Five of My Favorite Things About River Cruises

Like most dogs almost everything is my favorite thing.  Walks are my favorite thing! Dinner is my favorite thing!  Going for a ride in the car is my favorite thing! Tummy rubs are my favorite thing!  It's a great way to live.

Recently someone asked my Dorothy what are some of her favorite things about river cruising.  Lord did she go on and on ... being more succinct than she is I am able to narrow down what I think are her top five favorite things:

1.       River Cruises are educational - and I'm not talking about obedience school. River cruises allow you to really see (and even visit) the small cities, towns and villages along the way.  Meals are often prepared using local delicacies purchased in small markets that you can even visit with the chef on your river boat.  You don't spend the day lying on a beach, you spend it visiting great palaces, monuments and cathedrals.   (River Cruises are the thinking man's cruise vs. the drinking man's cruise.)

2.       Pricing is inclusive -it's so nice not to have to reach into your wallet every time you turn around - or to come home to a credit card bill that precludes the likelihood of me getting another rib-eye bone for at least six months.  River cruises have shore excursions included in every port and wine is included with lunch and dinner every day.   Ocean-going ships try to maximize their "on-board revenue" per passenger because they pay no taxes on money earned at sea.  That doesn't apply to river cruises - they're always within the 12-mile limit so there's not nearly the profit opportunity with onboard sales. 

3.       No crowds - some people love crowds, I'm not one of them.  I hate getting my paws stepped on.  Most river boats only accommodate about 150 passengers.  That's enough to allow for a variety of people to meet, but not for 30 minute lines at the buffet or a rush to be first in to the dining room.

4.       You can forget about getting sea sick.  I mentioned this in an earlier blog, but believe me it's worth mentioning again.  River boat travel is smooth, calm and easy on the tummy.  Your kibbles and bits stay where they belong - even if that is a little bit too attached to your thighs.

5.       Rivwr boats dock right in town.  Until about 100 years ago, rivers were the highways of Europe so the cities, towns & villages were built on the rivers.   Once you dock, the sights to see are usually just a short walk from your boat .  Have you ever been on an ocean cruise that calls on Rome only to find out that Rome is NOT on the ocean?  It's about 35 miles away.  How about an ocean-going ship that calls on Berlin?  You actually dock in Warnemunde - about two hours away from Berlin.   Now that's what I call a good, long walk!

Remember, keep your nose to the wind and all four paws on deck!

Sailor’s owner is Dorothy Flannery, an award winning cruise and travel specialist.  Check out her river cruise websites at http://cruisethedanube.com and http://cruisetherhine.com

Something Else to Chew On

Sailor here, hi everyone!

You know, watching all the news over the past week about the Carnival Triumph made me think of another benefit of river cruising.  You know, you’ll never get stranded for five days at sea on a river cruise.  In fact, you’ll never get stranded five miles at sea on a river cruise.  I think getting stranded for five minutes might be be about the limit.  You can always see the bank from a river cruise - in fact, the beautiful scenery is half of the reason to cruise on the rivers!

Just needed to share that with you.  It was threatening to keep me awake all afternoon.  Thank goodness, now I can go back to snoozing.

A Doggone Good Cruise Experience

Hi, I'm Sailor, your four-legged cruisehound.  Actually, I'm part Golden Retriever and part Labrador Retriever, so I always keep my nose to the ground.  Especially when it comes to cruise tips, trips and deals.

What I really want to do with today's blog is to give you my insight on river cruising.  In a nutshell, river cruising is like traveling through Europe with your hotel in tow.  Instead of spending lots of time being bussed from one place to another by motor coach, you glide serenely  along the scenic rivers in luxury & comfort.  (Luxury & comfort?  Count me in!)  The ship stops right in the middle of some of the most fabulous cities of Europe and there are any number of walking tours and other excursions. (I like walking in places with lots of new sights, sounds and smells – especially smells.) Your boat may also make stops in quaint country villages and visit local markets so you can become more immersed in  the culture of the area.  Best of all, you'll never have to worry about getting sea sick on the river. Below are a few tips that will help you make the most of your next river cruise.

Here's one thing I'd like to put my paw on:  electricity.  Did you know that on most river cruise boats in Europe electrical outlets are the 220 volts with 2-pin kind?  Who knew?  But don't worry, hair dryers are included in most cabins.  It's a good idea  to have an adaptor though for your laptop, iPod, cell phone, or whatever else you're lugging along.  Some of the newer ships have both 110 outlets and 220 outlets.

Here’s another tip, a great many of the river cruise ships have free Wi-Fi on board, so if you want an inexpensive way to keep in touch with your family back home (two legged and four legged) while you’re traveling, download Skype, FaceTime or Google Talk to your laptop, tablet or cell phone to make local and international calls.

My Dorothy (yes, she is MY Dorothy) is making me dinner, so keep your nose to the wind and four paws on deck 'til next time!

Dorothy Flannery is an award winning cruise & travel specialist.  Check out her website at http://cruisethedanube.com for more information on Danube River cruises.