A R T I C L E S Paul and Christine travel to exotic India Review of the Crystal Serenity Cruising Europe's rivers Beat the high cost of the Euro

Varanasi, India
Dec. 5, 2005

We're near the end of our journey through India. Though it can be a very challenging place, it's a fascinating country. After we traveled 4-5 days, Christine (who was not particularly excited about coming to India) said she wished she could have another week here to see more.

Yesterday we returned from Agra, site of the Taj Mahal. We went to the Taj twice, first at sunset and again at sunrise the following morning. You know how you look forward to something; then, when it finally comes, it's a little disappointing? Not the Taj Mahal. It's an exquisite treasure, a stunning sight. I liked it best when the evening sun casts a rosy hue on the ivory-like exterior. I've got some good pictures.

The food here is extraordinary. Some days we've eaten Indian cuisine once or twice a day, sometimes three times. Spicy, but, so far, never so spicy hot that it's inedible. The complex flavors defy a simple explanation. We particularly like India's unique flat breads, flavor-filled basmati rice, delicious chicken still hot from the tandoor oven and the exceptional lamb. It must be said that the wine is not very good (international wines are available but twice the cost we might find elsewhere) but the beers are okay and generally compliment the cuisine. So far, no tummy problems (except for overeating).

Today we came to Varanasi, (perhaps the most challenging part of our journey) to see the spiritual home for all Hindus. Pilgrims come here from the entire country to bathe in the River Ganges or, upon their death, to be cremated and to have their ashes placed in the slow moving currents to be carried to Nirvana. Surprisingly, this city is also considered the spiritual home for Buddhists, since, in 582 BC, it was here that Lord Buddha preached his first sermon about obtaining enlightenment. Varanasi also draws Western backpackers, mystics and would-be mystics. We learned that there are more than 75 yoga centers and a number of schools for classical Indian music. (Ravi Shankar, India's famed sitarest, comes from Varanasi.)

Tonight we watched a wedding couple (she was dressed in a beautiful red sari fringed with gold) come to the river's edge with their respective families to sanctify their union. From a wooden box filled with red powder, the groom placed a bright slash of vermilion powder in the middle of his bride's forehead. The couple didn't seem hopelessly in love with each other - quite the contrary. Since much of India still practices arranged marriages, our guide speculated that; at most, they had only met once or twice, for a few moments, before their wedding.

Just after dusk about a dozen young Hindu priests come to the river Ganges with smoking pots of incense and vessels filled with fire. To the rhythmic clanging of dozens of small bells and the emotional, driving music of Indian musicians, the priests offered their prayers and their blessings to the river while a few hundred Indians and a crazy assortment of Westerners sat behind them on the steps that lead down to the river. We saw hundreds of little lights floating down the river - these are little clusters of leaves and marigolds with a small candle in the middle. They represent a prayer or a wish. With the darkness, the little river lights, the pots of fire the priests raised to the sky, the smoke and aroma of the incense, the distant sight of cremation fires and the throbbing music filling the air, it was an experience that will never be forgotten.

I've taken several hundred pictures during our visit but for every picture I've taken, I've missed 10 or more. Amazing sights come at you so quickly that's it's impossible to stop and frame the scene. We pass a primitive home and catch a glimpse of a beautiful woman clad in a brilliantly colored, wispy sari standing in the doorway. In the midst of the crazy oncoming traffic we see a home-made, unlicensed truck come at us. Powered by an irrigation pump, it's overflowing with sugar cane. A moment later we see a handsome male face with a brightly colored turban, a vendor selling wonderfully ripe tomatoes or a patty of cow dung dried and ready to fuel the kitchen stove. We see a man's face, that, with the slightest encouragement breaks into a warm smile; one of India's holy cows wandering through the middle of busy streets looking for food, a woman carrying water from the well on her head or, in one instance, a sewing machine was perched on her head. The sights come at you, one after another, faster than you can take them in.

Hotels range from unacceptable to outstanding (we stayed in the latter). In fact two of the hotels we used were voted among the top 100 hotels in the world by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine. We have found the service levels superb - similar to those we enjoy in Hong Kong or Singapore - and the physical facilities outstanding.

In Udaipur - an outstanding destination in India's Rajasthan region - we stayed in the famed Lake Palace Hotel, built originally as a summer palace in the middle of Lake Pichola by one of the region's "majarana's". However just a half a mile away we gazed upon another stunning resort, the Oberoi Udaivillas. The next day, while admiring temples about 50 miles out of town, we came upon another dreamlike boutique hotel built into an old fort. We stopped there for lunch - a selection of the region's best cuisine called a 'thali' - and were amazed at the beauty of the place and wished we could interrupt our journey to relax for a few days. Though there were only a few scattered villages around, actress Elizabeth Hurley had come here to stay and, reportedly, is planning to return for her honeymoon. We are not surprised, it's remote, quiet and gorgeous.

Christine will tell you that India is a shopper's paradise. It's not just the prices; rather, it's the amazing textiles, handicrafts, exquisite jewelry, exotic silk carpets and the little knickknacks that make shopping fun. Budget buyers will find inexpensive scarves, wonderful fabrics, colorful bracelets, items carved from teak and stone and camel bone, even colorful "bindis", the little piece of jewelry many Indian women wear in the center of their forehead.

Those seeking good values on exquisitely made items will also be delighted (though you must search some of these places out - we'll help in that regard). For example, we stopped just outside Agra at a jewelry store (my guard was up, gentlemen). The owner invited us into a showroom with darkened walls (what were we getting in to?). As the lights darkened, he turned a switch on his hand held computer and, as the curtain rose, lights illuminated an incredible painting. As we looked closer, it was not a painting at all but an amazing work of embroidery. Then another curtain came up to reveal a second 'painting', then another and another. Some were even encrusted with gems. He told us the story of the master that made them. They are not for sale, even to Christie's or Sotheby's.

After this show, we visited his showrooms. He told us at once that he quotes a price but does not bargain (bargaining is the way of life in much of India). If you like the piece and think the value is good, fine. He'll also take anything back without question if you are not satisfied. More importantly, we've rarely seen such a collection of magnificent jewelry. For example his huge emeralds exceeded most of what we've seen in South America. The workmanship and the design made other collections seem pedestrian. Christine came away with an exquisite lion broach encrusted with diamonds and rubies. Both she and the shop owner assured me that it was an incredible value.

In the suburbs of Varanasi we visited a textile shop. This was not one of the many marble-clad, air-conditioned showrooms that are common in many cities; but rather, a simple place where about a dozen weavers worked on complex wooden looms little changed for centuries. After a few snapshots, the owner invited us for a demonstration of his products. Together with his assistant, they unrolled a bedspread, crafted of the finest silk. Breathtaking! Then a duvet cover with exquisite embroidery, then a table runner (we bought it) and finally a piece woven from richly colored silks and gold threads similar to one his grandfather made for the maharaja a century ago,. I've never seen anything like it. The items in his shop were not inexpensive but they weren't outlandishly priced either. Moreover, they were exquisite and unobtainable elsewhere. We were in the workshop of one of the world's true masters.

Look in India as well for miniature paintings created by artists with brushes containing just a few delicate hairs from a squirrel's tail. You'll find fabrics with attractive hand-stamped prints to be wonderful bargains, or items made from hand cut and polished semi-precious stones, fine carpets of wool or silk. Chances are good you'll return home with some wonderful treasures you'll be proud to wear or display. Christine suggests taking an extra fold-up bag to carry your treasures home.

Words don't describe India very well; I'm not certain that photos will either. For the most part, the people are very warm and hospitable. Smiles come quickly. The culture is old and amazing, the towns and cities are shabby. Traffic is chaotic (one old India hand said there must be easier ways to commit suicide than to drive in India). But then you come upon the magnificent Palace of the Wind in Jaipur (see it in the morning sun) or the Amber Fort or the Raj Palace Hotel or the palaces of the Majarajas that stun you with their oriental beauty. You walk through a village comprised of, at best, simple homes, with goats and cows in the street. Soon the children come up, delighted to see you. Then the women, clad in colorful saris, and the colorfully-turbaned men waive and smile. The barber will cut your hair for 10 rupees (about twenty cents US). You walk through a market filled with beautiful, ripe vegetables, hand-woven baskets, gorgeous pashmina shawls and pungent spices used to prepare their complex cuisine.

It's an experience that takes time to assimilate. Understanding takes much longer. It's a country where many marriages are still arranged in the same manner as centuries ago but, increasingly, the married women are working in call centers for Dell computers or Microsoft. Overloaded, beat-up trucks come to the airport where India's private air carriers earn top marks for the quality of their equipment and their flying and service skills. After sixty years of independence, this moribund democracy is coming alive and growing quickly. It's challenging, exciting and very compelling.

We will offer India as one of our Signature Journeys late in 2006 or early in 2007. We invite you to be among the small circle of travelers to take part in this remarkable, fascinating journey.

Paul and Christine

Cruise Masters reviews the Crystal Serenity

We loved this ship from the moment we stepped on board. Crystal's early embarkation arrangement meant that there were no lines when we came to the terminal. Friendly, immaculately-uniformed staff waiting for us just inside the gangway greeted us warmly and escorted us to our attractive stateroom. It felt good to be on board.

As we explored the ship, we could feel the ship's gracious elegance. Though the ship was nearly full, we saw no crowds or no lines. As we stopped for a drink (the ship offers a wonderful selection of wines by the glass, though they are not inexpensive) we found that our waiter took the time to remember our names (and subsequently greeted us by name whenever he saw us throughout our cruise) and our drinks. He wasn't the only waiter to give us such attentive service.

DINING
Few ships offer the extensive variety of dining venues we found on the Crystal Serenity. Though we only dined occasionally in the ship's dining room, our European waiter offered excellent service and exceptionally good fare, perhaps the best we've encountered on a ship of this size. In addition to the ship's buffet restaurant, the Crystal Serenity offers three alternative dining venues, Silk Road and sushi bar (extraordinary Asian cuisine prepared under the direction of Nobu Matsuhisa); Prego, superb Italian fare; and Tastes, a bistro style restaurant on the pool deck that serves late breakfast, lunch and casual dinner most evenings. Though there was no extra cost for these alternative restaurants, a $6 per person gratuity was suggested for Prego and Silk Road, a small price to pay for such a fine experience.

There's more: Of course, room service is offered 24 hours each day. During the hours that the dining room is open, you may also order items from that menu from room service. (Suite guests may also order from the Silk Road and Prego menus.) The Bistro serves complimentary snacks such as cheeses, cold meats, pastries and fruit throughout the day along with complimentary coffee drinks and bar service. Finally, the Crystal Serenity offers a sommelier's dinner in their new Vintage Room. Though expensive, the sommelier personally presents a remarkable series of highly rated wines paired with superb dining.

Good dining is important to us when we vacation. The Crystal Serenity offered some of the best - certainly the best variety - cuisine we've found on the high seas.

STATEROOMS
Of Crystal's three ships, we believe that the Crystal Serenity's staterooms offer the best design in terms of space and functionality. While drawer and closet space can be problematic on Crystal's two previously-built ships, we found good storage space on the Serenity. We enjoyed the Frette bathrobes and the complimentary Aveda bath products. Finally our stewardess provided us with an extensive pillow menu that offered several types of pillows ranging from firm to squishy. We're spoiled.

DAYTIME ACTIVITIES
No ship offers a wider range of activities - virtually all of them offered on a complimentary basis. We loved our days at sea. In addition to outstanding lecturers, each cruise travels with acknowledged experts to teach bridge, dance steps and golf. Crystal's unique Creative Learning Institute offers complimentary piano lessons with Yamaha and language lessons with Berlitz (we tried these and found them both fun and worthwhile.) Their Computer University@Sea provides 24-hour e-mail and Internet access (a fee applies) plus instruction in the latest software (including digital photography).

Workouts in the gym, including yoga and Pilates, are complimentary and their Feng Shui-inspired spa earns high marks.

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT
Most cruisers agree that Crystal presents the finest Broadway-style shows at sea along with talented soloists, magicians and comedians. Caesar's Palace runs their popular casino and barroom pianists bring the Avenue Saloon to life each evening.

FAMILY CRUISING ON CRYSTAL
At one time we believed that Crystal Cruises discouraged children from sailing on board. Times have changed. The Crystal Serenity offers a "Waves" teen center with Internet stations and complimentary video games and a "Fantasia" kids center. While their kids program does not compete with all the classes and arrangements that you'll find on the general market cruises lines such as Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Lines; nevertheless, it's substantial. Their youth coordinator advised us that counselors are always on board during school holidays. In addition, the cruise line watches non-holiday sailings. As a general rule, they'll place a counselor on board for every 10 kids. During our cruise, taken while school was in session, we noted a number of kids on board with their parents or grandparents. One or two counselors were there to plan programs for them during the ship's days at sea as well as during evening hours.

WHAT ELSE DID WE LIKE?
Very few announcements. The likeable cruise director began our day when the ship was cleared to go ashore. The well-liked captain gave us an update once or twice a day. That was it! Unless you opened the door to the wall or turned your television to the announcements channel, the ship's personnel would not interrupt your day!

Five O'clock Funnies. Each day at 5 the pleasant cruise director reviewed the evening's program on one of the television channels, then concluded with about 50 minutes of comedy. One evening we watched highlights from Johnny Carson, another evening was the British comedy, Keeping Up Appearances - it made for a relaxing, lighthearted hour as our day concluded and we prepared for the evening.

Most activities are complimentary. While many cruise lines have imposed charges for several of their activities as well as for their alternative restaurants, Crystal has wisely avoided joining the pack. Of course you still pay for shore excursions, alcoholic beverages (all non-alcoholic beverages remain complimentary), gratuities (tips may be added to your account) and services in the spa and salon. We appreciate this policy.

Itineraries. At one time we joked that Crystal's ships didn't go anywhere. On a 12-day itinerary, there might be 4-6 days at sea. In the past few years, we've found their itineraries have become much more focused on getting the best out of the destination. Today we rank their itineraries among the best for larger ships.

Shopping. Many ship shops bore shoppers with an endless array of logo clothing, logo drink glasses and logo watches along with a small line of clothing similar to that you'll find in most department stores. Crystal definitely offers shoppers much more to select from (sorry, gentlemen).

Price. Though suites are not inexpensive, the traditional staterooms are often priced attractively. For just a few dollars more than a cruise on a much more ordinary ship, you can move up to Crystal and enjoy the attention, fine fare and all the amenities. In fact we learned that about 50% of their guests previously cruised on one of the 'premium' cruise lines.

Wines. If you love fine wines, you should select Crystal for your cruise line. Not only do they carry the most extensive cellar of fine wines at sea, you'll also find the most knowledgeable sommeliers on any ship. They take fine wines seriously.

ARE THERE A FEW WEAK POINTS?
Two sittings for dinner in the dining room. Crystal maintains (correctly in our view) that they cannot prepare fine cuisine for nearly 1000 guests dining at a single sitting. We find the early sitting comes too soon for us and the late sitting comes a bit later than we prefer. However, this becomes less of a problem since Crystal's ships offer so many alternative dining opportunities.

Wine prices seem high, particularly when you order wines by the glass. If we ordered the ship's own "C Wines", the prices were more reasonable.

Room service is delivered by your stewardess instead of a waiter. On many ships in the luxury category, trained waiters deliver room service. They're quick and knowledgeable. Our stewardess didn't seem very good - or very interested - at serving food. Others on board mentioned this as well. It's a small issue. Note that a trained butler delivers room service for suite passengers.

SUMMARY
Before our recent cruise on the Crystal Serenity, we had not sailed on board any Crystal ship for a couple of years. We were inspired by our experience on this impressive ship. It seemed to us that both the service and the cuisine were every bit as good, if not better, than we remembered. We also found more activities (and more interesting activities) on board than we recalled from earlier voyages. While a number of cruise lines are adding new dining venues and new activities, most charge extra for these new features. It's comforting to know that Crystal Cruises continues to enhance and improve their product and not ask for more money once you're on board.

The Euro is up, the dollar is down
It's no wonder European cruises are filling fast

A few years ago we bought Euros for 83 cents, now we're paying $1.48 (or more) for a Euro and some forecasters tell us that they expect the Euro to increase another 15-25%.

How can you avoid these high costs?

1. Cruises - and river cruises - are the perfect solution. Prices for cruises in Europe were established 8-10 months ago in US dollars. As you know, a cruise typically includes the most expensive components of European travel: accommodations, transportation, dining and entertainment. We've seen European cruises, on good cruise lines, begin as low as $169 per person per day - a super value.
2. Also, some European hotels, concerned about the high cost of the Euro, have fixed their price in dollars for American travelers. We'll help you find them. We also work through 'consolidators' who obtain excellent contract prices based upon their volume.
3. This may be the year to look to central or eastern Europe for your vacation. We've just returned from Prague (one of our favorite European destinations) and find that prices are still quite reasonable. You can find "5-star" hotels for less than $300 per night. Dining is great in the Czech Republic (Czech beers and Moravian wines are excellent and the prices are often lower than we find at home.)

If you visit Prague, don't miss side trips to Cesky Krumlov and the spa town of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad).

Other great European destinations offering good value include Hungary, Poland, Turkey and the Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

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European River Cruises also beat Europe's high costs

We're big fans of cruising Europe's rivers. We love it when our ship berths right in the heart of one of Europe's charming villages or medieval cities. It's a simple matter to walk ashore and begin our sightseeing. During the hours the river ships are cruising, we enjoy sitting on the ship's sundeck with a coffee or glass of wine watching the lovely scenery pass by. It's fun when local walkers or bikers wave and call out a greeting.

The top river ships offer well-designed accommodations and good cuisine. There's no need to book expensive hotels, dine in costly restaurants and hire rental cars with gasoline costing $5 per gallon.

Our favorite river cruise destinations:

The Rhine River offers picturesque castles and legendary vineyards from Cologne to Basel. Highlights include the Black Forest, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Germany's Rhine wine villages and hillside castles.

The Danube. A truly beautiful journey that can include stops in Austria, Germany, Hungary and the Slovak Republic (occasionally you can cruise all the way to the Black Sea.) In addition to the well known cities, we particularly enjoy Austria's stunning Wachau Valley with the picturesque little towns of Melk and Duernstein.

The Elbe. This week long journey between Prague and Berlin stops in Dresden (marvelous arts), Meissen (think porcelain), Wittenburg (Martin Luther's home) offers exceptionally picturesque scenery (the 'Saxon Alps' are particularly beautiful) and interesting stops!

The Rhone. You can cruise from Burgundy to Provence right through the heart of France. Wonderful stops and great excursions to chateaux, vineyards, Roman coliseums and picturesque countryside. Most visitors to France miss Lyon entirely, yet we find it a delightful city with superb cuisine. Other highlights include historic Avignon and the ancient Roman city of Arles.

We recommend two river cruise lines:

1) Four-star to Five Star. Peter Deilmann Cruises.

We've cruised on most of their superb ships and enjoy their handsome public areas (excellent interior decor and furnishings), well-designed accommodations and, perhaps, the best cuisine on European rivers.

Two of their handsome ships, the new Heidelberg and the Mozart offer extra spacious cabins (190 - 203 square feet, respectively), the largest we know of on any river vessel. (Many European river ships accommodate passengers in cabins ranging from 80-125 square feet. That's really small!).

Thanks to our special relationship with Peter Deilmann Cruises, we can negotiate terrific savings and pass them on to you. Call us for details.

Destinations: Rhine and Moselle Rivers, Elbe River, the Rhone River, the Seine, the Oder River (for Eastern Germany and Poland) and the Danube.

Peter Deilmann also offers a number of well-designed "cruisetours" that combine city stays with their river cruises. Good value too!

2) Three-star to Four-Star: Viking River Cruises.

We've cruised on Viking River and find that their nearly-identical new ships offer well-designed accommodations (plenty of storage space), good dining, a helpful crew and excellent value. Though their prices are similar to Peter Deilmann Cruises, they include most shore excursions in their prices.

Many of Viking River Cruises' offerings range from 9-14 days, a particularly good length of time to really explore Europe. We particularly like their Grand European itinerary that begins in Amsterdam and cruises up the Rhine River to Cologne and Rudesheim (wine region). In Mainz their ship enters the Main River to cruise through Germany's lovely forests (thanks to the numerous locks on the Rhine/Main/Danube Canal) into Bavaria (Wurzburg, Nuremberg) then enters the Danube at Passau to cruise to Linz, Vienna and Bratislava to conclude in the lovely city of Budapest. It's a magnificent journey!

Destinations: Holland and Belgium, Rhine and Moselle Rivers, the Danube, the Elbe, the Rhone and the Seine.

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The Danube and Europe's Christmas Markets

In Winter 2004, we cruised from Vienna to Nuremberg during the beginning of Advent in Central Europe. Though the weather was cold, we loved visiting wonderful places at off-peak travel times: Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Passau, Nuremberg and more. Moreover, this is the season when Europe opens their amazing "Christkindl" markets, filled with dozens of vendor stands offering handmade ornaments, nutcrackers, hand-knit sweaters, foods and other items appropriate to the Christmas season. Thanks to both the season and the popular hot-mulled wine, the mood of everyone is welcoming and festive. We'll be happy to tell you more about this journey.

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Russia and China

In Russia, Viking River offers fascinating cruises between Moscow and St. Petersburg on the Volga-Baltic Waterway. Not only do you visit both Moscow and St. Petersburg from the comforts of your ship, you'll cruise right through Russia's countryside and stop to visit a number of out-of-the-way places. Cruises are also offered in Ukraine on the Dnieper River between Kiev and Black Sea, a fascinating journey.

China: This year Viking River will operate two handsome new ships on the famed Yangtze River. Our friends who have cruised on board tell us these are well-operated journeys not only on the Yangtze but to China's highpoints including Beijing (Great Wall), Shanghai, Guilin (Li River) and Xi'an, for the famed Terra Cotta Warriors. The food is good, the hotels are excellent and the value is exceptional. Cruise Masters has been to all of these places and can give you good tips on selecting the best itinerary and time of year.

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