I laid my head in his lap while he stroked my head and ran in his fingers from my scalp to the very ends of my long hair. Each time I would feel his touch my entire body would begin to tingle. We looked longingly into each other’s eyes, and he cupped his strong hands behind my head and pulled my lips next to his. I began to breathe heavier as....... “Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be ready for the walking tour with your guide through the beautiful historic town of Regensburg”. I was a little disoriented when I woke up, realizing I had fallen asleep reading one of my favorite Romance Novels. Its been years since I actually had time to read, and now here I am in Germany in one of the most relaxed environments I have ever been.
Before I begin, let me just say that River Cruising is not for everyone. If you are the type of individual that has a hard time relaxing (like me), or need tons of adventure and activities, you may not enjoy this type of experience. Some say that River Cruising tends to appeal to the older more mature adult. Probably the youngest person on the ship, I am discovering that River Cruising may also appeal to younger individuals that want to see Europe in a non-intimidating fashion, history enthusiasts, or for those who really need a relaxing stress-free vacation. So, I will hold off my complete analysis and recommendations until the end. If I have intrigued you just a little, I would love for you to join me on my journey through Europe on the Viking Prestige.
The concept of River Cruising has always intrigued me, so when I had the opportunity to cruise with Viking River Cruises, I took it. Really not sure what to expect as I had heard so many things about River Cruising from different perspectives. River Cruising in a nutshell is a “floating hotel” that allows the traveler to visit the heart of beautiful countries like Europe, Russia and Asia. Unlike Ocean cruising where the ship is the destination, River Cruising is the means to get you to the “beautiful destinations”, and to places the big ships just cannot get to.
It has been almost 20 years since I had been in Europe, and I was anxious to visit again. So, here I am journeying through the Main-Danube Canal, the second largest river of Europe. As the Training Director for KHM Travel Group, a host agency for over 3000 travel agents across the country, I felt it was time to start helping our agents learn more about River Cruising. In the past couple of years, River Cruising has become more and more popular and travel agents need to be aware that some of their clients may enjoy this type of experience. River Cruise Lines, like Viking and Avalon Waterways, are building more and more ships every year simply because the itineraries are filling up. In fact, the itineraries on the Viking River Cruise fleets are 70% filled for 2012 already. And by the way, half of their guests are “repeat cruisers”. So, no pun intended....but I didn’t want our travel agents to “miss the boat” , so to speak.
My journey began in Nuremberg, Germany. Getting on the ship was such an easy process. Basically this floating hotel welcomed their guests and within minutes we were directed into the lounge for a cocktail. Shortly after, I was given access to my cabin where I recovered a bit from the long flight over. We stayed in Nuremberg for a day where guests had the opportunity to visit the Christmas markets or take a sightseeing tour. Mid-afternoon yesterday, it was “Anchors Aweigh” and the Prestige navigated through 25 narrow locks as it ventured towards Regensberg. We enjoyed gourmet food, interesting lectures, gorgeous views of the countryside, and live music on the ship until it was time to turn in for the evening.
This morning we are now docked in Regensberg, and I will adventure out for the day to view famous landmarks like the 1000 foot Stone Bridge that was built in the 12th Century and the cathedral of St. Peter. But to be honest, I’m secretly looking forward to fulfilling my need of shopping getting my first “taste” of the beautiful Christmas Markets. I hope you join me again tomorrow. Bis bald.....German for “Bye for Now”.
P.S. Here's a picture of the Prestige, the ship I'm traveling on!
Before I begin, let me just say that River Cruising is not for everyone. If you are the type of individual that has a hard time relaxing (like me), or need tons of adventure and activities, you may not enjoy this type of experience. Some say that River Cruising tends to appeal to the older more mature adult. Probably the youngest person on the ship, I am discovering that River Cruising may also appeal to younger individuals that want to see Europe in a non-intimidating fashion, history enthusiasts, or for those who really need a relaxing stress-free vacation. So, I will hold off my complete analysis and recommendations until the end. If I have intrigued you just a little, I would love for you to join me on my journey through Europe on the Viking Prestige.
The concept of River Cruising has always intrigued me, so when I had the opportunity to cruise with Viking River Cruises, I took it. Really not sure what to expect as I had heard so many things about River Cruising from different perspectives. River Cruising in a nutshell is a “floating hotel” that allows the traveler to visit the heart of beautiful countries like Europe, Russia and Asia. Unlike Ocean cruising where the ship is the destination, River Cruising is the means to get you to the “beautiful destinations”, and to places the big ships just cannot get to.
It has been almost 20 years since I had been in Europe, and I was anxious to visit again. So, here I am journeying through the Main-Danube Canal, the second largest river of Europe. As the Training Director for KHM Travel Group, a host agency for over 3000 travel agents across the country, I felt it was time to start helping our agents learn more about River Cruising. In the past couple of years, River Cruising has become more and more popular and travel agents need to be aware that some of their clients may enjoy this type of experience. River Cruise Lines, like Viking and Avalon Waterways, are building more and more ships every year simply because the itineraries are filling up. In fact, the itineraries on the Viking River Cruise fleets are 70% filled for 2012 already. And by the way, half of their guests are “repeat cruisers”. So, no pun intended....but I didn’t want our travel agents to “miss the boat” , so to speak.
My journey began in Nuremberg, Germany. Getting on the ship was such an easy process. Basically this floating hotel welcomed their guests and within minutes we were directed into the lounge for a cocktail. Shortly after, I was given access to my cabin where I recovered a bit from the long flight over. We stayed in Nuremberg for a day where guests had the opportunity to visit the Christmas markets or take a sightseeing tour. Mid-afternoon yesterday, it was “Anchors Aweigh” and the Prestige navigated through 25 narrow locks as it ventured towards Regensberg. We enjoyed gourmet food, interesting lectures, gorgeous views of the countryside, and live music on the ship until it was time to turn in for the evening.
This morning we are now docked in Regensberg, and I will adventure out for the day to view famous landmarks like the 1000 foot Stone Bridge that was built in the 12th Century and the cathedral of St. Peter. But to be honest, I’m secretly looking forward to fulfilling my need of shopping getting my first “taste” of the beautiful Christmas Markets. I hope you join me again tomorrow. Bis bald.....German for “Bye for Now”.
P.S. Here's a picture of the Prestige, the ship I'm traveling on!
Cyndie, I did a river boat cruise in 2003 with Brendan Tours on the Amadeus
ReplyDeleteSymphony. We cruised the Rhine from Munich to Amsterdam and it was wonderful, yes more relaxing than ocean liner cruising but my 2 sisters and I really made our "mark" on the Rhine and the history was breathtaking. I would highly recommend it for any age group over 45!! We loved it! enjoy and stay safe. Elaine T.