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| Me at the window catching some rays |
I was born in Charleston, South
Carolina, a very old town on the east coast of The United
States. My earliest memories are of my
father driving all the kids to the beach at Sullivans Isle so that my mom could
clean the house in peace. I loved standing at the edge of the shore and
daydreaming about what lay on the other side of the very big ocean. Show me the
child of six and I will show you the woman. Those days at the shore left me
with wanderlust and freckles.
I love to travel, especially by boat, being on the water is
my vision of being in heaven. So when I grew up it was no great surprise to
anyone that I went to work on a cruise ship. I even wrote about my adventures
in Cruise Quarters - A Novel About
Casinos and Cruise Ships. I have worked on some really big ships, and I
loved it but then one day I heard about European River Cruises. I know river
cruises have been around for a while but it seems like they have just taken off
in the last ten years. In fact, the company that we cruised with, AMA River Cruises
has only been around for 10 years, and they have already doubled the size or
their fleet. One cruise in and I am a convert and now I would like to share
with you my top ten reasons for traveling around Europe on a very long boat.
1. The scenery, Europe is gorgeous;
the countryside is laced with beautiful forests, architectural gems and
turreted castles sitting high on the hills. We booked a French balcony; most of
the rooms on the ship were in this category. It meant that the cabin had floor
to ceiling windows, which were perfect for river views. Our favorite thing was
to wake up around six in the morning, open the curtains, and lie in bed
watching the world go by on the river as the sun rose in the sky. It doesn't'
end there, all day long wherever you are on the ship, you always have wonderful
views of the shore which is always in sight and the traffic on the river to
entertain you.
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| Watching the world go by from the comfort of the lounge |
2. The river system is incredible. We traveled down the Danube
passing through the Main-Danube Canal.
The canal is 171 km/106miles long. This canal allows traffic to pass between
the North Sea and the black sea. The canal has a total
of 16 locks, each about 625 feet long, 40 feet wide and up to 81 feet deep. It
is thrilling to watch as you are lowered into a lock and see that the ship is
only inches away from the wall, or passing under bridges just inches above the
ship. If you love the Panama Canal you will be amazed by
this canal.
3. River cruising is so smooth. If I hadn't occasionally
heard the sound of the engines I wouldn't even have known that the ship was
moving. We traveled in winter, no matter what the weather, it was like we were
gliding on the water.
4. It is intimate. The ship held only 180 passengers at full
capacity. The crew staff were always available to help you. There were no lines
for anything. The ship was new, and very cozy.
5. You don't have to spend all your time working out how to
travel from place to place. When I traveled by train so much of my time was
spent figuring out the train schedules and I ended up spending many nights on
trains and buses lugging heavy suitcases. The last time I went from Vienna
to Budapest by train I was
exhausted before I even arrived. This time I watched us sail in. I was
refreshed, ready for a new adventure.
6. You only have to pack your bags once. When you visit a
lot of countries in Europe by car or train, you always
seem to be packing. Inevitably you leave a few things behind. But on a river
cruise you unpack at the beginning of the cruise and pack the night before you
go home no matter how many countries you visit. Even though the room on the
ship wasn't huge it had been so well designed that there was plenty of storage
for all our clothes and even our suitcases. We went with a couple who had only tried
bus trips before and they said that this was a much more relaxing experience.
7. Almost everything is included. If you look at the cost of
a river cruise as compared to a bus tour or a regular cruise it might seem
expensive but when you break it down it is a bargain. On our ship all the tours
were included. There were a few optional excursions available but I felt that
the included tours were enough. All our meals were included even beer and wine
at dinner. If any of you have ever traveled to Europe
you know that restaurants can be very expensive.
8. The food was wonderful. Breakfast was a buffet with side
dishes like eggs benedict cooked to order. I especially loved the array of
breads and pastries. My favorite meal was lunch, local specialties were
featured and the chef would cook pasta to order, and it was wonderful the way only
pasta cooked in Europe is. Dinner also included local
specialties, and so much great seafood, such as halibut which, is quite
expensive in America.
Wonderful salmon was available every day. But the bonus we most enjoyed was the
local beer and wine that were included. It was great to sample all that the
countries we visited had to offer.
9. Because you are on a smaller ship traveling down a river and
not on the ocean you can visit small intimate ports. We especially loved the
medieval city of Regensburg in Germany.
It was so convenient. We just walked off the ship and the tour would begin. It
was winter time and the romantic Christmas market at the Thurn and Taxis
Palace was bustling. It was great
to be able to explore the city on our own with only a short walk back to the
ship.
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| Christmas Market in Vienna |
10. Some of the tour options were quite inventive. We cooked
Hungarian Goulash at the Hotel Sofitel in Budapest.
It was a great experience and we got some tips on cooking with paprika. It
wasn't just a demonstration we chopped and fried and even tasted our own
creation served with heavy crusted bread. We left with aprons and tea towels,
and we all agreed it was the best tour. Our AMA cruise manager told us that they
are always looking for way to improve and make our experience more enjoyable.
There is something luxurious about traveling on a cruise
ship whether it be an ocean cruise or river cruise. From the crystal
chandeliers to the polished brass stair railing, ships exude elegance. It is
great that as cruisers we have more options all the time. I am sold on river
cruises, the next time I plan to travel in tulip time.
Maybe I'll see you there.
About the author:
Cara Bertoia is the author of Cruise Quarters - A Novel
About Casinos and Cruise Ships.
Her novel is really a travelogue, a narrative,
a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story
all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people
whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads. Kindle
Fire Dept. says, "This novel is a gem that is nothing short of a vacation
in a book!"
Please check out her most popular posts to find more blogs about cruising.
Below are the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships
