One afternoon in 2015, cinematographer Chris Stanley and I pulled our rental car into the dusty parking lot of the Arkadi Monastery. We were there to film the monastery for Seabourn, which offered a visit to these historical grounds on shore excursions from Heraklion and Chania.

The Arkadi Monastery is such a beautiful place that you’d hardly suspect its tragic history. In 1866, nearly 1,000 people were taking refuge at the monastery against Ottoman invaders. When the invaders attacked, those inside made the ultimate sacrifice. They blew themselves up with gunpowder rather than surrender.

Knowing what had happened here more than 150 years ago made what happened on the day that Chris and I arrived all the more ironic. As we stepped out of the car, a bearded monk approached us and asked, “Where are you from?” The United States, I replied. He stepped closer and asked, “Do you like RoboCop?”

RoboCop, with apologies to its fans, is a 1987 movie starring Peter Weller, who played Alex Murphy, a terminally wounded cop who returned to his force as a powerful gun-wielding cyborg. Yes, I said to the monk, I do like RoboCop. He smiled and motioned for us to follow him into the monastery.

My life has been full of such experiences. For the past 30 years, I have dedicated a large part of my professional life to cruise travel and the wonderful places, like the isle of Crete, where cruise ships deliver us, often for not nearly long enough to fully appreciate the place. Now, it’s my turn to ask you to join me. Between now and the end of 2021, I am hosting six cruises. Here’s a list of what’s on offer, and you need not worry: Liking RoboCop isn’t a prerequisite to participate. 

April 2020. Three Barge Cruises – In France

This one is coming up quickly. Still, airfare is available at good prices (I booked roundtrip business class with 160,000 points on Delta). And there is one cabin left for someone to snap up on each of my three barge cruises in France. Two will explore Burgundy, and one will meander through Alsace. I did the latter this past fall, and it is a marvelous itinerary departing from Strasbourg. Prices begin at $3,495 per person. If you’re still reading, however, you’ll want to know this. Each of the available cabins are the result of cancellations for personal reasons. Nonrefundable deposits have been paid, so in order to fill the cabins, I will credit some portion of the deposits. If you’re interested complete the form below or learn more here, River Cruise Advisor > Cruise With Me.

Photo slideshow from my October 2019 barge trip in Alsace

IMG_8127

IMG_8176

IMG_8794

IMG_8842

IMG_8895

IMG_8705

IMG_8866

IMG_8758

IMG_8501

IMG_8537

IMG_8687

IMG_8679

IMG_8569

IMG_8464

IMG_8476

IMG_9203

IMG_9136

IMG_9293

IMG_9080

IMG_9047

IMG_9082

July 2020. Mainz To Amsterdam

I’ll be trying out Teeming River Cruises. Details will be available soon, but you can learn more about the cruise on Teeming’s website. If you’re interested, please complete the form below.

October 2020. Galapagos

Galapagos on Silver Origin. You’ll find details about this trip on Cruise Specialists’ website. We cruised the Galapagos on Silver Galapagos in the fall of last year, a wonderful trip that we’ve highlighted in the video below.

September 2021. Crystal Bach

Last but not least is Crystal Bach, cruising roundtrip Amsterdam along the Rhine and Moselle rivers. I did this trip in October of 2019, and it ranks as one of my all-time favorites.