For seven days I sailed the Rhine River on the AmaSerena with around 80 people, the majority of which were from McLean County.
We visited France, Germany, Switzerland, and Amsterdam. To say we were wined and dined the entire way is an understatement.
Direct Travel has been kind enough to invite me to host 2 other trips and I must tell you…group travel is simply incredible. The AmaSerena had 126 people on it…McLean County represented more than half the ship.
The sights and sounds of Europe were extraordinary. The history, the people and the food will be memories I’ll cherish for a lifetime.
Traveling during Covid and the staffing issues worldwide as a result of Covid is no joke. We allowed extra hours here and there just in case. Traveling internationally takes patience, a calm attitude and a simple internal reminder that the world is a big place…and things aren’t always going to go smoothly.
The staff on the ship were top notch, Luis the cruise manager made sure everything was perfect, Sandy and Kim with Direct Travel were great leaders. My mom and I were honored to be your hosts.
The laughter, dancing and conversations made this trip even more special.
One of the many highlights was our time in Basel. Mom and I took a half day tour of the town and then explored on our own. It was the first stop after a long travel day, and we wanted something low key and slow pace. The town was beautiful, and we found a delightful bar on the banks of the Rhine and for a moment we felt like locals.
Another highlight was seeing all the castles, 30 in total, on both sides of the AmaSerena.
Amsterdam was out of this world. The energy of that city is unexplainable.
Mom and I found ourselves dancing in the lounge after dinner….I have been warned there are many photos and videos of us letting loose.
The crew was friendly, helpful and really did everything to make us comfortable.
A River cruise is very different than a large sea cruise. This is an intimate and beautiful way to travel.
Thanks again to Direct Travel and WJBC listeners for joining me to see the world!
Until next time-
Scott Miller