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The River Cruise Lady

River cruising and small ship luxury cruising

AmaWaterways River Cruises

Multigeneration River Cruising!

January 20, 2020 by River Cruise Lady Linda Leave a Comment

I thought I would share a few of the last bookings that I’ve done for river cruising because you may not have thought of this option if planning a multi-generation trip with your family.

My client was turning 80 and she thought about how she wanted to spend her birthday and decided on a family trip.  Her spouse had passed away years before so she decided to splurge and take her children and grandchildren on a European river cruise. There was a range of ages from 12 to 79 and even her brothers & sisters decided to join in the fun!

It worked out great for them because there are so many different excursions options to choose from (mostly always all included).

For example, on a Rhine river cruise with Ama Waterways, in Cologne the excursion choices would be a walking tour, or cathedral visit or Kölsch beer tasting or a bike tour through the city.  So what usually happened was everyone went off and did their choice of excursion and then they would gather for dinner together in the dining room and talk about their different experiences – such a great family bonding time.

Avalon Waterways also have Active & Discovery itineraries which work well with families too.  Then of course Uniworld and Tauck both have dedicated family departure dates (usually in the summer or for the Christmas Market cruises) which then have even more excursions geared towards family groups.

So consider river cruising as a way to create a wonderful legacy that your children/grandchildren will have of travelling with their parents/grandparents and memories that will last a lifetime.

Biking along Moselle Rive

Filed Under: AMA Waterways, Avalon Waterways, Christmas Market Cruise, Danube River, Europe, Mosel River, Rhine River, River Cruise Lady, River Cruises, River Cruising, Scenic River Cruises, Tauck River Cruises, Uniworld, Virtuoso, Virtuoso Travel

Rhine River must watch video

July 22, 2018 by River Cruise Lady Linda Leave a Comment

If you are contemplating a Rhine River cruise soon, this video which was created by Ama Waterways on their brand new ship, the AmaKristina, is a fantastic look on what you will be seeing, life onboard and so much more! Hope you enjoy and feel free to leave a comment once you’ve watched it. Thanks, Linda

Filed Under: AMA Waterways, Rhine River, River Cruise Lady, River Cruises, River Cruising, Virtuoso Tagged With: AmaWaterways, amsterdam, rhine river, river cruise, river cruise bike excursions, River Cruise Lady, river cruising

Viking River Cruise transformed into Ocean Cruise!

March 6, 2018 by River Cruise Lady Linda Leave a Comment

I recently returned from cruising on the almost brand new Viking Sea sailing out of San Juan Puerto Rico. It was so impressive the way that Viking took all of the wonderful attributes of river cruising and copied them onto their ocean cruises. Plus since the ship carries just over 900 passengers, is considered a small ship which allows them to visit ports not available to the larger ships. Here we were docked right in the heart of the city in Willemstad, Curacao

Viking Sea Docked in Curacao

Viking Sea Docked in Curacao

Like river cruising, there are many inclusions like a shore excursion included in every port, beer/wine with lunch and dinner, specialty coffees, teas & bottled water and of course the biggest perk for me as I was still working, was the free WiFi. Most people that I talked to onboard said it was so nice to have all the inclusions and not to be nickle & dimed to death which tends to happen on many mainstream cruise lines. Also included are two specialty restaurants, one is The Chef’s Table which is a multi-course tasting dinner paired with select wines and the other is Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant serving freshly prepared pastas and antipasto accompanied by fresh seafood or special of the day. Not sure which one was my favorite as they both had amazing food.

Manfredis Restaurant VikingSea

Manfredis Restaurant VikingSea

One difference from their river cruises (which still offer cabins on lower decks that only have a window) is that all the cabins on the Viking Sea have a spacious private balcony. Another great option for those who love to eat outdoors (which includes me) is the restaurant at the back of the ship near the pool where you can enjoy breakfast or lunch on the patio.

Viking Sea Outdoor Restaurant

Viking Sea Outdoor Restaurant

Like river cruising, the Viking Ocean itineraries tend to be city/port intensive which allow you to really get immersed in the destinations visited. In fact, many of the passengers had taken a river cruise first and then decided to try out their Ocean cruises and were very impressed. So whichever one you choose to try first, you’ll be pleased with either!

For more information, see VIKING CRUISES

Filed Under: River Cruise Lady, River Cruises, River Cruising, Viking River Cruises, Virtuoso Tagged With: Viking River Cruises

Not just flowers on a Tulip Time River Cruise

July 22, 2017 by River Cruise Lady Linda Leave a Comment

I went on a Tulip Time river cruise this spring with Ama Waterways thinking that it would be all about flowers but nothing could be further from the truth!

Don’t get me wrong, we did see Tulips but we also visited a fabulous museum, learned how to make Belgian chocolate, biked through Antwerp viewing their incredible architectural buildings, strolled peacefully through the windmills in Kinderdijk and maneuvered the canals in Amsterdam.

The Tulip Time cruise started in Amsterdam and I took the ship picture to show you how close they dock to the main train station in Amsterdam (its the building in the background) and then the next picture is in front of the station which is stunning in itself.

AmaCerto river cruise ship
AmaCerto river cruise ship
Amsterdam Centraal Station
Amsterdam Centraal Station

We did a morning bus tour of the city before heading out in the afternoon to a Hoorn Tulip and Bulb field where we all became Tulip Specialists after getting a tour of their greenhouses to see all the different phases of growth (the process was very interesting and we learned quite a bit!) Once the bus dropped us off near the town trolley, we walked around the Hoorn harbor which was full of unique monuments and packing warehouses.

Tulip Farm Bulbs Planted
Tulip Farm Bulbs Planted
Tulip Farm Greenhouse
Stop and smell the Tulips?
Tulip Farm Machinery
Tulip Farm Machinery

The next days tour decision was a tough one as you had to choose between the Arnhem Bridge & Airborne Museum (renowned for its role during WWII’s Operation Market Garden) or the Kroller Muller Museum (which boasts the 2nd largest Van Gogh collection in the world). So our small group split up and some did choice A and some did choice B and when we gathered back on the ship in lounge for a pre-dinner drink, all agreed that both were great tours. (read between the lines as this meant that each group thought their tour was better)

When we arrived in Antwerp, we opted for the bike tour through the charming streets of this Belgium major city. Our guide managed to steer us effortlessly through traffic and the drivers were so polite, always stopping for us when we were crossing the streets (that never happens back home!) It was a great way to see such a large area of the city in such a short time and our stop at the Antwerp train station was saved until the end because the beauty of the building just can’t be missed.

Antwerp Bike Tour
Antwerp Bike Tour
Antwerp Train Station
Antwerp Train Station
Antwerp Train Station Inside
Antwerp Train Station Inside

That afternoon took us to the Floralia Spring Flower show at Kasteel van Groot-Bijgaarden which had 14 hectares of brilliantly colored tulips, daffodils and many other spring flowers. The garden area surrounds the castle where the almost 1 million bulbs are still planted by hand each year ! (loved the Peacock)

Floralia Castle
Floralia Castle
Floralia Garden and Planter
Floralia Garden and Planter
Floralia Peacock in Flowers
Floralia Peacock in Flowers

Then we headed for the beauty of Bruges which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that included medieval buildings, winding canals and statuesque churches. I could have taken pictures there all day and this one was at the famous corner that is used many times when displaying Bruges.

Bruge

Bruge

After leaving Belgium, we headed back towards the Netherlands stopping in Rotterdam where excursions could be taken to visit the bustling city or a bit farther took in the charming city of Delft (known for the hand-painted blue and white pottery) with a stop in The Hague before travelling back to the ship. In the afternoon, we sailed peacefully into Kinderdijk to see hundreds of windmills dotting the horizon. With the sun shining brightly, it made for a wonderful stroll or bike ride through the area.

Kinderdijk Windmills

Kinderdijk Windmills

Our last full day was a full one with the morning touring the spectacular Keukenhof Gardens, a 70 acre park that probably had the most flowers I’ve ever seen. It was so colorful and I’m sure the pictures don’t do it justice.

Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof Gardens

Then onto Amsterdam where we finished up with a great canal cruise through the city (where you find out why they call it “Venice of the North” )

Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals

Now that I’ve taken you through my trip, I realize that I haven’t even talked about all the wonderful food (and drinks) we had onboard Ama Waterways! The staff were really friendly and our Cruise Director Rachel was one of the best ones I’ve ever experienced. She delivered her port talks with humor, personal stories and kept everyone interested, on track and on time.
I was in a French Balcony cabin and since the weather was great, enjoyed sitting in the stateroom with the breeze flowing in on many occasions.

I would highly recommend a Tulip Time river cruise to anyone !

Filed Under: AMA Waterways, Amsterdam, Bruges, Europe, Keukenhof, River Cruise Lady, River Cruises, River Cruising, Tulip Time, Virtuoso, Virtuoso Travel

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rivercruiselady

Linda is a #rivercruise expert who can help you sort through all the options out there. She has done all the rivers in Europe and more!⚓️

In less than 3 weeks now, I will be sharing the de In less than 3 weeks now, I will be sharing the details of a brand new Seven River Journey through 14 countries in Europe happening in 2023 - it will be a once in a lifetime event so stay tuned for more information !! #rivercruiselady #rivercruise #sevenrivers #staytuned
Happy World Rivers Day! Once we can start travell Happy World Rivers Day!  Once we can start travelling on them again, which one are you looking forward to the most? #danube #rhine #seine #rhone #douro #mississippi #columbia #snakeriver #mekong or ??? 
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Would have been a ‘cruising down the river’ da Would have been a ‘cruising down the river’ day on my @uniworldcruises Nile Cruise Egypt itinerary so looking at the intriguing landscape until I can get there again one day. ⚓️
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It’s Ama-zing what you find when you’re quaran It’s Ama-zing what you find when you’re quaran-cleaning!  I remember celebrating with @amawaterways & blue champagne when we reached the highest point of the Main-Danube canal 10 years ago (did not recall getting this certificate though 😏) ⚓️ #rivercruiselady #rivercruise #amawaterways #danube #river #covidcleaning #rivercruiseladylinda
Feeling sad for all the river cruisers who plans h Feeling sad for all the river cruisers who plans have been postponed & hope they can rebook for the future & while on a walk yesterday, realized the only one who isn’t sad is Mother Nature as she continues to blossom just like this beautiful tree I saw ⚓️ #rivercruiselady #travel #rivercruise #future #mothernature #blossom #wewillgetthroughthis
In honor/honour of International Women’s Day, I In honor/honour of International Women’s Day, I am striking the pose #eachforequal and so proud of how far we’ve come but realize we’ve still got a long way to go!  Wearing my @amawaterways scarf that I received as a gift on my #rivercruise because #amameanslove which is spread throughout their company by their ama-zing leader & co-owner Kristin Karst ❣️ Kudos to all the other women  in executive positions in the #rivercruising (or any other) industry 👏🏼
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Did you know you can do a river cruise starting in Did you know you can do a river cruise starting in Venice ?  Uniworld is doing a complete design renovation & will debut the super ship #lavenezia in a couple of months. Will be a fantastic way to explore Northern Italy ! 
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Remembering the balmy Oct weather 🌞 while strol Remembering the balmy Oct weather 🌞 while strolling through the captivating streets of Avignon to the incomplete bridge on our Rhone River Cruise in France ⚓️ #rivercruiselady #rivercruise #rhoneriver #avignon #france #sunshine #bridge
Guess what is one of the hottest destinations righ Guess what is one of the hottest destinations right now? Yes, you guessed it - Egypt!  Plus @uniworldcruises has a brand new ship launching on the Nile in Jan so you’ll be cruising in style while you follow in the footsteps of renowned explorers as you venture into the ancient burial grounds like the Valley of the Kings ⚓️ #rivercruiseladylinda #egypt #nile #rivercruise #uniworld #sphinx #newship #adventure #pyramids #unesco
Enjoying our last day in Budapest - such a great w Enjoying our last day in Budapest - such a great walkable city with wonderful views 
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I think the Scenic Jade has the nicest docking spo I think the Scenic Jade has the nicest docking spot in all of Budapest - directly across from the majestic Parliament Building! ⚓️ #rivercruiselady #danube #rivercruise #budapest #rivercruising #scenicjade #parliament #niceparkingspot
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2 weeks ago

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In less than 3 weeks now, I will be sharing the details of a brand new Seven River Journey through 14 countries in Europe happening in 2023 - it will be a once in a lifetime event so stay tuned for more information !! #rivercruiselady #rivercruise #SevenRivers #staytuned ... See MoreSee Less
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River Cruise Lady Linda

5 months ago

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Happy World Rivers Day! Once we can start travelling on them again, which one are you looking forward to the most? #danube #rhine #seine #rhone #douro #mississippi #columbia #snakeriver #mekong or ??? ⚓️ #rivercruiselady #rivercruise ... See MoreSee Less
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River Cruise Lady Linda

10 months ago

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Would have been a ‘cruising down the river’ day on my @uniworldcruises Nile Cruise Egypt itinerary so looking at the intriguing landscape until I can get there again one day. ⚓️#rivercruiselady #rivercruise #nilecruise #dreamingoftravel #staysafe ... See MoreSee Less
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