Archive for the 'River Cruising' Category

There is going to be a plethora of river cruise launches next year. So many, in fact, that it’s hard to keep track. There will be newbuilds big and small, on rivers as far ranging as Europe, Russia, China and Southeast Asia. So, as 2010 comes to a close, here is a calendar of river cruising events for 2011 — which ships are launching, when and where.

March  Read more... (712 words, 1 image, estimated 2:51 mins reading time)

In the video, Top Ten Reasons To River Cruise In Europe, we outline some of the advantages of river cruising over other forms of transportation. When compared to touring by motorcoach, for example, river cruising is the hands-down winner.

As part of its 15^th annual World’s Best Awards, Travel + Leisure ranked the top five river cruise lines.

The 2010 results, released on July 8, ranked river cruise lines as follows:  Read more... (82 words, estimated 20 secs reading time)

1. Abercrombie & Kent, Score: 91.72
2. Avalon Waterways, Score: 90.09
3. Tauck World Discovery: 89.83
4. Viking River Cruises: 85.33
5. Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection: 85.14

Noodle Station, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

During breakfast and lunch on La Marguerite, there was a “Fresh Noodle Station,” which prepared delicious noodle soups. Also available: a buffet of Western and Asian foods, fresh fruits and cheeses.

Noodle soup, an option for breakfast and lunch  Read more... (207 words, 3 images, estimated 50 secs reading time)

On the Mekong: Sa Dec, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

One of our readers asked about tours and whether they were crowded. They were not. La Marguerite carries 92 passengers. For tours, we split into three groups, meaning there were about 30 people in each group. Thirty is not a small group, but it’s not a large one either.  Read more... (244 words, 1 image, estimated 59 secs reading time)

Friday afternoon in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, passengers from La Marguerite enjoyed ceremonial song and dance at the National Museum. The performance is part of a blessing ritual in the days before the New Year on April 13 (sometimes celebrated on April 14).

Our morning was a bit more grim, as we visited the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Photos and captions below.  Read more... (530 words, 17 images, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)

Worker carrying rice husks for fueling fires at the brick factory in Sa Dec, Vietnam.

Wednesday, April 7, 5:30 p.m. Cruising Into Tan Chau, Vietnam — The early-evening sun appears as a bright orange orb descending into the Mekong. La Marguerite slows its pace, sailing into Tan Chau, the last Vietnamese outpost before the vessel crosses into Cambodia tomorrow. On board, passengers are enjoying a variety of activities. Some are cooling off in the pool, some are sipping cocktails, some are attempting to get the perfect snapshot of the sunset. All appear happy to be exploring a region relatively new to tourism and river cruising.  Read more... (875 words, 8 images, estimated 3:30 mins reading time)