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Cruise With Me In 2022: Budapest To Amsterdam or Christmas Markets
Seems that every time I host a cruise, I end up committing to hosting more. In 2022, I am now hosting a total of five trips. Three of those are sold-out barge trips that got pushed forward from 2019. Two, however, are brand new, and I am excited about both of these trips because they sail a couple of my favorite itineraries.
Magnificent Europe On Crystal Mahler
The first trip takes us from Budapest to Amsterdam, July 6-20, 2022. We’ll cruise for 14 nights on Crystal Mahler on the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers. This is a wonderful way to experience the heartland of Europe. I’ve cruised this itinerary before, and I could have easily stayed on board to repeat it in the opposite direction. After all, what’s not to love about these gorgeous riverscapes and the cities and villages along three of Europe’s most storied rivers?
You can view the full itinerary on Crystal’s website, but return here for special pricing and to join our group. We’ll also enhance Crystal’s program with pre- and post-trip activities as well as special events and excursions along the way.
If you are at all interested in this trip, please complete the form below.
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Christmas Markets On The Rhine With Oscar Wilde
I know what you’re thinking. Hasn’t Oscar Wilde been long dead? Yes, the Irish poet passed away in Paris in 1900, but his spirit lives through the ship that carries his name for Riviera River Cruises. If you’re not familiar with the company, check out my post, Seven Ways That Riviera Seeks To Stand Out.
We’ll cruise roundtrip Cologne. You can view the full itinerary on Riviera’s website, but return here for special pricing and to join our group. We’ll also enhance Riviera’s program with pre- and post-trip activities as well as special events and excursions along the way.
Riviera is providing incentives for booking, including a limited selection of solo cabins with no single supplement and a complimentary drinks package for anyone who books and deposits up until the end of January 2022.
If you are at all interested in this trip, please complete the form below.
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Your Hosts: Ralph Grizzle & Tamera Trexler
If you’re a regular reader of River Cruise Advisor you already know me, but you probably do not know Tamera. We both are active adventurers, probably more like active soft adventurers, but for those who enjoy biking, hiking or walking, we’ll be leading several day adventures on each of these trips.
Ralph & Tamera, cycling in Croatia on a Backroads/Ponant adventure in 2019.
About Ralph Grizzle
Ralph began his journalistic career at the age of 32, following the conclusion of his “sabbatical decade.” From 1980 through 1990, he bicycled across America, pedaled through Europe and island-hopped the South Pacific. After backpacking through Bali, bussing through Java, hopping a boat to Singapore and crossing Malaysia to Thailand, he flew into Burma, tramped to Dhaka and endured a 32-hour train ride from calamitous Calcutta to bustling Bombay. From there, he hopped a plane for Greece and traveled to Switzerland before returning home, where he settled, quite naturally, into a career of travel writing. Ralph’s work has appeared in numerous consumer magazines. He is the founder of avidcruiser.com and rivercruiseadvisor.com as well as the author of Remembering Charles Kuralt and other books, including the Ultimate River Cruising Handbook.
About Tamera Trexler
Tamera has been a nomad/global traveller and nature lover for her entire life. After holding a professional career in counseling for 25 years and living in England for six years, she embarked on the epic journey of through-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2007. Today, her hikes include not only the AT but also Western North Carolina; the West Highland Way in Scotland, Yosemite, Glacier, the Long Trail, Pacific Crest Trail sections, Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park. True to her passion, Tamera is a hiking guide for Asheville’s Blue Ridge Hiking Company, owned by National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis.
Nearly a year after Crystal’s ships ceased sailing, Riverside Luxury Cruises acquired the double-width Crystal Mozart. That left four recently built Crystal river cruisers with an uncertain fate – Bach, Ravel, Mahler and Debussy. Last week, Riverside acquired the remaining four ships. How much of Crystal will Riverside preserve, if any, and how will the new river cruise company differ?
Two years ago, I posted The Moselle: Europe’s Most Beautiful River – At Least During The Fall. The Moselle was just as enchanting when I cruised on Crystal Debussy earlier this month. The wine harvest was in full swing, with workers plucking grapes from vineyards that seemed to run straight up the steep hillsides. The weather was stunning along the Moselle, with sunny days and blue skies
On my October 2019 river cruise, Crystal had set the bar high, and naturally I was curious to find out if the pandemic had forced the company to cut corners on my cruise in October 2021. Would the food quality have suffered due to cost-cutting? Would service be as exemplary as it had been on Bach? Would the champagne be poured as freely? And what about that caviar? Would they still be dishing that out?
One day after disembarking Crystal Debussy, I received a phone call from one of the six guests who accompanied me. “Possibly the best cruise ever,” the experienced cruiser said. I had to agree. Just as was the case with Crystal Bach on the Rhine and Moselle in October of 2019, Crystal Debussy exceeded our expectations.
I am among those who feel like a canary in a coal mine. This afternoon I boarded Crystal Debussy. Before doing so, however, I had to show a negative Covid test. Crystal provided the testing and fast results, and thankfully, my results were negative. If I can continue to show negative tests, including the one before flying back to the United States, this canary in a coal mine will be signaling the way ahead for others who long to visit Europe.
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