2022 In Review

Our Cruise Pause / Resumption Story

In February 2020 we were in Australia on a repositioning cruise from Melbourne, Australia to Singapore.  The Covid-19 Pandemic was about to shutdown the cruise industry. Prior to departing Melbourne, we were informed that we would not be sailing to Singapore, but instead would be flying home from Perth, Australia, just 7 days into our cruise.   The long pause in cruise travel had begun for us and our clients.

While on our Australia cruise, we had booked a South America & Antarctica cruise for January, 2021.  Unfortunately, that too would be cancelled, along with a family vacation we'd planned for the summer.

The Cruise Travel Restart

In November, 2021 we attended our National Conference on Celebrity Apex.  During that conference we were given the opportunity to book several cruises in 2022 at reduced rates in order for us to experience cruising after the restart and report to our guests.  In addition, we had several cruises, like the ones mentioned above, that we'd need to reschedule.   2022 was going to be a busy cruise year for us.

We began 2022 with a sailing on the brand new ship & cruise line - Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady.  The highlight of the year was our final river cruise on Avalon Waterways Imagery II from Prague to Frankfurt visiting several Christmas Markets.   For more details, click below for our 2022 cruise page.

Our 2022 Cruises - Click for Details

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

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Life is Suite on Avalon Waterways

DREAMING DOESN’T STOP   As we return to traveling, river cruising will be a popular alternative to the crowded ocean cruise ships.   Your travel inspiration has arrived! In just a few minutes, you’ll be envisioning yourself on your next dream vacation. As you flip through the pages of these brochures, your dream vacation will start becoming a reality and that’s where I come in. I’m here to help you plan every detail of your vacation because I’ve been there and done that and can share with you my travel expertise and experience. Your dream vacation starts here and it starts with me. Let’s start planning today.
Diary of Our   click image for stories & photos Latest River Cruise	13 Day River Cruise from Zürich to Amsterdam This exciting river cruise vacation has it all! Arrive in Zürich and transfer to your ship, which is docked in Basel. Then, head north on the Rhine and enjoy guided sightseeing in Strasbourg, Cologne, and Koblenz. See the Roman ruins at Trier, Reichsburg Castle above charming Cochem, and the unique Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum in Rüdesheim. Sail past the legendary Lorelei rock and through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, visit pretty Bernkastel, and a windmill in Kinderdijk, and enjoy excursions to majestic Heidelberg and to Germany’s legendary Black Forest.
Enjoy Luxury River Cruising          VIEW OFFERS
Christine Pappin, MCC Toll Free  (800) 697-9515 (630) 837-7295    RESERVE YOUR RIVER CRUISE WITH US TODAY!

Calling All Foodies

American Duchess - American Queen Steamboat Co.

Cruise Close to Home

Food is art, science, joy, love, and life itself.  On American Queen Steamboat Company culinary cruises each day brings a feast of opportunities to indulge. From hometown favorites to regional delicacies, these tasty cruises will have your mouth watering.

AMERICAN CULINARY EXPERIENCE

 9-day River Cruise: St. Louis to Cincinnati 

9-day River Cruise: St. Louis (Alton) to Memphis (or reverse) 

9-day River Cruise: Louisville to St. Louis (Alton) 

9-day River Cruise: Louisville to Memphis 

Featuring

• Enhanced daily menus
• Special recipes from AQSC culinary team
• Cooking demonstrations
• Culinary lectures
• Special guest Chef Gillespie from Bravo's Top Chef
• Pre-cruise hotel evening event with hors d'oeuvres and entertainment

Your cruise begins with a complimentary stay at the pre-cruise hotel. The evening is yours to become acquainted with the city. The Hospitality Desk will be located in the hotel, and the friendly staff can assist with everything from general questions about your upcoming voyage to reserving premium experiences. Both American Queen Steamboat Company and local representatives will be readily available to provide you with dining, entertainment and sightseeing options to maximize your time here.

Other Special Edition Voyages

Welcome to Special Edition Voyages. These thoughtfully planned cruises feature unique and special voyage programming. Lively onboard events pair with exclusive shore excursions to create meaningful, in-depth and unforgettable memories. Here are just a few that might be of interest to you. Contact us for more information.  

• BOURBON – AN AMERICAN SPIRIT 9-day River Cruise: Memphis to Louisville 
• CAJUN CREOLE CULINARY EXPERIENCE 9-day River Cruise: New Orleans to Memphis (or reverse) 
• WINE CRUISE 9-day River Cruise: Spokane (Clarkston) to Portland (Vancouver, WA) (or reverse)

About AMERICAN DUCHESS™ 

Smaller, more intimate and offering unprecedented views from her two-story loft suites, she is the only riverboat of her kind. She welcomes just 166 guests on each voyage. Enjoy her fashionable charm, authentic Murano glass and grand spaces as you explore the Mississippi, Ohio and Cumberland Rivers.

American Queen Steamboat Company Cruises (click here)

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

River Cruising - That's Entertainment

click images to enlarge

What's evening entertainment like on a river cruise?

Dinner was over and the night was still young. Passengers gathered  in the lounge for some entertainment. Unlike ocean going cruise ships, river vessels don't have the room for large theaters. Instead, the lounge is the focal point for entertainment. This makes entertainment very intimate with everyone gathered around in a circle around the "stage".

Most nights during our Avalon Waterways Rhine & Moselle river cruise, Jerry, the pianist, performed while passengers danced the night away.   

One night the crew put on a talent show for us. The Hotel Director served as master of ceremonies for the night's entertainment. He started by playing the piano for us.  He then brought out several crew members to perform.   

Watch these videos to see how talented they were. 

 

Avalon Artistry II Crew Show 2

Avalon Artistry II Crew Show 3

The After Party

After dinner and dancing, enjoy a late night snack in the lounge. Unwind with your favorite cocktail.  In the videos, you saw how talented the bar tenders were - maybe they'd put on a second act if you asked them to.

If you prefer lounge acts to Broadway performances on your ocean cruises, you will be happy with the entertainment on board a river cruise.   If not, then perhaps you'll just want to head to your cabin to relax before exploration begins again in the morning.

 

Click the banner above for the latest cruise promotions

 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

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Dining on a River Cruise

What's a typical evening onboard a river cruise like? 

When we last left our exploration of a river cruise, in River Cruise Anatomy - Safety First,  we'd had our safety briefing, welcome cocktail party, and port talk from the Cruise Director.  It's now time for our first meal onboard the vessel.  We'll use our Avalon Waterways Rhine & Moselle river cruise for real examples throughout this mini-series.

click images to enlarge - more pics in albums

Dining on a River Cruise

Dining on a river cruise is very similar to the large cruise ship experience, but on a smaller scale.  

Each evening the menu will offer starters, appetizers, main courses, and desserts that are unique, as well as selections that are always available.

On Avalon, several wine and beer selections are also offered - some for free, and others at reduced pricing. Most other lines are similar.

Our Dinner Selections

• Lamb's Lettuce with Potato-Bacon Dressing
• "Zuricher Geschnetzeltes" Pan fried strips of Veal Loin in Creamy Mushroom Sauce served with Rosti Potatoes
• Classic Vanilla Custard with Berries
• Freshly Sliced Fruit

View the rest of the menu in our photo album: Artistry 2 - Embarkation Dinner

Dining Room with a View

Dining on an Avalon river cruise is open seating.  There were several different size tables for you to select from.   Pictured here was a typical table for six. 

You'll notice the large picture windows in the background.   We had a front row seat for all the action as our ship entered one of the 35 locks we'd traverse during the cruise.  If you look at the rest of the pictures in our photo album, you'll see that we were lowered quite a few feet before our ship exited the lock.  Also, the sun was setting making for an enjoyable backdrop.

The evening isn't over - stay tuned to see what's next.

 

Click the banner above for the latest cruise promotions

 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

Follow Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat