A Perfect Mississippi Cruise

A Mississippi cruise is truly a wonderful experience. But to avoid the crowds, you can take advantage of a little known secret that will make your cruise a much more individual experience. Instead of booking a downriver cruse, take an upriver one, starting on the Mississippi Delta. You will be much less inconvenienced by fellow travelers.

Galveston is a lovely place to start on a Mississippi cruise, being a short drive from Houston, and an interesting sight in its own way. It already was a bustling port city on the 19th century, and was an arriving point to many immigrants to the country.

Galveston is blessed with several beaches, nice fishing spots in the surroundings, so before you go on that Mississippi cruise you can partake in local water sports. As for food, sea fare such as shrimp is very good, preferable to Tex Mex, which is more common in Texas’s landlocked areas. As for sights, don’t miss out on Moody Gardens, which includes a butterfly zoo, and extensive gardens.

New Orleans’s weather is similar to Galveston’s, but apart from that the cities are fundamentally different. New Orleans mostly below sea level, and built on the two shores of the river, a perfect Mississippi cruise embarking point. Recent hurricanes notwithstanding, much of New Orleans is back open for business.

In fact, the Mississippi cruise business is important for the city and those who want to help New Orleans get back on her feet can’t do better than by leaving for a Mississippi cruise from her port, after having spent a couple of days in the city.

Start your visit in the French Quarter, which is the town’s most historical area, and also its most lively. Lots of shopping and interacting with the locals takes place there, and you can buy any items you may need on your Mississippi cruise.

You certainly won’t go hungry in New Orleans, as there are tons of options, from the humble muffaletta, a sandwich with olives, to a ritzy supper with oysters and seafood. And you will probably encounter both these local staples again, on that upriver Mississippi cruise.

Talking about cuisine, you will find that two distinctive styles predominate. These are Creole and Cajun cooking. Creole food is inspired by French bourgeois cuisine and is more refined and heavy, which makes it popular for formal dinners during a Mississippi cruise.

Cajun kitchen on the other hand is the rural, popular cooking of the area, influenced by African cookery and sometimes quite spicy, incorporating meat which is tasty, but which you may not have eaten before, such as crocodile. This is also popular on Mississippi cruises, for its exotic flair.

Concerning your safety, make sure to bring a hat and sunscreen if you are leaving for your cruise in the summer and be especially vigilant for pickpockets in the town centers. You can relax your guard once you have boarded your Mississippi cruise.

Tags: Adventure Cruising, Boating, cruises, cruising, Cruising Advice, Cruising Tips, Houseboats, Live Aboard, Mississippi Cruises, Mississippi River Travel, Mississippi Tourism, Mississippi Travel, Mississippi Trip, Mississippi Vacation, Tourism, travel

Chic European River Travel

River travel has always been high up on the list of discerning and refined travelers, and especially so when it comes to spending a week or two on one of Europe’s most scenic and famous waterways.

One of the causes for the rising popularity of European river travel is that even for a luxury cruise prices are sill noticeably lower than for an ocean cruise, if you compare them to each other. For instance there are vary good alternatives to an expensive seaborne cruise for a family, and many will prove to be far more relaxing, as well as enriching.

For instance, a week travelling down the magnificent Rhine River, savoring the attractions and the culture of Switzerland, France, Germany and the Benelux, possibly with a few days on a side trip to another city close by, is not going to cost more than a comparable cruise in the Caribbean.

If you book European river travel, you will usually fly out to one of the major European cities where the cruise will depart from and there you will meet your ship, this ship will then take you on a passage down some of the most celebrated and beautiful rivers on the continent.

European river travel will take you through some of the most beautiful cities in the region’s countries, and by travelling in style you will take your own floating five star hotel along, with a service to boot.

You will in fact find that while the cruise ships plying European rivers are much smaller then their seagoing cousins, for obvious reasons, they are just as comfortable and well-furnished, with amenities to boot.

For instance, the cuisine that you will experience on a premium quality wholly catered European river cruise will be just as good as the one in the continent’s most renowned hotels. You can also expect a room service that will be just as good, with luxurious rooms that will be cleaned every day.

A European watercourse cruise is a great way to spend your holidays, and especially so if you are not a great fan of the kind of organized entertainment prevalent on big seagoing vessel, and if you rather prefer more individual and attentive service. The specifics of European river travel will result in you having a more cultured and memorable experience.

In fact European river travel can offer all the luxury and panache that you may be accustomed in a high quality sea cruise, but with some extra pizzazz on top. So regardless of whether you have been on a cruise boat before, this could be the year to consider booking a trip on Europe’s waterways.

Tags: Adventure Cruising, Boating, cruises, cruising, Cruising Advice, Cruising Tips, Europe Cruise, European Cruises, European River Travel, European Rivers, European Trips, Houseboats, Live Aboard, Tourism, travel

Mississippi Cruise Offers: From Foodies To Jazz Nuts, All Are Welcome

River cruises are some of the most pleasurable ways to travel, and a Mississippi cruise is no exception.

When deciding on a Mississippi cruise, you have a series of different alternatives. Besides the obvious ones, such as length and itinerary, you should also spare a thought to whether you want a historical or themed trip, and on if you prefer spending time in towns and cities, or in the unspoilt countryside.

A paddle-wheel steamboat is certainly the best way to cruise and at the same time explore the history of the Mississippi River. You get to see the “showboat” amusements of the past. You will visit cities such as New Orleans, Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis, and visit sights such as the latter’s Gateway Arch. You will taste excellent Cajun food on board.

The most famous ships catering to this kind of trade are the steamboats Delta Queen, the Mississippi Queen, and the American Queen, although there are others.

The alternative to a “back to olden times” cruise is a trip focussing on specific subjects, such as the area’s vibrant music tradition, or Civil War battle sites.

You can participate in bluegrass celebrations. You can experience the region’s Native American culture. Battle sites from the Civil War abound on Mississippi cruises.

Several cruises are narrated, providing informative history accounts and bringing the Mississippi of olden times to life. Most themes are linked to the region’s traditions and glorious past.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s cruises are available for the whole family, and these are great ways to enjoy during the holidays with your loved ones while someone else cooks for you!

A voyage in spring, with flowers in bloom and a great variety of fresh fish and fruit on the cruise ship’s menu, will feel very different than a trip in another season. Springtime is a great moment to visit the Mississippi with a loving someone, but also with a group of friends.

Mississippi cruises are superb ways to explore the history of the Midwest and South. You have lots of alternatives that will please you and whomever you may be traveling with. Regardless of what you want to explore along the Mississippi, there is a cruise that is just right for you.

Tags: Adventure Cruising, Boating, cruises, cruising, Cruising Advice, Cruising Tips, Houseboats, Live Aboard, Mississippi Cruises, Mississippi River Travel, Mississippi Tourism, Mississippi Travel, Mississippi Trip, Mississippi Vacation, Tourism, travel