EXPERTS TO SERVE YOU, SHIP TO SHORE
During your cruise you’ll be well taken of. Your Cruise Director will provide briefings about upcoming ports, coordinate social and cultural activities on board ship, and generally make sure that your experience is the best it can be. Your onboard Concierge can provide expert advice and assist with special requests, be it on-shore restaurant reservations to spa appointments to event tickets and more. And to guide your included shore excursions, we’ve selected the best regional experts. If your program includes a land stay (or if you have chosen an optional extension), you will also enjoy the services of a City Host at your hotel, who can help you plan your exploration.
CRUISE DIRECTORS MAKE YOUR TRIP "SMOOTH SAILING"
Your Vantage river cruise will be led by a seasoned Cruise Director whose job it is to see to your comfort and satisfaction. Think of him or her as your onboard “host,” the person to turn to with questions about your itinerary, updates on the day’s activities, reservations for optional tours, and so much more.
Bogdan Curea
As a child growing up in Bucharest, Bogy loved to tag along when his bus driver father drove travelers on tours all over Romania. “It was love at first sight, traveling and discovering new places and people.” Bogy went on to study history and finance, earning an MBA and working for international hotel chains such as Hilton and Crowne Plaza. Now he is back doing what he loves best, “Getting to know different people, sharing my knowledge, treating everybody as I wish to be treated when I am on holiday.” One of his favorite holiday destinations is Transylvania, with its “gorgeous nature and unspoiled lands, the medieval castles, UNESCO sites, and the special atmosphere.”
NEW! ENHANCED COMPLIMENTARY WORLDWIDE CONCIERGE SERVICE
If you have a special request or personal interest you’d like to pursue during your journey, your Vantage Concierge is here to help. Even better, this new and complimentary service is available to all travelers — no matter what cabin category or flight class you’ve reserved (making us the best among other deluxe travel companies!).
Whether you want to plan an anniversary party, track down a bit of your family’s heritage in China, secure restaurant reservations in Paris, or organize an intimate pub crawl for your multigenerational group of family and friends in Ireland, our Concierge service can make your travel dreams come true.
Plus, Concierge service is available before or during your journey. Simply log in to MyPortfolio, submit a pre-trip request to Concierge@vantagetravel.com, or call 1-888-982-6824 and you'll have your answer from our Concierge within two business days. Travelers on our European river ships can also stop by the Concierge Desk (located in your ship’s lobby) to make a request during your journey; for land adventures and small ship cruises, your Adventure Leader or Cruise Director doubles as your onboard Concierge.
GET THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM LOCAL LECTURER
Dr. Markus Urban
Dr. Markus Urban was born in 1976 in Würzburg, on the Main River. He became a Nuremberger at the age of five, and studied history at the University of Erlangen and also at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. His experience guiding travelers on tours of Nuremberg — including the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds, Palace of Justice (scene of the Nuremberg Trials), and the old medieval town — dovetailed perfectly with his doctoral studies, and in 2006 Markus obtained his Ph.D. with a thesis on the “Function and Perception of the National Socialist Party Rallies in the 1930s.” He developed the first series of onboard talks for Vantage river cruise ships and continues to work on academic projects. His latest book is on the Main-Danube Canal, published in 2013.
Germany in the 21st Century – Changes and Challenges with Dr. Markus Urban
Winning by an absolute majority, Angela Merkel sailed into her third consecutive term as supreme Chancellor in September, 2013. But it will be anything but smooth sailing for Germany to stay its course as the dominant economy and political powerhouse of the European Union. Join Dr. Urban and learn how Germans feel about current issues, and the future.
The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal with Dr. Markus Urban
The completion of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal (RMD) in 1992 made it possible, for the first time in history, to travel by ship from the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea all the way across Europe to the Black Sea. The RMD stretches for 106 miles between Bamberg and Kelheim, enabling the transport of more than 6 million tons of goods a year — not to mention our own beautiful river cruise! Come learn the story behind this engineering marvel.
"Musical Vienna" with Professor Edward Kudlak
Welcome to the city of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Mahler, Bruckner, Schonberg, and so many others! More than any other city on Earth, Vienna boasts a vast classical music heritage, and Professor Edward Kudlak is the ideal host to enhance your appreciation of it. Born in Montreal, he studied at both McGill University and the Vienna Academy of Music before becoming concertmaster for the Academy Orchestra, Haydn Orchestra, and Vienna Baroque Ensemble. He was first violin for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, then joined the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic. Professor Kudlak is widely recorded, has founded several chamber groups, and has received many awards, among them the Mozart Interpretation Prize, and the Distinguished Service Medal from both the city of Salzburg and the Republic of Austria.
MEET THE CAPTAIN
Danut Scurtu
Captain Danut Scurtu was born in 1963 in a small village located 120 km north of the Danube River. Growing up, he had a neighbor that served in the Romanian Military Navy and would often see him wearing his uniform, a sight that made quite an impression on young Danut. Coupled with the neighbor’s stories about all the places he’d visited and experiences he’d had throughout his military career, Danut was inspired to pursue a career in the Navy. In 1977, he enrolled at the School of Marine Technology (Liceul Tehnologic de Marină) in Galați, Romania. He graduated in 1982 and has since pursued his dream of being a ship’s captain.
REGIONAL EXPERTS IN EACH PORT
No one knows a destination better than an insider, so in addition to your River Cruise Director, you’ll enjoy the services of experienced regional experts in each port during your included tours. Their deep command of regional history will certainly enrich your viewing of important attractions. But our “insiders” go a step beyond, sharing insights on behind-the-scenes aspects of local culture that ordinary tours usually overlook. How do families in this town get by? What is the legend about this cathedral? What do the decorations on a particular house mean? Your regional expert is eager to bring it all alive for you. All are fluent English speakers, and you won’t miss a word of their commentary as we provide complimentary audio headsets.
