The Wachau Valley--An Awesome River Cruise Experience

The Wachau Valley—An Awesome River Cruise Experience

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 incredibly scenic sections of Europe Rivers that are cited by most travel writers as sites on their “must-see” experiences. 

On the Rhine River, the Middle Rhine’s 40 castle stretch is always on their lists. 

On the Danube, there are 2 sites—the Iron Gates of the Lower Danube and the tranquil Wachau Valley on the Upper Danube.

So, let’s explore together and learn about the Wachau Valley on the Danube River.

Where is the Wachau Valley?

The Wachau Valley is a 30 km (19 miles) part of the Danube River from Melk to Krems.  Monasteries, grapes and apricots, tranquil vineyards and some scattered castles make this an area of beauty, a little intrigue, and a place to slow down and enjoy some Austrian good life.

It is a UNESCO heritage site, in recognition of the agricultural history of the region and the architectural significance of unique abbeys and other buildings in the region.

It is famous for high quality wines, and apricots.  The small villages dot the countryside, and the steep hills help make this a scenic area a great place to sail through on a river cruise.

Abbeys

There are 3 main abbeys in this region.  Melk Abbey, Göttweig Abbey and the Stiftkirche in Dürnstein are stunningly beautiful.

Melk Abbey, located on a high hilltop (748 feet above the Danube River.), was built in 1702, and refurbished between 1715 and 1733.  It is a massive baroque Benedictine monastery (17,500 square meters).

The Melk Abbey complex is built around 7 courtyards and stands out due to its mustard yellow paint on the structures.  There are 88 imperial guest rooms in the abbey.  The library of the monastery has over 100,000 books and manuscripts.  There are significant art paintings and frescoes in the abbey.  The church area is stunning in its detail and glittering gold adornments.

Göttweig Abbey, another Benedictine monastery is near Krems.  It is often visited by some river cruise companies.  Painted a pale pink, with a distinctive red roof, it is known as the “Austrian Montecassino”, a reference to the original Benedictine monastery in Italy.  With towers and defensive walls it is a spectacular site

Göttweig became famous as a center of earning and strict monastic life up until the 15th and 16th centuries, but by 1564 there was not a single monk left at the abbey.

The abbey has a library of 130,000 books and manuscripts.  It also has an important collection of religious engravings, antiquities, a rare coin collection, and musical manuscripts.

The Stiftkirche in Durnstein, has what is considered by most to be the one of the finest baroque towers in all of Austria.  Resplendent in blue and white, it dominates the small village as you approach towards the docking port.  The entrance way to this abbey is quite ornate.

Castles

There are some fascinating castles on this part of the river—three castle ruins and a castle built right on the river.

Schloss Schonbuhel is built on a rock about 130 feet above the Danube River that is on the riverbanks.  It began as a defensive fortress in the 12th century.  It is nick named the “Watchman of the Wachau”.

Burguine Aggstein castle is 15 km from Melk and built about 300 feet above the riverbanks on a rocky ledge.  It dates from 1180.  It is notorious for being inhabited by “robber barons” who imprisoned rivals for ransoms (they apparently tied victims to the rocky ledges around the castle and threatened to throw their captives off the ledges to their deaths) and exacted tolls from boats sailing in the area around the castle.

In Dürnstein, the ruins of Kuenringerburg, a hilltop castle above the town where Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom during the Crusades, is often offered to guests as a hike up to the former castle site. 

The story of King Richard I dates to the 3rd Crusade dispute between Richard and Leopold the Virtuous.  During the crusade, Leopold was offended during Battle of Acre, where his standard (flag) was thrown off the walls of the city and he also suspected Richard ordering the murder of his cousin.  A huge ransom was paid for Richard’s release—35,000 kg of silver.

From the top of the hill, the views of the river and valley are glorious after a 20-minute hike up to the ruins.

Hinterhaus Castle was built in the 12th century and is first mentioned in writings in 1243.  It is near Spitz.  It has been besieged and destroyed several times—1409, 1504, 1620. 

Hinterhaus is said to be haunted by the ghost of a lady who appears annually on the date of her husband’s death.  Today tours are possible for visitors to see the remains of the castle.

Melk

Melk is the start of the Wachau Velley.  It is larger than most other towns and villages in the area and has a population of around 5,257.  It once was a walled city.  The city has an interesting city town hall square with a beautiful fountain.

Spitz and Weissenkirchen

Spitz is an attractive wine village.  It has a population of only 1,627.  The Spitz Parish church was once a fortified church and some of the defensive walls still remain.

In Weissenkirchen, population 1,291, has a fortified parish church that is surrounded by vineyards.

Dürnstein

This small village numbers only 600 residents.  A Dürnstein visit will allow you to take a closer look at its 16th-century Baroque houses and 13th-century Romanesque church on a walking tour along cobblestone streets, that you can experience on many river cruise companies’ visits to this area.

There are great chances to taste wine here and apricot products.

Krems

Krems is the center of the wine trade in this region.  One of the most important sites in this town is the Steiner Tor, a preserved city gate, dating back to the days when Krems was a walled city. 

Our Final Thoughts

You should sail through the Wachau valley and visit as many of the sights in lower Austria.

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 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

Exclusive Experiences on AmaWaterways Cruises

Exclusive Experiences on AmaWaterways Cruises

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

After 24 Europe River Cruises, we have been fortunate to participate in several experiences that are unique to AmaWaterways.  We have written about some of these in other blogs but never put together a report about the unique features that are exclusive to river cruises offered by AmaWaterways.

We have several clients who will get to experience these events in 2023 and 2024, and we want to get them and you excited about what is possible on some AmaWaterways cruises.

So, let’s explore together and learn about some of the Exclusive Experiences offered by AmaWaterways.  To organize this blog, we will present our experiences in the order we were able to participate in these unique offerings.

2009 and 2015—Zell

We experienced this small village on our Europe’s River and Castles cruises.

Zell is famous for its white wine (Riesling) Zellerschwartzkat (Zell’s black cat). 

It is a small town of about 4,300 people.  Among the sites to see here include an interesting market square, and the town hall has a wine museum.  However, it is really famous for its brand of white wine and there is an interesting story about how the wine was named.

According to legend, a large quantity of local wine was being stored in barrels in a regional cellar. When people approached, a black cat jumped on the barrel from Zell and started hissing to protect its contents.  Seeing the hissing, it caused the wine merchants to believe the wine from Zell was special and better quality than the other wines stored in the wine cellar building and they bought all the wine. 

Today the black cat is the symbol of this town.  It was a walled city but not much of the old walls remain.

AmaWaterways has an exclusive wine festival celebration in Zell.  The local children, dressed up like black cats, provide a performance that everyone who has visited Zell on AmaWaterways will remember.  I heard Kristin Karst, one of the co-owners of AmaWaterways, describe how special and unique this visit and performance is during a webinar—it instantly brought back great memories of this port stop.

AmaWaterways has a wine festival here, but the real treat is the children who visit the ship and perform songs and dances.  It is a lot of fun and you will fall in love with this unique little wine village along the Moselle River.

The festival queen leads 2 children dressed as black cats from our 2009 cruise.

These pictures are from our 2015 cruise of the kids performance.

The town water fountain features the Black Cat.

Here were some of the wines we could taste during this festival:

2017 Bourg Wine Festival

Another AmaWaterways exclusive is a wine festival in Bourg.  We got to experience this on our 2017 cruise called A Taste of Bordeaux. 

Bourg is pleasant and picturesque small town perched on the banks of the Dordogne River.

This area produces excellent red French wine including merlot, malbec, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.

The wine festival was held at the House of Wines.  It was a lot of fun and we had a small band in period clothing to help us celebrate.

A view out of the back portion of the building towards the river at sunset.

2019 Lahneck Castle Tour

On the Enchanting Rhine, the Treasures of the Main & Rhine and other routes, there is an exclusive Lahneck Castle tour.

This is a great castle to tour, as it combines medieval fortifications, and great interiors.  It was built in 1244 and destroyed in the Thirty Years War (1633).  In 1852, it was rebuilt and fully restored in 1937.

It is a very interesting and pretty residential castle. 

The stained-glass windows of the chapel date to the 1400s. 

The stunning chapel room.

There is even a portrait of Queen Victoria, painted in 1840.

A portrait of Queen Victoria

It is full of fine furniture, porcelain, ceramics, a 15th century kitchen complex and a fully furnished 3-story doll house.

The old kitchen area.

The doll house

2021 Nefertari’s Tomb

We got to experience this ancient Egyptian tomb on the Secrets of Egypt and the Nile cruise in December 2021.

The tour starts in the Valley of the Queens. We started day 5 of our cruise in the Valley of the Queens to view Queen Nefertari’s Tomb.  Nefertari was the wife of Ramses III and his favorite wife.  He made her a deity during his reign; she lived an elegant life; and expected an elegant life in the afterlife. 

You are limited to only 15 minutes during your visit (the tomb can’t hold more than a limited number of tourists), and the Egyptologist guide is not allowed inside with their escorted group (they explained to us the questions that guests have often caused the group to stay beyond their allotted time). The Egyptologist encouraged us to take photos and he would answer our questions after we left the tomb to explain what the paintings symbolized.

After descending some very steep stairs, a wonderland of color and detail emerges—it was almost overwhelming—you will see the queen’s life journey symbolized by her interactions with the gods of that era.

Flash photos are not allowed and many sites in the tombs only allow cell phone pictures.  The policy is unevenly enforced and often even if you pay a fee to use a 35 mm camera, the officials at the entrance to the site may deny permission to take photos with larger cameras.

Nothing remains in the tomb but the wall paintings.  No other Egyptian tomb has this quality of preserved art works on the walls of the tombs in either the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings.  They are stunning; detailed; and the best-preserved wall paintings of the various tombs we visited—we could really see and understand Nefertiti’s journey to the afterlife.

Here are the pictures of Queen Nefertari’s Tomb. The paintings on the tomb depict her journey to the afterlife and her life in Egypt during her reign as queen.

The valley of the Queens desert burial area

Sign outside the tomb entrance

The steep stairs leading to her burial chamber

Nefertari before Thoth (god of the moon, wisdom, and knowledge) in the upper annex room

Nefertari making an offering to Ptah (on the right). Ptah is the creator god and the patron diety of craftsmen and architects.

Nefertari (on the right) making offerings to the gods.

This painting shows Ra, the sun god with the red circle over his head

2022 VolKach Wine Festival

This exclusive experience is part of the Medieval Treasures cruise we took in 2022.  We attended a wonderful wine event in Volkach, Germany.

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 and square where the festival took place

This was the singing and dancing group that entertained us

The town band

4 lovely ladies enjoying the festival

Silvaner wine is grown in this region

The watch tower of Volkach

2023--2 Great Experiences on the AmaMagna

Wine Festival in Spitz

 Spitz is a small village in the Wachau Valley. In an old monestary that has been converted to a wine cellar and restaurant, there is a lively wine tasting, complete with traditional music and some good white wines.

It is another fun celebration and an excellent glimpse of the culture of Austria.

Here are some photos of the event:

The outside of the winery and restaurant

The impressive entranceway

An outdoor patio area

Our hostess explaining the wine we are about to taste

Our host playing and singing for us

One of the best wines grown in the region—Gruner Veltliner

Our host singing and leading us in toasts in German

Octoberfest in Vilshofen, Germany

Another great exclusive on AmaWaterways is Octoberfest in Vilshofen.  Instead of just limiting the celebration to Munich during the last weeks of September and early October, the local populace of Vilshofen decided to greet guests who want to start their cruise in their small town with an Octoberfest celebration.

There are several benefits of starting a cruise in Vilshofen—the primary benefit is that it avoids a low water point on the Danube in Regensburg, so many cruises will not be disrupted by the lack of rain.

So, here is our experience in pictures from March of 2023 in pictures.

The band is playing for us

Anne with the festival queen dressed in traditional clothing

Prost! Anne, Cesario (our cruise manager) and Hank with good beer

Each of the tables had pretzels and we were served beer

A rainbow over an Amawaterways ship

Anne and Hank in front of the AmaMagna after the Oktoberfest party.

Our Final Thoughts

We all crave exclusive experiences.  As you can see, there are multiple opportunities to participate in curated tours that will exceed your expectations.

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 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

Armed Forces Day 2023

Armed Forces Day 2023

American Cemetery Omaha Beach Photo June 6 2014

This is a departure from our usual blog about travel to help recognize the contribution of our Armed Forces to our Nation.

As many of you know, I served for 20 years as an Infantry officer and was proud to help defend our country.

So, I thought I would provide you some facts about today’s military in my humble salute to the men and women who defend our country and perhaps help you remember the service and sacrifice of those who defend our freedom.

It is probably best to start by explaining the major military recognition celebrations in America and then concentrate on the Armed Forces Day.

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

Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the 3rd Saturday of May, as part of Armed Forces week.  It honors the Army, the Air Force, the new Space Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard.

The first 5 service branches are organized under the Department of Defense, while the Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security.  There are more than 1.4 million on active service and more than 1.1 million national guard and reservists. 

In 1949, Armed Forces Day was first established when the Army, Navy and Air Force were organized under the Department of Defense, instead of each service just marking their own individual recognition day.  The Marines did not come under this initial new holiday, and keep their separate celebration.  They later joined in.  In 1961, Armed Forces Day became a National Holiday. 

Each year Armed Forces Day has a unique theme—some past themes are Dedication and Duty, Freedom and Patriotism. 

Some Interesting Facts About our Armed Forces

The Department of Defense (DOD) is the largest employer in the US—there are about 1.4 million on active duty, 1.1 million serving in National guard and Reserve units and 700,00 civilians working in the DOD.

Here are the numbers of active duty—Army over 482,000; Navy over 343,000; Air Force over 328,000; Marine Corps over 179,000; Coast Guard over 44,000 and Space Force over 1,600.

Here are the numbers of reserve forces—Army National Guard over 337,000; Army Reserve over 184,000; Air National Guard over 108,000, Air Force Reserve over 70,000, Navy Reserve over 57,000, Marine Corp Reserve over 35,000 and about 7,000 in the Coast Guard Reserve..

31 of 44 Presidents served in the Military—30 were officers (James Buchanan was enlisted) and Teddy Roosevelt earned the Medal of Honor for action in the Spanish-American War.

Within 48 hours, the US Military is capable to reach any place on earth to provide disaster relief and international aid.

Only 28% of American aged 17-23 are eligible to serve in the military.

Many do not realize how few folks served in our military compared to the overall population--.4 percent (1,4 million are currently serving)

Our military is more educated than the general population.  99% of the military have successfully completed their high school education, while only 60% of the general population of the US have a high school diploma.

In many ways, the military has been leaders in our country by desegregating before other public institutions and opening full opportunities to women. 

My Final Thoughts

Words do not adequately honor those who served, suffered, died, were wounded and sometimes disabled—they are for the most part the best our society has among its citizens. 

They learned to work for a common goal, perform their assigned mission despite harsh conditions, sometimes under hostile fire and responded when no other organization could or would.

They are often deployed for long periods of time, away from their families, who support them during their long hours and often absences.  We must also remember their families who support their soldiers, sailors, and airmen.

Please just remember them—maybe attend a parade, display your flag, visit a cemetery, thank a member, or just think about a service member. 

Let’s be sure their bravery, strength and sacrifice do not go unnoticed—we owe a debt of gratitude to them and their families to help keep us safe.

Thanks for reading!

Henry Carl “Hank” Schrader, Jr Major (Infantry) Retired

Siena, Italy

Siena, Italy

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Siena is one of the hill top villages in Tuscany. It is in the northern part of Italy.

It was a rival of Florence during the Middle Ages but lost the battle of economic and political superiority, even though at one time the population was over 60,000, until the black death killed off over 1/3 of the population.

As often happens in well preserved medival towns, a historical event changed its course of history. In this case, it was later conquered by Florence in 1550 and became a much smaller player in Italy political and economic life.

Many think Siena is the best preserved medieval city in Italy. This town is built on three hills; has winding lanes and dramatic up and down small roads that require strong legs to walk; and is charming beyond belief!

So, let’s explore together this interesting city and learn about Siena.

Dramatic Veiws of Siena

It is amazing how jumbled yet dramatic this hill town is—it has amazing views, up and down hills with twisted paths and narrow roads.

This is one of the most relaxing places we have ever visited. There are 3 important sites which require about half a day to see and then experience dolce vida—the good life.

Here are some pictures:

Siena’s Main Square—the first key site.

The main square is pedestrian only. The city hall and its 330 foot tower that dominate the square. The tower is atop a chapel that today is only used to bless the horse racers of the Palio horse race.

The tower’s name is the Torre del Magnia on the Public Palace. The Public Palace still houses the municipal offices that are used today to govern Siena.

The Palio horse races are scheduled annually on 2 July and 16 August.

The Palio Horse Race

The Palio horse race is a contest between 17 different neighborhoods, complete with mascots and unique colors to identify the contestants, but only 10 get to compete in the actually race—they are drawn by lot. The seven losing neighborhoods are automatically in the next race, so in any given year all 17 get to complete (remember there are 2 races each year) but the lucky neighborhoods may get 2 chances in a given year.

The neighborhoods are called contrade, and the race winner gets a palio, or painted flag with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The race consists of three laps around the square and the jockey does not have to be on the horse to win—a riderless horse can win the race.

The race has been held since 1665.

This may be the most unusual horse race in the world where conspiracy and bribery are not only common, they are in couraged so long as a disliked rival doesn’t win. Rivalry is fierce—think about college or pro football competitions.

Here are the 17 different flags of the neighborhoods. This vendor sells the small flags for 8€, the big ones for 10 €.

It is quite common for businesses to display the 17 neighborhoods as we can see from this picture.

Although the first Palio is not until 2 July, it is commonplace to see practices like these two young men with their flags working out the routines. They are the Eagle Contrade.

Another interesting feature of the square is the Gaia Fountain.

Gaia in Italian means joyous and it got its name from the joy it brought the residents of Siena when it was completed in 1342.

The panels on the outside of the fountain were added in 1419.

They have been removed to protect them and the carvings are replicas.

The scene on the panels are from the Book of Genesis.

The wolfs in front of the panel represent the she wolf of Rome.

The City Hall and the Civic Museum

This is the chapel of the building. It was built as thanksgiving for deliverance from the plague.

The first floor area is constructed in stone, and the upper floors are made with red brick.

The she wolf symbol has an interesting legend about this symbol displayed in most important sites in the city. It is said that the city was founded by Senius and Aschius, two sons of Remus (one of the founders of Rome), making them the nephews of Romulus. They fled Rome after the murder of Remus by Romulus and they took the she-wolf with them to Siena.

The round symbol in this picture is the a christogram in the symbol of St. Bernardino. This symbol was placed on the palace in gratitude for his sermons to the citizens of Siena.

Siena’s Cathedral Area—the second key site.

The Cathedral is constructed of black and white marble. It was constructed between 1216 and 1263 according to Wikipedia.

The alternating black and white stripes are the symbol of Siena.

The upper facade mosaic is the coronation of Mary (triangle at the top).

Directly below the top mosaic is a large rose window. This photo shows these features very well.

There are 3 entrances to the cathedral. The central entrance is a bronze door.

The Duomo tower is the exact height of the tower on the Palace. One reason behind this symbolism is that the church and the secular world are equal.

The detail on the church is stunning. Many statues of saints are on the facade of the church. Please note the symbol of the she-wolf on the right column in this photo.

The marble floors and interior are magnificent but we didn’t get a chance to visit.

Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico

This is the third important site of Siena.

It is dedicated to Saint Cateriniana, a peasant girl, who had visions starting at age 5.

She wrote over 400 letters to the Papal leaders urging the church to unite from the French and Italian Pope disputes.

She is credited for helping to unite the church during this conflict.

Here is a picture of her church:

City Gates

Once a walled city, there are several city gates here. The city walls are over 1000 years old.

Great Food and Wine in Siena

Eating in Italy is an art—it is so important to the culture of this country. It is a slow experience, full of wonderful tastes, and often becomes the evening entertainment along with the food.

Italian meals are usually 4 or 5 courses.

They are several meal combinations, such as Antipasti, Primi, secondi, Contorni, insalata, fromaggi, dolce, and cafe.

The primi and secondi are usually hot courses and the primi often is a pasta choice, while the secondi is a meat or fish course. Depending on the food choice you may select contorni (side dishes) or maybe the meal will have a insalata, sometimes served with the meal or as a separate course.

The meal ends with fromaggi (cheese) or fruit and for most dolci (dessert).

A proper meal ends with cafe (coffee).

Here are 3 great meals we ate at Bagoga—it was full of locals and some tourists.

First, let’s start with the owner Papa, who has ridden in the Palio and makes you so welcome. He loves his guests and treats them in the best spirits of hospitality. Here I am with him:

A great primi—tagliolini con pancetta-carbonara (for me)!

Anne had tortino caldo di fromaggio (warm cheese pie with a walnut cream sauce)— she loved it!

Our secondi was pork filets covered with a delicious thin slice of lard for Anne ( she raved about the distinctive flavors —see the first picture below) and steak in pepper sauce for me (second photo).

Our third meal at Bagoga was on a Sunday afternoon. It was a great experience—Fiorentina T-Bone Steak!

The best way to start—a special wine from Papa’s vineyard. It was expertly decanted by David our waiter.

These steaks are huge (about 2.2 lbs) and traditionally cooked rare. It is so good and tender, it melts in your mouth. These 2 pictures don’t do it justice!

A Great Wine Tasting Experience

Right across from our wonderful bed and breakfast small hotel was a fabulous wine store. The owner, Fredricco, provided us an amazing wine tasting from the Tuscany region.

He was funny, and explained what made the small batched local wines special.

Here he is bringing down the 3 bottles we were going to try.

He was an excellent host and made this a fun experience.

Here is the 3 wines we tasted.

Fredricco makes his own olive oil. We got to sample some before our wine tasting.

He had an old grape press in the corner of his wine cellar cave that was carved out in the Middle ages.

I got a new appreciation for Chianti Classico.

Our Final Thoughts

Wow—what a report!  Siena is a place to go to relax—slow down and enjoy life.

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

We hope you enjoyed this report.

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

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

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

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

Monaco

Monaco

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

There are 5 Little Treasures in Europe—countries so small they sometimes are easy to miss. We call them Little Treasures.

Monaco is one of those countries.

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

Overview

Monaco is the second smallest country in the world.  It is officially called the Principality of Monaco and their official language is French.  It is among the wealthiest places on earth and known for glitz, glamor, intrigue thanks to James Bond films and a Formula One race in the streets of Monaco.

It is also known as a tax haven, there are no income taxes, and it is reported that over 30% of its residents are millionaires.  The government is a constitutional monarchy, but the prince wields immense power which is accepted by the populace.

One last fun fact—land and buildings are so scarce that one square foot in a building will sell for more than 100,000 Euros.

A visit to the key spots of its tourist industry and gambling industry (the most important parts of their economy) will help you understand this small, wonderful country and help you decide if it lives up to the hype as one of the most glamorous places on earth.

Key Spots to See in Monaco

Belle Epoch Monte Carlo Casino—built in 1878; the casino is the world’s largest and one of the most elegant European Casinos.  Admission charged to gaming salons, coat and tie required except for the casual American Room.  On the same square is the elegant Opera House. 

Monaco-Ville Palace—is the home to the Grimaldi family, the oldest ruling house in Europe.  The changing of the guard at the palace takes place daily at 1155 AM. 

The palace is a fortress built on the Rock of Monaco—here is a picture:

According to the legend, one of the Grimaldi family captured the palace disguised as a monk and let his soldiers inside the fortress—here is the statue of that event and another outside statue:

Visitors can tour the state apartments and throne room during the tour. They provide an audio box that explains facts about the rooms.

Among the rooms available to visit include the Hercule Gallery (has some impressive frescoes),

the Blue Room which is used for state functions,

the wood-panned Mazarin Room,

and the Throne Room.

Here is some more pictures of the palace:

  It is open from April 2 to October 31.  Admission charge.  Website: www.palais.mc/en/index.html.

Monaco-Ville Cathedral--Built with the stark white stones from La Turbie in 1875, this Roman-Byzantine-style building houses the burial places of past sovereigns, including Prince Rainier and Princess Grace.  Free Admission.

Monaco-Ville Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium—founded by Prince Albert I, this museum is a testament to the importance of the sea to Monaco.  

There are 3 Aquariums: the Tropical Aquarium, the Mediterranean Aquarium and the sea turtle aquarium.

We especially liked the Sea Turtle Exhibit.

There is a rooftop terrace restaurant which has great views of the coastline. 

Right next to the Aquarium is the Jardins Saint-Martin. We walked down through this garden off the Rock of Monaco.

Admission charge for the Aquarium .(www.oceano.mc)  

Monaco-Ville Jardin Exotique--This extraordinary garden, bringing together several million species of plants known as succulents, was opened in 1933.  It was boldly planted on the rocky mountainside where it blooms superbly; it has today become the object of worldwide admiration.  Admission charge.  Website: www.jardin-exotique.mc/en

Princess Grace Rose Garden—Opened in 1984, this garden is a tribute to Princess Grace. 

It has over 6,000 rose bushes and there are about 315 different varieties. 

Anne was really impressed by the size and color of the roses.

Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco—this is a collection of the over 100 vintage cars owned by the Prince of Monaco.  The collection includes famous automobiles such as Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Maserati.

The Monaco Harbor—this is a spectacular port that has some of the best yachts in the world.  It has berthing space for over 500 ships.

The first two pictures are of Port Hurcle, the largest port and an amazing collection of huge yatchs.

The next picture is the port of Fontviella.

This is the view from our room at the Port de Cap D’Ail.

Jardin Japonais—this garden is designed in the Zen style.  It uses water, bamboo hedges, stones and Mediterranean tress sculpted in Japanese style.  The park has a waterfall, a koi fishpond with water lilies and a Japanese Tea House.  The park also uses Japanese lanterns and traditional bridges to complete this excellent garden park.

I was surprised at how small this garden is.

Monaco is famous for helicopters transfers and even has a circus each year.

Some last photos—the helipad with a helicopter and two elephants in tribute to the circus.

Getting Around Monaco

The best way to get around Monaco is by bus (www.cam.mc ). You can buy bus cards, which cost 2€ per ride, directly on the bus. Bus stops are set up every few blocks on the main streets in town and buses are scheduled every 5 to 10 minutes. Buses go to all the major tourist sites; just look at the front of the bus to see the destination.  There is an excellent tourist map that marks the lines by colors.

There is also a Hop-on-Hop Off bus (it is a big red bus you have probably seen in other places) that makes 12 stops. I took it and realized how spread out Monaco is with windy roads, lots of hills and tunnels—trust me the bus is your best option as taxis are few and far between and cost a flat rate of 25€.

Our Final Thoughts

Wow—what an interesting place—you should visit.  Let Monaco transports you into a rarify world of money and glamor.

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

Regensburg, Germany

Regensburg, Germany

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

One of Bavaria’s excellent cities is Regensburg.  It has nearly 1000 historic buildings in the old town area and did not suffer much damage during WW II.

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

First Came the Romans

In 179 AD, the Romans established a settlement on the Regen river, a small river that runs into the Danube River.  They stationed a legion (about 6000 soldiers) in the new town to help secure the northern border of their empire to protect from the hostile Germans.

They called the settlement “Castra Regina”—when translated into German, the town later became to be called Regensburg.  The Romans remained for about 300 years and abandoned the settlement, leaving behind their stone fortress intact.  This enormous stone walls attracted the Germans who settled here after the Romans left.  You can still see parts of the old walls in parts of the old town.

Regensburg Becomes the First Capitol of Bavaria

Charlemagne added Regensburg into his Frankish Empire in 788.  It was now an important town and benefited from favorable treatment in the empire.  Regensburg grew, trade flourished, and the upper-class wealthy built large town houses and the first stone bridge in Germany.

The economy collapsed with the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Turks, as eastern goods that came up the Danube River were no longer available.  Going from wealthy to poor very quickly is one reason so many of the medieval structures remain in the present-day city.

The Imperial Diet Era

Regensburg regained a little of its luster by becoming the permanent meeting place of the Imperial Diet.  This organization is a little hard to understand since they were not a legislature but acted like a central forum to advise and negotiate policies as part of the Holy Roman Empire.  Regardless, they were very important figures in society and there was no authority above them except the Holy Roman Emperor.  They were led by Emperor’s envoy, the Prince von Thurn und Taxis.

The Imperial Diet ended during the Napoleonic era and Regensburg became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria.

The Modern Era

As Germany expanded and became unified in 1870, the history of Regensburg is very similar to all of Germany—rail lines and major roadways were established, the town suffered from the two world wars.

The town has rebounded by the establishment of the Siemens plant and a BMW plant.  It became a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 2006.  It is also a favorite port stop for many river cruise ships.

The Stone Bridge

Built between 1135 and 1146, the stone bridge is an impressive site.  It is about 310 meters long, has 15 arches and is the oldest medieval stone bridge in Germany. 

The Brucktor (Bridge Gate) guards the southern bank of the Danube and the entrance to the old town.

The knights and soldiers of the 2nd and 3rd crusades used the stone bridge to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land.

Historische Wurstkitche (Historic Sausage Kitchen)

It is said this kitchen fed the laborers who built the stone bridge, but no one really knows for sure.  Legend says it is oldest continuous restaurant in Germany.  We sampled the grilled sausages, and sauerkraut (Anne’s favorite, I never liked it) several times.

Goliathhaus

One building that is not really that impressive a structure is Goliathhaus built in the 13th century. The building was the home of a wealthy merchant.  It is the outside painting place on the structure somewhere around 1570-1580 that piques interest of visitors today.

Not the best picture, but you can see the painting in the background

St, Peter’s Cathedral

At 90 meters long, nearly 35 meters wide and 30 meters tall, the cathedral is the most impressive structure in Regensburg.  Its spires are 105 meters high and is considered the purest example of a Gothic style in all of Bavaria.  Construction began on the cathedral in 1273 and took over 250 years to almost complete, as the funds ran out to finish the structure.

It has a quite intricate façade and is quite interesting to study without going into the church.  However, do go inside to see the sculpted Angel of Regensburg created in 1200s.  The Dom has its own museum.

Porta Praetoria

The remains of this gate of a side tower of the once huge fort date back to 197 AD.  The only comparable building in Germany is the Porta Negra in Trier.

Patrician Towers and Towers

There were once as many as 60 towers in Regensburg but today about 20 remain.  These were built by the big merchants and businessmen—the idea was to show how important you were—the higher the tower, the more important you were.  The towers were used as a residence, to store goods and for defense purposes.

The highest tower in Regensburg—the Golden Tower in Wablenstrasse

The Old Town Hall

This is the Gothic-era old town complex.  The town hall can be toured—on the inside is the Reichssaal (the Imperial Hall) that was used for 4 centuries (started in the 1400s) to hold meetings of the Parliament of the Holy Roman Empire (the Diet).

The Palace of the Princes of Thurn and Taxis

Located on the outskirts of town, this castle has a great Christmas market.  The castle can also be toured during the day.

Der Hutmacher Am Dom HutKoeing

The World-Famous Hat King Store—Anne owns several hats from here.

Some Good German Food

Our Final Thoughts

Regensburg is a fun city.  It is historic, has great Christmas Markets, winding alleys, and Anne’s favorite hat shop.  Combined with good German food, what more does a person need to enjoy life? 

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 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

Octoberfest in Vilshofen

Octoberfest in Vilshofen

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

When you are traveling on AmaWaterways cruises that start in Vilshofen, Germany, your cruise will begin or end with an Octoberfest celebration.  This Bavarian town helps you celebrate one Germany’s best parties—Octoberfest.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Octoberfest on the Danube as an exclusive feature of an AmaWaterways Cruise.

What is Octoberfest?

Octoberfest originated as a celebration of the royal marriage of a Bavarian Prince in 1810 in Munich.  It was a 5-day celebration.  In subsequent years, the party was continued in Munich and slowly turned into a festival where the beer breweries erect temporary structures that feature long tables with plentiful beer served and traditional German food specialties.

It has evolved into one of the world’s best parties--there is plenty of food and especially beer served to all (one source I read says over 2 million gallons of beer is consumed in the 2-week period).  In Munich, there are parades, beer wagons and many dressed in the tradition folk clothes of the past and present day Germany.  Recent numbers say over 6 million attend these celebrations and a large number are tourists.

One reason, in my mind this festival is so popular is that it represents the feeling of Bavarian sense of gemütlichkeit—cordiality.  We want to share with a warm welcome to Germany and AmaWaterways on the the Danube and we’ll celebrate together in Vilshofen.

Octoberfest is celebrated in all parts of Germany—Anne took these photos in 1989 in Garmish. We were very welcome to that celebration and I think you can see how fun these events are for all.

Lowenbrau Beer Wagon 1989 Garmish

The beer wagon loaded for the Octoberfest in Garmish

This mother allowed Anne to take the picture of her son—he was quite shy but ready to celebrate.

Octoberfest in Vilshofen

Instead of just limiting the celebration to Munich, the local populace of Vilshofen decided to greet guests who want to start their cruise in their small town with an Octoberfest celebration.

There are several benefits of starting a cruise in Vilshofen—the primary benefit is that it avoids a low water point on the Danube in Regensburg, so many cruises will not be disrupted by the lack of rain.

So, here is our experience in pictures from March of 2023 in pictures.

Anne, Cesario (our cruise manager) and Hank celebrate Octoberfest in in Vilshofen.

After a brief rain shower, this amazing rainbow covered the Danube over the AmaViola in port in Vilshofen,

Just what you would expect in an Octoberfest—beer steins and pretzels .

Anne with the Beer Queen at the festival

the band played for us.

on the way to our Octoberfest celebration, this intense rainbow fascinated us.

Vilshofen sculture—in the background you can see the city watchtower

Vilshofen

The Vilshofen dock

Our Final Thoughts

Wow—Octoberfest in March.  This is a win-win for all—an AmaWaterways exclusive that involves the locals, is sustainable, and captures the spirit year-round of the famous Munich celebration.

We hope you enjoyed this report—it was fun to write, and share—Prost!.

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 Al Fresco Restaurant on the AmaMagna

The Al Fresco Restaurant on the AmaMagna

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Our recent trip on the AmaMagna was an amazing experience.

There are 4 restaurants on this double wide ship, and we ate at 3 of them—we missed the Chef’s Table but have eaten in this wonderful venue numerous times on other AmaWaterways ships, so we didn’t take advantage of this option on our cruise.

Perhaps our biggest surprise was the flexibility and food offered at the Al Fresco Restaurant.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Al Fresco Restaurant on the AmaMagna.

Overview

The al Fresco Restaurant is located on the Deck 3 of the AmaMagna.  It is a really impressive small restaurant, with floor-to ceiling windows.  The concept here is a paried down menu, a little lighter than the main dining room.  It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  For dinner you need reservations.  Here are some pictures of this cool venue.

Great views—we are docked in Budapest

A front view of the AmaMagna—the Al Fresco Restaurant is on the 3rd Deck just below the pilot’s control room

Breakfast

The menu is a little reduced, but you can actually order offerings from the main dining room if it is open during your visit to this restaurant.

I came for the Late Risers Brunch. It was a very good option for me.

Lunch

You will probably notice this much lighter fare and reduced offering during lunch.

A typical menu for a light lunch

This is the light lunch option.

Lunch is not restricted by the light option. They usually have a pizza available. You can also order the selections in the main lunch dining room.

the pizza was very good

A wonderful brat

One of my favorites—beef stroganoff

Dinner

Reservations are necessary to eat a night due to the limited space.

This was our menu

The beef was tender and delicious!

After Hours

Sometimes, there are night excursions, especially after the Vienna classical music concert.  But never fear, AmaWaterways offers a midnight type, tasty snack.

Alex is ready to serve us beef goulash—it was excellent!

We are posing with Anna—the maitre’d of the Al Fresco Restaurant

Our Final Thoughts

We really enjoyed the flexibility of the restaurant, and the food was excellent.  I think you can see how this restaurant could capture your taste buds.

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 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

River Cruise Dinners on 3 Riverships in 2023

River Cruise Dinners on 3 Riverships

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

This is a report of our experiences having lunch on 3 different riverships during the ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) River Cruise Expo in Budapest in March of 2023.

This is our 24th Europe River Cruise.  We have just returned back from the Danube and it is wonderful as always.  River cruising just never gets old, each day and season is different.

We had a rare opportunity to report on dinners from 3 different lines—AmaWaterways, Riverside and Scenic Cruises.

So, let’s explore together and learn about these meals on 3 different river cruise lines.

Overview

The design of the River Cruise Expo was to visit the ships to see their staterooms and on-board facilities, and to have a chance to eat either lunch or dinner on the different line that participated in the event.  We got to eat lunch on AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, and Viking River Cruises.  We got the chance to savor the cuisine offered for dinner on AmaWaterways, Riverside Cruises and Scenic Cruises.

To try to be as fair as possible, we decided only meals served during the ASTA River Cruise Expo could be compared and when possible, select an entre that was the same. Since almost everyone in the industry offers a steak, we used that as a good comparison point. Even though we sailed on the AmaMagna, after the Expo, we felt the AmaMagna had a little of an unfair advantage with its 4 restaurants, so the Expo meal we chose was on the AmaVerde.

I just couldn’t resist a couple of teaser pictures about our sailing on the AmaMagna and how lovely Anne looks in her drindl—the traditional dress worn in the German-speaking areras of the Alps. Enjoy!

Here is our report about these culinary experiences.  We will first show you the exact menu we were provided and then pictures and descriptions of each dish served to us.

AmaWaterways

Since we have sailed so many times on Ama, it would be easy to be a little biased, but I think the typical offerings will provide you with a clear picture why almost every serious travel writer and industry experts rate the food on AmaWaterways as the best.

Even the best laid plans sometimes go awry—I forgot to take a picture of the menu.

2 excellent wines for us to choose for our meal

Anne’s Caesars Salad

Beef Capriccio—excellent!

An excellent corn soup—AmaWaterways just seems to have the best soups on the river consistantly.

A stuffed chicken breast main course—I liked it very much!

Anne’s steak—the winner of the 3 we tried on each ship.

A serving of fries—most lines use these type of baskets to serve their fries.

My ice cream sundae

Riverside

We had dinner on the Riverside Mozart.

According to an interview I read in Travel Weekly, Gregor Gerlach, the co-owner of Riverside Luxury Cruises, said “Food is the most important thing for us…Riverside aims to provide the best cuisine and wine cellar on the water and will place an emphasis on freshness and quailty of all ingredients onboard.”

While this was a good meal, they certainly have some work to do—some agents said their food was cold and service slow. To be fair, they are just restarting, so I expect things to improve.

Anne ready for our meal on the Riverside Mozart

page one of the menu

Page 2 of the menu

Our 2 wines selected for our dinner

Donny was our waiter—he had sailed previously with Crystal who has been very successful bring back their ols crew.

The shrimp coxktail was my favorite dish—it had a fresh shrimp paired with smaller shrimps and pineapple mixture,

i had a small pasta dish it was very good.

Anne’s Steak. It was vey tough and disappointing.

the cheese plate—very nice slection

My perfitiros

The cooper designed wine display for the meals

A protriat at the entrance of the dining room

Scenic Cruises

We ate on the Scenic Jasper and the quality of the meal was very similar to our experiences sailing on the Scenic Opal in 2015.

Scenic has consistently good food.

The menu for our meal

Page 2 of the menu

page 1 of the wine menu

page 2 of the wine menu

The 2 featured wines for our meal

Gruner Veltliner is an Austrian White Wine—it is excellent!

Forest Mushroom Essence—a puff pastry dish—very tasty

My chicken breast—it was good

Anne’s steak—very good

Dessert—chocolate fondant

Our Final Thoughts.

This was a fun and eye-opening experience.  In our previous comparisons reports, we have voiced our opinions about the differences of the on-board food and our previous reporting is very, very accurate.  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

River Cruise Lunches on 3 Riverships in 2023

River Cruise Lunches on 3 Riverships

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

This is a report of our experiences having lunch on 3 different riverships during the ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) River Cruise Expo in Budapest in March of 2023.

This is our 24th Europe River Cruise.  We are back on the Danube currently, and it is wonderful as always.  River cruising just never gets old, each day and season is different.

We had a rare opportunity to report on lunches from 3 different lines—AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways and Viking River Cruises.

So, let’s explore together and learn about lunches on 3 different river cruise lines.

Overview

The design of the River Cruise Expo was to visit the ships to see their staterooms and on-board facilities, and to have a chance to eat either lunch or dinner on the different line that participated in the event.  We got to eat lunch on AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, and Viking River Cruises.  We also got the chance to savor the cuisine offered for dinner on AmaWaterways, Riverside Cruises and Scenic Cruises.

Here is our report about these culinary experiences.  We will first show you the exact menu we were provided and then pictures and descriptions of each dish served to us.

AmaWaterways

Since we have sailed so many times on Ama, it would be easy to be a little biased, but I think the typical offerings will provide you with a clear picture why almost every serious travel writer and industry experts rate the food on AmaWaterways as the best.

The dining room on the AmaMagna

Another picture of the dining room on the AmaMagna

The lunch menu. This typical of ever day for lunch. It is far more extensive that most other river cruise lines. It is a four course meal or you can have a sandwich if you desire less food.

Here is the appetizer for this lunch. We had Buffalo Chicken wings/Olive Spread/Potatoe Cakes/Artichoke Salad

There were 2 soup choices. I decided on the Chicken Consommé. My other choice was Creamy Cauliflower Soup. Anne and I find that AmaWaterways has exce;llent soups.

The main course was a good selection. We could have had a Sandwich of the Day wich was a Tuna Melt. We also could have chosen Bouillabasisse a la Chef or Egg Plant Curry.

Te next course was from the Front Cooking Station. This is the Tandoori Chicken Curry. I could have selected theThai Shrimp Curry.

Anne really liked the Bread and Butter Pudding

I chose the Ice Cream Sunday

AmaWaterways pairs the wines to the meals but you can always request any of their 14 different wines.

I really enjoyed this red.

wine is unlimited during meals.

Avalon Waterways

We had a good lunch on the Avalon Envision.

At the entrance to the main dining room, this is the wine display.

This is how the main dining room is set up for lunch

Avalon does not have an extensive printed lunch menu. The printed lunch menu is to order from the menu with the wait staff. Most guests will visit the buffet.

Here is the lunch menu. As with all lines, they also offer their menu on line to save on paper waste.

Here is a picture of buffet area.

The sausage front cooking station had excellent sausages. which we both enjoyed

sides

Salad pfferings

This was the desert buffet.

the sausage was excellent but I did not care for the pasta.

This is their veggie burger

This is the hamburger which you can order every day at lunch.

My dessert cake.

Viking River Cruise

We ate lunch on the Viking Vali, and it also good.

This is a picture of the main dining room.

Another picture of the dining room

Here is the lunch menu. On this day, we had one choice for soup, 4 choices for a main course and 2 choices for dessert.

At the front cooking station, the chef prepared spaghetti a aa Carbonera. While this was good, I prefer a little less creamy sauce.

Another picture of the front cooking station

The red wine we had

This was the white wine

the corn soup

Our salad

Dessert

My coffee after lunch

You can also dine here

The outside uncovered area

The dinner menu

Our Final Thoughts.

This was a fun and eye-opening experience.  In our previous comparisons reports, we have voiced our opinions about the differences of the on-board food and our previous reporting is very, very accurate.  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 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

St. Patrick's Day 2023

St. Patrick’s Day 2022

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

The 17th of March is celebrated as St. Patrick’s Day.

We are in Budapest for a River Cruise Expo one day before the big event—according to Wikipedia, St. Patrick’s Day is the most celebrated festival in the world.

So, let’s explore together and learn about St. Patrick’s Day.

Some Facts About St. Patrick’s Day

Gnomes decorating our home for St. Patrick’s Day 2023.

The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade was in the US, not Ireland.

The are no female leprechauns.

St. Patrick was born in England, not Ireland.

Lagend has it he used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity—the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

The Chicago River is turned Green for about 5 hours on St. Patrick’s Day.  In 1993, I actually marched in my first St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago as a member of the staff of St. John’s Military Academy (a private boarding school for boys—I was the athletic director and head football coach.).

St. Patrick’s Day for the Schrader’s

Our Best Adventure has to be Marching in a Parade in Sligo, Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day

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

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

Our Final Thoughts

Happy St. Patrick’s Day—may the luck of the Irish be with you for the rest of your lives!

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

Better Than an AmaWaterways Brochure

Better Than an AmaWaterways Brochure

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Perhaps you would wonder why we think we have a resource better than an AmaWaterways brochure or even their route descriptions online.  The reason is really very simple—we have decided to provide you a comprehensive day-to-day itinerary of every route offered by AmaWaterways in Europe with our pictures of the port stops.

To say the least, this has been a huge undertaking but it really is necessary to provide you the best possible, current information on the routes offer by our favorite river cruise company.  While it is not totally complete, we have finished 24 of the routes and all the rest are in draft form, so in a couple of weeks or so, this will be completely finished.

These guides are a report of our 23 Europe River Cruises with AmaWaterways and experiences of traveling to Europe for 51+ years.  By my count, there are 31 different routes offered in 2023 in Europe by AmaWaterways.  We have sailed on all rivers with AmaWaterways except the Seine and Douro (most multiple times).  And even though we have not sailed these two rivers, we have experience in both Normandy (ok, we led two tours the 70th and 75th Anniversary of D Day) and Portugal, we have visited the sites of the pre-trip land package.

Overview

There are at least 20 to 45 or so pictures in each presentation—almost all ours—as you know, Anne, our company president, and my boss, is an amazing photographer and she is responsible for most of these photographs!

Our last cruise was on the Danube in 2022 for the start of the Christmas Markets—it was very cool to experience these markets again, after they were cancelled during most of 2020 and 2021.  We are going this month to a river cruise expo in Budapest and will have the chance to sail on the AmaMagna—more chances for us to excel with new presentations.

So, let’s explore together and learn about our newest resource to better help you decide if this is the right company for your trip and the details of each route.

How We Organized this New Material

You will find 4 new pages on our website.  Each new page is organized around a major Europe River system, which makes it a little easier to find a route or cruise that may be the perfect fit for your next vacation.  It will also let you dream of a new trip that is possible with a cruise line that never disappoints.

To help you learn a little about this great new resource, I will feature one route of each section, so you can get an idea of the quality of these presentations.

AmaWaterways Danube Cruises (page link AmaWaterways Danube Cruises )

AmaWaterways offers 11 different routes on the Danube.  9 are completed, one is in draft form and the Grand Danube is a combination of two routes already completed, so I chose to create this one last. 

I have chosen this route as a good representation of this section.

The Watchman of the Wachau—this is one of my favorite pictures taken by Anne but it is hard to chose from the more than 5,000 she has taken and we get to share with you.

AmaWaterways French Cruises (page link AmaWaterways French Cruises )

There are 5 routes in this page.  2 are completed, one will be posted shortly and 2 are in draft form.  I have chosen this route as a good representation of this section.

This is the AmaKristina that sails the Colors of Provence Route

AmaWaterways Main Moselle and Rhine Cruises (page link AmaWaterways Main, Moselle and Rhine River Cruises )

There are 7 routes on this page.  All 7 routes are completed.  I have chosen this route as a good representation of this section.

Lahneck Castle Tour—an AmaWaterways exclusive!

AmaWaterways Rhine Cruises (page link AmaWaterways Rhine Cruises )

There are 6 routes on this page.  All 6 are completed.  I have chosen this route as a good representation of this section.

Lucerne—it is our 2nd favorite town in Europe!

AmaWaterways Douro Cruises

This page is not live yet but will feature the 2 routes offered.

Our Final Thoughts

This has been a true labor of love—that’s what Ama means--love.  It was very important to update older presentations and create new ones, so you have an easy way to learn more about the routes offered and to help you really understand the value AmaWaterways brings to their guests.

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 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

Alternative Dining on 7 River Cruise Lines

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71. Europe Destination Specialist and Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

One of the biggest changes lately on many river cruise lines is an added emphasis on alternative dining. There are several innovative changes to rivership cuisine, so here is a good update of the recent changes.

Before we start, here is a general overview.  Riverboats have small galleys and little storage space.  Each of the 7 lines described here uses a buffet for breakfast and lunch (some lines are doing away with buffets due to health concerns and to provide a more upscale experience) and a sit down meal for dinner—usually 3, 4 or more courses. 

Most have at least one or two special meals per cruise, with enhanced food offerings.  Despite the claims of 5 or more dining spaces on some lines, some of these are just small buffet style venues, usually added to the main lounge area.  There is just not space for large alternative dining spaces—two distinct dining spaces is about all the size limitations on riverships can accommodate. 

The exception to this is the AmaMagna, which is double wide and has 4 dining venues.

AmaWaterways Galley

AmaWaterways Galley. We were escorted by Miguel, the Hotel Manager

Scenic Galley

Scenic Galley

Now, let’s examine food and beverage offerings of each of the 7 major river cruise lines that market to US customers and highlight the alternative dining options for each line..

AmaWaterways

Cuisine has always been very important to AmaWaterways. They consistently are cited in the travel media as having great food or the best food in the industry (they get my vote). Perhaps the biggest change is the elimination of most buffets at meal times for both health reasons and to provide a more elegant feel at meals.

The main dining room serves most of the meals you will eat on board this 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 except for a few items at breakfast.

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!

Always available steak

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

The lunch and dinner meals feature a white and red wine from the region you are sailing thru, 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 unique tasting style menu is paired with carefully selected fine wines.  It is truly a great experience.  I wrote a whole blog about the experience and it changes every year and by region, so the experience is seldom the samr.

AmaWaterways chef preparing our meal

The main course of the tasting menu

Dessert to finish off a great meal 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 river cruise line member of the invitation-only La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, one of the world’s most prestigious culinary organizations.

Avalon

Some Avalon riverships have alternative dining area called the Sky Bistro.  It offers a choice of grill fare on the Sky Deck (weather permitting).  You can also have light lunch in the Panorama Lounge.

Avalon is adding Avalon Fresh, which is locally sourced vegetarian cuisine.  The additional dishes are the creation of Austrian chefs and brothers Karl and Leo Wrenkh.  These chefs are emphasizing fun and tasty food that is both fresh and healthy.  These new dishes will be added to the regular entrees for the evening meal and will be featured on the menu with a special Avalon Fresh logo.

Avalon usually gets the poorest marks for cuisine by reviewers, so maybe this new approach will improve their ratings. 

Emerald

The main restaurant is called the Reflections Restaurant. They use buffets for all meals. You can also order off the menu on an a la cart menu.

You can enjoy breakfast and a light lunch on the Terrace.

In Avignon they have a special meal prepared by Fabian Morreale, a finalist from the French culinary competition . The meal is an authentic menu highlighting the tastes of the region.

Tauck

Tauck is changing its onboard menu to add healthier choices to all meals and upgrading the wine selections.  They have a shore dining option offering guests the chance to enjoy regional cuisine at local restaurants and this has become a very popular feature on Tauck cruises.  Some are at spectacular venues like castles and palaces.  For example, on the “A Taste of France” itinerary on the Rhone, Tauck takes guests to Abbaye de Collonges, the restaurant of Michelin-starred chef Paul Bocuse. 

Tauck also has its Arthur’s dining venue, a more causal alternative to the more formal cuisine in the main restaurant.  In conversations with another river cruise industry expert, he told me that Arthur’s had an excellent steak dinner.  This restaurant features more American fare than European style cuisine, so those looking for a more European experience may be a little disappointed in this approach.

Scenic

Other dining venues include the River Café (a casual all-day dining place), Portobellos and the Table La Rive.  Portobellos Restaurant is for 32 guests at one nightly seating, and reservations are necessary, but each guest is given at least one chance to dine there during a 7 day cruise.  We thought the five course Italian meal that was paired with Tuscan wines was excellent and a special feature of the cruise. 

Portobellos Chef prepares our 5 course meal on the Scenic Opal 2015

Scenic Main Course at Portobello’s

Dessert at Portobello’s on the Scenic Jasper

You can also get room service from your butler, certainly not a standard feature on most river cruise lines.  During good weather there sometimes are special meals served on the Sun Deck area.  Some guests, on the upper diamond deck, can have a special dining experience at the Table La Rive (they have changed this option for only 10 night or longer cruises but we got to sample this on our 7-night cruise).  My problem with this, is the dinner occurs in the same dining room as the other guests.

With superb dining (based on our 2015 cruise) and fine wines, Scenic has gone a step further and is introducing an on board cooking school on their French sailing ships, the Scenic Sapphire and the Scenic Diamond.    This new space will be called “Scenic Culinaire”.  The school will feature cooking stations and the lessons will center on the regional cuisine of the areas of France the rivership is sailing.  This is an excellent addition!

Uniworld

Along with the main dining room, some ships have a Sky Lounge, glass-enclosed Lounge or have dinner on deck under the stars.  There are special dinners on select riverships such as on the S.S. Maria Theresa, in the Leopard Bar.  The bar converts to a special dining room that holds up to 20 guests on select nights during the cruise.  I talked with a highly respected river cruise advisor, who told me the 5-course meal was excellent and one of his favorite among river cruise lines.

Uniworld’s has an “Epicurean Adventure” program on select European itineraries, that includes wine tastings, culinary demonstrations, and special dinners.

Uniworld continues to upgrade its cuisine.  This will be especially true on its newer ship, the S. S. Joie de Vivre (joy of life), that will cruise on the Seine starting next month.  This new rivership will have 2 dining rooms, and both will emphasize French Cuisine.  Along with the main restaurant, called Le Restaurant Pigalle, there will be a private dining area featuring wines.

Uinworld’s food is inspired by Bea Tollman, whose cookbook, A Life in Food, contains many recipes used onboard. They are also featuring a wider variety of vegetarian options and a Traveling Lite menu that features the flavors of the traditional menu but with fewer calories.

Viking

Viking has an outdoor venue called the Aquavit Terrace in addition to its main dining room. It is a combination indoor-outdoor dining area. It is a more casual meal with a lighter fare. Sometimes they also serve on the upper deck (called the sun deck).

The Aquavit Terrace on a Viking longship docked in Cologne

For breakfast on the Aquavit Terrace they offer a typical breakfast you might get on land in most smaller B & B places in Europe—sliced meats, cheeses, and breads. You can also order egg dishes.

Viking also has on shore dining experiences but they usually come with an extra cost. I recently wrote about some of these experiences in our blog about comparing river cruise companies on the Rhine River. Having visited many of these ports beforehand, I can promise you you can often replicate the same experience for far less cost. A great example might be flammenkuchen in Strasbourg. Not only is it easy to find in the numerous small bistros, you can control you exact cost.

flammenkuchen in Strasbourg we bought without an excursion

Our Final Thoughts

There sure are some good food on river cruises and I think all are trying to improve. The trend is towards better dining options. Food and wine are generally very important to our guests and we see improvements everywhere.

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

Understanding Extra Charges on 7 River Cruise Lines

Understanding Extra Charges on 7 River Cruise Lines

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 most confusing items in river cruising is understanding what the extra charges are for a river cruise.  For some, it is all about price.  However, for us, it is always about value.

Although it is sometimes difficult to understand the different pricing methods of each line, without a doubt, there is so much more included in a river cruise by almost all companies as compared to most ocean cruises, that river cruising is an excellent overall value.

I will be first to admit that advertised prices sometimes do not reflect the reality of what the actual end charges will be on the final bill.  Since this may cause confusion, I will attempt to explain the extra charges on each line and provide our opinion on which charges are the most aggravating to us. 

This blog does not address incentive offers, which often add great value to cruises or optional pre and post land tours.

So, let’s explore together and learn pricing methods and charges on the 7 river cruise lines we follow.

How Base Prices are Determined on each River Cruise Line

All 7 lines we follow (AmaWaterways, Avalon, Emerald, Scenic, Tauck, Uniworld and Viking) list their starting price at the lowest priced stateroom.  For all, this means a cabin with a fixed window on the first level of the 3-level rivership.  With the exception of Tauck, which has an innovative loft stateroom on some of their ships, it is a smaller stateroom with a fixed window space that varies in size.  It is on the same level as the crew quarters, and usually has the fewest number of staterooms on each ship.

AmaKristina

Avalon Vista

Emerald Destiny

Scenic Opal

Tauck Treasures

Uniworld River Royal

Viking Jarl

Most riverships are designed to hold 2 persons per stateroom.  There are few single passenger staterooms.  Some of the large staterooms can hold 3 passengers.  Single cruisers often pay a supplement for their stateroom.

The prices increases on the top two decks for staterooms.  These may or may not include a balcony or French balcony, but even some older ships have fixed windows on the top levels.  River cruise ships, for the most part come in 2 similar sizes—a 135 meter ship (443 feet) and a 110 m ship (336 feet).  The size limitations are due to the constraints of the lock system on most European rivers.

So, the most significant cost increase for most when taking a river cruise is their stateroom choice.  It is not uncommon to see a price range of $8,000 or less for 2 at the lowest priced stateroom to $15,000 or more for the largest stateroom.

Those new to river cruising might be shocked by these prices, but included are meals, excursions, free wi-fi, beverages, and the luxury of packing and unpacking once.  The transportation feature is the key—we have arranged many land trips and train and plane costs are expensive.  It is a hassle-free vacation which maximizes your opportunity to experience Europe with sights you could seldom visit easily on your own (or may even not know about) in the most efficient manner possible,

So, with this basic starting point, I will now explain charges by each river cruise company and start with the charges I find most aggravating.

Excursion Extra Charges

To me, this is a charge that should be included in the fare, although some charges are understandable and reasonable, in my humble opinion.  Only Scenic and Tauck do not charge for any tours available to their guests.  AmaWaterways only charges for the Vienna concert (I was told that they were losing money by making reservations for the night time concert when too many folks decided not to attend after signing up to go either from being too tired or having a bit too much to drink with dinner).  To me, that is reasonable.  These 3 companies get our best rating for quality and quantity of excursions.

Cesky Krumlov on a Scenic tour

Rothenburg on an AmaWaterways tour

While not a subject of this blog, the quality of the excursions offered and the quantity at each port is also a key factor in selecting your river cruise company and is also as important as the price.  When you see charges that seem high for more exciting tours, it causes one to muse that the price is not what it seems to be on the advertised cruise fare,

Uniworld and Viking make my worse offenders list.  Uniworld, which promotes itself as an all-inclusive line, has some significant charges on its Rhine Route for example, but at least they are up front and specify the charges online. 

Viking, however, is the worse offender in my opinion—on each cruise they include only 6 excursions and the rest result in extra charges.  To make matters worse, it is extremely difficult to ferret out these charges early—most guests receive a printed sheet in their stateroom of the optional charges which can add as much as 500 to 1000 euros to a fare.

Avalon and Emerald do charge extra for some tours, but most seem reasonable if you accept the fact that they will charge extra instead of including them in the fare.  On Avalon for example, I read an article in Travel Weekly that there were 31 options and 23 were included on a Rhone River Cruise and they were priced between $58-$69.  They seem very strong in Active and Discovery tour offerings.   

Avalon Bike

Emerald charges extra for their DiscoverMore program.  Some may have to be pre-booked prior to departure on the cruise.  Examples are a beer festival in Passau, a guided tour to Pont du Gard or a concert in Vienna.

Pont du Gard

Beverages

During mealtimes, all lines offer complimentary soft drinks, their specialty coffees and beer and wine.  Beverages are included on Scenic, Tauck and Uniworld all the time, but even these lines sometimes have a higher level package of premium drinks that are usually very high end.

Scenic Wine and food

AmaWaterways has a “Sip-n-Sail” cocktail hour that includes most drinks and features the drink of the day.  Every day on your cruise with Amawaterways they offer 2 different wines, a red and white, that are from the region you are sailing through for lunch and dinner . There are 2 special wines are included with the Chef’s Table are excellent which is complimentary on every cruise in Europe.

Chef’s Table Wine

Wine offerings on our Gems of SE Asia river cruise on AmaWaterways

Pouring the Chef’s Table Wine AmaWaterways

Avalon has recently added a free cocktail hour which will start in 2023.

Viking has a Silver Spirt package that costs 300 Euros per cabin. They often use the same 2 wines for the entire cruise. Beer and wine are included at meals.

One could easily argue that beverages should not be the second most problematic extra charge, but for most of our clients the quality of food and wine is extremely important.

Gratuities

Emerald, Scenic, Tauck, and Uniworld include their gratuities in the fare price

AmaWaterways, Avalon and Viking do not include gratuities. 

Some clients are very worried about the extra cost of gratuities, but for us this is a not an issue.  Our experience on river cruises, is that the crew earns their gratuities, and we always tend to pay the suggested amount and provide a little extra to folks that we have multiple contacts with such as the bar staff and waiters.  I like to say the crew becomes your friends and you will want to take them home with you. 

Port Charges

This is pretty straight forward.  Emerald, Scenic, Tauck and Viking include port charges in their fares.

AmaWaterways, Avalon and Uniworld do not include port charges in the basic advertised cruise fares.  One item to note—port charges are per person, not per stateroom.

All river cruise companies have expenses to use the locks and ports.  We don’t see this as much of a big deal.

Laundry, Massage and Hairdressing Services

If available onboard, all lines charge extra for Massage and Hairdressing services.

Laundry is a great perk.  Free laundry is offered in some of the higher cost staterooms on each line.

AmaWaterways, Avalon, Emerald, Tauck and Viking all charge for laundry service. 

Scenic, in their staterooms that have Butler service, has a one-time 2-pound courtesy laundry service.  Some Uniworld ships have free washers and dryers, as does the AmaMagna from AmaWaterways.

For us, the laundry service is reasonable and welcome—I use it to help reduce the amount of clothes I bring and Anne loves the fact that when we come home, it reduces the amount of washing we need to do after the trip.

In the laundry room on AmaWaterways—I’m holding my laundry request and this is the laundry guy between Anne and me

Our Final Thoughts

Money, Money, Money—we all want the best value we can get for the price we pay.

We hope you enjoyed this report and it sheds some light on our most frequently asked questions about costs.

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

Comparing Rhine River Cruise Itineraries

Comparing Rhine River Cruise Itineraries  

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

We always say that the most important reason to go on a river cruise is what you get to see and experience.  The Rhine River Route from Amsterdam to Basel or the reverse is the second most popular route for US guests.  The route allows guests to see 4 different countries and many of the cruise companies stop at common ports.

There is a significant difference between company offerings, when you consider what tours are included in the cruise fare and which lines charge for optional tours.

So, let’s explore together to compare the offering of various lines and learn about tours on the Rhine River.

Rhine River Overview

Born in the heart of the Alps, the mighty Rhine flows through 4 countries—Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. On this amazing journey, you will travel through the famous Alsace region of wine and quaint villages, sail the stunning Rhine River Gorge to view the 40 castles that dot the hillsides, and port in both Cologne and Amsterdam.

River Cruise Ports and Sights on the Rhine

To name the ports, I have decided to sail from north to south for most of these Rhine cruises.  Here is a list of prime ports:

Amsterdam, Cologne, Koblenz, Rhine Gorge, Rüdesheim, Mainz, Speyer, Strasbourg, and Basel are actually on the Rhine or very close like Strasbourg.

There are several sights that are near some of the ports that can enhance your trip.  Stops like Lahneck Castle, Cochem Castle and Marksburg Castle have tours of some very interesting fortifications that you can visit inside the castle.  There are tours to Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Riquewihr, a visit to the Black Forest and Frieberg.

Note that not every port is available on every sailing, as a few sailing trips are themed cruises.

The offerings are also changing due to weather conditions, water levels, and other factors.

For each line, I have provided a Day-by-Day Route Summary with our Port Pictures. This should make the comparisons far more meaningful.

AmaWaterways

Map From AmaWaterways

The two routes are called the Captivating Rhine (north to south) and Enchanting Rhine (south to north).  AmaWaterways does not charge extra for any tours on these 2 routes.  Ports are Amsterdam, Cologne, Rhine Gorge, Rüdesheim, Speyer, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Riquewihr, Freiburg and Basel (only tours on the Enchanting Rhine route of Basel).  On the Enchanting Rhine there is an exclusive Lahneck Castle tour.

Most stops offer 3 tour options at each port.  They are particularly strong in active bike and hiking tours and are the only cruise line with a dedicated wellness host who conducts daily classes and escorts the hiking and biking tours.

Amawaterways also has themed cruises on this route. Our favorite is wine themed cruises that have a onboard wine host who offers tastings and usually a wine pairing dinner.

There are pre and post tours.  They include Amsterdam. Lucerne, Zurich and Lake Como on the Rhine Castles and Swiss Alps itinerary. 

Avalon

Map from Avalon Waterways

The most booked route on the Rhine River offered by Avalon is named the Romantic Rhine.

The ports visited are Amsterdam, Cologne, Rhine Gorge, Rüdesheim, Mainz, Strasbourg, Briesach (gateway to the Black forest and the route ends in Basel).

Avalon has 3 types of tours. They are Classic, Discovery, and Active. They also have themed cruises on this route.

There are some optional tours that require an extra charge. During the spring, they offer a Kurkenhof gardens tour.

Emerald Waterways

Map From Emerald River Cruises

Jewels of the Rhine is the route that goes from Basel to Amsterdam.  There are 5 included tours, 3 active tours and 2 Emerald Plus tours included in the fare.  Tours to Freiburg, Heidelberg, Koblenz, Cologne city tour and extra cooking demonstration tour) and Amsterdam.

Extra charge tours include Riquewihr, and Cochem Castle.

Scenic

Map from Scenic River Cruises

There are 20 included tours in the Rhine Highlights itinerary.  In Amsterdam there are 3 tours—city tour or ,canal cruise or bike tour and excursion to Edam and Volendam.  There are 3 tours offered in Cologne.  Also 3 tours in Koblenz include a visit to Cochem Castle.  In Heidelberg you can visit the castle or tour the old town,  that night there is a special private evening concert at the Baroque Palace of Rastatt.  At the Baden-Baden port stop, you can visit the famous spa town, or take an active hike or visit the Mercedes-Benz factory.  In Strasbourg, you can tour the old town or go on a wine tasting Mittelbergheim in the Alsace and sample some of the best wines the region has to offer or tour the Black Forest.  Your final port of Basel is just to disembark.

There are no extra charges or optional tours—all tours are included with Scenic.

Tauck

Route Map from Tauck River Cruises

Tauck’s route is called the Romantic Rhine.  The tour in Amsterdam starts with a city drive, then a canal boat tour and a visit to the world famous Rijksmuseum.  Next, in Cologne, you will visit the old town by bus and take a walking tour of this unique city.  That evening there will be a Tauck Exclusive private evening featuring a cocktail reception, dinner and entertainment at Schloss Ehreshoven.  In Koblenz, you can either take a bike tour or a tour of the old city.  You have 2 great choices in your next port—Speyer or Heidelberg.  In Strasbourg, you will have a morning tour of the old town,  In the afternoon you can stay in Strasbourg or visit the spa town of Baden-Baden.  On your last day of touring, you will have the choice of visiting Lucerne and Mt. Pilatus or you can take a wine tasting at Château Haut-Koenigsbourg along the Alsace Wine Route.

There are no optional tours or extra charges on your Tauck cruise.

Uniworld

Map From Uniworld River Cruises

The Castles Along the Rhine is the name of the route offered by Uniworld.  Your tour starts in Cologne with a walking tour of the old town.  There are 3 choices in Boppard for Day 3 of the cruise.  They are Koblenz walking tour; Marksburg Castle Visit; and a Boppard Village Stroll.  On Day 4, after sailing on the Rhine Gorge, you have a Castle Vollrads wine tasting.  Day 5 is their signature visit to the Weinessiggut Doktorenhof estate for a special vinegar tasting in their Make Travel Matters program.  Day 6 is a walking tour of Strasbourg.  Day 7 is a tour of Freiberg or a visit to the village of Kaysersberg.  The tour ends in Basel where you disembark.

There is a special Generations program focusing on families on this route and have special tours.

There are optional tours that require an extra charge.  There is a Gourmet Vinegar Cooking Class and a Romantic Heidelberg tour choices on Day 5.  On Day 6 there is a Natural Beauty and Living History which includes a walking tour of the Vogtsbauernhof outdoor museum.  

Viking

Map from Viking River Cruises

The Viking route is called the Rhine Getaway.  As with the other lines it covers 4 countries.  Viking only has 6 included tours—the other tours require an extra charge.  Day 2 is a visit to the famous windmills at Kinderdijk.  On Day 3, you will arrive in Cologne and the included tour is a guided visit to the Old town  On Day 4, you will have a walking tour of Koblenz in the morning or a chance to see Marksburg Castle.  Later in the day, after sailing through the Rhine Gorge, you will have free time or optional tours in Rüdesheim.  The Day 5 tour is a tour of Speyer.  Day 6 is a guided tour of Strasbourg.  Day 7 is a tour of the Black Forest.

On this route, it is quite possible to get per person charges of more than 500 Euros per person, depending on your choices.

Our Final Thoughts

This may be an excellent start to understanding the difference offered between the 7 companies we follow.

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

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

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

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

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

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest, Hungary

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

This is a port guide about Budapest.

So, let’s explore together and learn about this wonderful city.

Overview

Perhaps the most stunning city on any river cruise, Budapest is actually 2 cities rolled into one.  By far the most impressive city on the Danube, Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is a town we love to visit.

Hungary is a landlocked country with no access to an ocean or sea, so the Danube River is a vital part of the country, and many important cities grew up along this key waterway along with Budapest.

It is really two towns that were separate but later became united—the high town of Buda that overlooks the banks of the Danube and Pest on the flat land.  They are united by several bridges, but the Chain Bridge is the most important and is a symbol of the city.  Both sides have some awesome structures—among them Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion (Buda side) and the Parliament building (Pest side).

Once you visit, you will want to come back.  We have led tours here, but the most important sights are around the Danube River area—anything that requires a longer distance than the river area is difficult to see on your own without transportation.

Some History of Budapest and Hungary

Perhaps the best place to start is with the Magyars who started settling the area around Budapest in 896.  The Magyars were nomadic tribes constantly on the move around the Caucasus and Káma River areas.  In 1000 the first king of Hungary, Stephen I began consolidating power.  Then came a series of conquests of this area—first the Mongols in 1241 who sacked and almost completely destroyed the city. 

The next invaders were the Ottomans who took Pest in 1526 and 15 years later conquered Buda.  The Ottomans were driven out by the Hapsburgs around 1780.  Hungary and Budapest then became part of the Austria-Hungary Empire who ruled the country until 1918.  After a short attempt at democracy, in 1919 Hungary had a revolution which brought a communist regime to power and the country became known as Hungarian Soviet Republic.

WW II first resulted in German control of the city, then the Soviets after WW II until 1989.

What are Some of the Key Sights to See in Budapest?

I have tried to organize the sights into the way river cruise companies typically visit them on their tours in Budapest.  There are two common tours—a bus ride up to the Castle District and then a walking tour and a panoramic bus tour of the sights on Andrassy Avenue.  There are often onsite visits to St, Stephen’s Cathedral, perhaps the opera house, or the Central Market.

The Castle District

Buda Castle Hill--Elevated 168 meters (551 feet) above sea level, this striking area of Buda--the historic area of Buda--offers visitors the medieval Buda Castle, the Vienna Gate, the Magdalen Tower, and visits to two good museums.

The two best museums in the Buda Castle complex are the Hungarian National Gallery Museum and the Castle Museum. 

If you are not on a river cruise tour, the easiest and most scenic way to the Buda Castle is to ride the Buda hill funicular to the top.

Fisherman’s Bastion--the cobblestone streets of the Fisherman's Bastion (the name of the bastion comes from Guild of Fishermen, who were responsible for defending that stretch of the city walls during the Middle Ages) on the Buda side, lead to a series of seven neo-Gothic towers.  The seven towers of the Bastion represent the seven Magyar tribes that helped to settle the Magyar people in the Carpathian Basin.   The structure provides an awesome panorama of the Danube River, the Parliament building and the Pest side of Budapest.  Take bus 16 or 16A to Castle Hill if you are not on a river cruise tour.

Matthias Church—was founded in the 13th century.  It is an impressive structure and was rebuilt several times during the tumultuous history of battles for control of this area. 

Perhaps the most distinctive feature is the roof that is covered with the famous Zsolnay ceramic tiles, manufactured in the Hungarian town of Pecs.

Gellert Hill and the Citadel--For the best panorama of Budapest, Gellért Hill definitely is worth a visit. The old fortress and the statue of Liberty can be seen from a great distance.   They are an important part of the cityscape.  It is on the Buda side.  Take bus #27 to get to this location.

Typical Driving Tour Sights Offered by River Cruise Companies

Most river cruise companies like to drive on Andrassy Avenue to get a good overview of sights not near the Danube River.  Andrassy Avenue is a broad promenade of breathtaking neo-Renaissance architecture and home to many of Budapest’s must-see sites.  Most pass by Heroes’ Square, the Franz Liszt Memorial House, the House of Terror, the Szechenyi Baths, and the City Park.

Heroes Square--The monumental square at the end of Andrássy Avenue sums up the history of Hungary by displaying statues that honor Hungary’s heroes. This iconic monument features depictions of the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars, who are believed to have led the Hungarian people from central Asia to the Carpathian basin.  The millennium memorial commemorates the 1000th anniversary of the arrival of the Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin.

The Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Fine Arts are also located on this square.  It is the entrance to the City Park.  It is on the Pest side.  To get there take Metro to Hosok tere (yellow line)

City Park--The largest green area of Budapest conceals the Castle of Vajdahunyad (www.mmgu.hu) (a castle with 21 types of architecture, it was created for an exhibition), the Széchenyi thermal bath (one of the largest and most famous thermal baths in the world), and the Zoo and the Amusement park.  It is a beloved corner of the city for walking and relaxing. It is on the Pest side.  Metro Széchenyi furdo (yellow line)

House of Terror—you need a strong stomach to visit this museum.  This is the former headquarters of the ÁVH secret police.  This building is witness to some of the darkest days of 20th-century Hungary.  Exhibits have English signs.  Metro stop Okyogon (Yellow line).  (www.houseofterror.hu)

Dohány Synagogue Built in 1859, this is the second-largest working synagogue in the world (the largest is in New York City), and the second-oldest large building of those still standing.  The synagogue has a rich, but tragic history; it was one of many detention areas for Jews during the Holocaust.  A Jewish Museum next door traces the origins of Hungarian Judaism and features exhibits of ceremonial Judaica throughout the centuries.  The museum periodically puts on excellent temporary exhibitions.  The Holocaust Memorial and Heroes' Temple in the courtyard are well worth visiting.

Walking Tours and Sight Visits in Pest

St. Stephen’s Basilica--The largest Catholic Church in Budapest, where the most important relic of the Hungarian Catholicism, the Holy Right Hand of King St. Steven is kept.  The panorama terrace offers a great view of the city if you are willing to climb the 142 steps to the top.  It is on the Pest side.

The interior of the cathedral is a masterpiece of dramatic arches, marble and liberally applied gilding. Inside is one of Hungary’s most sacred artifacts, the Szent Jobb—meaning “Holy Right Hand—is the mummified right hand of St. Stephen.

Central Market Hall--the Central Market Hall is like a large treasure trove of fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and culinary delicacies.  The spacious market at the Pest end of Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd) however is famous for its architecture too.  Built at the turn of the 19-20. Centuries, it was one of the most modern indoor markets not only in Budapest but in the whole world.  It is on the Pest side.

Hungarian Parliament--the monumental building of the Parliament is one of the biggest attractions of Budapest.  The parliament building is the largest building in Budapest and the third largest parliament building in the world.  Here are some facts about the size of this building—it has 691 rooms, 10 courtyards, and 12.5miles worth of stairs.

It hosts the diet and the crown jewels.  Guided tours are organized 4 times a day.  It is on the Pest side. Here are 3 pictures Anne took inside the parliament building on a tour:

Vaci Street and Danube Promenade--The bustling walking areas of the downtown offer famous cafés, terraces, elegant shops, boutiques, and theatres.  There are great views of the Castle from the Danube Promenade.  It is on the Pest side.

Chain Bridge--This was the first permanent bridge built across the Danube in Budapest. It was built between 1840 to 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. 

Opera House--the Opera House has a fantastically ornate interior featuring frescoes by two of the best-known Hungarian artists of the day, Bertalan Székely and Károly Lotz.  Outside of the building, you can see statues to Ferenc Erkel (composer of the Hungarian National Anthem) and Ferenc Liszt (Hungarian composer).

Guided tours are given daily at 3pm and 4pm (these can be arranged in English) are the only way to see the interiors unless you buy a ticket to a performance.  Metro stop Opera (Yellow line).  (www.opera.hu)

Have a dessert in Gerbeaud Cafe—famous for their handmade deserts.  It opened in 1858 and has been a favorite of Budapest ever since then.  (www.gerbeaud.hu/en)

Try Strudel at the First Strudel House of Budapest—located in an old building, this establishment is part theater and great strudel.  The chefs make the strudel behind a display kitchen area.  The strudel is excellent—we try to stop by each time we visit Budapest.

Eat in Karpatia restaurant—the motto here is “the only king here is you”—great Hungarian food. A city landmark since 1877, you will experience traditional and contemporary Hungarian food, with a spirited gypsy band playing amidst historic walls. (www.karpatia.hu/en/)

Shopping--Just off exclusive Váci Utca Boulevard there are courtyards studded with boutiques and shops selling handmade leather gloves, intricate Halas lace and Herend porcelain.  Pricey antique shops and galleries cluster along Falk Miksa Utica near the neo-Gothic Parliament and just steps from Katti Zoób, Hungary's leading design diva.  Taste Hungary's finest wines at laid-back Bortarsaság near the Castle District.

Our Final Thoughts

Wow—what a great port stop.  We have been to Budapest several times and it is always interesting, vibrant, and fun.  We hope you get a chance to visit—it is our guess you will want to come back just like we do!

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

Bratislava, Slovakia

Bratislava, Slovakia

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Of the 4 countries on an upper Danube route, probably the least known country is Slovakia.  It was once a part of the Hapsburg Empire, then part of Czechoslovakia, and finally became independent in 1989.

Bratislava’s city limits  actually share the borders of Austria and Hungary..

So, let’s explore together and learn about Bratislava and its key sights.

Bratislava Castle-- The massive Bratislava Castle is located on a hill that has been populated as early as in the Stone Age.  The Celts built a fortified stronghold here in the 1st century BC.  The Romans, the Germans, the Slavs, the Hungarians and the Austrians have ruled the area in the later centuries.  Bratislava Castle became the residence of the Hungarian Kings and was repeatedly rebuilt in various styles.  

The most famous residence of the castle was Maria Theresa, who used the castle as her official seat to rule the Kingdom of Hungary.

Bratislava Castle. Please look closely at this photo Anne took. At first glance it looks like there are turrets at the corners, but the closest turret is attached to the roof and the far turret is a real turret.

From the exterior, it looks like a square with 4 turrets at the corners, but inside it has irregular shapes, gardens, and other buildings other than the castle.  Again, even the turrets are deceiving. 3 are attached to the roof, while only the turret on the southwest corner is an actual turret. The actual turret is 47 meter tall (over 141 feet).

This famous landmark almost did not survive after it burned down in 1811.  It lay in ruins until 1953, when reconstruction began. 

Today it houses the exhibition of the Slovak National Museum and serves as a state function venue.  The museum entrance fee is currently 10 Euros. Many river cruise companies offer hikes up to the castle as part of their active wellness offerings.

The castle at night

St. Martin's Cathedral is the most important church in Bratislava.  This 3-nave church, with its Gothic Dome, was build in the place of an Older Romanesque church. It was consecrated in 1452.  

Inside the Cathedral, on the altar, there the 18th century statue of St. Martin and the Beggar equestrian statue sculpted by famous baroque sculptor Raphael Donner.  St Martin is wearing the traditional Hungarian Hussar clothing.

St Martin’s Church. Please look carefully at the cupola—it is a replica of the crown of Hungary.

As Bratislava became the capital of the Hungarian Kingdom in the 16th century, the Cathedral was the coronation place for Hungarian Emperors.  There were 11 Hungarian Kings and 8 queens crowned here between 1563 and 1830.

On the top of the church tower, some 85 meters (280 feet) above ground, there is a 1 m high copy of the Hungarian royal crown that weighs 300 kilograms.  

Michael's Gate is the only surviving gate of the former walled city of Bratislava.  Medieval Bratislava was entered through four gates, and Michael’s Gate is the northern entrance.

The 3 other gates were Vydrica (the western gate), the Laurinc (the eastern gate) and the fisherman’s gate, which was added to the original gate system.

Not only was it an entrance to the city, but it also served as the watchtower of the original city fortifications.  Over 50 meters high, the tower was built in the early 14th century, and was rebuilt many times since its original construction. 

As it is no longer needed as a watchtower, it now serves as a museum and has a collection of medieval arms and town fortification on display. The tower also offers a stunning view of the city for just a few euros.

The following 2 pictures are about the Laurinc Gate that was built in the 14th century. The gate was demolished by the order of Maria Theresa, as the walls of the city were limiting growth of the town. It did not have a tower on top of the gate.

The Old Town Hall with the clock tower, and the romantic courtyard with renaissance arcades, makes it one of the most appealing historical buildings of Bratislava.  

It is a complex of several construction styles.

Today, the Old Town Hall houses the City Museum with a large collection documenting Bratislava’s history.  The Old Town Hall is located on the main square, which is used during the Christmas season as some lively markets.

The old town hall clock tower is 45 meters tall (over 135 feet).

This unique tiled roof is part of the old town hall

Christmas Markets 2015

Christmas Markets in 2022 at night

The Primate's Palace The 18th century Palace in the spirit of French Classicism is one of the most beautiful attractions of Bratislava.  This Archbishop’s residence also welcomed the Hungarian Kings when the Castle was burnt down in 1811.  

The Primate’s Palace.

The palace also has an important role in European history. In 1805 Napoleon and Emperor Franz I of Austria signed the Treaty of Pressburg in the Mirror Hall Room. The treaty was a result of the Battle of Austerlitz, in which Napoleon crushed the Russian and Austrian forces. The treaty resulted in significant loss of territory by the Austrian Empire and reparations of 40 million francs paid to France.

Detail of the roof on the Primate’s Palace

In 1903, the palace was bought by the city and today it serves as the residence of Bratislava’s mayor.  The historical interior conceals the exhibition of the European paintings as well as the set of 6 English tapestries from the 17th century.  

There is also a beautiful Baroque fountain in the courtyard.

The fountain of St. George, showing the knight slaying the dragon.

St John of Nepomuk with angles outside of the Primate Palace

Slovak National Theatre is situated in the lovely restored Hviezdoslavovo square.  The historical building of the Slovak National Theatre is the gem of the Neo-Renaissance architecture built by the Viennese architects F. Fellner and H. Helmer between 1884 and 1886.  

The Slovak Theater

There is a lovely Ganymede’s fountain in front of the building.  The beautiful interiors of the theatre house are an acclaimed venue for Opera and Ballet performances.

A good photo of the fountain outside the Slovak National Theater

Grassalkovich Palace is still in use today. --This impressive Rococo palace was built as the summer residence of Count Grassalkovich in the 18th century (it was finished in 1760).  Quickly It became the center of the Hungarian aristocracy social life and was also visited by the Empress Maria Theresa.  The palace was used for parties and balls by the Habsburg royal court.

Maria Theresa Statue on the promenade alongside the Danube River

During the communist era, after first being used by the Council of Commissioner (a quasi-government of Slovakia), the palace was used as an activity center for Bratislava schoolchildren, known as the “House of Pioneers and Youth”.  

After its reconstruction in 1996, the Grassalkovich Palace became the residence of the Slovak Republic's president.  Its excellent garden is now a public park.

Chatam Sofer Memorial--The Jewish community has always played an important role in the life of the city.  Although the historical Jewish quarter under Bratislava Castle was destroyed, the most significant Jewish funerary shrine and place of religious worship still can be found in the Castle Hil.

There is a preserved part of original Jewish Cemetery with graves of rabbis including the famous Bratislava rabbi Chatam Sofer, the most important figure in the history of Jews in Bratislava.

The Blue Church (its proper name is Church of St. Elizabeth) is very different from the old town portion of Bratislava.  It is an Art Noveau style that was built in 1913.

According to the Bratislava tourist office website, the blue church is a popular place for wedding and baptisms.

The Blue Church

Detail of the Blue Church

Curious Statues of Bratislava--Three life size bronze statues hidden in the streets of the Old Town have lately become the biggest attraction for visitors of Bratislava.  They are:

Cumil-The Peeper (on the corner of Panska and Rybarska brana streets),

French Napoleon Soldier (on a bench on the Hlavne namestie - Main Square),

 Schoener Naci - Beautiful Ignaz (on Rybarska brana street).

There is actually a sad story behind the inspiration for the greeter statue, but no one knows for certain the truth of this story. While there are various versions of the story, the greeter went mad at the loss of a woman he loved. The story becomes clouded here—did she not respond, was his lady deported by the Nazis in WW II to a concentration camp? The greeter, berefted with grief, is said to have dressed each day in tails and offer flowers to all the ladies he encountered wandering the old town square area.

The UFO Bridge, as it is popularly known, has an observation deck that looks like it came from outer space. The bridge is 95 meters tall (285 feet tall).

The UFO Bridge with our rivership, the AmaCerto in the foreground

Even with all the fun of visiting this capital city, along the promenade, I was reminded in this former iron-curtain country, how they feel about there freedom. Here is a ponient reminder of the cost of war and freedom. It is a picture of several Ukrainian women who lost their husbands in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A political message about the cost of the Ukraine War during our 2022 visit. The six ladies all lost husbands during this conflict.

Our Final Thoughts

It is a wonderful thing to visit the former iron curtain countries and learn more about them.  Bratislava is a blending of the old and new and until recently been ruled by kings and queens and later under communist domination.  This is an upbeat, thriving country eager to put its past domination as only a history lesson and they look to a bright future.

We hope you enjoyed this report and learned something about this country.

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

Koblenz, Germany

Koblenz, Germany

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

This is a look at Koblenz, Germany as both a port for many river cruise ships and as a base to explore some of the best castles in the area around Koblenz on the Moselle and Middle Rhine.

Koblenz is located at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine Rivers.  It is a great base to explore parts of nearby castles and quaint towns—we used it as a base of operations and enjoyed it very much during a trip in 2013.

Koblenz is one of the oldest towns in Germany and its strategic location had two different influences upon its history—it was a great place to collect tolls and both Germany and France wanted to control these valuable waterways and the land near it, so many castles were built to defend the area by the Germans. France attacked and burned these defensive positions as they vied for control of the area during the reign of Louie XIV, the Sun King.

Key sights in and near Koblenz include Deutsches Eck, Lahneck Castle, Stolzenfels Castle, Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, Berg Eltz, Cochem Castle, Marksburg Castle, and the Electoral Palace.

So, let’s explore together and learn about Koblenz as a base for a couple of days or just for a port stop on a river cruise.

Castle Exploration Base

There are several ways to see some castles in the area using Koblenz as a base.  In the Spring of 2013, we did just that using buses, hiking and trains to get to these sights.  The 3 castles in this section allow independent tours inside the castles, which make them well worth the visit.

Schloss Stolzenfels—the castle is located approx. 5 km to the south of Koblenz, which was originally built as a customs fortress and was destroyed by the French in 1689 in the Palatine War of Succession.  It was rebuilt according to the plans of the Berlin master builder Schinkel and is now open to the public.  It houses a number of valuable furniture pieces and a collection of armor and weapons.   Here are some pictures:

Anne took this picture from Lahneck Castle for an excellent view of the Stolzenfels Castle in 2021

This is a scan from a postcard we bought at the castle

The Moat entrance to the castle.

A model of the exterior of the castle.

Here is how we got there:  Bus connection:  From Koblenz Hbf (abbreviation for Hauptbahnhof in German or main train station) the bus terminal is outside the rail station building. Take Bus-Bahnsteig ‘H“, Bus-Linie „650 Boppard“bis zur Haltestation „Stolzenfels-Schlossweg” (the signs will be in German)“.   Translated it means Bus Platform "H" bus line "650 Boppard" to the holding station "Stolzenfels-Schlossweg". Der Fußweg zum Schloss ist ausgeschildert (again the German words on the sign). The walk to the castle is signposted.  Also, you can take a boat to Stolzenfels stop.  Closed on Mondays.

For those wanting a more active way to see this castle, you can hike part of the Rhine Castles Trail to Stozenfels Castle and then take the train or bus back.

We used trains and some hiking to visit Marksburg Castle and Burg Eltz from Koblenz.

Marksburg Castle is the only castle that never was sacked or ruined among the 40 some odd castles along the Rhine Gorge stretch from Koblenz to Rüdesheim.  It is above the town of Braubach.  Marksburg was built and served as primarily a fort and often these countryside castles lacked the grandeur of royal palaces.  The construction of Marksburg was intended to defend the town and after entering the castle the first area is the Great Battery with its firing positions designed to protect the Rhine and town from enemies.

This photo shows the fields of fire for the battery to protect the town and approaching enemy on the Rhine River.

The next area on the tour is the wine cellar.

The gothic Hall was the kitchen area of the castle fort.

The next area was the sleeping area.

Next is the Chapel

Now the Armory Museum.

Finally, the Horse Stables, which also was used as a prison complete with torture devices.

Burg Eltz, Moselkern, near Cochem: Its multiple turrets and towers, which rise amid a thick forest near the Mosel River, evoke the chivalry and poetry of the Middle Ages. This is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Germany.  Trains stop at Moselkern hourly from Koblenz or from Cochem/Trier.  It is a 3 mile hike to the castle. Here are some photos of the burg:

This was the first view of the castle after our 3 mile hike.

This is a scan from a postcard we bought at the castle, as no pictures are allowed during the tours.

This is also a scanned post card. This the Knight’s Hall Room

We could take pictures at the treasury room of the burg.

Sights in Koblenz

Deutsches Eck (the German Corner)—is a monument built where the Rhine and the Mosel join.  Kaiser Wilhelm I equestrian statue is featured here.  It was first erected in 1987, 9 years afte the death of the Kaiser to honor his role in unifying Germany. It was damaged during WW II and in 1993 was reconstructed with a replica statue and now is proudly on display.

This picture taken in 2021 for our rivership gives you a good look at how large this monument is. It is 37 meters high (over 111 feet)

St Castor’s Basilica is on the backside of the triangular Deutsches Eck. The Basilica was consecrated in 836 and is the oldest surviving church in Koblenz. The Treaty of Verdun was signed here and this treaty help create the countries of Germany and France, as the aftermath of Charlemagne’s death and the war between his 3 sons..

Castor’s

Fortress Ehrenbreitstein--The Fortress rises 118 meters above the Rhine and dates back to the year 1000. Over the centuries the building was extended by the Electors of Trier.  After its destruction by the French, the Prussians rebuilt the fortifications and the result, one of Germany's strongest fortresses, is today open to the public.  It is the second largest fortress in Europe (Gibraltar is larger).  (www.diefestungehrenbreitstein.de ) 

Directly across the Rhine from Koblenz, the fortress is on the right bank of the Rhine.  To reach the fortress, make the 3.50€ one-way passage across the river from the main Rhine dock. Ferries operate mid-March to late November daily 9am to 5:15pm.  

This sign tells you about the distances to important hiking sites around Koblenz. Rheinburgenweg tells us that the distance to the Rhine Castle Trail which is on the left bank of the Rhine is 5.1 km. Rheinsteig (Brucke) is the bridge and Fahre is the Ferry. This is part of the 21 sections or stages of the Rhinesteig—the part around Koblenz is section 10

You can also take the Koblenz Cable Car, and get a ride that takes you 367 feet above the Rhine and the ride is about 3000 feet in total distance and takes about 5 minutes to cross the river.  The aerial cable was built in 2011 and connects Koblenz near St Kastor Basilica to a plateau in front of the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. The more adventurous might want a car with a glass bottom.  The chairlift operates daily from April to October from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Round-trip tickets cost 8€ for adults, 5€ for children 13 and under.

One of the towers of the Koblenz Cable Car. According to the tourist information site, the cable car can transport up to 7,600 people per hour.

Old Town Koblenz—one of the oldest towns in Germany, the old town area is the charming and romantic streets between the St. Castor’s Basilica and "Liebfrauenkirche" (Church of Our Beloved Lady).  The next 3 pictures are the buildings surrounding Jesuit Square.

Here is an interesting weinstube that caught Anne’s eye.

The exterior of the Hotel and Weinstube Kornpfort

The sign for the hotel

Winniger wrought sign—it is a weinstube.

Goerresplaz Square—known today as Goerres Square, it is the central square of the old town.  The fountain in the middle of the square with its 10m high historical columns is worth seeing. The artist Jürgen Weber tells the story of the town of Koblenz in 10 overlapping scenes presented three-dimensionally. It covers 2000 years of the history of Koblenz.

Liebfrauenkirche—beautiful Baroque church with onion shaped domes.  This basilica with five-axis pillars was built between 1180 and 1250.  The new construction of the Gothic chancel (an inside area of the church near the altar)  began in 1404, while the baroque onion towers date back to 1693.

Schängel Fountain--The Schängel fountain is a monument to the city’s eternal “bad boy” who spits water from his mouth.  Designed by Carl Burger in 1941, the fountain stands between the Renaissance and Baroque structures of the present Town Hall and the former Jesuit monastery.

Entrance to the Town Hall

Jesuit monastery

Electoral Palace--The Elector Clemens Wenzeslaus built this palace from 1777-1786.  Prince Wilhelm, later known as German Emperor Wilhelm I, officiated here as the Prussian military governor from 1850 – 1857. The palace now houses the administrative offices and is not open to the public.  Located on Neustadt Street.

Bundesgartenschau--The “Empress-Augusta-Gardens” located on the Rhine banks are some of the most beautiful gardens between Basel and Rotterdam.  On the tree-lined, grassy bank you will find the monument of Joseph Görres, as well as little treasures such as the Luise Temple.

Eat at the Altes Brauhaus, If you want some excellent German food try this fun place, Here are some pictures:

Our Final Thoughts

Koblenz is a good port stop or a good base.  We hope you enjoyed this report.  Please enjoy Koblenz—we 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

AmaWaterways Sails 2 Rivers to Help You See the Best Castles in Europe

AmaWaterways Sails 2 Rivers to Help You See the Best Castles in Europe

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

While all 7 river cruise companies we follow sail on the Rhine and through the Middle Rhine or, as it is more popularly known, the Rhine Gorge with its 40 castles, they usually sail from Amsterdam to Basel (or reverse) on a 7-day route.  But expanding the usual Rhine route by blending this more traditional 7-day route of these awesome castles with a cruise on the winding Moselle in a 10-day cruise and suddenly this becomes the best castle watching opportunity on Europe Rivers.  The result is the best castle experience in Europe on the rivers.

The added bonus is a combination of small, charming villages, cool castles, the oldest city in Germany and finally the canals of Amsterdam.  Add a visit to Lucerne and Zurich, for a taste of Alpine German speaking Switzerland on a land extension and this becomes an epic journey.

So, let’s explore together and learn about the port stops of 2 great routes—Rhine and Moselle Delights (starting in Basel) and the reverse right the Rhine and Moselle Fairytales

Rhine and Moselle Fairytales (Amsterdam to Basel)

Since the routes are so similar, I will report on the port stops of just the Rhine and Mosel Fairytales.  I hope by the time I finish you will want to go on this route.

There are only 6 sailings on this route in 2023—so after reading this you should quickly reach out to us (sailing dates are at the end of April, 2 dates in May, 1 in June, 1 in August and 1 in October).  Space fills up quickly and some dates have the special free land extension promotions going on right now but please remember they are capacity controlled and have limited space.

Map from AmaWaterways

Amsterdam, Netherlands.  This ringed city of canals is unique to say the least.  A land of bikes, canals, and a free-wheeling culture, we have visited Amsterdam several times and escorted folks there. This is a city of 165 ringed canals, a population of 750.000 (it has as many bikes as people) and always full of tourists.

It is the capital of the Netherlands, with two world class art museums.  It is a major port; once the wealthiest city in the world; and residents and visitors live with a tolerant atmosphere.

The tour today is a view of Amsterdam on a scenic canal cruise—it is a neat experience.

Canal Boats

Gabbles are unique architecture in Amsterdams

Cologne, Germany.  The huge Cologne Cathedral, with its twin pointed towers, is the best-known landmark in Cologne.  Construction of the cathedral begin in 1248 and took the next 600 years to complete.

The huge Cologne Cathedral

Next door to the Cathedral Romano-Germanic Museum which has artifacts from the old Roman town, including part of an old Roman villa.

Hohenzollern Bridge--This is one of the 7 bridges that cross the Rhine in Cologne.  About 1200 trains pass over this bridge daily in route to the main train station.

The Hohenzollern Bridge

The old town square is also another good site to visit.

There are 3 tour options today.  They are:  Join a guided tour through the Old Town and explore the UNESCO-designated cathedral.  Continue on to the Cologne Rathaus, Germany’s oldest town hall, and take in other local sights.

For a different view of the city, visit a local tavern to taste its famous Kölsch beer, only made in Cologne, and reibekuchen mit apfelmus, potato pancakes typically served with applesauce. 

Or, take a Cologne Bike Tour. 

Lahnstein is a port near the Moselle and Koblenz.  Here you will get the chance to tour Lahneck Castle, either by tour or take a hike up the castle.  Lahneck castle was built in the 13th century above the confluence of the Lahn River.  It was heavily damaged during the Thirty Years war in 1633 by Swedish soldiers.  Later it passed in private ownership and has been family owned since 1907.  The tour is an exclusive feature of the tours offered by AmaWaterways. The next 8 pictures are about this wonderful tour:

Anne took this photo in 2013 of Lahneck Castle on a gloomy day in March

A portrait of Queen Elizabeth

For the slightly more daring adventure, take a cable car ride from Koblenz across the Rhine River to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

Ehrenbreitstein Fortress is the 2nd largest preserved fortress in Europe. It stands 120 meters (360 feet) above the Rhine River.

The Deutsches Eck (the German Corner) is located at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine Rivers

For the more active, there is a “Two Rivers” bike tour.

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. 

Schloss Reichsburg stands watch over the village of Cochem

The town hall of Cochem

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! 

Schloss Reichsburg as we viewed it during a walk down to the village of Cochem.

There are two other options here—a visit to Cochem Mustard Mill and, for the more active, a Cochem bike tour.

On the way sailing to Trier, there are 10 wonderful castles, most that are visible from the Moselle River.  One of my favorites is Thurant Castle with its twin castles.  Here are 2 pictures to show you how scenic and beautiful this route is:

The ruins of Thurant Castle on the hills. The village in the foreground is Alken with an estimated population of 640

Trier was an old Roman outpost which was first settled by the Roman in 17 BC.  It is the oldest city in Germany, and is near the Luxembourg border—in fact, one side of the Moselle River is Trier, Germany and the opposite other side is the tiny country of Luxembourg.  Anne & I first visited here in 1989.

Important Roman sights include the Roman Baths, an amphitheater, Basilica of Constantine (it was the throne room of Emperor Constantin), and the huge city gate, the Porta Nigra gate, that dates back to 180 A.D.  It has earned the nickname of “the Rome of the North.”

Porta Nigra, Trier

Other sights are the Trier Cathedral (it is the oldest Cathedral in Germany) and the ornate Trier Electoral Palace and gardens.  Also worth a visit is the old town area of the main market (Hauptmarkt)—besides people watching, the backdrop is the Porta Nigra and the large square is lined with a variety of architectural styles and is quite colorful. 

Market Square Trier

There are three tours at this port stop.  First is the “Ancient Tales of the Porta Nigra” and for the active, two options--a Petrisberg hike or a Trier Bike tour.

Bernkastel is a wonderful town of around 8000.  It is located about halfway between Cochem and Trier on the Mosel River.  There are many half-timbered buildings, especially around the market square.  Easily seen from market square is St Michael’s church, built in the 14th century that had a dual purpose— it served as a house of worship and its tall bell tower served as a watch tower in the old city ramparts.  The city has some wonderful fountains—they include St. Michael's fountain on the Market Square, the bear's fountain, and the doctor's fountain.  Overlooking the town is the Landshut Castle ruins.  It was first built in 1277 but was ruined by fire in 1692. 

When sailing from Trier, the Castle and bridge are a dramatic introduction to Bernkastel!

Bernkastel is located in the middle of the Mosel wine-producing region.  This area has been producing wine for over 500 years.  You will get to experience a guided walking tour through the old town center and a winery visit to sample several different regional vintages are scheduled for this portion of your cruise if you go on an AmaWaterways cruise.

Not to be overlooked, there are two active tours—a hike up to Landshut Castle or a Moselle bike tour.

Landshut Castle ruins.

Rhine Castles.  Prior to arriving at Rüdesheim, you will marvel at the Rhine Gorge.  Long before modern river cruising, in 1971, I first sailed this route on a day cruise on a KD ferry ship.  After maybe 7 or 8 times cruising this stretch of the Middle Rhine, it still holds the wonder it had for me back in 1971.

Photo Anne Schrader of Katz Castle in the Rhine Gorge

A photo from 2015 during a cruise through the Rhine Gorge

Stahleck Castle in the Rhine Gorge. Photo Anne Schrader

Rüdesheim, Germany.  The town of Rüdesheim 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).

A lively lane, the Drosselgasse, is lined with taverns and wine-cellars.

The tours here are a Gondola ride and wine tasting, a vineyard hike, a Schloss Johannisberg bike tour, a visit to Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum or tasting Rüdesheimer coffee.  There are certainly a lot of options here!

Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum

Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum

Hank and Jim drinking Rüdesheimer coffee—it is awesome!

The crowded Drosselgasse Lane in Rüdesheim

Ludwigshafen, Germany

You won’t really visit anything in Ludwigshafen because it is the gateway to two great tours—Heidelberg and the Mannheim Baroque Palace.

Heidelberg is a historic university town.  Top sights in Heidelberg, include a visit the red-walled Castle ruins, with its Great Vat, a 49,000-gallon 18th century wine cask.  There are beautiful views of the Neckar Valley and Heidelberg below.

Heidelberg Castle in the Snow

The old town area is a great area to explore.  Heidelberg is charming--where narrow lanes, shops and pubs housed in 17th-century structures in the Altstadt are kept lively by the cadence of student life.  It also has the longest shopping street in Germany.

You can also chose an active tour in Heidelberg by hiking the “Philosopher’s Path”, where scholars at this university town have wandered when thinking about academic pursuits.

Mannheim Baroque Palace is one of the largest residences in Europe.  It was built to highlight the important role of the Prince Electors to the Holy Roman Empire.  In 1720 the palace replaced Heidelberg Castle as the residence of the Prince Elector.

The interiors of the palace are magnificent, especially on the main floor which you will see on your tour.  The building was severely damage during WW II, but it has been restored to its former glory.

The Knight’s Room Mannheim Palace

The Music Room Mannheim Palace

There are 2 other options here—a visit to Schwetzingen Gardens or a Landenburg bike tour.

Strasbourg, France

Strasbourg’s old town is a wonderful stop.   After several visits to Strasbourg, it still beckons us back.  Our first visit was on Bastille Day (14 July) over 30 years ago and the floodlights on the Cathedral were breathtaking.

There are several main attractions.  The Cathedral of Notre-Dame is massive, and the Cathedral square always has lots of life.

Anne took this picture of the huge spire of the Strasbourg Cathedral. The spire is 142 (466 feet) meters high. It is considered one of the most beautiful gothic cathedrals in Europe.

Wander down to Petite France—the home of tanners, fishermen and other artisans—the half-timbered areas are just stunning.

There are 2 options here for tours—the “Gems of Alsace” tour or a Strasbourg bike tour.

Breisach, Germany

Breisach is another gateway city—there are another two great options here—Freiburg, Germany and Riquewihr, France.

Freiburg, Germany (the official name is Freiburg-im-Breisgau) is a blend of old and new. 

This city among other claims to fame is said to the sunniest city in all of Germany.  Located on the southern edge of the Black Forest, and near the Rhine River, it was a good trade location and rich burghers, and the mercantile guilds were the original political force in the city.  

It is a university town (started in the 1400s), once was a walled city but its number one sight is the Freiburger Münster (Freiburg Cathedral) (started in the 1300s). The cathedral was completed in 1513. 

Riquewihr is a constant splash of colors, half-timbered buildings and wine shops jumbled together that just is so charming you will not know where to look next. The next 3 pictures are just some of the colorful structures in Riquewihr.

This medieval walled city still has most of its walls.  There is a watch tower that today houses a museum about the defensive structures of the city, the people who manned the defensive structures and the weapons they used.

Don’t forget to shop, enjoy the food or a snack and sample the white wines this region is so famous for and brought wealth to this village!

Try some food here—the blend of German and French food results in dishes you won’t soon forget.

The regular tours are a Riquewihr walking tour, or an excursion to Freiburg.  The active tours are a Black Forest hike or a Breisach wine country bike tour.

Basel, Switzerland

Basel is the 3rd largest city in Switzerland.  The historic old town area, on the left bank of the Rhine, was once an old Roman citadel on the high ground.  The Munsterplaz (cathedral square) hosts the large church and some wonderful Christmas Markets.  There are no tours here, as it is time to disembark your wonderful cruise.

You will sail under this bridge right near the old town—perhaps now you understand why river cruise ships have only 3 decks!

Basel Town Hall

For a truly immersive experience, there is a three-day Amsterdam pre-cruise land extension and ta 4-day Switzerland post cruise land extension that spends 2 days in Lucerne and 2 days in Zurich.

Our Final Thoughts

This is an exceptional opportunity to see some of the most fascinating and interesting sights in Western Europe.  We think this cruise is unique and really deserves consideration for your European travels.  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

Helping You Get the Right River Cruise--Our Sales Process

Helping You Get the Right River Cruise—Our Sales Process

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

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

In 2022, we helped 50 couples and 1 single to either sail on a European river cruise or put down a deposit on a sailing for travel in 2023 or 2024.  Perhaps the most interesting fact about these folks we helped is that we have never personally met 83% of our clients.

These are pretty amazing statistics for our small 2-person operation or as my lovely wife Anne likes to say that we are a “small volume, high touch agency.”

So, how do we help these folks who do not live in Pearland Texas (the greater Houston Texas area) get the right river cruise for their river cruise vacation (my unofficial count is residents of 25 different states)?  Why do they use us instead of a local travel professional?  How do we/they find us?

So, let’s explore together and learn about our sales process and how it helps the folks we serve get better river cruise vacations.

How Do Folks Find Us?

There are 2 main ways we get potential clients—they find us on the internet, or they are referred by past clients.  We do not advertise and are lucky to have 2 key internet search articles that are number 1 on Google—our 2022-23 Europe River Cruise Company Comparisons (since 1 January to 12 January 2023, 1,217 folks have opened this article) and our Best River Cruise Routes Guide (since the start of January 2023, 490 folks have read this article).

Past clients are very good about referring us to their friends—it is a very high compliment they liked our past services to recommend us.  We take this very seriously to help these folks get the right vacation on a river cruise.

So, now you know how they find us, the most important question is why do they use us instead of a local travel professional or do it on their own?

Why Do Folks Use Us?

I believe most folks use us because we have excellent knowledge about river cruises (okay I’ll say it—we know more than almost every travel professional in the US) and they can trust us.

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

But our knowledge is not just inside our heads—we have so many great content items about every possible phase and aspect of river cruising on our website—www.dreamdestinations.com it is astounding!  Our clients and potential clients don’t have to remember what we tell them—they can read about and reference it later.

Here is just a partial list of items:  an overview of Europe River cruising, Egypt cruises, route guides, port guides, company comparisons, FAQs (frequently asked questions), onboard reviews, stateroom comparisons and tours, blogs about our river cruise services, comparisons, advice, and reviews of routes, trip itineraries wellness offerings and the vibe of each line—over 50 blogs by my count!  I have never found a resource so complete except for a small number of travel writers who travel for free—we have paid for all the 24 river cruises we have taken—I think it makes us not as biased as some others.  Often their work is not as detailed as ours.

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

I also think there are 2 other factors that help clients decide to use us.

First, do they like us—are they comfortable with our methods, processes, demeanor, and our relatability to get their desired river cruise vacation?

Second, do they care about us?

So, let’s see together if our knowledge, our likability, and our empathy towards our clients can help them towards the goal—to get the best river cruise experience for them.

How Do We Help Our Clients Get the Right River Cruise for Their Trip?

The process starts by our potential client reaching out to us for help by phone or email.  Most have never taken a river cruise, but they are well traveled, often have taken an ocean cruise and think a river cruise would be an excellent vacation but are not sure how to start.  They have already done their homework—a river cruise looks like a promising vacation option for them, but they are not sure about how to get the right one for their preferred travel style.

It probably helps that this is an expensive vacation (I like to say river cruising is an expensive hobby) and for that amount of money they are willing to get help—a lot of our clients plan their own vacations and are not totally comfortable giving up control.  They also usually have not used a travel professional and want to know the value and cost to use us (there is very good news here—we do not charge any fees and feel the river cruise companies fairly compensate us with their commission structure which is already built into the cost of the cruise, so they in essence get our services for free).

Our first telephone conversations are always very interesting—we met some fascinating folks.  They are sizing us up—knowledge, trust, care, and likeability by how we interact with them.  They are always a little apprehensive—after all, there is a lot of concern that we will not get them the right river cruise and their first interaction with us is probably on the internet prior to the first phone call.

Imagine you are in their shoes—can these dudes really help us?  On our end it is really simple—our superior knowledge of the river cruise industry and the routes put them at ease.  It is not unusual for us to spend over an hour or more on a phone call.

I like to say we are the real deal—about 99% of their questions we can answer without notes and references.  Here are their most common questions:

Which company would you recommend?  Why?

What is the best route for a first-time river cruiser?  Why is it better than other routes?

Have you ever been on a river cruise?  Have you sailed this route?

What is the daily itinerary on route_____?  Is there a lot of bus rides?  Guided tours?  Free time?  How many different tours per port?  What are the best ports?  Why?

Is it regimented—what is the daily schedule?

What is included in the cruise?

How about food and wine and drinks?  How many dining options?  Can they handle my diet restrictions?

What type of stateroom should I pick?  Do I need a balcony?

I’m very active—are there bikes and wellness activities?  How good are they?

I have limited mobility—is a river cruise right for me?

What about high/low water?

What is the dress code?

What about pre and post trips?

What does it cost to use your services?  Why should we use us?

What about travel insurance?  What does it cost?

Now that we have gotten the myriad of questions answered, we start the process.  First, if they have not done so yet, we require a completed travel request on our website for first time potential clients.  We need to know who they are, where they live and what they want to do, why the want to go on a river cruise, and when they want to go.

With that in hand, we offer ideas of the best route—river cruising is first and foremost about the destinations.  Once we have settled the route question, it is on to the company that best matches their travel style.

Now it is our turn to research their desires and match their needs to what products are available in their desired travel time frame.

After we discuss options, if necessary, and then we move to a formal quote.  We provide a quote document, explain the key terms and conditions, and always explain the travel insurance offered by the vendor.

Now, it is decision time.  They now need to accept the offer or decide it does not work for them, regardless of the reason.  If we can resolve the issues—maybe a different cruise date or a different stateroom, we will attempt to fix it.  Sometimes folks just say no—usually it is too high a cost for them.  Since our mantra is always to do what is best for the potential client, we understand that it always does not work out and we are okay with that result.

Now, we make the deposit on their behalf using their credit card we have taken over the phone.  We then make the deposit for all requested services.  Once complete, we send a copy of the invoice to them.

Once we have completed the deposit, now we handle the details—transfers, pre and post arrangements, perhaps flights thru the vendor (we do not book air directly), or hotels.

We will help them during the pre-cruise planning phase and during the actual cruise.

 About 90 days out, it is final payment time.  Excitement builds.

Now comes the best part—usually a totally satisfied client, whose expectations were exceeded!

How cool is that—we hope it ends that way but sometimes there are bumps in the road (very seldom) and we try to fix the problem or improve for the next trip.  Part of the reason it usually turns out favorably is that, as I like to say, “there are no bad river cruises in Europe and these vacation experiences are probably the best trip you will ever take!”

Our Final Thoughts

Wow—what a process! 

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

We hope you enjoyed this report.

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

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

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

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