River Cruising

River cruises are increasing in popularity as a unique option for those who enjoy ships but want to explore further inland.   Think about it!  A  river cruise  is one of the best ways I know to explore the inland, visiting cities, towns and villages that traditional big ships can’t access.  Europe, China, Brazil, Egypt and Russia all have incredible itineraries that visit amazing places.  As with big ships, your hotel goes with you and you don’t have that packing/unpacking dilemma.  River cruising is a little different from big ship cruising in that you won’t find all the big-ship features such as casinos, kids clubs, multi-level sun decks and large theaters, the real difference between a riverboat and a cruise ship experience is the intense emphasis on the places you visit. River itineraries in Europe, for example, feature a nice mix of sophisticated cities like Paris, Vienna,  Budapest and Amsterdam as well as charming and picturesque small towns and villages like the Rhone’s Chablis, the Danube’s Durnstein and the Rhine’s Cochem.   The shore excursions are almost always included in the cruise fare, not usually the case with a large cruise ship sailing.

Here is a list of some of the well known river cruise lines:

Avalon Waterways

Uniworld

Viking

AMA Waterways

Castles, cathedrals, bustling marketplaces, charming squares, ancient myths, spiritual wonders, a pagoda with golden dragons, rain forests and exotic wildlife are just some of the things to experience up close and personal on a river cruise of a lifetime.  Time to revisit the bucket list 🙂

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Getting Married?

Princess Cruise Line Wedding at Sea

Princess Cruise Line Wedding at Sea

Wow, it has been a crazy few months for my fiance and I!  I’ve found it difficult to work a full time job, plan a wedding AND keep up on my blog.  I thought I would pop in and let you know that Curious Compass is still here, just trying to keep up.

Once we were engaged, we talked seriously about getting married aboard a cruise ship.  The ultimate romantic adventure.  We found out that Princess Cruise Line was the only line that allowed the ceremony to be performed at sea.  The “Tie the Knot” program allows the ship’s Captain to perform the ceremony on international waters under the ship’s Bermuda registry.  Princess also offers fleet-wide harborside ceremonies in embarkation ports or weddings ashore in select ports of call. Together these options have created the cruise industry’s most diverse and unique wedding program, offering the convenience of a wedding and honeymoon in one customizable package that makes this important event easy and hassle-free.  To find out more click here. 

If I hadn’t dreamed of being married in front of all our family and friends, this would have been our first choice.  We couldn’t figure out how to get our closest 400 guests on the same cruise ship at the same time!  I definitely see vow-renewals in our future aboard a cruise ship…..