River Cruise Experts

River cruising, I have found, provides you with an enthralling, yet intimate opportunity to experience some of the most picturesque villages, interesting cultures and countryside that our planet has to offer! The experience of floating down the river in what feels like a lovely boutique hotel, complete with excellent cuisine and fine wine, deluxe accommodations, guided sightseeing tours, local entertainment couldn't be more delightful! The added value to your river cruise is that all of these features are included in your cost! River cruising is also a terrific way to travel with small groups, or as a family reunion - the wonderful appeal to the river cruise is that rarely do you have more than 150 passengers onboard, hence the intimate opportunity that you do not find on ocean vessels. I have had the pleasure in planning and traveling with small groups on river cruises and it is such a joy to see everyone so happy with the experience. I am a certified Uniworld River Cruise Specialist, and would love to assist you in planning a memorable journey to some of the most fascinating destinations along the rivers of China, Europe and Russia.

If you are searching for a different travel experience, why not try river cruising? It is a very relaxed way to explore Europe from a completely new perspective: the continent’s network of ancient rivers connected by modern canals that pass right through its cities and quaint villages. View castles, farms, vineyards and colorful hillsides in bloom along the river banks as you make your way between cities.

Modern riverboats feature stellar personalized service. These cruises include a shore excursion in each port and fine dining with complementary wine at dinner. The boats dock within easy walking distance of most city centers and afford more time in port so you can also explore on your own. Choose from a cruise that offers delightful regional cuisine on the Danube, historical D Day memorial sites and beaches of Normandy, or perhaps the scenic countryside and villages that inspired Van Gogh or Cezanne’s paintings in Provence.

If you prefer an even slower pace, experience barging throughout Europe’s picturesque canals. It’s fun to take a bike off the barge, and meet up at the next lock after enjoying a coffee or glass of wine at a local village café. The local cuisine served aboard these smaller boats is legendary, and because barges typically accommodate just 8-16 guests, they’re perfect for a smaller group of friends or generations of family to enjoy a very special and more intimate travel experience together.

I have been fortunate to have experienced both river cruising on the Seine, Danube, and Rhone along with barging the canals in France. Contact me to hear about the wonderful cruising options that are available.

River cruising is a much more intimate style of cruising that still offers many of the delights of a traditional cruise vacation, and then some. Some of these extras are included shore excursions, complimentary bicycles, audio head sets for touring, wine with dinner and authentic onboard cuisine and entertainment which varies depending on your itineraries ports-of-call. Of course, not all river cruise lines are the same, and that’s where a river cruise expert like me adds value.

River cruising is offered in Asia, USA, Egypt, the Amazon and many countries throughout Europe. This type of vacation emphasizes the heart of the destination, the cultural diversities and the local cuisines. It's like strolling through the countryside but by water! The ship, which usually has up to 300 passengers, will stop in the heart of small towns along the river rather than large cruise ports often away from town; where you can go off on your own or participate in a planned excursion. The pace of small ship river cruising is an unhurried, up close and personal way to visit the destination of your choice. I  welcome the opportunity to find the perfect fit for you and your next river cruise vacation.

For countries whose cultures are intimately connected with waterways, there’s no more exciting or dramatic way to explore than from the riverside. Case in point: European heartland rivers. 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 and entertainment 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. In addition to having cruised on numerous luxury cruise line, I am a Certified Cruise Expert and have traveled on the river with Uniworld. 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 including Amadeus Waterways, Cruise West and Peter Dielmann. 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.

If you are looking for a no stress, no hassle vacation, there are few things that can top cruising. Unpack once, see a variety of destinations, and never have to worry about where to eat or what to do in the evening. It is all included! Now… what if you are, like me, interested in Central Europe? What if you want to see Vienna or Budapest or Moscow? There is a solution: river cruising. For most of its history, rivers have been essential to trade and transportation in Europe. Many of the towns and cities of Europe grew up around the river trading ports. And you can see them with all of the convenience of cruising. Today’s river cruise boats are as sophisticated and comfortable as the big ships, and, with no more than 150 passengers, they offer a superior level of attention and service. And river cruising is not limited to Europe. If you are nervous about traveling to a more exotic destination, take a river cruise! The Yangtze, the Nile, the Amazon, the Mekong; all can be seen from the comfort of a modern river cruiser.

I am an experienced Asia Travel Specialist, and have cruised the Yangtze more than 20 times. I'm also a Uniworld Certified Specialist; widely considered to be the leading river cruise company in the world. I would really like to help you plan a cruise on the Rhine or the Duoro or the Yangtze. Please contact me.

My first job in the cruise industry, nearly 15 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 river cruises, which include smaller coastal vessels, barges and other similarly sized vessels. My next cruise was on the Yangtze River, which I sailed on before the Three Gorges Dam project was completed. I have since gained Certified Uniworld Expert and Certified Small Ship Expert status from Cruise West, which operates a fleet of small ships. 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 and Amadeus Waterways. 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?