Our Travel Experts: River Cruises & Barges

My first job in the cruise industry, nearly 14 years ago, was working for a company operating an elegant Expedition - style cruise ship that carried no more than 250 passengers. I took my first ever cruise on this ship, plying the waters of the mighty Amazon River from Manaus, Brazil to Cayenne, French Guyana. This is when I fell in love with Small Ship cruises, which include smaller coastal vessels, river barges and other similarly sized vessels. My next cruise was on the Yangtze River, which I sailed on just a few years ago, before the Three Gorges Dam project was completed. I have since gained Small Ship Expert status from Cruise West, which operates a fleet of small ships in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the Pacific side of Mexico and Central America and a fascinating Ring of Fire itinerary along the Russian, Korean and Japanese coastlines. I constantly maintain my knowledge of all the major river cruise lines through a combination of online training, webinars and in-office visits from the cruise lines directly. The most active of these River Cruise lines include Uniworld, Viking River Cruises, Amadeus Waterways and Majestic America Line. Whether you are looking for castles along the Rhine, an intimate coastal sailing in Alaska where you call at local Inuit villages, or sunrise in the Valley of the Kings, I can help you find the perfect Small Ship experience. I’m still deciding if my next river cruise will be on the Danube or the Nile ... where will yours be?

I love river and barge cruises. They don’t need to be expensive vacations and they offer many conveniences and comforts to hurried travelers in need of relief: being able to unpack just once while visiting different places, being pampered and spoiled on a ship, not having to worry about eating out and local restaurants while enjoying a fine level of cuisine onboard. I've specialized as a cruise travel agent for many years. I've taken dozens of river and barge cruises, and my goal is to find the right cruise vacation for you at the best value! I look forward to arranging your next cruise holiday! Accredited Cruise Counselor.

Sailing aboard a cruise ship or river ship is not always the best way to see a destination, but when it is, it’s perfect! For countries whose cultures are intimately connected with waterways, there’s no more exciting or dramatic way to explore than from the sea or riverside. Case in point: the Scandinavian Fjords and Baltic nations, European heartland rivers, Alaska, the Panama Canal, the Antarctic, the Mediterranean, and don’t forget Tahiti, Hawaii and the Caribbean islands. You can’t beat river cruising for ease of getting from the heart of one city to the next. And it’s all so relaxing: no packing and unpacking or continually dealing with airports and train stations. Instead, you can focus on days filled with exciting new sights, sounds and flavors, relaxation, perhaps even a bit of spa time, and evenings spent relishing a city’s great restaurants, theaters and clubs or enjoying the fine dining, entertainment and casino gaming aboard ship--all followed by a great rest in a luxurious floating hotel. Yes, cruising may not be for everybody, but, in my view, that’s just because those folks haven’t tried the right cruise yet. Contact me to help you fit the best cruise to your destination and budget.

There is a river adventure just right for you and I’ll help you find it at the best price. As a cruise travel agent I've inspected more than 100 cruise ships (from the sublime to the disgusting) and sailed aboard many barges and river boats. How can I help you with cruise planning? I am a Certified Master Cruise Counselor, service oriented and committed to my customers, and I will:
• Help you discover the most excellent ship and destination for your vacation desires, requirements and budget.
• Save you time and money. One call does it all. You get a personal vacation shopper so you can get back to what you do best.
• Handle the details. Ross Perot was absolutely right about one thing…the devil is in the details, and there are plenty of details, which can make or break your cruise vacation.