River Cruise Safety in 2022

River Cruise Safety in 2022

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

There is a lot of negative news lately about travel to Europe.  First it was COVID for the last 2 years; now inflation worries are here; and if it was not enough, there is a war in Ukraine.

Anne suggested I write about this topic, as she feels it is easy to let the headlines obscure the facts.

I guess, although alarming to me, especially the brutality of the war in Ukraine, none of these are showstoppers

So, let’s explore together and learn about river cruise safety and my thoughts about how best to protect yourself from these dangers and perceived dangers.

Overview

We have been on 21 river cruises in Europe and will go back again in October to take our 22nd cruise. We cruised in Europe in August 2021 and Egypt in December 2021.

 There are many reasons why we like to river cruise so much, but one key reason is that it is a safe trip, and that helps make it a great vacation for most folks. 

We would never consider cancelling our trip due to the current world situation in Europe, because we have so much confidence we will be safe. None of the river cruise companies we recommend would put anyone intentionally in harm’s way—they would be out of business quickly and sued for million of dollars for negligence.

 As a retired Army Officer, I can assure you I never would put myself in danger anyway just to have a vacation, or try to sell one to others just to make some money.  I do, however, understand concerns in today’s world. 

We have travelled during many periods of unrest or tension in Europe and always felt safe if we take simple steps to avoid potentially dangerous situations.  Please consider these items before you decide that travel to Europe or taking a river cruise in Europe is dangerous:

Risk

No one can promise you will be safe anywhere in the world, including where you live today in the US.  Despite the headlines, you are safer travelling to Europe than the risks you face in daily life.  From 2001-2013, according to the US State Department, 350 US citizens have been killed overseas.

 In that same time in the US (2001-2013), according to the Center for Disease Control, 406,496 people were killed by firearms and again from 2001-2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 520,000 people died in auto accident.  Perception of danger overseas is not the reality.

Terrorism Aims

Terrorists want to spread their political agenda by fear and intimidation.  They want the 24-hour coverage of the news channels to show how horrible they are and that they disregard human life.  Terrorism is random and this increases fear.

 The terrorists win if we stop traveling.  Do not worry constantly, just use good common sense to limit chances you will be harmed.

Tips to Protect Yourself in Europe

1)      Buy Travel Insurance

There are many ways travel insurance can add a level of protection to safeguard your trip.  Travel insurance can cover trip cancellation for qualified reasons (you never go on the trip) and trip interruption for qualified reasons (you go but do not complete the entire trip); medical problems, evacuation home or to a hospital, lost or delayed baggage and flight insurance. 

Not all policies cover all the above situations, especially trip cancellation coverage and the costly cancel for any reason policies.  Most policies we recommend are primary coverage—that means they pay first regardless of other coverage. 

One of the best features of travel insurance, is an emergency contact center, manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist in an emergency.  Just so you know, we never travel without travel insurance.  We always offer travel insurance, but you are not required to buy (disclaimer, we are paid a commission on these products, but the real reason we recommend travel insurance is that we want you to consider your personal risk and situation).  

We have a professional responsibility to insure you are properly informed.  We can help guide you through the process, but we will never promise coverage for a specific situation —this is something you should discuss with the insurance company directly.

 Travel insurance just adds peace of mind, in my opinion.  There are also policies that provide emergency evacuation that are not a medical necessity.

COVID insurance is another complete situation, and we say you must read the policy directly and ask a lot of questions of the provider.

2)      Watch the News on TV

Just keeping up with world events can help you recognize potential danger areas to avoid.  CNN International and BBC Worldwide are usually available in most places we have stayed and are available on most river cruise ships

The war in Ukraine should not change anything in Europe River cruising except for any port or cruise in Russia or sailing in the Black Sea. 

A quick geography lesson here—it may look like just an inch on a map of Europe from the conflict, but the borders are over a hundred to two hundred miles away from the closest Ukrainian border and even further, when you realize all the fighting is in the Eastern part of the country.

3)      Realize that some venues make be directed to be closed or a ship might make a change in port stops or tours.

For your protection, you will often see more police at public transportation areas and there may be more security screening to enter some areas, museums, or other attractions.  We have experienced all of these and in most cases, it was totally reassuring, and the delays were minimal.  Just be flexible and all will be all right.

This happened several times due to changing country regulations for COVID.  Just follow the rules, get vaccinated and boosted, fill out the health questionnaires, wear a mask if required and get tested also if required.

4)      Enjoy your trip but be aware of your surroundings

This is the commonsense rule.  We always expect to have fun but are aware—if something just does not seem right, use caution.

5)      If traveling alone, make sure someone knows where you are and when you are expected back

While we recommend traveling with someone or in a group, if you are travelling alone, let the hotel front desk or the river cruise ship reception know if you are going out on your own.  It just adds another level of security.

6)      Register with the State Department

The US State Department has a Safe Traveler Enrollment Program.  The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

 It allows US citizens to sign up to receive alerts from the US State Department, allows the US Embassy a way to contact you if needed and provides a way family or friends can contact you in an emergency. 

Here is the link to their website to register https://step.state.gov/step/

7)      Carry some items with you to help you be prepared if an emergency arises.

We always carry with us contact info for the hotel we are staying at or the emergency contact info for the river cruise ship, a paper copy of our passports, some local cash, and a credit card.  We also have our cell phones (with a photo of passports, COVID vaccination cards and a backup battery charger (usually two as “Always Prepared Anne” has a back up for a back up with her).

How River Cruise Companies Help Ensure Your Safety

River cruise lines train their crew members to ensure your safety.  The sailing crew members (usually the Captain, First Officer, Engineer, and deck hands) are well experienced—most have been sailing for years and the know and avoid dangers that could occur on your river cruise. 

There is always a safety briefing on each river cruise prior to sailing. 

Captain Danny giving his safety briefing. Robert, holding the paddle is the rally point leader on the top deck for assembly for the 300 level cabins during an emergency.

Life jackets are on the top deck. During the safety briefing, there is always a demonstration on how to properly put on and wear this safety item.

The cruise director and local guides also add a level of security—they know about potential problems and can ensure guests do not venture into dangerous areas.  The cruise lines also monitor weather conditions and river levels to ensure safety.

Cruise manager, Dejan, adds facts about passenger safety.

 The ships all have great safety features, such as radar to help avoid other traffic on the rivers.  There is a 24-hour guard on each ship and outside entrances are locked during nighttime hours and no is granted access without proper ID

When each guest leaves the river boat, they are required to take a card with emergency phone numbers.  This also allows the crew to know if you did not re-board prior to the departure of the ship.

These are just a few of the reasons we like river cruising so much—they are a safe way to travel.   

Our Final Thoughts

One final thought here—along with these tips, consider how much return to travel means for Europe.  2 years without full ships, an 18 month pause of river cruising, has placed severe financial strain on the workers.

Don’t feel guilty because you have so much—share it with the workers whose livelihoods depend on you traveling—thank them, tip them well and realize you are helping us all oppose brutality and uphold democratic ideals.

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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

Karnak Temple Complex

Karnak Temple

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

This week, I thought I’d write about our visit to Karnak Temple.

We toured the temple complex as part of our AmaWaterways Secrets of Egypt and the Nile AmaWaterways cruise in December 2021.

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

Overview

Karnak Temple is impressive. It was the most important site in ancient Thebes in the New Kingdom (it is now called Luxor).

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.

According to the Temple Map plan, there are 34 different sites that could be visited on these grounds. Our tour took us to the most important and impressive parts of the complex.

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.

Each god has its own area, known as precincts.  Karnak is so vast, much of the complex has not been fully explored and many projects are on going to study this ancient area.

The gods honored at Karnak

Amon, also known as Amon, Ammon, Amen, and Amun-Ra. Amun was the Egyptian god of the sun and air. He is usually depicted as a bearded man with a headdress or later as a ram headed man or just a ram (a symbol of fertility).  He is considered the lord of all and involved in every aspect of creation.

This is an excellent depiction of 2 of the gods. On the far left is Mut; in the center is Amun-Ra (note the twin headdress); and on the right is Ramses II worshiping both gods.

Mut, also known as Maut and Mout, was the great divine mother and sky goddess.  She was believed to have given birth to the world.  She is depicted as a woman with wings and a headdress, as a vulture and sometimes as a cobra.

Montu, is the falcon-headed god of war.  He is depicted as a falcon-headed man or a bull-headed man and a solar disk, denoting his link to Ra, the sun god.

Along with the worship of the gods, it was important for pharaohs to be associated with worship of the gods and often depicted as equals—they were the political adds of the day when most could not read or write but could grasp symbols.

The Entrance to the Complex

The entrance walls to the complex are close to 90 feet high. On the site map it is designated as pylon 1. A pylon is a term used to describe the front wall of an Egyptian Temple. Usually, it has elaborate carvings and a gateway.

The carvings on the pylons show scenes of the ruler who built them. 6 pylons face west towards the Nile River. 4 pylons face south and were used for the ceremonial processional route to link Karnak with Luxor Temple (which was also included in our cruise tour). Just recently, with great fanfare, Egypt has open the route of the ram-headed sphinxes and we got to see parts of this route traveling on our coach between sites.

The Ram-headed statues line the entrance way to the 1st pylon.

The first pylon entrance to the temple complex.

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

The ram-headed statues line the entrance way on both sides.

The ram was the symbol of the god Amun and was the main god worshiped at the Great Temple of Karnak.

A close up of a ram-headed statue.

The Precinct of Amun

This area has the most famous parts of Karnak.  Inside the 1st wall (pylon), we first visited the Temple of Sety I. The chapel areas often held Egyptian barks, which were designed to transport statues of gods or mummys in processions.

Here are some photos:

The Chapels of Sety II. From left to right, the first chapel door is dedicated to Mut, the second chapel door is dedicated to Amun and the right chapel door is dedicated to Khonsu (the moon god and son of Amum and Mut). These were designed to hold barks for celebrations of these gods.

Ceremonial Barks on display at the Karnak visitors’ center

The Temple of Amon, with the ram-headed statues in front of the temple.

Next was the Pavilion of Taharqa and the Temple of Ramses III. They were in the Bubastite Courtyard.

Statue of Ramses III

By far for me, the most impressive par of Karnak, was the fascinating Great Hypostyle Hall.  We reached this amazing area after going through the 2nd pylon.

The 2nd Pylon at Karnak

Wall detail on the 2nd pylon at Karnak

Great Hypostyle Hall.

This area is about 337 feet by 170 feet. There are 134 columns decorated with hieroglyphs.  The largest 12 columns are 70 feet high.  These massive columns supported a roof which is no longer there.

The larger columns still have vibrant colors

Anne captured some great detail of one of the columns in this picture. Starting from the top the second row of symbols are cartouches. Cartouches are ovals or oblong circles enclosing a group of hieroglyphs which represent the name of the ruling pharaoh. On the third row, the pharaoh is making an offering to the gods.

The remaining 122 columns are about 40 feet high.

 Amazingly many of the columns have vibrant colors that are over 3500 years old and remain as colorful as when they were first painted.

Even the roof was decorated with inscriptions and hieroglyphs.

Our AmaWaterways Egyptologist explains facts about the columns. This picture shows the massive columns in rows and gives you a sense of how large this area is.

.Obelisks

We next went past the pylon and got a wonderful view of the remaining Obelisks of Thutmose I . Originally, there were 2, a tribute to the great warrior king, who extended his kingdom south in Nubia and north into Syria.

Obelisks were monuments to honor the gods, commemorate the dead and represents the pharoahs.

Next past the 4th pylon to the Obelisk of Hatshepsut (the tallest obelisk in the picture below). This obelisk was built in 1457 BC and is the second biggest of all the ancient obelisks built in Egypt—it weighs 343 tons and stands 97 feet tall.

The largest obelisk from ancient Egypt is in Rome at the Lateran Palace; the third largest is in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican (Caligula’s Obelisk).

Caligula’s Obelisk in Vatican Square—the 3rd largest obelisk taken from Egypt

Just in case you are wondering, the largest obelisk in the world is the Washington Monument—as many of you know, you can go to the top of this obelisk for wonderful views of Washington, D.C,, as I did as a child growing up in the D.C, area..

Another great picture from Anne, showing both obelisks—it is easy to see how massive they are!

The final part of our visit was to turn towards south, through some smaller temples and pylons. Here are two areas we saw as we walked towards the scared lake and out of the temple complex area.

Pointing out the inscriptions on this smaller pillar. It was very easy to see the Egyptian hieroglyphs on this small pillar.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report.  This is a fascinating place and deserves a visit for most serious travelers—it certainly makes most bucket lists.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts.  We have first-hand knowledge of 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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

Some Outstanding River Cruise Trips on AmaWaterways in 2022 and 2023

Some Outstanding River Cruise Trips on AmaWaterways in 2022 and 2023

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

It’s been a while since I wrote an in-depth blog about AmaWaterways.

They always seem to be refining and upgrading their offerings, so I thought I’d report on this for you.  So, our challenge is to give you great information about 18 different AmaWaterways cruises from our perspective after taking 20 different AmaWaterways cruises.

The route maps are all courtesy of AmaWaterways and used by their permission.  As always, about 90%+ of the photos are ours and almost all taken by Anne, who is amazing capturing the essence of the places we have visited on these trips.

Yes, we have been on the whole route or parts of the route of all the cruises we are writing about in this blog!

So, let’s explore together and learn about AmaWaterways in 2022 and 2023.

 I will start with a quick overview of the features of a cruise with AmaWaterways in Europe; tell you about a special promotion; and then dive into the routes in this long blog.

Overview

Before I start with specific cruises, I thought it would be a good thing to review what to expect on an AmaWaterways cruise trip with its onboard inclusions:

• Fabulous food and wine in the main dining room & Chef’s Table Dining Experience—the awesome meals feature locally sourced fresh ingredients and recipes, and local wines.

• Included “Sip & Sail” cocktail hour.

• Elegantly Appointed Accommodations with never-ending scenic views on either their signature twin balconies, French balconies, or the fixed windows on the first deck

• Complimentary Excursions in each port—including walking tours of historic areas, guided biking or hiking options (called active adventures) and cultural tours often featuring local great food and wine

• Unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi access

• An included Wellness program that is the best in Europe River Cruising—led by certified hosts who conduct fitness classes for you that range from Yoga to heart-pumping fitness cardio, and they help lead the bike and hiking tours.

• A crew who always are exceptional—they provide the best service and safety for guests on Europe’s Rivers and your whole cruise is executed to perfection by a professional Cruise Manager to help you get the best experiences for your vacation.

Here is a blog I wrote about why you should sail on AmaWaterways a while back:

AmaWaterways New “More to Love” Special Offer

This is a special offer that is a complete “all-inclusive trip”.  It is available on select 2022 Europe River Cruises that are reserved and deposited by April 30, 2022.

The offer includes:

 7-Night Luxury River Cruise, Roundtrip Airfare, Land Package, Transfers, Port Charges and Travel Waiver Plus From $5,499* Per Person!

The offer is for a French Balcony cabin, can be upgraded to other balcony cabins, and can be customized to include all features of the package or delete features.

This is a great offer—it can save as much as $3,000 off a trip on AmaWaterways—AMAZING!

Rhine River Cruises

The Rhine is the busiest commercial river in Europe, yet it is also famous for castles, and vineyards. Let’s learn about some Rhine River cruises together.

Tulip Time and The Best of Holland and Belgium

The Tulip Time cruise was our 4th cruise on AmaWaterways in 2013.  At first, AmaWaterways only sailed the Tulip Time route on the lower Rhine and canals in the Netherlands and Belgium in the spring.  It is a round trip loop that starts and ends in Amsterdam. 

 Do you love flowers?  Then visit the Netherlands in the springtime, when spectacular carpets of colorful tulips are in full bloom on a Tulip Time River Cruise.  Throw in lush green countryside adorned with picturesque windmills and add delicious cheeses and already the trip sounds awesome.  Also, this route can include the Belgium towns of Ghent, Arnhem, Antwerp, and our personal favorite Brugge. 

Here is a blog I wrote about Tulip Time Cruises in 2019 on all major River Cruise Companies:

While once only sailed in the spring, AmaWaterways now sails this route during the summer and autumn and call it the Best of Holland & Belgium.

Enchanting Rhine and Captivating Rhine

We first did the Enchanting Rhine in 2016 and 2021 the Captivating Rhine in 2019.  The second route on the Rhine is usually from Amsterdam to Basel Switzerland on the Rhine, (or from Basel to Amsterdam on the next 7-day cruise), using both the lower Rhine and the upper Rhine (the upper Rhine is defined from Koblenz to its source in Lake Constance).

This is the second most popular cruise route in Europe.

This cruise begins with legendary canals and the colorful surroundings of Amsterdam, past the majestic Cologne Cathedral and on to the Black Forest region of Germany and the Alsace region of France.  The best stretch is the Rhine River Gorge with its’ 40 castles dotting the hillsides—unmatched anywhere in the world!

Here are 2 blogs I wrote about this route—the first is the Enchanting Rhine route; the second is Captivating Rhine Route during Christmas:

Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps

The difference in this cruise is the addition of Lake Como as a land extension and it only goes on the Captivating Rhine route but offers a trip to Lucerne at the Basel port.  Lucerne is an awesome stop and perhaps our favorite Swiss city.

Rhine & Moselle Fairytales; Rhine and Moselle Delights and the Rivers & Castles Routes

First, the Rivers & Castle route—it was our first sailing in 2009 with AmaWaterways. We were instantly hooked—so much vacation in a 7-day trip.  It sails from Trier, Germany to Nuremberg, Germany, or the reverse route (our sailing was the reverse route) on portions of the Rhine and the Main tributary and part of the Main Canal. It includes the best portions of the Rhine River dotted with picturesque castles from the Rhine River Gorge. 

The Rhine & Moselle Fairytales and Rhine & Moselle Delights is a combination of both the Rhine and Moselle and is a longer cruise (11 nights). The Mosel also has some stunning castles nestled near vineyards and the steep riverbank slopes. This route includes visits to two great wine regions of Germany—the Mosel region famous for Riesling wines and the Franconia wine region is less well-known producer of dry white wines made from Sylvaner grapes. 

 Some consider the Mosel the most beautiful river in Europe—this river has been one of my personal favorites since 1989 on my first visit.

Danube Cruises

 Legendary Danube and Blue Danube Discovery

The Legendary Danube was our second cruise in 2011 and we have taken the Blue Danube Discovery route in 2012 and 2018.  The Upper Danube is the other great route on Europe rivers (it is the single most popular river cruise route in all Europe—it has about 30% of all river cruise passengers that take a Europe River cruise every year)—and typically goes from Nuremberg or Vilshofen to Budapest. 

 You will get to visit 4 countries, 2 or 3 capital cities (Vienna, usually Bratislava and Budapest), castles, Abbeys, wine-sloped terraces, and even quaint villages--it is a great voyage.  

This route sometimes uses the Main-Danube Canal if it goes all the way Nuremberg (106 miles long with 16 locks)—a marvel of engineering and completion of a dream started by Charlemagne in 793 that was finally completed in 1992—about 1200 years later. 

Magna on the Danube

The AmaMagna sails the whole Danube on the Vilshofen to Budapest route and the Black Sea Voyage route.  It can be a seven-night cruise, or a fourteen-night Grand Danube cruise described below.

The difference here is the best river ship in all of Europe—the Double Wide AmaMagna.  We have never sailed her but looking forward to it! Since we have not yet sailed on the AmaMagna, the photos of this wonderful ship are courtesy of AmaWaterways.

Grand Danube Cruise

The Grand Danube is a combination of the upper Danube Route (described in the Legendary and Blue Danube routes) and the Black Sea Voyage on the lower Danube we did in 2014.

 The lower Danube is the gateway to Eastern Europe.  This segment begins in Budapest and ends near the Black Sea.

 It starts with the rolling hills and vine-clad slopes of the Pecs in Hungary; then moves to the boundary waters that separate Serbia and Croatia; then traverses the narrow gorges of the Iron Gates, a stunning passage that divides the Balkan and Carpathian Mountains and either ends in Bucharest, Romania or at the Black Sea.

Here are 2 blogs I wrote about sailing on the Danube:

French Cruises

Colors of Provence

We have done this route three times —in 2013, 2014 and 2016, leading a group.  This Rhône and Saône cruise goes from Lyon to Arles or Avignon. 

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

Then on to the Papal town of Avignon and finish in Arles, where Vincent Van Gogh spent much of his time.  The cruise then changes direction from Arles to Lyon for the next 7-day cruise.   You will sample great wines, visit Roman ruins, and learn about the cuisine of Provence, among stunning scenery—fields of purple lavender, yellow sunflowers, and vineyards.

Here is a blog I wrote about the Colors of Provence River Cruise on AmaWaterways:

Essence of Burgundy & Provence

We are leading a group on this cruise in October 2022—come join us!  There is more emphasis here on the Saône River.

A Taste of Bordeaux

In 2017, we sailed on the Taste of Bordeaux route. This cruise is in the Bordeaux region of France on the Garonne, Dordogne, and Gironde Rivers.  It is a round trip cruise out of Bordeaux and features wine tastings, impressive chateaux’s, and abundant vineyards along the Garonne and its tributaries. 

 There are over 8,500 wine producing estates in this region—it is often considered the wine capital of the world. Usual port cities of Cadillac, Pauillac, Bourg and Libourne are included in most sailings of this region.  This is an important wine region of France, and you will experience tastings of some of the most distinguished wines in the world including Sauternes, Medoc, and Bordeaux wines (my personal favorites). 

 If you like wine, cognac, oysters, truffles, chateaux, and the grand buildings of Bordeaux, this is the cruise for you.

Here is a blog I wrote about this cruise:

Special Cruises

Seven Rivers Journeys

This unique journey requires a completely different blog and we have sailed most of this route.  It sails through 14 different countries on 7 different portions of Europe’s best rivers.

Secrets of Egypt & the Nile

Queen Nefertari’s Tomb. in December 2021. Photo Anne Schrader

In December 2021, we sailed this new addition to the AmaWaterways offerings for a 10-day land and cruise package that will fascinate you.  The adventure starts in Cairo, staying at the 5-star Four Seasons Hotel with views of the Nile, the world’s longest river.

In Cairo, highlights of the 3-day stay were visits to 3 Pyramids of Giza (the only remain intact structures of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) and the Sphinx; touring the Egyptian Museum; a visit to Memphis (the old capital of Ancient Egypt); and the burial grounds of the Saqqara, with the wonderful step pyramid of Djoser.

Next, aboard the AmaDahlia, a newly designed Nile River cruise ship, we got to sail the Nile for 7 days.  Among the highlights were visits to Hall of Karnak (my personal favorite due its size and grandeur), the beguiling Temple of Luxor, the burial tombs of Valley of the Kings (we saw 3 tombs including King Tut’s tomb) and in the Valley of the Queens, where we had exclusive access to the Tomb of Queen Nefertari (a stunning tomb that was Anne’s favorite).

We took optional tour to Abu Simbel, and it was amazing.  I also liked the Temple of Kom Ombo (a temple dedicated to 2 gods—the Falcon god and the Crocodile god), and the Temple of Edfu (dedicated to the Falcon god).

This tour is not for everyone but an amazing experience and a fascinating look into Ancient Egypt. Here are 3 great blogs about this trip:

Our Final Thoughts

I’ll bet by now you realize few travel advisors have the depth of knowledge we have about AmaWaterways cruises.  If you want first-hand perspective with folks who really know the Europe River Cruise scene, we are the right choice!

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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

Marketing Can Make Any Trip Look Good

Marketing Can Make Any Trip Look Good

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Ever wonder why all the advertising you receive by mail or emails about a trip always looks so good?

Travel Companies pay big bucks to get their message across to you but it isn’t always correct.

So, let’s explore together and learn about why you need an advocate in today’s travel scene—not slick ads but reliable info--you won’t be disappointed!

Ads—Is there Truth in Advertising?

Good marketing can make even the poorest trip seem great.  Why?—they always accentuate the positive, never mention the negative.  To me, it is amazing how easily people can be fooled.  Even smart, discriminating folks, can be fooled by fancy brochures and glossy pictures.

Most of us want to believe the best and trips are so emotional, and emotions often defy logic.  The other real problem is how can you really differentiate between various vendors or offers?  Only highly skilled and professionals know the subtle differences.

So, contrary to many pundits, a travel agent or advisor might help you evaluate and make better choices.  We are not a dying breed, as some have written.

If anything drives this point home more about the value of a good travel advisor, the last two years of COVID restrictions, and defaults of suppliers, has turned the travel industry on its head.

In a environment of uncertainty, clear facts and guidance is more important than ever.

Aren’t Travel Agents or Advisors Basically All the Same?

Just like any professional services, some are a lot better than others.  Again, that poses a problem—how do you know how to get the right advisor or agent?

Maybe we should now examine the differences between an agent and a true travel advisor.

What does a Travel Advisor do that is different than a travel agent?

To me a travel agent is an order taker—think online agencies or high-volume sales operations.  Time is money to these folks, and they want a trip booking as fast as possible.  Some agencies even limit the time they can spend with you before they move on to the next potential booking.

To say the least, this is not in your best interests.

A Travel Advisor has a different role.  They add value to your trip by:

1. Having resources, connections, and the expertise to enhance your desired trip and take it from good to great.

2. They work with you in partnerships to provide experiences tailored to your desires, unique wishes, and within budget (if possible).

3. They are not afraid to advise you of the downfalls or potential problems of a trip or  vendor—not forcing you to change but advising you if something might be better and why it is better.

4. They always have your best interests at heart.

5. They often have specialties that can even enhance their value to you

We were runner-up winners at the 2018 TravelAge West Gala awards for the Best Targeted Marketing Idea

Maybe the best way I can address this difference is to use a good way to evaluate us as travel advisors instead of travel agents.  Most folks ask themselves 3 questions during the trip planning process about the person helping them, so let’s examine these questions from our point of view

3 Questions Most Folks Ask Themselves When Presented a Travel Offer

We are all overwhelmed with ads and offers daily.  We also meet many folks who are selling to us.  I’ll bet that most of us are thinking about 3 questions when they met a salesperson and are listening to their pitch. 

They are: 1) Can I trust this person? 2) Do they know what they are talking about? 3) Do they care about me and what I need? 

So, we want to enter the conversation you already having with yourself about these 3 questions—isn’t the mind a wonderful thing?.  These 3 topics deserve a more detailed approach so you can decide if we should be your travel professionals.

Can I trust this Person?

Trust and integrity are valuable traits and, in my judgement, in short supply in our country.  Too many make promises they can’t or won’t keep. 

My whole life has been devoted to service after graduating from West Point—20 years as a US Army Officer, 20 years as a coach and teacher and 25+ years helping others travel to the right location. 

My graduation from West Point 9 June 1971—wasn’t real sure I’d ever make it to that day!

Anne is equally dedicated to trust and integrity—she always thinks about what is best for our clients, every single time. She will always go the extra mile to exhaust all possibilities.

It would be impossible to tell all the good she does for our clients in this blog without veering off too far, but she does deserve more attention, so to learn more about her incredible achievements, here is a blog I wrote in 2019 about how really great a travel advisor she is—very appropriate and well deserved in the Women’s Month Recognition Celebration going on at present.

 We think trust is the cornerstone of our relationship with you.  We try to under promise and over deliver a great travel experience for you.  We strive to make your travel experience better by helping you make wise choices, eliminate hassles, and help you get the best value for your money.

 In short, while working with us, we want to provide a trip that will exceed your expectations. 

Do they know what they are talking about?

With over 25+ years of experience selling travel to many satisfied clients, we know both what you need to make your travel experience better and the knowledge of what is available to match you with just the right vacation. 

We have extensive first-hand knowledge and do comprehensive research on trips.  We have planned hundreds of successful trips to delighted clients and we are eager to plan yours. 

Like a little proof?  Ask for one of our 50 Europe City travel guides by selecting them on our Europe Travel Web pages at www.dreamdestinations.com , or click on one of our many PowerPoint presentations on our website or visit our Resources Section of our website to get travel tips (www.dreamdestinations.com).

 or visit our Pinterest page—over 5,000 pictures (www.pinterest.com/visitdd) .

Maybe one of our 51 European river cruise port guides—you can order them from our website on the river cruise section of our website (there is a limit if you haven’t booked with us yet to 2 free resources—booked clients have access to unlimited guides).

There is one common thread here—almost 98% is our own pictures or written by us—in truth, it would be hard to find many travel professionals who have been to so many of the places we sell.

 If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know we know our stuff.  As I used to say as a coach, when evaluating good football players, “he is the real deal!” 

Well folks, we are the real deal!

Do they care about me and what I need?

We treat each of our clients as friends, because we don’t sell travel to clients—we sell travel to friends.  There is a big difference—how your trip goes makes a world of difference to us.  We like to say we are small enough to deliver personalize service but big and experience enough to get you just the right trip. 

Christmas on the Rhine on an AmaWaterways cruise in our kilts for the Captain’s Dinner with our travel chums Denise and Mark.

Jeff (my West Point Classmate) and Hank on a Danube Cruise in the summer of 2018

We try to match you to just the right experience and make it logical, realistic, and affordable in your price range.  Don’t get us wrong—we do not sell on price—we sell on value. You will never have a trip we plan without us asking why you are going and what you expect from going. Travel agents only care about the booking not the experience or quality of the trip.

Maybe you would like to know the differences between river cruise vendors. Since it is one of our specialties, why not read our European River Cruise Comparisons?—it is always on page one of Google.

 We try to demonstrate how valuable you are to us in many ways but how many other travel professionals have a Traveler Hall of Fame?

 We are proud we could help you and want to share with others your joy and satisfaction.  Again, they are on our website—www.dreamdestinations.com and you will find it on the menu bar. Here are just a few—enjoy:

Mike and Barb on a Windstar cruise in 2021 at a candlelight dinner in Ephesus, Turkey

Boin Family 2015 Chichen Itza

Mary and Jack 2016 at Angor Watt

AmaWaterways Cruise 2017

What we do not do

Our goal is to provide you with information but not bombard you with offers you do not want.  We really try to get to know you and match your desires to opportunities when they arise. 

We are low-key and strive to provide the right info in a relaxed, no pressure situation.  In my opinion, there is a big difference about being eager to be your travel professional and being an obnoxious salesperson. 

We are eager to help but know the boundaries—the truth is we want to form a partnership with you—not sell you something.

 It is as simple as this—we inform, you decide.  We also realize you are busy, and we respect your time by trying to contact you in the form (phone, email or written) that works the best for you at the time that is the best for you.  In short, we respect you!

Our Final Thoughts

We hope these words inspire you to become or continue our travel relationship. 

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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

So, Where Should I Go?

So, Where Should I Go?  

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

One of the biggest problems Anne & I face in making our personal travel decisions is “Where Should We Go?”  You might think this is an easy problem for destination specialists like us, but in reality, the more you travel to one area of the world, like Europe, the more difficult it becomes. 

Why?  It seems so simple at first but there are just too many options—do you revisit places you have been, look for new places, combine the two, emphasize cities, or peaceful stays in the countryside?

There are so many choices—what should I do?  And when all choices are great options, it becomes even harder.

The inspiration for this blog comes from our struggles to decide where to go in April for Anne’s 70th birthday—we will let you know when we finally decide but here is the process we will use to make the right decision.

Regular readers of this blog, will probably guess Anne wants to go to Brugge sometime during the trip—here is the view from our favorite canal side room in Brugge when we visit

So, let’s explore this dilemma together and see if we can come up with a logical process that will make your decision-making easier and, more importantly, provide you a way to maximize your travel time.

Travel Decision Making

In my opinion, there are 5 steps in the travel decision-making process.  They are:

1. First, you want to go on a vacation somewhere. 

2. Second, you begin a search process, looking for some type of inspiration. 

3. Next come comparisons—what will I do or see while on my vacation? 

4. Now comes the suppliers and vendors–will their product or service that I select provide me the vacation I desire? 

5. Last, you evaluate the decision—did I make the right choices? 

Vacation Time—I want to Go Somewhere

The first step in this process is a decision to go somewhere. 

 During this phase, you should try to decide how long you can go, develop some type of budget and select a general destination. 

Perhaps, most important, you should ask yourself–why am I going? 

Once you know the why, the rest of the decisions become easier.  They always have for us. A word of advice here—the why has to be as well defined as possible. The reason we are struggling with Anne’s birthday milestone trip is just celebrating isn’t enough—it has to be the right celebration and we have not really defined exactly what we want to see or do (we are stuck on step 3 in the decision making process as I wrote about above in this blog).

The Search Process–Inspiration and Destination Knowledge

There are lots of ways you can begin your destination search.  Usually it is a cool picture, maybe a book description, maybe a TV show or Movie or Video posted on the internet—it doesn’t really matter how it starts. 

You begin to see yourself experiencing something new, or perhaps returning to a familiar place where you can relax or be stimulated.  Or maybe you just don’t know enough but want to try something new or different. 

Maybe you went to our website and researched some of the pages to learn about trip ideas or went to our Pinterest site and looked at the over 5000 photos we have taken during our travels or requested one of our 50 Europe City Guides or 51 Europe River Cruise Port Guides.

For Anne’s 60th we attended a cooking school in Wales—maybe a new cooking adventure for the 70th?

Now that you have been inspired, you next need to learn about where you want to go.  Destination knowledge is the combination of 3 types of knowledge–objective knowledge (facts), subjective knowledge (how does it make you feel?) and experience knowledge (what do I gain from doing this?). 

We use all three when planning your trips and, even if you don’t realize it, you do the same when thinking about (or better yet dreaming about) your upcoming trip.  

Travel Planning 101—Comparing What is Available for Your Travel Decisions

I think there are 3 main ways to make travel decisions.  They are:

• advantages and disadvantages method (most common)

• simple prioritization (best opportunity) method

• acquiesce to an expert method (us).

In the military, during our formal decision-making process, we used to call this phase evaluating the course of actions.  We would decide on what to do and decide on the advantages and disadvantages of each course of action. 

While this was a more formalized process than is necessary for planning travel, it is essentially the same process you should use to plan your trips.  Each traveler makes a series of choices (courses of actions in military terminology) and then compares the advantages and disadvantages of each part of the trip to each destination.

Already this is sounding overwhelming, but we have a good solution for you! 

Here is a chart I developed, addressing 7 common travel problems and our solutions to help you. 

Problem	What is the Benefit to You	Our Solution
Will I get the best value for my Money?	Spend your money wisely	We match the right vendor(s) to provide a trip that will exceed your expectations
Will I find the right trip?	A Better Vacation	We Learn your dreams and turn them into reality
Will I make wise choices?	A better vacation and no fear of missing out on great experiences	Our 25 years of experience in the travel industry coupled with our first-hand destination knowledge and numerous professional certifications will help us provide you with the best options possible
Will I remember all the details?	No unforgotten trip details	We check all the details so you do not have any missteps or forgotten arrangements
Will I spend too much time researching my trip?	Saves you time & eliminates hassles	Once we know what you want, we do research to get you the highest quality, expertly planned trip
How can I best protect my vacation?	Peace of mind	We can help lead you to the right people to answer your questions about insurance options
How do I know I can trust my advisor to do the best for me?	Someone thinking and acting in your best interests	We are members of several professional organizations and we have earned the trust of dozens of clients. We encourage you to read their comments about our services

Trade Offs—What Can I Afford and What Will I Get?

I always tell folks we travel to Europe as many times as we can during a year until we run out of money—most all of us have constraints of some sort—time, travel costs, work demands, family situations—all can affect the desired outcome of your vacation. 

Here is simple advice–pick the level of products and services that will provide you the best value.  Don’t let money drive the decision–every time we cut a corner on a vacation to save a couple of bucks, we regretted it.  It always led to poor experiences. 

There almost always is the “sweet spot”–great value but not too expensive to bust the budget.  Let us help you find it.

So, Where Do I Go?

The real answer is that there are usually no perfect choices. I do think it becomes easier if we help you, as you can see by the 7 problems we can solve for you in planning and taking your vacation.

Our Final Thoughts

When we decide on Anne’s trip, we will write about the adventure.

As you can see, making wise travel choices, is more complex than you may have thought.  Trip planning is not easy.  Making sound decisions are critical to the travel planning process.  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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki, Finland

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

In July 2021, Time Magazine ranked Helsinki as one of the greatest places in the world to live.  While we don’t live there, we agree it is a great place, especially during the summer, and for you travelers, Helsinki is a great place to visit. 

This northern European country has splendid weather for about 3 months or so, and there is a great festival during August in this capital city, called the Helsinki Festival—it is an annual arts and culture event and another great reason to visit this Nordic capital..

So, let’s explore together and learn about Helsinki.

Overview of Finland

As a former World Geography teacher, I just can’t help but tell you about how this country is classified.  Finland is not really a part of the Scandinavia region, but this is not clearly defined by all geographers. 

Some include only Denmark, Norway and Sweden.  Others add Iceland and Finland and define these 5 countries as the Nordic countries. There is lot of the confusion is over Finland, as large portions were once part of Sweden and Russia, and this also has influenced its culture and classification. 

I guess it really doesn’t matter how it is classified by geographers—it just is a cool place and worthy of a visit or two.

Get Our Guide to Helsinki

I would be remiss if I didn’t let you know that we have written a guide to Helsinki.  Just go to our website at this link and we will send you the guides you request. 

 Here is the link on our Northern Europe page of our website:

The guide is free and there is no obligation, it is just a service we provide to help you have better travels when visiting this region (this is only part of the 50 cities guides we have for key European cities.)

We do limit our guides to those who haven’t booked with us to only 2 guides, so this is a great incentive to get a trip going with us.

Ok, let’s learn about the capital city of Finland—Helsinki!

The History of Helsinki, Finland

Sweden, Estonia and Russia all have important influences in the development of Finland and especially Helsinki.

King Gustauv I of Sweden, established the town of Helsinki as a trading town to rival the Hanseatic city of Reval (we know this town today as Tallinn, Estonia) in 1550.  He named the town Helsingfors.

Sweden lost control of Finland after a war with Russia in 1809 and the Tsar established Finland as the Grandy Dutchy of Finland and Helsinki was designated its capital in 1812.

One of the legacies of this dominance of Russia is the Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral pictured below.

During WW I, in 1917, Finland declared its’ independence.  Russia recognized its independence in 1918.

Let’s Explore Helsinki

Helsinki has a population of about 650,000.  The city is sometimes called the “Daughter of the Baltic” since it is located on a peninsula surrounded by the Baltic Sea.   It is the third largest  city of the Nordic countries after Stockholm and Oslo.

Helsinki grew up around its harbor.  Helsinki and Finland have one of the world’s highest standards of living. Here are some pictures of Market Square Harbor:

Here is the Esplanade (a great pedestrian walkway and boulevard), and a wonderful place to wander:

Senate Square is dominated by 4 buildings. The stunning Helsinki Cathedral and the government palace are pictured below (not pictured are the main building of ther University of Helsinki and the National Library of Finland): 

We have visited twice and really like Helsinki—our favorites are the waterfront market square area and the Esplanade.

Helsinki is rated as the capital city with the 8th cleanest air in the world by the World Health Organization. 

 A huge emphasis on public transportation, may be one reason, Helsinki makes the list of the cleanest cities.  This city wants to make cars obsolete by developing an on-demand-public transportation system. 

The current diverse public transportation system consists of trams, commuter rail, bus lines, 2 ferry lines, and some on-demand minibuses.  There is also a big emphasis on bikes and developing bike paths.  One third of the city is green spaces. 

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report and learned a little about this great city.  We would be delighted to help you visit this wonderful place.

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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

My Favorite 5 Walled Cities in Europe

My Favorite 5 Walled Cities in Europe

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

One of my favorite things to do in Europe is visit the old walled cities of Europe.

 A walled city is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors.  From ancient to modern times, they have been used to enclose settlements and provide protection for those living in the city.  

Almost every town in medieval times that could built defensive walls did so—they were essential to survive the harsh times of yesteryear.

 Today, walled cities have become obsolete due to improved weapons and aircraft used in modern warfare.  The good news is that the cities that did not destroy their old walls now usually are special places where you can enjoy a bygone era that survives in today’s modern world

So, let’s explore together and learn about my 5 favorite walled cities and see Anne’s pictures of these wonderful places.

Tallinn, Estonia. 

The inspiration for this blog is that Estonia Independence Day is February 24 and we are publishing it on 24 February 2022. I am starting off with the walled city gem of Northern Europe—the old Town of Tallinn.

Tallinn Estonia old town is a great place to visit.  It is the oldest capital city in Northern Europe.   With 1.9 km of its original city wall still standing, Tallinn has one of Europe’s best preserved medieval fortifications—it has cool gates and 20 defensive towers.

 A large part of what gives Old Town its fairytale charm is the system of walls and towers that surrounds it. 

The old town is divided into lower and upper towns—and it is just a charming, fun place to explore.  We have been there 2 times and are ready to go back soon.

York, England. 

York has been defended by walls since Roman times.  It has the most intact walls of any city in England.

 We walked some of the walls and it was great to see this old town from the large walls.  Inside the walls, the York Cathedral is especially impressive and there are other medieval half-timbered buildings and areas that are neat to visit.

 The walls had 4 main gates which restricted entrance into the town, provided protection and were also used to collect tolls.  In our opinion, York is a good place to visit.

Carcassonne, France. 

Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. It is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defenses encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, the narrow streets and its fine Gothic cathedral.

Here is a small part of these massive walls:

The walls have 53 towers and 5 barbicans (A barbican is a fortified outpost or gateway or any tower situated over a gate or bridge). There is a castle inside the walled city complete with a drawbridge.  It is the largest walled city in Europe.

 We stayed inside this walled city, really enjoyed the sights and got to eat cassoulet—a regional specialty dish of beans, duck and sausage—great food—Anne now makes at home for us.

There are 2 main gate entrances to the city. They are the Narbonne Gate and the Aude Gate.

Narbonne Gate Carcasonne, France

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany.

Only 3 towns in Germany have completely intact city walls (Nordingen and Dinkelsbuhl are the other two) and the walls of Rothenburg are considered by most as the best.

This may be the best-known walled city in Europe and is very popular as a tourist destination.  Rothenburg is Germany’s best-preserved walled city.  Part of the walls have covered walled walkways and can be walked and provide great views of the city.

 The walls are about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) long and covered, with several towers and entrances at the gates.  Rothenburg is usually very crowded during the day but if you stay overnight, it is awesome place to visit.  We stayed overnight and really enjoyed our time here.

Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Dubrovnik is known as the pearl of the Adriatic.  This walled city is considered to be among the great fortification systems of the Middle Ages.

The walls are about 1.940 meters long and 25 meters high (82 feet) at some points.  It has 17 towers, 5 bastions and 2 angular fortifications and a fort all incorporated into the walls.  There was even a moat around the land portions. 

The city at one time was defended by 120 cannons.  These fortifications were never breached, but diplomacy skills of its leaders rather than military might was probably the reason Dubrovnik never fell to its enemies, according to some historians. 

We have walked portions of the walls and the views are stunning.  There is a lot to see inside the walls and good restaurants—this should be a place you go to also.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report.  There is just so much history to see in Europe and its structures help you learn about times past.

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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

The Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

I just learned that Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened on 16 February 1923.  I knew about the discovery, but I didn’t really know the exact date.

It did get me thinking about our recent trip to Egypt and all the wonderful sites we visited and I decided to write about our visit to the Valley of the Kings.

So, let’s explore together and learn about some of the most famous tombs in the world at the Valley of the Kings—you won’t be disappointed!

The Valley of the Kings Overview

On day 5 of our cruise, we visited 3 sites.  The first was the Valley of the Queens.  The second was a large temple complex. The last stop of a busy 5 hours tour day was the Valley of the Kings. We visited 3 tombs. Here is a model of the Valley of the Kings in the visitor center and the second picture shows how the tombs were carved into the hillsides.

Walking on the grounds in the stark hills and valleys is what you will see in these next two pictures.

Most of the 63 tombs are marked with signs like this:

The Tomb Wall Decorations

The whole purpose of the wall paintings were to help the pharaohs in their journey to the afterlife. The burials scenes and offerings to their gods insured the pharaohs were also recognized as gods and live pleasantly in the afterlife. Many symbols of the gods adorn the walls and the cartouche of each pharaoh in a circle oblong knot identify exactly who the pharaoh was, preserves his place in history. While the tomb robbers wanted the gold and valuables left in the tomb, we of the modern world get to marvel at the art to learn about an ancient society—perhaps the best treasure of all.

King Tut’s Tomb

The story of the discovery of most famous tomb in Egypt is fascinating.  Archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter was a man obsessed with finding an intact tomb. His studies revealed the existence of a little known or remembered Pharaoh, Tutankhamun, reigning in 1333–1324 BCE.

He was determined to be the man to find Tutankhamun’s tomb.

But the evidence was scant, and the location of the Pharaoh's tomb, unknown. The only financing for excavations came from wealthy patrons and Carter could not finance his explorations alone—he needed financial help.

Carter found his patron-- George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, an amateur Egyptologist. Carter was soon heading up all of Lord Carnarvon's digs in Egypt and he convinced Lord Carnarvon to allow him to look for Tutankhamun's tomb. Carnarvon agreed, but Carter's searches resulted no new findings for several years.

In 1922, Carnarvon agreed to allow Carter one more season of searching. On November 4, 1922, Carter found the steps to Tutankhamun's tomb, buried beneath rubble from houses built on top of the tomb. On February 16, 1923, Carter and Carnarvon opened the burial chamber for the first time, even though they had already been in the outer chambers..

They were astounded--Tutankhamun's tomb was the most intact tomb of a Pharaoh ever uncovered. Over 5,000 artifacts were eventually removed and provided to the Egyptian government. This find and the treasures became a worldwide sensation, as newspapers all over the world reported this amazing find.

The story doesn’t end there, as Lord Carnarvon died only a few months later, lending credence to the legend of the "curse of Tutankhamun's tomb”.   Other members also died who entered the tomb, furthering the cruse’s legend. 

Today, many have had the chance to view the amazing treasures recovered from the tomb on display in the Egypt Museum and in traveling shows worldwide.  We also got the rare chance to visit the tomb.  Here are the entrance signs prior to going into the tomb:

After descending some very step stairs, here is the wonderful wall paintings we got to see:

Finally, here is the mummy of King Tut:

Tomb of Ramses III

Ramses III is often referred to as the last great warrior pharaoh. He protected the borders, did a lot of public building (especially to the most important temples) and even planted trees to improve the kingdom. He ruled from 1186 to 1155 (31 years). This was entrance marker for the tomb of Ramses III.

Here is what the inside of the tomb walls look like:

Ramses IX Tomb.

The last tomb was the last of the Ramses, King Ramses IX, who ruled from 1129 to 1111 BCE.  It was my favorite, as I could see the actual story of the King and his burial in the hieroglyphics.

Our Final Thoughts

Wow—what a report!  We hope you enjoyed this report and our pictures.

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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

3 Great English Castles You Should Visit

3 Great English Castles You Should Visit

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

I really like castles but as Anne says, some are just a pile of rocks with nothing much to see and I agree—some ruins are just a pile of rocks.

Don’t let these words deter you, since many have transformed from stark and stout defensive structures into grand properties property’s with stunning interiors that have a lot to see during your visit.

There are many wonderful castles in England and many have published list of great structures to visit but our task is not to rank castles; we only want to show you 3 great ones we have visited and leave ranking the castles to others.

So, let’s explore together and learn about 3 wonderful castles in England we feel are worthy of a visit during a trip to England.

The Tower of London

The Tower of London is the most historic castle, palace and prison in England.

Located on the Thames River, this 18-acre complex first started with the construction of the White Tower in 1087 by William I (you probably know him best as William the Conqueror from the battle of Hastings that resulted in Norman rule of Britain in 1066). 

Other famous sites include the Traitor’s Gate, the White Tower Museum, the Execution Site, the display of the Crown Jewels, and the Royal Chapel. 

Don’t miss a chance to talk with the Beefeaters (their proper title is the Yeoman Warders), who in principal are responsible for looking after any prisoners in the Tower and safeguarding the Crown Jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are an attraction themselves.

A view from the Thames River of the Tower of London

Model Display of the Tower of London

Here is what the Tower of London looks like as visitors approach from the shore.

A sign that tells visitors of the beheadings of famous killed on this spot. Only the high ranking were executed here; others were killed outside the tower’s walls.

The White Tower museum entrance.

Traitor’s Gate entrance from the Thames River.

Another view of Traitor’s Gate

Beefeaters at the Tower of London

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is the official home of the Royal Family of England for over 900 years and is stilled used today by the royal family. 

This large castle complex is an easy day trip from London.  Touring the state apartments is fascinating (usually there are 24 rooms on the tour)—the scale and beauty of these 24 rooms is indescribable (sadly no pictures are allowed)! The castle complex has 951 rooms, if you count stairways and corridors, of which 225 are bedrooms.  St. George’s Hall is used for State Banquets and can seat 160 guests.

Starting with the grand staircase and vestibule, with its excellent collection of armor and weapons, it seems each room get more grand and impressive.  There are bedrooms, drawing rooms, dining rooms, and halls adorned with paintings, the finest of furniture and reminders of English power and wealth and victories against rival nations.  It is almost overwhelming in its grandeur and beauty.

Inside Windsor Castle

Statue of King Charles II beneath the round tower. Charles II was responsible for the many opulent redecoration of Windsor Castle—he desired it to rival the French palace of Versailles.

The Round Tower, Windsor Castle

Changing of the Guard, Private Apartments, Windsor Castle

The Norman Tower and gardens.

Outer Walls, Windsor Castle

Warwick Castle

Originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068, the castle was an expansion of William’s control of England in the Midlands of England, as he advanced north in England in efforts to consolidate his control of England.

In the late 1100’s, the original wooden structure was replaced with stone fortifications.  From 1330 to 1360, the castle began to take shape in its’ present from with important upgrades in defensive structures such as a gatehouse, a barbican (a fortified gateway) and 2 towers.

With the decline of defensive castles due to more modern weapons, the castle alternated between an excellent residence to an estate badly need of repairs.  It eventually was sold to a tourist company.  At present there are 12 rooms open to the public.

The theme park atmosphere is a little corny but it still is an impressive site. There are some unique demonstrations on the 64 acre grounds. These include a Trebuchet (a siege machine) fired twice a day (it is seasonal); Flight of Eagles—a birds of prey demonstration; Warwick Warriors—a show about the combat weapons used by figures in Warwick’s history and a Seasonal Jousting show.

Kids of all ages will probably love this castle and the theme park atmosphere.

Outside walls of Warwick Castle. On the left is the barbican and on the right Guy’s Tower.

Inside the Great Hall.

Warwick Castle has the second best display of arms at English castles—only the Tower of London’s is better.

Armored Knights

Entrance way display

Nicely landscaped grounds inside the castle

Chapel

Bedroom

The large Trebuchet siege machine. We watched it hurl a huge stone quite a distance.

Our Final Thoughts

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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

A Culture Trip in Europe--German Speaking Countries

A Culture Trip in Europe--German Speaking Countries

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

German is the official language in Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein.  It is the co—official language in Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg.

According to the website Lingoda, it is estimated that about 92.6 million people speak German in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The site estimates that about 16% of the European Union’s population speak German as their primary language.

So, I thought I’d write about the 4 main countries that speak German in this blog—Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

So, let’s explore together and learn about German Speaking Europe.  I will start with a brief overview of culture, and then tell you about the 4 main German Speaking Countries and German culture in these countries.

German Cultural Influences on Europe

When I was teaching AP Human Geography, I used to identify 8 elements of culture for my students.  They are 1) religion, 2) language, 3) art, 4) politics, 5) economy, 6) customs, 7) society and 8) geography.

It is clear that two elements influenced the other elements and are often considered the most important elements of a country’s culture.  The two most significant elements are religion (the beliefs of a society, and some of their traditions) and language (the communication system of a culture—the way it expresses itself in speech, writing and symbols).

Even though in the academic world culture is expressed by these 8 factors, for many, culture and food are so closely intertwined, they are one of the most visible factors and symbols of the German speaking countries, and I am glad to share some of the great food we have tried and love in these countries

So, let’s see how the German language and culture has impacted on the 4 countries of Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria and Germany

Liechtenstein

In Liechtenstein, it is estimated that about 35,000 speak German—basically, that is the entire population of this tiny country. This micro state is the 6th smallest country in the world.  

It does not even have an army and in 2007 was inadvertently invaded by the Swiss when about 100 Swiss Army soldiers wandered into Liechtenstein by accident.  When the Swiss government informed the government of Liechtenstein of the incident, no one in the country even knew it had happened, since the borders are not guarded or well-marked—I guess it was the invasion that never really happened!

Liechtenstein is one of the two world countries that is double land locked (Uzbekistan is the other).  What that means is all the country’s borders are with Switzerland and Austria, who are land locked with no access to the sea.

 The residents speak a dialect that is closer to Swiss Standard German.  It is so small, that once a year, the prince ruler invites all (yes all!) of its residents to Vaduz Castle for a beer.

Hard to get more German than drinking a beer—it certainly is one of my favorite pastimes!

I visited Liechtenstein in 1989 and this small country was so peaceful and fun—I want to go back again!

Switzerland

In Switzerland, it is estimated that 4.6 million speak German.  Switzerland is a melting pot for different cultures. About 64% of the population speak Swiss German. French is spoken in western Switzerland by about 20% of the population, and about 8% Italian and a small number speak Romansh, a Romance language.  

One of the unique items in Switzerland is how well languages are used as a binding force, not a force of division, as most Swiss people often speak at least two languages and often more.  However, language does have a strong cultural influence—German areas features an Alpine culture of brats and timbered buildings; French areas have cafes like France: and Italian areas feature pizzas and villas.

Only in a country like Switzerland, could the unofficial internal border between German and French speakers, called Rostigraben, be named after a Swiss-German potato dish.  No wonder I like this place!

One of the key influences of Germany culture in Switzerland has been in the food and drink world.  The meat heavy dishes of Germany are abundant throughout Switzerland.  Potatoes and cheese, and one of my favorites, cheese fondues, and raclette (melted cheese scraped on to bread or potatoes) are staples in restaurants.

Another key influence has been the Christmas markets.  We have been in Christmas markets in Basel, Zurich and Lucerne (these 3 cities speak German as their primary language). All have been special—you should go if you get the chance.

Basel Christmas Market booth

Lucerne Advent House

Booths at Christmas markets Lucerne

Swarovsko crystal tree in the covered Christmas Markets Zurich

Anne ready for a meal in Lucerne

Brat in Lucerne!

Cordon Blu in Lucerne

Austria

In Austria, it is estimated that 8 million speak German, virtually the entire population of Austria.  German influences are also important to Austria.  The meat heavy dishes such as Wiener schnitzel and other pork dishes are on most menus in the country.
Austria does have some distinctive cultural features. A great coffee house culture and tempting dessert treats are very important in the capital city of Vienna—the vibe of artists, intellectuals, and writers meeting to exchange ideas and socialize that was important to the city’s lifestyle over 100 years ago still exists today. Austria has a strong culture of classical music, with famous composers and the elegant waltz dance was created here and often delight tourists with dazzling performances.

Kata (cruise manager for AmaWaterways), Anne in her drindel purchased in Vienna and our bar server friend

Schnizel

Another version of a schnitzel

The famous Sacher Torte in Vienna

Apple Stridel in Vienna

It is an alpine country—62% of Austria’s land is in the Alps Mountains.  As stated earlier, it is a landlocked country, with no access to the sea.  However, even without a coast, about half of Austria’s electricity comes from Hydro-power from dams and rivers in the Alpine regions.

One of the more interesting Austrian traditions, is called the first day of school cone.  It roots come from Germany.  When 6 year olds start school, they receive a cone full of candy, school supplies and toys.  The idea is to make the stressful first day of school a little more fun.

Again, the Christmas markets are really cool in Austria.  Vienna has several and the little town of Melk also has a small gem, with craftsmen working right in front of you. Here are some photos you might enjoy;

Christmas Markets at Schonbrunn Palace grounds in Vienna

Booth at Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Markets

Christmas Markets in Vienna at the town hall

Blacksmiths at work in the small Christmas Market in Melk, Austria

Germany

Germany has over 80 million who speak German.  It is the second most populous country in Europe, after Russia (according to the World Fact Book).  Its’ economy is the 5th largest in the world.

Anne and I love German food. Here are a few of our favorites:

Pork knuckle in Koblenz, Germany

White Asparagus in Munich

Hank with a beer and a brat in Nuremberg

Perhaps one of the most important German traditions that has been exported to the world are their Christmas traditions and celebrations .Decorating Christmas trees and the world famous Christmas markets are traditions that have spread throughout Europe, but especially to German language areas off Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.  Having visited the Christmas Markets in all these countries except Liechtenstein, I can promise you it is a magical experience.

Cologne, Nuremberg and Regensburg stand out as our favorites during the Christmas Markets season.  I have also talked a lot about their food culture in this blog and how German cuisine has been a big influence on its German speaking neighbors.

It is clear to me German culture has spread in these Alpine countries from their daily use of the German language.

Cologne Germany

Colgone Germany

Freiburg Germany

Heidelberg

Nuremberg Germany

Nuremberg Germany

Regensburg Christmas Market near the Dom

Thurn and Taxis Christmas Market—our favorite in all Germany, Regensburg, Germany

Anne and Hank with their German Hats at the Thurn and Taxis Christmas Market

Our Final Thoughts

I hope you have learned a little more about the influences the German speaking countries have had on Europe. 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.

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!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry.  Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well as a Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA.  Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations.  She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors.  An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

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

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