, plus it isn’t fair to them. We realize many ask for our help without realizing that it may be, to a degree, not valuing our services. So I made up some requests, of items that we can’t help folks with. Here are some examples:

“I booked by myself but now there is a problem with my trip—can you fix it or give me some advice?”

“Did I get a good deal?”

“I didn’t follow your advice, but now this problem has come up—can you fix it for me with my travel supplier?”

“Here is my price for a trip—can you beat it?”

We All Need Boundaries

If you are in a service industry or a professional, I’m sure many try and get free advice, or a free service from you. But when someone tries this approach, without often with realizing it, they really are saying “I want your expertise, but I don’t want to pay you for it”! It happens to all professionals—we are not alone just because we provide professional advice to help folks travel better.

In a way, we should be flattered—folks that reach out us are actually recognizing our expertise as travel experts.

So, here is our approach when these situations arise. We try to be direct, polite but honest. 9 times out of 10, our work load just precludes us from helping you. Sometimes, even if we wanted to, we cannot fix the problem.

We have some Unmatched Travel Abilities

I thought I’d end this with just a couple of examples of why you should rely on us to plan your travel.

Our 75th Anniversary Tour to D Day was, by any measure a huge success. No other 2 person agency attempted such a tour for 33 folks. We planned it for 3 years, our cost was several thousands of dollars less than many other large scale tour operators, and we avoided many pitfalls of waiting for long periods to see and experience the awesome events of that horrible day 75 years ago.

**Some of our Awesome Group of 33 on the 75th Anniversary of D Day June 6, 2019**

**Some of our best clients who value our services on a AmaWaterways River Cruise 2015**

**The rest of the 2015 Best Clients Group on our AmaWaterways River Cruise**

My Final Thoughts

Take a leap of faith, and take advantage of all our services. You can trust us to guide you with sage advice and reliable vendors. When you use us and the more often you do, you are saying that you value our services. We want to earn that trust from you to use us for your vacation needs.

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

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