The story is especially poignant for me after cruising the Mekong on AMAWATERWAYS La Marguerite.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we visited the Killing Fields as well as the torture camp known as S-21.

For me, it was important that my daughter and I saw the Killing Fields and the torture camp so that we would never forget the atrocities committed there, just as it is important to see holocaust memorials and museums. Nonetheless, it was a gut-wrenching day in Phnom Penh, especially when confronted with a tree against which babies were beaten to death.

The New York Times article was of particular interest, and I admit some disappointment in such a light sentence for such horrible crimes.

A grim but necessary morning in Phnom Penh. We visited one of the Khmer Rouge's many 'Killing Fields,' where the renegade regime committed genocidal atrocities during its rule from 1975 to 1979. Our guide (pictured) told us how his father was captured and imprisoned by the Khmer Rouge and how out of thousands at S-31, was only one of six to survive. How? He noticed that the Khmer Rouge used hundreds of padlocks to incarcerate prisoners but had no system to organize the keys, so they were forced to cut the locks with bolt-cutters each time they took a prisoner away (for interrogation and torture likely). Upon arriving at S-31, our guide's father told the guards he could pick the locks, saving the padlocks for future use. Although he had never picked a lock before, he had observed someone doing so years before. Each morning at a cafe in Phnom Penh, the father had watched a shopkeeper pick a padlock to enter his store. In a test before the prison commander, the father succeeded in unlocking 7 of 10 padlocks. As a worker in the prison, he was no longer treated in the same way as prisoners. However, he was shackled each day. Never mind that he could pick the lock any time he wanted to. After the Khmer Rouge was toppled, his father returned to the village where he had been given up for dead.

At The Killing Fields In Phnom Penh. It is estimated that the Khmer Rouge exterminated as much as one third of Cambodian's population between 1975 and 1979.

Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is situated at the site of the notorious Security Prison 21 (or S-21). A former high school, S-21 was used a prison and torture chambers during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia.

Small prison cells at Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, situated on the site of the notorious Security Prison 21 (or S-21). A former high school, S-21 was used a prison and torture chambers during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia.

Powered by the TravelAge West magazine, these awards target and celebrate innovation in the fields of cruise, tour operator, airline, hotel & resort and destination travel.

From high-end décor that’s chic to complimentary Internet access in every stateroom, AMALYRA does not leave its guests yearning for ultra-modern conveniences or comfortable accommodations.

• Cabin sizes are comfortable, at 170 square feet each.
• More than 82 percent of cabins feature French balconies.
• Beds boasts feather-soft down duvets.
• Get a spa-like experience in marble bathrooms – not to mention the terrycloth robes and slippers to make the soothing experience complete.
• Flat-screen TV deliver first-run Hollywood flicks right in the comfort of your cabin.
• Shipwide Wi-Fi access.

From European dining service to a fitness center to burn those calories consumed, AMALYRA features the amenities of luxury ocean-going vessels.

For those who need activity on their cruises, take a dip in the whirlpool, go walking on the track on the Sun Deck or hop on a bike to explore riverside villages. AMAWATERWAYS also offers complimentary city tours on all of its vessels.

The Avid Cruiser’s Ralph Grizzle talks with the Kristin Karst, vice president of AMAWATERWAYS, about why river cruising is such a great way to see Europe.

My friend Gary McLaughlin, a professional videographer, has produced a couple of informative and inspirational videos featuring AMAWATERWAYS Mekong River cruises. I cruised with AMAWATERWAYS  on the Mekong this past spring, and the cruise definitely rated as one of the top travel experiences of my life. You can see my articles at a mini-site on River Cruise Advisor, Cruising The Mekong. Meantime, enjoy Gary’s videos. The top video is titled, Mekong River Cruises by AMAWATERWAYS. The video below features AMAWATERWAYS Vietnam & Cambodia Highlights. Enjoy!

A wine-lovers dream cruise! AMAWATERWAYS will cruise along the Wine, er, make that Rhine and Mosel rivers on a wine cruise this coming November. In Bernkastel, pictured, visit the castle ruin overlooking the city center of half-timbered buildings and cobblestone streets.

AMAWATERWAYS will offer a “Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel” cruise this fall, departing November 12, 2010, on the luxurious MS AMALEGRO.

The special 7-night itinerary includes visits to world-famous wineries, off-site dinners hosted by renowned winemakers, onboard lectures and more.  Hosted by AMAWATERWAYS President Rudi Schreiner, the 7-night cruise will travel from Amsterdam to Trier, Germany, followed by three nights in Paris.

Accompanying the cruise will be winemaker Jim Clendenen, owner of the internationally-acclaimed Au Bon Climat winery in Santa Maria, California and Archie McLaren, founder and chairman of the Central Coast Wine Classic.  A portion of the cruise proceeds will be donated to charities supported by the Central Coast Wine Classic, one of the country’s preeminent wine auctions.

Moselle River cruises offer wine tastings in such wine villages as Cochem, settled by the Celts and later by Romans before being granted a town charter in 1332.

Cruise Highlights Include Dinners & Wine Tastings

Highlights of the “Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel” itinerary include a dinner and wine tasting with a representative from the renown Georg Breuer winery at the Ruedesheimer Schloss in Rudesheim, Germany.  The scenic Rhine Gorge town of Rudesheim is famous for its quaint wine taverns and surrounding vineyards, including the family-owned Breuer estate.

In Koblenz, guests will discover a 2,000-year old wine town at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers.

Mosying Along The Mosel

Continuing through the Mosel river valley, the world’s steepest vineyards and certainly one of the world’s most beautiful rivers, picturesque villages and charming wine towns appear at every turn. During the cruise from Koblenz to the riverside wine town of Winnigen, guests will enjoy an exceptional luncheon, with menu items paired with wines from the Heymann-Lowenstein winery.

In Cochem, guests will discover perfectly preserved timber-framed homes, medieval squares and the spectacular Reichsburg Castle perched above the Mosel.  A welcoming wine fest awaits in the Mosel town of Zell, famous for its “Zeller Schwarze Katz” (Black Cat) wine.

An evening wine tasting in a local underground wine cellar showcases the area’s famous varietals.  In Bernkastel, guests will enjoy a walking tour followed by a wine tasting at the Wine Museum hosted by Michael Stahlmann from the famous Dr. Loosen winery.   Strategically located in the heart of the Mosel wine-producing region, Bernkastel boasts more than 500 years of documented wine history, and is known as “the international town of vine and wine.”

Situated on the Moselle River is the Romanesque city of Trier, Germany’s oldest city and also one that claims to be 1,300 years older than Rome itself. Trier's Porta Nigra (Black Gate) dates from the 2nd century, when Trier was a Roman city.

Of course, throughout the cruise, guests will enjoy gourmet dining accompanied by complimentary local wines (plus beer and soft drinks) at dinner.  Additional AMAWATERWAYS amenities include French Balconies, complimentary 3G high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi; complimentary first-run Hollywood films; complimentary specialty coffees and bottled water, a fleet of bicycles on board plus much more.

After the 7-night cruise, guests will head to Luxembourg for a city tour of the Grand Duchy, followed by a high-speed TGV transfer to Paris.  The three-night stay in the City of Lights includes a guided city tour, plus an exclusive excursion to the Champagne region.

Uniworld will be chartering the River Victoria from a Russian company, starting in May. The design team from Red Carnation Hotels, Uniworld’s sister company, will be working together with its Russian partners on the refurbishment plans, according to Guy Young, president of Uniworld.

Young would not disclose how much is being invested in the refurbishment of the ship, which is being stripped down to its hull.

Series of three cabins are being combined into two, which will create cabins ranging in size between 135 square feet and 210 square feet. The majority of cabins, category 1-3, will be 210 square feet, with 70% of all cabins featuring balconies. Category 4-5 cabins will be 135 square feet and category 6 cabins will be 161 square feet.

There will also be 10 suites: two junior suites at 334 square feet each; six deluxe suites at 269 square feet each; and two presidential suites at 409 square feet each. As part of the refurbishment an elevator will be added and all public areas will be renovated.

The 423 foot-long, 55 foot-wide River Victoria will be a 206-passenger vessel. It has four decks and features a restaurant, bar, library and fitness room.

In 2011, the River Victoria will sail the 13-day Imperial Waterways of Russia itinerary along the Volga River between St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as the reverse itinerary. Uniworld will operate 12 departures between May 20 and September 29, 2011.

Cruise-only prices range from $3,299 to $3,699, based on double occupancy and not including port charges.

The news comes on the heels of AMAWATERAYS announcing that it is signing a five-year lease on the newly renovated river cruise ship, the 212-passenger Amakatarina, which will set sail on the Volga River on May 10, 2011.

The Amakatarina will replace the company’s existing leased vessel in Russia, the 160-passenger Tolstoy, which will sail through the remaining 2010 season. ”We are overseeing every detail of the ship’s renovation,” said Rudi Schreiner, president of AMAWATERWAYS. “This will allow us to make sure the vessel is perfectly tailored to the high standards that Ama Waterways passengers expect.”

In addition to lending capital, Schreiner said that AMA would consult on the ship’s redesign and interior renovations. The ship is going to be stripped entirely and is being converted from a 400-passenger to a 212-passenger vessel, Schreiner said.

Of the 106 cabins, 76 will feature balconies. There will be 10 cabin categories, including four suite categories, with suites ranging from 280 to 432 square feet.

The ship will have a total of 24,025 square feet of interior space. The public areas will include a restaurant, panorama lounge, conference hall, sauna, bar and nightclub and solarium.

AMAWATERWAYS is offering 11-day itineraries on the Amakatarina along the Volga-Baltic Waterway, including three days in St. Petersburg and two days in Moscow. The cruise also includes visits to Uglich and Yaroslavl, then transit across the two lakes of Onega and Ladoga. The Amakatarina will sail 14 departures for the 2011 season.

Viking River Cruises also plans on completely refurbishing the Viking Pakhomov in Russia, which will undergo a bow-to-stern renovation like those of its sister ships, Viking Surkov and Viking Kirov, relaunched in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

The Pakhomov will feature hotel-style beds and flat-panel televisions. Public areas such as the restaurant, lounges, library and bar will be completely remodeled.

Avalon Waterways Panorama Suite

When Avalon Waterways unveiled plans in late May to launch what it called a “Suite Ship” — the Avalon Panorama with 64 suites (pictured) at 200 square feet each — the very definition of what constitutes a river cruise suite was put into question.

“We took a page from the hotel and big ship areas. From the hotel area, they define a suite as having a separate living area, sofa, chairs, some kind of area that can accommodate space beyond the bed,” said Steve Born, vice president of marketing for the Globus Family of Brands, which owns Avalon Waterways.

“For Avalon, anything 200 square feet and above is a suite, and the reason is we use that extra space for a living area … Size does matter, but it’s not just size but how you use it. It’s how you manipulate that space to have the extra living area.”

Indeed, river cruising takes its notes from the hotel and cruise industries, where the lines are also becoming increasingly blurred between what defines a suite, compared to a regular room or cabin.

But some feel that the term “suite” should really be reserved for cabins with two separate rooms, while others feel the term suite is about a certain level of comfort and luxury.

“In an ideal situation, a suite should be a two-room situation,” said Ron Santangelo, who served as president of Deilmann’s North America operations for 13 years, and is now vice president of business development at AMAWATERWAYS. “The word has been used and abused.” If a cabin just has a sitting area, said Santangelo, it should be called a “junior suite.”

“If you wanted to be a purist, that’s the game,” he added. “That said, no one’s a purist anymore.”

Part of what’s at play is that there is no single definition of a suite in river cruising, so river cruise lines define the word themselves based on how they want to market and sell certain cabins.

“In river cruising there is no governing body that defines what a suite is,” said Guy Young, president of Uniworld River Cruises. “This does leave the door open for different interpretation. In the case of Uniworld there is a clear difference between our standard staterooms and suites.”

According to Young, suites on Uniworld ships are typically 50% larger than regular staterooms and include a separate seating area. Suites are also defined with additional amenities such as free laundry service, shoe shine, bottle of wine on arrival, daily fruit and cookie plate, continental breakfast delivered to the room (er, suite) upon request and DVD players.

On Uniworld’s River Beatrice, launched last year, and the River Antoinette, launching next year, Uniworld offers butler service in the suites as well.

Looking at size, there will be eight suites on Uniworld’s newest ship, Antoinette, at 294 square feet each and one owner’s suite at 391 square feet.

As for whether the wide-ranging definitions in the river cruise marketplace could water down the implication of luxury, the word suite is meant to imply, or create confusion, Santangelo didn’t seem to think so.

“The word suite implies luxury without boundaries. The fact that everyone uses it in different ways, is really not a liability,” said Santangelo, adding that on AMAWATERWAYS’ new Amabella ship the suites are 350 square feet, and are called suites despite not having two separate rooms.

The bottom line, said Santangelo, is that “on the newer ships there are a lot more of them” — regardless of what you want to call them.

Both ships in 2011 will primarily be chartered by the Australian market but departures for the North American market will be available October through December, 2011.

Just like the newly-built Amabella, the Amaverde will feature staterooms averaging 214 square feet and balconies, multiple dining venues including a restaurant that seats just 24 and has its own private chef, a library, and a swimming pool. There will also be room service for select cabin categories.

The vessels will also feature AMAWATERWAYS’ newly-upgraded infotainment system, offering complimentary high-speed Internet access, complimentary first-run movies and classic films.

All AMAWATERWAYS vessels have complimentary Wi-Fi throughout, French balconies, complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with dinner and a fleet of bicycles onboard.

The Amabella will be AMAWATERWAYS’ eighth company-owned ship in Europe. The company also charters ships in France, Portugal, Russia and on the Mekong River.

Dear Editor:

Last month, we had 57 people booked on a 14-night Viking River cruise from Antwerp to Basil departing on April 18. Our group was to fly on April 17, but the flights were cancelled due to the volcanic ash.

On Monday, April 19, we contacted Viking River Cruises personnel and were told that our group would not be able to catch up with the cruise, as flights were still uncertain, and that the group members would need to go to their insurance companies for claims. What was striking about this was that other companies did the “right thing” and rebooked passengers for future cruises (Avalon, Uniworld, AMA Waterways, Collette Vacations to name a few).

We worked our way up the ladder and ended up talking with Milton Hugh, Sr. VP of Sales. He said they couldn’t get us out and wouldn’t reaccommodate us. He told us that the ship sailed and that it was not Viking’s fault that our group couldn’t get there, even though we purchased air through Viking’s air department.

We appealed, and Mr. Hugh told us that we would have an answer on Friday, April 23, a week after the flight cancellations. Of course, April 23 came and went with no answer, so I called and e-mailed on Monday April 26.

Mr. Hugh returned the call and left a message telling us that our clients were going to get their airfare back (actually coming from the airline) and a voucher for 50 percent off what they paid that could be used for a future 2010 cruise only. Not 2011, as some of our people were willing to do the same trip in 2011 that they missed in 2010.

I sent a letter and e-mails to the President (Tor Hagen ) and never had the courtesy of a return call or e-mail. I find the approach of Viking to be extremely poor. They have lost my company as a customer for the future. I would not recommend them for any future trips. If our clients choose to rebook them with the voucher, that is their decision.

Now for a completely different response: we had excellent communication and response from Travelex Insurance. Mike Ambrose was very responsive and worked with his people to do the “right thing.”

We will continue to use Travelex as a preferred partner. Also, to assist us with our group, AMAWATERWAYS and Kristin Karst stepped up to take care of our clients. AMA offered some great values on three future cruises as an option for our clients.

The point was not the fact that there was a problem with flying that made people miss their trip, but how a vendor handle the situation afterward. In that regard, I give thumbs up to Travelex and AMAWATERWAYS. I give thumbs down to Viking River Cruises.

Paul Seiferth

Terra Travel

Noodle Station, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

During breakfast and lunch on La Marguerite, there was a “Fresh Noodle Station,” which prepared delicious noodle soups. Also available: a buffet of Western and Asian foods, fresh fruits and cheeses.

Noodle soup, an option for breakfast and lunch

Beer and wine were included for both lunch and dinner. The Vietnamese beer was good, especially after a morning of touring, but the Vietnamese wine – well, what can I say? As you might expect, it left a lot to be desired. Next season, however, AMAWATERWAYS will upgrade the wines on La Marguerite, probably to New Zealand or Australian vintages.

Dinner was a sit-down-and-be-served affair. Most of the passengers I spoke with were pleased with the dinner choices and quality. You’re not getting Michelin-starred cuisine on La Marguerite, but the food was good, and getting better. AMAWATERWAYS is using its European chefs to train the kitchen staff.

For those who need their comfort foods, hamburgers and cheeseburgers were on the “Always Available” menu.

As noted in another post, there were no illnesses that I know of from food on the ship. All water used, to cook and wash vegetables, was treated. Bottled water was supplied for staterooms and tours.