Style Magazine June 2024

| explore |
Christmas
Vacation
CRUISING THE DANUBE
Christmas may be six
months away, but now’s
the prime time to start
thinking about your holiday
travel plans—especially
if they entail a Christmas
cruise around Europe.
by TERRY CARROLL
I honestly never even thought of
experiencing a European river cruise
over the holidays, but something
caught my eye. After doing my due
diligence and, of course, getting
the thumbs up from “the boss” (aka, my wife!),
inquiries were made, our schedule cleared, and
we were booked for a “Christmas Market” cruise
with Riverside Luxury Cruises on one of Europe’s
most celebrated rivers: the Danube.
While Riverside may be new to cruising, they’re
a storied travel business based in Germany. After
entering the market, they purchased the now
defunct Crystal cruise line’s river ships, which
were held in the highest esteem. These were
lovely, lavish ships to begin with, and after a good
going over by the Riverside team, the vessels
were ready to go—and we couldn’t wait!
I’ve cruised the Rhine, Moselle, and Main
Rivers through Europe and have to say that river
cruising is easily my favorite way to vacation.
What’s not to love? Smaller, more intimate ships,
luxurious accommodations, and spectacular
dining and entertainment. It’s simply a wonderful
(and relaxing) way to see the world.
If you’re worried in any way about sea sickness,
stop: This adventure was aboard the largest of
the river ships, the Mozart, and the best way to
describe it is “floating on glass.”
My initial impression of the Mozart was “wow!”
Photos courtesy of Riverside Luxury Cruises.
88 stylemg.com | JUNE 2024 | /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemags