What did I expect from Poland? I’m not sure; I was just excited to go somewhere new and unexpected. What I brought home from Poland were stories of her extended history, images of her glories and pain, glimpses of her future. We easily could have spent several additional days in each city. With even more time we could have made side trips to Poland’s smaller cities, to the countryside, or to the Tatra Mountains. There was so much to see and learn that I had trouble deciding what to write about for this blog. Picturesque. Modern. Medieval. Poignant. Political. Pragmatic. This old, yet new, country left a deep impression. This newbie to Poland is now hoping to return to discover more about this resilient country.
We recently had the opportunity to experience what it’s like to travel with UnCruise Adventures, the small-ship expedition cruise line based out of Seattle, Washington. It was truly an all-encompassing way to see Hawaii and unlike any other cruise line we’ve traveled on before.
It’s always been a dream of ours to experience Machu Picchu and combine it with a visit to the Galapagos. Recently, this dream came to fruition. Sherri and I just returned from a two-week journey to Peru and Ecuador to visit these magical destinations. Some say it is the “journey” that counts, in our case, it is all about the destination!
Last month, Cruises & Beyond had the priviledge to attend an inaugural preview of the Norwegian Bliss. NCL gave travel agents and consultants alike an opportunity to experience their newest ship shortly before her first sailing to Alaska amidst a two night foray into international waters from Los Angeles. With such little time, it was nearly impossible to check out every corner of the ship, but we saw enough to give you our initial impressions of this unique vessel.
There’s a reason why we like to sell Crystal Cruises to our clients. That’s because we strongly believe Crystal is the top luxury cruise line of them all. You’ll pay a premium to sail on one of their ships, but that’s what helps make Crystal’s all-inclusive splendor happen. From 5-star culinary experiences to the unmatched personal service provided by all staff members aboard their ships, Crystal offers the best there can possibly be. It goes without saying that we love Crystal and our clients do too.
Oceans take travelers to destinations, but AmaWaterways' Rhine River cruises take them through the most iconic landscapes of Germany, France and the Netherlands with privileged access to destinations only a river cruise can provide. Phenomenal local guides lead guests to storybook castles, noteworthy vineyards and medieval villages untouched by time, making an AmaWaterways Rhine River cruise nothing short of a spectacular experience.
The rather little-known river cruise division of Adventures by Disney is going all in in the European river market as it plans to expand its river cruise offering to southern France on the Rhone River in 2020. The family focused escorted tour unit already includes departures on the Danube, Rhine and Seine rivers and offers active sightseeing adventures as well as immersive culinary experiences along its itineraries.
Tauck, the family-owned travel company offering over 140 different all-inclusive guided journeys worldwide, will be introducing a new river ship that will navigate the Douro River in Portugal and Spain. This is its first river cruise offered on the Douro River.
When Crystal launched their river cruise arm in 2016 with the introduction of the Crystal Mozart, we wondered whether Crystal would successfully carry over their legendary reputation to this new experience. After a couple of years of pleasing river cruise customers and five new river vessels later, it’s safe to say that Crystal has not only pleased their existing customer base, but has also inserted themselves in the conversation for best river cruise line in a congested river cruise market.
You might be familiar with Viking Cruises as the perennial river cruising giant that has dominated the industry for the past 20 years. You might have even sailed on board one of their 62 river vessels on one of the beautiful European rivers. But have you sailed on one of their new ocean liners?
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