Hank Schrader

September 18, 2025

Ocean Cruise

Virgin Atlantic's Brilliant Lady

Hank Schrader

September 18, 2025

Ocean Cruise

Virgin Atlantic’s Brilliant Lady

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

It has been quite a while since we reported on an Ocean Cruise Line, but we just returned from a 5-day trip on the second sailing of the Brilliant Lady from New York. The only port stop was the Royal Naval Port in Bermuda.

We took this cruise as part of a business meeting to improve our knowledge of a great CRM (Contact Relationship Management) system by Tern to enhance our ability to work more efficiently with you.

The other part for us was learning about what Virgin Atlantic has to offer you as a possible vacation option.

Overall Impressions

This cruise line is different than any other line we have sailed on in the past. There are no children aboard and the vibe is pretty much fun and loud. Since we both are in our 70s, it probably would not be our first choice for a relaxing cruise; however, I could see how it would appeal to younger sailors (this is the term Virgin Atlantic uses instead of guests to call their folks who sail with them). Tattoos, a variety of lifestyles and amazing outfits were a normal at all times, but especially at night!

A good concept is the variety of different dining options, and I will cover these from our experiences. The food is generally excellent and this is a big draw for considering taking a Virgin Atlantic cruise. They also have edgy theater shows.

Another good feature is that almost all is included—no gratuities for the cruise. Naturally, alcohol drinks are extra and some options in the various eateries had upcharges for select meals.

In a tech touch, you are provided with a red wrist band that opens your room and is scanned for drink purchases. This really solves a problem of constantly fumbling for your cruise credit card like so many other cruise lines.

A not so good feature was the constant waiting in line for the various dining venues, even with a reservation. The problem was only one host or hostess seating 20 to 30 folks, especially with the late time slots (usually 2 seatings 5:45 and 8:00 PM or later). We waited sometimes 20 minutes or so to be seated.

Another negative factor was the noise levels—most folks had to shout to have a conversation anywhere on the ship. Even the staff noticed it, as we could seldom interact without having to repeat anything.

While not Virgin Atlantic’s total fault, the embarkation process was the worse system of any ocean cruise line we have sailed on. No real signage until we finally reach the check in area, no reps from Virgin and you get in long lines that seem never to end despite the fact we had a designated embarkation time.

Brillant Lady

**The Brilliant Lady in Port in Bermuda. Photo Anne Schrader**

**This picture shows how the design of the ship allows it be narrow enough to transit the Panama Canal since the lifeboats are recessed. Photo Anne Schrader**

The ship holds 2,770 passengers with 1048 staterooms (some staterooms could hold 3 or 4, so the max capacity is 2,860), with 17 decks. There are 1,160 staff and crew onboard. One significant design feature is that the ship is small enough to transit the Panama Canal and it will sail all the way to Alaska on some cruises.

Our Stateroom

We booked a Sea Terrace stateroom that ranges in size from 185 to 225 square feet—ours was the XL version with 225 square feet. The terrace had a hand-woven red hammock.

The bathroom is very cramped with a shower, toilet and sink.

**The cramped bathroom. Photo Anne Schrader**

**The Shower. There is the wand (shown) and a rain shower head (not shown). Photo Anne Schrader**

Our cabin had some high-tech features, with a tablet that controlled the lights, TV and curtains. You can change the lights to mood settings. It is very modern with a cheeky vibe (to use a British term).

**The make up area. Photo Anne Schrader**

**The high-tech control pad that controls the lights, TV and curtains in our stateroom. Photo Anne Schrader**

**The closet area. Photo Anne Schrader**

Deck 7 Food

Deck 7 features a pizza pallor, an ice cream venue (called “Lick Me ‘Till I Scream”—honest, I’m not making that up), and the Loose Cannon venue for hot dogs, pop corn and wings

The Galley on Deck 15

Although there is not a large buffet area like many large cruise ships (it is more like a market-style food hall), there were smaller versions of stations for breakfast, lunch and for dinner. 8 of the 20 total food locations are on deck 15. There was a taco food hall, an Asian Noodle Soup venue, a breakfast station, a burger station, a fresh baked bread/sandwich station and desserts and fruit. The morning bagel station changes to a salad bar. All food is served by the staff

Specialty Dining Venues

Here is a review of our dining experiences during this short 5-day Cruise.

Gunbae

This is a Korean BBQ venue, with 6 people are seated around cooking stations in a half-circle seating arrangement. The meal is supposed to start with a drinking game with an included shot of Soju. The waiter tried to explain the dishes, but it was so loud, we couldn’t really understand. To make things simpler, he just brought us almost everything from the menu from the favorites from serving others. We liked the small bites course of crispy chicken and the seafood pancakes. You could also get noodle dishes, or spicy rice cakes.

Next was the chef’s combo of short ribs, pork belly and shrimp prepared at the table. My favorite was the bulgogi, again prepared at the table. I had rice to go with meat courses and Anne had Kimchi rice.

My grade B, as the food was good, but the noise was overwhelming.

**Gunbae Korean BBQ entrance. Photo Anne Schrader**

Pink Agave

This is Virgin’s Mexican themed restaurant. It was surprisingly good and a different twist on most Mexican restaurants. I started with a classic, the chicken enchiladas. The next larger plates were excellent. Anne had the artichoke marinated smoked pork, while I had a thin ribeye steak covered lightly with a chili cheese sauce.

Our grade A- as the noise was less than other venues, even with a DJ towards the end of our meal with salsa music, and the food was very good!

**Anne in Pink Agave. Photo Hank Schrader**

Extra Virgin

My favorite restaurant was the Italian Extra Virgin. We started with a charcuterie board. I then had 5 meatballs as an appetizer, then splurged on chicken cacciatore and pasta (it was a lot of food). For dessert my choice was the tableside created Affogato expresso that covered whisky crema vanilla gelato.

Charcuterie board Extra Virgin. Photo Anne Schrader

My meatballs starter. Photo Hank Schrader

**Anne’s Pasta dish. Photo Anne Schrader**

My Chicken cacciatore. Photo Hank Schrader

**This great bottle of wine was well worth the extra cost. Photo Anne Schrader**

A+ here, and we could talk to each other and our newly made single friend at the adjacent table.

The Wake

The Wake is billed as a modern twist to the classic chophouses. We were looking forward to this restaurant especially for their signature seafood tower platters, but sadly the chef said the seafood was not up to par. Anne was very disappointed, so enjoyed her drinks.

I had the Razor Clam Chowder as a starter and then a 7-oz. Filet Mignon with a twice baked potato and caramelized onion.

**My steak was served with roasted garlic. Photo Hank Schrader**

**My twice-baked potato dish. Photo Hank Schrader**

**Desert to finish off the meal. Photo Hank Schrader**

My food was excellent, with a B+ grade but the evening was quite a disappointment overall. Anne would go with a D.

Our Final Thoughts

It was a different experience but overall, it was a little disappointing to us. If you are looking for a lively time, this ship is designed for you. The quality of the food might be just enough to make you consider taking a Virgin Atlantic cruise, as most is already included in the cruise fare. Just remember to book the specialty restaurants early as possible to avoid disappointment!

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 with high quality, expertly planned trips. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@visitdd.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 53 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). His last major certificate is a Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) certificate earned from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). 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
Avalon Waterways Specialist
CLIA Riverview Certificate
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Riverside Luxury Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

April 22, 2021

Ocean Cruise

Our 7-Night Celebrity Summit Southern Caribbean Cruise

Hank Schrader

April 22, 2021

Ocean Cruise

Our 2019 7-Night Celebrity Summit Southern Caribbean Cruise

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Accredited Cruise Counselor and Ocean Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Our last ocean cruise was on the Celebrity Summit in 2019. It was an awesome trip!

We got to celebrate Anne’s Birthday on 26 April, the last day of our 7 day cruise.

Who knew we would not travel in 2020 due to a pandemic but things are slowly returning to normal. Our first clients are traveling in April of this year—it’s been 14 months since our last client traveled.

The big trip for one client couple is to celebrate their 30 year anniversary at a Sandals Resort in St. Lucia. Since this cruise also visited St. Lucia (it was our first time to visit this wonderful island), it inspired me to get our pictures together and tell about this cool vacation celebration.

It made me realize, that even though most of our business nowadays is river cruising and European travel, I had not written much about ocean cruising in a long time.

In many ways, the best way to get introduced to several different countries is on an ocean cruise. While most of our recent ocean cruises business is in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, or around the coastal areas of Europe, we also have helped many sail to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central American ports.

So, I’m taking this opportunity to write about our wonderful trip in 2019, where we both got to visit 3 new island nations. It might surprise you that along with the 50 European City guides and 51 European River Port guides we have written, that we have also written 13 Caribbean Port guides.

Ready—let’s enjoy island life together.

Our Ship—the Celebrity Summit

We were excited to try the Summit after it was updated on March 23, 2019. We were very pleased with the results—please join us as you can see her changes from our viewpoint.

A good look at just how big our ship was.

We had balcony cabin 9048. Celebrity does a good job with the cabins. Here are some pictures of our balcony stateroom:

So, here is where we spend a lot of time before our meals—the Martini Bar is a favorite of many. Perhaps you can see from this picture why we like this venue so much:

The Martini Bar. You can see the ice covering on the bar. Great drinks here! The bartenders are also performers—stacked glasses (we have seen 18 drinks pored at once—quite a spectacle) on occasion or just other flair techniques.

One of our favorite places on the entire ship was Cafe al Bacio. The coffee drinks and tea were our favorites and a daily visit or 2 were always in our routine.

Celebrity does a very good job with their dining options.

Sushi on Five is a modern take on traditional Japanese cuisine. It allowed us to enjoy some great food. Anne had udon noodles with shrimp tempura; I had ramen with lobster.

One of the best surprises was dinner at the Oceanside Cafe. Here was one of my meals:

What a platter from Ocean’s. This was Hank’s meal!

The main dining rooms also had good food. Here is one of my meals:

A great presentation and it was delicious! This was from one of the included dining rooms.Celebrity is known for their wines, which are very reasonable. I attended a wine tasting on our sea day. — A great presentation and it was delicious! This was from one of the included dining rooms.
Celebrity is known for their wines, which are very reasonable. I attended a wine tasting on our sea day.

Port # 1—Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas 21 April

On our 3rd visit to Charlotte Amalie, on a Sunday, with many shops closed, we decided not to make the long walk to the town. It was fun to just relax.

Here is a report from our 2014 visit: We wandered in Charlotte Amalie, after a long walk from the docking location to the city. It was our second visit to this vibrant town. On our first visit, we snorkeled and then visited Charlotte Amalie.

A great experience here, near some villas overlooking the bay, is the tram to the top of a great lookout. Here are some pictures:

Tram Station takes you to Paradise Point 700 feet above Charlotte Amalie on Flag Hill. There is a observation deck with the best views of the city.

So, please join us as we visited this interesting port city, well designed for shopping and eating and drinking establishments.

A list of shops on this sign on Hibiscus Alley

The cruise lines don’t miss a beat—they have their own shops in port!

As responsible folks, they even had a place for me—husband day care!

Port # 2—Basseterre, St. Kitts 22 April

I thought you might like to see some pictures from a previous visit to St. Kitts:

The Berkeley Memorial clock tower . There are 4 clock faces at the intersection of 4 roads that converge at this intersection .

Independence Square fountain . This historic square was renamed when St. Kitts & Nevis gained political independence on 19 September 1983. It has always been an important gathering place.

In St. Kitts, on our second visit to this island, I took the Scenic Railway tour. It was on a narrow gauge railroad, once used to get the sugar cane crop from the fields to mils. It started by bus, and then the train for 18 miles on the rails, to complete a loop of the whole island.

Come ride the train with me—it was fun and they provided rum drinks! This was a good tour for those who like a great overview of St. Kitts—I would recommend it.

Mount Liamuiga, the tallest point on St. Kitts is a dormant volcano. On the right peak is Brimstone Fortress.

Black Rocks—these are the lava remains from the dormant Mt. Liamuiga volcano eruption. Some of these lava remains at the sea have created dramatic coastlines on part of St. Kitts.

Port # 3--St. John’s, Antigua 23 April

I had considered taking the Amazing Antigua tour, but it was sold out, so I didn’t get to visit the famous Nelson’s Dockyard, the world’s only Georgian-era dockyard still in use today.

We decided to chill on the ship, as we were not in a shopping mood and didn’t want to go to the beach.

Here are 5 pictures we took from the Summit of the port, the main cathedral and Fort James ruins, which once protected the harbor entrance. We need to come back to visit with more time in the future.

Fort James ruins—it was built to defend the harbor entrance

Port #4—Castries, St. Lucia 24 April

We next sailed into St. Lucia. Here are some sights in Castries from the Summit:

A tourist pirate ship already sailing when we arrived

Government House—it is the official residence of the governor-general of St. Lucia

On what was certainly the highlight of the cruise, we took a Captain’s Club Exclusive tour to Eudovic’s Art Studio, for a wood carving demonstration and to view their creations and then to Fond Latisab Creole Park, where we learned about traditional life on St. Lucia.

We learned about the art of wood carving

The studio had an amazing display of wood art.

What a great display of carved art works!

At the Creole park, we had a demonstration of how cassava bread is made and got to sample the finished product.

Scrapping the cassava root—the Creole adapted and even used old wreckage from ships to make the scraping board.

Then a tour of the organic gardens, full of lush plants and spice bushes and trees.

Fresh nutmeg. Only the red covered seed is used in cooking.

We then learned how timber was cut for buildings using a two-person saw.

The 2 person saw. It was difficult work but according to our hosts, the bottom guy had to work the hardest

Last was a dance and music performance, where we learned to “Chak-Chak”.

As we sailed away towards Barbados, we saw two interesting coastal sights—the Sandals resort and the most famous peaks in St. Lucia, the Grand Pitons:

Sandals Regency La Toc—great vacation resort

The most famous landmark in St. Lucia—the pitons

Port #5—Bridgetown, Barbados 25 April

In Barbados, I took the Best of Barbados tour. There were 3 stops on this scenic tour by bus. Our first stop was St. John’s Church on the island’s east coast.

Next, I visited Orchid World, which had some amazing gardens.

Last stop was to visit Gun Hill Signal Station in St. George, to learn about the warning system the British devised to protect the island. This was the largest and most important outpost that consisted of 4 outposts. These were established in 1818 to 1819.

The lookout and observation tower has excellent views of the island and served its purpose as a early warning station in the defense of the island

The purpose of these stations were to let the British rulers know of approaching enemy ships, approaching cargo ships, hurricanes and even civil unrest. They used an interesting system of semaphore flags, and the cannons to spread early warnings. It was very detailed—they could even tell the type of vessels approaching the island and the system worked well according to the historical British records from that time.

Today, this obsolete system is an interesting look back in time and the views are spectacular.

A guard shack with model of a soldier at his post.

We even got to see a little of their daily life.

The British were always big on symbols, so it is no surprise they built a British Lion Statue. One of the officers stationed here carved this statue. I have told the story in the picture caption below.

The British Lion was carved from a single piece of coral stone. Very hard to see in my picture, the left front paw dominates a large red globe—it represents the dominance of the British Empire over the world. It was completed in 1868 by Captain He… — The British Lion was carved from a single piece of coral stone. Very hard to see in my picture, the left front paw dominates a large red globe—it represents the dominance of the British Empire over the world. It was completed in 1868 by Captain Henry Wilkinson, who was stationed at the Gun Hill.

Our Day at Sea 26 April

Our day at sea was wonderful for Anne—it was her birthday. She got to visit the casino and relax and then a great meal for us as the Tuscan Grille. It is our favorite Celebrity Dining option and never disappoints—4 sailings on Celebrity and we always include at least one visit to the Tuscan Grill—usually we visit twice—it’s that good.

Creamy Burrata marinated tomatoe, pistachio pesto, shallots with toasted bread was Anne’s appitizer—she loved it!

A wonderful meatball appetizer—it is one of my favorites.

Come join our celebration—it was a memorable way to celebrate.

The lovely birthday girl—am I a lucky man!

My Final Thoughts

What a great adventure—a unique Caribbean cruise—just another reason we love travel so much! We hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as we enjoyed seeing them during our travels.

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

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

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

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

Hank Schrader

October 15, 2020

Ocean Cruise

Our Azamara British Isle Cruise

Hank Schrader

October 15, 2020

Ocean Cruise

Our Azamara British Isle Cruise

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

It has been quite some time since I wrote a blog about ocean cruising.

There is great value in smaller cruise ships and the more I thought about it, the more I need to communicate how I believe the smaller ocean cruise ships will lead the way on cruising’s return to our oceans.

So, today, I’d like to tell you about our 14 day British Isle cruise on the Azamara Journey in 2017. When you get to see all we were able to experience, I think you might want to consider this wonderful type of cruise for your next vacation when it is safe to return to the oceans and seas of our world.

Ready?—let’s go!

Overview

We sailed on the Journey in July 2017.

The voyage started in Southampton, England. We visited Ireland, Wales and ended up in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Ship Features

This is a well-designed ship. The Journey carries 694 passengers.

There are 3 dining areas. Discoveries is the main dining room. The Deck 9 buffet restaurant is called Windows. Patio is an outdoor a la carte restaurant.

The ship also features two specialty restaurants, "Aqualina" and "Prime C".

**A beef eater’s delight—my prime rib at Prime C!**

As always, Anne took a great picture of our stateroom.

Route Overview—13 Night British Open Voyage

We boarded the Journey on 19 July 2017 at Southampton, England.

On the voyage, we visited St, Peters Point, Channel Islands, Cork (Cohb) Ireland, Holyhead, Wales, Liverpool, England, Dublin, Ireland, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Glasgow (Greencock), Scotland, Isle of Skye (Portree) Scotland, Invergordon, Scotland, and Edinburgh (Leith), Scotland.

This was a special Perry Golf cruise. Many on the cruise got to play golf in most ports and they also got to attend the final day of the British Open.

St Peter Point, Channel Islands

The Channel Islands are located in the English Channel. St. Peter Point has a population of about 18,000 folks. This is a picturesque place and has a great castle in St. Peter Point.

Here are some pictures:

Cork (Cohb) Ireland

The port of Cohb was a gateway from Ireland for many who immigrated to the United States—in fact over 17 million. It is also the final port that the Titanic stopped at prior to the tragic sinking after departing in route to the United States. We took the local train into to Cork and enjoyed this visit very much.

Here are a few pictures:

**Annie Moore Statue in Cobh. She was the first immigrant to arrive at Ellis Island. The statue includes her 2 brothers.**

**Sign explaining the Annie Moore statue.**

Liverpool, England

If you are a baby boomer like me, most grew up loving rock and roll music. As I’m writing this, I’m listening to 60’s and 70’s rock, as I do most days in the office. So, a chance to see the home of the Beatles was awesome.

**Display of the Cavern Club in the Beatles Story Exhibition**

**The famous photo from an album cover on display in the Beatles Story**

Dublin, Ireland

Returning to Dublin was a treat. The capital of Ireland never gets old. We decided to visit the Guinness Storehouse and there is nothing like a pint in the home of this world famous brew.

**One of the displays on how Guinness is brewed**

**Anne with a pint of Guinness and her camera at the Storehouse**

Belfast, Northern Ireland

We had never been to Belfast and this wonderful town did not disappoint.

**Alfred Tower Belfast, Northern Ireland**

Glasgow (Greencock), Scotland

In Glasgow, I chose to take a tour and visit Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle defends the passage between the Lowlands and the Highlands and is said to be the most strategic place in all of Scotland. After two epic medieval battles, the Battle of Sterling (1297, with forces led by Braveheart, William Wallace) and the Battle of Bannockburn (1314 with forces led by Robert the Bruce), the castle became the primary residence of the Stuart monarchs.

It is huge and an impressive castle.

**One of the many halls in Stirling Castle**

Isle of Skye (Portree) Scotland

This is a remote, wild area for the most part and a unique visit that would be quite hard to do except on a cruise ship. It is nicknamed the “Misty Isle” and has some of the best scenery in all of Scotland. The village of Portree has about 3,000 folks and is the largest settlement on the Isle of Skye—the locals say there are more sheep than people on the isle.

I took the Circular Scenic Tour and Dunvegan Castle Tour. Dunvegan castle has continuously been inhabited for 800 years (most of any Scottish castle). It is the ancestral home of the Chiefs of the Clan MacLeod.

I really liked the gardens.

Invergordon, Scotland

This is a very good look at the Scottish Highlands. Here are some pictures of Invergordon:

I took a very good tour here to Cawdor Castle and Gardens, which included a stop at the famous battle of Culloden, were the forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie of the Jacobite rebellion (a struggle to retake the British throne by the Stuarts) were defeated in 1746 by the English forces. This battle ended the power of the Scottish Highlands clans and laws enacted repressed much of the Scottish culture.

The ancestral home of the Campbell’s of Cawdor, the castle complex has been inhabited for over 600 years. Located in the Scottish Highlands, it is more a mansion than castle, despite its’ outward appearance as a defensive castle, with some awesome gardens.

Edinburgh (Leith), Scotland

Perhaps one of the more interesting areas of the British Isles, we really enjoyed our chance to return to Edinburgh.

My Final Thoughts

One of the advantages of small ship cruising on Azamara is longer stays in port, and I think you can see how exciting and educational this 13 night cruise was. It was an awesome look at the British Isles

We hope this inspires you to dream about European travel—and then take action when travel restrictions are lifted! We will be ready to help!

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.

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

Hank Schrader

March 21, 2019

Ocean Cruise, Europe River Cruise

Experience Cruising to Colorful Cities--Our Visual Guide

Hank Schrader

March 21, 2019

Ocean Cruise, Europe River Cruise

Experience Cruising to Colorful Europe Cities—Our Visual Guide

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

www.dreamdestinations.com

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

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

Ready?—let’s explore together!

Portofino, Italy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Old Town Stockholm

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

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

**Stortorget Square in Old Town Stockholm**

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

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

Positano, Italy

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

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

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

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

**The steep, colorful buildings of Positano**

Two Greek Isles—Santorini and Mykonos

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lisbon, and Pena Palace, Portugal

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

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

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

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

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

One of the colorful rooms inside Pena Palace

Invergordon, Scotland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strasbourg, France

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

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

**Christmas decorations in Strasbourg, France**

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

Riquewihr

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

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

**Christmas decorations in Riquewihr, France**

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

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

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

My Final Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

Join Our Mailing/Blog List