A cruise by the Danube

If you are looking for a stress-free way of holiday in Europe, I would heartily recommend considering a river cruise.

Embarking on a cruise sheds you off the hassle of packing, unpacking, running after flights and enduring the long transit hours. There is no need to tidy up your rooms as courteous, young ladies (towering at six feet!) make sure that your cabin is constantly spic-and-span. A waterway trip is very much like being in a moving hotel that pampers you non-stop until you reach your destination. In a virtual floating hotel, one wines, dines, dances, goes to bed and awakens to a new city or country, which will be toured on land right after breakfast or lunch. It is that simple.

My family and I took Avalon Waterways’ Danube River cruise where we visited Prague, parts of Germany, Austria and Hungary. A river cruise is different from an ocean cruise in the sense that you’re in a much smaller craft and as such, do not have certain features such as a theater, shopping center and casinos. I personally prefer the former to my experience with the latter as the smaller passenger population allows one a greater chance at fostering friendship.

We rode on the Avalon Tranquility, a riverboat that could hold about 156 guests. There were 46 people who composed the boat’s crew and staff from various nationalities (mostly Eastern Europeans) who spoke English impeccably (the Avalon Waterways trip that we signed up for was targeted primarily for the Northern American market). Like in most cruises, one is certain to gain a few pounds after a journey, as food during the trip is plentiful and delicious.

We started our adventure in Prague where we met our amiable and thoroughly hands-on Austrian cruise director Andrzeg Sanakiewicz. Throughout our holiday, Andrzeg was visible, overseeing the safety and comfort of each passenger, making sure that everyone had his or her tickets, earphones and shore passes. The tour guides that Avalon provided (our holiday took us to Regensburg and Nuremburg, Germany; Salzburg and Vienna, Austria; and Budapest, Hungary) were all very competent, fluent and helpful, making each destination a memorable experience.

In between stops, I got a chance to make friends with a number of American co-passengers. There were Vernon and Leola Schultz from Wisconsin who have been married for 58 years. Leola shared that she celebrates Christmas with four trees in her home and Vernon happily declared that marrying Leola was the best decision of his life. There were Julie Peterson and Carol Niesen, sisters who engaged me and my mom in an enjoyable game of Scrabble (despite a pestering cold, my mom managed to trounce us all!) and finally, there was Brother Ron (whose congregation supports a school in Davao City) and his students from the high school class of ‘65 from New Jersey who made it a point to travel together as a group every two years.

My more mature readers who may be considering taking a river cruise will surely be glad to know that senior citizens are given special consideration in this type of voyage. For starters, there is the Early Risers Breakfast starting at 6 a.m. as well as a special tour called, the Gentle Walkers (for those who have difficulty walking or who need wheelchair service). I am almost embarrassed to admit this but there were times — although several members of my family were among the youngest people in the cruise — we felt that the  Gentle Walkers group could overtake us during sightseeing!

The grandeur and majesty of the Eastern European countries is a tale best reserved for another article. Suffice it to say that nothing invigorates one’s soul like the experience of exploring countries and cultures very much unlike one’s own. The journey is made all the more fulfilling with the assurance that at the end of the day, you have a home to return to, one that will ensure that all your needs are met in time for your next destination.

My parents, husband, siblings and their spouses had the most enjoyable vacation together traveling down the Danube. Everybody was relaxed, inspired and re-enamored with the world — the state of grace that every traveler ought to experience.

Dear Dad, if you are reading this, please book the next tour soonest! Mwah!

(To learn more about Avalon Waterways cruises, log on to www.avalonwaterways.com.)