Avalon Waterways, one of my favorite river cruise lines is raising the bar (in this case baton) with a series of unique experiences. They were the first to try conducting an orchestra in Vienna.

How You Ask
Vienna echoes to the strains of Schubert, members of the Strauss dynasty and Mozart; who were born or lived in the city at various times. Classical concerts are one of the city's most popular attractions, with performances almost every night of the week. While river cruise lines have sometimes brought passengers to concerts, Avalon Waterways' passengers can go a step further and conduct an orchestra. The line introduced the optional activity as part of its Active Discovery program which launched on Danube sailings in 2017. Active Discovery itineraries were extended to the Rhine in 2018 and, new for 2019, will also feature the Rhone. 

During the excursion, budding Leonard Bernsteins are taken to one of the city's famous concert halls and introduced to the art of conducting before taking to the stage and leading an orchestra through a series of waltzes and polkas. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience whether you're very musically minded, or simply curious to find out what it's like to stand in front of an orchestra rather than sit in the audience.  Return home with a baton as a souvenir and each time you hear a waltz or polka on the radio, you will be tempted to do a bit of "air conducting"!

Don't worry if you're not a musical maestro, as the experience is all about learning in a fun (albeit impressive) environment. If you want to steal the spotlight and share of the limelight, don't forget to bring along a camera to capture photos and videos of your performance. Encore!

​Contact ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com to help you plan your river cruise! Avalon's Active Discovery program is among her favorites.  But, as a certified river cruise specialist, she is equipped to help you choose among the different cruise lines and itineraries in your best interest!

​What’s the deal with the Dutch Tulip? The flower, commonly associated with Holland, has a deep-rooted (pun intended) history with the country. Here are 5 fast facts about Holland’s tulips that you should know…

1. Tulips didn’t originate in Holland. They were imported from the Ottoman Empire (present day Turkey) starting in the 16th century.
2. If you want to see the tulips, look no further than Keukenhof Garden – more than 7 MILLION bulbs bloom here annually.
3. Tulips bloom between late March and early May, but mid-April is your best bet to see the flowers at their peak.
4. The Dutch countryside is lined with flower fields. The area between Haarlem and Leiden, known as the Flower Strip, is also an ideal place to frolic among the flowers.
5. You can take tulips home! Bloemenmarkt, Amsterdam’s floating flower market, sells fresh tulips or bulbs that you can have shipped home to plant in your own garden.

​With its elaborate facades and captivating canals, Amsterdam’s charm draws travelers from all around the world. It is a city filled with beauty, art, food, and rich culture – truly offering something for every type of traveler to enjoy. Here are just a few favorite ways to spend a day in this pretty city:

Visit the Rijksmuseum. Whether you’re an art aficionado or you can’t tell the difference between a child’s splatter paint and a Pollock, a visit to the famed Rijksmuseum is certainly worth your while. This museum is home to some of the world’s most spectacular paintings from renowned Dutch artists like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh, a collection of Delft pottery, a library that houses extensive documentation of art history, and other stunning exhibits that help you understand and appreciate the Dutch people and their past.

​Take a canal cruise. A trip to Amsterdam is not complete without cruising through the canals and under the arched bridges that connect the city. Get an up-close view of the decorative homes and storefronts that give the city much of it’s character. For a more romantic experience, cruise at night when the buildings and bridges are illuminated.

Try Poffertjes! These miniature pancakes, traditionally served with butter and powdered sugar, are a Dutch favorite and can be found at pancake houses throughout the city, as well as at street vendor booths during national holiday celebrations and festivals.

Rent a bike. Did you know that more than 75% of Amsterdam’s population owns and rides a bicycle every day? There are more than 800,000 bicycles in Amsterdam, making it far and away Europe’s biggest cycling city. For the most authentic way to see the sites, find a bike to rent (or borrow the bikes from your Avalon ship) but proceed with caution… these guys are skilled cyclists!

Visit Keukenhof Gardens. If you are paying a visit to Amsterdam in the spring, you can’t miss the perfectly planted rows of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in Keukenhof. Each year, more than 7 million flowers bloom here, all arranged in stunning rows and designs and turning the garden into a true work of art. The flowers are only in bloom for about 8 weeks – try to visit between late March and late May.

Visit Zaanse Schans. Just outside of Amsterdam, you’ll find the most charming and well-preserved Dutch town of Zaanse Schans. Here you will see traditional windmills, cheese shops, bakeries and wooden clog workshops – all that your Dutch dreams are made of!​

The season is officially upon us when the world seems to bloom with new sights and sounds to discover. One region that truly dazzles this time of year is along the Rhine River through the countryside of the Netherlands and Belgium, where millions of dormant tulip bulbs bloom each spring and cloak the landscapes in color. This spectacular performance by Mother Nature is not to be missed, so we encourage you to forgo the traditional spring cleaning in favor of a spring European getaway on an incredible river cruise.

Voyages along the Rhine are where flower-filled views meet meandering canals, and medieval architecture presides over bustling town squares that exude modern life. A “Tulip Time” itinerary typically sails from Amsterdam, beginning  with overnight stays. From there you will explore charming historic riverside towns where stair-stepped gables, imposing castles and cobbled alleyways take you back a century or two Other stops might include urban sophistication like that found in Rotterdam, sitting in stark contrast to the old-world charms of the rest of the region, with its contemporary architecture and high-energy boulevards.



For more springtime sunshine, follow the hillside paths through the endless tulip fields, punctuated by the iconic windmills of Holland. In a similar distinction between haute and historic, a typical Flemish itinerary will showcase the classic Dutch culture in Holland’s oldest city, Dordrecht, as well as Belgium’s high-fashion and art scene with an overnight stay in Antwerp. These sailing are filled with opportunities to taste world-class beers and chocolates, see the inspired brushstrokes of Van Gogh, discover the ingenuity of Dutch engineering and embrace the warm welcome of the destinations and your luxury river ship.
This is no time to spend cleaning out closets and daydreaming about adventures yet to come. Now is the time to find what discoveries will bloom when you sail through Europe on a fantastic river cruise.

Contact ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com to help you pick the right cruise-line and itinerary! She is an all inclusive expert & certified river cruise specialist. Her professional planning services bring you added value at no additional cost.  

For true beer lovers, the highlight of any vacation is hoisting pints of the local stouts, IPAs and lagers of their vacation destination. They will not be disappointed at these destinations, where the quality and variety of the beer attracts millions every year.

Munich, Germany - No beer bucket list would be complete without Munich, the place where millions of barley buffs converge every year for the 16-day festival called Oktoberfest. But even if you can’t make it during that time, you can still enjoy the city’s legendary beer gardens and the famed 425-year-old brewery Hofbräuhaus.

Montreal, Canada - For decades now, Montreal has been a mecca for brewpubs, perfecting the art of microbrewery. Beer brewed here is often defined by its color—blonde, rousse, ambrée or noir—than by its style at such places as the world-famous Le Cheval Blanc.

Amsterdam, Netherlands - Home to globally popular brands Heineken and Amstel, Amsterdam is a town steeped in beer history. Locals like to linger long over their pints of pils at neighborhood watering holes called brown bars, where the darkened interiors inspire profound conversations.

Dublin, Ireland - Guinness. Need we say more? Fine…inside the Guinness Storehouse, Ireland’s top tourist attraction, you’ll get a grand history lesson along with a perfectly poured pint. Afterward, soak in the city’s thriving pub culture at The Porterhouse, Dublin’s first brewpub, to sample their homemade porters.

Brussels, Belgium - This is the capital of Belgian beer, the award-winning ale that has been traditionally brewed by monks since the Middle Ages. Here, beer aficionados debate over the quality of their lambics at charming café-bars called estaminets.

ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com believes HANDS DOWN that a River Cruise is the BEST way to visit these destinations and sample the local beers! She's been there and done it.  Contact Chris to learn more and start planning your European river cruise, today! #tet4u

The Luxe Report, uncovered five trends – all with an overarching movement toward personalization – shaping how upscale travelers will roam the world in 2019.

1. Motivation: Social media's influence is unmistakable, as it drives travelers' desire to find the most captivating backdrops and the best time of day for snapping images. Clients are requesting on-site photography sessions to create Instagram-worthy content, including replicating shots they admired online. Travel advisors are arranging themed photoshoots characteristic of destinations, such as wearing traditional geisha attire in Kyoto or ball gowns in Venice.
2. Transportation: When flying commercial, airlines with state-of-the-art business and first-class cabins are a favorite. Upon landing, VIP airport arrival services that whisk travelers through customs and ease tight connections are growing in demand. Requests are on the rise for private helicopter transfers to and from airports as well as from one city or resort island to another.
3. Accommodation: Experiential travelers who have seen it all are craving stays in unconventional accommodations. Those range from a treehouse to a monastery to an igloo in Norway, a tent in the Moroccan desert, the shores of the Red Sea, and even a bubble nestled in nature so they can gaze at stars before drifting off to sleep.
4. Recreation: People want to explore their passions through bucket-list experiences. Sports fans are asking for tickets to major events such as the Olympics, Super Bowl and Wimbledon. Art aficionados are inquiring about private tours of locales like the Vatican after hours. Shoppers want appointments at high-end stores such as Hermès to purchase signature items like a Birkin bag. Music lovers are booking trips to summer festivals and concerts. Advisors are also arranging private dinners with influential local figures.
5. Conservation: Travelers are expressing heightened interest in animal-related experiences. Some request visits to animal protection facilities or to observe animals in the wild, such as whale watching and viewing rhinos at close range. Some want to interact more directly with animals, such as at the Giraffe House in Nairobi or dog sledding to the North Pole. They also exhibit concern for animal welfare and want to ensure that interactions are sustainable.  

Exploring new destinations is the prevailing travel motivator for 2019, and Japan tops the list of emerging destinations for the first time, having previously finished third and fifth in 2018 and 2017, respectively.  Multigenerational travel maintains its stronghold as the hottest trend for 2019, a position it has held every year but one since 2011. Italy continues its reign as the top global destination as well as the leader for family travel, honeymoons and Millennial travel.

Contact ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com to learn more and start planning your customized trip today! 919.589.2437 / 434.333.0837

The French town of Bergerac is equally renowned for its role in the love story of Cyrano de Bergerac as it is for its fine wines (not to mention elegant chateaux and a historic medieval center).

Monbazillac (pronounced moh-bah-zee-YAK) wines are those rare, sweet, lovely dessert wines that few Americans—even wine connoisseurs—have tasted. This white wine is often compared to fellow French late-harvest Sauternes wines and is even made from the same grapes— sémillon, sauvignon blanc and muscadelle. Monbazillac, however, has a higher percentage of muscadelle grapes and, thus, sometimes sweeter aromas. The wine is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC). Only grapes that are affected by ‘noble rot’ can be classified as Monbazillac; other regional grapes that are used for dry white wines are classified as Bergerac sec.

Lighter than a Sauternes, with a bit less alcohol content, a fine Monbazillac wine can become gold or amber in hue, with less floral notes and a spicier taste. Enjoy exotic honeyed notes like grapefruit, elderflower, quince, mango, passion fruit and citrus with a nutty aftertaste. It is perhaps most famously paired with Foie Gras but also enjoyed with various desserts, main dishes and appetizers. It also serves as a perfectly chilled apéritif. 

On a Bordeaux river cruise, you can visit the legendary Chateau de Monbazillac, a 16th century landmark in Early Renaissance style with some of the most magnificent views of the French countryside, to enjoy a tasting of this exquisite wine and guided tour. It is the perfect place to taste this somewhat secretive wine. Indeed, only roughly 20 percent of the wine is exported from France, with much of it going to Belgium and the Netherlands. Only about 5 percent is exported to the United States.

No Bordeaux river cruise would be complete without visiting the nearby Bergerac region. Forever linked with Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac (and subsequent film and television adaptions like Steve Martin’s Roxanne), the town celebrates its literary connection with two statues of the romantic Cyrano. There is also a wine house, which features a small exhibit on the history of wine growing in the region. One of the highlights is extensive medieval center and charming ‘old town,’ with lovely town squares and boutiques. The perfect marriage of wine and romance. 

​​Contact river cruise specialist, ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com to learn more and book your one-of-a-kind voyage today! She's been there!

Oktoberfest in Munich. A tradition of welcoming celebration since 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig I married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen and the royal couple invited the citizens of Munich to attend festivities in honor of their union. This inclusive gesture from nobility toward the town’s commoners was a grand one for an era when the two factions typically kept to their own circles, and it was not lost on the people of Munich, and beyond city borders. Since that first group toast on the fields in front of the city gates, Oktoberfest has been a beloved tradition throughout Bavaria, bringing locals and tourists together over frosty steins and traditional feasts for the region’s grandest party of the year.
Oktoberfest is a cultural phenomenon that will captivate any visitor – the world’s largest beer and folk festival for more than 200 years. This all-sensory event is cloaked in colorful tents lined with the finest beer purveyors in Germany and surrounding region. Music fills the open-air fairgrounds and lederhosen and dirndls are the dress code du jour (though not at all required).
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For those who have always dreamed of being a part of this time-honored tradition, RIVER CRUISES are the ultimate way to get there. Think of Oktoberfest with a luxurious River Cruise as a bucket list experience within a bucket list experience.  Overnights in places like Regensburg allow for the opportunity to venture to Munich for a day spent reveling in the Oktoberfest festivities. Add a pre or post cruise land adventure, and explore the event’s many breweries and indulge in the flavors of Bavaria in between toasts with your fellow party goers at your specially reserved table.

You can also set out into Munich to explore the city highlights beyond the steins and sudsy brews, as the town brims with other landmarks of Ludwig I’s reign. Explore Munich’s most iconic sites, including Town Hall, Frauenkirche Cathedral and the lovely Viktualienmarkt, which is bustling daily with locals and visitors seeking a taste of Munich.

If you love landscape, you will love Bavaria and the fairy-tale towns along the river.  So, grab your stein, lederhosen and spirit of celebration, and contact ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com to book your German  river cruise with time in Bavaria today! 

Whether you want to walk in the footsteps of legends, walk down the street like a local, or accelerate a walk into a jog, Avalon Waterways (one of my personal favorites) provides a variety of excursions and onboard activities each day - all engaging in their own way.  You select the tours, activities and events that interest you most, so you can experience your cruise, your way!

Go CLASSIC and a local expert is ready to guide you through the history and heritage of local destinations and the "must see" sights.  You will marvel at the legends, lore and spectacular architecture of iconic and historic sites!

Go DISCOVERY for inspiring and interactive activities designed to speak to your interests.  From cooking classes to painting workshops, immerse yourself in cultures you explore.

Go ACTIVE to embark on energetic excursions that will keep you on the go.  Guided jogging tours, biking, paddling and hiking your way through scenic locales will keep you on the move!

​For more information about charting your own course and to book your river cruise, contact all inclusive vacation expert and river cruise specialist, ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com! She's been there and done it!!

The transition from the bliss that is a Crystal River voyage – a week or two filled with smiling faces granting your every wish with a warm “my pleasure,” Michelin-inspired cuisine served with perfect wine pairings, a personal butler at your service with just the touch of an iPad in your suite – back to real life, can feel like an alarm clock that sounded too soon. Inverse logic dictates that the anticipation of an upcoming Crystal vacation can make the days leading up to embarkation drag on…and on. Enter: Crystal River Cruises’ pre- and post-cruise land experiences, extended land programs that allow you to prolong the luxury vacation you’ve been waiting for.
Specifically, four immersive programs offered in 2018 that delve deeper into some of the most famously fascinating destinations in Europe invite you to explore ashore, with every detail crafted by Crystal’s own experts. Three nights in Prague, Paris, Berlin and Slovenia – each program packed with experiences designed to authentically showcase the many facets of each destination, with luxury accommodations selected particularly for their historical and architectural significance to each city.
Exclusive dining reservations at acclaimed venues, an enriching roster of adventures that offer special access and insightful perspectives from experts, and the ability to “Design Your Time” make Crystal’s pre- and post-cruise land experiences exactly what you want them to be.

Let the vacation continue…

Prague Discovery
Explore the “City of a Hundred Spires” that sits along the Vltava River. Prague’s history is vast, and its present is vibrant. Bespoke experiences showcase traditions of the Czech Republic that have endured for centuries, as well as the awe-inspiring architecture that presides imposingly over the city’s modern culture. Taste Pilsner in the capital of Czech beer, and venture to UNESCO-listed Kutná Hora, returning to the elegant, 14th-century Augustine Hotel after each day’s adventures. *Offered from Budapest
You’ll Always Have Paris
The City of Light’s joie de vivre will, indeed, remain with you long after your return home, imprinted on your memory as clearly as on your passport. The iconic treasures of Paris are yours to explore, from the gilded rooms and gardens of Versailles to the monumental Eiffel Tower and Nôtre Dame. Stroll the romantic Champs Élysées from the centrally located Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, itself an icon of Parisian charm. *Offered from Amsterdam
Slovenian Treasures
Stretching from the Adriatic Sea to the Slovenian Alps, these three days encompass the quintessential medieval influence of Eastern Europe. Your home base will be the Kempinski Palace in the heart of Portoroz’ city center, with its own private courtyard and expansive wine cellar. Beyond your luxury hotel lie visits to ominous Predjama Castle, the incredibly preserved open-air museum that is Piran, and encounters with the legendary Lipizzaner horses renowned by nobility and beloved by all Slovenians. *Offered from Vienna
The Best of Berlin
Retrace the footsteps of some of history’s most pivotal events and today’s greatest artistic and innovative minds. Pass through Brandenburg Gate, visit prominent World War II sites, and peruse the gritty masterpieces of Berlin’s thriving street art scene, juxtaposed with exclusive tours of the city’s preeminent art museums. Taste the many – many – nuances of traditional German beer, and join the locals in Gendarmenmarkt Square. Berlin’s world-class shopping, dining and bustling historic Mitte District is at your fingertips from your accommodations at the Regent Hotel, one of the most acclaimed luxury hotels in the world. *Offered from Frankfurt

​Crystal’s Extended Land Programs are offered pre- and post-cruise from select cities throughout 2018. Contact Crystal Cruise Expert and Travel Partner, Chris Rakes to Book today, and prolong your Crystal journey.