AmaWaterways, Christmas Markets along the Rhine
I sailed aboard AmaWaterways AMAStella December 15 – 22, 2019. It was the final “Christmas Markets” sailing for the 2019 season. Our cruise began in Amsterdam and ended in Basel, Switzerland.

The AMAStella was a beautiful ship and seemed to be the only vessel we passed that was fully decorated for the holidays. We had an AA stateroom that had two twin beds, a French Balcony and a Walk out Balcony. There was plenty of space for two. The bathroom was much larger than the one I had with Tauck. While on board I was able to see a triple (same category with a pullout chair) and a Category E (window). The Category E was quite a bit small and the bathroom was tiny.

Food aboard the AMAStella was fantastic. Breakfast and Lunch in the dining room were buffet and a la carte. A light breakfast and lunch option were served in the lounge every day as well. Dinner was a la carte with several options. We did have dinner in the Chef’s Table which was quite good. Beer and wine were included at both lunch and dinner. AMA also includes a “Sip and Sail” for an hour prior to dinner where cocktails are complimentary.

Ports of call and excursions:
Amsterdam
1.) We walked to the Anne Frank House and toured. I pre booked the tickets online and included an introduction. It was well worth the additional 5.00€.
2.) AMA included a Canal Cruise. It was an excellent was to see the city on Day 2.

Cologne, Germany
We chose the Cologne City Tour and Cathedral Tour. Due to mobility issues, we joined the “Gentle Walkers” groups when offered. While we may have missed a few sites, the guides were excellent and very accommodating to slower walkers. Cologne is a beautiful city and is easy to navigate. There are at least seven Christmas Markets throughout the city. We explored two. The largest one is near the Cathedral and is a maze once inside. There are many artists, food vendors and Gluhwein standards. Gluhwein is a traditional mulled wine and is a must to try. We felt very safe walking back to the boat in the evening after we were finished in the markets.

Rudesheim, Germany
Rudesheim is much smaller than Cologne. We chose the wine tasting tour in the afternoon and the coffee experience in the evening. Both were delicious. The Christmas Market was spread throughout the small town and quite easy to navigate. There is a trolley that will transport passengers up the hill to the town. It is also quite walkable.

Ludwigshafen, Germany
Both Heidelberg and Speyer were offered for excursions. We chose Heidelberg and went to Heidelberg Castle and the Christmas Markets. The castle was very interesting and included the tram ride down. I loved the University vibe of the town. There were several markets and once again, we visited two.

Strasbourg, France
Unfortunately, our day in Strasbourg was quite rainy. The Cathedral was gorgeous and I loved the town. We had a great time walking around the city and decided to stay in town for lunch in a local bistro. It was fantastic.

Geganbach, Germany
Geganbach was the same day as Strasbourg. In hindsight, we should have skipped it. It was raining quite hard and there was no “gentle walkers” group. The main reason to visit is to see the World’s Largest Advent Calendar. It’s beautiful, but not worth the rain!

Riquewihr, France
Riquewihr was my favorite town. It is a picturesque 17th century town and one of the few that remains. The town inspired the village in the animated Beauty and the Beast. The market was small but the town had wonderful authentic shops.

Notes on Christmas Markets:
The main market in Cologne was the most crowded and overwhelming. Lots of locals along with tourists.
Cash is widely accepted. Some vendors will take mastercard/visa but not all.
Watch what you are purchasing, most items from local area, but some were not.
The security in the French markets was high. There are check points for bags and French Military/Police were patrolling. I did not see any in German markets.
As with any European city, pick pockets are common in the markets. 

My experience in Turks & Caicos was so fun with Delta Vacations! We visited Wymara Resort and Villas,The Sands at Grace Bay, The Shore Club and The Palms.

Dining was amazing at every resort. Wymara’s Stelle and Zest restaurants were both excellent. Stelle is very upscale while Zest is located closer to the beach is more laid back. Pink is a very cute bar located right on the beach - great cocktails and fun bartender with live music Wednesday and Saturday nights.

Hemingway’s at the Sands at Grace Bay was quite good. The food was great and it offered selection for those of us with allergies. It has a really fun atmosphere and sits in front of the beach. Hemingway’s also has food and drink service for the beach. The French fries are fantastic!

We had the spa lunch at the Palms. It was not our favorite, but it is popular. For people who chose to dine at the spa, there is a small chilled soup, salad, choice of chicken, seared tuna or shrimp and a healthy dessert. At The Shore Club we dined at Sui Ren for both breakfast (complimentary) and dinner. All were wonderful.

We had lunch at Da Conch Shack on Saturday. Da Conch Shack is very popular with both tourists and locals. The restaurant sits right on the beach and has some of the best rum punch in the Turks. While it focuses on Conch dishes, they have a wide variety of options. The Jerk Chicken Tacos were fantastic! I would tell clients to expect to spend $100.00 for two for a meal and drinks. The drive and prices are worth it alone for the amazing view!!

We also participated in the hour Snorkel Tour through Caicos Dreams. We were picked up/dropped right at the beach at the Wymara. The tour was four hours and the snorkeling was great. The boat also has a slide and diving boat. The tour took us to Shell Island and Iguana Island. The crew was a ton of fun!

The Fish Fry is held every Thursday night. It is a five minute walk from the Wymara and is very popular with tourist and locals. There are many food vendors and areas to shop. The vendors offer beautiful products, much nicer than the typical trinkets. You must visit Wellington Michael…he makes beautiful jewelry with Grace Bay Sand.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in Paris and visited several hotels.

One of the properties I visited was MGallery Molitor.  Located outside the city center and a 25 minute walk from the closest metro stop it is not top of mind but if you are going to the French Open or a Rugby match, it would be a good choice as it is directly across from the stadium. The Molitor has a very young, urban vibe.  There is a Rolls Royce in the lobby that had been tagged by a famous graffiti artist and that sets the tone for the rest of the property.

The Molitor shares the building with a Fitness Club and spa.  There are two pools, an outdoor which is heated and open all year and an indoor pool.  There is a Spa and also a villa section.  The Molitor has a beautiful rooftop bar/restaurant that overlooks the pool in the summer.  It might be worth the travel across town to have a cocktail.

General thoughts on Paris:
Our tour by Walks (which is Signature Travel Network preferred supplier) of Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle (stain glass is a must see) and the Concierge was excellent.  Violet, our tour guide, was extremely knowledgeable, personable and funny.  We all learned so much on the tour and would recommend it to anyone.  Walking tours are great way to see the sights and plan ahead!  Max on this tour is 15 and have headsets to hear the guide.

The metro is easy to use for major tourist sights, but difficult to use for smaller areas.  Uber was relatively inexpensive and much easier to get around.  A private transfer to Charles de Gaulle is the ONLY way to go.  The traffic was crazy and our driver was great.  Allow every bit of 3 hours with security tight and it does take time to get through it all.

Stop and enjoy a pastry and coffee.  Taste Paris and take in sights that are like no other!

As one of Central Travel’s top producers for Delta Vacations, I was part of an incentive award trip this January to the Riviera Maya.  We did site inspections at Ocean Riviera Paradise, Hotel Xcaret, Unico 20° 87°, Zoetry Paraiso De La Bonita, Generations Riviera Maya, by Karisma and our host resort was the beautiful Grand Velas Riviera Maya.  All resorts were 4.5 – 5 Star properties and we saw all room categories in each resort.  There is certainly something for everyone in the Riviera Maya! 

One of my favorite resorts was the Ocean Riviera Paradise. This is an excellent property for anyone.  It is a large property with 900 rooms.  There are golf cart shuttles that run throughout the property.  The lobby was very large and smelled great.  It is scented every three minutes by hidden machines.  It was a nice way to enter the property. There are many extras on the property including a bowling alley and an ice cream shop (included in the All-Inclusive plan).


The rooms are the same throughout the property. We were shown a Daisy Jr. Suite which was quite spacious.  The room can accommodate a family of five but must use the existing bedding.  We saw a room with a king bed and a double pull out sofa sleeper.  The rooms on the ground floor allow easy access to the children’s playground and Water Park.  The balconies were very large and had not only chairs but either a hammock or a swinging chair (depending on floor).

The El Beso section is across from the Daisy section and is adults only.  The El Beso section rooms are the same, but they do offer swim out rooms.  There was music playing at the adult only pool that could not be heard in other sections.  There were also games such as corn hole and ping pong.  Adults staying in the Daisy section are welcome to use the facilities on the El Beso side.

The Privilege Section is closest to the beach and caters to both adults and families.  Each section has its own pool and snack bar. The beach was beautiful and perfect for long walks. I'd be happy to assist you with your next vacation to the beautiful Riviera Maya.

Savoring local specialties on a private ranch in La Camargue with Provençal cowboys… discovering France’s epicurean heart in a famous market in Lyon… feeling lucky in Monte-Carlo… tasting chocolate, pastries and Côtes du Rhône vintages at the source, in one of the greatest wine-growing regions on Earth… what river cruising on the Rhône is all about!

My Tauck French Waterways River Cruise began with two nights in Paris.  We experienced the French flair for living from Paris bistros and culinary Lyon to Beaujolais tastings and Provençal pleasures on a 10-day trip featuring a 7-night Rhône cruise on board the ms Swiss Emerald.

This was my first visit to France as well as my first river cruise.  I was very impressed with Tauck.  From the moment we met our transfer at Charles De Gaulle (a Mercedes sedan), throughout the entire trip, the staff was wonderful.  We had three tour directors with us throughout the trip.  There was also a cruise director onboard the Swiss Emerald.  Not only was the staff very knowledgeable about France, the local guides were wonderful with in depth knowledge.  The staff went out of their way to find a solution to any problem and make the trip an enjoyable experience for all guests.  If river cruising is on your bucket list, I’d be happy to assist you!

Sarah & ChesterI had the opportunity to travel to Los Cabos with a Delta Vacations Diamond Elite Fam in June of 2014.  I had never traveled to Los Cabos and fell in love with the destination.  The trip itself was extremely busy with 17 properties in four days!

Los Cabos is very diverse and offers attractions for everyone.  Due to its location, where the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet, the water is very rough and many beaches are not swimmable.  The Seat of Cortez, however, offers very diverse marine life and is excellent for deep sea fishing.  There also areas that offering snorkeling and scuba.  It is also well known for its many golf courses, high-end shopping, and adventure activities.

While many of the beaches are not swimmable, they are amazing for beach walkers. The Sea of Cortez is one of the best areas in the world for sport fishing and diverse marine life.  I would love to help pick the perfect one for you!

Arenal Volcano and Monteverde Region, Costa Rica 
After flying into Liberia (LIR) or San José (SJO) airports, you begin your journey to the Arenal Volcano and the Monteverde cloud forest regions. The areas of the Arenal Volcano and Monteverde are special ecological wonders, the perfect spots for the ultimate Costa Rica vacation and are best reached with the use of a rental car. 

You can combine your visit to the Arenal Volcano/Monteverde area with a stay in either the cosmopolitan city of San José or the beach region of Guanacaste—or you can combine all 3 areas for a great Costa Rican adventure.  I was lucky enough to travel to Costa Rica for four nights, staying at the Hilton Papagayo as well as the Westin Conchal.  What an amazing destination!  I loved driving through the countryside and seeing Howler Monkeys and Toucans in the trees!  While I enjoyed ziplining through the rainforest, I much preferred soaking in hot springs while gazing at the Arenal Volcano.  Costa Rica has it all...everything from wild adventures, to relaxing on a beautiful beach.  I can't wait to go back!

Although my favorite place to travel is Ireland, I recently returned from fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada (my 5th visit).  An ever-changing city, Las Vegas is no longer the home of the $4.99 buffet.  The city is full of amazing restaurants (including restaurants by Charlie Palmer, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck), outstanding entertainment (“O” by Cirque du Soleil, Mamma Mia, and Celine Dion) and even more amazing hotels.

I was fortunate enough to spend my three-night stay at the Four Seasons; a private hotel located between floors 35 and 39 of the Mandalay Bay.  If you are interested in a more relaxing atmosphere, try the Ritz Carlton Lake Las Vegas located about 35 minutes north of the strip.  Among many other things, the Lake Las Vegas area offers golf, fishing, Italian boutique style shopping, and a world-class spa.  My site inspections included The Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn and Trump, my favorite!

I sailed on Celebrity's Infinity round trip from Vancouver visiting Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Strait Point (my favorite). Celebrity is my favorite cruise line and Alaska is simply breathtaking.  This itinerary was fabulous and an experience I will treasure for a lifetime!

Exhilarating days of discovering the world deserve an equally amazing place to recharge. Revel in the stylish design. Sink into exquisite bedding. Bask in breathtaking views. Our modern luxury accommodations have been artfully created to make your stay warm and welcoming. And the almost endless perks of our Suite Class, AquaClass®, Concierge Class, and Verandas will transform your stay into an experience unlike any other at sea.