Sailing Down the Rhine

The world, needless-to-say, has thousands of travel options to enjoy and in the past 50 years of my traveling life I have always chosen places that afforded me not only the main world-famous sites to see (which are great), but additionally cities and towns where I could have memories based on special experiences.  

One trip of choice which I go back to over and over again is European river cruising. I have cruised the Rhine river in Germany dozens of times and astonishingly I've found new nooks and crannies to explore on every cruise which have given me those feel good moments.

I remember on one cruise savoring a hot flaming coffee on a cool November day at a cute cafe in Rudesheim. They go all out with the table side service with a dark coffee laced with Asbach brandy, set aflame then topped with luscious whipped cream.... I remember that feeling so well. These are the things you remember about your travels.

So on this November day, while in quarantine, I thought I would share some of my photos while sailing this magnificent river.

 

I love this part of the world and it's more affordable than you might think. With all the incredible promotions on at the moment you can get an all-inclusive 8 day Rhine cruise starting as low as $2700 per person!

If you would like more information just email me at francine@grandexplorer.com or call me at 1-800-903-5750

If you have suggestions on areas you would like me to write about please do not hesitate to leave me a comment.

Dream on!

2021 Uniworld River Cruises Bonus!

Now is a great time to book your 2021 Uniworld River Cruise to exotic destinations while getting a rebate of up to $2000 per cabin in addition to my $500 per cabin bonus for a whopping $2500 off per cabin! In addition if you are a past Uniworld passenger you will get an additional $200 off per cabin.

Here are the cruises where you can apply this rebates:

SPLENDORS OF EGYPT & THE NILE
12 DAYS CAIRO-CAIRO

Cruise the Nile in a manner once reserved for queens & pharoahs.  

For 12 adventure-filled days, experience Egypt and the Nile’s most wondrous sites in style and luxury. Wander amongst the towering ruins of the Temple of Karnak, the world’s largest ancient religious complex, and the entrancing Temple of Luxor. Visit temples dedicated to Hathor, Horus, and other mythological figures, and pay homage to the country’s first female ruler at the Temple of Hatshepsut. Follow in the footsteps of renowned scholars and explorers as you venture forth into the Valley of the Kings, the ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty. You will enjoy an exhilarating ride in a felucca, a traditional Nile River sailboat.

This captivating itinerary begins and ends in Cairo, where you’ll visit the famous Egyptian Museum and its stupendous and unrivaled collection of pharaonic artifacts, including treasures recovered from the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Journey to Giza to gaze upon the mighty ancient Pyramids and the timeworn, enigmatic Sphinx—iconic images that continue to amaze.

An enchanting land of marvels, myths, and wonders old and new, Egypt is an extraordinary destination no culturally curious traveler will want to miss.

INCLUDES

* 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the gorgeous S.S. Sphinx 

* Lavishly appointed riverview staterooms and suites

* 4 nights in Cairo at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza

* All meals onboard: 11 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinners

* Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner

* Farewell Dinner at the elegant Mena House Hotel Cairo

* Complimentary house wine, local beer, soft drinks, tea, and coffee 

* 9 days of excursions, hosted by English-speaking trained Egyptologists

SHIP - S.S SPHINX

The S.S. Sphinx will make her debut on the Nile river in 2021 and will offer two gourmet dining venues, a swimming pool, massage room and 42 gorgeously appointed suites. Egyptian artwork, fabrics and hand-carved furnishings will bring the beauty of the region to life onboard.

All beautifully appointed suites feature a French balcony and custom-made beds draped with the finest bed linens. Added conveniences include a vanity and make-up mirror, generous built-in closets, a hair dryer, safe, individual thermostat for air conditioning, direct-dial telephone, iPod® docking station and flat-screen television with satellite channels. Private bathrooms have both a bathtub and shower, and are stocked with thick towels, cozy robes, his and her slippers and soothing bath amenities.

PERUVIAN AMAZON & MACHU PICCHU EXPLORATION

15 DAYS FROM LIMA TO LIMA

Experience the very best of Peru over 15 days of wonder and amazement. From a deep dive into Lima—the “City of Kings”—to the legendary Machu Picchu, this 15-day cruise/tour is an all-encompassing adventure into the marvels of Peru and the Amazon rainforest.

Your adventure starts in Lima, where you’ll explore the colorful colonial architecture, the bohemian district of Barranco and the San Francisco Monastery. Journey into the Amazon on board the Aria Amazon, a five-star ship designed for your Peruvian adventure. Embark on river skiffs as you explore the Ucayali and Marañón Rivers before setting off to the birthplace of the Amazon River. Admire the diverse flora and fauna in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.

Discover the beauty of the heartland of the Inka Empire, known as the Sacred Valley. Of course, no trip to Peru could truly be complete without a trek to the world famous Machu Picchu. A must-see, this spectacular piece of history has fascinated both historians and archaeologists alike. Your trip ends in the Andes Mountains in Cusco, a perfect blend of Ancient Andean culture and Spanish colonial splendor.

With no shortage of awe-inspiring beauty, this trip is sure to be an unforgettable adventure.

INCLUDES:

* 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the luxurious Aria Amazon
* Lavishly appointed riverview suites with floor-to-ceiling windows
* 2 nights in Lima at the Country Club Lima Hotel 
* 1 night in Urubamba at the Hotel Tambo del Inka
* 1 night in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) at The Sumaq Hotel 
* 2 nights in Cusco at the Belmond Hotel Monasterio 
* 1 night in Lima at the Wyndham Costa del Sol Hotel at the Airport 
* Meals onboard prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
* Five-star cuisine with menu by top chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino
* 14 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 11 dinners

* Complimentary house wine and beer, spirits, soft drinks, tea, and coffee will be served on the Aria Amazon, between 6am and 11pm throughout the cruise. Onboard lunches and dinner include complimentary house wine and beer, soft drinks, coffee and tea. Onshore lunches and dinners include complimentary soft drinks, coffee and tea

* 13 days of excursions, all fully hosted by English-speaking local
   experts and naturalist guides

SHIP - ARIA AMAZON

Designed to explore the Peruvian Amazon in luxury and comfort, the Aria Amazon is an all-suite ship with floor-to-ceiling windows, giving you a full view of the majestic rivers and rainforest. The top deck features a jacuzzi, indoor lounge & bar and an outdoor observation deck. With all-inclusive amenities and five-star cuisine by top chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, this luxurious ship is guaranteed to give you an intimate and immersive experience.

The 147-foot-long, Aria Amazon is a masterpiece of boat engineering, custom-built by renowned Peruvian architect Jordi Puig to cruise the Amazon. This is a truly luxurious cruise ship operating on the Amazon River in Northern Peru, offering an extraordinary level of comfort for its lucky guests. The Aria Amazon cruise is known as the best of the best in all categories. 

The Aria Amazon has sixteen oversized design suites, each handsomely decorated and fully air-conditioned, and measuring around 240 square feet. They all feature en suite sitting areas and generous outward-facing picture-windows with panoramic Amazon river views. Four of these suites can even be interconnected, to cater to families.

TIMELESS WONDERS OF VIETNAM, CAMBODIA & THE MEKONG

13 DAYS FROM HO CHI MINH CITY TO SIEM REAP

A fascinating, rewarding and multilayered adventure.

Two of the most beautiful, historic and friendly places in all of Asia, dynamic Vietnam and pastoral Cambodia are intriguing studies in contrast. Each possesses its own unique charm and social traditions, its own tragic history and complex past. In many ways, a visit here is less about the sights you see than it is about the people you meet and the experiences you have along the way.

Ho Chi Minh City offers a heady mixture of old and new, often surprising visitors with its charm. As the lifeblood of Southeast Asia, the Mekong teems with colorful floating villages and mementos of its French Colonial past. Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s thriving capital, is fast-forwarding to the future yet retains a provincial intimacy. And colorful Siem Reap provides the gateway to the vast UNESCO-designated jungle temple complex of Angkor Wat.

INCLUDES:

* 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the all-suite Mekong Jewel

* 2 nights in Ho Chi Minh City at the Park Hyatt Saigon (or similar)

* 3 nights in Siem Reap at the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa
* Meals onboard prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients

* 12 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 9 dinners

* Welcome Dinner cruise on the Saigon Princess

* Farewell Dinner with Apsara Show

* Complimentary house wine, local spirits and beer,. soft drinks, tea, and coffee will be served at the Explorer Bar, deck 6, between 3pm and 11pm throughout the cruise. Onboard lunches and dinner include complimentary house wine, local beer, soft drinks, coffee and tea. Onshore lunches and dinners include complimentary soft drinks, coffee and tea

* 13 included excursions, hosted by English-speaking local experts

SHIP - MEKONG JEWEL

Debuting in January 2020, the Mekong Jewel is the newest and most luxurious ship on the Mekong river. This all-suite Super Ship includes two dining venues: one main restaurant and an al fresco eatery on the upper deck. The Mekong Jewel replaces the Mekong Navigator and was constructed with sustainable, eco-friendly materials, and features a swimming pool, spa, sauna and steam room, gym, hair salon, nail bar, two lounges and a library.

There are three basic grades of accommodation aboard Mekong Jewel: Suites, Grand Suites and Royal Suites.

Suites are the most common cabin grade found onboard and are spread across all three accommodation decks. These range from 323 to 333 square feet and are lavishly decorated with hardwood floors, crown-molded ceilings adorned with a wooden ceiling fan, attractive headboards, decorative wall sconce lighting and elegant soft furnishings. All suites feature French balconies, interactive television systems and marble bathrooms.

Two Grand Suites (307 and 308) are situated on the Sun Deck and are substantially larger at 548 square feet. These lavish rooms include separate living and sleeping areas, a separate desk and makeup area, and a marble bathroom.

The top-of-the-line accommodations onboard are the two Royal Suites situated all the way forward on the Sun Deck. These forward-facing suites (rooms 309 and 310) are an incredible 915 square feet apiece, almost unheard of on the Mekong. Enlarged living and sleeping areas give way to a separated desk and makeup vanity area; an enlarged marble bathroom complete with window, dual vanity and soaker tub; and full French doors opening onto a wraparound balcony.

For information on these and other cruises you might be interested in please contact Francine at 1-800-903-5750 or drop me a line at francine@grandexplorer.com

Dream on!!!

Breaking Cruise News!

After nearly eight months, the CDC has lifted the No-Sail Order that has restricted all cruise travel to and from the United States, technically allowing the industry to restart phased operations on November 1. 

The order, originally issued by the CDC on March 14 and extended twice since then, was overwritten in a Friday filing released by the agency.

The filing is called a "framework for conditional sailing" and outlines the testing process that the cruise lines must go through to resume operations safely. The first phase calls for testing and safeguards for crew members, followed by "simulated voyages" to make sure that cruise lines can mitigate the risk of COVID-19. After that, the agency will allow a "phased return" to cruise passenger voyages.

"This framework provides a pathway to resume safe and responsible sailing. It will mitigate the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks on ships and prevent passengers and crew from seeding outbreaks at ports and in the communities where they live," CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said.

"CDC and the cruise industry have a shared goal to protect crew, passengers and communities and will continue to work together to ensure that all necessary public health procedures are in place before cruise ships begin sailing with passengers."

The CDC's new guidance will be in effect for cruises to and from U.S. ports of call until November 1, 2021.

What Does the Framework for Conditional Sailing Mean?

As part of the CDC's framework for conditional sailing, lines must demonstrate adherence to testing, quarantine and isolation, and social distancing requirements to protect crew members while they build the laboratory capacity needed to test crew and future passengers.

Much like Royal Caribbean chairman and CEO Richard Fain had suggested, the CDC will first want operators to conduct simulated (mock) voyages with volunteers playing the role of passengers to test the line's ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk.

Once operations are approved, passengers and crew will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing at both embarkation and disembarkation.

The CDC has also indicated it will help cruise lines establish a laboratory team dedicated to the industry that will provide information and oversight for COVID-19 testing. It will also aid in updating its color-coding system to indicate vessel status; update technical instructions as needed; and update its necessary forms to ensure COVID-19 data collection for passengers.

Complying with this Framework for Conditional Sailing will be the first step in a staggered resumption of cruise operations. Voyages are initially restricted to one week or less in duration.

How Soon Can Cruises Resume?

The phased approach is what North American cruise lines were advocating all along.

All cruise lines have suspended their North American operations until at least December 1, while many operators have pushed their restart dates well into 2021. The Cruise Line Industry Association has imposed a voluntary ban on cruising through October. 31.

Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean are among those to have suspended till December 1. Executives have previously given timelines ranging from 30 to 60 days to bring a ship from layup to the point where it is ready for operational service again.

While the No-Sail Order was in effect, cruise lines endeavored to find new ways to keep passengers healthy onboard and create protocols in case of outbreaks. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings teamed with Royal Caribbean Group to create an industry-wide Healthy Sail Panel, chaired by former Utah Governor and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt, and Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The panel concluded a safe return to cruise was possible, delivering a 65-plus-page report to the CDC outlining a total of 74 action points that lines would undertake to safely resume cruising.

During this time, limited sailings have resumed in Europe aboard AIDA, Costa, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and TUI following guidance from the European Union's Healthy Gateways panel. While some lines have suspended sailings again because of recent COVID-19 spikes and new lockdowns in Europe, the European lines have shown that cruises can be completed safely, thanks to robust new protocols.

Those recommendations were released to cruise operators by the EU on June 30.

Many lines, including Royal Caribbean, stated that test cruises with company employees only would be the first to set sail in order to fully implement and tweak, if necessary, health and safety protocols.

While no lines have announced exact restart plans as of this writing, most probably will only do so with a handful of ships initially, leading to more cancellations going into 2021 as the industry employs a staggered approach to the restart of cruise operations.

During Royal Caribbean's third quarter earnings call on Thursday, chairman and CEO Richard Fain stressed that any return to service would be a measured one, with short sailings aboard a handful of ships.

"This whole concept of the trial voyages is really quite important," Fain told investors. "We're not just suddenly coming back. It's going to take a while to organize those voyages and we'll have an opportunity to see those protocols in action."

"Then, only on a ship or two at first, we expect to begin sailing again. They will be short cruises with limited destinations and controlled shore excursions."

What's Next?

The next step for the industry is to slowly ramp up operations again. This could require redeploying ships, changing itineraries, or introducing new health and safety requirements depending on the state of the global health pandemic.

The continued guidance by the CDC urging Americans to avoid all cruise travel also poses problems from an insurance perspective: Most policies will not cover travel to a place where a warning against all travel has been issued.  

However, major port gateway cities like Miami have campaigned strongly for the cruise industry after a report by the Federal Maritime Commission highlighted the devastating economic damage that would result from a shutdown of all cruise operations.

On Thursday, Transport Canada extended its own cruise ban for vessels carrying over 100 persons from entering Canadian waters; and for vessels carrying over 12 persons for Canada's Arctic waters. That order is now set to expire on the evening of February 28, 2021. And while no cruises are sailing to Canadian ports during that time, the signal it sends to the industry is one of caution that Canadian ports may be some time from being ready to accept the cruise industry back.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Having said all this, it's important to note that there is a great chance that overall cruising worldwide should resume by Summer 2021. In that vein most cruise lines are offering incredible incentives for reservations sailing from June 2021 through 2022. It's amazing how so many departures for 2021 are already sold out! Clients are taking advantage of the rebates now because once the industry opens up again there will be a flood of people wanting to book but unfortunately space will be hard to find.

If you make your reservations for next year or 2022 now you will benefit from the great rates and perks and should you not sail then it is fully refundable, so you have nothing to lose and will be beating the rush once this situation settles.

I have been making reservations for weeks now for next year and 2022 and in many cases the dates my clients wanted are sold out already for September & October 2021!   

Plan your cruise now, make a small deposit and avoid disappointment because the vaccine should be coming by early 2021 and when the travel bans lift there will be a mad rush to book travel.

UNIWORLD

If you book your 2021 or 2022 Uniworld cruise by the end of November  2020, I will offer you a $500 Travel Certificate to be used towards your cruise as well as a 1 night pre-cruise 4-star hotel stay.

So start dreaming about travel again, choose your cruise and have something to look forward too!

Call me at 1-800-903-5750 for any questions you may have.

Matera, Italy

I must admit that I love old-world medieval towns filled with historic architecture, cobblestoned streets dotted with small intriguing shops filled with hand made goods. It always makes me feel like I'm truly experiencing something totally different than my home town and this is one of the treasures I value in traveling.

I was watching a performance of Il Volo, an operatic trio whom I love, and they were performing at an outside venue in this incredible town which I had to look up immediately, it was Matera, Italy. 

Matera is a city on a rocky outcrop in the region of Basilicata, in southern Italy. It includes the Sassi area, a complex of cave dwellings carved into the mountainside. Evacuated in 1952 due to poor living conditions, the Sassi now houses museums like the Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario, with period furniture and artisan tools. Nearby rock churches include St. Lucia alle Malve, with 13th-century frescoes.

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993, the Sassi represent a unique hamlet throughout Italy: the earliest inhabitants date back to the stone and bronze age, in the middle ages it boasted several monastic communities and later became a vibrant farming centre, owing to the rich harvests from the surrounding hills and plains.

Matera has gained international fame for the "Sassi di Matera". The Sassi originated in a prehistoric troglodyte settlement, and these dwellings are thought to be among the first ever human settlements in what is now Italy. The Sassi are habitations dug into the calcareous rock itself, which is characteristic of Basilicata and Apulia. Many of them are really little more than small caverns, and in some parts of the Sassi a street lies on top of another group of dwellings. The ancient town grew up on one slope of the rocky ravine created by a river that is now a small stream, and this ravine is known locally as "la Gravina". In the 1950s, as part of a policy to clear the extreme poverty of the Sassi, the government of Italy used force to relocate most of the population of the Sassi to new public housing in the developing modern city.

Until the late 1980s the Sassi was still considered an area of poverty, since its dwellings were, and in most cases still are, uninhabitable and dangerous. The present local administration, however, has become more tourism-orientated, and it has promoted the regeneration of the Sassi as a picturesque touristic attraction with the aid of the Italian government, UNESCO, and Hollywood. Today there are many thriving businesses, pubs and hotels there, and the city is amongst the fastest growing in southern Italy.

Matera preserves a large and diverse collection of buildings related to the Christian faith, including a large number of rupestrian churches carved from the calcarenite rock of the region.[8] These churches, which are also found in the neighbouring region of Apulia, were listed in the 1998 World Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund.

Matera Cathedral (1268–1270) has been dedicated to Santa Maria della Bruna since 1389. Built in an Apulian Romanesque architectural style, the church has a 52 m tall bell tower, and next to the main gate is a statue of the Maria della Bruna, backed by those of Saints Peter and Paul. The main feature of the façade is the rose window, divided by sixteen small columns. The interior is on the Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles. The decoration is mainly from the 18th century Baroque restoration, but recently, a Byzantine-style 14th-century fresco portraying the Last Judgement has been discovered.

For a truly romantic experience why not stay in a cave hotel? Sleeping in the Sassi of Matera is a unique experience!

The Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita project is situated in the historical heart of Matera. The 18 caves have been restored through a careful and conservative process conducted with the utmost respect for the local cultural heritage. Each cave reveals the original shape and materials. The interior design, the respectful and minimalistic approach of Sextantio is reflected in the plain furniture elements. The guests will experience a particular atmosphere evoking the cultural and human history of the Sassi of Matera.

Not a bad way to take a bath!

Happy travel dreams!