I’ve been working at USA River Cruises for six years now, and I’ve gotten to know our products very well. I’ve actually made recommendations for our agents’ clients. In fact, as the blog and e-newsletter writer, I make a lot of recommendations. But for 2015, I have a very specific list in my head. If I could take 5 cruises in 2015, what cruises would they be? These are the cruises I would want to take this year.
- Old-Fashioned Holidays – I have been saying this for a couple years now, but I WANT TO SEE THE AMERICAN QUEEN ALL DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS! The desire is so primal now – its a part of me. The American Queen itself just taps into the nostalgia center of my heart – old-fashioned travel on a paddlewheel! And cruising from such classic Mississippi River ports as New Orleans and Memphis would be fantastic. But add in the joy of Christmas, and I’m hooked! I want to sit in the Grand Saloon for an evening show! I want to sing Christmas carols and drink eggnog! The decorations, the food, the sights and sounds and smells – I want to just spend a week living in Christmas!
Jackson Square, NOLA – decorated for Christmas
- Discoverers’ Glacier Country – This is a 7-night Alaskan cruise, roundtrip from Juneau. Not only is it a spectacular, adventurous cruise, you can take kids! Their special ‘Kids in Nature’ program is available June 21 or July 19, 2015. This would be an amazing cruise to take my daughter on. Have a Park Ranger guide us through Glacier Bay National Park! Go whale watching in Frederick Sound and Stephens Passage! Take a kayak or skiff to Fords Terror or other coves and fjords. What a wonder to experience, and what a wonder to share with a child! Take your children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren! Open their mind to the amazing world around them.
- Cities of Light – This Viking cruise is 8-days from Paris to Prague on the Rhine and Main Rivers, plus two nights in Paris and two nights in Prague. Tour Trier Cathedral, Marksburg Castle, Nuremberg; attend a glassblowing demonstration; learn to make German bread pudding (makes my mouth water just thinking about it); and the photography opportunities of so many central European landscapes… It’s a 12 day cruise/tour with 10 guided tours in 4 countries. All onboard meals included, port charges included, complimentary wine and beer with onboard lunch and dinner. This is how I want to see Europe!
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Map of the New England Islands Cruise
New England Islands – This cruise can be 7 or 8-days, roundtrip from Providence, Rhode Island. There’s something classic-glamorous about going island hopping in Nantucket, Block Island, and Martha’s Vineyard! Of course, my imagination was first fascinated by Rhode Island when I watched the classic film, ‘High Society’ – who wouldn’t want to see Newport after watching Grace Kelly speed her car through the rich neighborhoods! But if you can, there are special cruise dates with a very delicious theme: Lobsterbake! How could you go to New England and not indulge in lobster?
- Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Riches of the Mekong – The AmaLotus cruises the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam year-round. It’s an 8-day cruise, plus two nights in Hanoi, one night aboard a Junk in Ha Long Bay, three nights in Siem Reap (all before boarding your cruise ship), and two nights in Ho Chi Minh City after your cruise! 16-days to explore the Riches of the Mekong! I’ve blogged about this one before – I was trying to convince y’all to take this cruise! You will experience new sights, sounds, smells, and tastes on your journey. Receive a Buddhist blessing when you tour the monastery at Oudong; enjoy an onboard Khmer folk presentation by the local children in Phnom Penh; visit a silk-making workshop in Tan Chau; buy souvenirs at Cai Be’s floating market. These memories are one-of-a-kind! Put this on your to-do list!
Try the flavors of the Mekong
Of course, there are so many more fantastic cruise itineraries, and I didn’t even take into account our Rail Trips! But these are my top choices for 2015. What’s on your wish list? Talk to our agents about planning your 2015 vacations.
