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American Cruise Lines

Our cabin on the American Symphony (top) rivaled those we have enjoyed in many an upscale hotel. The food and table settings were both five-star. The lengthy list of available activities in our temporary home away from home covered a wide diversity of interests. Oh yes, and there also were ample opportunities to explore inviting towns that provided deep dives into Civil War and other history, visit magnificent antibellum plantations and mansions with their lovely gardens

A French Country Waterways barge in France

One evening several years ago, my wife Fyllis and I savored a sumptuous four-course gourmet dinner accompanied by wines that had been produced nearby. 

More recently, we listened raptly to lectures by knowledgeable experts about a variety of issues, some controversial, in several Eastern European countries.

The settings for these experiences could have been a five-star hotel or resort - and indeed in atmosphere and attractiveness they deserved that rat

After writing scores of articles about ocean cruises, we decided to see what motivates vacationers to take European river cruises. We are glad we did.

So Much to Choose From

There are endless selections of river cruise itineraries on the internet, so we sought the guidance of three prominent river cruise companies in Europe – Amway, Uniworld, and Viking.

Viking River Cruises Comes Through

Viking River Cruises was most generous with their public relations department and customer service time, so we s

Pandaw River Expeditions has become the first Western operator to reach China’s Yunnan Province via the Mekong River, when the RV Champa Pandaw moored yesterday at Guanlei.

The Champa Pandaw, which has 14 teak-finished staterooms, was specially built to withstand the strong currents and challenging navigational conditions of the Upper Mekong and deliver Southeast Asia’s first ever “four country” river expedition.

Running from October through April, Pandaw’s 14-night cruise The Mekong: from Laos to

Grand Cru, Medoc, St Émilion, Bordeaux Left and Right Banks - all terms of which I was aware, but wanted much more information. That’s the beauty of a river cruise with wine as its main topic (and the wine isn’t bad either, to put it mildly!). We were about to embark on an eight-day UniWorld boutique wine river cruise along the Garonne River - an area settled by ancient Romans and once ruled by the English, but every bit a French region.


Each evening of the cruise started by imbibing in the "

Vibrant tulips, buttery coffee cakes and local wines were just the beginning as I was welcomed on board my river cruise. seven days ahead and I was ready to partake of as much as possible, and why not? It was vacation and more highlights were about to unfold. Usually boarding a ship begins in the afternoon, but I saw the AMA Waterways ship moored early at the dock in Amsterdam and stepped on board.  Smiling staff offered to take my luggage and told me to make myself comfortable in the lounge. T

In almost every nook and corner of Myanmar - not just in Yangon (Rangoon), Bagan, or Mandalay - at every turn you will encounter a Buddhist temple.  No wonder most visitors think of this country as the “Land of Temples”. But lovely as they are, when you find yourself are visiting temples again and again, it can get a little old. Fortunately, there are many other things to do here, as well, from beaches to local communities to thrilling adventure activities.

There are plenty of beaches, river tr

I am a travel consultant, a Uniworld Cruise Specialist and a lifelong Francophile. I had the opportunity to sail on Uniworld's River Royale in early November 2010 as my first river cruise experience. This was indeed an epicurean adventure to sail on France's Rhone and Saone rivers.

River cruising is totally different from ocean cruising. You are steps away from the beautiful towns where you can take walking tours, ride bicycles, have an all inclusive food and wine experience with itineraries cate