We recently wrote about Close-In Bookings: Too Late To Book For Spring? In that story, cruise companies told us that folks were booking closer to their departure dates than in years past.
While the norm was to book a year or more in advance, the trend now is booking for departures less than a year in advance, with many booking their cruises only six months or less before their sailing dates. Why the change? We …
We can all agree that one of the least exciting parts of planning a trip, second to paying your cruise fare, is packing. The great news, though, is that someone always seems to have advice for how to make packing easier.
Ralph Grizzle writes many articles on packing tips. In his article, Ralph provides a lot of great insight how and what to pack. But his advice doesn’t always work for me – convertible pants …
Some of the challenges in choosing river cruises in Europe are the rivers themselves. Unless you’ve frequently traveled to Europe, you may not be familiar with geography of the rivers. Even for those who are familiar with the lay of the land, the list of rivers can be daunting. A quick glance at Wikipedia shows hundreds of rivers coursing through the European continent, including quite a few that I’ve never heard of, the Oise, for …
Since 2015, I have hosted nearly a dozen trips on hotel barges. These are narrow, custom-built vessels that putter along the French canals generally for six nights/seven days. Because the barges are confined to dimensions that will allow the transit of multiple locks, many measuring less than 20 feet wide, staterooms are smallish but adequate…
When we think of river cruises, we often think of couples drinking wine and gazing off their balconies, wandering through the cobblestone streets of Europe, sitting in the lounge for performances and eating meals in a communal dining room. Those are the things that keep me river cruising, but sometimes I want a little bit more. That’s why I love Avalon’s Active & Discovery itineraries. Avalon incorporates everything people like about a traditional river cruise, …
Can children go on a river cruise? It depends. CroisiEurope is the only river cruise line to allow children under the age of three without exceptions. Emerald, Riviera and Scenic require that kids be 12 or older. And one company bans kids altogether.
While, as a father, I completely understand the desire to share river vacations with children, grandchildren, or other young people, not all lines (or passengers) welcome children. The good news, however, is …
Iowa is often missed when picking vacation spots. Still, the Hawkeye state has much to offer, especially in these towns along the Mississippi River, often visited by domestic river cruises.
Dubuque
The Fenelon Elevator is a unique attraction in Dubuque that is nearly 300 feet long. From the top, you’ll have views of Iowa, as well as Illinois and Wisconsin. It’s open from April through November. The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium is open …
Lately, I’ve had a lot of bad luck with my luggage while traveling on long-haul flights. My bags were delayed three trips in a row – reaching my destination only 1 to 3 days after I had arrived. After these three consecutive luggage mishaps, I was confident the airlines could not mess up a fourth time.
They didn’t – but my bout of bad luck did not end with that fourth flight. Arriving at Paris …
With one ship already sailing the Nile and two more under construction, Viking this week celebrated the naming of its newest river ship, the Viking Osiris, in Luxor, Egypt. Designed specifically to sail the Nile, Osiris was built at Massara shipyard in Cairo and will sail Viking’s bestselling Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
Viking Osiris joins Viking Ra, which launched in 2018, and Viking Aton, coming in 2023. At the ceremony, Viking also announced that …
Sail beyond the coast of sunny California with American Cruise Lines’ 8-day “San Francisco Bay” itinerary, its first California cruise. Operating round trip from San Francisco, the 190-passenger American Jazz —launched in 2020 —will carry guests along the Napa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Rivers for a truly unique week spent sailing the Golden State. Cruise into the heart of wine country with a stop in Napa, joined by calls in Vallejo, Stockton, and Sacramento.
“American …
