River Cruise Advisor

04/08/2025

what i bor-did in bor-deaux. i regret nothing about this trip! (read more)

just an average week drinking wine before noon, pretending to know the difference between merlot and malbec, and taking in all the great views! thanks for a wonderful week,

here's what i was up to:

1. wine tasting and tour at chateau malescasse.
2. pastries from a local bakery - so dang delicious!
3 & 4. views in st. emilion.
5. late night snacks in the lounge - brought right to our table. snacks always seemed to come at the right time. drinks were super on point
6 & 7. unique excursion in blaye. i'll write more about it on the blog. we had fun learning about wine and made a group painting. mine is the pink blob
8. surprise! enjoying my wine at chateau malescasse.
9 & 10. city of wine!! an interactive wine museum in bordeaux. had fun smelling and listening and watching and tasting. great views from the top. fun place to learn about wine. avalon includes a free tasting at the end.
11 & 12.our home for 5 short days. great ship with a great crew. i loved my stateroom. the club lounge is always a great spot to hang. can't say enough good things.

stay tuned for more. 🩷

03/22/2025

Avalon new entry into Bordeaux Avalon Waterways

03/14/2025

two weeks ago with (click to read more)

back on the river with one of our favorite cruise lines, and amamagna did not disappoint. bigger staterooms, more dining, and still the same ama experience we love. this best of the danube itinerary had it all - vienna’s charm, dürnstein’s fairytale vibes, beer and cheese in bratislava, and budapest shining like a literal postcard. and let’s talk about jimmy’s…dinner for 14? absolute magic. take a peak at some of my favorite moments.

thanks again to ama for another great week showing us the best of the danube.

05/06/2022

Through nearly five decades of travel and three decades of cruising, I’ve learned a lot – much of it through trial and error. This post details a dozen things that I did right on my trip to France this past April and one thing where I goofed. What about you? Care to add to my list?

Through nearly five decades of travel and three decades of cruising, I've learned a lot - much of it through trial and error. This post details a dozen things that I did right on my trip to France this past April and one thing that I goofed on.

01/19/2022

This was no fun to write … hoping for Crystal’s survival and believing it will. Too many good and talented people and fans. Too good to fail.

Crystal is suspending operations for its ocean and expedition ships through April 29, 2022, with river cruises suspended through the end of May 2022. Is this the end of Crystal? We don’t think so.

10/06/2021

today’s cooking class in lyon at

09/30/2021

Britton and I are off cruising next week. We'll be posting on our Instagram account , and on the Avid Cruiser page.

Assuming a negative Covid-19 test 48 hours (PCR) or 24 hours (Antigen) before boarding KLM on Saturday night, I will be cruising October 4-14, 2021 on Crystal Debussy. Coverage begins today as I prepare for my trip to Amsterdam. Pictured: Sister ship to Debussy, Crystal Bach on my last river cruise two years ago.

09/15/2021

We’re going river cruising - I think.

We were all set for our October 4, 2021 Crystal Debussy cruise on the Rhine. Flights booked, hotels booked. Ready. Set. Go. Not so fast. The Dutch imposed a mandatory quarantine for vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans - this week they reversed it.

09/03/2021

I could not wait to get back on a river cruise, but as my sailing approached, I found myself questioning my decision to cruise during Covid. I realize that many of you are considering river cruises as well but traveling during the pandemic leaves you with similar questions, which I want to share wit...

03/16/2021

Wow! Cruising's back.

This one caught us by surprise. American Queen Steamboat and American Cruise Lines quietly started operations again this past weekend. Crystal Cruises announced it will sail from the Bahamas. Bookings open this week.