First Impressions: Aboard Viking Polaris On The Great Lakes
May 10, 2026 No Comments
Hi from Killarney, on Georgian Bay in Canada! We are now on our third day aboard Viking Polaris, and so far, the trip has been
Seems that every time I host a cruise, I end up committing to hosting more. In 2022, I am now hosting a total of five trips. Three of those are sold-out barge trips that got pushed forward from 2019. Two, however, are brand new, and I am excited about both of these trips because they sail a couple of my favorite itineraries.
The first trip takes us from Budapest to Amsterdam, July 6-20, 2022. We’ll cruise for 14 nights on Crystal Mahler on the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers. This is a wonderful way to experience the heartland of Europe. I’ve cruised this itinerary before, and I could have easily stayed on board to repeat it in the opposite direction. After all, what’s not to love about these gorgeous riverscapes and the cities and villages along three of Europe’s most storied rivers?
You can view the full itinerary on Crystal’s website, but return here for special pricing and to join our group. We’ll also enhance Crystal’s program with pre- and post-trip activities as well as special events and excursions along the way.
If you are at all interested in this trip, please complete the form below.
[mailerlite_form form_id=13]
I know what you’re thinking. Hasn’t Oscar Wilde been long dead? Yes, the Irish poet passed away in Paris in 1900, but his spirit lives through the ship that carries his name for Riviera River Cruises. If you’re not familiar with the company, check out my post, Seven Ways That Riviera Seeks To Stand Out.
We’ll cruise roundtrip Cologne. You can view the full itinerary on Riviera’s website, but return here for special pricing and to join our group. We’ll also enhance Riviera’s program with pre- and post-trip activities as well as special events and excursions along the way.
Riviera is providing incentives for booking, including a limited selection of solo cabins with no single supplement and a complimentary drinks package for anyone who books and deposits up until the end of January 2022.
If you are at all interested in this trip, please complete the form below.
[mailerlite_form form_id=14]
If you’re a regular reader of River Cruise Advisor you already know me, but you probably do not know Tamera. We both are active adventurers, probably more like active soft adventurers, but for those who enjoy biking, hiking or walking, we’ll be leading several day adventures on each of these trips.
About Ralph Grizzle
Ralph began his journalistic career at the age of 32, following the conclusion of his “sabbatical decade.” From 1980 through 1990, he bicycled across America, pedaled through Europe and island-hopped the South Pacific. After backpacking through Bali, bussing through Java, hopping a boat to Singapore and crossing Malaysia to Thailand, he flew into Burma, tramped to Dhaka and endured a 32-hour train ride from calamitous Calcutta to bustling Bombay. From there, he hopped a plane for Greece and traveled to Switzerland before returning home, where he settled, quite naturally, into a career of travel writing. Ralph’s work has appeared in numerous consumer magazines. He is the founder of avidcruiser.com and rivercruiseadvisor.com as well as the author of Remembering Charles Kuralt and other books, including the Ultimate River Cruising Handbook.
About Tamera Trexler
Tamera has been a nomad/global traveller and nature lover for her entire life. After holding a professional career in counseling for 25 years and living in England for six years, she embarked on the epic journey of through-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2007. Today, her hikes include not only the AT but also Western North Carolina; the West Highland Way in Scotland, Yosemite, Glacier, the Long Trail, Pacific Crest Trail sections, Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park. True to her passion, Tamera is a hiking guide for Asheville’s Blue Ridge Hiking Company, owned by National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis.
Hi from Killarney, on Georgian Bay in Canada! We are now on our third day aboard Viking Polaris, and so far, the trip has been
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