River cruises are on the âwish listâ for a large number of Del Webbers. While many have fulfilled that dream and continue to do so, others, still dreaming or making plans.
River cruises have expanded significantly to cover the globe. While we traditionally think, Europe, there are US cruises, and Asian cruises also. Here in the US, you can cruise on the Mighty Mississippi, the Ohio, on the Missouri River and western ones on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. A friend and her husband took the Rhine cruise through Europe with Grand Circle.
Wynne and her husband Kent, both seniors, have done considerable land travel, but never the senior staple of a cruise. Deciding against a large ocean-type cruise – too many people, they opted for a European River Cruises. Wonderful! It was definitely a much smaller group of people but they quickly found one downside; breakfast service stops are 9 a.m.!
They just as quickly found out why. Most of the walking tours began around 9:15. They and their fellow passengers were divided into three groups of about forty each. Comfortable shoes and clothes to match the season are a must. Unfortunately, they hit an unseasonably cold spell in Strasbourg and had to hit the local market for gloves.
Their Grand Circle cruise ship âRomance of the Rhine and Mosel Cruiseâ contained one hundred and twenty passengers with the average age of around sixty-five. One sprightly gal was eighty-nine. Cabins were for two and contained showers and windows. Showers mattered, but windows? Maybe. One fellow passenger summed it up, âI donât travel to see things, I travel to see things differently.â
To further start the day off right, other than food, coffee, and tea, a puzzle sheet appeared testing the passengerâs knowledge of European capitals, etc. Afternoon and evening Bridge games flourished alongside 1000-piece puzzles. Military experiences and previous trips were topics of discussion. A library was available and the dress code was always causal.
The River Rhapsody river boat.
As with all cruises, river or sea, there was a safety exercise to demonstrate to the crew everyone knew how to put on life jackets. While important, there were places where you could possibly walk to the shore if necessary!
Walking difficulties you are likely to incur during the tours, such as uneven surfaces and inclines, were described beforehand. These land tours took them through wine villages and towns like Riquewihr, Scherwiller, and Bernkastel. Each walk was at least a mileâs length at a leisurely pace. If that wasnât your style, you could sit in the comfort of an easy chair on deck and just watch the landscape go by. Or, if you wanted to leave a walking tour midway, that was fine. Stop and admire the scenery of the villages, do a little local shopping, have a glass of wine, coffee, tea or pastry. Itâs your trip, so enjoy it the way you desire.
Kent and Wynne broke off on one tour to visit a beer stube in Speyer. Their tour director Rebecca pointed out you shouldnât feel as though you have to indulge in everything. On most of their excursions, they were all given small red boxes (whisperers) attached to an earpiece to hang around their necks. This provided a running description of the sights (if they stayed with the tour).
The captain told the passengers 2018 was been the hottest summer he had experienced in twenty-five years. You could see the river bottom in many areas. In Mainz, the Rhine was, in some spots, down to two feet. They spend two nights in the Mainz Hilton and rode the bus to daily activities. Water levels also caused them to disembarked the River Melody at Strasbourg and pick up the River Rhapsody in Bernkastel. I have been told this can happen during the âdryâ season. Some people find it frustrating, others, an adventure they didnât expect. So before you book your cruise, check on typical river conditions during your trip. Iâve also been told about the other extreme, rainy season. The rivers get too high and the ships canât get under the bridges. Again, off the ship, bus to the next embarkation point and off to more sites.
In Wynneâs case, both ships were exactly the same and owned by Grand Circle. The only inconvenience was having to pack your bags and have them outside the door by 7:30 the next morning. To compensate, they gave us a free optional tour (Riquewihr) and a $200 refund.
Ah, the food. Ivan, in his chefâs hat, stood behind his omelet station ready to take your order first thing every morning. The waiters, mostly from Eastern European countries, worked in finely tuned movements. Wine and beer were free and desserts like âBee Hieveâ (honey parfait baked in meringue surrounded with raspberry couis) popped up at every meal.
And then there were the main course delicacies, such as Sole Meuniere, Bachforelle Mullerin Art (pan-fried trout) and Volendammer (Dutch grilled chicken breast). Combined with desserts, appetizers, and soup, they formed one part of the four-course lunches and dinners. Just prior to dinner the captain gave a fifteen-minute Port Talk in the lounge detailing what they were going to do the following day, And, to top it off, a piece of chocolate on your pillow every night!
Final nightâs celebration.
The staff celebrated four birthdays on the fifteen-day sojourn. They boisterously marched through the dining room with sparklers and song. Anniversaries were marked with bottles of champagne. German classes, cooking demonstrations, and talent shows were all presented by the staff as after-dinner events. Several speakers were on board to update the passengers on current European events such as immigration.
One of the optional tours was the Luxembourg and the American World War II Cemetery. General Patton is buried there in a very simple grave. The guide remarked, âPatton felt it imperative to be with his men, even in death.â Surprisingly to everyone, a German WWII cemetery is located just a mile away.
So, get out your calendars, pick an area of the world you want to see and head out. You can see a lot from a deck chair or get more involved with land tours. The choice is yours!
