River Cruise News 2022

River Cruise News 2022

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

There seems to be a lot going in in the river cruise world.

The pandemic has changed river cruising in a few ways making better in most cases but also has hurt some operations.

So, let’s explore together and learn about news in the river cruise world in January 2022.

Crystal

Perhaps the most shocking news of all is that Crystal has suspended river cruise operations until the end of May due to the bankruptcy of their parent company, Genting Hong Kong.

They are the first river cruise company that may become a casualty as a result of the pandemic.

No one is quite sure how all this will play out.  Genting rapidly expanded and there are several media reports they over paid for their four 135 meter ships.  Will they be able to restart operations at the end of May?—probably not in our judgement.

For over a year, we have been advising people that Genting was on shaky ground financially.

However, don’t think for a moment that competitors are glad—when a giant falls, all of us are very sad that a great option for some clients has an uncertain future.

The best guess from industry observers is that some other company will buy these four ships and put them back into service.  Will they retain the Crystal name?—no one knows for sure.

Crystal has always represented luxury to their guests and it is sad to see such a great company face some hardships.

Scenic

Scenic has made an offer to those who can’t sail on Crystal due to their stoppage of operations, a $750 dollars discount for river cruises and $1,000 off for ocean cruises.

According to Ann Chamberlain, Scenic Group USA Vice President of Sales, “Our hearts go out to all the employees and crew members of Crystal Cruises as they have been a long-standing member of the cruise industry family, and although they are competitors, we have always been impressed with their outstanding brand and professionalism.”  Well said, Ann.

Some agents who were faced with rebooking their clients, report Scenic has made the process easy and clients are grateful. 

This offer was put out in a press release and it is clear it is an attempt to mitigate the cancellations that booked Crystal guests are facing and not to take advantage of a bad situation.

Avalon

There seems to be some interesting developments in Avalon—especially their new tour offerings.

Avalon has enhanced their Active and Discovery itinerates.  Tours named “tourapalooza”—how about a wine tasting in a cave, or a medieval ghost tour in Viviers or cycling past French flamingos in the Camargue—all are offered on their Rhône River cruise sailings. 

There may be a charge for some of the tours.  For example, 23 of the 31 tours were included at no extra charge on the Rhône River route I used as an example in this section.

This is a great new idea!

Uniworld

Uniworld has announced a new stateroom upgrade program.  It is called Category+ and allows booked guests the opportunity to bid on a potential upgrade before their scheduled sailing date.

By using their Plusgrade program, guests will be offered the chance look at possible upgrades and then place a bid for the upgrade.  They will be able to make multiple bids.

According to the President and CEO of Uniworld, Ellen Bettrifge, “Our new Category+ stateroom program will give our guests an opportunity to add even more luxury to their vacation at a price point of their choosing, risk free.”

The guests should be notified if their offer is accepted or declined within 3 days.  If accepted, the guest’s credit card will be immediately charged.

Since this program was just announced on 21 January 2022, it is a little soon to evaluate the results and popularity of this idea.

Tauck

After a 17 month delay, Tauck has begun sailing on the Douro River in Portugal.  This is the first time Tauck has begun sailing on the Douro.

The Andorinha, an 84 passenger ship will continue Tauck’s signature 4 person operational staff of a cruise director and 3 Tauck Director Guides.  The ship is named for a native Portuguese migratory swallows who return each spring to Portugal.

The ship is currently sailing 2 routes.  The first is a 7 day sailing on the Douro.  The second route is a 12 day itinerary that included the 7 day sailing cruise and two-night stays in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital and Madrid, Spain’s capital.

Viking

Most of the current energy and buzz in Viking is on the ocean cruise and explorer cruises, with new ships being built, but there is an exciting development for 2022—Viking will start sailing on the Mississippi River.

The Viking Mississippi is scheduled to sail in October 2022 and sold out at present for much of 2022.  The Mississippi has staterooms for 386 guests.  There are 7 categories of staterooms and all have king-size beds, large showers, the Viking signature heated bathroom floors.  All are outside staterooms.

Unlike the river ships in Europe, the Mississippi has an aft infinity plunge pool.

The cruise fare will include some shore excursions and they will also offer curated optional tours which cost extra.

They will start on two routes for 2022—a round trip from New Orleans and a Heart of the Delta route from Memphis to New Orleans.

AmaWaterways

In the latter half of 2021, AmaWaterways started sailing in Egypt on their new ship, the AmaDahlia.  If you read this blog regularly, you know Anne and I sailed on this new 10 day Egypt route in December of 2021.

Along with this great new route, I got a chance to talk to our long-time friend Alex Pinelo, who will be the new Senior Vice President of Sales in a couple of months to get his thoughts about the most important news from AmaWaterways for this blog.  Here are his thoughts:

“AmaWaterways will continue to emphasize the guest experience and develop new and exciting routes and experiences for all. The 7 Rivers Journeys in 2023 and new route planned in South America in 2024 are great examples. More details to come. We are financially strong and committed to excellence and supporting our valued travel partners and their clients and our guests. I am proud and humbled to help lead the sales team for this great company.”

With Gary Murphy retiring on 1 April 2022 after 30 years in the travel business, Alex has the experience and drive to continue the great success of AmaWaterways and help lead them into the future.

My Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report.  We will try to keep you updated as the year goes on about river cruising.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Knowledge and Trust

Knowledge and Trust

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Knowledge and Trust are the cornerstones of our business.

Without these we will be out of business quickly.

So, let’s explore together and learn about how important these two items are to us and how they apply to the current travel situation since the pandemic has changed travel for the last 2 years.

Overview

We believe that if we have excellent knowledge about vacations you might want to take, and our clients can trust us, then we all benefit.

Knowledge of the vacations we sell, requires us to constantly keep updated about travel products, and the vendors who sell them.  We must be able to match our clients to the best product for them.

Trust is the other cornerstone of our business—are we who we say we are, do we tell the truth, can you trust your hard earned dollars for a vacation we recommend?

Knowledge

There is a lot to learn about vacations offered by the various vendors.  There are so many, I doubt that anyone could know it all.  While we have planned a large range of trips in our 25+ years in business, where we really shine is European vacations and European River Cruises.

Maybe some facts about our company might help prove this point that we know what we are talking about.  Here goes:

• 83 % of our clients do not live in the Houston area—they found us by search engines on the internet. We have to build confidence that our knowledge and advice will get them on the right trip that matches their travel style. We have been successful with those who reach out to us—most become lifetime clients.

• Part of the reason we had over 18,000 visit our website in 2021—we have 2 articles on page 1 of Google (European River Cruise Line Comparisons and Best European River Route Guide).  Last year over 12,000 folks read one of these two articles. The other major reason—this blog. In just December of 2021, 86 of our blogs were viewed by various individuals. This is pretty typical of our monthly total viewership.

• I have given 2 webinar presentations to other agents about best practices to teach travel agents how to help their clients learn the benefits of taking a river cruise vacation.

• Today (12 Jan 2022), we have an article about how to best match clients to a European river cruise line published in the online version of Travel Weekly. This is a pretty big achievement for a Mom and Pop agency like ours to be published in a well respected publication for travel professionals.

• We have helped many dozens of folks take great vacations for 25 years.

• We have written 50 European City guides for our clients.

• We have written 51 port guides for most of the European Rivers used by the river cruise companies.

• We can tell you the advantages and disadvantages of most vacations we sell, usually from first-hand knowledge,

• We have sailed on 21 river cruises since 2009—we have first hand knowledge of the trips we recommend.

Trust

Actions speak louder than words—this is exactly how we expect to earn and keep your trust.

On our home page of our website we, provide you 6 reasons why you should use us.  Here, word for word, is what we have written about trust:

“Trust — We will do what is best for you!  We are honest, hard-working with one goal—to serve you—we will do what is best for you, not us.  We help you avoid hassles & get the best value for your dollar–saves you time & money and we will help you protect your travel investment.”

There is a lot of information in this short statement.  It means we must make choices that favor you and are in your best interests.  It could mean saving you money, or protecting your investment or getting a vacation that meets your expectations, or usually all of these when we help you.

I like to say “we do what’s right when nobody is looking”.  It just means we are more concerned about your vacation than making a huge profit—we put your interests first.. 

Now the Pandemic—How Does our Knowledge and Trust Benefit You in this Unique Travel Environment?

It goes without saying everyone is a little or a lot nervous about travel right now.

It is a time of candor, facts and our judgement to tell you when it is safe to travel.

We have to tell you exactly what to expect, when you will have to wear a mask, what the constantly changing government requirements are and help you reach the decision that is right for you. 

In the old Capital of Egypt Memphis in December of 2021—we are having a great time seeing wonderful sites while wearing our masks for safety.

We need to inform you especially about vendor terms and conditions and our terms and conditions if we plan special trips we escort. Too many have lost money and gone through emotionally difficult situations by not knowing the rules they have agreed to with our vendors or us.

Some of our best clients also don’t want to travel with these restrictions.

We have advised some to cancel their plans, usually just moving them into a future trip, and we have told some it is okay to go.

Some have agreed with us; others chose to avoid the risks and hassles.

We have traveled twice since August 2021—once in Europe on a river cruise and once in Egypt on a combination land and river cruise.  In both cases, it was a little frustrating but safe and worthwhile, in our opinion.

In Brugge outside a great restaurant where locals eat—we wore our masks until our meal and drinks were served. Great not to miss a fun trip for a few minor inconveniences. It was a wonderful meal.

Here is the bottom line—you need to be vaccinated and have the booster, you will have to wear a mask at some places and you probably will have to have a negative test to get back into the US for quite some time.

You could just avoid it all and stay home; some of our clients have decided to do just that.

Others have decided to travel and had wonderful times—we are in this category.

Another interesting picture—I felt comfortable without a mask but Anne was more cautious..

My Final Thoughts

Maybe you can see how important our knowledge and your trust in us are in these unusual times.  While we respect differences of our clients, we also realize that at some point, if you want to continue to travel, you will have to accept some bumps in the road.

Travel has changed, but in the long run, many of the changes will make it safer for all of us—the common sense cleaning and protection ideas will remain not to limit you enjoyment but to keep you safer.

Chose to travel soon, just prepare yourselves.  We believe the rewards far exceed the risk.

We will help you face the unknown; your fears; by providing you facts and reliable information.  You can trust our knowledge to help you make the right decision for your vacation.

A final word—Thanks for your trust in us!—this is how we end each email or phone call with you. We really mean it—it may be the most sincere sentiment we have about our relationship with you.

I think you can see why we are in the business—it just is awesome to help folks have a great vacation, especially in troubled times.

We hope you enjoyed this candid report.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Become an Educated Traveler--My Wish for You in 2022

Become an Educated Traveler—My Wish for You in 2022

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

We love inspiring people to Visit Dream Destinations.

Our best clients are always well educated.  Not necessarily formal school education but travel educated.

I think there are 4 characteristics of an educated traveler.  They are: 1) They look for engaging travel experiences; 2) They look for enriching travel experiences; 3) They look for transforming experiences and 4) They collaborate with locals at their destinations.  Maybe not on every aspect of their trip, but at least part of their trip.

So, let’s explore together and learn about my thoughts about becoming an educated traveler—you won’t be disappointed!

Overview

While I believe it is important to become an educated traveler, many of the 4 characteristics overlap into another category.

Why?  It is your feelings about the experience and it differs greatly from person to person.  Perhaps then, you should feel free to place your travel experience into the preferred category and not worry about whether it truly qualifies into the exact category or not.

Educated travel is about changes you experiences and my attempts to place them into 4 categories is just a way to think about what the travel experiences mean to you.

To help make the point of this blog, we are going to share with you our experiences in our photos—maybe it will inspire you to think about your past travels and make you want to visit some new places to become a more educated traveler.

I am also sure you will notice the differences Anne and I have of the same experiences. This just reinforces my point about it is the personal effect the experience has on you and this is one of the great wonders of travel—it will change you, usually for the better, and you will become an educated traveler.

Engaging Travel Experiences

Engaging travel may be hard to exactly define, but to me, it is making an emotional connection to a place, its people and its structures.  I recently wrote a whole blog about the emotions of travel but it is more than anticipation and expectations during travel—it is also the connections you make at a destinations.

Examples for me—1) a place that brings you peace, relaxation or 2) a structure so grand it is awe inspiring, or 3) learning about traditions or expanding your knowledge of a culture.

Here are some peace and relaxation pictures:

Anne walking in the countryside on the Cotswald Way in England

A line of patrons buying the best Pomme Frites in the World in Brugge, Belgium. One of the best bargain foods that tastes so good you will want to come back to this gem over and over again as we do.

There is nothing more European than the markets in each town squares. The flowers, produce and cheeses are fresh, wonderful and all locals come to buy these wonderful items. Anne often spends hours exploring all the vendors and people watching. This market is in Dom Square, Frieberg, Germany.

Structures that inspire:

Anne and I in front of the famous step pyramid in Egypt. This structure is over 4,700 years old and is among the oldest remaining intact structure in the world.

The Pont du Gard Aqueduct crosses the Gardon River in France. The Roman aqueducts were amazing feats on engineering, figuring out a small gradient drop to bring fresh water from a source to another place. The precision required to get the flow just right is stunning—in the 31 miles the change in gradient is only 12 meters (a little over 36 feet). This aqueduct was part of a system that brought fresh water 31 miles to the city of Nimes.

Maybe it is wearing traditional clothes, as we have wearing our kilts at various functions. Cultural traditions at its best:

Enriching Travel Experiences

Enriching travel is much easier to define in my mind—did you become a more educated person by visiting the destination?  I believe you need to learn about the world and you do that best by traveling to most locations.

I think ancestry travel is a perfect example of enriching travel—learn about your roots.

A model of the ship from the Red Star line that brought immigrants from Europe to the New World. This museum documents the entire journey from Europe, what the folks who bought tickets went through, and how difficult the who process was for them. This museum in in Antwerp Belgium.

A grave stone marker on the grounds of Mt. Falcon, Ireland. Anne is descended from the Knox’s and likes visiting graveyards in search of her ancestors.

Another great example is going to a new place that might seem scary at first—overcome your fears or hesitations.

The castle walls of Conwy Wales. Anne overcame her fears of heights and walked the entire walls on the narrow walkways—awesome experience for her!

Maybe it is simple as learning a few words or phrases in a different language, or try a new food or trying a new skill.

In a great little gasthaus in Koblenz, Germany, Anne order our whole meal in German! Sehr gut!

Or as simple about gaining knowledge you didn’t know. This statue in Edinburgh commemorates the lives lost in the American Civil War caught Anne’s eye. It is the only monument outside the United States marking the lives lost in this conflict between the states.

Transforming Travel Experiences

Transforming experiences are also much easy to define—what changes did you experience by visiting a destination that changed you somehow.

Here are 3 reasons why I believe that travel can be transforming  to someone (I’m sure there are more) 1) you gained a new perspective; 2) you learn something new and 3) you discovered a new passion.

So, what makes a transforming experience in your travel?  Maybe it’s the people; it could be the food, the art, the culture or the entertainment; or it could be a spontaneous experience—you get the idea.

For it to reach the transforming level, I believe the change must be significant and should last for a long time, usually forever.  Maslow would call it more than gaining esteem, it is self-actualization, his highest level in his hierarchy needs.

For me, a great example is the Normandy beaches of D Day. The first picture is the cliffs of Pont du Hoc, that the rangers seized in a dazzling display of bravery and what elite soldiers can achieve—being ranger qualified, I can only image how difficult it was to climb under fire the 90 degree cliffs—truly tranformational!

The sheer cliffs of Pont du Hoc

Perhaps in all of Europe, there is no place as moving as the American Cemetery, where over 9,000 US serviceman died liberating Europe.

The next place that had special meaning for me was the Acropolis. While it is an impressive structure, it was the cradle of ideas of democracy that I got to walk where this idea was born.

This is the harbor walk in Ephesus. It held special meaning for me, as this is where Mark Anthony and Cleopatra walk together and we got to do the same. It also helped me better understand some biblical stories.

The next picture is the Alhambra in Grenada, Spain. This was a turning point in Europe in 1492 when the Spanish finally defeated the Moors. The Alhambra is mainly a fort but has one of the most beautiful palaces in the world hidden inside these walls. I could really sense history happening here and is one of my favorite places in Europe.

The Grand Pyramid in Giza, Egypt. It is the only remaining structure of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. The sheer size and construction of the huge blocks, each weighing several tons is amazing—no one knows exactly how it was done but it took thousands to build this structure that still stands today.

The entrance to the great Temple of Karnak. The sheer size of the Temple with 134 columns is overwhelming. I could only imagine an ancient peasant coming to worship and feeling the awe and power of their gods and the pharaoh Ramses II.

Collaborating with Locals

It is amazing how much you can learn about others during travels.  I’m not talking about exchanging skills for accommodations, I’m talking about interacting with locals.

Maybe spend a few hours in a pub, talking with locals.  We met these two lads in Dublin prior to the 6 Nations Rugby Match between Ireland and Scotland.

Maybe take part in a wine festival. This is the entertainment old style 1940’s band in Bourg, France on our Taste of Bordeaux river cruise on AmaWaterways.

Or ,maybe visit a winery to learn the steps need in making a good or great wine. This is the winemaker on our Rhone River cruise in 2016.

Maybe it is visiting the Christmas Markets to share the festive season with the local citizens. This is one booth in Heidelberg, Germany.

Or best yet share it with friends. Here are a few we have been lucky enough to share our love of travel and become better educated by their wisdom!

My Final Thoughts

Wow—what a good wish for you—become an educated traveler or a more educated traveler!  Maybe the key here is a change of perspective of the traveler.  It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as life changing, maybe it’s more tolerance, maybe it’s new ideas, maybe just a new experience.

I think you can see why we are in the travel business—it just is awesome to help folks have a great vacation and reach new levels of experiences during their travels.

We hope you enjoyed this report since it was fun sharing it with you.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Happy New Year

Anne and I wish you a Happy New Year!

We look forward to a new year with hope and good travel times. We stand ready to help you get the best value for your upcoming trips and create memories of a lifetime

May your upcoming year be full of joy, may you be safe and well and all your dreams come true.

Thanks for your trust in us!

Savor Life . . .make memories . . .Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

Anne and Hank

Anne in her favorite city in Europe—Brugge

Anne New Year’s Eve 2020

Hank New Year’s Eve 2020

At the Captain’s Table on a river cruise

Sailing on the AmaDahlia in Egypt Part 2

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

This is the second part of our 2021 Egypt Secrets of the Nile River cruise on AmaWaterways. I would recommend you go back and read, Part one again, as I added a lot of detail that was missing to explain the pictures

Day 7 Abu Simbel

Another early day—we flew to Abu Simbel in a short 30 minute flight. This is an optional tour that cost extra to see this awesome temple complex.

The Abu Simbel temples taken during our flight to the site by Denise Thomas

Located on the western bank of Lake Nassar (not the original site), this massive complex commemorates Ramesses II victory at the battle of Kadesh.

The entrance of the Great Temple of Abu Simbel with 4 statues of Ramassesseated on his throne wearing the double crown of upper and lower Egypt. The statues are 20 meters (66 feet tall)

Inside the temple.

Queen Nefertari Temple

These statues are 10 meters high. It is unusual that both Ramses and Nefertiti are the same height on the complex—it clearly show how much he respected his Queen.

High Tea at Old Cataract

The old Cataract is a 5 star historic luxury resort British era in Aswan located on the Nile River. Many famous persons have stayed here but it is probably most famous for Agatha Christie, who wrote portions of her novel Death on the Nile here during her stay.

Day 8

The day began with sailing.on the Nile

This is a felucca, a traditional sailing boat used on the Nile River.

Feluccas docked.

Philas Temple

The Philas Temple was built to honor the goddess Isis. The temple walls show Isis bringing Osiris back to life, giving birth to Horus and mummifying Osiris after his death.

The entrance to the temple.

This is the Kiosk of Trajan

Kom Ombo

This temple is dedicated to 2 deities—the crocodile-headed god, Sobek, and the falcon headed god, Horus.

Crocodile Museum

Day 9

We started the day in the morning sailing north. In the evening, we visited the Papayrus Institute to learn how they used the plants to make paper.

Dinner Meals

For dinner, just like lunch there are 10 choices. Each is numbered and you will have an appetizer, a soup, the main course and dessert. The meals were generally very good but not high end dining.

Egyptian wines are featured and are only fair. Imported wine and liquor have at least a 100% Egyptian tax and the small wine list has unbelievable prices—one was 8.300 Egyptian pounds (about $528) for bottle of wine that would go for around $30 in the US

Dinner Choices

Pecan crusted Chicken main course.

An elegant desert

Al Fresco Chef’s Table

The menu is more extensive here and not a tasting menu like in Europe on other AmaWaterways cruises. The food was very good.

The main course at the Chef’s Table,

A birthday celebration with Mark and the birthday girl Denise.

Day 10

Dendera Temple

Due to low water on the Nile, we had to take 2 hour bus ride to the temple. It was worth the drive. Dendera Temple is actually 3 temples, but the main temple is Hathor Temple.

The main temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and beauty. The main temple was built by Ptolemy XII and completed by Queen Cleopatra VII from 54 to 20 BC.

Entrance to the Temple of Hathor

The ceiling in the Great Vestibule is a tribute to Newt, goddess of the sky.

Ornate inscribed columns.

Cleopatra and her son on the outside temple walls.

Day 11

Our day started early again, with a flight from Luxor to Cairo. We boarded our bus to visit the royal palace.

Abdeen Presidential Palace

We had a tour of the opulent palace and then had a farewell lunch.

Coptic Church Cairo

St. Mary’s Orthodox Church

We returned to the Four Seasons for a meal , a quick rest and then off at 2230 ride to airport for our 0130 red-eye flight to Frankfurt and then back to Houston.

Just before sunset, our friend Mark Thomas took this awesome picture of the Giza pyramids—great way to end!

My Final Thoughts

This is a unique chance to experience the best that Egypt has to offer.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Sailing on the AmaDahlia in Egypt Part 1

The Sphinx in Giza, Egypt

Sailing on the AmaDahlia in Egypt

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

This is a first-hand report of the newest cruise opportunity from AmaWaterways.  We are on the 2021 Secrets of Egypt and the Nile land cruise 10 day package.

This cruise first sailed in September of 2021.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Egypt—you won’t be disappointed!

Overview

This is a 10 day trip. The first 3 days were in Cairo. We then flew down to Luxor and joined the docked AmaDahlia to tour the sights on the Nile River for 7 days. We will then fly back to Cairo.

Cairo Day 1

After flying in to Cairo from Germany, we were met by a representative of AmaWaterways, got our Visas and went through security and passport/Covid vaccination checks and a 24 hour Covid test, we made the 40 minute ride to the 4 Seasons Hotel Cairo.

A great large room with a River Nile view, linked up with our clients and had a good meal.

Cairo Day 2

Today, by bus, we went first to Saladin’s Citadel, where we toured the Alabaster Mosque.

The Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque, is more commonly known as the Alabaster Mosque. It is located in the Citadel of Cairo, a strong fortress.

The courtyard of the Alabaster Mosque

After lunch (included) at Studio Misr Restaurant, we then visited the Egyptian Museum.

Grill meats for our lunch served steaming

Entrance to the Egypt Museum in Cairo

Statue of Ramses II

This sculpture depicts the ideal Egyptians.

Cairo Day 3

Our tour today was to the ancient capital of Memphis for the first stop. Memphis was the old capital of Egypt after the unification of upper and lower Egypt.

King Ramsis II (1305—1237 BC) limestone colossus statue

The giant alabaster sphinx weighs over 80 tons

We then we’re off to Sakkara to view the burial grounds and learn about King Zoser’s step pyramid. Sakkara is a vast ancient burial grounds of Eqyptian paharohs and royals.

King Zoser’s step pyramid stands 60 meters high, is made of limestone and built 4700 years ago, is considered one of the oldest stone structures made by man.

After a great lunch at the Mena House we were off to see the Pyramids of Giza and the great Sphinx.

Lunch at the Mena House—tangine

Pyramids of Giza

Anne and I pose in front of the Grand Pyramid

The Sphinx was a symbol of strength—the face of a pharaoh on the body of a lion.

At the pyramids you could take a camel ride. Here they are ready to go.

Luxor Day 4

Our day began at 0500, where our group took a one hour flight to Luxor.

We then we’re off to see the impressive Karnak Temple. The size and display of power in the complex is daunting today and must have been overwhelming in ancient Egypt to any person who came to visit or worship. It is the largest ancient religious site in the world. 30 pharaohs contributed to construction of this site.

The entrance walls are close to 90 feet and the are 134 columns decorated with hieroglyphs. Amazingly many have vibrant colors that are over 3500 years old.

Egyptian Temples were used to worship the gods and to ensure the people knew the pharaohs were also gods associated with their gods.

This temple complex honors Amon, the god of fertility and growth; Mut, the wife of Amon, whose symbol is the vulture and Montu, the god of war.

The entrance to this area is lined with ram-headed sphinx statues.

A close up of one of the ram sphinxes at Karnak. The ram was a symbol of the god Amun and was the main god worshiped at The Great Temple of Karnak.

There are no blank spaces on these columns. The inscriptions were ordered by Ramesses II, and include his cartouches. Each of the 12 large columns show Ramesses making offerings to the gods, as you can see from this photo.

This is a colossal statue of Ramses III

Some of the 134 massive columns in 16 rows of the great hall. These are the 12 tallest columns that are 21 meters tall and are pictured here. The other columns are 10 meters tall. This is the Great Hypostyle Hall built by the command of the Pharaoh Seti I.

More detail of the largest columns.

This obelisk at the right, the Obelsik of Thutmosis, stands 97 feet tall and weighs 323 tons.

Room 203 on the AmaDahlia. We boarded the AmaDahlia very tired and hungry. Our room is 203. Here are some pictures:

Cuisine

Food and drinks are different on the AmaDahlia than compared to what we’re used to in Europe.

Every day each of the meal choices are on display when you enter the dining room. They are numbered and each meal is usually a little different in the offerings.

Breakfast offers several choices but no eggs Benedict or sparkling wine as in Europe. Here are some pictures of breakfast:

Breakfast breads we could select for our meal.

My omelette was very good.

A nice fruit selection for breakfast.

Lunch usually has 3 courses—a soup, 2 main dish items and dessert.

At lunch and dinner they display each dish that are numbered on the menu. It is a great system.

A good chicken dish.

An excellent desert.

Luxor Day 5

Valley of the Queens. We started the day in the Valley of the Queens to view Queen Nefertiti’s Tomb. These two pictures are of Queen Nefertiti’s Tomb. The paintings on the tomb depict her journey to the afterlife.

The protectors of the gates to the afterlife.

Nefertari seated (on the left)

Next was the Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple. This is the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut (1473-1458 BC). She is the queen who became a Pharaoh and was built to commemorate her achievements, as well as a santuary of the god Amon Ra..

Valley of the Kings . The last stop of a busy 5 hours tour day was the Valley of the Kings. We visited 3 tombs.

The first two pictures are of King Tutankhamen’s Tomb.

Ramses IX Tomb. The last tomb was the last of the Ramses, King Ramses IX. It was my favorite, as I could see the actual story of the King and his burial in the hieroglyphics.

Edfu Day 6

To get to the Temple of Horus, I rode this horse carriage

In the morning, we visited the Temple of Horus. This well preserved temple was dedicated to worship the falcon-headed god. Horus is the avenging son of Isis and Osiris. It is so well preserved as it was buried in sand and not distrubed.

The temple is one of the best preserved in Egypt. Every part is covered with intricate carvings that tell the story of battle of the gods. The temple was built between 237 to 57 BC.

The entrance way to the Temple of Horus stands 36 meter high. The reliefs on the walls show Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos holding his enemies by their hair before Horus before he is going to smash their skulls. This is a classic pose of the all powerful pharaoh.

One of the 2 huge granite statues of Horus as a falcon.

The sanctuary of Horus. The wooden boat (a replica) would be used to carry the gold statute of Horus during festivals.

After the visit we sailed to Aswan.

Sailing on the Nile River

My Final Thoughts

Wow—what an experience! It is incredible to see ancient history sites in person and travel with clients.

I think you can see why we are in the business—it just is awesome to help folks have a great vacation.

We hope you enjoyed this report.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

The Emotions of Travel

The Emotions of Travel

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

This has been a roller coaster year for travel.  Sadly, many have faced great hope of fun travel, exciting experiences and a great trip, only to have their hopes and plans dashed by the pandemic.

From a personal perspective, in most years we help 40--60 or more couples travel.  In 2021, our final count will be 8, yet many more were booked and had to cancel or delay their plans. 

The emotional toll of this is hard to put into words—we like to make dreams come true, not ruin them.  We feel this very deeply since there is little we can do but emphasize how sorry we are, try to move quickly to avert financial loss and provide the hope of a new trip experience to continue the dream.

Perhaps one of the hardest things we face is when circumstances beyond our control force us to make changes.

Even more devastating, besides the emotional loss, is when it also turns into a financial loss.

So, let’s explore together and learn about the emotions of travel and maybe some tips to limit financial loss in the uncertain travel environment we are faced with at present.  The tips are from a previous blog I wrote earlier this year and updated but seem even more relevant now.

The Emotions of Travel

We all love to dream.  Most of you can close your eyes and imagine a better place than you are presently experiencing (unless you currently are on a great vacation or at an awesome event).  

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.

Here is a radon sample of pictures showing some of the dreams listed above:

Inside the walled old town of Tallinn, Estonia, Anne captured in this photo a small tranquil alleyway. It is quite a contrast to the stark walls that surround the old town area.

How about a parade? Can you hear the music and drums pounding as costumed folks in the tiny country of San Marino march and play at noon?

The traditional way to make funnel cakes at a Christmas Markets stall in Budapest, Hungary. I’ll bet you can imagine how good this sweet treat is!

Even the nobility had to escape their duties of governing. This is the wonderful rose garden of Bamberg, Germany, located in northern Bavaria.

A spectacular picture of the city of lights, Paris France. Can you see yourself here?

Maybe you would like to visit the best palace ever built. This is the entrance to Versailles, France with the throngs of visitors who come here to see this opulent palace.

I think going to Europe, just makes you want to visit or see castles. Often they are located on impressive cliffs like Bled Castle overlooking Lake Bled in Bled, Slovenia.

The Acropolis of Athens built from 495-429 BC, is a symbol of Greek legacy and the foundations of democracy. Can you imagine walking the grounds that ancient civilizations utilized?

I think there are two emotions of travel—Anticipation and Expectations.

One of the best part of travel is your anticipation of going on a trip and the expectations of what you will experience.  Even as I write this, my mind often drifts to going on a river cruise, or visiting Europe or our upcoming trip to Egypt.  There is so much to see, do and experience, that 50 years’ worth of travel is just not enough—I want more!

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. 

Anticipation for Anne is Brugge—her tranquil spot in Europe to enjoy this medieval gem.

Now you should go and see what has been created or preserved to witness the amazing achievements and places created on our planet.

Expectations are a strong belief that something is going to happen.  The key word is belief.  We believe that an upcoming event or experience is going to be fun, boring, memorable, dull or just average.

I always expect to eat well in Europe and this is visual proof I usually do! Here is a Christmas day feast in 2016 Anne and I shared with our travel chums, Denise and Mark Thomas.

Our goal as travel advisors is to help you get travel experiences that exceed your expectations.  While this is usually possible, sometimes circumstances change so drastically, risk factors of travel exceed the anticipated benefit of a trip.

Travel Does Have Some Risks

In a perfect world, there never would be a problem when you travel—all would work seamlessly.

However, that is not the real world.  First, let me say I am the guy for who the glass is always half full, not half empty.  I accentuate the positive and minimize the negative.

Yet, this environment is different—currently in Europe, the risks at some locations outweigh the benefits of a visit but this should abate in 2022.  We have advised 4 clients to cancel their Christmas Markets river cruise trips in December, as the quality of the trip is not worth the benefit of just going—most Christmas Markets have been canceled, there will be minimal port stops on the traditional Upper Danube route. It sure is a lot of money to pay to spend most of your time on a ship instead of enjoying the amazing destinations on this route.

At the very minimum, we all (our clients and us) will suffer an emotional loss and some financial loss.  We also canceled our Europe River Cruise on the AmaMagna on the Danube but we are still planning to go on our Egyptian River Cruise.

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.  Some, even the best, will make poor decisions that will impact you.  We will continue to vet them, and honestly let you know who to use and who to avoid.  We will also advise when to cancel, even if it results in a financial loss of commissions for us.

2.     Don’t go it alone or try to use on-line travel agencies or booking sites.  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.  The main reason you will never see a booking engine on our website is exactly for this reason—we need to talk to you and really learn who you are and what you want in your travel plans.  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.  Buying from online vendors with non-refundable rates to save money is just too risky right now, or anytime really.  We can’t emphasize enough to carefully read the Terms and Conditions of the vendor.  One of our ways to help you is to clearly point out some key items and make sure when you make a deposit or full payment, you understand you have accepted the supplier’s Terms and Conditions.

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.  Also look at the quality of the travel experience—is just going since you want to get away, worth a poor quality trip?  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.  Also, don’t blame them for decisions beyond their control just because they are making the best of poor vendor decisions.  Remember, you chose to go in these difficult times.

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 but realistically asses if it is the right time—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.

My Final Thoughts

It is sad I had to write this, yet we are very hopeful this is the last time we will have to honestly report the downside of travel.  Trust me, it will get better and pretty much get back normal.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Thanksgiving 2021

There is a lot to be thankful for, despite all the challenges of 2021, especially in the travel business.

We wish you all a safe, wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving. May the rest of the year and 2022 be a great year for you and those important to you.

Here is a picture of Anne and Hank (it is one of Anne’s favorite pictures of us together) on a AmaWaterways river cruise on the Rhone River on Thanksgiving Day.

As you can see, we are toasting you, our family, friends, and clients—you have made our lives better by knowing you!

Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Anne and Hank

Packing Light--My Packing Challenge

Packing Light—My Packing Challenge

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

As I’m sure we have all experienced, packing the correct item but not taking too much is one of the hardest challenges for most folks when we travel.  We all want to over-pack for that just in case scenario which leads to over-packing but do you really need all those clothes and items?

Taking less also presents at least 2 other challenges—looking nice or even professional and facing different seasons of the year.

It even gets worse when you have to go on a trip in the winter to Europe and then go to Egypt in a warm weather climate.  We are about to take 2 river cruises at both locations—strange but true!

So here is the challenge for me—use my new 22” carry-on luggage and my trusted leather Tumi second piece of luggage to bring enough to handle 21 days of travel, in 2 climate conditions, look reasonably professional during part of the trip, and easily get my 2 pieces of luggage on a train, since large suitcases often pose a storage problem.

I do realize that it is much more difficult for women than men, as I don’t wear make-up, need several pair of shoes to look proper—you get the idea.

So, let’s explore together and learn if it is going to work for me!

What are Some Reasons for Over Packing?

I think the first and most obvious reason is the “just in case” approach to packing.  It is the planning for the absolute worst case scenario.  Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have the motto ”Be Prepared” and that means for everything, not the most likely situation.

I also think you can’t ignore the comfort factor of having a lot of different clothes to choose from—less stress because you didn’t make hard choices before the trip.

Maybe the often overlooked reason, is that you may have bought new clothes especially for the trip and just can’t leave it home.

In reality it is a departure from your comfort zone—I can always just go to the closet at home, so if I bring it I will feel more secure.  It reduces stress and anxiety—let’s face it sometimes travel is stressful but so rewarding and just a little something extra brings us comfort.

So understanding these concerns, can I pare down my clothes, look reasonably professional, be warm and feel comfortable? 

I think I can, so here is my game plan.

Some Good Rules for Packing Light

The most obvious is you are not going to wear 1 item 1 time on the trip.  My goal is to get at least 2 uses of each item such as shirts and pants.  I will definitely need more shirts (top layers) than pants.  3 times wearing a piece of clothing or more is a bonus.

No more than 3 pair of shoes.

Anything that can do double duty such as a shirt that would look good during the day and could be worn at night in more dressy situations and still look good for both parts of the trip means I can cut at least one piece of clothing.

I must have clothes that make me look professional or at least not sloppy or inappropriate.

My clothes must also not offend anyone due to cultural norms.

Landry is my friend—it means less clothes and fresh clothes, which it is great thing, so I have to bring clothes that can be washed and dried without causing any damage to them.  It will most likely get me into the bonus area of 3 or more uses on the trip.

I can’t suffer being uncomfortable just to save space—no more freezing nights in horrible weather like it was sometimes in the military.

If it is a toss up to bring or not to bring don’t bring it—be mentally tough and make the hard decisions early.  The advice I have often read is lay out everything you might want to bring and cut it by one-half.  I’m not sure I totally agree with this but I like the principle. I am a partial fan of the idea not to bring it if you only will use it once—evaluate the event—for example, even if you only use your swim suit once, it is probably better than a pair of shorts that becomes too revealing.

Don’t worry about looking perfect—just look good and be comfortable.

Pack early—reduce your stress.

You need a good packing list. I use the Packing Pro App, so i won’t forget things. I also play around with where each items goes, in the vest, the Tumi or the suitcase as it is amazing how often I forget.

Don’t be foolish and bring so little you will hate what you brought. Just go to a bigger suitcase.

A Closer Look at My 2 Pieces of Luggage

I’m using a new carry-on luggage from Solguard. (A quick disclaimer here—I don’t get any rewards from the makers of either piece of luggage or am I not affiliated with them in any fashion).  It is 22 inches and on the inside has what they call a closet insert.  The concept is at arrival you don’t have to unpack—just hand the expanding insert up in the closet or from the handle with the suitcase open.  Here are a couple of photos:

The real question is will it work?

My new luggage empty

The design allows me to open it up and hang in a closet or use it with the suitcase open.

The inside insert part of the luggage. On the left is the fully loaded insert. On the right the insert is empty with the laundry bag.

My carry on is a leather Tumi we bought in Brugge.  Trust me, they are proud of Tumi luggage and it is very pricey, but it sure does look cool.  The true goal of any really light traveler would be to bring only this small luggage piece, but the truth is it just doesn’t work except for ultra-minimalists.  Here is a photo:

My pricey Tumi leather luggage bag

Electronics and Essentials

It goes without saying, you will need some electronics.

My electronics bag (orange net bag) , my toilet kit, my binoculars and the European power strip to charge my electronics,

I bring a digital camera, a head lamp, my IPad, charger cords for my phone and IPad, my fit bit charger and a halo back up battery.

Packing 101 for Europe in the Winter for a River Cruise

As most of you know, river cruises have an informal dress code.  During the tours, trousers, shirts and appropriate warm weather gear are the norm.  So, I have 2 challenges that may require different types of clothes—the daytime activities and the daily night dinner onboard.

The Tours and Daytime

I need to stay warm but still look presentable.  So I need 21 days’ worth of clothes.  This is going to require some hard choices.

Let’s start with the outer layers.  I am going to bring a light weight down jacket, my weather proof rain jacket, gloves, a scarf, a knit hat and my splurge item my special made hat from Germany. I sure wouldn’t need any of these items in the summer or even late Spring or Early Fall. Here is a photo:

My outer wear for Winter in Europe

As everyone advises you, dress in layers to help preserve warmth.  For me, that means at least 2 long sleeve long john type underwear shirts.  Since my legs seldom get cold, no long john’s for my legs.  I also plan to bring my travel vest full of pockets as my inside layer and not bring a fleece vest.

The most flexible part is the pants and daily shirts.  I’m going with 2 rather light weight cargo pants type garments.  I’m going with 4 daytime shirts but 2 could be used for night time.

I will take 2 pair of shoes for day wear—my sandals I wear everywhere and my running shoes with 4-5 pair of socks.

The Dinner Meal

During the evening, many but not all get a little more dressed up.  I always like to wear a jacket to dinner for 2 reasons.  First, as a professional travel advisor, I think my appearance is important.  Second, and perhaps the best reason, the dinner meal is a usually special 4-6 course meal, and I think honoring the time it takes to serve these meals deserves a little effort on my part to dress appropriately.

So, what is the game plan for these meals?  I plan to take 1 Sports Coat, 5 dress shirts and 2 different pair of pants, and one pair of shoes.  While I usually take 2 Sports Coats, this trip will be limited to just one.  I just alternate my slacks, wear each shirt twice, so I look different each night.

My dinner clothes—2 pr slacks, 2 shirts (in the middle that can be worn dressy or for day wear and 3 shirts that could go with a tie,

My one pair of dress shoes are also very comfortable.  I could easily wear them during the day with the slacks if I want to dress up a little.

Egypt River Cruise

I will need some really light weight shirts to add to the 2 pair of light wight cargo pants.

I have combination of short sleeve (middle of photo) and long sleeve shirts

I would not need the short sleeve shirts if we weren’t going to Egypt and the light weight long sleeve shirts are to prevent sunburn. I would probably cut out 4-5 shirts if I was only going in the winter in Europe.

Did it Work?

So how did I do—I managed to get almost all in my new carry-on suitcase. It weights 29.8 pounds or 13.5 kg. It is a little too stuffed and I also put the clothes I plan to wear inside the suitcase, so I have some adjustments,

It is really stuffed but the compression straps got it all compressed so I could get it closed. I tried to get as much as possible in but realize there is slightly too much, so I will learn and adjust.

I will also carry a clean set of clothes in the Tumi, that will come out from the carry-on. The Tumi will have my electronics bag, my Ipad, my hearing aid bag, my raincoat, my small binoculars, my camera and my sandals.

One concern is wrinkled clothes. With the outer wear, should be easy to hide.

My Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report.  Packing is quite a challenge and after 50 years, I still probably don’t have it right, but I keep trying to refine and get it better than last trip.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Veteran's Day 2021

Veteran’s Day 2021

Hank Schrader, USMA '71

As always during the week of 11 November, I write about Veteran’s Day.

In the past, I have written about my family members and service to our nation, about the history of Veteran’s Day and my West Point Class of 1971’s many contributions to the defense of our country.

This time I plan to write about the common bond soldiers share, some misunderstandings about service in the military but most of all a tribute to our service men and women during my lifetime.

So, let’s explore together and learn about my thoughts and experiences of the military during my lifetime!

Service during the Vietnam War

When I entered the military at 17 at West Point, the war in Vietnam was increasingly more on the minds of Americans.  We baby boomers were a restless lot, often represented by the rock music of the Summer of Love in 1967.  I spent the summer of love at Beast Barracks, learning the way of becoming a cadet and soldier.  I promise you, it was not a fun as many others of my age.

From 1968 on, the Vietnam War just tore the country apart.  There were huge protest marches, some violent incidents and sadly, some of our citizens took out their frustration with our government’s problems on the active duty soldiers.

I often tell a story about my Mom’s experience in 1970.  My Dad was the Commanding General of the 18th Engineer Brigade, as a one star general at that time, serving in Vietnam.  It was his third combat tour, having already served during WW II and Korea. I was a cadet at West Point.

My Dad’s Command Photo during his service in Vietnam. He had been promoted to a Major General when this photo was taken.

Our next door neighbor, was a junior in college, and asked my Mom if she could let a bunch of her friends stay at our home for an upcoming weekend.  Without thinking why they were visiting Liz, my Mom said sure.  Later in the day, she called up Liz and asked why so many were coming to visit.  They were there to protest the war in Vietnam.  She politely explained to Liz her husband was deployed and at war.

This story is a microcosm of events of that era—neighbors didn’t have the same beliefs and the service members and their families often suffered.  Some men wore wigs to hide their short hair.  Others were spat upon, or had items thrown on them.  Sometimes, service members were not permitted to wear their uniforms off base.  It was a sad state of affairs.

Transition from 1973 to 1980

Slowly the war faded from memory and the news.  By 1975, Vietnam was under Communist rule after North Vietnam fell.  The draft ended.  Gradually respect for the military returned but many questioned if all the loss of life of good soldiers was worth the effort in Vietnam.

We almost had to intervene in the Yom Kippur War in October of 1973 when Israel was attacked by Arab force (it was the 4th conflict between these two forces).  Trust me, there was a plan but we didn’t have to go.

But even in these transitional times, the military regrouped and confronted our advisories in Korea, and Europe.  Many soldiers stood watch at contested borders to ward off aggression of the Russians and North Korean forces.  There were many miserable days and nights as they stood watch and most of our citizens have no idea what they went through.  It is hard to comprehend for those living in comfort in the US.

Then the Iran Revolution of 1979 brought a significant change in the Middle East--the rise of Fundamentalism Islam rulers.  52 Americans were taken hostage and held until the 20 January Inauguration of our new President in 1981. 

Suddenly, the military was important to our country.  One of the plights of serving in the military is we are often ignored until trouble brews and then, like in the movies, we destroy our adversaries in a couple of days.  It is a common misconception and not the real world.  It is never as easy as you see in the movies.  Sometimes you get the fear, the lack of sleep, and the harsh conditions but seldom is it like the dirty world soldiers fight, die and operate in during conflicts.

On 24 April 1980, the military attempted a rescue, known as Operation Eagle Claw, where one civilian and 8 service members died.  Some of my class mates were part of that operation.  This is the real world—a risky operation that didn’t work but courageously carried out by a combined combat force of our service members. This is the real world soldiers live in during their service.

The 1980s

By now, the services were growing stronger with the all-volunteer services.  Units got better, equipment improved and doctrine was refined.

In one of the ultimate ironies, I was on the invasion list of Operation Just Cause, the invasion by the US of Panama to overthrow Noriega. Many of my classmates served in high ranking positions in the 7th ID (my unit), the 75th Rangers and the 82nd Airborne. I never deployed. So, what is the ironic fact—I was stationed 3 years in Panama and now I was going to invade a country I spent 3 years in the military!

Perhaps, no single event tells the story of that era like the fall of Berlin Wall.  It was the symbolic end of the Cold War.  I actually have a small concrete piece of the wall—not worth much money wise, but to me, it represents a lot.  We did our job.

The bricks in this road was where the Berlin Wall once stood

The Service Ethos

Another misconception, we are not braggarts, who love to tell war stories. It is my opinion, that most serve with little fanfare, do their duty and don’t really expect any real recognition except by their peers, or during extraordinary bravery, a medal.  To most, it is about their comrades and how they worked together, usually in harsh conditions, at the will of our civilian leaders.

 Many combat veterans really don’t revel in telling war stories—they are proud of what they did, but also realize the sacrifice of war, as many of their buddies didn’t come home.  They are not a number like you see on the news—they were people who had a family who will never be the same.  These folks never forget these losses.  You usually have to drag it out of them, as they prefer to not brag—it is a humble tribute to all for their collective efforts.  Many don’t understand why their buddies died and they were spared.

It is also about the bond that few really get to experience and it is why so many prior service folks are instantly comfortable with other military folks—they don’t have to explain their experiences, or worry about the barracks humor or exposing their real feelings because the others understand—they often feel the same. 

In the civilian world, they call it about protecting your friends back; in the military we call it protecting your 6—a reference to your 6 point of contact in a parachute landing, which is your butt!  We often use a lot of jargon, foreign to others, but quite meaningful to us.

We often do revel in telling funny stories about how we were in the wrong uniform, or got lost during training and fixed it, or just learn to accept our fate in the harsh training of boot camp or Beast Barracks at West Point. Molding service members into a cohesive unit often requires bizarre events in the life of a new soldier and they are so strange and memorable that they become great stories, sometimes embellished a little for even a little more dramatic effect.

The 1990s to 2021

We won a huge victory in the 1991 Gulf War with a coalition of 28 nations. The majority of the forces were American, but it was also the rise of more fundamental unrest in what many in the military call the sand countries (primarily Iran and Afghanistan) after we toppled the regime in Iran.  Suddenly, our country in mass seemed to respect our military.

On September 11, 2001, with the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, our country united and it lead to the invasion of Afghanistan. 

By 2003, we were at war again in the Second Persian Gulf War, which was largely a British-American invasion of Iraq.

20 years later, it seems we finally are at peace after surges, countless deployments, and a lot of lost soldiers.

The cost to these soldiers has been horrific—according to a report in NPR, we have lost 7,057 service members who died during military operations since 9/11.  During this same period, active duty and veterans of these conflicts have reached 4 times that number—it now stands at 30,177. 

This is a real struggle and I don’t have a real solution but many organizations and government programs are trying to address this serious problem.  Perhaps now you understand how stressful it is to serve in our nation’s military, especially at time of war.

My Final Thoughts

I hope in some small way I have communicated what it has been like in the military for the last 54 or so years.

As it has been said by others, we didn’t just read about history—we made it.

We protected our country, and obeyed the orders of our superiors and civilian leaders.

Most never sought much recognition—it is a quite pride of a job well done.  Many suffered and still are suffering.

We should do more to help them.

Every time you enjoy the wonderful life most of us live in this country, our freedoms, our rights, and the chance for a better life, just remember someone, somewhere is standing watch to protect us.  Many service members think it was and is an honor to serve our country.

On this Veteran’s Day, may we remember those who watch over us.  We should be proud of our protectors—it is not an easy job.

We still have many problems to solve but that is what a democracy is all about—trying to reach a consensus.  It is a messy process but you can feel assured about one thing—our armed forces are ready to protect us when needed.

I hope I have told their story in a way that will make you reflect on the true meaning of Veteran’s Day.

May we never forget to honor these brave men and women!

Maj (Ret.) Henry “Hank Carl Schrader, Jr

Thank You

By Hank Schrader

My regular Thursday blog is going to be very short this week. Anne and I are driving up to Dallas-Ft. Worth to attend the Army Air Force game in the Rangers home stadium.

I’ve been to countless Army football games but that is not the reason it will be special, even though it is against another service academy. We love each other 364 days a year except for 3 hours during the game—that’s what makes these rivalries so neat—we wind up defending our country together as brothers and sisters in arms.

My 1967 picture as a plebe (freshman) at West Point

It’s my class of 1971 West Point 50 year reunion. I’m sure I’ll see a few guys I haven’t seen in 50 years. That will be special and I owe a lot of them thanks. We laughed, cried suffered, triumphed and managed to make it through 47 months together from 1967 to 1971.

We quickly learned to help one another just to survive. I owe a great deal of thanks to those who helped me and pushed me to get better.

The same goes for my Army career. An Army Officer never does it alone—you lead but it is a team and I owe a great deal to the officers, NCOs and soldiers I served with in my 20 years. Many shaped me, helped me and trusted me the lead them and helped me grow and become a better person and soldier.

Along the way, I have another person to say thank you to—my lovely wife Martha Anne Schrader. Growth comes from partnership, trust and her unwavering way of challenging me. I often seem to fight it but she is about 99.9% right. Thank you dear—I often need it and you have given my life purpose. In short, you Rock! I try to say thank you every day to her but I’m sure I missed a few, so to make up thanks for making my life better.

Next my school and coaching career. No finer thing can be said about teaching and coaching—you influence lives but again they all must trust you and allow you to help them grow up. Thanks for giving me the chance to teach and coach—we did it together but you had to let me have the chance.

Last but not least, thank you to all who have trusted us with their vacations. You have made our business great but it has always been a team effort.

We should all say thank you more. I’m sure I’ll miss saying it to someone I should have this weekend.

Maybe they will read this and remember I meant to say it but didn’t.

Again, thanks to all! I will try hard to say in person to everyone I see this weekend, but if I miss you know I still thank you! If you only read it—that’s OK also!

Please say thank you to someone today to make up for those I missed along the way!

THANK YOU TO All!!

Hank

Spooky River Cruise Ports and Places

Spooky River Cruise Ports

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Halloween is this Sunday 31 October 2021.

I thought you might enjoy some spooky places you could visit while on a river cruise.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Halloween—you won’t be disappointed!

The Origins of Halloween

According to the website of History.com, Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, in which folks would build huge bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

In the 8th Century, when Pop Gregory declared that November 1st was All Saints Day, the time to honor and remember all the Saints.

Over time some of the traditions of Samhain were incorporated into the All Saints Day and the evening before was called All Hallows Eve.

Now, the celebration has become the traditions we observe today and we enjoy dressing up in costumes, kids and adults get to trick-or-treat and we all are reminded of scary places in the world.

Rhine River Spooky Places

Rheinfels Castle, in the Rhine River Gorge, was the largest castle in this wonderful collection of 40 castles.  While most is in ruins today, it had an extensive maze works of tunnels that the defenders could use to make surprise attacks on any enemy forces if the castle was under attack.

Rheinfels Castle ruins has a series of tunnels and catacombs that legend says have perished soldiers ghosts haunting these ruins.

The spooky facts are many ghosts of these defenders are said to still roam these areas, as explosive accidents and actual seizes cause them to lose their lives.  Paranormal investigators claim there are shadows and unexplained activity in the foundations, especially the catacombs area.  You can actually stay here if desire or like me, just enjoy the view while sailing the Rhine River Gorge.

Further down the Gorge area Reichstein Castle is another haunted place.

Reichstein Castle is said to be haunted by a ghost of a previous lord of the castle who was beheaded

According to the legend, a headless ghost wanders the castle.

Here is the story—in the 16th century, the Holy Roman Emperor, ordered the lord of the castle and his 9 sons hanged.  The lord of the castle, offered his executioners a deal—if they chopped of his head and he managed to walk past his 9 sons headless, then they were to be spared.

His head was cut off, but he managed to walk past all 9 sons before tumbling to the ground.  He saved his sons, but still roams the grounds.

Mauseturn Toll Tower

Mauseturn Toll Tower is another spooky place,

The legend of this tower is that the Archbishop of Mainz, Hatto, collected a corn tithe from the river barges. After one year of bad harvest, peasants came asking for grain.

He sent the peasants to the storage barn, locked then in and burned it down.

All died except the mice, who chased Hatto to the Mauseturn (mice tower) and ate him alive. It is empty today.

Lorelei Rock, a bend in the Rhine River south of St. Goarshausen, is another spooky place.

The legend is of a siren who lures sailors to their doom in this most dangerous part of the Rhine.  Here is the story—a beautiful maiden fell in love with a sailor, they became lovers, and he promised to return for her.  She waited faithfully for his return on a rock at the narrowest and shallowest point of this part of the Rhine River.

He never returned and she jumped off the rock to her death. 

The legend now says her spirit sits on the rock, combing her beautiful hair, and softly singing.  The spirit seeks revenge against her unfaithful lover.  Sailors are so enchanted with her beauty, they become distracted and either crash or perish in these dangerous waters.

Moselle River Spooky Places

Reichsburg is another spooky place, but doesn’t look spooky.

Cochem Castle

The tower just in front of the big square tower keep, that is white stone and a pointed roof is the Witches Tower.

Standing on a hill 300 feet above the town of Cochem, this elaborately restored castle (it was destroyed by the French in 1689) is a fun and interesting visit.  Many river cruise companies visit this castle.

The original castle, whose first purpose like many others on the rivers of Germany was to collect tolls, was rebuilt from 1868 to 1890.

While not authentic, it is still cool—great vistas, interesting rooms, perhaps most importantly, at first glance, it is an impressive structure and I enjoyed visiting it. 

What makes it spooky, is the Witches Tower, the oldest part of the original castle.  In medieval times it was used as a witchcraft trail place.  The horrible way to determine if she was a witch or not was to throw the lady out of a window.  If they died, they were given a Christian burial, since they were not a witch!

Harsh times, and very spooky!

Danube River Spooky Places

Braun Castle

In Romania, Braun Castle guards the strategic pass between Transylvania and Wallachia and is renowned as home to Vlad the Impaler, or as most folks want to remember him, as Dracula’s castle.

Most of this legend comes from the novel of Dracula, but the castle is supposed to belong to Vlad, although he perhaps spent 2 months at best here. Not really his castle, but it’s good enough for me—it is still a cool castle! 

We visited on a rainy day and after going in the strong castle doors, to get to the main floors, we had to go up the very tight, windy stairway that spiraled in a spooky fashion.

The castle rooms look quite lived in, since they have been remodeled several times, but with passage ways and small connecting rooms, it is a fun visit.

Next is the lonely Danube castle of Baba Vida in Bulgaria.  This castle is named after Vida, the daughter of a wealthy Bulgarian boyar. 

According to the legend, due to the unsuccessful marriages of her two sisters—Kula and Gamza, Vida rejected all proposals for marriage, built the castle and remained in it for the rest of her life as the protector of Vidin.  It is said her ghost roams the castle and grounds, serving to ward of enemies and evil doers of the world and the world of spirits.

Somehow, knowing the legend, and seeing this small but well-constructed castle, I could easily see her spirit standing in defense of the invading Turks.

Baba Vida castle is a common stop by many river cruise lines while sailing the lower Danube, and Braun Castle is a common post cruise land extension.

Nile River Spooky Places

Last, but not least, is the “Curse of the Nile.”  King Tut’s tomb was discovered untouched in the Valley of the Kings.  The leader of the expedition, late in 1922, the British archaeologist Howard Carter, discovered the tomb, along with the 5th Lord of Carnarvon, who financed the project.  It was full of treasures and an amazing discovery.

The news of the discovery quickly became a worldwide press sensation.  As one sensational story followed another, some writers began to tell of the Curse of the Pharaohs.

New York World magazine published the best-selling novelist Marie Corelli’s speculations that “the most dire punishment follows any rash intruder into a sealed tomb”

Then It was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous author of Sherlock Holmes fame who started the speculation when he told the American press that ‘an evil elemental’ spirit created by priests to protect the mummy” and thus was born the legend of the curse of the Nile.

When first the Lord died suddenly and then Howard Carter died next, the legend now persists to today and has been the source for many horror movies.

Visits to the Egyptian Museum and the Valley of the Kings are common on many Nile River Cruises

My Final Thoughts

Wow—Spooky Places 

We hope you enjoyed this report—but be careful out there this Halloween and during your various river cruise trips—we don’t want and ghost or spirits spooky you!.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Part 2: A Great Time to River Cruise

Part 2: A Great Time to River Cruise

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

This is part 2 of A Great Time to River Cruise.

Neil and Ginnie just finished a 14 Day Danube River Cruise.  They sailed starting on 26 September 2021 and ended their cruise on 10 October 2021.

Neil and Ginnie

She is such a good writer and so honest, I ask her permission to use her thoughts and put them into a question and answer format, just like part 1 of A Great Time to River Cruise.

We are also using their pictures to document their journey!

So, let’s explore together and learn about Ginnie’s thoughts in her own Words—you won’t be disappointed!

“The overall travel experience on our 14 day Grand Danube Cruise with AMA Waterways was superb!”

Question # 1:  What did you think about your Stateroom?

“Our stateroom was great.  We had a veranda and a balcony - what a pleasure it was to sit out and watch the Danube flow by.  We often saw groups of swans in the Danube.

  The rooms are not big but are very well designed.  We slept well - the bed was really comfortable.” 

Art on the AmaVerde

Question #2:  What was your thoughts about the Cruise Director and the Crew?

“Our cruise Directors, Pau (Upper Danube) and Florentin (lower Danube), were outstanding.  They gave presentations on all the excursions so that we could pick the right one for us, which was very helpful.   

We were always kept informed of any changes, issues, etc.  They were both positive, upbeat and fun and brought a sense of adventure and excitement to the cruise.

I can't say enough positive about the staff we interacted with, mainly in the dining room.  It was wonderful to meet so many from other countries and talk with them. 

The professionalism of the service in every area (dining room, lounge, chef's table, etc.) was impressive.

My husband and I sat at the same table for every meal (one of the COVID protocols) and our server was Andy at every meal.  He was fantastic - I think he could read our minds on what we needed!

The staff seemed thrilled to be working and enjoying having travelers on board again.

Our room was also kept neat and spotless - I certainly felt that I was in a high end hotel room (albeit a rather small one - LOL!)

Narcis was the crew member taking care of our room and his housekeeping was 1000% better than mine. I will miss the chocolate on my pillow every night.

We never met any of the engineering crew - the ones who keep the ship going!  But I have to thank them - the cruise was smooth and easy.

When we experienced some wind towards the end in the lower Danube, the ship remained stable --this was important to me because I get seasick really easily - and I had no problem at all.”

Question # 3:  How was the food and wine during your cruise?

“The food and wine were outstanding.  At every meal there was an extensive menu of choices so everyone will find something wonderful to eat. 

We also dined a couple of times at the "Chef's Table", where the Chef cooked a special meal for a small group of people - it was fabulous. 

I'm depressed thinking about going back to my own home cooking!!  The wine served at the Chef's Table perfectly complemented the food.  What a unique experience!

At dinner we were always offered a red or white wine, and the wine steward provided details about each wine. 

I should also mention that the portions were reasonable.  I had recently lost 15 pounds and didn't want to get stuffed with food on the cruise.  I was able to eat extremely well and even enjoy desserts (ice cream being a favorite) and not gain weight. 

 Of course, if someone wants a lot more, that's completely possible - you can order as much as you want.  You want 5 desserts or 3 main courses - go for it!” 

Question# 4:  Did you feel safe during your 14 day cruise?

“Safety - both from a ship/sailing perspective and COVID were primary areas of focus by the Captain, Cruise Director, and crew members.

I recall talking to the Captain when we experienced some windy weather in the lower Danube for a couple of days.  He did a superb job navigating through that area.  He told me that he'd been on boats since he was 3 years old with his dad!

With respect to COVID, there were many protocols in place to keep us safe.

Every morning our temperature was taken.

Everyone on the ship was vaccinated. 

We had to mask when walking through the ship and could only take it off when sitting to eat.

AMA also arranged for 2 COVID tests which were required by countries we were entering. 

Everything went extremely smoothly - and everyone tested negative!”

Question # 5:  We always tell potential clients that the primary reason to go on a river cruise is to see and do things.  Did the included excursions meet your expectations—did you get to see and do things?

“A choice of excursions was available in each location.  These included bike tours, hikes, and walking tours.  Walking tours were available for regular and gentle walkers. 

The local guides who took us on the tours were professional and knowledgeable.  Some were also hysterically funny.

In Passau I decided to be adventurous and hike up to a fortress - it was tough but I made it. The view was superb and I was able to get some wonderful pictures.   

My husband is more athletic than I am - he went on several bike tours and also he would often run through the local city in the early evening - he really enjoyed that.”

Question # 6:  A river cruise entertainment is quite different than big ocean cruises.  Would you please comment on the evening entertainment?

“On a few occasions we had special evening entertainment or events.

My husband Neil enjoyed a wine tasting event.   

We had an "Oktoberfest event" in Vilshofen to kick off the cruise.  Five guys in lederhosen-- I honestly thought it would be corny - but it was so fun!  Everyone was rocking and rolling!

Beer on demand.  :-)  

Another event was Serbian dancers.  Again, I thought it would be corny - but their dancing and moves were amazing   I'm 69 with a bad knee so I could only dream of doing the moves they did.” 

Question # 7:  What did you think about the cruise itinerary?

“Cruising the Danube was a beyond superb experience.

The Danube is a calm river and it was relaxing and peaceful to cruise along.  We loved seeing amazing places --castles and fortresses, older cities with unique architecture, the Wachau Valley (very special and beautiful), the Iron Gates, - too many to name here.”

The Village of Durnsteim

The Path up from the Danube to Durstein

Bratislava Statue

Bratislava Fortress

Church in the Iron Gates

Decbalus, the last prince Dracians (87-106). It is 40 meters high in the Iron Gates area.

Golubac Castle

“The visits to wonderful cities, both large and small, were fabulous - including Vienna, Budapest, Vilshofen-- too many to mention here.--We learned so much about the history of Europe. “

Hofburg Palace

The Name of Mary Church in Novi Sad, Serbia with its famous Zsolnay ceramic roof.

Budapest Parliament

Fisherman’s Bastion Budapest

Uncle Charlie Statue in Budapest—rubbing his stout belly is believed to bring you good luck!

Question # 8:  Do you have anything to add that our readers might benefit from your experience?

“I’d like to give a special thanks to Hank Schrader!

When we first started thinking about a river cruise, trying to sort our way through all the various cruise lines and itineraries, it was daunting.  Neither of us had ever done a river cruise.

My husband found Hank's website "Dream Destinations"--and we got in touch with him.  His deep experience and personal knowledge of cruises helped to guide us to pick AMA Waterways.

To be honest, I'd never heard of them before.  Hank takes the time to understand who you are, and what you want in your travel experience.  He listened to us and gave us his thoughts and recommendations.  

He NEVER "pushes product".  He genuinely cares about his clients and wants them to have a fabulous cruise experience.  He helps you work through any challenges to find the right solution.  He is fast and flexible, and always available. “ 

My Final Thoughts

Wow—what a report! 

I think you can see why we are in the travel business and specialize in Europe vacations and European River Cruises—it just is awesome to help folks have a great vacation.

We hope you enjoyed this report.  Ginnie you are a ROCK STAR!!! 

Perhaps, like Ginnie and Neil, you will love the chance to try the river cruise experience, then use us to help guide you and ultimately buy a future cruise credit after you finish your first river cruise, so you can go again. 

I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this report and, as we always say. Thanks for your trust in us!

Thanks Neil and Ginnie for your trust in us!

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Stress and Travel

Stress and Travel

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Is it just me, or do you feel a lot of stress and uncertainty in travel today?

Do you long for the good old days of travel, maybe even before the 9/11 attacks?

Even in uncertain times, a new normal emerges.  Yet we can manage travel stress and perhaps this blog will help.

So, let’s look at travel stress.  We will begin by asking ourselves 3 questions about travel stress, then look at time stress during travel, and finally the stress of planning your trip by yourself.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before the Trip to Help Reduce Stress

As a coach and retired Army Officer, the most successful folks always seem to have a plan to adjust to problems.  I like to think of this as 3 possible outcomes.  They are

1.      What is the worse that could happen during my trip?

2.     What is the best that could happen during my trip?

3.     What is the most likely to happen during my trip?

Planning For the Worse

I don’t like to dwell on the negative, but problems do arise during travel and if you don’t have a plan, your stress levels often go through the roof.  So, if you can’t eliminate potential problems—what can you do to mitigate them?

First, evaluate your risk for medical problems, trip interruption and/or trip cancellation.  The most obvious answer is travel insurance.  To help remove that stress factor, we always travel with insurance and recommend our clients also do so. Once you have your travel insurance, just make sure you know how to contact the provider if an emergency comes up.

COVID-19 issues are a big concern for both domestic and international travelers (much more internationally), but just some simple steps can really reduce this stress.

 First, get vaccinated and have proof.  Second, have a digital copy and a paper copy of your vaccination.  Get a PCR test 72 hours before you depart overseas.  Load up a QR code on your smart phone.  Wear a mask when required.

This is our mobile hot spot. You can rent these or buy it as we have.

In our recent trip to Europe in August 2021, we learned we could reduce our stress by bringing some items to deal with these challenges. First, a smart phone and back-up power supply charger for all our electronics. Second, our own hot spot internet connection device. Third, Anne carries all our documents in a passport/wallet type purse that is relatively easy to carry everywhere.

This is my travel vest. Lots of pockets that zip up.

I am also dusting off an old idea—seems like a great time to start bringing my travel vest, with multiple zipper pockets. This solves having to carry a lot of extra things and have a place for each item.

Transportation hassles.  Airport delays and cancellations are the most often cited by travelers as huge stress factors.  Another problem, while not common, is rail strikes in Europe.  So, what do you do?

Air—make sure you buy a ticket with a no-change fee.  We always look for a direct flight to our destination, especially to Europe—less chance for a problem.  But the most important, don’t make the travel time so close to the key events (like a river cruise sailing)—allow a day or 2 extra.

Train—how can you get there by alternate means, a different route or maybe air, a bus or car?  Could you stay an extra day or 2 and then get to your destination?

Unfamiliar Places.  This one may be the easiest of all—just line up your transfers, hotels and maybe even a language APP.  Or, better yet use us, our guides, and most of all, our experience.  It also helps if you look at it from the perspective it will be great new experiences instead of being potentially scary.

Almost all of these problems seem a lot worse than they actually are—trust me we have faced them all and still love to travel, even in these uncertain times.

Planning for the Best

Not many worries here, but just don’t rush things.  A reasonable plan means time to see the key sights, but down time to just explore something new that pops up or to just chill.  Changing cities every day works when you are 21 and eager to see it all.  It just doesn’t work at your 60’s and later.

Planning for the Most Likely

The key is to eliminate the worst as much as possible and make the plan for the best more likely.  I promise you, stress almost goes away when you get the plan just right.  A little tip—use us and it will almost all go away!

Time Stressors for Travelers

There are many time stresses when you travel.  Moving from one place to another in an uncomfortable or rushed manner is often a big stress factor and can make the trip really horrible.

We love train travel in Europe. It has a lot of advantages, especially, high speed train (almost all require an advanced reservation). They are more environmentally friendly than short flights, avoids security checks at airports and a couple of hours waiting for the flight to take off. With a train, you just hop on, and find your seat.

But even these advantages has challenges. Boarding the trains with too much luggage is always a challenge—short boarding times, limited storage space on the train can turn a great method of travel into a stress filled event.

One solution—take twice as much money and half as less clothes. We never have really gotten there but are getting closer.

Even great ideas of train travel can go bad, as the following story will explain how we caused a lot of unnecessary stress on an overnight train.

A Rookie Mistake—A Poor Overnight Train Story

Let me share a story about traveling way back in 1990—we were in Europe during the World Cup soccer tournament.  To save money, we decided to take an overnight train from Paris to Amsterdam.  It was our first time on an overnight train in Europe.

Seemed like a great idea—we would save one nights hotel cost.  The only problem was that our sleeping compartment was not for us alone—when we got on the train we found we were sharing the compartment with 2 strangers from Argentina who were following their soccer team.  It was a very uncomfortable situation to say the least, but luckily since I am fluent in Spanish, we were able to communicate our discomfort and work out who would sleep where.

The train was not air-conditioned or it was not working, so our options were a very hot night of little or no sleep or constant screeching noises with the windows open as other trains roared past us.

When we finally arrived the next morning and found a hotel in a smaller town outside of Amsterdam, we slept for a whole day.  And to add to our discomfort, we both had heat rashes on our legs. 

So folks, we saved some bucks, but lost almost 2 days of our trip.  This is poor travel and our stress levels were through the roof.

 Now we still use overnight trains on occasions but have learned to carefully research all the details and levels of service—a great lesson learned!

Hotel Stressers

Another time stressor is searching for the right hotel.  If you are winging it, this can be another problem.  If you expect a certain level of accommodations, you could be aced out.  

Also consider noise—we once stayed in a very wonderful little village but it was less than 50 meters from the train tracks. You guessed it, all night long we heard constant trains screaming along the tracks. Here is a photo of how pretty it was:

What a wonderful German Village but a hotel too close to the train tracks will often result in a poor night’s sleep, even with ear plugs!

Another stress factor is spending too much or being located in an unsafe part of town—trust me, we had also made these mistakes. The solution—do your homework, or better yet let us plan it for you.

Seeing the Sights and Avoiding Waiting in Long Lines

Even if you get the moving from place to place correctly, and find the right place to stay, perhaps the biggest stress factor is missing a chance to see what you came to see or waiting in long lines to see or experience the sights.

Most key sights are closed on certain days or holidays and can require advance reservations.  For example, few people want to stand in line to see the Vatican Museum for 4 or more hours in the blazing sun during July in Italy—we have witnessed many who have made this travel mistake—if they had reservations, they would have skipped the line altogether.

The Vatican is always crowded. These folks are going towards the Vatican Museum and may have very long waits if they don’t have a reservation.

To get in St. Peter’s Basilica, you must wait in line. This just gives you an idea how many will wait in line and it is worse at the Vatican Museum.

Perhaps one of the most common errors is how many travelers try to see the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam at the last minute—unless you make reservations 2 or more months in advance, you will not get in.  The same goes for the Last Supper painting in Milan—reservations required, often a month or so in advance and only 15 minutes viewing time to see this masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.

The Stress of Making Your Own Plans

Another stress factor is making your own plans.

Will your selections match your expectations (are you sure or just guessing it will be OK)?

Will you miss out on a key experience you did not know about?

Did you forget the transfer from the airport to your hotel?

Did you allow enough time to make a train connection?

Are you in the right place on the right day of your cruise to see the sight you just spent thousands of dollars to see?

Are you prepared to travel during COVID?

The list goes on and on.

Addressing the Stress Factors

To me, this all boils down to two factors—trip satisfaction and convenience.

Every time we plan our own travel, and I see how complex it is to get the trip right, I just can’t understand why some folks believe they can achieve trip satisfaction by doing their own planning.  Maybe they get satisfaction from extensive research. Maybe it is a control factor—I’m just not sure.

Time value experts often ask this question when evaluating convenience and satisfaction—what would you be willing to pay someone to do the work for you?  This is a great question in my mind, and my answer is even better—it usually costs you nothing extra, as the vendors pay us—the price of our services is already factored in to the vacation price.

The reason is simple—the vendors alone can’t reach enough folks to sell their products by themselves, so they use travel professionals like us, to find customers for them.

It is a huge win-win—you are hiring us as your travel expert for free in most case.

 As Anne likes to say, “Free is good!”

My Final Thoughts

Get rid of the Stress—let us figure it out for you.  Trip planning is not easy.  Time and money issues are complex—we all want the best at the least possible price.

We help you solve those complex issues, saving you hassles, time and worry. 

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

72 and Lucky

72 and Lucky

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Yesterday I turned 72.

Hard to believe I’ve been around so long in some ways, but in others I still think of myself as a young man.

I consider myself very lucky.  I’ve had a great life for the most part; done some amazing things, laughed a lot, cried on occasion, loved, and faced the many challenges we all face in life.

My West Point classmate Jeff and I share the same birthday but he is one year older than me

So I thought I’d hit a few highlights and tell you how it lead to our current journey as travel advisors.

My Early Life and High School

My Dad was a career military officer and we moved quite a bit as I grew up.  I liked parts of school and didn’t like others and although I was a pretty good student, I really was not a great student, as I got easily bored in classrooms.  The only thing I constantly excelled in was physical education and sports.

Perhaps the two defining aspects of my early life was earning my Eagle Scout at the age of 13 and living in Okinawa in my junior high school years.  What any eye opening experience to live in Asia as an early teen.  In many ways, it started my lifelong love of travel.

Arriving in Okinawa. My Mom and Dad are in the background

My high school years was a constant climb to improve my grades and by my senior year I was doing very well in school.  But the real story is my track success and playing football. I was number #15 as a running back and wide receiver, we went 9-1 and were third in the state in 1966. I earned 3 varsity letters in track, was named the most valuable track athlete my senior year and was a state track level athlete.

West Point

At 17, I began the next phase of my life for 47 months.  In many ways, I was over my head—I struggled with math and engineering subjects, did alright in social studies, Spanish and physical education.  I was always fighting the many regulations and rules and occasionally got into trouble and was punished for violating this or that, so you can see, I was not a model cadet. 

Photo of me as 17 year old Plebe (first year) cadet

The one constant was the track team, where I earned 5 varsity letters, never lost to Navy in my career during our dual track meets and had some success as member of the mile relay team in some of the bigger national track meets.

Indoor track meet against Navy, where I ran the 2nd leg of the mile relay on the way to a win against Navy

Outdoor track meet against Navy, where I ran the first leg on the way to another victory

At West Point, you are being constantly evaluated in your academic standing and out of 729 members of my 1971 Class, I just managed to rank above 50 of my classmates.

Graduation Day 9 June 1971

So on 9 June 1971 I graduated and my Dad swore me in as a second lieutenant in the US Army. Great day for me and during our 2 month leave period, I traveled to Europe for 6 weeks. Loved it and decided to go there as often as possible.

My Army Career

I served 20 years as an Infantry Officer.  After airborne school, ranger school and the infantry officer basic course, I was finally ready to lead soldiers. I served in the First Infantry Division, then in Panama in the School of the Americas (teaching military subjects in Spanish) and later as a Company Commander of B Company 4/20 Infantry Battalion; next as a physical education instructor at West Point; then in the 7th Infantry Division and my last assignment was an instructor in the US Army Physical Fitness School.

West Point Founder’s Day in Panama with 2 other classmates. From left to right, Hank, Rich and Larry

I' have just finished swimming my command track B6 in Panama—I’m in the turret.

The officers of 4/20 Infantry ready for a field exercise

Ready to hit the jungles of Panama

I retired in 1991 with the rank of Major.  I made many lifelong friends, faced some difficult situations, but for the most part really enjoyed these 20 years.

The best part was meeting Anne and getting married to her in 1987 at Fort Ord, CA.  Best decision I ever made!

Prior to our Wedding Ceremony with Anne and our daughter Kelly.

The second best part was teaching and coaching rugby at West Point—it was the prelude to the next part of my life as a coach and teacher in the civilian sector.

1983 at Sandhurst, England as a coach of the West Point Varsity Team

There were many travel opportunities during this period of my life and Anne and I have always had a passion for European travel, so any chance we could, we visited the Old World.

My Teaching and Coaching Career

I spent the next 20 years as a coach and teacher.  My football coaching career and teaching jobs were at St. John’s Military Academy, Brookfield Central HS (both in WI), at Bellevue, WA (where I helped our team win a State Championship in 2001 as their Defensive Coordinator) and last in TX at Westbury HS.

My football team at St. Jon’s—I was the Head Coach.

2001 State Champions Football team—the Bellevue Wolverines

Since I taught most all the social studies subjects, Anne and I often traveled whenever we could, especially to Europe. I used these travel experiences to help my students learn more about the world around them.

The best part, aside from winning a State Championship, was knowing I helped some young folks develop into productive, educated citizens of our country.

My Travel Advisor Career

In 2011, I retired a second time, this time from teaching and coaching and went full time into our travel business, which we started in 1995.

We have had a lot of success for a small mom and pop company.  We have helped dozens have better vacations, led special tours in Europe, become some of the top river cruise advisors in the US and won a couple of awards in the travel industry.

The best part of business—making vacations better for our clients at no extra cost to them.

Anne & I at the Captain’s Table on a river cruise.

At the Regensburg Christmas markets, each of us wearing our hats made by owner of the Hutkoing

As Anne likes to say “Please remember, it doesn’t cost you anything extra to have us book for you.  The prices you see on vendor’s websites is the price we quote, it just means they pay us a commission and you don’t have the hassle of trying to reach them if you need info or assistance.”

Trust, service, unique knowledge and a quest to give the best possible advice—these are the hallmarks of our business and our core values

72 and Lucky

By now, you probably get it, I am a lucky man with a great wife.  A lot of life experiences have gone into our business.  We never forget how lucky we are.  We use it to help you. Here is how we celebrated last night:

My Final Thoughts

What a great adventure Anne and I have shared in life and the travel business.  Thanks for sharing this journey with us!  We look forward to helping you in the future.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

A Great Time to River Cruise!

A Great Time to River Cruise

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

We have wonderful clients on the 14 day Grand Danube Cruise, who have been sailing on the AmaVerde since 26 September 2021. It is their first river cruise and first time sailing with AmaWaterways.

3 weeks prior to their departure, Amsterdam closed down for 5 days, then reopened (it was their first stop prior to the cruise; it looked like Prague was closing down, then their flight to Munich was cancelled.  They decided to cancel the cruise reluctantly and then Amsterdam reopened.  We scrambled; AmaWaterways rebooked them (thanks Jennifer Maddox who made it all happen at the last minute) and they are presently sailing on the Danube.

The couple, Ginnie and Neil, are really enjoying their cruise and her updates were so good, I ask her permission to share them with you.  I have put them in a question and answer format and basically used her words exactly as she wrote them, with as little editing as possible.  I have tried to use quotations to be clear it is what she wrote to me.

I want to make this clear, it is her report, and I’m sure you will find it fascinating to hear from her about the state of river cruising on AmaWaterways on the Danube during these unique travel times.

She titled her email to me as a great time to river cruise, so she even wrote the title of this blog.

To help add some spice to the report, I have included some of our pictures of the places she and Neil have visited on their cruise.

So, let’s explore together and learn about what it is really like to cruise right now with AmaWaterways in late September and early October 2021.

So, Ginnie tell us about Vilshofen, your embarkation city.

“We arrived yesterday at AMA! And finally had a great sleep.  We enjoyed a lovely dinner and breakfast this morning.  :-) 

Neil went for a run yesterday - which is very important to him - and he loved running through Vilshofen.  It's raining this morning, but I will likely go out for a short walk through town before the ship sails at 11:00 am.”

What about your experience on the AmaVerde?

“AMA is wonderful.   The staff and service are fantastic.  There are only 36 people on board-- the adventurous travelers!   Our room is lovely and very comfortable.  We're going to do the Chef's dinner tonight.”

What are other passengers saying about their trip?

“We had a chat this morning with a gentleman from Sacramento. To our surprise, they were able to easily enter Prague with no issue at all”

Do you find the COVID rules confusing?

“It does seem that while countries are setting out COVID procedures on the internet, there doesn't appear to be enforcement.  We saw that in Amsterdam - and now Prague.”

What did you do in Passau?

“We're having a great time.  Loved Passau - I did the hike up to the fortress (nearly killed me but I did it)!  The view was worth it.

Ginnie walked up this hill in Passau

Another view of the fortress

Her view would have included this great view of the town of Passau

Neil did a bike ride and enjoyed that - once they finally found a helmet for his big head!!! ha ha.”

What did you do on the next day?

“Today we did the Salzburg tour-- the long bus ride was a pain, but once there we went off on our own, enjoyed a bite to eat, hit a museum, and people watched in Mozart Platz.

Mozart Platz

The castle is above Old Town Salzburg

The Salzburg Cathedral

Chef's dinner last night was wonderful, but seriously, as you know, the meals and wine are fantastic.  Staff is great - lots of new folks but they are very friendly and helpful.”

Have you had any problems so far?

“We had an interesting blip in a restaurant today.  It was an outside cafe - and the waiter asked us for our vaccine certificate or COVID test results.  Seriously - we're outdoors and the tables are spaced - what a dumb procedure.  Anyway, we did not have our vaccine certificates as they are kept with AMA.  We were slow on the uptake, but remembered that our phones had the COVID certificates - so we were able to stay in the restaurant and eat lunch.  Even the waiter said "the COVOID procedures are changing every day".  It's so ridiculous.  So much "Covid Theatre" going on - doing stuff to be "seen to be doing something" but minimal impact, if any, on reducing risk.”

What’s next?

“Durnstein, Melk and Wachau tomorrow.  Really excited!  I don't think I’ll do the hike - I found the last one rather tough.  Neil will do the bike ride again.

Neil would ride a bike similar to these.

During his bike ride, Neil would probably wave to the AmaVerde during a break on their bike ride in the Wachau Valley

Schonbuhel Castle, about 3 miles from Melk, is known as “The Watchman of the Danube”

The village of Spitz and vineyards in the Wachau Valley

Hinterhaus Castle ruins in the Wachau Valley

Durnstein Castle ruins—not sure if Ginnie did hike up here or just enjoyed the small village

Europe is amazing!  So beautiful.  We are so glad we made the decision to come.”

Should folks sail now?

Sure, feel free to use my stuff for a blog   I think I'll also write you a piece about how this is really a great time to travel - fewer crowds.....I've never felt unsafe re: COVID.  While we were lounging on the sundeck yesterday, one guy said "it's like having your own private yacht"   But it won't last forever.....now is the time to grasp the opportunity. We've seen lots of river cruise boats on this trip - things are coming back”

What happened today?

“At the moment, we're cruising towards Durnstein.  Very relaxing and peaceful. I hate to make you jealous, but I had eggs benedict for breakfast.  :-)   We had lamb for dinner last night - it was fabulous - Neil and I both love lamb. The red wine (a Bordeaux) was a perfect match.”

Why do you think it is a great time to cruise?

“My husband and I are currently cruising down the Danube - watching the amazing scenery and river.  Heading towards the Wachau Valley in Austria.  We are having a wonderful European river cruise.   So, why is it a great time to do a river cruise NOW?  Here are my thoughts: 

1.   We have always felt very safe.  From our departure in California, to Amsterdam, then Munich and Vilshofen in Germany, onboard and in each place we've visited, every hotel, every restaurant, there have been COVID safety protocols in place.   Everyone on our cruise must be vaccinated.  Everyone has to get a COVID test before boarding a plane to Europe and coming on board the ship. 

2.   Because river cruises are just now starting up again, the numbers of people on board are low!  On our cruise, we only have 36 people on a ship that holds about 160.  There's no crowding whatsoever so it's very safe.  And - best of all - you get fantastic personal attention from the staff who are thrilled to see you and to be back doing the work they enjoy.    For example - there are no buffets where you have to fight and elbow your way through the crowds to get your food!   There is personal attention from your waiter at every meal. Everyone has a private assigned table where you eat your meals.    What a treat!  We laughed with some of our fellow passengers that this is a great time to travel because "this is like our own personal yacht"!!!   Why wait till the crowds come back?? Why???   This is an incredible and rare experience.   Take advantage -don't wait for the crowds. 

3.  On the subject of crowding, we have wandered the streets of wonderful European cities, visited the restaurants, museums, gone on canal cruises, relaxed in town squares, etc.  - With NO TOURIST HORDES!!!  It's wonderful and relaxing, and you can fully enjoy the places you are visiting!  You can see what you want to see. You can take amazing pictures without strange people wandering into your shots.   There is space.   Why wait for the tourist hordes to return and fight your way through the crowds?  Why wait till the cruises are full? Right now you can enjoy Europe peacefully and fully embrace and enjoy the beauty and history.   It's a great time to relax in a German Biergarten, an Amsterdam restaurant, walk the local streets, cruise the Danube or the Rhine. 

3.  After a rough year and a half of "the pandemic" and lockdowns, etc. - it is time to enjoy life again. We can't live like hermits for years and be afraid to travel.  Let's learn to live and travel with the pandemic - SAFELY.”

You like to call minor travel problems blips, so what are the blips you have encountered?

“So - now on to "travel blips".  As travel is starting to come back in the world, you can expect some surprises and blips along the way.  Here are some that we have encountered.    

1.  Travel protocols in each country can change quickly.  Stay informed!   Example:  One city put on a 10 day quarantine for US citizens, then surprisingly removed it 5 days later.  In their airport, there were still signs remaining about the need to quarantine, but there was no enforcement!  There seems to be reliance on the airlines to check vaccination cards and covid tests.   Be sure that you are clear on exactly what Covid test is required to enter the countries you are visiting, and be sure to get those within the required timeframe!!  On a positive note, Covid testing seems easy to get.  In our case in Amsterdam, our hotel booked the test for us - with a 10% discount, and the place to get tested was a 2 minute walk away.  We got our results on our phones very early the next morning.   Perfect and easy! 

2.  Some restaurants require vaccination cards or results of Covid tests.  That was a surprise to us when we sat down for lunch in one country in an outdoor restaurant.  Fortunately, we had our covid tests on our phone, as our ship was holding our vaccination cards. Put a copy of your vaccination card and your Covid test on your phone so you always have them handy!!!

3.  Have a supply of masks.  They're required almost everywhere.  While the internet said that Europe required a specific type of mask - we found that this was not really required - people wore all kinds of masks.   You MUST wear your mask in the airline terminals and planes, all transit services (trains, buses, etc.) and in some cases it's enforced.  I was told by one transit checker to "move my mask up over my nose".  

4.  The technology can sometimes be challenging. .  We've had some glitches with VPN and setting up the cruise APP.  Unable to get US versions of online papers.  Mildly annoying.”

5. Because of constraints on #'s of people entering museums - tell people to get their tickets online months in advance!!!  I do mean months.  We could not get in to see any museums in Amsterdam that we wanted to.  ”

Any Final Thoughts?

“We are in the Wachau Valley now.  You were right - incredibly amazing!!!  The peace and solitude....is wonderful.” 

My Final Thoughts

What an awesome report—it just doesn’t get more real than this.  Candid, insightful and really makes the point—it is a great time to river cruise now in 2021!!

It is another reason we love sailing on AmaWaterways in Europe so much—they under promise and over deliver! 

We hope you enjoyed this report as much as we enjoyed bring it to you.  We also hope the pictures helped you visualize the places and experiences she and Neil are having.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Flexibility

Flexibility

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

Anne had some good thoughts about flexibility in travel.  We got to talking and I ask her to write down her ideas as an opening for today’s blog.  Here is what she wrote in quotes:

“Last week we celebrated 35 years of being together. It will be another 13 months before we celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.

Needless to say, there have been a lot of changes during this time: job changes, residential changes, losing and gaining family members and friends.  We’ve learned patience, adjustability and a lot of give and take.  But the one constant that has existed through these years is the need to adapt to changes, regardless of how much control we have over any situation.

The ability to adjust and adapt has never been more important than it is now in the present world of traveling during COVID.  

Just like any relationship, patience is also a required trait to be able to travel and enjoy your trip.  Being open to whatever the experience provides, rather than being locked into a single, set in concrete itinerary will make the trip much more fun.”

So, let’s explore together and learn about flexibility during travel—thanks Anne, for sparking the idea for the blog and providing a great opening!

Pre-planning for the Trip

During this time of ever-changing regulations, there are some steps that can help you still realize a trip and possibly enjoy it even more than any initial plan you had originally scheduled.

Obviously, it is very important to check with the correct government entity to verify what is required for your destination.  Our first advice—make sure you know the requirements of the places you want to visit. 

Knowing the documents needed and procedures will help you plan for an easier trip.  This is easier said than done, as government regulations seem to change often and add concerns. 

We believe most of this is misunderstood requirements but some, like the possibility of a quarantine, cause people to become extremely over anxious.

Even Anne, with her knowledge of the various travel requirements of the 4 countries in Europe we were planning to visit, was apprehensive about various face mask requirements listed on websites—she packed 4 different types; medical basic, FFP2, Kn95, N95, and even face shields.  We only needed the basic medical ones—you just can’t use the cloth ones.

Wearing masks in Europe can lead to some great experiences—these 6 pictures are at a small restaurant locals eat at—Anne found it from asking our hotel staff—it was so good we went back a second time!

Masked up and ready to go inside

Going inside

Looking great Anne

Hank ready to eat

My Meatballs—they were excellent

Anne’s Vol-au-Vent—a wonderful chicken dish so good, we came back a second time so I could have a whole dish

The other concern is COVID testing to get back into the United States or perhaps will be required in the future for entrance—relax, Europe has great testing sites in all the airports that are easy, quick and reliable.  We should note what a great job some vendors, especially AmaWaterways has done to make this process easier—Europe certainly ahead of the US in testing for COVID.

Now that you have determined the government requirements to travel, then determine what you would do if part of the trip is cancelled, interrupted or needs to change (this is where we can really help—we can fix most travel difficulties that might arise—as you know we are a text message, phone call or email away). 

Here is some sound advice—don’t try to do too much in a short time.  This is what I like to call the rookie Europe travel mistake—you want to see everything and fear missing out on something that the trip becomes so hectic it is not fun anymore.

Opportunistic Time Costs

In travel, I believe there are things you can do that will increase the value of your time.  Some may cost more money, some may just involve careful planning and some may just be a special opportunity that suddenly comes up.  

While planning a great trip, I think you need to balance all three of these factors to get the best results.  The last factor is just more important nowadays—you need flexibility!

So, how do you make the perfect balanced trip?  I think the first step is to identify your core values of travel—why are you going and what do you want to experience?

 Here are my core values when I travel or think about planning a trip—perhaps these will help you understand why you travel and what you want to experience on your future trips.

My Core Values for Travel

When I travel I do so for several key reasons.  They are:  

• ·       To add balance to my life,

• ·       To look for beauty,

• ·       To satisfy my curiosity about a place,

• ·       To help me grow as a person with new experiences and cultures,

• ·       To help me to gain knowledge and learning, and

• ·       To help me seek pleasure, happiness and wisdom.

8 Rules We Use to add Flexibility to our Trips

They are:

 1) Make sure there is time to share with your travel companions;

2) Remember and celebrate important dates (milestones);

3) Connect with the locals;

4) Put away devices for most of the trip;

5) Laugh and be positive;

6) Make your significant other feel special;

7) Show kindness to others, and

8) Be thankful.

Photo bombed—we always get along with the locals and it adds fun to our experiences

Brugge is known for mussels—Anne’s large meal

An Example—Our Recent Trip Required Flexibility

We were in Europe in August 2021, traveling in COVID times.  Yet it was not COVID that changed our plans—it was our rail connections!  Here is a tip to avoid these problems—always ask the hotel staff if they know about any transportation disruptions—even though we did, at check in, the rail workers decided to extend their work stoppage longer than originally planned and we learned about the problem the day before we had planned to leave Brugge.

Ready to go to Brugge after a wonderful river cruise on the Rhine

What a wonderful view of Brugge at night

Ready to go 2 days later

As seems to happen at times in Europe, the German rail workers decided to strike on Mondays and Tuesday during the month of August 2021 for better wages. As a result, we had to alter our plans and spend the last 2 days of our trip in Brugge—Anne was delighted to say the least!

It does bring up a lesson learned—always check your transportation arrangements prior to the next segment.  Anne cancelled our hotel arrangements and made a new seat reservation for us. We lost a minor $11 or so for a previous train seat reservation that we decided just wasn’t worth the hassle of standing in line at a rail station ticket office for a refund.

It is true we lost 2 days to visit Frankfurt and stay in the old town area, but here is what we gained—2 more wonderful days in Brugge!  Since Anne is always making great connections with hotel staff members, it was easy to fix for the most part. 

The truth of the matter—we just used our 8 rules to add flexibility to our trip, but we really didn’t think of them as a checklist—it just has become our way of travel and as you can see—it is all about your attitude and being flexible.  

It was relaxing, Anne found a local artist who made awesome jewelry that was one of a kind and not cost prohibitive, we wandered, and we revisited 2 great restaurants a second time and it was just plain fun!  We only used our devices to fix the connection problems and just spent time together.  

Awesome rings

Some of the wonderful items Anne found while wandering

Relaxing in Brugge

Please go back and re-read the list above of our 8 factors—we used them all (the milestone was the return to Europe after almost 20 months) and you will see we just adjusted our expectations and had a blast!

My Final Thoughts

I think it is clear that being flexible during your travels will help make the experience better.  We would encourage to apply flexibility to your travels and the experience can be wonderful!

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Our Europe 2022 Battlefields Trip

Our Europe 2022 Battlefields Trip

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

As most of you know, we are leading a 2022 Battlefields Tour. Here is a detailed day by day summary of our tour. The tour will be from 3-13 October 2022.

We expect final confirmation by October with prices from our vendor Europe Express. We will then start taking deposits.

So, let’s learn about this awesome trip together!

Day 1 3 October 2022 Brussels

Check in to hotel (no transfers or air included in tour price)

Welcome no host Cocktail hour

Day 2 4 October 2022 Waterloo Battlefield and Bastogne

Coach to Waterloo (0900 departure with all luggage loaded) Driving time about 1 hour.  During our entire tour, we will be guided by Johan Serpierters, who has been our guide on both D Day Anniversary tours we led in 2014 & 2019.

Today we will learn about the final battle of Napoleon’s career as a general.  There is a good museum that explains every facet of the battle.  You will use your own headset with your smart phone (COVID adjustment).  Takes about an hour.  Next we will visit the Panorama Painting of the Battle (about 20 minutes).  Also we will view the British Lion Monument but not climb the 226 steep steps.  We will lunch at the restaurant (on your own).

Inside the Waterloo museum

Panorama painting at Waterloo

Lion Monument at Waterloo Battlefield

Our next stop is Bastogne, after about an hour and ½ drive.  We will check in to the Hotel Leo Station, which will be our home for the next 3 days.  The hotel has a great restaurant and there are 10+ restaurants directly across from hotel, so finding a great place to eat should be very easy during our 3 day stay in Bastogne.

Day 3 5 October 2022 101st Airborne Museum      Bastogne War Museum Overnight Bastogne

Our first stop is the Bastogne War Museum.  It is a short coach ride to the museum (we depart at 0900).  This museum covers WW II, with key events but the main emphasis is the Battle of the Bulge.  Using multisensory 3D technology, you will explore the past first be placed in the Allied General Headquarters in southern England, then place you in the Ardennes forest during the Battle of the Bulge and finally a visit to a local café with shelling exploding around you during the battle.  I must warn you this is a very real experience and some think it is rather intense.

We also will have time to visit the impressive Mardasson Memorial, erected in gratitude of the Belgium people for the soldiers who risked their lives to help free them.  It covers all the units and individual states in this very large memorial.

Marsden Memorial

Marsden Memorial shows all units in the battle in this huge monument

We will next visit the actual battle positions of Easy Company from the Band of Brothers DVD series.  While the foxholes are not that impressive, you will see the place where some of these brave soldiers died during the artillery barrage, and see the Foy village objective that was taken from the Germans.  If you are a fan of the Band of Brothers series, this will be a meaningful look at one part of the battlefield during the Battle of the Bulge.

Easy Company Monument

The dense trees of the Ardennes

Foxholes of Easy Company

Looking from their foxholes this was the distance Easy Company had to attack over to seize Foy.

The actual church in Foy that was captured by Easy Company in 1945

After returning the hotel area, and lunch on your own, we will take the 5 minute walk to the 101st Airborne Museum.  This cross roads village became famous for the defensive resistance put up by the 101st after it was encircled during the Battle of the Bulge in late December 1944.  Housed in a former military officer’s mess, this museum is dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge/Ardennes and the amazing defensive stand made by the soldiers of the 101st Airborne.  In the 4 floors of the museum, the focus is on the units, their weapons and uniforms, and realistic war scenes using mannequins.  There is also an immersive experience of a cellar basement shelter that recreates the terror of bombardments during this battle. 

101st Airborne Museum

We will overnight in Bastogne.

Day 4  6 October 2022          Patton Museum (Ettelbruck 25 min coach ride) National Museum of Military History (Diekirch 30 minute coach ride)

Our first stop is the Patton Museum.  You will learn about Patton’s life, and see displays of military equipment.  The spotlight of this museum is on the Battle of the Bulge.  We will eat lunch here (on your own).

Cover of brochure of Patton Museum

Our next stop is the Luxembourg National Museum of Military History.  Using large scale dioramas, is a fascinating look at the fighting that took place around Diekirch.  Also on display are weapons, military vehicles and other items used during WW II.  There are also sections about the Resistance and WW I. 

We will overnight in Bastogne after the return coach ride..

Day 5 7 October 2022          Luxembourg/Reims

We will depart Bastogne at 0900 (please have all bags loaded so we can depart on time).

Our first stop is to Luxembourg City.  We will have a guided walking tour of the most important sights in Old Town Luxembourg, to include walking the Promenade of the Corniche with its great views, the historic square and the Grand Duke’s Palace (if open a tour of the palace).  Lunch on your own.

Defensive walls of Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Our next stop is at the American Cemetery, where LTG Patton is buried along with over 5,000 American soldiers, most whole lost their lives in the drive to the Rhine and the Battle of the Bulge.  This is a tranquil resting place for these heroes but a somber reminder of the cost of war. 

Luxembourg cemetery where Patton is buried

We will continue on to Reims and check in to the Best Western Premier Hotel De La Paix.

There are many restaurants near our hotel for the next 3 days.

Day 6  8 October 2022          Verdun Battlefield Tour (1 hour, 15 minute drive to Verdun from Reims) Afternoon Champagne Tasting in Reims

Today’s tour will help us understand more about the 300 day battle of Verdun.  We will depart at 0900.  We will visit the 2 floor Verdun Memorial Museum, L’Ossuaire Cemetery and two forts—Fort Douaumont (with the nearby Trenches of Bayonets) and Fort Vaux. 

Lunch on your own after the morning tour in Reims.

Our Afternoon tour is at a local champagne house in Reims.

We overnight in Reims.

Day 7  9 October 2022          Epernay & Route de Champagne (we will visit 2 champagne houses)

On the route of Champagne, we will view vineyards and sample champagne at 2 of the great wineries of this special region.

We should be able to find a nice place for lunch—TBD.

We overnight again in Reims.

Day 8  10 October 2022        Châteaux de Vaux-Le-Vicomte/Paris

We will check out of our hotel and depart for Paris at 0900 (please have all bags loaded).

On the way we will visit one of the most impressive Châteaux’s in France.  We will tour the Châteaux de Vaux-Le-Vicomte.  The chateau and its gardens were designed to exist in harmony between the building and the gardens.  This was one of the key inspirations for the Palace of Versailles.  Lunch on your own during this stop.

Brochure of the chateau we will visit

We will continue on to Paris and check in the Villa Pantheon.

Day 9  11 October 2022 Paris           Visit Army Museum and Napoleon’s Tomb            

Today we will visit the Hotel de Invalides which covers many of the conflicts fought by France and use this to help us understand how all these battlefields changed the world from the 1800’s to present.  Some highlights include medieval armor and arms, Napoleon’s battles, WW I trench warfare and battles, WW II battles starting from the Blitzkrieg, occupation, the D Day campaign, liberation, the end of the war and the atomic bomb resulting in an allied victory.  It also is the tomb of Napoleon, who rests under a gold dome.

French Army Museum

The afternoon is free

Lunch and dinner are on your own—we know many great places to eat and would be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 10            12 October 2022        Free Day in Paris

Maybe a boat ride on your free day!

Day 11             13 October 2022

The tour ends today.  Check out of our hotel.

We have extensions available and an AmaWaterways Cruise on the Rhône River starting on 13 October 2022.

My Final Thoughts

What a great adventure—a true look at the history of Battlefields in Europe from 1815 to 1945—just another reason we love the Old World of Europe so much!  We hope you will enjoy this trip as much as we will enjoy escorting you on it!.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Traveling in Europe in August 2021

Traveling in Europe in August 2021

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

I am sure many of you, especially the folks who plan to travel in Europe in 2021 want to know what the experience will be like.

So, here is our report

Our Airport Experience in Frankfurt

We flew on United Airlines from Houston. I described the service and our thoughts about flying first class in an earlier blog a couple of weeks ago but it is clear that while comfort and service is still very good, the food just doesn’t measure up.

Getting into Germany was very easy—we just showed our passports and vaccination cards. We were a little worried that a recent negative COVID test would be required, and even though we had taken 2 less than 72 hours prior to our flight, the border control officer did not ask for any test results.

This is probably a good place to point out there is a constantly changing landscape of entry requirements, so make sure you stay updated prior to leaving the US.,

You are required to wear masks in the airport public areas, except when eating or drinking. At passport control, you must unmask so they can check that your face matches your picture—even the border control officer smiled when we unmasked—it is surprising how different people look wearing a mask and provided a little comic relief for the new travel environment.

Coming Home from Frankfurt Airport

Leaving to come back home was not hard but we learned some valuable lessons about the required negative COVID test to re-enter the US. We had the self tests offered by some companies and featured as a good alternative by United Airlines, but we could never get it to work. First, we needed to update the App and even though we had a hot spot, could not get the App to work or update. It also appeared we would need two different devices to get the technician to talk us through the test procedures. After over an hour of trying, we gave up.

The fortunate thing was that at Frankfurt airport, there is an excellent testing site. It took less than 15 minutes, and we had our results in about 30 minutes. All reports are digital but you can also get a printed copied, which we did.

Our advice is clear—use the airport testing facility, do not waste money and effort trying to use a self testing kit. Just make sure your departure airport has a testing facility.

Getting Around in Europe on Public Transportation

We arrived by train and taxi after spending 3 days in Switzerland. Trains seem to have changed very little except the mask requirement. We used trains in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

I should point out, there is an increasing reliance on smart phones and contactless ticket checks. Both Anne and I had smart phones, but our batteries were weak and we were constantly using our back up chargers or the power supply on the train to keep the phones charged. A great lesson learned—please make sure your phones are in top shape.

As seems to happen at times in Europe, the German railworkers decided to strike on Mondays and Tuesday during the month of August for better wages. As a result, we had to alter our plans and spend the last 2 days of our trip in Brugge—Anne was delighted to say the least!

It does bring up a second lesson learned—always check your transportation arrangements prior to the next segment. Anne cancelled our hotel arrangements and made a new seat reservation for us. We lost a minor $11 or so for a previous train seat reservation that we decided just wasn’t worth the hassle of standing in line at a rail station ticket office for a refund.

A second lesson—always check connection times and tracks if you are changing trains. We knew we had only 18 minutes between trains in Brussels prior to the train to Frankfurt, and we pretty much almost jogged between tracks. I will note the Brussels Midi station is easier than past times with our slightly heavier luggage load, as more lifts and signs are better than in the past. It was far easier than we expected and we made the switch with 10 minutes to spare.

Hotels

We stayed in 3 hotels during our trip. In Switzerland, the Hotel Des Alps was wonderful as in our previous stays. Again the only thing was masks in public areas.

In Brugge, Martin’s Relais, was the same—great hotel, no noticeable change except the morning breakfast. To help insure social distancing, there were 2 meal times—0800 to 0915 and 0930 to 1030. The quality was the same—great spread as in the past. Again, waiters and all employees wear masks at all times. Since it was a buffet, all guests wore masks when away from their tables and there were clear arrows on the floor to direct the flow. All seem to us sensible changes.

The Sheradon Airport hotel in Frankfurt was not much different except their breakfast included 4 breads (all very good) in a paper bag, juice, coffee and tea and some fruits. My only complaint was that there was too much bread in the paper bag—we just couldn’t eat it all and we hate wasting food.

All employees wear masks. Also, there were no glasses in the room and ice machines are not allowed. You have to call room service for these items.

Dining

Here is a report about our how dining has changed.

Only in France, during a stop on the cruise in Strasbourg, did we have to show our passports and vaccine cards.

In all of the many very good places we ate on this trip, all waiters wore masks. We never saw a dip in the quality of service or food—it was all excellent.

In Brugge, we were exceptionally delighted with the restaurants. This is due to Anne and her smart decision to reach out to the hotel and get recommendations of places locals would most likely eat. It was so good, I plan to write a blog about our great finds.

Anne’s scallops in Brugge

Steak in Brugge

Another tip for you, seek out local suggestions for great places to eat. Be clear what type of food you want and price point you are willing to pay for and the results can be amazing.

Site Seeing and wandering in the Towns

We stayed at 3 different locations.

In Switzerland, we stayed in Lucerne and visited Bern for the first time. Here are some photos of Lucerne.

Lucerne

Lucerene

I will write about Bern in a new blog, as we will update our city guide but we enjoyed the visit. We managed to take over 20,000 steps during our visit (about 10 miles or so), so we really got to see a lot of the historic old town area and the top sites.

A couple of photos to let you know about this interesting town:

Clock Tower in the Old Town Bern

Bern Flag

Bruuge was wonderful and we updated some photos of the interesting sites. Here is a sample:

Church of the Holy Blood Brugge

Brugge at night

Brugge

I took a recon trip to Waterloo and Bastogne for our 2022 Battlefields tour (3-13 October 2022). It was a whirlwind visit, but affirmed how good this tour is going to be. Again, this will be the subject of a future in-depth blog.

Lion Monument Waterloo

Marsden Monument Bastogne Beliguim

Bastogne

My Final Thoughts

Here is the bottom line—Europe is open, safe and fun based on our experience!

What a great adventure—our return to Europe was wonderful—just another reason we love the Old World of Europe so much!  We hope you enjoyed our report and these pictures as much as we enjoyed seeing them during our travels.

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

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent

Cruising on the AmaMora in August 2021

Cruising the AmaMora in August 2021

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

As I began to write this, I’m on the AmaMora on the Rhine.  It is our first trip on this river ship, but it already feels like home—we have sailed on 19 Europe river cruises and this is our 18th cruise with AmaWaterways . There are 53 guests onboard on a ship that can handle 167 in normal times:

We have sailed with at  least 5 of the crew in the past, and the AmaWaterways family really glad to see us again—we quickly start laughing and friendly banter of good times even though the crew is never permitted to remove their masks except for pictures.

The Route 

Our cruise started in Basel, Switzerland and ended in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  We have sailed this direction downstream 3 times and upstream twice.  The amazing scenery has not changed much—the Rhine River Gorge and its’ over 30 castles is probably the best stretch of sights in all of Europe on any European River.  The gorge is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so there are no bridges to interrupt the views.  

On the Rhine River Gorge, with castles dotting almost every hill, and it is like turning back the hands of time to the age of land barons, defending their turf and collecting tolls for passage.

But I managed to get ahead of myself—this cruise will port in 4 different countries.  We started in Basel, after 3 days in Switzerland staying in Lucerne, and a day visit to Bern.

Then we were off to France—Strasbourg and Riquewihr.  The tour to Riquewihr was very good but you are required to wear masks on the bus and during the guided tour.  I went off on my own and used my mask part of the time if an area got crowded.

Riquewihr

The town of Riguewihr

Watch Tower

Great little Winstub

Colorful building

Strasbourg

In Strasbourg, Anne and I used the AmaWaterways tour bus to get to the old town  city center.  We had to wear masks on the bus. It was about a 20 minute ride.  I was a little surprised by how many people were out—some wore masks even outside.  To go in a store, you must wear a mask.

To eat in a restaurant, we had to show our passports and vaccination certificates to be seated. The waiters wore masks. France just announced a health vaccine app download but our documents were fine.

We ate at a small café outside.  We had some local cold beers (the temperature was 87 degrees) and flammkuchen (flatbread pizza bacon, cheese and an onion sauce).  This is an Alsacien speciality and very tasty!

Flammkuchen (flat bread special pizza)

Le Gutenberg Brasserie Strasbourg

Cool Strasbourg building

Strasbourg half timbered buildings with the Dom Steeple

Some tours in Rudesheim

Entrance to the gondola

Riding the Gondola

Niederwaldd Monument (commemorating the unification of Germany)

Outside Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Museum —a tour option

Cruising the Rhine River Gorge

Burg Katz

Pfalzgrafenstein toll fort with Burg Gutenfels in the background

Cruising on the Rhine Gorge

Loreley Rock

Cruising the Rhine

Castle Stolzenfels

Lahneck Castle tour

We took a quick bus ride up to the castle. We had to wear masks during the entire tour.

Outside of Burg Lahneck

Lahneck Castle

Chapel Lahneck Castle

Portrait of Victoria Lahneck Castle

Doll house Burg Lahneck

Cruising towards Cologne

Deutsches Eck Koblenz

Remagan Bridge ruins. This bridge was captured by the allies during WW II and allowed tanks to cross the Rhine before it collapsed.

Cologne

Hohenzollern Bridge over the Rhine River in Cologne

Here is a brief day by day description of our tour stops:

In Germany, Heidelberg and  Speyer, were the morning tours and after an afternoon sail, we arrived in Rüdesheim for a night visit.

 The  Monday morning tours  options are a gondola ride in Rudesheim, or a hike or bike tour; then sailing the Rhine River Gorge and it’s wonderful castles and a special tour of Lahneck Castle.

On Tuesday we were in Cologne.

We ended in Amsterdam on Wednesday.

 All are great stops.

What are the Onboard Programs?

The wellness program and the Sip ‘n’ Sail cocktail hour just before dinner continue strong. Both are real hits in our opinion with guests.

While most who know me well, would say my favorite change is the new included Sip ‘n’ Sail free cocktail hour, but, I was most impressed with the wellness program (I got to learn first-hand about this program on our summer cruise on the AmaCerto in 2018). The wellness program was on 6 ships for the 2018 season and  it is now on all the AmaWaterways river cruise vessels.

The wellness person, will conduct stretching classes, yoga, core strengthening classes and lead bike rides. Based on what I saw again this summer, what impressed me most that it was all age appropriate, scientifically sound, and the response on board the 6 roll out vessels has been very good.  As a former nationally certified physical fitness instructor in college and for sports teams, it was interesting to see how well the programs were conducted and how the cruisers enjoyed adding a little fitness to their daily routine last summer.  

Another great feature is the Sip ‘n’ Sail program.  Free (included) drinks prior to dinner is a great idea and well received by guests.  Wine, beer and a good selection of well drinks—even martinis are included.  Great improvement!

What remains the Same With a Few New Procedures?

Anne always reminds me that consistency is the key to great travel.  On AmaWaterways, the good things remain the same or are slightly better than past cruises.  

Food and service is excellent—always well planned meals.

 All meals are served and each guest has assigned seating.  Each morning there is a temperature check just before going into the dining room. You wear a mask until you sit down at the table. Now all items are ordered off the menu—there is a great variety and a special each morning.
If you want to sleep in or want a light breakfast, here is what was available one morning on the AmaMora.

Late Risers Breakfast on the AmaMora

Here are some breakfast pictures:

Breakfast menu

Fruit starter

My Egg Benedict

Steak and eggs breakfast

One of the ship’s chefs cooks breakfast

Fruit table items served by wait staff to guests

Here are some lunch pictures

Lunch menu

Page 2 lunch menu

Appetizers

Lunch Salad

Chicken Tandoori

Dinner photos

Dinner menu

Veiner schnitzel

Apple Strudel

Our wonderful dining room service staff wearing their Chaîne des Rôtisseurs aprons

Lunch is available in two locations. In the lounge, there are hamburgers, wraps and sandwiches.

Most guests eat in the main dining room. Again, you sit at your assigned table, and order off the menu.

Every evening on the dinner menu (a 4 course affair of an appetizer, a soup course, a main course and dessert) there are 3 Entrée’s—usually a meat dish, a fish dish and a vegetarian option.—all are excellent!

There is an Always Available Menu that features a steak, a grilled chicken breast or a vegetarian or pasta option.The meal features a white and red wine from the region you are sailing on, and they change daily (not every river cruise lines changes wines every day).

Each year, the included (yes, no extra charge) Chef’s Table menu changes.  I liked the meal this year, and the wonderful view from the stern of our river ship.  It is the little extras that make the difference—the Chef’s Table remains a hit.

Bar service is outstanding and the wines were particularly good with meals.  It still amazes me how generous the pours are by the bar staff—the idea is to give you enough and not too much.

I can’t say enough about the crew—they work 18 hour days, and every detail is about making your vacation better.

Our Cruise Experience

We are traveling during COVID-19 and some new procedures are in place that I have highlighted in this blog. It really wasn’t much different except for the masks.

We felt very safe and it was a great trip!

My Final Thoughts

When folks find out we have sailed this route before, they want to know why—wouldn’t it be boring?  

Our response —it never is!  You can’t see it all on the first trip and when you consider the different seasons, it changes.  Spring brings new life, summer is full of flowers and green trees, autumn is ablaze with color and Christmas is a festival not to be missed.

These are wonderful places to visit and we hope one day you will let us plan a trip to one or all of these great places.  AmaWaterways has the right procedures to protect you in our opinion.

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

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

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

• AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist

• Viking River Cruise Specialist

• Scenic River Cruise Specialist

• Emerald Waterways Specialist

• Avalon Waterways Specialist

• Brit Agent