Springtime is beautiful in Europe. And sometimes, it’s simply magical.
That was the case last week, during our first “In Celebration of Wine” cruise of the season.
I was lucky to be on board our lovely AmaCerto as spring sunshine, blue skies and bright flowers welcomed us warmly. Along the way, locals chatted in outdoor cafes, canoed alongside the ship and relaxed with kids and dogs in green parks.
To see our wonderful crew in action, most working together for the first time, made me so proud.
But what made this cruise so special were the passengers. Ranging in age from four to 74, there was something about springtime that turned strangers into friends from the start.
On the outskirts of Vienna, we danced and sang together at an authentic heuriger wine tavern.
We biked along the tree-shaded Danube and through the cobbled streets of Passau. We shared ice cream confections stretched out on the Sun Deck. And each evening, music and dancing in the lounge transformed the shyest passengers into singing sensations!
We can write about moments like this in brochures. But there’s nothing quite like the actual experience.
Some experiences stand out above the rest.
There’s the life-long music teacher on her first trip to Europe. She found tears rolling down her face when she arrived in Mozart’s home town of Salzburg. And the two passengers who had never met but discovered they were second cousins. To their surprise, they even looked alike! And yet another bubbly passenger was an avid cyclist and great-grandmother-to-be. She looked forward to an upcoming baby shower back home. Her contribution will be homemade apple strudel, which she learned to make while on board.
Stories like this that make our hard work so worthwhile. I was delighted to be part of them last week on the AmaCerto, and throughout the year.
I hope you join us sometime for a spring sailing and you’ll see for yourself.
Europe with AmaWaterways can be magical.