EXPERTS TO SERVE YOU, SHIP TO SHORE
During your cruise you’ll be well taken care 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.
George Bihoi
Vantage travelers often compliment George Bihoi's "wonderful bedside manner," which is no surprise, since he has a Master's degree in Health Care and Human Resources. His other credentials include certification as a national guide with the Romanian Ministry of Tourism, and as an official translator with the Romanian Ministry of Justice (highest certification available in the field.) But perhaps his best qualification to lead you along the Main, Rhine, and Danube rivers is his deep appreciation for the opportunity to discover new worlds. He credits his mother with that, since she was an English teacher who made sure her son knew what was behind the Iron Curtain long before it fell. Says George, "By 1989 when the revolution came, I was ready to open up to the newly discovered democracy. It's been 12 years for me leading tours and I can safely say that each time I go back to a place, I find something new and exciting worth sharing with our visitors." Among his favorite places to share are the Iron Gates and Transylvania, especially in fall and spring. A true man for all seasons, George still helps out in the emergency room of a Bucharest hospital when not on tour.
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. This complimentary service is available to all travelers — no matter what cabin category or flight class you’ve reserved!
Whether you want to plan an anniversary party, secure restaurant reservations, or organize a private experience for your group, our Concierge service can make your travel dreams come true. Concierge service is available before 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.
During your journey, a Vantage Destination Manager doubles as your onboard Concierge and can assist with any personal requests you may have.
GET THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM LOCAL LECTURERS
Srdjan Ristic
The lecture begins with an exciting travel through time that gives insight into the richness of the area in regard to various civilizations, religions, and cultures that existed here for thousands of years.
A phenomenon named the "Crossroads of the World," that is rarely found elsewhere in the world.
The story continues by taking the audience through the whirlwinds of the 20th century in the puzzling and boiling Balkans: the First and Second World Wars, the creation and dissolution of Yugoslavia; the enigma known as Marshal Tito, Serbia under Slobodan Milosevic.
The second part of the lecture has its focus on Serbia today, a country that vigorously pursues its European future. A society empowered by the wisdom of mistakes and successes during its very long, stormy and challenging past at the Crossroads of the World ...
Srdjan Ristić was born in Belgrade, one of the oldest places on Earth, an uncommon city situated at the crossroads of East and West. Its turbulent destiny influenced the character of its inhabitants for many generations. He comes from an old Belgrade family whose members left their mark on the life of capital city during the past 200 years. Among them, there were people of different ethnicities, religions and cultures. Diversity in his family background gave Srdjan a neutral viewpoint and deep and true feel for the complex historical and sociological processes in his country.
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
