Monday, July 7, 2014
BERLITZ RIVER CRUISING IN EUROPE July 2014
6:33 PM | 
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
First Edition of Berlitz:
River Cruising in Europe Publishes U.S. July 2014
BERLITZ
LAUNCHES INAUGURAL ONE-STOP RIVER CRUISING IN EUROPE BY RENOWNED CRUISE
EXPERT DOUGLAS WARD WITH HIS INVALUABLE DESCRIPTIONS, STAR RATINGS, &
EVALUATIONS
The
seasoned master of cruise vacation planning casts his nautical eye on major riverships
that operate in the heart of Europe
NEW YORK,
NY, July 2014—European river cruising has seen a remarkable upsurge in
popularity, increasing 10% a year since 2008. Close to one million people
(including a great many Americans) took a river cruise in 2013, and there are
now more than 15,000 of them from which to choose. But which one is right for
you?
The world’s
foremost authority on cruising, Douglas Ward, decided to do a companion book to
his annual bestselling Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships—which
celebrates its 30th anniversary in September—because, he says, “despite
the river cruise boom, booking one has too often been a bit hit and miss, and
that shouldn’t be.” His inaugural River Cruising in Europe (256 pages;
$19.99; July 1 publication in the U.S.) culminates years of personal sailings
and observations. Useful for veteran cruisers or first-timers (as well as for
industry pros), both guides are about making the right choice —whether deluxe
or budget —for the right reasons and with the right expectations
On a river
cruise, there are no “at sea” days, no tenders, no crowds, no lines, no
casinos, no bingo, no lavish shows. Rivers cruises have a more informal,
small-group ambiance. The vessels have flat bottoms and are designed for
shallow water, and you simply step off one and begin touring as soon as it is
tied up to a pier. A river cruise is leisurely paced and unhurried (riverships
travel between 6-11 mph) and intimate (the maximum number of passengers is
around 200) and a daily change of scenery. Ward: “You might say the destination
is the destination; whether it’s an urban landscape or something rustic, you
always have an up-close view of something interesting along the bank.”
As he does
in his annually updated Berlitz book on ocean cruising, Ward is equally
meticulous in assessing the quality of the food, facilities, service, layout,
atmosphere and accommodations of more than 280 top European riverships, sorting
it all out in candid, unbiased, totally independent,
cut-through-the-brochure-hype reviews and ratings, accompanied by full-color
photos and maps. Plus there’s considerable material on the major river cruise
companies (including AmaWaterways, whose 4-star-plus AmaPrima is the
top-rated river ship, with an overall score of 422 out of 500; Uniworld ; and
Viking River Cruises), and on seven iconic waterways and the historic sites
along them: the Danube, Rhein, Elbe, Rhone, Seine, Po and Duoro.
Among other
highlights and topics covered in the book:
- Advantages and disadvantages of a river cruise.
- Ocean cruising vs. river cruising.
- Reading between the lines on excursion descriptions
- Booking and budgeting (should you book through the company or a cruise agent? And what of booking through the Internet?
- How inclusive is “all-inclusive”? (they are actually “selectively inclusive”)
- About theme cruises (for music lovers, a Mozart cruise on the Danube is a natural)
- Why river cruises are “not really” suitable for disabled passengers.
- Differences between a river cruise and a canal barge cruise?
- What the brochures don’t say.
- Did you know? (for instance, that the Danube is the only major European waterway to flow from east to west?)
- Douglas Ward spends about nine months of the year at sea and is committed to setting
and helping to maintain the high standards of the cruise industry, which
includes ocean cruising and river cruising. He is also particularly
concerned about the rights of and provision for disabled travelers. Mr. Ward
takes pride in the book’s independence, emphasizing that he has no commercial
links with any cruise operator. Having won international recognition as the
world’s foremost authority on cruising, he has made guest appearances to
discuss the cruise industry on TV programs such as The Today Show, Good Morning
America, NBC Nightly News and CNN. He is also a composer, a musician
specializing in the accordion, and acts as judge at many music competitions
throughout Great Britain.
###CONTACT: Melissa Lande, Lande PR (212-706-9003), or Alan Appel (646- 315-3608 for your review copy of River Cruising in Europe. If you would like to interview Mr. Ward, please contact Melissa Lande at mlande@landepr.com. We will forward your questions to Mr. Ward since he is frequently aboard a vessel and cannot always be interviewed by phone.
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