But my definition of a "cruise" had always included a large ocean vessel surrounded by open water. When I thought of being on a cruise, I'd imagine waking up every morning to see nothing but water. Sure, I know that cruises technically go somewhere, but where exactly they go and what you do when you get there remains a mystery. I've seen plenty of ads for the large cruise lines on television over the course of my lifetime. They often featured "catchy" songs which would inevitably through my head on a loop, entertainment options that didn't appeal to me, and children jumping into pools. I am sure that this type of vacation appeals to someone, but I am clearly not the target audience.
I rarely go on a trip and stay in one place. I'm constantly hopping trains, renting cars, getting last minute flights, generally scrambling from place to place. As much as I love it, it can get exhausting to pack up everything and haul it with me every day. It would be easier for sure if I didn't carry so much camera equipment, but taking photos is about 50% the reason I travel. Ditching the photo gear isn't an option.
Enter the river cruise. I've only recently started to think about these, and it's television that alerted me to the fact that they existed. No annoying jingles, no costumed characters, no mega-pools surrounded by ocean. Thank you, PBS, for providing excellent programming and thank you, river cruise companies, for supporting them. I've found two companies this way, each of which offers trips that I would seriously like to take.
First, there's Viking's Footsteps of the Cossacks, a 12-day cruise that makes it way from Kiev to Odessa along the Dnieper River. Aside from the fact that Ukraine is high on my list of places to go, this cruise offers an optional archaeological tour to the ruins of the city of Chersonese. Getting to archaeological sites isn't always the easiest thing in the world. If I can leave my luggage on a boat and have someone get me to ruins, I'll be happy. There are 11 other days to explore palaces, visit sites of the ...Plus, when the cruise is over, I'll be sure to head back to all the places we didn't get to stop at along the way or spend much time in, like Bakhchysaray, as well as explore farther flung areas of Ukraine, like Lviv, Kamyanets-Podilsky, and Chernihiv.
And then there's this one offered by Avalon Waterways, a 24-day cruise from the North Sea to the Black Sea. Yes, if I had $9000 and three and a half weeks to spend on a trip, I would do this. I've already been to a lot of the places north of Budapest, but wouldn't mind going to any of them again. (I've always had very weird experiences in Cologne it doesn't top my "must return to" list. So many people have told me how great of a city it is, and can't believe I don't love it. Maybe I just need to experience it by way of boat.) It's been a few years since I've done a "grand tour" involving several countries, and I'd love it if my next jaunt could take place in the Balkans. While I can't exactly swing nearly $10K for a three week excursion, this itinerary adds some fuel to my wanderlust.
Ever been on a river cruise? What did you think?
