Why Read Our Blog--What's in it for Me?

Why Read Our Blog—What’s in It for Me?

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

After writing our blog for over five and half years, I started to reflect on why we write about travel.  I think it is a fair question to ask—why should you read our blog?  Most of you are very busy and often are overwhelmed by emails and online information about travel.

So, why should you take the time to read our blog?  Let’s explore this thought together and decide if you should or should not read our blog!

Some Stunning Statistics

A lot of folks this year so far have visited our website.  Here are the totals from our Squarespace Analytics Report for 2022 so far:

• ·         Visits                            32,579

• ·         Unique Visitors           28,429

• ·         Pageviews                   39,742

So, a lot of folks have visited our website and most come from search engines.  Why are they coming to our website?  The answer is our blogs and content on our website. 

The Starting Point—What is the Purpose of Our Blog?

For me this is a simple answer—our purpose is to make you a better-informed traveler who may need our services.  Sounds simple but it really is much more complex in my mind.

I think there are 4 parts of making you a better-informed traveler. 

First, we want to teach about what good value travel is. 

Second, we want to inspire you and help you visualize your next trip.

Third, we want to provide objective advice, so you can make wise travel choices. 

Forth, we want to help you decide if you should trust Visit Dream Destinations, LLC to plan your trip?

So, let’s evaluate our blog and see if it is worthwhile for you to read our blog and if we deliver on the 4 parts of making you a better-informed traveler.

Our Role as Teachers About Good Value Travel

Good value travel is making the most of your travel dollars.  It is about memorable experiences.  It is about reduced hassles on the trip.  We write often about these topics.  The blog has 7 subtopics.  We write about Ocean Cruising, Europe River cruising, Europe Travel, Europe Destinations, Best Value Travel, Travel Planning and Our Travel Philosophy.

The River Cruise Blog Archives on our website is excellent place to learn if river cruising is the right trip for your vacation.  The topics in this section are Our River Cruise Services, River Cruise Line Comparisons, River Cruise Routes, River Cruise Advice and River Cruise Reviews.  Our comparisons of river cruise companies and Europe River Cruise route Guides are especially strong—we are number 1 on Google for both topics.

On our website we have all our blogs under these categories, so you can find travel or destination advice easily.  We try and write about the advantages and disadvantages of travel to help understand about the suppliers and their benefits to help you achieve your travel goals and how we can guide you to make wise choices.

There is one common theme in each topic –We try to write with the viewpoint of:  

Do they care about me and what I need as a traveler? 

In our blogs, we try and establish what we consider as a good relationship with our readers.  We want our readers to think of us as friends who may become clients and help them decide if they need our services.

If we take the next step in our relationship to client and travel consultant, we still maintain the friend’s mantra.  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.  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.  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 travel, and we want to share with others your joy and satisfaction.

Inspiration

We try in our blogs to help you visualize your next trip.  We often talk about our experiences during our travels so you can see if that trip would fit into a trip you might like to take.  There are many pictures in our blogs, most taken by us, to help you visualize the trip in your mind.  Many of you recognize the great pictures Anne takes to document our travels and that is perhaps the best feature of our blogs.  She really makes the places come alive! Here are some of my favorites:

Mykonos, Greece

Old Town Square, Stockholm

Burg Eltz in Germany near the Mosel River

Portofino Italy

Sailing the Iron Gates

Sailing the Rhine River in the famous Rhine River Gorge area—two of the 40 castles on this section of the Rhine.

Budapest Parliament at night—stunning!.

The Watchman of the Danube

If you want to see more of our travel pictures, please visit our Pinterest page—it has over 4,500 pictures (www.pinterest.com/visitdd).

Our emphasis is always the best possible experience within your price range, and we hope these pictures help inspire you to visit a new place or experience a new culture, help celebrate a milestone in your life, or have a bucket list trip you have always dreamed about.

Objective Advice

I recently read that 62% of business bloggers outsource their blog!  I was stunned—their blog may have good content but what that tells me they are too busy to provide first-hand information.  How reliable and objective is that?  Trust me, we write our own blog and the only guest writers are our clients.  It’s funny to me that we get requests and offers from others to write about subjects that have nothing to do with travel to post on our blog—it is crazy that we would even consider this, but the pitches will continue.

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.  Would you like a little proof? 

A wine tasting on a Rhone River Cruise in 2016 on AmaWaterways—this is one of Anne’s favorite pictures of us. We have taken 22 river cruises and 2 more planned for this year.

Ask for one of our 50 Europe City travel guides—we wrote them, not some other person or company—just go to our website, click on the region of Europe you want to visit and then click on the city, and we will send you the guide (if you are not a current client there is a limit of 2 guides).  We have visited 44 of 50 cities we write about and have awesome pictures to go with these guides.

Or click on one of our many PowerPoint presentations on our web site or visit our Resource Section of our website to get travel tips (www.dreamdestinations.com).

We also have 51 river cruise port guides available on our website—they are also free by request but again there is a limit of 2 if you are not a current client.

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!

Should I trust Dream Destinations LLC to Plan My trip?

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 at West Point in June 1971.

This picture was taken at Ft. Ord when Anne and I were first dating in 1986.

Anne is equally dedicated to trust and integrity—she always thinks about what is best for our clients, every single time.  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.  You are never on your own when you trust us to help you and ever year, we solve complex problems in the planning phase and during the trip.  I like to say we are just an email, text, or phone call away.

In short, while working with us, we want to provide a trip that will exceed your expectations.  I guess the best thing we can provide you is some comments by some of our clients.  All over the website is testimonials from our friends who we have helped travel through the years.

We are proud to have helped them and look forward to helping as many as possible in the future.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope our blog is worth your time to read.  As you can see, there is much more than these brief thoughts to describe the value of our blogs.

I think we help you become a more informed traveler by being good teachers, providing inspiration, providing objective information, and developing trust.  If our blog has helped get more knowledge about travel, then we have done our job and the blog is worth your time to read.

Thanks to the many who take time out of their busy lives to read the blog—we love you folks!

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 51 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 Best Sites in Pompeii

The Best Sites in Pompeii

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Pompeii was a thriving trading center during the Roman Empire days about 1,943 years ago. It was not wealthy or poor—just a middle class port that prospered. Wealthy and poor lived side by side, as was often the case in many Roman cities.

Daily life for many was working in the fields, or other occupations and getting goods from the vendors, supplied by the port and local merchants. There were food vendors, wine bars, hotels, theaters to hear music and plays, an amphitheater and even brothels. As always in all societies, the wealthy lived lives of luxury in fine villas with great food and wine. The benefits of Roman control of the Mediterranean made life pretty good for most during this time.

A catastrophic event would quickly change the lives of the residents of Pompeii—on August 24, 79 AD Mt Vesuvius erupted (some scholars now believer it was 24 October 79 AD). 18 hours later, the city was destroyed, all who remained were killed (an estimated 2,000 of the 12,000 residents), and the city was buried under 20 feet of ash and pumice.

The city’s location was lost over time and lay relatively untouched until 1764, before archaeological excavations started and still continue today.  We visited in 2011 and it appears that many finds continue to be discovered and are on display since our visit.

This large city is divided into regions based upon excavations. There are 9 regions (I thru IX).

So, let’s explore together and learn about Pompeii and get a little insight into what life was like in ancient times in a Roman city.

Forum

This was the center of life in Pompeii, as is the central place for commercial, political, and religious activity in Pompeii.  It is located at the intersection of the two main streets of Pompeii.

There were no private houses in this area. The most important temples, government offices and a few markets line this space. The forum runs north-south for 142 meters and is 38 meters wide in an east-west orientation.

Among the structures and buildings that surround the forum are the Temple of Jupiter, 2 arches (Drusus and Germanicus), municipal buildings, the Comitium (an open air hall that was used in elections), the Basilica (used for administer justice and business negotiations and transactions), the Macellum (the main food market for the city) and the Eumachia (a wool trading business).

The temples of the forum are covered later in this blog.

In the far background, the round arch is the Nero Arch (previously named the Germanicus Arch), one of the two arch entrances into the Forum from the north. In the left, in the foreground with the 3 columns, is the entrance to the Marcellum (the covered market)

This is a view of the western side of the forum. The 3 columns topped by 3 smaller columns in the center of this photo is the entrance to the basilica.

Located in the eastern side of of the Forum, the Eumachia building was a wool trading business shop.

Inside the Marcellum (the covered market) in the Forum area.

Part of the Marcellum.

The Marcellum

This is a carved sign to tell residents that no chariots and carts were allowed in this area during shopping hours—it was pedestrian only. This is in the Forum area.

The sign below tells us this is in region VII (7) and site IV (4)—the system used by archeological investigators to study and catalog Pompeii.

The Streets and Fountains of Pompeii

This picture shows the cart and chariot ruts from the paved streets. The round raised stones are for residents as stepping stones to avoid the water that was used to clean the flooded streets by stepping stone to stone.

Teatro Grande and Little Theater

There are two theaters here—the large one that had seating for 5,000 and the smaller one which had room for 1,000.

The Little Theater was covered, had seating for about 1,000 and was used for music performances as the covering helped the patrons hear the music performances better,

The Large Theater

Amphitheater

This was the place where the population was entertained by Gladiators and wild animals fighting.

This is the oldest stone amphitheater in the Roman Empire—the Colosseum in Rome was built a 100 years later.

The amphitheater is 445 ft by 341 feet. It was important to the culture of Roman society. Similar to sports contests today, the gladiators were advertised by slogans and painted posters. According to Wikipedia, one gladiator was identified as “Heart throb of the girls”.

These contests were seen as a reward for the citizens of Pompeii. Followers must have been intense fans of these contests—in 59 AD a deadly brawl happened between the residents of Pompei and the nearby residents of Nuceria. As a punishment, the emperor banned all contests in Pompeii’s amphitheater for 10 years.

Baths in Pompeii

There were five public baths of Pompeii.

The Stabian Baths are oldest preserved public baths from the ancient Roman Empire.

Some of the Domus of Pompeii

A Domus is a large or massive house that the Roman upper classes lived in during the Roman Empire. These villas were very important for aristocrats in Roman society as the reinforced their position and wealth.

In their Domus, the owners would meet with clients in the atrium of the villa to conduct business—the clients would see the magnificently decorated structures and the wealth it took to live in such a luxurious manner. There was constant pressure that these villas were tasteful and fashionable.

Here is a little about 4 of these large villas (there are more than these but these are generally considered the most important):

House of Menander

The House of Menander is a typical example of home of a high-ranking family. The house name comes from a picture in the building of Meander, a playwriter from Athens.

There were other high quality paintings in this villa. They include scenes of the Nile and paintings of the various battles of the Trojan War.

A box containing 118 pieces of silverware was discovered during excavation of the site and now are on display in Naples at the National Archaeological Museum. There is speculation that these were stored for safe keeping as the villa was probably under renovation when the volcano erupted.

House of Vetti

The house of Vetti was the home to two rich merchant brothers and is the best-preserved house in Pompeii.

Some researchers have identified these two brothers as freedmen or former slaves and perhaps these two chose two remarkable items in their atrium area as a result of their former poor life circumstances to let all who visited them they were quite rich and now prominent citizens,.

First, there were two large strongboxes. used to store valuables—a sure sign of immense wealth. The other display was a painting of the god Priapus, (I’m not making this up, as the Romans of this era often were quite open about sex and human body parts), who is weighing a bag of money against his rather large erect penis on a scale.

Instead thinking this is lewd, the painting has a real message. The penis represents fertility; the money wealth; and the scale is a measure of both—without balance you can’t have abundance.

No wonder this house has been a favorite of visitors to Pompeii.

House of Faun

This was the largest home in Pompeii—it had 40 rooms and covered an entire city block. 

The house has a copy of the Alexander Mosaic, showing him in battle against Darius III of Persia and the small statue of a faun (half human and half goat). Both are replicas, as the originals are in the museum in Naples.

The home had 3 more mosaics that are now on display in the museum in Naples. There are the cat and hen mosaic, the dove mosaic, and the tiger riding mosaic.

A replica of the Faun

A copy of the Alexander mosaic on display in Pompeii. Over 50 figures are displayed in this mosaic. The original is on display in Naples. The mosaic is 18 feet long by 8 feet wide.

This picture is from the British Museum in London showing the detail of just Alexander the Great during the battle. It is a copy as the original mosaic is on display in the museum in Naples.

Villa Del Misteri (the Villa of Mysteries)

On the road leading to the city harbor is a villa that displays frescoes of a woman being initiated into the cult of Dionysus (Bacchus to the Romans)—the god of decadence.  This cult was forbidden, and the frescoes seem to depict a secret initiation right.

Pompeii’s Brothel

Lupanare (Brothel) fresco is the picture on the wall below. Romans used to call prostitutes lupe or she-wolves.  On the walls of this tiny house there are frescoes painted with sex scenes and we are not sure if it was an advertisement of services available or they served as decorations.

Archaeologists believe this was the largest of the 25 brothels that were in operation in Pompeii.

Gladiator Barracks

This is the living quarter of the gladiators and the area where they trained.

It is located behind the large theater. Armor, shields, and weapons were found here during excavations.

The gladiator barracks

4 Important Temples

Temple of Apollo (Forum Area)

This was originally a 6th century BC temple dedicated to the Greek and Roman God Apollo. Before Pompeii became part of the Roman Empire, it was a Greek outpost.

The Temple of Apollo is considered the most important religious temple of Pompeii. It was rebuilt between the 3rd and 2nd century BC and was the first temple in Pompeii. It is recognized as most important due to its age and Apollo was seen as the god of commerce.

Gradually, the Temple of Jupiter became more important in Pompeii and probably had more followers in the later era of Pompeii.

The Temple of Apollo

The Temple of Jupiter (Forum Area)

This Temple was built around the 2nd century BC. By placing the temple on a raised platform, it helped to make it more prominent.

While the Temple was originally to honor just Jupiter alone, the temple also later was used to worship and honor the Capitoline Triad (the gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva). In 80 BC, after the city was besieged by Sulla, this temple became the main temple in Pompeii.

The Temple of Jupiter is on a raised platform, about 9 and 1/2 feet high. Entrance to the Temple was by the 15 steps.

Temple of Isis

This Roman Temple is dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis.  It was discovered in 1764.

This temple pre-dates Roman times and probably was bult in 100 BC. Isis was worshiped as the ideal woman goddess—an ideal mother and wife; a matron of magic and nature.

Temple of Vespasian (Forum Area)

Vespasian was the emperor of the Roman Empire from 69 to 79 AD. This temple is significant that the population of Pompeii not only worshiped gods, they also saw their emperor as a god.

The altar in the Temple of Vespasian. The carvings depict a scene of typical sacrifice in Roman times—a man leads an ox to the Priests as they prepare to make an offering.

The entrance to the temple of Vespasian.

Mt Vesuvius

The volcano mountain that made this site available to us today, is still an active volcano. Mount Vesuvius has erupted at least 30 times or more since 79 AD.

This famous eruption was the so significant, that geologists created a name for eruptions based on the Roman god of fire and forgery—Vulcan. That is why we describe the cone shaped mountains as volcanos today.

Vesuvius is the only active Volcano in the European mainland and there is a potential that the 3 million people living near this volcano could perish if a major eruption happen again, so some call it the world’s most dangerous volcano.

Here are 2 photos of looming danger in the distance—a silent threat until that fateful day:

Lurking in the background

Looking scenic but deadly.

Our Final Thoughts

This is an eerie but significant site and well worth a visit.  A word or two of caution—there is no shade in Pompeii, so bring a good hat, water, wear sturdy shoes and use sunscreen.

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

Medieval Treasures

Medieval Treasures

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

We are taking a new route on AmaWaterways in the summer of 2022 that is called Medieval Treasures (we sailed in early August 2022).

So, let’s explore together and learn about this new route—perhaps you might want to try it out after reading this report.

Overview of Our Cruise

Starting in Switzerland in Basel, we will cruise to Strasbourg “The Gem of the Alsace” in France and then on to Speyer in Germany.

We will get to experience Europe on the picturesque meandering Main River beginning with Rüdesheim and finishing in Nuremberg.

Along the way, we will be captivated by the storybook villages of Wertheim and Miltenberg.

We will get to marvel at the Residenz Palace or visit Rothenberg.

Another highlight will be to savor the wine of the Rheingau; the smoked beer in Bamberg and the famous Rüdesheim Coffee.

Here is the route map:

Embarking the AmaPrima

Tonight, we gathered on board for a “Welcome Aboard” Wine Toast as we commenced our wine-themed itinerary through some of Europe’s most enchanting and historic wine regions.

We only boarded in Basel—there are no tours, but I thought you might like to see a couple of pictures of this wonderful city.

A bridge over the Rhine near the old town in Basel

The Basel Town Hall (the red building).

Strasbourg

Our first port stop is in Strasbourg.  It is the Alsace’s principal city and is situated on the Ill River (downstream it flows into the Rhine at the German border). Here are our options:

This morning, we could take a tour through this charming town lined with narrow cobblestone streets.  Our visit will include the “La Petite France” district, where we can see the sandstone Gothic Cathedral with its famous astronomical clock, timber-framed buildings, covered bridges and medieval watchtowers.

A canal in Strasbourg. In the background is the cathedral spire

La Petite France” district

As an alternative, we could take a guided bicycle tour (capacity controlled) past the Orangery, the town’s oldest park, the European Parliament, and Place de la Republique.

Ludwigshafen

There are some interesting options here for tours.  Here are the options:

We could visit the Mannheim Baroque Palace or go on the “Secrets of Speyer” tour or visit the Speyer Technical Museum. 

Here are a few pictures of the Mannheim Palace (the tour we chose).

The outside of Mannheim Palace

The music room inside the palace.

The Knights’ Hall

Here are some pictures of Speyer (from a previous visit):

A watch tower in Speyer

Speyer is part of the pilgrimage route.

Then we will sail to Rüdesheim.

Rüdesheim

This is a charming wine village.  It is famous for the great white wines grown in the region, along with a special coffee drink, aptly named Rüdesheimer coffee (Flambé Asbach brandy, sugar   cube, coffee garnished with whipped cream).

Our first tour will be a wine tasting after dinner.  We overnight, so we could visit other parts of the village such as the Drosselgasse a lively lane, is lined with taverns and wine-cellars.

In the morning, we could take the gondola ride to the Niederwald Monument or take a hike in the vineyards or visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum

Niederwald Monument commemorates the unification of Germany

The outside of Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum

Miltenberg

The old town of Miltenberg is about 150 meters wide but about 2.5 Km long from to banks of the Main River up the hillside.  There are over 100 half-timbered houses in this scenic town.

This is a place time seems to have stood still—almost all the older buildings have survived.  Its market square is often cited as one of the most attractive in all of Germany.  And, to just round out the fairly-tale feel of the city, there is a castle perched on a hillside.

Our tour options are taking the “Pearl of the Main” tour, or a Flavors of Miltenberg or a Miltenberg Castle hike. 

The market Square in Miltenberg

Colorful timbered homes. In the background is the castle

St Jacobs Church. Again in the background is the castle

For the active folks who like bike tours, they can pedal between Miltenberg and Wertheim.  We will take the bus to Wertheim.

Wertheim

Wertheim is located where the Tauber River and the Main River meet.  Overlooking the town are ruins of castle that was built in the 12th century.  The old town and its market square are ringed with several half-timbered houses. 

Market Square Wertheim

The Wertheim Castle is high on the hill.

Angles Fountain

This old walled city has an impressive watch tower that remains--the 115-foot tall Sprizer Turm.  It dates to the 1200s and was one of the original 18 watch towers that ringed this city.  The tower is 36.5 meter high (116 feet) and the tower can only be entered by ladder at 10 meters (33 feet).

Sprizer Turm

Our tour options are a Wertheim walking tour, or a pretzel bakery visit and tasting or a hike up to the Castle. 

After this tour, overnight, we will sail to Kitzingen.  When docked here are some very good options.  We could take an all-day tour to Rothenburg or visit the Residenz Palace after a walking tour of Würzburg.  The bike riders can take a ride between Kitzingen and Volkach. 

Let’s take a closer look at the hardest choice on this sailing—do you go to see the palace or go to Rothenburg?

Würzburg

Würzburg is in the heart of Franconia’s wine country.  As you move to the town from the port, your first sights are the Marienberg Citadel and the old stone bridge to enter the town. 

The key sight in Würzburg is the baroque Residenz Palace and its amazing gardens.  The tour the of the palace is excellence —about 40 of the 360 rooms are available for visitors. Here are some pictures from a previous visit:

Marienberg Citadel

Old Town Bridge

Würzburg’s baroque Residenz Palace

Residenz Palace gardens

Rothenburg

Rothenburg, Germany (the correct name is Rothenburg ob der Tauber—, ob means above the Tauber River), is one of the most visited towns in Germany.  We chose this tour.

This walled city has all its ramparts intact, has massive gates, and many folks walk the walls or part of the walls as I did during our previous visit.  Its medieval past is everywhere—the impressive town hall, half-timbered buildings, a criminal museum, a carved wooden altarpiece masterpiece in St. Jacobs Church--all are surrounded by massive fortifications.  

Here are some pictures of this interesting walled city:

This is from an earlier visit prior to us starting our travel agency

Many of you have seen this photo—it is the most famous picture of Rothenburg. Translated from German, Plönlein is actually the small square at a fountain”, not the lone timbered frame yellow, crocked tiled house and has 2 towers in the square area. On the left is the Siebersturm Tor and on the right is Kobolzeller Tor which opens to the Tauber Valley.

Market Square

Burger Gate (Castle Gate). This gate was built around 1460 and is the western gate entrance. It is the highest gate tower of the town fortifications.

Volkach

We attended a wonderful wine event in Volkach. It is an exclusive event where the small town puts on a wine festival with grilled brats, white and rose local wines, hosted by the mayor with a band and traditional dancers. It was a lot of fun—here are some pictures:

The Town Hall

The town band played for us

There were several traditional dances performed by the wonderful dance group

4 awesome ladies enjoying the festival. From left to right, Bianca, Jennifer, Marcia (standing) and Anne.

The local Silvaner wine we drank—it was very good.

Some folks enjoying the festival

Bamberg

Bamberg is about 7 Km from the Main River, in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria.  It has a wonderfully preserved old town area on the west bank of the Regnitz River. 

The key sights of Bamberg include the Altes Rathaus (old town hall), the Bamberg Cathedral, and the Neue Residenz (home of the prince bishops).

Town Hall of Bamberg

Bamberg Cathedral

Rose Garden

Bamberg has a special beer—it is a historic smoked beer.

Nuremberg

We will disembark today.  It was awesome trip and a lot of fun.

Our Final Thoughts

What a cool new route.  It is not offered often, so if you are interested, get hold of us so we can advise of the dates it is offered in 2023.

We hope you enjoyed this report—this route is really packed with great port options and enough free time to get an excellent feel of the charming villages, towns and treasures of a time 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

Trier, Germany

Trier, Germany

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

We first visited Trier in 1989. It was impressive then and we wanted to go back and spend a couple days to see the oldest city in Germany in 2022.

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

Overview and City History

The city of Trier was founded by Augustus in 16 BCE (before the common era) as the first supply base for the Roman Army of the Rhine.  It grew in importance and by 268 AD it was the capital of Gaul.  In 306, Trier became the capital of the Western Roman Europe and the Emperor Constantine resided in this city.

Among the impressive buildings and structures built during his residence were the Imperial Baths, the audience Hall of the Basilica and two large Christian churches.  Later these two churches became the Trier Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady.

By 402, the Rhine Army was withdrawn to protect Rome and Trier was sacked four times between 407 to 435.  The tough times continued and by 480 was under control of the Franks. The once thriving city, with a population of around 80.000 was reduced to about 5.000 during the 100 year period.

During the Frankish time, Trier continued to have up periods followed by down periods. In 882 Trier was sacked by the Vikings

The Trier Bishop’s slowly converted the folks around the town and as a reward for their efforts, in 1257, the archbishops became one of the 7 Electors of the Holy Roman Empire. The city prospered from the honor of being a seat of power in the Holy Roman Empire and Trier became an important trading city again.

From 1618 to 1648, during the Thirty Year’s Religious War , Trier’s population had declined to under 4,000.

In 1688, during the War of Palatine Succession, most of the villages and castles on the Moselle River were destroyed and burned, but King Louis XIV (the Sun King) personally spared Trier from destruction, except for the city walls and left a starving population of about 2,500.

By 1794, the French Revolutionary Army occupied the city, and the Electorate of Trier was finished (the ruling clergy) and never came back.  From 1794 to 1814, Trier was annexed by France.

Trier became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815 after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and became part of the German Empire in 1871.

In 1818, Karl Marx is born in Trier.

Here are best sites in the city:

Porta Nigra

The Porta Nigra (Black Gate), built by the Romans from 160-180 A.D., was the northern most gate of 4 in the walled city of Trier.  It was built at the end of the second century and is 30 meters high and 36 meter wide.  It is the largest Roman gate that has survived of the many fortified gates built by the Romans in Europe. No mortar was used to hold the gate’s sandstone blocks together—they were held together with iron pegs.
The defensive system of Trier was massive—4 main gates like the Porta Negra, 4 miles of walls with 47 towers.

Here is a picture from our 2022 visit. To get a good sense how large this structure is, note how tiny the people seem walking through the gate.

By 1016 the gate was intact but in many parts of this large structure, there was a lot of rubble with the roof gone and other parts not usable or decaying. Archbishop Poppo had the gate repaired and converted it into a church.

The gate’s real name has really been lost in historical records but due to the smoke and soot of hundreds of years, the walls have turned black and has earned the name the Black Gate.

This picture is from our first visit in 1989.

This is part of the old monastery of St. Simeon. Today it is part of the Tourist Information office and the City Museum.

Trier Cathedral

The Trier Cathedral is the oldest in Germany—it has over 1,700 years serving as a church, being first established in 326 AD.  It is combination of architectural styles, as one would expect, for a house of worship that has been used for so many years.  There are elements of Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque styles in this church.

The treasury has many important Christian relics including the Holy Tunic, the robe that Jesus was wearing when he was crucified, and a “holy nail” that was used during the Crucifixion and can be visited.

The Trier Cathedral. Part of the Cathedral dates back to 380 AD, making it the oldest church in Germany.

The Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche)

Built in the 1200s, this is the oldest Gothic church in Germany. The Liebfrauenkirche still has a Roman foundation, but nothing of the Roman era construction remains above ground.

The Constantine Basilica

The huge single-room hall was the throne room of Constantine the Great.   It is 27 meters wide, 67 meters long and 33 meters high.  This hall was built to express all who might enter—let there be no doubt of the magnificence and power of the emperor Constantine.

This is the Throne Room of Constantine. It is so large that 2 Porta Negra could fit inside.

Inside of the Constantine Basilica.

Market Square

The Hauptmarkt is the largest market square in Trier.  The best part for most folks, beside the Porta Nigra, is the different well-preserved townhouses that line the square.  Among the architectural styles that line the colorful square are Renaissance, Baroque, Classicist and Historicist.

It also has great shopping in an awesome setting.

This photo was taken in 1989. On the right are some of the colorful townhouses. In the distance is the Porta Negra.

This 2022 picture is a good example of how large and ornate the Market Square is in the old town area. You can see the Market Cross and St. Peter’s Fountain in the foreground. The tall spire in the center of this picture St. Gangolf’s Church that was completed in 1509.

Another picture of the Market Square area.

The House of the Three Wise Men was built in 1230. While it is hard to recognize in this picture, since the outside café area hides the first floor and the structure has been modified for commercial use, the actual doorway is on the second level on the right side and was only accessible by a retractable ladder. The nobility liked to have the protection of a tower like fortress home.

The white building is called Steipe and was constructed to entertain visiting dignitaries. The red house is a 17th century baker’s guild house.

St. Peter’s Fountain in the Market Square was built in 1595.

The Market Cross has been standing in the square since 958. The cross is a tribute to the trading rights granted to the city by King Otto the Great.

The Red Tower was built in 1647. It is part of the Electoral Palace and also a bell tower.

The Red Tower

The Rococo Palace of the Electors

This was added to the Constantine Basilica in the late 1700s.  It is considered the best example of Rococo architecture in Germany.  The gardens are quite impressive with wonderful statues.

As one of the 7 electors of the Holy Roman Empire, Trier was a very important city in times past during medieval Europe.

Today, the palace serves as offices for some the government officials and there are only limited tours, if any, inside the structure.

The Pink Rococo Palace and the park grounds. This picture was taken in 1989.

Here is a picture of the palace in 2022. I’m not absolutely sure, but the palace appears to have been repainted since our visit in 1989. I have found several old pictures that show the color of the palace as pink as in our 1989 picture.

The garden area of the Rococo Palace of the Electors.

The fountain in the palace grounds

The Imperial Baths

While the baths were never completed, large sections of the 19-meter walls remain.  This is probably due to the fact that parts of the existing baths were later used to construct the ring wall built to protect Trier. 

The ruins of the Imperial baths.

Another picture of the Imperial Baths

The Trier Museum (Landesmuseum)

This is the best collection of Roman artifacts in Germany.  These finds give us today some very good insights into Roman life of that period.

Among the best displays are the mosaic floors, with the most impressive display is from the Imperial Baths (with 25 square meter charioteer with 4 horses), and excellent quality gold coins (over 2600 are on display) with Constantine’s head on one side of the coin (Trier used to be an Imperial Mint). 

Also notable is the sculpture of the Neumagen wine ship, which is a stone model of a wine ship carved for the tomb of a local wine merchant.

The picture here is from the wonderful Winestube Kesselstatt we found near the cathedral. It is a replica of the actual tomb and not in the museum.

The winestube.

Along the Mosel River there are 2 treadwheel cranes one that dates to 1413 (a Gothic style) and the other much younger one constructed in 1774 (Baroque style).

Since this is the birth place of Karl Marx, here is a photo of a statue of him. Our taxi driver told us it was donated by the Chinese Government.

Our Final Thoughts

Trier is a great city to visit.  We recommend a couple of days or more to see the sites and enjoy this unique place.  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

Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber

Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

There are 3 totally intact walled cities in Germany.  The 3 towns are Rothenburg, Nördlingen, and Dinkelsbühl.  The most famous of these 3 is Rothenburg.

Rothenburg, Germany (the correct name is Rothenburg ob der Tauber), ob der Tauber means above the Tauber River, is one of the most visited towns in Germany.  Rothenburg again loosely translated means red fortress.  By 1400, it was the second largest city in Germany and its walls protected this important trading center. 

It also is a pilgrimage site on the route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain due to the relic of the blood of Jesus in the St. James Church.

This walled city has all its ramparts intact (some were reconstructed after WW II); has massive gates; and many folks walk the walls or part of the walls as we did during our visit in 1989.  

To add to this fairy-tale like city, there are 42 towers inside or on the city walls.

Its medieval past is everywhere—the impressive town hall, half-timbered buildings, a criminal museum, a carved wooden altarpiece masterpiece in St. Jacobs Church--all are surrounded by massive fortifications.  

It is very touristy but still fun.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

A Famous Picture—the Plönlein Square

Many of you have seen this photo—it is the most famous picture of Rothenburg.  Translated from German, Plönlein is actually the small square at a fountain”, not the lone timbered frame yellow, crocked tiled house and has 2 towers in the square area.  On the left is the Siebersturm Tor and on the right is Kobolzeller Tor which opens to the Tauber Valley.

Market Square and the Town Hall

The town hall has a glockenspiel that chimes every hour between the hours of 10:00 AM to 10 PM.  It tells the story of the brave mayor who drank close to a gallon of wine in one gulp to save his city from the Swiss invaders during the Thirty Years War (Count Tilly and his Catholic troops who laid siege to the mostly Protestant Rothenburg).

You can climb the town hall tower from April to October, if you want to navigate its 220 steps to get to the viewing platform.

Market Square has a large fountain built in 1608. 

During the Christmas Market season, it has a good market that is over 500 years old.

The Medieval Crime and Justice Museum

While this has some gruesome displays,the attempt here is to just tell the story of how justice and criminals were punished in medieval times. 

Outside the museum is the cage of the baker’s baptism—a dunking device to punish bakers who cheated their customers. 

This is not just a torture museum—it is a serious museum covering 1000 years of German legal history.  It covers torture devices which were primarily used to obtain confessions (true or not true), execution implements and a lot of displays of devices for public humiliation (used for minor crimes) such as shame masks (these were very symbolic and related to their behavior, such as acting like a swine, or big nose (getting into other people’s business) or even devil masks, iron shoes and neck violins where two individuals where placed in these devices until they settled their disputes.

Colorful Buildings, Fountains, and Wrought Iron Shop Signs

The Gates of Rothenburg

There are 5 main gates in the wall fortifications.  Here are the 5 gates used to limit the access to this walled city and some interesting facts about each gate.

Rödertor (Röder Gate)

Röder Gate is sometimes known as the red gate.  There are 2 twin huts, one on each side of the gate, which served as a toll booth and customs house and a gatekeeper’s hut.  Both have spiked helmets on their roofs.

Galgentor (Gallows Gate)

The gallows gate was built in 1388, on the highest point of the city.  It is also the most attacked point of the walled city.  It got its name from the gallows that were just outside the gate in a place called Little Head Meadow, where the condemned took their last walk prior to their execution.

Klingentor (Klingen Gate)

This gate is the northern entrance to Rothenburg.  It is unique among the gates, as it shares a wall with the church of St. Wolfgang Church and defenders could climb the tower from inside the church. 

Burgtor (Castle Gate)

This gate was built around 1460 and is the western gate entrance.  It is the highest gate tower of the town fortifications.  Just outside this gate, is the Castle Gardens.  While the castle has long been destroyed, the old grounds are quite lovely, and it is a 20-minute hike down to the Tauber River.  There are even some statutes near the old gardener’s residence.

Spitaltor (Spital Gate)

The Spital gate is the last part of the city’s fortifications, as it was completed in 1537.  It is known for the inscription over the gate’s arch, written in Latin “Pax intrantibus—salus exeunibus”.  The translation is “Peace to those who enter and health to those who leave”.

St. James Church

This is the largest church in Rothenburg.  It is a Lutheran church but instead of the usual plain interiors in many Lutheran churches, has some very interesting art works inside the structure. 

The most famous is the Holy Blood wood carved Alter by Tilman Riemenschneider. 

Our Final Thoughts

This is a great experience and place to visit.  We stayed there in 1989 and enjoyed our time there.  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

Château de Chillon

Château de Chillon

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Château de Chillon is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Switzerland.

It is Switzerland’s most visited historic building--many consider the castle fortress one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe. It was never burned down, damaged or destroyed since being built.

The site of the castle on Lake Geneva, built on the island of Chillon, makes it stunningly photogenic and it has gained even more notoriety from romantic writers such as Victor Hugo and Lord Byron.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Château de Chillon and take a tour of this impressive castle.

Above is the most famous view of the castle.

History of the Castle

Originally this was a Roman outpost fort site that was constructed to protect the Alpine passes. Only some of the foundation remains and was incorporated into the present day structure .

From the mid-12th centuries, the castle was owned by the powerful Counts of Savoy and the castle served as the summer home for this noble family.  They expanded the castle and even had a fleet of ships on Lake Geneva.  The castle location was ideal to collect taxes from merchants using the Great St. Bernhard Pass or from sailing ships on Lake Geneva, which made them very wealthy. For 400 years, the Savoy’s prospered by owning this castle.

During the 16th century instead of a residence, the castle was used as a prison.  One prisoner, patriot Francois Bonivard, who was held captive for 6 years in Chillon, later became famous due to the 1816 poem written by Lord Byron, entitled The Prisoner of Chillon.  Bonivard preached about the Protestant Reformation, was against the Roman Catholic Savoy rulers and was held in chains during his imprisonment.

In 1536, the castle was captured by a Protestant Bernese force after a 3-week siege (one source said it fell in 2 days, so I’m not sure how long it took to capture the castle), and all the prisoners were freed, to include Francois Bonivard. 

In 1733, the castle became a state prison.

In 1798, the Bernese (German speaking) occupants were ousted from the castle by the soldiers of the canton of Vaud (French speaking).  The Bernese left without a fight.  During this period, the castle was used as a munitions and weapons depot.

Some Castle Highlights

The castle is really two structures combined; as part served as a strong fort and part were living areas for the Savoy rulers, with magnificent views of the Lake and Mountains. Here is the fort side of the castle:

After entering the castle, you arrive at the 1st courtyard. Here are a couple of pictures:

The dungeons are probably the most important area for most visitors, due the Lord Byron poem, who enhanced this bleak area due to the poem and legend of the imprisoned Bonivard.

There are 50 rooms in the castle, and they are connected by passageways in almost an intricate internal manner than often is maze-like.

This area is part of the oldest fortifications on the castle. To the right is the second courtyard.

The Constables Dining Room area dates to the Savoy period. This area was restored to what it looked like in the Savoy period. During the Bernese period, it was a kitchen and seating room.

Here are some photos of the Bernese Bedroom. It probably has been used as a bedroom during the Savoy period, but the wall decorations date from the 17th century and are clearly Bernese.

My favorites rooms were the great hall area and the bedrooms. 

Great Hall of the Count in the Château di Chillon is a impressive room. It has slender black marble pillars: black and white striped zigzag wall decorations and a wooden ceiling dating from the 15th century. The four windows over the lake are topped by a beautiful four-leafed clover design.

Here are some pictures:

Coat of Arms Room was used for receptions. All of these coats of arms were to the administrators (bailiffs) who lived in the castle from 1536 to 1733.

The Lord’s Bedroom was the bedroom of the ruler of the castle. It has a spiral staircase that allowed the ruler access to the ramparts or the private chapel.

Dressing Room for the lord and on display in this picture is a replica of a bath that would have been used by the occupants.

Latrines

Wood Paneled Room was probably used by the ladies of the house of Savoy.

The Chapel was a private chapel for the Savoys; later it was used as a powder house in the Bernese period.

3rd Courtyard

The Allinges Room has served as bedroom (Savoy period) and then a powder room and wine press room during the Bernese period.

4th Courtyard

Ramparts and Bastions

Keep Armory Display

Watchtower

Our Final Thoughts

You probably know how much I love castles and we would recommend a visit here.  The history, the displays of power in the feudal times and the stunning views make it truly worthwhile.  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

Opportunity

Opportunity

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Sometimes where words come from is an interesting thing to learn about.  I recently came across where the word “opportunity” came from.

According to the website etymonline.com (the site has explanations of what words mean), opportunity comes from a Latin phrase “ob portun veniens” which means coming towards a port.

Since I speak Spanish, I instantly recognized “veniens” as very similar to the Spanish verb “venir” which means most commonly to come or to arrive in English.

So, let’s explore together travel opportunities and let our imagination run wild and think about opportunity, or coming or arriving towards a port.

Opportunity to Travel

In my humble opinion, folks just don’t travel as much as they should.  Research has found 5 scientific benefits of travel.  They are:

1. Travel makes you Healthier

2. Travel relieves Stress

3. Travel enhances your Creativity

4. Travel boosts Happiness and Satisfaction

5. Travel lowers the risk of Depression

Travel broadens your horizons and exposes you to new things.  Travel also helps you learn about yourself—what you like, dislike, your interests and reflect upon who you really are.

Why does this happen?  I think it is a break in our routine life, part excitement of neat things and experiences you will have and the challenge of a little fear of the unknown.

I also think we all need to reset occasionally.  There also is a great opportunity to learn—perhaps, a few new phrases of a foreign language, or new foods, or to marvel at how cultures adapt to the region folks live in. 

I also think there is a huge benefit to travel we sometimes just forget—how lucky we are to have the means and ability to travel.  Trust me, perspective is a great thing to learn and relearn and travel always provides that to us.

Maybe the best opportunity to travel is that it is fun!  Positive experiences are so important—we all need to laugh more and stress less.

Please take the opportunity to travel!

Opportunity to Visit Europe

Post Card I sent my parents in July 1971.

Since one of our specialties is Europe travel, you will always hear us promoting travel to this region.  We are not alone in our beliefs.  Of the 7 continents, based on the number of visitors, Europe always ranks number one, usually by a large margin.

So why do most travelers pick Europe as their travel destination?  I can think of many reasons for choosing Europe as your travel destination.  Here are just a few:

• It is quite possible to explore a single country in depth or visit many countries easily.

• Europe has quite varied landscapes, cultures and uniquely varied cities and villages.

• Europe is easy to visit, generally has very relaxed visa and entry requirements, is safe and has a well-developed transportation systems.

• It has a rich history, iconic sites, and distinct cultures all in a relatively compact area.

• Since it is a continent of peninsulas and has many navigable rivers, it is easily accessible by land, sea, rivers, and air.

Since we have been traveling to Europe for over 51 years, we would be delighted to help plan a trip there.  We have over 50 guides to the most important European Cities ready for you when you are ready to go.

Opportunity to River Cruise

It is no secret to us, that for many of you, the best way to see a lot in a little time in Europe, is to take a river cruise.

There are many reasons why we like to river cruise so much, but one key reason is there is so much value in the trip that it makes it a great vacation for most folks.  So here are 3 great reasons you should consider taking a river cruise in Europe:

1.      You will see so much in so little time. 

River cruising is all about the destinations.  Even though I have been traveling to Europe for over 51 years and we have led several group tours, I could not do what the river cruise companies do in one week—these folks are experts in showing you the best sights in the least amount of time.  It is truly a unique way to see the interior of a country.

It is different from a land-based tour and different from an ocean cruise.  One of the best advantages is that most often your riverboat will dock near or in the center of the city, town, or village you are about to explore.  In five minutes, all guests are off the boat and seeing the sights. 

Most lines also offer different groups during the tours—regular, active walkers or gentle walkers, so your desired way to see the destination is matched with your tour pace.  Even while onboard, there is always something to see on the riverbanks, as you cruise along to the next destination.

2.      Almost all is included in your trip.

On river cruise lines, your food, meals with wine or beer at lunch and dinner, your cabin stateroom, the tours, and even occasional entertainment are included in the fare.  The clear, upfront pricing helps make it easier to budget for your vacation.  River boats are small (only 100 to 190 passengers), friendly, and comfortable.

Food is generally good, but some lines are better than others.  Some cruise lines (Scenic, Uniworld, and Tauck) are completely inclusive (all liquor, gratuities, and even optional tours) but cost more than other companies. 

Viking, Emerald, and Avalon offer more optional choices, but usually have lower starting prices.

Our favorite river cruise company, AmaWaterways, is almost all inclusive.  It does not include gratuities, has added a free cocktail hour called “sip and sail with included drinks”, but some liquor outside of meals may result in extra charges. There may be an extra charge for some optional tours although there is at least two tours included at every port at no charge (many times there are 3 or more at no charge).

We know the advantages and disadvantages of each river cruise line, have written over 51 port guides to Europe’s rivers and are ideally suited to help you have a great river cruise experience.

Our Stateroom on an AmaWaterways cruise in 2013

Chef’s Table food on an AmaWaterways cruise

Themed cruises, like this wine cruise on AmaWaterways, make the trip even better.

3.      There are so many great routes and even repeating the same itinerary again is fun.

We have seen a lot of Europe (11 countries) while on river cruises.  Your floating luxury hotel is an awesome way to see some of the great sights of Europe. 

There are many themed cruises that could add to your trip and make the cruise even better for you.   Most lines offer 2 tours at each port stop, so even taking the same route twice or more is not boring—it is fun, and each trip is different. 

We have been 7 times on the Danube and 7 times on the Rhine and its tributaries, 4 times on the Rhone, 1 time sailing on the Bordeaux area and would not hesitate to go on any of these routes again.  There is so much to see in Europe on or near the rivers that repeat trips are not a waste of time or money. 

Our advice—go on a European River Cruise—don’t miss this great opportunity!

Europe’s Rivers. Map from AmaWaterways

Opportunity to Ocean Cruise

As certified Ocean Cruise specialists, we know the many benefits of ocean cruising.  While economic factors and coming out of a pandemic have been a real obstacle to the ocean cruise industry in the past 2 years, many well-respected industry observers, say this is the ideal time to cruise on the oceans.

Why?  They cite 3 factors that make ocean cruising very attractive now.  It is a combination of falling fares, extra perks, and plenty of space.

They cite the remainder of the 2022 season and early 2023 as times to get some real deals and upgrades—a rare opportunity for you.

Celebrity Summit in dock in 2019

Lost Opportunity

Perhaps this should really be called opportunity cost.  Opportunity cost is defined as the loss of potential gain from other alternatives by choosing one alternative over other alternatives. 

So how does this apply to travel?  You could simply choose not to travel.  You could opt for short trip instead of a longer trip.  You could choose a less expensive option over a luxury option.

We all must make decisions about our travel desires—some are real life due to budget and job situations.  But many are due to poor decisions and really a fear of the unknown, as many of us are afraid to stretch our comfort zones a little bit, or expand our budget a little to get a better experience.

I can’t tell you the right answer, but I do know 2 things that many people regret when reflecting on their lives.  First most say they should have told more people they love them.  Second, they regret not spending more time together with friends and family and sharing those wonderful times together.

This, my friends, is the opportunity cost of not traveling together before it becomes too late—we never know what is around the bend.  Travel enriches our lives and despite how much you might desire that nothing will change in our lives, change is one of the only constants we can expect to experience.

We can embrace it or remain static and miss a whole new world.

It is not hard to see where I stand--get out there, share good times with your friends and loved ones.

Go ahead--travel when you can to savor life and make memories—we give you absolute permission to do so!

Our Final Thoughts

You can read about place but until you experience it, you do not really understand it.  Battlefields, Biblical sites, ancient towns, stunning structures, different food markets, and jaw dropping scenery are all different when you visit in person.  Pictures and words are never the same as being there.  It is amazing how many times I have visited a new place and the visit completely changed what I thought the place was like. 

The opportunity is there--we hope you enjoyed this report and will take advantage of our advice to travel soon.  Please recognize that there are great travel opportunities for you—you just must ask and act.  Don’t wait and let travel opportunities pass you by.

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 51 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

Packing Light in the Summer of 2022

Packing Light in the Summer of 2022

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

As I’m sure we have all experienced, packing the correct items for your trip but not taking too much is one of the hardest challenges for most folks when we travel.  We all want to 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 face the current conditions of air problems lost checked luggage in some European countries (14 July 2022).  As a result, both Anne and I have decided to use carry on luggage on our flight from Houston to Amsterdam this summer.

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, look reasonably professional during part of the trip on a river cruise, and get my 2 pieces of luggage on a train easily, since large suitcases often pose a storage problem and struggles boarding and leaving the trains with heavy bags during the short stops.

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 moto ”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, 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 or more wears 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.  Quick drying underwear that can be washed in a sink to dry overnight is also a plus.

If it is a toss up to bring or not to bring it, 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.

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

Pack early—reduce your stress (we are 8 days out and I’m following my own advice by writing this blog and already packed)..

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 the compression bag system I’m trying out and I am 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. 

The verdict—great system but the closet insert takes up too much space, so it is better for a week or 2 at max but not right for 3 weeks.

Here are 3 photos of the closet system packed in the hard side suitcase:

The luggage with the closet system inside

The closet system opened—no need to unpack!

The closet insert opened (left side of the photo), the laundry bag and they closet system folded up but not packed (lower right)

So, I am trying a new approach—Anne found a set of packing cubes that can reduce the space of your clothes using a system of zippers.  The real question is will it work well enough to save space and make the trip easier and perhaps take a couple of items I couldn’t squeeze in without the new bag system?

First, the new packing cubes are called Bagail (trust me, no indorsement money for naming them and we gain no benefit except to try a new system to pack more clothes than without some type of compression system).  The idea is to fill them up expanded and then use the zipper system to compress the items in the packing cubes.

Here is what I want to put in the 4 cubes:

This is a picture of all I am going to pack in the new compression bag system.

Packing My Hard sided 22” Suitcase

My Solegard hard-sided carry-on suitcase will have 3 Bagail packing cubes filled with my clothes that I am taking.  Loose in the suitcase, will be 1 pr running/hiking shoes, a laundry bag, 1 pr lightweight cargo pants that zip-off to become shorts and a blue sports coat.  My suitcase will weigh 25.8 pounds packed.

The closed hard sided suit case

The open suitcase. the mesh zipper side on the left side holds loose items well. The right side only has a strap to secure items. You can see how I packed the new packing cubes on the right side

Here is my report about packing the hard-side suitcase.  On the right side of my suitcase with just restraining strap (the deepest side of the case), I used the largest Bagail bag first. It is about 4’ wide by 18” long.  Compressed it is only about 2” wide or so.  Here is what I packed in this cube—6 daily shirts, 2 pr slacks and 4 dress shirts.

Ready to put in the suitcase on the right side, all fully packed and compressed—the laundry bag,, the large bag with 10 total shirts and 2 pr slacks and the sock bag

2 pair slacks and 4 dress shirts fit well in to the largest compression cube bag, along with the 6 daily wear shirts shown in the nest picture

The 6 daily wear shirts.

I had them packed for a few days earlier, before writing this blog, and taking them out of the packing cube, I discovered they were a little wrinkled but not bad in my thoughts.  I really liked how easy it was to fit in, as I always overstuff my bag without the cubes, and I have to rifle though everything to find what I want to wear.

The smallest bag I use for my socks.  Unzipped it was about 3 ½’’ or so and 10” in length.  Compressed it goes down to about 2” wide or so and fits in with big bag on the right side of the open suitcase. The only other thing on this side is my laundry bag.

The contents of the sock bag

Now to the left side with a full mesh liner with a zipper to hold items in.  I have 1 pr light weight cargo pants, my running/hiking shoes and my blue blazer.  All items are loose and not in a packing cube.

The loose items in the left side of the suitcase—1 pr cargo convertible pants, my running shoes and the folder blazer

Also on this side is my underwear bag.  Using the Bagail bag that when opened is about 4 ½” by 12 ½”, I got 6 pr quick drying boxer shorts, 4 cotton T shirts and 3 quick drying undershirts in the compressed bag that went down to about 1 ½ inches.

I always wear a sports coat on the plane and use a fresh dress shirt and underwear, but I will use one of the pair of slacks that are now in the suitcase.  I wear a pair of Rockport shoes for my dress up clothes.

The sports coat will fit in the suitcase, as will the dress shirt and the Rockport shoes after the flight as I will change shoes, probably to the running shoes.

My Leather Tumi Bag

My other carry on is a leather Tumi we bought in Brugge several years ago.  Trust me, they are proud of Tumi luggage, and it is very pricey, but it sure does look cool—really old school traditional luggage.  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 oool, old school traditional leather Tumi carry on bag

This bag should be okay as the bag of last resort, if the airlines won’t let us carry on our hard-sided suitcases (I doubt it will happen, as we are flying first class, but we always prepare for the worst-case scenario).  It weighs 13.8 pounds packed. Here is what I pack in this bag:

Electronics and Essentials

It goes without saying, you will need some electronics.  Here is what I carry in my hard-sided case to organize my electronics (it is a gift from some great friends)—a headlight flashlight, a larger battery charger and cords, my iPod with Bose corded earphones, my charging cord for my Fitbit, an Europe Adapter plug, and a fold down US plug.

Next my hearing aids and cleaning kit.  A rechargeable portable fan.  My small binoculars in a case.  A Europe compatible power strip with USB slots. Sunglasses with case.  AmaWaterways baseball cap.  Cooling Towel (blue)--when it is wet, I wear it around my neck to help stay cool.  Toilet Kit in a leather case.  TSA see-through bag.  Rolled up rain jacket.  Bagail bag with 2 days’ worth of clothes (1 pr shorts, swimsuit, 2 pr underwear, 2 causal shirts, 2 colored T-shirts, 1 pr convertible pants).  Thermos Water Bottle.  Maps, small writing pad and pen, German Language book.  Euros.  Small battery charging system and cords in outside pocket to use with my iPhone.  iPhone.  Sandals.  Maybe iPad. Small daily backpack.

Here is a photo of all these items:

The contents of the Tumi bag. Most items are to continue the trip safely and in comfort if the hard side case is lost.

Anne is the one who found most of these cool items, like the chargers, the small fan and Bagail packing cubes,

Now, let’s see how I plan to use the clothes I am bringing.

The Tours and Daytime

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

The most flexible part is the pants and daily shirts.  I’m going with 2 rather light weight cargo pants type convertible to shorts garments.  I’m carrying 6 daytime shirts--one is a long sleeve that rolls up to a short sleeve shirt, the rest short sleeve.

I will take 2 pair of shoes.  My sandals I can wear everywhere and my running shoes with 4-5 pair socks.

The Dinner Meal

During the evening, many but not all, get a little more dressed up on river cruises.  I always like to wear a coat 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.

Here we are dressed for dinner. From left to right Anne, Captain Dany and Hank

So, what is the game plan for these meals?  I plan to take 2 Sports Coats, 4 dress shirts and 2 different pair of pants, and one pair of shoes.  I just alternate my slacks and sports coats, wear each shirt twice, so I look different each night.  I also take a tie or two that Anne likes with the shits/sports jackets.

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.

We use the laundry on the ship, to get clean pressed clothes and it is great!

Ready to Roll for 21 days—I think I did it!

Our Final Thoughts

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

I think my packed clothes and game plan on what to wear will work well. I also will be very mobile, can carry on for the flights and can quickly get on and off the trains and move easily between platforms even if there is not an elevator.

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

River Cruise Wellness Programs in 2022

River Cruise Wellness Programs in 2022

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

There seems to be a lot going on in the river cruise world in fitness and wellness.

So, let’s explore together and learn about the wellness programs on 7 river cruise lines we follow in 2022.

AmaWaterways

AmaWaterways has the best Wellness Program on the rivers of Europe.  We got an early look at the program in the winter of 2017 with the onboard wellness host, Selena on the AmaKristina. It was very good—as I have earned a master’s Degree in Physical Fitness, I think I have the credentials to properly evaluate the program.

Let me be clear—it is robust, fun and I was taken back about how many different activities were offered—it by far is the best fitness program on the Europe rivers by any company!

Among the features:  They offer stretching, yoga, resistance bands, core exercises, bike tours and jogging tours. All are professionally led. 

Here is another experience during our many river cruises with AmaWaterways--Marcello, from Portugal, was our onboard wellness host and he did an outstanding job on the AmaKristina in 2019!  I participated in one fitness session onboard and our other members of the group did a couple of bike rides.

Marcello, the wellness host (in yellow) after our workout session—in front Hank, on the left Jerry and on the right Len

Selena, now the overall director of the program, has created a wonderful addition to Europe River cruising—well done!  Here is a sample of another great off board program that I had previously written about:

Go for a Hike.  The beauty of Europe doesn’t just lie in its architecture and landmarks – there are also great views to see and unique experiences when you venture out into nature. 

AmaWaterways has designed special hikes that will take you a bit off the beaten path in some very beautiful destinations.  Examples include making your way up to Dürnstein Fortress (great views of the Wachau Valley) or walking the Philosopher’s Path in Heidelberg (an optional tour around the famous castle area). 

Most AmaWaterways ships have swimming pools on the top deck (some older ships have only whirlpools) a modest fitness room and a walking track on the top deck.

Pool on the AmaKristina

An early whirlpool tube on an AmaWaterways ship.

Resistance training machine on the AmaKristina.

The fitness room on the AmaKristina.

Explore on Two Wheels.  AmaWaterways carries a fleet of bicycles on board (they are free of charge), so you can see Europe’s enchanting scenery on riverside pathways while getting some exercise.  They were the first line to carry complimentary bikes onboard.  They dock close to many city centers and small towns, where you can ride along the locals. Options are to ride on your own, which has always been available since we started cruising in 2009, or join one of their exclusive guided tours, like a trek along the beautiful Danube River in Austria’s Wachau Valley. 

Folks on an AmaWaterways bike excursion in the Wachua Valley in 2018 waving to us on the rivership as we cruise by on one of the best cycle routes in all Europe. Shorty afterwrd they link up with our ship.

AmaWaterways bikes at the ready for guest use.

This guided tour concept is new, and we have had clients who love these tours (an update, these are now led by the on-board wellness host and have 2 guides).

We have had clients take a ride along the scenic shores of the Inn River in Passau and along the banks of the Mosel around Cochem.  Both reported, it was fun and a great experience.  We also rode into Wurzburg on our own and really enjoyed our short ride—the bikes are very good, and it was fun. 

Jane and Len ready for a bike excursion in 2019 on a cruise we led.

The AmaMagna, the double wide rivership, has expanded fitness programs, which include spinning classes onboard with the dedicated wellness/fitness host.

Healthy eating is also a priority, as the line only uses fresh food, that is locally sourced.  On every menu there is a vegetarian option.  There is a beauty and spa facility onboard, where guests can get treatments and a massage for an extra fee.

Avalon

There seems to be some interesting developments in Avalon—especially their new tour offerings—the trend is to more active tours.

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.

Avalon carries bikes on board their ships.  There are many good reports of their cycling program for other industry observers.  They also have a fitness room and have a hair & beauty salon as part of their facilities on the ship.

A bike ready for use for an Avalon guest.

Bike storge area on an Avalon rivership.

Avalon has an excellent vegetarian program on their ships call “Avalon Fresh”.  Most industry observers cite this as the best among the river cruise lines.

Emerald

Emerald has a good program.  On each of their riverships they have a dedicated Activity Manager. 

The Activity Manager has the responsibility to support and conduct the cruise lines EmeraldACTIVE programs and shore excursions.  These activities include daily wellness and fitness classes onboard the ship; guided bike tours; hiking tours and even canoeing/kayak trips.  This is not a dedicated, full time fitness person—they have several other duties including entertainment and often are the performers during the cruise.

For the fitness class onboard, there are yoga and Pilates classes, one mile walks on the sun deck and my personal favorite—water aerobics in their heated indoor pool.

This is the covered pool that is available during the daytime hours and used for water aerobics. At night it becomes a movie theater, complete with popcorn.

There is a gym on board and the ships have a hair and spa facility.

Fitness Room on the Emerald Sun.

On their daily menu, they always offer a vegetarian option clearly marked with a (V).

Scenic

Scenic has e-bikes onboard.  They offer some guided tours or let guests explore on their own, using their Scenic Tailormade GPS system to help guide you.

E bikes used by guests on the Scenic Opal. Photo Anne Schrader

They offer daily scheduled fitness activities.  These include two specialized yoga programs--a program called Sun Salutations (a specific yoga program) and a signature fitness program called the “Five Tibetan Rites” (another 5-exercise yoga program), which they tout as a fountain of youth exercise program.

It also has a fitness facility and spa and beauty facilities.  It is also unique that it offers a Salt Therapy Lounge.  The idea behind this treatment is to promote healing, improve your respiration function and provide a boast to your immune system.

They also cater to any dietary restrictions and offer vegetarian options.

Tauck

Tauck has a fitness center on each vessel.  They have yoga programs and carry 10 bikes onboard.  There are no guided bike tours.  There are hiking trips included in the tour options.

They have a fitness center and hair salon and massage on board and either a hot tub or pool on their ships.

On the far left side of this picture, on the top deck, is where the hot tub is located on the Tauck Treasures rivership.

There are vegetarian options at the meals.

Uniworld

Uniworld has certified instructors onboard, who lead fitness classes.

Uniworld has developed a “Let’s Go” excursions program.  Some of activities include guided hiking, cycling, kayaking, and golf tours.

They have a Traveling Lite menu, which offers a healthier dining option with fewer calories.  There are vegan and vegetarian dining options also available.

Uniworld does have wellness themed cruises, but most focus on including land spa tours to routes in places such as Baden-Baden.

Viking

Viking does not have a dedicated wellness program from an activity standpoint, other than to arrange bike tours for guests in port, as they do not carry bikes on their riverships.  The only onboard activity is a walking track on the top deck.

They believe the walking on the tours is enough fitness activities for their guests.  They do offer healthy meal options, including vegan and vegetarian meals.

My Final Thoughts

Fitness and wellness are increasingly important to river cruisers.  We hope you enjoyed this report.  We will try to keep you updated as these programs change or expand.

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 Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Many folks don’t know a lot about World War I.  The Great War (as it was known then) lasted from 1914-1918—it ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month and this remembrance date eventually became Veterans Day in the US.

The WW I sites are not as well preserved as the many sites at Normandy for D Day, but there are some meaningful places in Europe you can visit to see the actual places that some key events happened.

Most of us really do not know much about the war in terms of battles fought over 100 years ago, so, let’s learn some about what caused the war, who were the key participants, and the treaty that ended this almost 5-year conflict.

Some Causes of World War One and the Incident that Sparks the Great War

I believe most historians won’t provide an easy answer to the question:  What was the cause of war?  Some key events, combined with a scramble for more land and power and conflicts between European countries all contributed to a path towards war.

Here is a partial list, in my judgement, that led to the war:

The 1870 Franco-Prussian War, where a unified Germany defeated France and took the Alsace-Lorraine region back, leaving the French eager to reclaim this area and wanting revenge.

The expansion of the German Navy that was a direct threat to Great Britain’s dominance of the seas.

The competition to get more colonies by many European nations.

The rise of rampant nationalism—our country is better than other countries, more powerful and we deserve more.

The number of constantly changing mutual defense treaties and secret alliances, all in a struggle to tip the balance of power towards one country over another.

In this highly charged, competitive atmosphere, all it would take was one incident to trigger war.  It came with the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, the heir to the throne of Austro-Hungarian Empire.  

After a month of demands to resolve this incident were not successful and getting assurance that Germany would support the Austria-Hungary Empire, they declared war on Serbia.  This starts the wheels rolling—there is a series of declarations of war due to the mutual defense treaties and secret alliances.

There is no way out—a disastrous 4-year war results.

The Main Players in the Deadly Great War

Starting in 1914 and ending in 1918, there are officially 33 countries at war in this conflict.  There are really 9 countries that are the key nations during this war—4 for the Central side and 5 for the Allied side.

On the Central side, the countries are Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.

On the Allied side, the countries are the British Empire, France, and Russia initially.  In 1917, Italy and the United States join in on the Allied side.

Russia drops out of the war in 1917, after the Tsar is overthrown in the October Revolution by the Bolsheviks and the Lenin led government sues for peace, which is signed in 1918.  This is the start of the Russian civil war (Reds (Bolsheviks) vs Whites (monarchists)) that eventually leads to the communist government winning the struggle in 1923 and establishing a new country—the USSR.

This removes the Eastern Front from the conflict and starts to tip the balance of power towards Germany, who now only has to fight on the Western Front. This does allow them to shift several hundred thousand forces to the Western Front and launch an offensive in March of 1918. .In the short term, Russia dropping out favored Germany but a new entrant into the war, America, was sending its forces into the conflict and this eventually proves decisive to end the war.

All sides are exhausted, with huge manpower losses, not enough money to cover the costs of the war and little to show for all the fighting.

Germany must now face the addition of American forces. The additional firepower, resources and soldiers of the Americans countered the loss of the Eastern Front and eventually tips the balance in favor of the Allies.

It also becomes the turning point for America in a global role of international engagement to promote democracy.

The Major Conflict Fronts

The war is conducted in 4 main areas of Europe.  There is the Western Front (Belgium, France) the Eastern Front (Russia), the Turkish Front (Dardanelles, Gallipoli) the Italian Front (Dolomites of the Alps).  It is war of static, fixed lines, and trench warfare, especially in the Western Front. 

Trench warfare was a result of advances in firepower (machineguns and artillery) from protected positions was not matched by mobility of the attacking force, so the advantage went to the defender.  It was not until armored forces and combined arms tactics were developed, that the advantage went back to the attacking forces but that did not happen until the very last part of WW I with the advent of tanks used by attacking forces.

WW I Tanks Photograph on display in the Tourist Information Center of Mesen (Messines)

Trench Warfare

Trench warfare was about as miserable a fighting environment as you could imagine.  Constant mud and dirt, vermin, disease and wet and cold were just the day-to-day living conditions.  Add to that barbed wire, artillery shelling, machine guns, and later in the war, gas attacks, tanks and even bombing or strafing from airplanes.

Most of the fighting was for only several hundred yards or so—one side would gain ground to only lose it later.  It was the ultimate stalemate for most of the war.

The Human Suffering of the War

More than 60 million soldiers were mobilized during the conflict.  About 10 million were killed. Most died by artillery fire—over 65% of these deaths were due to the shelling during the battles—over 6.5 million died from the shelling!

WW I Artillery Piece Photograph on display in the Tourist Information Center of Mesen (Messines)

Some of the destruction caused by the war Photograph on display in the Tourist Information Center of Mesen (Messines)

The Treaty of Versailles

This was the most important peace treaty that ended WW I.  It was the treaty between Germany and the Allies and was signed on 28 June 1919.  The other Central Powers signed separate treaties.  The treaty was signed in the famous Hall of Mirrors in Versailles Palace.

The Hall of Mirrors in Versailles Palace

Detail of the Hall of Mirrors showing its stunning roof and one of the chandeliers.

President Wilson’s 14 Points

America was now involved in global politics. President Wilson saw himself as an important diplomat and he proposed his 14 points plan. His plan served as the foundation for the start of the treaty negotiations.

Here are the 14 Points (my source for this is the US National WW I Museum and Memorial Website) :

1. Open diplomacy without secret treaties
2. Economic free trade on the seas during war and peace
3. Equal trade conditions
4. Decrease armaments among all nations
5. Adjust colonial claims
6. Evacuation of all Central Powers from Russia and allow it to define its own independence
7. Belgium to be evacuated and restored
8. Return of Alsace-Lorraine region and all French territories
9. Readjust Italian borders
10. Austria-Hungary to be provided an opportunity for self-determination
11. Redraw the borders of the Balkan region creating Roumania, Serbia and Montenegro
12. Creation of a Turkish state with guaranteed free trade in the Dardanelles
13. Creation of an independent Polish state
14. Creation of the League of Nations

Points one through five attempted to eliminate the immediate causes of the war.: imperialism, trade restrictions, arms races, secret treaties, and disregard of nationalist tendencies. Points six through 13 attempted to restore territories occupied during the war and set post-war boundaries, also based on national self-determination. In the 14th Point, Wilson envisioned a global organization to protect states and prevent future wars.

The Americans and British supported Wilson’s plan, but the French, who were attacked, wanted revenge on Germany. They won out and the key result was punishment of Germany.

The Actual Treaty of Versailles Most Impactful Article—Article 231

Article 231 was the most significant part of this treaty—it assigned responsibility to Germany and her allies for causing the war.  This article became known as the War Guilt clause and required Germany to disarm, make territorial concessions and pay substantial reparations—a staggering 132 billion gold marks.

The treaty signing happened exactly 5 years after the assassination of the Archduke on 28 June 1914, which was the spark that ignited the Great War.

Eventually, the German resentment of this treaty due to massive hardships in the lives of all Germans later became one of the causes of WW II—there is actually a famous picture of a well-dressed German man with a wooden wheelbarrow full of money showing the effect of the ruined German economy trying to buy one loaf of bread due to the out of control hyperinflation of the German Mark.

Results for America from the Treaty of Versailles

During a speech to Congress in 1918, President Wilson outlined his 14 point plan where he envisioned global peace if the plan was adopted and he declared WW I would be the “war to end all wars”.

President Wilson won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919 for his plan but he was disappointed by the punitive nature of the actual treaty. He did get his League of Nations included in the treaty. Most Americans did not want to get involved in another European War and Congress ultimately did not sign the Treaty of Versailles.

Although the US rejected the treaty, in large part due to having join the League of Nations, after WW II it served as the model for the United Nations

Some WW I Sites You Might Want to Visit

There are many spread out sites that document this horrible conflict from battlefields, museums, monuments, and graveyards.  Almost every city in England, for example, erected a monument to the soldiers lost during this conflict. Here is one example of these monuments:

A WW I Soldier Monument in Winchester England

Part of the inscription on the monument reads “The Kings Royal Rifle Corps who gave their lives for King and Country in the Great War 1914-1918”.

Perhaps the Western Front has the best collection of sites to help understand more about this conflict (you will note that 5 of the 9 sites I am recommending are from this front).  I am always afraid to use the word best, as it is only an opinion, but certainly most of these sites will improve your understanding of this vicious war.

1.      Visit the bridge where it all started.in Sarajevo to see the Latin Bridge where Gavrilo Princip shot the Archduke and his wife.  There is only a small plaque to denote the exact location of the assassination.  When Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of Yugoslavia, the bridge was named the Princip Bridge, as many Serbs believe this man was a hero.  I would not go out of my way to visit this site, but if you are near the area for other reasons, you might want to take a couple of photos, as nothing has changed of the street layouts since that fateful day in 1914 and you can stand on the exact spot where history was made by one of the most important gun shots were every fired (okay I confess—I actually stood on a corner in Winslow, AZ based on the lyrics of the Eagles song, so you may now understand why I would include this site).

2.      Take a Flanders Fields Tour.  This tour focuses on the Ypres Salient. Among the interesting sites to see include Hill 60, Tyne Cot Cemetery, and the Menin Gate Memorial.  I took this tour in 2018 and it was really a worthwhile experience.  Here are some photos:

A German Bunker position on Hill 60

The Cross of Sacrifice Tyne Cot Cemetery—In the center of the cemetery is the Cross of Sacrifice constructed over a German bunker captured in 1917. This monument was built at the request of King George V of the British Empire.. The words on the Cross of Sacrifice reads

THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE.

Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial

The Menin Gate—the cars and people give you a sense of how large this gate is. It is the most famous memorial of the British Commonwealth in Flanders. It lists the names of 54,896 soldiers reported missing in the 1914 to 15 August 1917 in the Ypres salient

A Lion guards the Menin Gate

3.      Visit the trenches of Sanctuary Woods in Belgium.  It also includes a good museum with recovered soldier’s equipment and weapons used in World War I.

4.      Verdun Battlefield Tour (1 hour, 15-minute drive to Verdun from Reims). This tour will help you understand more about the 300-day battle of Verdun.  Sites include the 2 floor Verdun Memorial Museum, L’Ossuaire Cemetery and two forts—Fort Douaumont (with the nearby Trenches of Bayonets) and Fort Vaux. 

5.      Drive the 40-mile Circle of Remembrance which takes you to numerous battle sites, museums, and monuments about the Somme battle.  In the Somme, over 1 million soldiers on both sides died during this conflict on the Western Front.

6.      Visit the battle area of Vimy Ridge in France.  The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the larger Battle of Arras that lasted 4 days. It was a battle between Canadian forces against German forces.  There is a large stone monument for the Canadians, and it is possible to see restored trenches and tunnels used during this battle.

7.      Many Americans would probably like to visit areas where Americans fought in WW I.  They should then visit the Picardy region of northern France and learn about the Battle of the Marne and Belleau Woods where they can see the trenches in the Belleau Woods, visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, and learn more about this conflict in the Museum of the Great War in Meaux.

8.      The Italian Front in the Dolomites may be the hardest area to see, as tours sometimes requires trekking into the Alps.  This front was fighting between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Italians, who wanted to liberate Trento and Trieste from their foes.  I did find a tour that included visiting the trenches and bunkers, the Grenadiers Mule track on Monte Cengio, and the museum of the battle of Caporetto in Kobarid.

9.      Visit the battle areas in a tour of some of the Turkish Front sites.  These include Gallipoli, and the Anzac Cove and other combat sites and memorials.  These tours usually start from Cannakkale in Turkey.

Our Final Thoughts

World War I is a conflict that shaped much of modern Europe and exposed the world to advanced weapons that made warfare an extremely bloody affair.  Tactics would evolve and useless slaughters of attacking well defended and protected positions were finally rejected by military leaders by using combined force tactics and bypassing strong points when possible. 

The cost of humans lost was horrific and the treaties, especially the treaty of Versailles led to resentment and hardships for Germans and was a cause of WW II some 21 years later.

We hope you enjoyed this report and realize the futility of war to solve conflicts which is a theme repeated over and over in the Great War, especially on the Western Front, where many were killed to gain 300 yards of territory.  I hope we learn some lessons from this conflict but it seems some countries want to gain power at the expense of other countries still today.

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

Castles of the Moselle

Castles of the Moselle  

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Castles always seem to be fascinating places—a defensive structure that has grown into a luxury living space from its stark beginnings or as Anne would say “a bunch of stones—some are not very interesting.”

I tend to agree with her, so while I may briefly mention some of the castle ruins and their interesting history, I will concentrate on the best castles you can visit and see the interiors. or relax in a café built on the grounds. The ruins sometimes are spooky and if appropriate, I will include their stories.

The steep hills of the Moselle allows many of these castle complexes to be classified as spur castles. Instead of a more traditional hill or mountain site built on a ridge which means it can be attacked in two directions, a spur castle hills are so steep, it usually means it is only vulnerable from one direction.

Many of these castles were destroyed by war, especially by the French in 1698, but some have been restored and they have some interesting tales about their history and present day uses.

So, let’s explore together and learn about 11 castles on the Moselle.

Thurant Castle

A section of the map of the Mosel we bought back in 1989 on our first visit to this area. The map direction of travel is from Koblenz to Trier. Thurant castle is on the right bank of the river at the 25 km mark.

Only 25 km south of Koblenz, the twin towers of Thurant castle are visible from the Moselle.  The castle was built during the years of 1198 to 1206 on spur of shale above the village of Alken.

It didn’t take long for this castle to see war—it was besieged in 1246-1248 during a war between the archbishops of Trier and Cologne.  The result of the war was to divide the castle into two parts and each tower became a possession of the two waring archbishops.

Both the Trier Tower and the Cologne Tower had separate entrances and living areas. The castle was destroyed in 1689 by the French.

By the 1800s the castle was abandoned and left to decay. In 1911 it was bought and partially restored. Today it is open to the public during Spring to Fall and is a popular visitor site. It is easily seen from the Moselle and recognizable due to the twin towers.

Ehrenburg

This section of the map shows the location of Ehrenburg on the right hand side of the Moselle at about the 27 km part of the river..

The castle was built in 1296, overlooking the village of Brodenbach. Like all castles in the region it was involved in disputes between nobility rulers and wars. French soldiers under the command of Louis XIV (the Sun King) seized the Ehrenburg Castle during the War of the Palatine Succession and blew up much of the castle in 1689. Only the chapel remained intact.

This castle has become a place similar to a Renaissance Fair. There are many demonstrations about medieval life, classes and re-enactors. There is also a restaurant and a small 5-room hotel which provides a chance to sleep in a castle.

Ruins of Bischofstein Castle

This section of the map shows both Burg Bischofstein at the 30 km mark and Burg Eltz at the 35 km mark.

There is a lot of history of this castle, built on a spur 230 meters above the village of Broenbach.  Early folk tales say it originally was a palace for Bishop Nicetius (527-566) but the current castle was most likely built around 1270 to 1273.

The French destroyed Burg Bischofstein in 1689.  The present-day structure dates from 1938.  It was first restored by a businessman who wanted to rebuild it as a summer home in 1930.

Today the castle is designated as a protected historical site, not for for being an 800-year-old castle but an example of the architectural style of the 1930s.

Today schools around Germany visit the former castle and it is also used by vacationing groups.

Berg Eltz

This is the best castle near the Moselle, but you cannot see it during a river cruise from the water of the Moselle. The castle is built on a 70 meter spur surrounded by the Elzbach River  (a tributary of the Moselle).

Berg Eltz is a beautifully preserved castle, with towers, half-timbered walls, and it is seemingly in the middle of nowhere—Anne and I hiked in 3 miles from the Mosel River town of Moselkern in early March one year to visit.  The family who owns this castle still lives here and has done so for 850 years in their ancestral home. 

The entrance to Burg Eltz which clearly shows that it is a spur castle.

There are 2 places to visit here—the Treasury (pictures allowed) with a great display of precious items and tour of select rooms (no pictures) which takes about an hour or less.  3 families owned this castle, and each has built separate wings.  

A display in the Treasury.

The tour includes an entrance way decorated with weapons, various gathering rooms, bedrooms, and the kitchen—all very authentic and used by the families for over 33 generations.  

Perhaps the most famous room of the castle, is the Knight’s room, where the 3 different families met to celebrate and work our any conflicts that might arise.  It is famous for the wall decorations, which served as a reminder to the 3 families about cooperation—a jester mask (representing freedom of speech) and a large rose (representing a code of silence—items discussed in the room need to stay there

The famous Knight’s room. This is a scan from a postcard we bought during our visit to Burg Eltz.

Two Twin Castles

The twin castles are at the 40 km mark above the village of Treis.

Wildburg Castle and Treis Castle were built with 150 meters of each other and their history is intertwined together, Although they are private residences now, they are scenic sites visible from the Moselle. Here is their story":

Treis Castle

The exact date of construction of this castle is unknown but many think it was during the second half of the 11th century. 

Like so many castle in this area the French destroyed the castle in 1698.

Today the castle is recognizable by its restored square tower. It is privately owned and not open to the public.

Wildburg

Wild Castle is a private residence and cannot be visited.  It was built sometime in the 14th century, perhaps to protect the southern side of castle Treis. 

Like its close neighbor Treis Castle, it also was destroyed in 1698 by the French.

It was rebuilt in the 1950s and made livable to its private owners.

Cochem Castle

Cochem, Germany, on the Mosel River, is a former walled city.  It has a population of about 5,800 and is a traditional old German town.  The town has many fine buildings, quaint cottages, guild houses, and winding cobblestone streets. The town square, lined with half-timbered houses, is a wonderful, scenic area of this small town. 

In Cochem, if you go on an AmaWaterways cruise, you will enjoy a guided tour of Cochem that takes you to the spectacular hilltop Reichsburg Castle (also known as Cochem Castle but the correct name is Schloss Reichsburg).  It has fantastic views of the river valley below.  Touring inside the castle is great! 

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

The original castle, whose first purpose like many others on the rivers of Germany was to collect tolls, was rebuilt from 1868 to 1890.  While not authentic, it is still cool—great vistas, interesting rooms, perhaps most importantly, at first glance, it is an impressive structure and I enjoyed visiting it. 

 My favorite rooms were the Dining Hall, the Knight’s Room, and the Trophy Room. 

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

What makes it spooky, is the witches Tower, the oldest part of the original castle.  In medieval times it was used a witchcraft trail place.  The horrible way these trials were conducted was to throw the lady on trail out of a window.  If they died, they were given a Christian burial, because they were not a witch.

Metternich Castle Ruins

At the 61 km mark above the village of Beilstein is Burg Metternich

Sailing past Beilstein, Anne took these picture in 2009.

The village of Beilstein

This castle was built around 1268 and destroyed by the French army in 1689.  The castle changed owners several times before being acquired by the Metternich family in 1637 and the name remains to this day. The castle has never been completely rebuilt. 

Today it is a hotel and restaurant and beer garden. While not much remain in these ruins except the outside walls, you can climb the old castle keep which is now just used as an observation tower.

 Arras Castle

Arras Castle is about at the 83 km mark on the left bank of the Moselle.

Just above the town of Alf (it has nothing to do with the cartoon character), Arras Castle, is more than 1000 years old and built on the former site of one of the 19 ancient Roman forts. The castle has seen its share of conflicts between waring nobility and the bishops but like other castles in this region was almost completely destroyed by the French in 1698 but the keep tower was not destroyed.

In 1907 restoration efforts began. By 1984, the property was developed into a hotel, tourist attraction and restaurant,

It is popular because of the physical structures including fortress walls, a climbable belfry, and the idyllic courtyard. Inside the castle you can visit the Hall of Knights with weapons and armor, the underground Dungeon with a Medieval torture chamber and a museum.

Gravenburg Castle

At about the 107 km mark, the scant remains of Gravenburg Castle are on the right bank of the Moselle.

Only parts of the western walls remain of this castle that was built in 1350—there is perhaps the least amount of ruins that remain of these 11 castles in this blog.  As with many of the castles of this region in 1680 the French took control of the castle which began 4 sieges of the castle.  After the last siege in 1734 the castle was blown up and destroyed.

Today the ruins serve as a good spot for a tavern with some pretty gardens where you can have great views of the Moselle River. Even small bits of a castle can conjure up images of the past, and Germans are great at taking a ruin and making it into a park and tavern spot.

Landshut Castle

These castle ruins are more than just a pile of rocks. At the 130 km mark. above the village of Bernkastel, the castle is quite prominent. The history of this site dates to Roman times and was part of the defensive concept of 19 military mountain top fortifications to protect Trier. Recently, several artifacts from the Roman period have been found on this castle site.

The current structure was built by Heinrich von Finstingen around 1276.  The castle was destroyed by a fire in 1692, but the damage was not so severe that these ruins can still be explored—you can still climb the castle tower.

This is a popular site to visit on the Moselle River above Bernkastel.  In the courtyard area there is a restaurant and café.  There are good views of the Moselle and various paths for hiking around the Hunsruck mountain range area,

Our Final Thoughts

The violent history and constant struggle for power in the Moselle River Castles is evident in these castles, as most were destroyed in wars—the French and German forces were struggling for control of the region.

We hope you enjoyed this report. Perhaps now you have a good guide to explore this wonderful area—many think the Moselle, with its quaint villages, castles , vineyards and steep hills is the most scenic river in Germany. We agree!

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

Are You a Luxury Wanderlust Traveler?

Are You a Luxury Wanderlust Traveler?

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

There are a lot of reasons to travel and for me it has always been that I am curious about so many places.

I have always had a strong desire to wander and explore the world, which is the definition of wanderlust.

Have you ever returned home from a trip and immediately started to plan another one?  Do you daydream about being in Europe often?

You are not alone—many of us face the same dilemma—why can’t I travel more?

You are suffering from wanderlust!

So, let’s explore together and learn about luxury wanderlust— a common aliment among many of our travel clients and friends.

Growing Up

I have been traveling all my life.  My late father was a career Army Officer (thanks for serving our country for 33 years Dad!), so I started at a very young age to travel and learned to love it.  My Dad also loved to travel, and US National Parks were very special to him, so our family had camped in and visited most of the 59 major parks by my early teen years.  

My Mom and Dad on a hike in Shenandaoh National Park

I can also say I have spent at least one night in all 50 States in my lifetime and lived in 14 different states.  Along with living on Okinawa and in Panama for several years, I have spent about 6 months total in Germany, so I have also experienced several different cultures for extended periods of my life.  

West Point Founder’s Day in Panama with 2 of my 1971 classmates. From left to right Hank, Rich and Larry.

The breakdown of different countries is something like this-- all North America, all Central America (I drove down Highway 1 from the US to Panama in 1976), all but one in South America, 35 of 50 in Europe, 13 Caribbean Islands, 2 Middle East, 2 Africa and 6 Asia—maybe 82 or so countries in total.

The shaded countries that Anne and I have visited in Europe.

But this is not about where I have been, it is about what I have experienced.  Unlike some travelers who want to see every country and brag about how many they have seen and even set criteria to make sure it “qualifies” as a new country or territory, I just want to experience how other folks live, work, play and the culture they have created for their lives, especially in Europe.  

But this only is helpful to you if we can use our (mine and Anne’s) past travel experiences to help you have better trips.  Let’s explore that further together.

Are Our Travel Experiences Important to Get You Better Trips?

I always seem to answer these questions by breaking them down into parts.  Here goes:

1) Do we help you learn to love travel as much as we do?

The obvious answer is, yes of course, we have these 4 characteristics—a lot of it comes from our past travel experiences.  I always say we travel to Europe until we run out of money, which we manage to do each year.  Our passion is to help you—we just can’t stop talking about Europe and its benefits to you for travel.  Who else would write 50 Europe City Guides and 51 River Port Guides—which are as good or better than most guidebooks!

2) Are we good at helping you get great trips?

We are great at helping you get the best value for your dollars.  It is a combination of experience, knowledge of the vendors and matching you to the right trip at the right time.  We have knowledge and relationships in place that you do not have—there is just too much to know and no real way for a consumer to get all that knowledge without hours and hours of study.  The other problem is how reliable is the information you find—is it fact, sales hype or opinion? The point is why bother—we do it gladly for you and it is 100% reliable.

3) Do you need our help?

You need our help—you may not just know it.  First, we spend your money like it was our own, looking for the best value and experience you deserve.  Second, few travelers know what is possible, available and in your price range.  We must be pretty good if we have so many of our written blogs and pages from our website as the top search features on Google.  Unlike others, we earned this by our readers looking at our works and reaching out to us as clients.  We have never paid a penny to advertise in search engines.  Some of our works have been read by over 20,000 folks and we are # 1 in some river cruise searches.

4) Does it cost you more to use our services?

The best part is we do not charge any fees—we believe we are fairly compensated by our vendors.  In a way, it is our complete trust in you that you trust us and use our ideas and advice and let us book the trip.  You get us for free.  Sometimes, folks take advantage of us, but it seldom happens.  We like to say we are a high touch but low volume agency.  What that means for you is we have all the time necessary to help you without rushing to the next client.

So, how did this all come about?  It started with my first real travel on my own in Europe.

First Travel Experiences After Graduation from West Point

There is no doubt that my first transformative experience was a 6-week trip to Europe after graduating from West Point in June and July of 1971.  True to nomads of that age, armed with my backpack, a EuroRail Train Pass, and a bunch of American Express travelers’ checks; with a classmate, we did a poor person’s version of the Grand Tour of Europe.

We managed to visit Hamburg, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Munich, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Nice and Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, and London. 

Post card of Vienna I sent my parents from my 1971 trip

Post card from Spain I sent my parents from the 1971 trip

All was on a budget, bathrooms down the hall, many long train rides, lots of short stays but fun.  Not much luxury but I was hooked on Europe and started to look for value over price in my travels.

My Evolution to a Luxury Wanderer

Meeting and marrying Anne (the best decision of my life) opened my eyes to better travel.  I helped her see the places; she taught me how to up my game with better rooms, better food experiences and travel with reservations to avoid searching for a new room and wasting precious travel time.

Hank before beard at the Tower of London holding Travel Bug in 1990. Anne took this picture

Soon this became the norm—there was no going back.  Every trip got better without a whole lot more cost and we both learned together how important planning the trip was for us personally. By the time we started the business in 1996, we were already ahead of most in the industry experience wise, but Anne also quickly absorbed the constant need for professional education and certification, and she earn the gold standard of certifications, the Certified Travel Counselor. She now has over 20 professional certifications.

We have been always fans of the mantra to do what is best for the clients, not us.  This might mean finding a promotion or sale which saves our clients some money but cuts our commission. To achieve this requires fair and honest treatment of our clients, with full disclosure—as it is said during the cadet prayer at West Point to “never be content with the half-truth when the whole truth can be won.”  Not always easy but the right thing to do.

We slowly became experts in complex ocean cruise trips, tours and increasingly luxury experiences for our clients.

The next key step was in 2009 when we went on our first river cruise.  We realized it was just the right experience for our many of our clients.  This has grown to our best-selling product because it offers so much value to our clients.  21 river cruises later, we are among the best in our nation to guide you for a better travel experience.

Sailing on the Main River on our first river cruise in 2009.

Wine tasting on our Provence River cruise with Anne wearing her beret

The final step was leading tours on river cruises and tours as guides in key European cities, and our signature tours—the 2014 and 2019 D Day Anniversaries.

In 2018 we were presented a TravelAge West WAVE Runner Up Award for Best Travel Marketing Idea for our 2019 75th Anniversary of D Day tour we led for 33 clients.

Now Our Clients

I know many of our clients value our services for many reasons, but I’d like to highlight 3 reasons why they trust us and use us. We are humbled many use us for a good deal of their trips in the past and continue to use us in 2022 and 2023.

 First, we can envision our client’s desired experience, so we can then properly prepare and plan their trip. 

Second, we have excellent communication skills, and this helps us inspire and influence our clients—they trust our judgments and advice.  We make travel easy by clearly giving out the next step in the planning process.

Third, we are natural luxury wanderlust people—our firsthand knowledge adds authenticity and value to their trips.  It means better experiences and fewer mistakes or poor decisions.

Our Final Thoughts

I think you can see why we are in the business—it just is awesome to help folks have a great vacation.  We are luxury explorers that have an unstoppable case of luxury wanderlust.  Perhaps you might want to use our services to join our wonderful travel world—we will welcome you with open arms.

We hope you enjoyed this report—it was fun writing it.

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

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

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

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

Why We Pick AmaWaterways as Our # 1 River Cruise Line

Why We Pick AmaWaterways as Our #1 River Cruise Line

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

As you may know, we are always being asked to differentiate between the various river cruise companies.  All 7 lines we follow offer great vacations and will provide most of their guests a better vacation than many other options.  I like to say, there is no bad river cruise, they are all wonderful vacations and a superb choice to experience Europe.

But when you are spending north of $10,000 for a 7-day cruise for 2, many folks want to know how the various lines compare and if one line might provide better quality and value for their vacation.

So, let’s explore this together and learn about why we pick AmaWaterways as our #1 river cruise line by examining 6 factors we consider important to help us make our selection.

Overview

Perhaps you might wonder why our opinion matters and what credentials we have to make this rating.  Since we specialize in European River Cruising, we have studied this vacation in depth after our first river cruise in 2009.  We have been on 21 river cruises (always having to pay unlike many travel writers who go for free) and will take 2 more this year in 2022.  We have sold river cruises on 5 of the 7 lines we follow to dozens of delighted clients.

We have led 10 groups on river cruises.  We have written over 100 blogs about river cruising.  We have the number one Google article about comparing 7 river cruise companies—over 16,131 have found it on the internet from 2020 to present as of 8 June of 2022.  We make every effort to provide as many facts as possible in this 87 PDF slide presentation and clearly provide sources or tell you it is our opinion.  We have written port guides to 51 different European River Ports.

We use all of this knowledge and experience to evaluate all 7 lines and try to match you to the right line if you decide to use us as your travel advisors.

A Summary of Why AmaWaterways is # 1

I think I really understand what makes an organization perform at the highest levels.  It is a combination of good leaders, staff that care and do their job in a superb manner and a fantastic product (great food and wine, luxury accommodations and well-designed excursions and experiences).  AmaWaterways is this and more.

So, now, let’s examine 6 factors that we would like you to consider when selecting a river cruise company for your vacations and see how AmaWaterways rates.

They Provide Unique Experiences

Our clients and potential clients want options when they travel.  They want to interact with different cultures.  AmaWaterways really delivers many unique experiences on their fleet of 25 ships.

 In every port, you can expect to have 2-3 or more excursions that are included in the cruise fare.  They are tours that delight—small groups led by knowledgeable guides, organized by pace (gentle, regular, fast, and even late-risers) that help you experience a destination, not just see it.  But even this is not enough—they also shine in unique experiences.

Here are just two examples:

They excel in Special Interest Tours.  These tours are specially designed to give small groups an opportunity to be even more immersed in the places they are visiting.  Best of all, these tours are included in the cruise fare—there is no extra charge!  Popular options include a Belgian waffle and chocolate tasting in Antwerp, a beer and sausage tour in Nuremberg, or a chance to see Vienna’s hidden treasures, like the romantic Schönlaterngasse. 

We have done the waffle tasting and the sausage and beer tour—both were awesome! 

Belgian waffle and chocolate tasting in Antwerp

Hank enjoys a beer and sausage tour in Nuremberg—these are the famous Nuremberg sausages which are wonderful grilled

Anne also helped make a traditional pierogies in Bratislava—it was a fun experience. 

Anne cooking in Bratislava

We have had clients participate in the Vienna tour and they really liked it (one great benefit for us—we discovered a great schnitzel restaurant which we managed to eat at because of their tour—it was the largest schnitzel I’ve ever seen, and just melted in our mouths—a neat experience!). 

Special Interest Tours are also a great option for a cruiser who is sailing on the same route a second or third time—it provides a new experience that enhances your trip.  Along with the Bratwurst and beer tasting at the oldest brewery in Nuremberg described above, here are 2 other unique culinary experiences:

Learning how to knot a bretzel (German for pretzel) at a German bakery

Sampling regional specialties at the Les Halles market in Lyon (we have been on this tour—it is excellent).

Les Halles market in Lyon

They have over 60 special wine cruises each year—the most of any river cruise line.

One of our 2 Travel Chums,, Mark Thomas preparing for the Ledson Wine Cruise with the staff.

Hank during on of the wine tasting sessions

There are also wonderful wine tasting events during excursions like we enjoyed together on our Colors of Provence cruise

AmaWaterways likes to say that they “Personalize Every Step of Your Journey.”  We completely agree.

Casual but Elegant Luxury

Lifestyles have changed to more casual approach, but many still want refined experiences during their travels.  Although no formal attire is the norm on their ships, the accommodations are elegant without being over the top.  It truly is a 5-star floating hotel.

The lounge area

There is a small outside area at the bow of the ship

The wonderful reception area and staff. The area is manned 24 hours a day.

There are 2 wine room dining areas on the 135 meter ships.

 Many of the staterooms have twin balconies, with a French Balcony (sliding glass door) and a full outside balcony that Anne and I often enjoy a bottle of wine during our cruises. 

Twin Balcony Inside view

An outside balcony sitting area

There are nice touches like the “Sip & Sail” included cocktail hour.

The vibe is friendly but sophisticated yet with full modern comforts.  Other venues on the ship reflect the same attention to detail as the staterooms.

Excellent Cuisine

The food on AmaWaterways has always been rated as the best by many travel writers and industry folks who evaluate river cruises.

The main dining room serves most of the meals you will eat on board these river ship.  Breakfast and lunch used to be buffet style with options to order off the menu, but now all items are served to guests. 

Most days I select the Eggs Benedict along with complimentary unlimited sparkling wine and fresh juices to start my day.  All breads are freshly baked every day and they even make homemade ice cream for dessert at lunch. 

Every evening on the dinner menu (a 4-course affair of an appetizer, a soup or salad course, a main course and dessert), there are 3 Entrée’s choices—usually a meat dish, a fish dish, and a vegetarian option—all are excellent! Here are some of our meals—they were impressive!

A fish course in the main dining room

There is an Always Available Menu that features a steak, a grilled chicken breast, and a vegetarian or pasta option. 

The Always Available Steak

The lunch and dinner meals feature a white and red wine from the region you are sailing through, and they change daily (not every river cruise lines changes wines every day or offers included wine and beer).  There is also beer and other beverages.

In Europe, each AMA ship has the chef’s table specialty restaurant.  This program began in 2012.  This small dining venue (usually no more than 28 guests) features a kitchen where your meal is prepared right in front of you. 

This shows the Chef’s Table area—in the background is the kitchen area. It is a wonderful experience.

This unique menu is paired with carefully selected fine wines.  It is truly a great experience. 

The fish course in the Chef’s Table

The meat course at the chef’s table

AmaWaterways spends more than most other river cruise lines on the food and wines, and it shows, especially in this unique dining venue. We always go during our cruises and always arrange for the groups we led to dine together—it’s always a superb experience!

AmaWaterways is the first and only river cruise line member of the invitation-only La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, one of the world’s most prestigious culinary organizations.

Wellness

Most of our folks who travel with us believe that travel should provide them opportunities to improve their mental and physical health. Again, it is clear to us they are the best company for wellness.

Your mental health is improved as you get the chance to remove the stress of everyday living by being pampered, seeing and participating in new experiences and places, while in comfort. While there is a structured program, you can do as little or as much as you want and that alone is a stress reliever. Here are some great places onboard to relax:

Maybe you would like to relax in the Library with a book or a drink

Perhaps you might want to go for a dip in the pool

Perhaps a relaxing time with a bottle of wine on the top deck—even in winter we enjoy it. Mark Thomas posed for this picture for me.

The physical health aspect of your wellness on your cruise is a factor no other cruise line can match. AmaWaterways added a wellness host on every sailing by expanding the program they started in 2017.

We got an early look at the program on a winter cruise with the onboard wellness host, Selena on the AmaKristina. It was particularly good—as I have earned a master’s Degree in Physical Fitness, I think I have the credentials to properly evaluate the program.

Let me be clear—it is robust, fun and I was taken back about how many different activities were offered—it by far is the best fitness program on the Europe rivers by any company!

Among the features:  They offer stretching, Yoga, resistance bands, core exercises, bike tours and jogging tours.

All are professionally led—Marcello, from Portugal (in the yellow jacket below), was our onboard wellness host and he did an outstanding job on the AmaKristina in 2019!

The Alts ready for a ride with the Wellness Host Marcello

Selena, now the overall director of the program, has created a wonderful addition to Europe River cruising on every ship sailing in this region—well done!

AmaWaterways has designed special hikes that will take you a bit off the beaten path in some incredibly beautiful destinations.  Examples include making your way up to Dürnstein Fortress (splendid views of the Wachau Valley ) or walking the Philosopher’s Path in Heidelberg (an optional tour around the famous castle area).

Dürnstein Fortress provides splendid views of the Wachau Valley after your hike.

AmaWaterways carries a fleet of bicycles on board (they are free of charge), so you can see Europe’s enchanting scenery on riverside pathways while getting some exercise.  They dock close to many city centers and small towns, where you can ride along with the locals.

Bikes at the ready for guests

Options are to ride on your own, which has always been available since we started cruising in 2009, or join one of their exclusive guided tours, like a trek along the beautiful Danube River in Austria’s Wachau Valley. 

Anne took this picture of the bike riders in the Wachau Valley on a bike ride while we sailed past them on our ship—this is one of the best rides in all of Europe.

This guided tour concept is new, and we have had clients who love these tours. These are now led by the on-board wellness host and have 2 guides.

We have had clients take a ride along the scenic shores of the Inn River in Passau and along the banks of the Mosel around Cochem.  Both reported, it was fun and a great experience.  We also rode into Wurzburg on our own and really enjoyed our short ride—the bikes are very good, and it was fun. 

Exemplary Service

If you desire personal attention in a casual manner, AmaWaterways excels in this regard.

All the folks who work at AmaWaterways look to exceed your expectations—the culture of the company is consistent excellence, always improving and a genuine desire to make your vacation the best possible.  It is amazing how both clients and travel professionals talk about their experiences with AmaWaterways—words like friendly, proactive, professional, caring, and cool always seem to be used to describe their experiences. 

Our Welcome reception on our Tulip Time Cruise with the Captain, the Hotel Manager and the cruise director Maddy

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

Kris, our cruise manager, dressed up as Snow White, greeted us back from a tour on Halloween.

Kata (the cruise manager) Anne in her dirndl (the traditional dress worn in the German speaking areas of the Alps) and Carman from the bar staff

Anne with our friend Lazlo during German Fest

You are a guest that instantly becomes family—veteran cruisers often look for crew members who took care of them on past cruises.  Some are even Facebook friends. 

Our favorite Bar staff—from left to right Peter, Miro and Tomas.

It is a genuinely warm, welcoming, and fully professional staff.  Every effort is to enhance your comfort, your experience, and the trip.  They care and it shows.

The crew shares a laugh with me and my West Point Classmate Jeff in 2018!

A few of the many awesome waiters we have sailed with—they are always over the top good!

Anne created this picture—we always have fun on our cruise and she added this special effects after taking this picture—pretty darn cool, in my opinion!

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

Quality and Value

To us, enrichment from your travels, means experiences that provide quality and value and are the most important considerations for choosing a river cruise company.  It is not about price alone, trying to get the cheapest trip—price does not determine quality, nor does it determine value.

In the previous 5 sections, we have tried to tell why we rate AmaWaterways #1.  They provide unique experiences; it is casual but elegant; it has excellent, award-winning cuisine; it has the best wellness program on the rivers of Europe and the service is exemplary—you really become part of the AmaWaterways family.  Some of the other lines we rate also have good programs but do not excel in all 5 of these areas.

A toast to you from both of us—let us help you experience this great cruise line and have the same type of experiences and fun as we have had!

To us, it is the quality and value that is just right—not too lean or too fancy; not the least costly cruise but also not the most expensive.  They really under promise and over deliver.  

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report.  It was fun writing about AmaWaterways—I probably tell their story 2-3 times a week over the phone to potential clients.

I should also mention that in these difficult times, AmaWaterways has managed to keep the standards as high as in the past and as advisors, they are the easiest company to work with for the benefit of our clients. We have full faith they will continue to deliver the same excellence as in the past and our guests who have sailed with them this year report all is going well and their vacations were outstanding.

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 51 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 Visit to Dracula's Castle

A Visit to Dracula’s Castle

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

When I was teaching World Geography to high school students, I created a project about a Europe Vacation.  The students had to pick 5 places to visit in the 4 regions of Europe and write about those places in a report for a major grade.

 For the eastern region of Europe, the most popular choice of my students was Romania, because they all wanted to go to Dracula’s Castle. 

So, let’s explore together and learn about Dracula’s Castle together and explore the myth of the world’s most famous vampire.

The Myth of Dracula’s Castle

The story of Dracula’s castle comes from the novel written by Irish writer Bram Stoker.  In his story, he writes about Count Dracula who lives in a castle in Transylvania. 

Count Dracula is a century’s old, undead vampire who lives on human blood and is said to be descended from Attila the Hun.  He has many powers and sometimes is known as the king of the vampires.

 Although Bram Stoker never visited Romania, his description of the castle that Dracula lived in best fits the present day Bran Castle.  This is a weak connection at best, but that has not stopped most folks outside of Romania calling Bran Castle by its nickname--Dracula’s Castle. 

There is speculation that the vampire character’s name, Dracula, was inspired by Vlad Tepes.  He was more infamously known as Vlad the Impaler, but sometimes Vlad Tepes also used a different name--he was also known as Vlad Dracul.  The legend just grew, and Bran Castle has embraced it as a good promotional way to get people to visit the castle.

Vlad Tepes

This story just would not be complete without hearing a little about Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler.  Vlad was a prince during the 1400’s and was involved in the conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and Hungary. 

He struggled to maintain power and was in constant conflict with the boyars of Wallachia (the Bucharest region of present-day Romania).  History has documented his gruesome way to dispatch his enemies—he had them stabbed and then finished them off by impaling them on long sharpen poles in agonizing deaths, that sometimes caused his victims to suffer for days.  His ruthless way to kill just fits perfectly into the Dracula legend of being blood thirsty.  Most of his impaling happened between 1456 through 1462. 

Vlad was killed in 1477.  Shortly after his death, stories about his cruel acts were published, especially in Germany, where they became very popular.  There is a famous wood cut carving print, published in 1499, showing the prince eating a meal while, some of his enemies are impaled near him in the town of Brasov.

Vlad is a controversial figure—some accounts praise him as a defender of his homeland, others say he was a ruthless tyrant.  Some say the name Dracul roughly translates to Devil. 

While his association with vampires is fictional, the legend remains, and he probably was the inspiration for the Dracula vampire character in the horror story by Bram Stoker.  There is evidence that Vlad passed through the Bran area often and some accounts say he was imprisoned in Bran Castle for 2 months, but he never lived in the castle as its ruler.

Bran Castle

This is an interesting castle that allows visitors a chance to see most of the insides of this old medieval fortress that was completed in 1388.  This castle was built to defend Bran pass and it certainly does not hurt the legend that at times the castle is shrouded in fog.  We visited on a rainy day—it just was just what you should expect when you get to go to Dracula’s Castle.

For those expecting a spooky castle, the inside rooms are surprising livable.  This is because the castle served as a royal residence from 1920 until 1947.  It is well decorated but very sparse for royals.

 Yet the mood is set prior to getting to the upstairs rooms—you must climb a narrow secret stairway—this is not for the claustrophobic—it is steep, and the walls are rough and rocky—perfect for an entrance way to the supposed home of Dracula!

The castle is compact with living and dining spaces.  There are a lot of passageways connecting the four walls of this castle/fort complex. 

Some of the rooms are King Ferdinand’s Dining Room,

the music and library room,

the large drawing room,

the Biedemeier Drawing Room, and

the Saxon Room. 

the Castellans’ Room

As you would expect there are towers, a small display of weapons with an armor collection and a dungeon.

It is a worthwhile adventure and one we hope to help you see sometime in the future.

How can you visit Bran Castle?

I think the best way to visit Bran Castle is to base yourself in Brasov, Romania.  This was our base of operations for our visit.  To get to Brasov, we took a train from Bucharest to Brasov.  Along the way, we stopped at Sinaia to visit Peles Castle.  This elegant castle was the royal summer residence and is more a palace than a castle.  It has over 100 rooms.  I will write more about this wonderful castle in a later blog.

Exterior View of Peles Castle

We were on an AmaWaterways lower Danube cruise, and when it ended, we arranged a private transfer from our rivership to the Bucharest train station.  We then caught our train, visited Peles Castle, got back on the train and stayed in Brasov for a couple of days. 

Using our hotel staff in Brasov, they arranged for a private driver to get to Bran Castle.  Brasov is a great town and our experience there was wonderful—we would visit again. 

Here are some pictures of Brasov:

Catherine’s Gate was part of the old medieval walls of Brsov

There are many good outdoor cafes in Brasov

Brasov Main Square

We did learn however, to be cautious about taxis in Romania—they often charge extra instead of the established fare.  Using your hotel to reserve a taxi or private tour was wonderful—we were charged a fair amount.  To help combat this problem, we also learned there are government registered taxis that have agreed to charge fair rates.  It was a great lesson learned.

It is quite possible to arrange a trip from Bucharest to visit both Peles and Bran Castles.  It is a long day trip, usually 9 hours or so, but a lot of folks think it is another worthwhile way to see these two great castles. 

Our Final Thoughts

Our visit to Romania was inspired by the fictional demon Dracula.  A river cruise that ended in Bucharest made it easy to venture out on our own and simplified some of the transfers.  Funny how a legend started our interest, and we expected to see a great castle, however, what we got was so much more—it was a visit to a wonderful country, with warm, friendly folks eager to help visitors. 

We learned about a new great castle by doing some research—Peles Castle.  Brasov also is a great stop.  But most of all we meet some great folks.  They have worked hard to escape the communist past and we enjoyed our time there.  It is not on the normal tourist path of London, Paris, or Rome, but a surprising place we loved.  That is the wonder of travel—just get inspired to try something new and often it will turn out fabulous—just as our experience did.

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

5 Great Ports on the Main River

5 Great Ports on the Main River

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 tributaries of the Rhine River is the Main River.

Today, I thought I’d write about 5 ports on this often-overlooked European River Cruise River.

 The ports, traveling west to east on the Main are Miltenberg, Wertheim, Würzburg, Bamberg and ending in Nuremberg.

So, let’s explore together and learn about this unique river.

Main River Overview

The Main is the longest tributaries of the Rhine River—it is about 326 miles long and all the river is in Germany.  About 246 miles are used for shipping and river cruising.  At one end of the river, towards Nuremberg, the river is now linked to the Danube River by the Main-Danube Canal.

Miltenberg

If picture perfect, fairy-tale like houses and buildings surrounded by a lovely town square known as the Schnatterloch (in German literally the “Gossip Hole”) has interest for you, then Miltenberg is a great village for you to explore.  The village has a population of about 9,000.

The old town of Miltenberg is about 150 meters wide but about 2.5 Km long from the banks of the Main River up the hillside.  There are over 100 half-timbered houses in this scenic town.

This is a place time seems to have stood still—almost all the older buildings have survived. 

Its market square is often cited as one of the most attractive in all of Germany.  And, to just round out the fairly-tale feel of the city, there is a castle perched on a hillside. 

It was also a walled city and has two gate towers that protected the city in days gone by, but now are an interesting photo chance for visitors.

Wertheim

Your first views of this village are dominated by the old castle ruins, but there are much more than ruins to see in the quaint place.  This town has a population of about 23,000.

Wertheim is located where the Tauber River and the Main River meet.

Overlooking the town are ruins of castle that was built in the 12th century.

The old town and its market square are ringed with several half-timbered houses.  The market square has a wonderful well, named the Engelsbrunnen (in German it translates to the Angel’s well).  The name comes from the 2 little angels holding the coat of arms of Wertheim.

Another interesting building is the Gothic Stiftskirche.  It was built in 1383 and has 2 clocks on the church tower—one with an hour and minute clock hands and one with a clock hand only for the residents of the castle—guess being royalty has its advantages!

This old walled city has an impressive watch tower that still remains.

Würzburg

There is a lot to like about Würzburg.  As you approach the city, two key sights emerge—the Marienberg Citadel, a Renaissance fortress and the old bridge that reminds us of the famous St. Charles Bridge in Prague.

 But the star here is the Residenz Palace, a UNESCO world heritage site.  Along with the impressive palace (which can be toured on an AmaWaterways cruise), the gardens here are whimsical, and colorful.  These gardens were built when the Residenz was fortified, so all the gardens had to be inside the walls. 

There are 2 gardens here.  The first is the Court Garden, a Baroque, formal garden.  The central feature of this garden are 8 large yews that shaped in perfect cone shapes.  The second garden is an English garden of meadows and small forests.

The English Garden

Würzburg is in the Franconia wine region is less well-known producer of dry white wines made from Silvaner grapes.  The official name is Grüner Silvaner.  A lot of this wine is grown around Würzburg.  One unique feature of this wine is its special bottle—it is in a bottle called a Bocksbeutel (in German)—a distinctive green oval shaped bottle.

One feature of wine cruises on the Main River on AmaWaterways is a special wine tasting in Würzburg’s baroque Residenz Palace.  Wine in a palace—how cool is that!

Bamberg

Bamberg is about 7 Km from the Main River, in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria.  It is UNESCO world heritage site due its well-preserved medieval buildings.

It has a wonderfully preserved old town area on the west bank of the Regnitz River.

Perhaps the Altes Rathaus (old town hall), is one of the most stunning town halls built in all Germany.  It is on a bridge and the legend is it was built over the Regnitz River, as the town bishops denied the townsfolk permission to build the hall on the land owned by the church.

The Bamberg Cathedral is also famous for its architecture and is the burial place of Emperor Henry II and Pope Clement II.

The Neue Residenz (home of the prince bishops) has a wonderful rose garden that is one of our favorite gardens.  There are about 4,500 roes planted in 70 different flower beds.  It also provides some of the best views of all of Bamberg on the outside walls of the garden.

Bamberg has a special beer—it is a historic smoked beer.   In German it is known as Rauchbier. Bamberg is home to 11 breweries. 

Nuremberg

Nuremberg’s old city has some very large protective walls, and most are intact.  It is the 6th largest city in Germany.  It is place we visit often—at least 6 times or more.

Nuremberg Castle is one of the largest in Germany.  We have toured the grounds several times

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

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

 Nuremberg is where the Nazi War Crimes Tribunal took place in 1946. There are special tours offered by most river cruise companies about the huge influence of the Nazi regime in Nuremberg.

Culinary tourists can taste the city's famous food offerings.  This includes lebkuchen (gingerbread), a great local red beer and the star for us Nürnberger Rostbratwürstchen, or Nuremberg sausages. It is prepared several different ways—don’t miss it!

Our Final Thoughts

The Main River has 5 great ports--We hope you enjoyed this report.  You should try this great river cruise route.

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

Luxury Travel is Value Travel

Luxury Travel is Value Travel

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Luxury travel means different things to different people.  I think most folks would opt for more luxury in their vacations but worry about the costs. While being able to afford a trip is important, it should not be your only consideration.

 According to the L.E.K. 2017 Luxury Travel Study, only 10% of the respondents considered themselves luxury travelers, but 85% reported they indulge in travel luxuries sometimes in their travels. 

We think the key is value, not an abstract term like luxury.

To me, this raises a couple of questions. 

How do you know what luxury features you would like to add to your trip to enhance your experience? 

How can you enhance your travels without blowing your budget? 

So, let’s explore these topics together.

Life Enhancing Experiences

We are in the life enhancing business.  To help you get your life enhancing trip experiences, there are 4 items necessary for us to help you plan your travel. 

There are:

1. Some idea of a trip you would like to take,

2. a realistic budget,

3. dates when you want to go, and

4. your trip is a good fit to the services we offer

Perhaps these 4 items need a little clarification.

 First, where do you want to go—Europe, Alaska, or another city in the US?  How do you want to travel—air, car, ship, or train? What do you want to experience or see? What are your must visit places?

Second, you can’t expect to take some types of trips on an unrealistic budget. For example, a trip like a European river cruise for $1,000 a person for a week trip is not possible—the product and services require a bigger budget.  One of the items we always ask is the budget. It really helps us both understand what is possible based on the financial resources you are willing to commit to the vacation you desire.

Fortunately, most who contact us do have some idea of the cost of a typical 7-day river cruise, but sometimes, sticker shock happens.  I do want to make point here—the internet can tell you the price, but it can’t tell you the value of the trip you desire—that’s where we come in. We can explain the value which helps you understand why the price might be higher than you anticipated.

The date often makes a difference—do you have flexibility or is this a trip to see a precise event at a precise time.  Are you arranging your trip around other events?  Do the travelers have only certain days off for school or vacation?

You might be surprised by the last point—is your desired trip a good fit for our services?  While we plan trips to many destinations, our best value to you is our extensive knowledge of cruising, especially river cruising and Europe travel. 

We like to say we are a low volume, high touch travel advisors and this has many benefits to you—we really can spend a lot of time learning exactly what you want for your trip and the desired outcomes, so it enhances every aspect of the travel experience.

So, let’s see how we accomplish these tasks.

We Make It Easy to Start Once You Find Us

Many of our clients find us by researching the internet. We are proud to rank first in Google searches for both Europe River Cruise Comparisons 2022-2023 (as of 19 May 2022, 5,296 have visited this page on our website this year) and Best European River Cruise Routes Guide (2,674 visits this year to this page).

We also have many referrals by happy clients, who share their great experiences with their friends. Most our clients also are repeat travelers.

Based on this, some decide we are the folks to help them get a luxury vacation on a river cruise, or another trip, and take the next step by sending us a Trip Request.

We are humbled so many trust us and grateful they found us and we welcome them with open arms—we are delighted to help them. It doesn’t really matter how they found us, but now it is action time—so, here is the next step, should you decide to use us.

To get started on your trip, we make it easy for you to communicate your desire to start thinking about a trip.  Please visit www.dreamdestinations.com, select Send Us Your Travel Request and contact us.  This short form will start you on the road to a great travel location.

After this start, we ask a lot of questions, and start to look for ways we can make the trip exceed your expectations.

How Do You Know What Luxury Features You Would Like to Add to Your Trip to Enhance Your Experience?

Chances are you really do not know all the options available for your trip.  Everyone wants to get the most for their money but if you are fixated on price alone, chances are you will get a subpar experience.

 How do I know this?  In my 50+ years of traveling to Europe, every time I cut a corner to save a buck or two, the results were usually wasted time and a poor experience.

 Would you like an example? —I once refused to pay 5 Marks in 1989 to go see a fabulous 500 year old wood carved church alter in Rothenburg, Germany (the Jacobskirke altarpiece carved by Riemenschneider0—something I really wanted to see.  I had spent well over $6000 for this trip and balked at 5 Marks—it just doesn’t make sense!

Rothenburg au Taber from our visit in 1989. This is the best intact walled city in Germany.

 Someday I will get to visit the church again (hopefully this summer during an AmaWaterways cruise we plan to take in July—33 years later to correct this mistake)—it was a poor decision.  What is the reason for this story? —we are here to save you from yourself.  I learned the hard way and regret my decision back then.

It is very hard for us to keep up with all that is happening in Europe, or on river cruises or on ocean cruises, so how can you be expected to know what features you need to add to get that special feature or luxury experience?  Let us help guide you through the process and the outcome will be a better trip.

They key to adding luxury features is to know what your desired outcome of the trip is for you.  The most important thing for us to understand is why you are going on the trip. 

What do you want to experience and what type of treatment do you expect?  Do you want down time in a luxurious spa?  How about a skip the line entrance to the Vatican Museum? 

What is the right mix of seeing the sights at the right pace?  What level of comfort are do you expect on your trip?  What type of hotel do you want to stay in?  Those are just a few of the questions we will ask to get you the trip you desire.

How Can You Enhance Your Trip without Blowing Your Budget?

There are many ways that expensive trips can become a better value and may cost less but still deliver the experience you desire. 

For example, traveling when less people travel is a good way to get a luxury trip at a better price.  Spring, fall and Christmas Market trips are excellent values on Europe River Cruises.  Most of the group river cruises we plan are during these non-peak times.

Part of a group we led on an AmaWaterways river cruise in 2015.

A Christmas Market Wine Bar in Basel, Switzerland

Advent House in Lucerne, Switzerland during one of our trips

 Not only is the price better, but there are also less crowds.  Sometimes the weather is not the best, but overall, it is our favorite time to travel to Europe—a great trip at a better price.  You really can enhance your traveling experience many times by just letting us search your desired time for travel to let us seek the best travel value for you.

Another way to enhance your trip, is to pick the right vendor who offers the services and level of care you want.  We carefully vet our preferred suppliers—we know who will deliver the experience you expect and will exceed your expectations—our ultimate goal.

Anne, Kristin Karst (co-owner of AmaWaterways) and Hank on board of an AmaWaterways ship in Amsterdam in 2011.

We also look for upgrades.  We always try and make personal connections with hotels, for example, letting them know our valued clients are coming and asking for the best treatment they can offer. Maybe a better stateroom on a river cruise that cost just a little extra but really enhances your trip.

We Can Inspire You to add some Luxury Features to your next trip!

With our extensive experience and knowledge about travel, we will match you to the right trip and help get exactly what you expect from your trip.   We will get you the best value for your money on a trip, if you will spend some time us.

 The more we can learn about you, the better we can serve you.  We also help you decide if a slight increase in your budget might result in an enhanced experience.

Our Final Thoughts

We are looking to provide you the right trip, at the right time, to the right person—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!

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

Interesting Bridges in Europe

Interesting Bridges in Europe

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Europe has some of the most famous and interesting bridges in the world.

 Bridges are designed to bypass some type of obstacle such a river, or valley but they often have developed into a more important function as a symbol of uniting places that once were separated.

 So here are some bridge pictures of what Anne and I consider some of Europe’s most interesting bridges.

Old Bridges

Kapelbrucke, Luzern, Switzerland.

 Kapelbrucke (Chapel Bridge) and Wasserturn (Water Tower) date to the 1300s. This covered, wooden footbridge is Luzern's most famous landmark. It is the oldest covered bridge in Europe.

The tower has been used as a treasury, a prison, and a torture chamber.

One of the 110 medieval paintings that originally adorned the covered roof. A fire destroyed the bridge and only 25 original paintings survived. The paintings recounted scenes from the history of Luzern and Switzerland.

Mill Bridge Luzern, Switzerland.

There is also another covered bridge here. This is the Mill Bridge, first built in 1408, but rebuilt several times due to fire damage..

Stone Bridge Regensburg, Germany.

The guarded entrance to Regensburg on top of the Stone Bridge. The Stone Bridge,, built 1135–1146,, is a highlight of medieval bridge building. It served as the model for other stone bridges built in the 12th and 13th centuries.

The knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusade used it to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land.

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy. 

Crowds on the Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy

This famous bridge, which crosses the Arno River, is lined with gold and silver shops today.  It is the oldest bridge in Florence.  The bridge has had shops lining this unique structure since the 13th century. Originally, the shops were butchers and fishmongers, which lead to a smelly bridge. In 1593, Ferdinand I decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers could have their shops on the bridge and that tradition continues until today.

One of the reasons this is an important bridge is that it still has shops lining the bridge—a common practice in the Middle Ages and it is one of the last remaining bridges in existence in Europe that continues that tradition, as most old bridges have been torn down . 

Pont du Gard.

This is part of the aqueduct of Nîmes, which was almost built by the Romans 1900 years ago to deliver water to the city of Nîmes.  The aqueduct and bridge cross the Gardon River (it is also known as the Gard River).  Look at the people on the bridge to get an idea how large this structure is--it is only 6 feet smaller in height than the Roman Colosseum.

Charles Bridge--

The Charles Bridge is famous for the many statues of saints that line the bridge along its length (there are 30 statues).  For centuries, this bridge was the only link between Lesser Town on the left bank of the Vltava River and Old Town on the opposite side.

Venice Bridges

Venice has over 400 bridges.  Here are two of the most famous:

Bride of Sighs, Venice Italy. 

Canal under the Bridge of Sighs, Venice, Italy

  To say this bridge is famous, is an understatement. Here is a photo of the large crowd taking pictures at this famous bridge:

There are two stories about how the bridge became known as the bridge of sighs. 

The first legend of this bridge that connects the Doge’s palace and the prison, is that the condemned got their last look at the beauty of Venice and “sighed” as the moved to their cells. 

The second story is about romance.  In this version, it is said that lovers who kiss under the bridge in a gondola and will be granted enteral love.  It is said they “sigh” at the romantic backdrop and pledge of love.

Rialto Bridge Venice Italy.

It is one of the four bridges that span the Grand Canal in Venice.  The current bridge, after several other earlier bridges, was built in 1588.  This sturdy bridge has become the symbol of Venice. 

For over 300 years, it was the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot.  It houses many stores on the bridge and adjacent area.

Bridges with Interesting Stories

Skinny Bridge, Amsterdam Netherlands. The Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) is often touted as the most beautiful bridge in this city that has more than 1,200 of them.

The story of this bridge is that two women - the Mager sisters - lived on opposite sides of the Amstel River. According to the tale, they had this bridge built to make it easier to visit one another. Mager is the Dutch word for "skinny".

Avignon Bridge

This is the famous bridge of the children's song "Sur le pont d'Avignon"--(on the bridge of Avignon).  During the Middle Ages, it was an important bridge for pilgrims to cross the Rhone River on the way to the Palace of the Popes in Avignon. 

As you can see in the photo, the bridge does not span the Rhone River anymore. It was washed away several times by floods and in the 17th century, the bridge was abandoned and never rebuilt.

Love Locks on the Pont des Arts on the Seine River, Paris, France.

Government officials have removed all these locks in June of 2015 due to damage to the bridge.

The idea of the love locks is that they symbolize that a couple's love is forever and often the key has been thrown in the river. The government of Paris auctioned the locks off to the public.

Symbolic Bridges

25 De Abril Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal was inspired by 2 US bridges--its orange color is just like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco; and its design is like the Bay Bridge in Oakland. The bridge is named to commemorate the Carnation Revolution that returned democracy to Portugal--the protesters put carnations into rifles of the military forces and it was a "bloodless" coup.

The Chain Bridge, Budapest Hungary. This was the first permanent bridge built across the Danube in Budapest. It was built between 1840 and 1849. It is 375m long and 16m wide. This bridge connected the towns of Buda and Pest and was a major reason the two towns became Budapest.

In 1989, it was a site of protest for freedom and independence from communist rule. Today, the bridge is a symbol of Hungarian liberty.  Buda castle is in the background.

Bosporus Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey. 

Where East meets West, the bridge across the Straits of the Bosporus Turkey. The left bank of this picture is Europe; the right bank of this picture is Asia (SW Asia or the Middle East).  It was built in 1973 and is 1,560 meters long.  The bridge is a toll bridge and the highway on the bridge has eight lanes.

Tower Bridge London, England. 

This photo was taken in 1989.

London's Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Its Victorian Gothic style stems from a law that forced the designers to create a structure that would be in harmony with the nearby Tower of London. 

This photo was taken by Anne in 2019.

Stunning Bridges

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.

The small bridge in the background crosses the Vltava River.

Alexander Bridge Statue, Paris France.

Of the 19 bridges crossing the Seine River, this is considered the most beautiful.  The bridge links Les Invalides, the site of Napoleon’s tomb, on the Left Bank with the Champs-Élysées on the Right Bank. 

It was built in 1900 for the world’s fair of 1900—the exposition hall can be seen in the background of this photo.

Alte Brucke (Old Bridge) crossing the Neckar River in Heidelberg, Germany.  The Tower entrance to Heidelberg Old Bridge, is one of the most photographed scenes in all of Germany and was part of the old city walls. 

Here is the rest of the bridge:

Bicycle on a bridge in Edam, Netherlands and in Amsterdam. 

Bikes are one the symbols of the Netherlands and with all the water crossings in this low country, we feel this is a great way to capture some of the essence of life in this fascinating country. 

Here is one of our favorite photos of a bike in Amsterdam:

Brugge Bridge, Brugge, Belgium. 

The canals of Brugge are a special place—it is Anne’s favorite Europe city.  This twilight picture captures what we would consider the best part of this tranquil city—unmatched scenery with fairly-tale like buildings.  Enjoy!

Modern Bridges

Le Salve Bridge, Bilbao, Spain. 

This bridge, also known as the Princes of Spain suspension bride, is incorporated into the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. The giant spider sculpture in the foreground is a nice contrast to this large bridge.  Also, the red arches were added to the bridge in 2007 to help blend it in with the art museum. 

Øresund Bridge, Øresund Strait.  The Øresund Bridge is the longest combined rail and road bridge in Europe.  It connects Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmo.  Part of this is a bridge and part is a tunnel.  This is a picture taken at sea by Anne.

Our Final Thoughts

It took a lot of trips to compile these photos.  But more than a collection of trips, it shows the amazing capacity of humans to overcome obstacles to unite landmasses. 

Maybe, in a way, it will serve as a reminder to us to bridge the gaps and obstacles we face as humans to better understand others and their cultures.  I know for sure it has changed both of us for the better.  We hope this will inspire to travel to Europe soon and view some of these bridges, or better yet, find your own favorites..

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

21 Great River Cruise Experiences

21 Great River Cruise Experiences

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Anne and I find it very hard to find any trip experience that matches a river cruise.  Wonderful food and wine, unmatched chances to explore Europe in a floating hotel, attended by a staff that enhances your trip, are all part of this vacation.

 Small ship sailing on a river is so unique that one friend\client told me you cannot truly understand the differences until you try one—they are that good. 

We just could not find one experience that summed it all up, so we decided to provide you 21 experiences that have made memories for us that will last a lifetime. 

So, let’s explore together and learn about some of the great experiences we have had on 21 River Cruises!

1.      Leading my West Point Classmates and other West Point Graduates on 5 Different River Cruises.  Almost 45 years ago, after 47 months of training and studies, 729 of my classmates graduated from West Point.  Prior to beginning my training as an Army Officer, I took my first trip to Europe.  43 years later I took several of my classmates on 3 different river cruises.  What an experience—Anne & I help introduce these wonderful guys and their wives and some of their family members and friends to the joys of river cruising.  We laughed, shared stories of West Point and had so much fun that many decided to take a river cruise with us again in 2016, 2017 2018 and 2019.  Here is the bottom line—it is such a good experience; we just couldn’t wait to experience it again with each other, and we went 2016, 2018 and 2019 with different classmates who wanted to share this second adventure on the river with their friends.

2.      Discovering Brugge after a Tulip Time Cruise.  A town lost in time; laced with canals, gold trimmed buildings and churches, combined with seafood, the best frites (French fries) you have ever eaten and over 1000 beer choices, make Brugge our first or second favorite city in all Europe.  We owe all to our Tulip Time cruise—we had only just begun exploring the Netherlands and Belgium and had read about how good the city was, but after the finish of our wonderful 7-day adventure, we got to spend 3 days in this magical place.  Since then, we have been back 6 other times, in all seasons and have sent clients to Brugge to explore this fascinating city.  Sharing a great discovery makes it better—we will continue to send others.

3.      Meeting an ex-AmaWaterways bar server again in Budapest.  In 2015, I was in Budapest with a West Point classmate getting a beer to take back to our room.  Suddenly I heard “Hank; Hank”—someone was calling my name.  It was Tomas, one of waiters from a Provence River cruise we took in 2014.  After bear hugs and a fist bump, and he told me he was working in Budapest now (his girlfriend missed him too much sailing the river boats).  I was stunned—I do not know a single person in Budapest.  But here is the best part—when I told him we were sailing in a day on an AMA riverboat, he texted his friend, the on-board maitre’d and told him we were sailing on his ship and to take care of us!  Amazing—he no longer worked for them, but he cared what happened to us—the crew really becomes your family.

Tomas is the tall bartender on the right.

4.      The illumination cruise of Budapest.  The two best nighttime cruises in all Europe are on the Danube sailing into Budapest and the Seine into Paris.  We have done two in Budapest and sailed with a ferry-type boat in Paris in 1989—amazing is the only word to describe this experience.  Another great night cruise is the Rhine in Flames—a fireworks spectacular that takes place on the most scenic stretches of the middle Rhine every year between May and September.

5.      Visiting Regensburg—Hats, Wursts and a Christmas Market Gem.  The former walled city, a medieval bridge, Roman ruins, a Christmas Market in a castle and der Hutkonig –the hat king, a world-famous hat maker and the oldest wurst house in Germany--this is one of our favorite stops on the Danube.  Anne has purchased 5 hats—they are wonderful!  This is the only Christmas market I know that charges an entrance fee, but AmaWaterways provided us tickets as part of the voyage.  The markets surround the castles—there are fires burning, great booths with all sorts of merchandise and food and drinks—it is an atmosphere unlike the many Christmas markets we had been to—unique and memorable.

At the Christmas Markets with the owner who made our hats.

6.      The Rhine River Gorge.  I first sailed the most scenic part of any river in all Europe in 1971 on a KD ferry—long before the advent of the modern-day river cruise boat.  It is still magical—30 castles dot the steep banks for views that are unmatched!  It never gets old—can’t wait to sail it again!

7.      Sailing the Iron Gates on the Danube.  When the Danube narrows as it runs through the South Carpathian Mountains, the narrows are known as the Iron Gates.  The granite walls of the mountains combined with a fjord-type cruise experience, easily makes this one of the top 3 most scenic stretches you will ever experience on a river cruise in Europe.

8.      Food & Wine Galore.  Exquisite multi-course dinners served with great regional wines, a unique Chef’s table experience and a selection of both buffet and menu items at breakfast (now served by the wait staff) ensure you will have the finest dining available on your AmaWaterways cruise—all 19 we have been on always exceeded our expectations.  Scenic also had a great seafood buffet and a selection of 12 different wines.  This is a true highlight of a river cruise trip.

The Scenic opal seafood buffet.

9.      Visiting Cesky Krumlov.  A fairy tale city at a horseshoe bend of the Vitava River, this Czech city is cool beyond words.  A dominate castle tower decorated in spectacular colors, the round tower and the huge castle frame the river and its charming town.  Although it lacks the complete walls of Rothenberg, it has an old gate and has retained its charm of ages past.  A true gem and well worth the hour or so bus ride from the Danube to visit—I am glad our Scenic cruise included this option.

10.  The Rhone Ledson River Cruise.  Wine makers themed cruises are special and when you put a top winery like Ledson onboard, it will enhance the already great trip into something special.  To make it even better, we met the general manager and his wife and now we travel together—they are clients but most of all, great friends.

Mark Thomas prepares for the tasting with help from the crew.

11.   Scenic Sundowner Party in Durnstein.  Durnstein is a small, picturesque village of around 600 on the Danube and is often a favorite stop of many.  It has an old Abbey, a famous castle ruin, great wine shops and apricot brandy stores. On our 3rd visit to this charming village on our scenic Opal cruise, we experienced a party in a wienstube to celebrate the setting of the sun—a small band, cheese, cold cuts, fresh bread, and wine and beer—a perfect way to end the day in the beautiful Wachau Valley on the Danube River.

12.  Meeting Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst—2 of the 3 co-owners of AmaWaterways.  Meeting the owners explains a lot—they love good things and are proud to share their creation.  Their hand-on approach ensures each detail is right—their mission is to provide the best travel experiences on a riverboat and land packages.  From our viewpoint, the have overwhelmingly succeeded!  In 2018, at the TravelAge West Wave Awards, Rudi and Kristin won a major award for their contributions to river cruising and we were the only other couple to win an award at this annual gala.

13.  Visiting the Charming Village of Riquewihr.  This is a village that looks like it came right out of a Disney Movie—in fact, it was the inspiration for the town village of Beauty and the Beast.  If you like white wine, cheese shops, half-timbered buildings, and fun-loving people, you need to go here. We have visited in the summer and during the Christmas Markets season and both were magical!

14.  Escorting more Classmates in 2019 on the Rhine.  Another great time after leading 33 folks on our 75th Anniversary of D Day trip.  We shared many memories and relaxed in the familiar surrounding on the AmaKristina.

15.  Helping Clients get more active on river cruises.  Wellness is important to many of our clients and river cruising is emphasizing more active options on their cruises.  AmaWaterways with their dedicated wellness host is leading this effort, and Avalon with their Active Discovery tours is another great option.  Emerald and Scenic also have good options—Scenic has e-bikes for those who mike enjoy this added assist on their cruise.

Bike riders wave to us from the shore during their bike tour as we sail on the river. they rejoined us later after their fun ride.

The wellness host in yellow poses with us after a morning workout.

16.  Learning about the partnership with Ancestry and AmaWaterways in 2021.  This is a great option for those who want to learn more about their family history.  We got a unique experience to visit the Red Star Museum and learn about the difficult journey many made to immigrate to the United States.

17.  Visiting Egypt on the AmaDahlia.  If ancient history is important to you, learning about the great civilization of Egypt is a true bucket list experience.  This 10-day trip is not for everyone since there is so much to see and it is not quite as luxurious as European River cruising, but the stunning temples, pyramids and sites must be a once in a lifetime experience.

18.  Working with the AMA sales and support staff.  The staff at AMA is professional and they have helped us learn the river cruise business inside out.  They are so good at what they do that it makes our job easier.  Even more importantly, they watch out for the best interest of our clients and always strive to get them the best possible value on their river cruise.  I have been honored to help other travel advisors learn about AmaWaterways by being a guest presenter 2 times on their Wednesday Webinars.

Shelia, our former business development manager from AmaWaterways teaches our group about a Bordeaux river cruise.

19.  Seeing crew members on different cruises and watching them progress in their careers.  We always seem to run into past crew, and often seek them out when more than 2 AMA ships are docked together.  They always remember us, are smiling and fun.  But the best part is to come back and learn they have been promoted to more responsible positions.  We have even met some of their families—what a treat!

20.  Onboard Celebrations.  We have seen significant anniversary and birthday celebrations and even a proposal—folks using a great trip to mark the key events of their lives.  We have been honored to share their joy.

Denise Thomas displays her cake on the AmaDahlia in Egypt on her birthday with her husband Mark.

21.  Listening to the Experiences of our river cruise clients.  Almost all of river cruise clients have chosen to use us again to plan another trip and most pick a river cruise—some 3 or more and still planning more.  Nothing makes us happier convincing them the value and experience of a 7 or more-day river cruise and having them return raving about their trip.

Our Final Thoughts

I think you can see why we are in the business—it just is awesome to help folks have a great river cruise vacation.  Perhaps this will inspire you to take a river cruise—we stand by ready to help.

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

River Cruise Balcony Comparisons in 2022--What View Do You Want?

River Cruise Balcony Comparisons—What View Do You Want?

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

“What type of balcony is best for my river cruise?”  We are often asked this question.  It can be very confusing trying to figure out the different approaches to balconies by various river cruise lines

Balconies or lack of balconies is often one of the keys defining differences between river cruise lines in stateroom cabin accommodations.  This blog should help you understand each line’s approach to balconies and should help you evaluate whether a balcony, and what type of balcony, would be best for your river cruise.

On river cruise ships, there are 6 possible views from your river cruise cabin stateroom.  They are:

1. a small window,

2. a large window,

3. a French balcony (a sliding glass door),

4. a balcony with a window that opens halfway

5. an outside balcony,

6. a twin balcony. 

Deck Designs of a River Cruise Ship

River cruise ships have 4 decks, but the upper deck, often called the sun or sky deck, is just a roof.  There are guest cabins on the remaining 3 decks. 

Deck 1 (the lowest deck) is for crew, with some guest staterroms and may have some public areas.  Decks 2 and 3 have guest cabins and other public areas.  Balcony cabins are only allowed on the upper two decks (2 & 3) of a river cruise ship. 

Balcony cabins are always more expensive than window cabins. On the first deck, nearest to the river line, all cabins only have small or large windows, but most only have the small windows.  There is a very good safety reason that only fixed windows that do not open are allowed on Deck 1, as the windows are just a few feet from the water line.  The cabins with only small windows are usually the least expensive cabins on each ship. 

So, with that background, let’s explore river cruise cabin balconies on the upper two decks of the cruise ships except for the Douro River which has special designed ships for their smaller locks on that unique river.

What are the 7 Major River Cruise Companies that Market to US Travelers?

There are currently 7 companies who are the primary suppliers of river cruises to the US market.  They are 1) AmaWaterways, 2) Avalon, 3) Emerald, 4) Scenic, 5) Tauck, 6) Uniworld, and 7) Viking.  Each of these companies usually have different approaches to balconies on their river cruise ships. 

Although beyond the scope of this blog, if you would like a detailed comparison of these 7 river cruise lines, please click this link,

AmaWaterways

Since 2009, when we took our first cruise on AmaWaterways, we have watched balcony cabins evolve on our favorite river cruise line.  At first, they only had French balconies on all cabins in the upper two decks.

In 2010, starting with the AmaBella, they introduced the concept of twin balconies— ½ French balcony inside and ½ balcony outside.  Since that time, all 135 m river ships on AmaWaterways use the twin balcony concept.  No other river cruise line at present uses this concept for most of their upper deck cabins, although Viking does use twin balconies on a limited number of their suites.

Twin balconies really are the best of both worlds—outside when the weather is good or inside with the sliding glass doors of the French balcony at other times.  While there are a few French balconies on the upper two decks of their 135 m longships (they call them Cat C cabins), all the remaining 49 have the twin balconies.  65 of the 82 cabins on the 135 m long ships have balconies.  Here are some pictures of the twin balconies and French balconies we have taken on various cruises:

A good look at an outside balcony on an AmaWaterways ship

A view of the twin balconies from inside our cabin. On the left is the outside balcony. Inside is the French Balcony which has the small glass table and two inside chairs for a seating area. Photo Anne Schrader.

The French Balcony cabin on our first river cruise in 2009

Avalon

Avalon uses French Balconies only.  They call their concept an Open-Air Balcony.  This concept is that the whole stateroom is the balcony, with the bed facing the window and it has larger windows of 11 feet in the Panorama suites.  They heavily promote the “wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling” windows of their staterooms.  68 of the 84 cabins on their longships have the Open-Air Balcony concept. 

In their newest ship, the Avalon View, they have replaced the railway with a clear safety divider, so there is nothing obstructing the view.

Avalon Vista—while not a perfect picture you can see the large windows at the stern of the ship that open and close. Photo Anne Schrader

A photo from Avalon Waterways showing their Open-Air concept. Used by their permission.

Emerald

All Emerald ships on the 2 upper levels have balconies.  They call their balconies an open-air system and it uses a button to lower the window horizontally halfway down from the closed position.  72 of their 90 cabins on their 135 m longships have the open-air system.  Here is a picture of the Emerald Sun balconies from a ship inspection we did in 2015:

The Emerald Sun balcony cabin. Photo Anne Schrader

Scenic

Scenic features a balcony they call the Sun Lounge—at a push of a button, the glass enclosed lounge converts to an open-air balcony by going horizontally down halfway—it is awesome!  All cabin categories on the upper two decks have full balconies with the Sun Lounge.  68 of the 81 cabins on their 135 m longships have the Sun Lounge.  Here is a picture of the Sun Lounge from our 2015 Scenic Opal cruise:

Our Scenic Opal balcony cabin. Photo Anne Schrader

Tauck

Tauck river cruise ships have only French Balconies.  55 of the 67 cabins on their 135 m long ships have balconies.  Tauck is unique in its approach to some of their river line cabins.  It has 8 cabins that are called loft cabins—they have a sitting area loft that is raised up from the rest of the cabin area and extends from the first deck to the second deck. 

The Tauck Treasures cabin staterooms portion of the ship. Photo Anne Schrader

The loft cabin. This picture is from Tauck and used by permission.

Uniworld

Uniworld, with its elaborately decorated boutique river ships, has 2 types of balconies. They have different style ships, so it is hard to give exact information about each ship, but the newest have French balconies on the 2nd level deck and on the upper level deck have open-air balconies, that at a touch of a button, can open or close .  The larger 135 m longships have French balconies on the second deck and outside cabins on the upper deck. On their 135 m ships 62 of the 77 staterooms have balconies.

The River Riyale in port. Although not perfect, you can see the French Balcony cabins on this ship.

Viking

Viking on its 53+ longships at present, use a patented off-center deck on their upper two decks.  This allows for one side of the ship to have verandas (outside balconies) and the opposite side has French balconies.

There are 2 large suites (445 sq ft) at the aft end of the ship that have wrap around balconies and 7 veranda suites (225 sq ft) with an outside balcony and a French balcony.  39 state rooms (205 sq ft) have outside verandas.  22 staterooms (135 sq ft) have French balconies.  69 of the 94 staterooms have balconies.  The outside balconies have 2 mesh chairs and a small drink table.

This is the Viking Baldar in port. It really shows clearly the difference between the small windows on the first deck at the water line and the balcony cabins above. Photo Anne Schrader

A French Balcony Stateroom. on a Viking Ship. Photo from Viking and used by permission.

How To Decide If a Balcony is Important for your Cruise Experience.

Most river cruise guests spend most of their waking hours outside their cabins either in the main lounge or on the top deck, when they are not eating, or on tour.  While a private balcony of any type is cool and a great luxury, we have seldom spent more than an hour on any of our balconies during any cruising day (21 river cruises).

 I will admit, though, it is tough to beat having a bottle of wine together on your private balcony—a great escape and some quality together time.  That alone, makes a balcony important to us—it really doesn’t matter if it is a French Balcony or an outside veranda or a twin balcony—it all is good (but we lean to the outside balcony)! 

It is important to realize due to limited docking space, river ships often raft, or tie up next to each other, so your wonderful view now becomes a view into someone else’s cabin.  Also, in some ports, the docking location has walls to obscure views.  There is also no view during time in a lock except to look at the concrete lock walls. 

A final point to consider is that sailing often is done at night, so tours can take advantage of daylight hours, and this limits what you are able to see from your balcony during some sailing times.  Even with these limitations, we always prefer a balcony of some type. 

Our Final Thoughts--Should you get a Stateroom with a Balcony?

In my opinion yes!  One of the best things about river cruising is the constant views along the banks of the river and the more you get to see, the better!  We always recommend a cabin on the upper 2 decks for that reason. Another point to consider is that cabins on the river line deck with small windows often only are accessible by stairs and can feel cramped with the limited light from the small window. 

We hope this has helped you understand more about balconies that are offered on the various river cruise lines.  With these great views, it is easy to see what a great way a river cruise is to explore Europe! 

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

Opinion: The Best Features and Vibes of 7 European River Cruise Lines

Opinion: The Best Features and Vibes of 7 European Cruise Lines

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

I always tell folks that a river cruise in Europe is a great vacation—probably the best value for most leisure travelers who want to see a lot in a short time yet get close to the way most actually live in Europe.  Europe grew up around the rivers and this history is reflected in both the small villages, trading centers and even capital cities you might be able to see and experience.

There is a lot of confusion, in my opinion, among the consumers and even good travel agents, about the differences between lines.  We seem to be obsessed with finding the one best line, like a magic pill that will make our travel experiences perfect.  Searches on the internet bear this out, as many want reliable info on lines and want accurate comparisons.  Even experts disagree on which line is best and all seem to have won a travel award as the best river cruise line.

Somehow in all this, I am concerned that some are searching for the best river cruise line instead of matching their style of travel to the available vendors—the best just doesn’t exist, since all of us have different ideas of the travel experience that we want for our trip—no one line is best for each person.

This doesn’t mean this quest is not valuable.  We are well known for our river cruise comparisons that is on page one of Google—last year 8,367 folks opened our 87-slide presentation and already 3,308 have opened it in 2022 (I have just updated it recently, since Crystal is no longer sailing and made some comparison slides easier to read).

Here it is, if you want a more in-depth look at this topic:

I just want those who are searching for the best line stop this fruitless search and should instead look for the features that best match their desired travel expectations.

I have always been the guy with the glass half full, not half empty and each line offers a great vacation experience, so today I thought I’d tell you about the best features of each line, accentuating the positive, and a little what it is like to sail on them.

I do want you to know, we have not sailed on every line in this opinion piece and have always paid for our trips and never gone for free from any of these cited lines. While a lot of this comes from first hand experience, some is just by research, cruise line certifications and interactions with industry officials. We have always believed transparency is the best policy and we strive to be as accurate as possible in our opinions and articles.

All the photos in this blog were taken by Anne.

Please join me on this journey—I hope I am up to the challenge!

AmaWaterways

3 AmaWaterways Ships in port

The best features of AmaWaterways are:

•  Best food & fine regional wines that change daily—added free cocktail hour—included Chef’s Table—best in the industry in our opinion

• Best Active line—added wellness instructor

• Good tours—usually 3 groups & at least 2 options—sometimes more

•   Crew becomes your friends—service is excellent & consistently high standards

• Slow, steady growth—new ships have high staff standards

• Owners are hands on—they read every critique—always improving

• Great Cruise Managers go the extra mile for your trip

• Great Partners with Ancestry, Backroads (bike touring) & Disney

• Their wine themed cruises are the best in the industry

To me, the vibe of AmaWaterways is that you are part of the family, and they want you back.  They are just the right blend of great tour options, wonderful food and wine, with comfortable staterooms and a staff only too willing to please.  This vibe just resonates with us and has made us consistently pick them as our favorite line and many of our clients agree. Talking with one of the owners, Kristin Karst, she told me “we try to under promise and over deliver”—that certainly is our experience. AmaWaterways seems always to be in the forefront of upgrades, new ideas and innovation in European River Cruising—they never disappoint.

Avalon

The Avalon Impression in port

The best features on Avalon are:

• They deliver a good product at a fair price.

• Since they are owned by Globus Corporation (tour company), they have good tours.

• They claim to have the newest fleet in Europe market—oldest ship built in 2008 but with Scenic & Emerald no longer true.

• Cabin bed faces window—has larger windows & French balconies compared to others that open to create patio stateroom

• Added more active options during shore visits called Active Discovery

• Have great vegetarian option call “Avalon Fresh”

The vibe of Avalon is options, flexibility, and views.  They have a new marketing program called “Cruising Elevated”.  I learned about this in an interview published on Travel Weekly magazine.  Here is what it said: “There are three elements that signify luxury in today's cruising world," Steve Born (chief marketing officer of Avalon) said. "One is the ships themselves -- the hardware. Do they provide an environment that makes the most of the cruise experience -- enough space and room? The second element is hospitality - cruise service, how guests are treated, the food. And the third would be the choice of included excursions and variety."  I think this is a pretty accurate vibe and the direction Avalon is headed.

Emerald

The Emerald Sun early in the morning on the Danube

The best features on Emerald are:

• Very good quality cruise at a good price.

• Gratuities included.

• 2 upper decks on most ships have ½ window balcony that opens with touch of a button.

• Pool has retractable roof & converts into evening cinema—it is awesome!

• Even with higher guest capacity (182), it has bikes, spa & fitness area—Viking (190) does not—it does not feel crowded on their ships.

The vibe on Emerald is contemporary but a solid value.  The owner, Glen Moroney, likes to call it a four-star experience on a 5-star ship.  The tag line “Exceptional Emerald Value”, to me is quite accurate—it is inviting, contemporary, and a great value.  It is a fun ship experience—who could not like a glass enclosed swimming pool for daytime use that converts to a movie theater at night (it even has popcorn)?  

Here is a photo of the pool that converts into a movie theater at night

Scenic

The Scenic Opal

The best features on Scenic are:

• All inclusive—all is included—most guests will not pay anything more unless they get a massage or use the hairdresser.

• Onshore tours are awesome—includes Scenic Enrich (exclusive experiences) & Sundowner (hosted cocktails in Europe’s most beautiful locations).

• Seafood buffet is excellent!

• Offers 6 red & 6 white wines at dinner for free.

• Suites have butler service, which varies by stateroom category

• Suites have a balcony that converts into an open-air balcony with a touch of a button

• Has partnered with National Geographic with lectures and photography lessons on some sailings.

The vibe on upscale, yet modern, contemporary elegance.  The Space Ships are well designed, have a mini-bar, and are luxurious.  Scenic is the big brother of Emerald and a definitive step up in class and amenities.  The Aussie flair is quite evident on board and the elegance is tempered with these fun-loving folks who make up as much as 45% of the guests on a typical sailing.  We enjoyed sailing on this line and highly recommend them.

Tauck

The Tauck Treasures sailing the Danube

The best features on Tauck are:

• All-inclusive

• Generally fewest passengers on Tauck ships as compared to other river cruise companies.

• Many feel they offer the best tours & on-shore experiences—in large part due to 4 onboard staff members who lead all tours—others disagree, like using only local guides

• Generally, has more large sized staterooms than others but only French Balconies. Has best window first deck staterooms

• Has a good family program called Tauck Bridges

The vibe on Tauck is twofold in my opinion—they work hard to be Distinctively Inclusive and want their guests to Travel Beyond Ordinary.  It is a relaxed, elegant vibe combined with Uncommon Access to exclusive venues, events, and experiences due to their past connections as an outstanding tour company.  The 4 on board staff Tauck tour staff seem to work seamlessly with the crew, who are not Tauck employees, and guests benefit from this arrangement.  Tauck devotees just can’t stop talking about how good this line is and we agree it has a lot to offer.

Uniworld

The Uniworld River Royale in port

The best features on Uniworld are:

• All-inclusive

• Each ship is different—big emphasis on boutique aspect for the client

• Only cruise line on the Po River (Italy) & has a Burgundy region cruise

• Rate very high on most comparison lists—a lot to like about their product & service.

• Excellent Butler Service

The vibe on Uniworld comes from their roots in old world sophistication of Carnation Boutique Hotel chain, yet in a modern world—elegant, opulent, different décor in each stateroom, with butler service.  Each ship has different theme and feel but the all-inclusive amenities on each ship remain up to the same high standards from vessel to vessel.  They like to say in their promotional material that “no request is too large; no detail is too small” and they very much have created that vibe on their ships.  This is a very good choice, especially if you like the boutique ambiance and the accompanying vibe.

U by Uniworld

The A sailing the Danube

The best features on U by Uniworld are:

• Overnight stays in some ports to experience the nightlife

• Fun, unpretentious, very modern and hip

The vibe is young, rocking, and different than any other cruise offering in Europe.  With only 2 ships, all painted black, it is the most unique offering on Europe’s Rivers.

Viking

The Viking Jarl

The best features on Viking are:

• Sometimes best pricing but often requires full payment at booking while other river cruise companies allow deposit + 90 days prior to departure for final payment.

• Only company that cruises Elbe (special shallow water design)

• Herb garden; solar panels (most green ships)

• Since long ships are identical; in low water situations; Viking has been able to switch ships to avoid extended bus tours—generally successful but does not always work

• Has best port docking locations

The vibe on Viking is consistency—each longship is the same, and by my count, there are a lot sailing in Europe--53.  It is a Scandinavian designed ship, minimal décor yet nice touches like a heated floor in the bathrooms and large print on shampoo bottles.  There are no extras here—the focus of these cruises is on the destination.  The emphasis onboard is comfort and not a splashy experience.  Viking put Europe River Cruising in the minds of most Americans and must be considered the base line for how good a river cruise vacation is—they set the standard.  Viking really does let you explore the world in comfort.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report.  Perhaps it will help you match a line to your travel style and not worry about which line is best.  As you can see, all have features and vibes that make them unique.  We can help sort all this out when you are ready to try this great vacation or to go again.

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