By Lucy Fernandez, Owner
River cruises are a wonderful way to reconnect with extended family on vacation. With their laid-back pace, there is plenty of time to relax on board the ship and simply enjoy one another’s company. Sightseeing excursions on days in port offer many opportunities to create shared memories together.
The River Ambassador (Photo Courtesy of Uniworld)
That’s just what I did with my uncle, aunt and cousin on the Treasures of Prague, the Rhine & Main river cruise with Uniworld last summer. We started our vacation visiting Prague, Czech Republic, exploring the “City of Spires” with its stunning Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. From Prague, we motored to Nuremburg, Germany, to tour the city sights, including the lovely Hesperides Gardens. Then we boarded our classy ship, the River Ambassador, to set sail along the legendary Rhine and Main rivers.
The ports of call were fascinating. Some highlights included Bamberg, where we admired one of Europe’s largest intact Old Town centers; Würzburg, for sampling Franconian wines; Miltenberg with its many 14th-and 15th-century half-timbered houses and a special visit to Schloss Kleinheubach, a “mini Versailles”; and Aschaffenburg, for exploring the town where King Ludwig I decided to build a residence. Our final stops were outstanding as well: Koblenz, where we visited the largest fortress in Europe, and Cologne, to admire one of the world’s most beautiful Gothic cathedrals.
This cruise was a fabulous combination of history, culture and natural beauty. While cruising the Rhine and Main we got an up-close look at Germany’s magnificent “Sleeping Beauty” castles and gardens of European royalty, reminding us of a life lived on a grand scale.
Lucy on the River Ambassador
We were delighted with the recently remodeled River Ambassador. The overall service on board the boutique ship was excellent; the on-board dinners were a representation of the region and beautifully served with local wines. The 108 passengers were very friendly and most of them went right to bed after dinner for a good night’s sleep on a comfortable bed with quality linens; many of us were pleasantly wiped out from a wonderful day of sightseeing at each port!
I recommend this tour to anyone enthralled by history, architecture and nature. All ages and abilities are welcomed on this itinerary, as there are several levels of walking during the shore excursions. Of course, you can always forgo a day of sightseeing to stay on the ship and enjoy the fine amenities and attentive service to yourself.
By Lucy Fernandez
AffordableTours.com Owner
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Uniworld continues to offer Treasures of Prague, the Rhine & Main in 2013. Choose to cruise from Prague to Cologne or Cologne to Prague. Other companies that offer river cruises along the Rhine and Main include AMA Waterways, Avalon Waterways, Tauck and Viking.