Small Ship Camaraderie
by Lou Ann Kane, May 11, 2007

Great reasons to make a small ship your first choice for your next vacation

This summer (2007) is predicted to be the busiest season since 2001 for Americans visiting Europe. While there are many ways to explore Europe, the most popular ways, for example pre-arranged bus tours, car rentals or the EuRail Pass for unlimited train travel, may not be your best value or overall experience. Here are a few things to consider when planning your next vacation abroad.

I recently had the pleasure of spending a week with my husband aboard Uniworld's, River Baroness, cruising along the Seine River in France. As a relative newcomer to the cruise lifestyle, this trip was my first European riverboat cruise and my first cruise on a small sailing vessel. I did not know what to expect but found myself enjoying everything this type of cruise vacation had to offer.

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Our group was just over 60 guests, but with a wide range of ages and lifestyles onboard. I discovered that a smaller group of passengers leads to more intimacy and a feeling of family among the guests. In fact the first night at dinner, the hotel manager called us a family as he announced my husbands birthday and presented him with a special sparkling cake followed by all the passengers enthusiastically singing Happy Birthday. This design of intimacy allowed for multiple opportunities to chat with many passengers during our weeklong journey. I heard many of their stories, and noticed these trends when they spoke about the delights of riverboat cruising.

Beverly and Gayle from Atlanta, Georgia, both extensive travelers, commented that you don't meet, "5 minute people" on this type of cruise, a clever way of saying you get to know your travel companions. Creating and sharing memories with newfound friends enhances your enjoyment.

One of our seniors, Wilma from Lake Havasu City in Arizona, was on her fourth Riverboat Cruise! At a spry 81years, Wilma kept up with all of us. She said she enjoys the fellowship of meeting others in a more relaxed atmosphere as she shares the sites, sounds, beauty and history of Europe. It was Wilma that showed us how a feeling of family can develop on a cruise like this. On our last evening together, Wilma took a little tumble and cut her head while we were waiting to see "Paris by Night" on the Seine River. Our "little family" stepped up to help her and continued to take care of her so she felt comfortable enough to finish the wait in line with us and experience this highlight of Paris.

Marsha and Wayne, a professional married couple with extensive travel experience from Grand Rapids, Michigan, appreciate the "security, simplicity and convenience" that a trip like this affords when seeing a European country like France. No need to pack and unpack, try and make hotel and dinner reservations when you don't speak the language, or waste precious time navigating your way through the masses of people to see all the famous sites.

click on pictures below for larger images:

Pascale - Cruise Manager		Captain, Pascale, Lou Ann, Hotel Manager Sebastien

The best way to do this is to have an excellent cruise director. On my previous cruises on large ships the job of the cruise directors was to saturate the passengers with information everyday, which they did very well. But because of the numbers of people they service, they can't really provide personal service so they end up mostly keeping the crowd pumped up, rah rah. This cruise was different and special for me. Our cruise director, a young French woman named Pascale, felt like a good friend who spoke the language fluently and just happened to be traveling with us. She went out of her way to make every guest feel that way, handling all the details and solving every problem brought to her with enthusiasm, joy, efficiency and a warm, genuine smile. She took care of us and in doing so eliminated the frustration that so often accompanies an international trip. Was it just her nature to do that? Was it just her job? Or is it a quality of riverboat cruising which makes it universally appealing?

Another group of guests was one you may not expect to see on this type of cruise, a young family with both grandmas along. I was extremely impressed with Duane and his wife Kim, who brought along their mothers and their two young daughters, Taylor and Jordan.

Safety, convenience, and peace of mind were on the top of their list for choosing this type of travel. What may not be apparent to some is the safety issue of cruising. Once you have your children in the nest of the small group onboard, they are safe from outside influences. While on excursions our "little family" watched over the girls as well.

Naturally, both grandmas truly enjoyed the "job" of babysitting. The itinerary allowed them to spend quality time with their grandchildren and at the same time gave the parents private time opportunities to experience the journey. Kim's mother Jody traveled abroad frequently with her husband in their many years together. Renting a car, trying to read maps, and hoping for accommodations is "not what it's cracked up to be", she said. She found it to be a true hassle.

One Euro currently translates to about $1.35 American dollars. When you cruise, almost all of your travel costs are prepaid in U.S. dollars. On river cruises this typically includes your accommodations, food, transportation, and even most of the shore excursions. Add it all up and it's a very smart financial choice to see Europe this way.

Food and service are always key components in producing the ultimate vacation. And this cruise certainly did not disappoint in these areas. In fact I found all of the crew to be warm-hearted and genuine. I believe that the food and service on this cruise was the best I have ever experienced -- consistently excellent.

Food & Bev. Manager		Local Cheeses		Vanilla Ice Cream - Caramel Sauce

Normandy is the dairy region of France, and in a country where cheese is a way of life that means special pride and love for their breed of Jersey cattle. I believe you can taste the love in the cream-rich cuisine, and I am now spoiled forever for a great baguette with Camembert cheese from the happy brown and white cows that live in the Normandy countryside.

I met and spoke with Martin, a retiree with a long history in the computer business. On our last day of cruising, we sat on the top deck enjoying each other's company. Having traveled extensively before retirement, he now prefers riverboat travel. He did the Moscow to St. Petersburg River cruise and commented that "it is the best way to see the countryside". That point was very clear to me as we sat in warm, clear 76-degree weather, lazily watching the unique scenes of beautiful country homes dotting the riverbank this April afternoon. He also told me he appreciates the quality of the onboard lectures, mentioning that on his Moscow trip it was a treat to listen to a University of Moscow professor and economist compare the United States and Russia and President Putin and Bush. He added that these onboard lectures and top tour guides, provide much depth to the experience of this kind of travel.

When you travel the riverboat way, make sure you share your stories with your travel-mates. It makes for lasting memories. Au revoir.

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