The Rhine River
Liz
A river cruise ship docked in front of a
cathedral in Cologne, Germany
Photo credit: Liz
cathedral in Cologne, Germany
Photo credit: Liz
This year my grandparents had their 50th wedding anniversary. Instead of celebrating with a nice dinner for two, or even a romantic weekend getaway, they decided to invite the entire family to join them on a 10-day cruise down the Rhine River in Europe — all expenses paid. I still can't decide if they were extremely generous or extremely crazy, but either way I was unable to express my excitement and gratitude at their decision. Our entourage consisted of 10 people: Grandma and Grandpa, their daughters Laura and Lisa, the daughters' husbands Jim and Tim, and each family's two children, Christina and me and Julia and Peter.
The cruise started in Amsterdam, Netherlands, continued throughout several cities in Germany and France, and ended in Basel, Switzerland. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip with sights, foods, people, and memories I will never forget.
There are advantages and disadvantages to taking a river cruise as opposed to visiting cities by land. I found the river — lined with castles, vineyards, and trees— to be extremely beautiful and relaxing. We were able to visit more than 10 cities in 10 days, which would have been nearly impossible to do had we not had a traveling hotel in the form of a cruise boat. We also had all of our meals provided on the ship, which was both delicious and convenient.
The cruise started in Amsterdam, Netherlands, continued throughout several cities in Germany and France, and ended in Basel, Switzerland. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip with sights, foods, people, and memories I will never forget.
There are advantages and disadvantages to taking a river cruise as opposed to visiting cities by land. I found the river — lined with castles, vineyards, and trees— to be extremely beautiful and relaxing. We were able to visit more than 10 cities in 10 days, which would have been nearly impossible to do had we not had a traveling hotel in the form of a cruise boat. We also had all of our meals provided on the ship, which was both delicious and convenient.
"It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip with sights, foods,
people, and memories I will never forget."
My family and me on the deck of our river cruise ship
Photo credit: Liz
Photo credit: Liz
The only aspect of the river cruise I found to be somewhat frustrating was the timing of the city stops. Because we stopped at so many cities in such a limited time, our stays in each city were very brief — usually no more than half of a day. This was enough time to get a feel for the city, grab a bite to eat and maybe do some shopping, but wasn't nearly sufficient to be immersed in the culture and discover things off the beaten path. However, the brief visits to each city did help me to discover what things I really like about Europe and which places I would like to make an effort to visit again.