Posts Tagged With: river cruise

There are 106 articles tagged with “river cruise” published on this site.


15 Years Of Memories With AmaWaterways & More To Come

For almost 15 years we’ve been sailing with AmaWaterways, exploring everything from the familiar routes of the Danube and Rhine to the less-trodden paths like the Mekong.

I wanted to share some of my favorite moments from our journeys in hopes that it will remind you of some of the voyages you’ve taken, or get you excited for your future travel plans. The people we’ve met and the experiences we’ve had on AmaWaterways have left us with a lifetime of memories. So here’s to reliving our favorite Ama moments and to the future experiences that await us. Read the rest of this entry »

Riverside Luxury Cruises Christens Riverside Ravel

On August 16, in the medieval town of Viviers, France, Anouchka Gerlach christened the Riverside Ravel during a festive ceremony ahead of Ravel’s inaugural sailing on the Rhône River.

This is the second ship to launch for Riverside Luxury Cruises, a Hamburg-based company founded by siblings Anouchka and Gregor Gerlach in late 2022. The Riverside Ravel will tour the Rhône River between Lyon and Arles and similar to Riverside Mozart, which is sailing the Danube this season, will continue to Read the rest of this entry »

American Queen Brings Christmas to Natchez

American Queen, courtesy of American Queen Voyages, American Cruise Lines

 

It’s warmer than Europe and closer to home—and now only time will tell if cruisers will buy Natchez as a Christmas market destination.

American Queen Voyages is giving it a go, partnering with the city of Natchez, MS, to recreate a traditional Christmas market for cruisers on select itineraries during the 2023 and 2024 holiday seasons.

AQV president Cindy D’Aoust called Natchez “the quintessential Christmas town,” perfect for fusing “European yuletide nostalgia and authentic Southern charm.”

Stopping in Natchez will be:
American Countess – Memphis to New Orleans, November 27 sailing
American Queen – New Orleans to Memphis, December 3 sailing
American Countess – New Orleans to Memphis, December 4 sailing
American Queen – Memphis to New Orleans, December 10 sailing
American Countess – Memphis to New Orleans, December 11 sailing
American Queen – Roundtrip New Orleans to Memphis, December 17 sailing
American Countess – Roundtrip New Orleans to Memphis, December 18 sailing
American Queen – Roundtrip New Orleans to Memphis, December 23 sailing
American Countess – Roundtrip New Orleans to Memphis, December 25 sailing

AQV also will offer special “Holidays on the River” experiences for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, all of which are now available for booking.

The cruise line in June announced that despite solid bookings, it was pulling out of the Great Lakes to focus on its river and Alaska itineraries.

Last week’s survey about booking trends revealed that only 16 percent of you could not see yourself booking a last-minute river cruise in Europe. Who said we couldn’t be spontaneous? Show us a deal, and we’re on board.

Your comments and our commentary.

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AmaWaterways has announced a new limited-time offer for travelers seeking distinctive journeys through Europe and Asia. Now through September 30, 2023, travelers can save 20 percent on the total river cruise fare on new reservations for select Europe and Mekong sailings embarking in 2023 and 2024. As an alternative offer, solo travelers can take advantage of a reduced 20 percent single supplement on the same sailings in select stateroom categories. These limited-time offers* can be combined with AmaWaterways’  AirPlus promotion, creating exceptional savings opportunities for travelers. Read the rest of this entry »

What is an Active & Discovery River Cruise?

When we think of river cruises, we often think of couples drinking wine and gazing off their balconies, wandering through the cobblestone streets of Europe, sitting in the lounge for performances and eating meals in a communal dining room. Those are the things that keep me river cruising, but sometimes I want a little bit more. That’s why I love Avalon’s Active & Discovery itineraries. Avalon incorporates everything people like about a traditional river cruise, but with a twist. And each of these sailings become a new favorite trip because they attract such an adventurous and enthusiastic crowd of people.

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For those looking to explore the waterways of Europe and beyond, CroisiEurope Cruises is an excellent choice. As Europe’s largest river cruise line, they pride themselves on welcoming over 220,000 passengers annually across its fleet of 51 ships, and more than 200 itineraries. With a range of unique destinations and ships, plus a commitment to reducing its environmental impact, CroisiEurope Cruises is a great option for travelers seeking a high-quality river cruise experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Riverside Luxury River Cruises has a new Summer Sale.  The offers are for bookings made by August 31.

  • Receive a US$150 per person onboard credit
  • No single supplement on Harmony & Melody Suites

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American Queen

 

It’s the last season for American Queen Voyages in the Great Lakes, the company announced on Tuesday. All published voyages through November 2023 will continue, but then the company plans to sell Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager and focus on its river cruises.

“Our customers consistently tell us our US river itineraries are exceptional and demonstrate this by returning again and again,” said AQV president Cindy D’Aoust. “All of our focus is being put into updating and enhancing our popular river product with strategic partnerships and an elevated culinary program, which we know have been very well received.”

Viking, meanwhile, which began sailing the Great Lakes in 2022, just launched its second expedition ship there.

AQV now will add new itineraries for several ships in 2024 and 2025, including:

  • New three- and four-day Lower Mississippi cruises on the American Queen.
  • A 16-day trip down the Mississippi from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, including intricate locks and dams and the birthplaces of jazz and country music.
  • American Countess will sail a new bourbon-themed voyage featuring food and spirits experts such as Dickie Brennan, chef-owner of Bourbon House in New Orleans, and American Empress will sail new wine-themed cruises on the Snake and Columbia rivers.

5 Ways Avalon Waterways Goes Above & Beyond

At the beginning of this month, I was a guest on board Avalon Waterways’ newest ship, Avalon View. I was invited by Avalon to experience one of their Active & Discovery itineraries on the Danube, but we will focus more on the itinerary in the upcoming weeks. Today, I want to talk about five ways that Avalon went above and beyond my expectations.

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As travel advisors headed across the Atlantic to ASTA’s River Cruise Expo this year, 100 members of Gifted Travel Network already were onsite. They had been there for a week, attending their annual symposium—which GTN hosted for the first time aboard a river cruise ship it chartered for its own use.

Indeed, interest in full-ship charters is blooming this year. Travelers are back, river cruise ships are looking for partnerships, and travel advisors are coming to see the viability—and potential profits—of renting a whole ship. Read the rest of this entry »

Avalon Will Debut On The Douro In 2024

One year from this week (in 2024), Avalon Waterways will make its Portugal debut on the Douro River with a new itinerary and Suite Ship – the Avalon Alegria.

AVALON’S LATEST, “GRAPEST” CRUISE

Hillside vineyards and historic villages await guests as they sail through Portugal’s postcard-perfect views on Avalon’s all-new, eight-day Vida Portugal: Vineyards & Villages Along the Douro which begins and ends in Porto and is filled with Avalon’s signature, included “Classic,” “Discovery” and “Active” excursion choices. Featuring everything from ancient Amarante – in the picturesque Minho region, known for its golden church that dates back to 1530 – to the sandstone architecture in Salamanca Spain; rock art to riding bikes from Porto to the sea, this new cruise promises countless ways to soak up splendor – from medieval castles to cinematic scenery and all the vinho, baked bread, olives and cheese your soul desires. Read the rest of this entry »

Symphonic concert at Palais Pallavicini. Image courtesy of Tauck.

 

US-based Tauck this week grew its presence in Europe, kicking off the 2024 river cruise season with six new itineraries, the most it has ever added in a single year. All the cruises include pre and post trips, including some new cities in Germany and Switzerland.

Tauck CEO Dan Mahar noted that dinners ashore will be at beautiful and unique settings such as the Palais Pallavicini in Vienna, a Dutch castle on its own private island, or an Italian Renaissance-style mansion in a small commune in northern France. Guests will overnight at properties like the Fairmont Montreux Palace, the Riessersee Hotel in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the InterContinental Geneve in Geneva.

Also on the agendas are wine tastings in Frankfurt, Strasbourg, and Chalon-Sur-Saône, France; a craft beer tour in Dusseldorf; a brewery tour in Antwerp; and a tasting of local brandies and apple ciders in Normandy. All dinners and excursions are included in the tour price.

The new cruises are:

Danube Kingdoms: Bavaria, Austria & Hungary: Munich to Budapest, 12 days from $6,990 per person plus airfare

  1. Itinerary: Includes a four-night, land-based exploration of Bavaria with hotel stays in Munich and Partenkirchen, plus a seven-night cruise along the Danube visiting Passau, Linz, Salzkammergut, Cesky Krumlov, Melk, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.
  2. Highlight dinner: Guests will attend a Tauck Exclusive evening at a private Viennese palace, Palais Pallavicini, featuring a reception, gala dinner, and classical music performances. The palace has hosted luminaries including Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, and it has been the home of the Pallavicini family for more than 180 years.

Three Rivers: Danube, Main & Rhine: Amsterdam to Regensburg (or reverse), 10 days from $5,990 per person plus airfare

  1. Itinerary: Ports of call include Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Köln, Bonn, Koblenz, Boppard, Frankfurt, Wertheim, Marktheidenfeld, Würzburg, Bamberg, Bayreuth, Nürnberg, and Regensburg.
  2. Highlight dinner: Guests will enjoy an evening at the opulent Schlosshotel Kronberg. The former home of German Empress Victoria Friedrich, Schlosshotel Kronberg took four years to build (1889 – 1893). Today, Schlosshotel Kronberg is operated by the royal House of Hesse as a luxury hotel, and it is set amid parklands featuring an 18-hole golf course designed by Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Rhine Connoisseur: Montreux to Brussels: Montreux to Brussels (or reverse), 11 days from $6,790 per person plus airfare

  1. Itinerary: Begins with a three-night stay at the Fairmont Montreux Palace and explorations of the Lavaux Vineyards, Montreux and Glacier 3000. A subsequent seven-night cruise visits Strasbourg, Rüdesheim, Koblenz, and Düsseldorf along the Rhine before traveling on to Gorinchem, Antwerp, and Brussels.
  2. Highlight dinner: A Tauck-exclusive reception and dinner are featured at Slot Loevestein. Set in a nature reserve on a private island open only to Tauck guests for the evening, the 14th-century castle has served as a prison, residence and toll station at the strategic confluence of the Maas and Waal rivers.

Hidden Waterways of Flanders and Holland: Brussels to Amsterdam (or reverse), 8 days from $4,690 per person plus airfare

  1. Itinerary: Ports of call along the scenic Dutch waterways include Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges, Gorinchem, Leiden, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
  2. Highlight dinner: A Tauck-exclusive reception and dinner are featured at Slot Loevestein. Set in a nature reserve on a private island open only to Tauck guests for the evening, the 14th-century castle has served as a prison, residence and toll station at the strategic confluence of the Maas and Waal rivers.

River Seine: Châteaux, Impressionism & Normandy: Begins and ends near Paris at Le Pecq, 8 days from $4,990 per person plus airfare

  1. Itinerary: Visits Auvers-sur-Oise, Les Andelys, Tilly, Mont-Saint-Michel, Étretat, Honfleur, the D-Day Beaches of Normandy, Rouen, Giverny (where Tauck guests enjoy exclusive early-entry admission to the home and gardens of Impressionist painter Claude Monet) and Le Pecq.
  2. Highlight dinner: Tauck guests will enjoy a private evening with a tour, dinner, and music at Château du Taillis. Set on a parkland estate in Duclair, France and built in 1530, this Italian Renaissance mansion with baroque interiors is a brilliant architectural showcase.

La Belle Vie: The Rhône, Geneva & The Riviera: Cannes to Geneva (or reverse), 14 days from $7,990 plus airfare

  1. Itinerary: This 14-day itinerary includes a nine-night river cruise along the Rhône bookended by two, two-night hotel stays with guided Tauck sightseeing in Cannes and Geneva. Along the way, guests have the opportunity to experience Aix-en-Provence, Arles, La Camargue, Avignon, Uzès, St-Rémy, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tain l’Hermitage, Mâcon, Cluny, Chalon-sur-Saône, Beaune, Tournus, Cormatin and Lyon.
  2. Highlight dinner: Tauck guests will enjoy an exclusive evening at Duché d’Uzès featuring a private tour, dinner, and cocktails. The family castle of the Duke of Uzès, the home was once the site of a Roman governor’s residence and the haven of an exiled 9th-century duchess.

Viking Aton Joins the Fleet Sailing the Nile

Viking Aton ship with cruise executives tanding in front of ship.
Photo courtesy of Viking.

 

Viking’s newest ship, the Viking Aton, “floated out” this week, headed for her debut in Egypt in August, with pre- and post-trips to Jerusalem and Jordan.

As the third Viking ship custom-built to sail the Nile, Aton marks the halfway point to the six-ship fleet the company envisions on the longest river in the world, which flows north out of Africa into the Mediterranean Sea.

Like her identical sister ship Viking Osiris, Viking Aton holds 82 guests and 65 crew and will sail a 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.

“We are proud to be the only western company to build, own and operate ships on the Nile, and with the float out of the Viking Aton, we look forward to welcoming more guests to experience this fantastic region,” said Viking chairman Torstein Hagen.

Viking reports “very strong demand in Egypt,” with the 2023 season and many 2024 dates already sold out. In all, the line plans to have six ships sailing the Nile by 2025, including Viking Ra, which launched in 2018, and two more shifts under construction now, Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek.

In addition to the 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, guests can sign up for a five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension beginning in London, which includes private visits to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum; the home of Sir John Soane, whose collection of Egyptian antiquities includes a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus; and Highclere Castle, to view the Earl’s private collection of Egyptian artifacts. There’s also a Pre Extension in Jerusalem and a Post Extension in Jordan that includes Jerash, Kerak, and the lost city of Petra.

Separately, Egypt’s ministry of tourism and antiquities this week announced the discovery of the ancient underground tomb complex of Panehsy, steward of the temple of Amun under Ramses II, around 1250 BC.

“Egypt is one of the most difficult areas in the world to book. There are many local companies who offer Nile cruises, but it’s very difficult to know who the trustworthy ones are,” said travel advisor Lainey Melnick. “Having the big name cruise lines stepping into that market makes it so much more accessible to Americans who are willing to pay that premium price for something they trust and understand. It makes all the difference in that region.”

 

Because you’ve been on over 50 cruises or have made hundreds of cruise bookings, don’t think it will be “business as usual” for your new bookings. Many things have changed, and not just for the better.

This is especially true for the high-end “Big Three” cruise lines (Regent, Seabourn, and Silversea), where all-inclusive fares make it difficult for the lines to pay down their share of the massive $74 billion debt their parent companies (Norwegian, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean) ran up during the pandemic; and fund the building of even more luxurious ships to fend off attacks from well-financed newcomers such as Viking, and Ritz-Carlton (Marriot).

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Dear AmaWaterways, Thank You

This week I have been feeling grateful. After accepting a new part-time job opportunity at a brewery in town and receiving tremendous support from my friends and family after sustaining a foot injury, I wanted to make sure that I gave thanks to those around me – whether it was a text, a phone call, or a handwritten note. As I sat down to brainstorm content for the week, I realized that there was someone (something?) else that I wanted to thank – the company that gave me my first introduction to river cruising and has continually delivered unforgettable experiences onboard since.

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CroisiEurope is offering complimentary airfare on select summer departures on Seine and Loire River itineraries. The air-inclusive packages are currently limited to flights in and out of New York City’s Newark Airport (EWR) on select departure dates. However, CroisiEurope has plans to expand these offerings in the upcoming months, providing more opportunities for travelers to take advantage of similar deals.

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Viking Ocean has burst on the nautical luxury scene with unbridled enthusiasm. With 10 cruise ships and 64 riverboats, some say they’re dominating the market already. No other cruise line visits so many ports each day. Their river craft are positioned close to the high-end of the market, but probably below AMA and Tauck in price and quality.

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AmaWaterways, the first major river cruise line to explore the magnificent Magdalena River in Colombia, announced details on two stunning, newly designed ships and mesmerizing itineraries debuting in 2024. As the demand for immersive cultural experiences continues to grow, AmaWaterways is now accepting reservations for its extraordinary program into the heart of Colombia, with unforgettable experiences awaiting on board the custom-built AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia.

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Earlier this week, AmaWaterways held a special Sip & Sail event to provide details about its new Latin America cruises. Beginning in April of 2024, AmaWaterways will offer a series of seven-night sailings, with optional add-ons, along the Magdalena River. The cruises will operate on two new ships carrying 60/64 guests between Barranquilla and Cartagena. The new ships, named AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia, are wider than those operating in Europe, because there are no narrow locks to contend with on the Magdalena river.

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It’s kickoff season for the biggest year yet for American Cruise Lines, with more ships in more states than ever before. American Serenade, the line’s sixth riverboat, and the first two Coastal Catamarans will join the fleet. On the West Coast, American Jazz will be the first riverboat in 80 years to sail San Francisco Bay and into California Wine Country; on the East Coast, American Star will sail an eight-day Great Rivers of Florida itinerary roundtrip from Jacksonville.

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