The response to our first-ever President’s Cruise last year proved so enthusiastic, we decided to make it an annual event. For this year’s special sailing, we chose our perennially popular Romance of the Rhine & Mosel itinerary—and added a host of extra features, including in-depth sightseeing tours, musical performances, and gala dinners.
The festivities kicked off August 15, and I was so curious to know what our President’s Cruise travelers were up to that I asked Roman Cangar (pictured at left), our Director of Operations—and the official “host” of this year’s event (though he'll be joined by other Boston and regional executives)—to send us a detailed trip report. Below, he shares his impressions of the first four days of what promises to be a memorable journey.
TRIP REPORT: 2009 President’s Cruise: Romance of the Rhine & Mosel
Day One: Antwerp, Belgium
Arrivals to Antwerp went smoothly, with only one delayed traveler and two missing suitcases. Not to worry: Said traveler boarded the M/S River Harmony just six hours later than originally planned, and the suitcases arrived the next day.
Grand Circle’s President’s Cruise officially began with the introduction of the River Harmony’s Captain, Ralf Remus, and the ship’s Hotel Manager, Sandra Nikolic, who briefed travelers about basic safety rules, regulations, and shipboard procedures. Then it was my turn, as I welcomed our travelers on behalf of Grand Circle and introduced Christian Seegatz, our Corporate Executive Chef, and the three Program Directors leading the trip: Nico Favoreel, Miriam Hinners, and Britta Kipker. As Nico is Belgian (Miriam and Britta are both German), he gave our first Port Talk, telling us all about Antwerp and explaining what would happen the next day.
After a delicious dinner—which concluded with a special birthday celebration for one of our travelers—several travelers decided to go out on the town to sample some of Belgium’s world-famous beer. I accompanied them, of course—figuring that they might want some help choosing from among the more than 1,300 different brands …
Day Two: Antwerp
After breakfast and a short briefing, the Program Directors took us on a walking tour of Antwerp. As it was a Sunday morning, the town was very quiet, and the weather was nice but not too sunny.
In the afternoon, we enjoyed the first of our President’s Cruise special features: A visit to the historic town hall to meet Mr. Marc van Peel, the Vice Mayor of Antwerp. This was a very nice event and our travelers truly enjoyed Mr. Van Peel’s speech, where he noted the important role Americans play in the town’s history and life.
Next, we learned all about the European Union during a discussion hosted by local teacher Mr. Peter Smith. Not only was it informative—he described in detail its history, institutions, countries, cultures, and languages—but Mr. Smith delivered his talk with bright humor and did not shy away from controversial topics.
We set sail soon after we returned to the ship. After a Welcome Drink hosted by the Captain in the lounge, we moved on to the dining room for our evening meal. The Captain invited the most traveled Inner Circle members to join his table, and we all enjoyed a series of wonderful dishes prepared by the River Harmony chef, Wolfgang Frese. It was truly the cherry on the top of the cake for our first full day of the cruise.
Day Three: The Netherlands—Willemstad, Delta Works, and Kinderdijk
This morning our travelers had the opportunity to join Miriam on an optional tour of the Delta Works, a marvelous engineering project build to protect the Netherlands from the storms coming from the North Sea. This site is very much appreciated by our male guests, although many of our female travelers found it interesting, too! Those who stayed behind joined Britta and Nico for a stroll among the streets of Willemstad, a cute little town built within a star-shaped fortress.
Just before lunch, we set sail for our next port of call: Kinderdijk, with its world-famous 19 windmills. Our visit consisted of a boat ride among the dikes and polders, a guided tour inside one of the windmills, and a visit to the workshop where spare parts for the mills are produced.
The local guides who accompanied us on each of these features expressed appreciation for Grand Circle, not only for bringing our travelers to Kinderdijk, but also for the financial support we’ve provided, via preservation grants, from Grand Circle Foundation.
Day Four: Nijmegen
After another great breakfast onboard, we boarded three buses for a short but scenic ride to the National Liberation Museum, which offers insight into Dutch life before, during, and after World War II. It was an unforgettable experience: The volunteer guides shared their personal experiences of the war with us, including their involvement with Operation Market Garden (the largest Allied airborne operation of all time), and there were few among us with dry eyes.
Later, we went on a walking tour of Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands, with Nico, Miriam, and Britta. It was quite pleasant to stroll along the streets of this nice, lively town on the banks of the Rhine River. That afternoon, we enjoyed an ice cream party on the sundeck as we cruised through the scenic Dutch countryside. Our next stop is Bonn, Germany—and I’m already looking forward to tomorrow’s special event: A concert featuring the music of Beethoven (the composer was born in Bonn) at the city’s beautiful, historic Schlosskirche …
NOTE: We’re still fine-tuning the details for our 2010 President’s Cruise, which will feature our Seine: Paris to Normandy itinerary; check our website in the coming weeks for details.
Plus, learn more about another special sailing for 2010—our 52nd Anniversary Cruise: Old World Prague & the Blue Danube—where you’ll have an opportunity to meet Roman Cangar while exploring Eastern Europe.