O N TH E WATE R Our Selection of Boutique and Luxury Canal Barge and River Cruises in Europe
CELEBRATING OVER 50 YEARS OF LUXURY AND BESPOKE TRAVEL
“Thank you again for your guidance throughout the process. Your insights and recommendations were spot on.� S.K., Boston, MA
Why Frontiers? • Frontiers is a one-stop-shop for a quality travel experience from the initial planning to your return home. Frontiers has over 50 years of experience coordinating international travel and is a member of Virtuoso’s esteemed network of luxury agencies. • We have exceptional firsthand knowledge based on 37 years of specific annual exploratory travel to Europe’s canals and rivers and the vessels that cruise on them! • We have no ownership or fee-based bias toward any barge or ship, unlike many other cruise brokers. Our recommendations are 100% objective, based around your preferences, areas of interest, and budget. • Barging and River Cruising Destination Specialist, Jill Jergel, has been on Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s list of Top Travel Specialists since 2003 recommended for both European Canal Barges and travel to France. • Our Air Department is staffed with savvy longtime agents who scour our industry contracts and special fares to find the best air deal for you—particularly in Business Class and Premium Economy! • Want to stay a little longer? Our specialists will compare the river cruise lines pre and post program against a customized land journey created with your interests in mind. Surprisingly, the cost margin between private versus group extension often isn’t that broad!
“This cruise exceeded our expectations! The highlight?? I can’t say—it was all so wonderful.” A.T. and M.S., Hot Springs, AR
What is a Canal Barge Cruise? • An all-inclusive voyage for 2-12 passengers booked by either cabin or private charter, allowing travelers to unpack one time while exploring a beautiful stretch of European countryside in depth each day. • Everything is included in the cost of your trip—all gourmet meals prepared by your on board chef, fine wines and champagne, the open bar, daily excursions in the barge’s own vehicle with private English-speaking driver guide, full use of the barge and its facilities (Jacuzzi on many, pool on some, bicycles on all, games, and Wi-Fi) to name a few! The only extra cost to you is gratuities. • Daily excursions provide private tours of historic chateaux, castles or manor houses, exclusive wine tastings, and visits to small town markets, as well as emphasize secret cultural gems and iconic sights. • Days are spent learning local history, tasting regional treats, exploring the towpath on foot or by bicycle and generally absorbing the inviting landscape. • Last—but certainly not least—is your crew. The experienced English-speaking crew will provide attentive and cheerful service through the voyage. • Interested in exclusive, private cruise with family or friends? We compare a week on a chartered canal barge to having a floating house party in a private villa with your own chef and chauffeur!
Wonder if a Floating House Party is for you? The barges Frontiers recommends carry 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 passengers. This journey is perfect for: • Groups of just two couples can privately charter one of the smaller barges in Burgundy or on the historic Canal du Midi. We believe having the barge and crew exclusively to yourself is the ideal and most fun cruise! • Perfect for Multigenerational Family Trips: Several barges offer a reduced summer price for charters in late July and all of August, providing excellent value. The crew enjoys having families on board, and teaching the younger family members the classic European “Joie de Vivre.” • Up to 20 passengers can experience a tandem charter which provides two vehicles, two chefs for dine-around options, and double the fun, side-by-side cruising! • Are you just two people hoping to join like-minded travelers? We have a variety of standout options where you can book an individual cabin! Choose from exciting itineraries that explore the waterways of Holland in the spring when the tulips are in bloom, traverse the magical Caledonian Canal in Scotland, meander the Moselle in Germany where steeply terraced vineyards come right to the river’s edge, visit Champagne in early summer for “bubbly” tastings at small and large producers, or enjoy the end of the season along the beautiful waterways of Alsace and Lorraine which feature storybook villages, a barge ‘elevator,’ a paved towpath, and medieval castle ruins.
Family charter and crew onboard the 12-passenger Panache
On The Other Hand…
Why go on a European River Cruise? • Travelers will appreciate the grandeur of a floating luxury hotel with 106-190 passengers on board while gliding along Europe’s fabled waterways. • Guests are cocooned in comfort and receive outstanding service from a cheerful and caring staff, while enjoying creative cuisine and fine libations. Your own private cabin is never far away once on board, and fellow passengers are likeminded and congenial travelers from around the world. • Each day presents a choice of carefully curated experiences distinctive to the port. These are tailored to a range of passions, interests, activities, and pursuits. Examples include: yoga class in the 17th-century Blaye Citadel in Bordeaux, and visiting St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice after-hours when you have the impressive Byzantine Cathedral to yourself. If you’re a music lover, you can enjoy contemporary live music in a 400-year-old Baroque church. In fact, there are even entire music-themed cruises that contain surprise private performances in magical venues across Europe! • By unpacking just once, you will experience many dazzling Old World capitals and historic towns of the European continent close up. The ships dock in the heart of iconic cities or close to quaint villages. While cruising, you will glide past some of humankind’s most spectacular architectural achievements such as the Parliament Building in Budapest, the castle-laden Lorelei on the Rhine, or the many uber-charming, picturesque half-timbered villages of the enchanting Moselle River. • Activities abound! Many ships have a gym with plenty of equipment and daily exercise classes ranging from simple stretching to complimentary group cardio classes! Some feature on board wellness hosts who lead active excursions or give informative lectures. You can expect to do a fair amount of walking each day during the tours, and bicycling and hiking excursions are continuing to increase because of their popularity. Let us know if this is a feature that appeals to you!
Important Tips from Frontiers Experts • Two of our favorite river cruise lines have partnered with specialty cycling and hiking tour operators to give active travelers the best of both worlds—cruise and cycle along the scenic river banks! • In response to interest from families traveling with children, several lines now have family specific departures in the summer with plenty of childfriendly activities and educational visits! • One of the most beautiful rivers in Europe is Portugal’s Douro River. It is characterized by steeply terraced vineyards and villages seemingly lost in time. Beginning in 2020, several lines will operate their own custom-built ships for this river, now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ask us who has the new ships! • A river cruise is not a good choice for a mobilityimpaired traveler. Stairs are the only way to access the uppermost deck for viewing, and very few river cruises offer accessible-equipped cabins, and small group excursions cannot accommodate those who have issues with mobility. • Each of our recommended cruise lines has a special cache, or strong suit, which makes it a perfect fit for a certain type of traveler. We encourage you to share what is important to you with our destination specialists so that we can best match you to the right river cruise experience.
Cruising on the Danube through Austria’s Wachau Valley
“The cuisine was incredible, and [they] so thoughtfully accommodated personal likes and dislikes. Lots of the excursions were to places we weren’t familiar with, but we enjoyed them all and appreciated [the] flexibility in adapting, changing, etc. to address the needs of eight people.” M.J., Charlottesville, VA
UNITED STATES OFFICE
600 Warrendale Rd., Gibsonia, PA 15044 Toll-free 1-800-245-1950 Phone 724-935-1577 Fax 724-935-5388 Email info@frontierstravel.com Website www.frontiersej.com Copyright © 2020. Frontiers International Travel. All rights reserved. Photo Credits: European Waterways, Belmond, Grand Cru, Uniworld, Crystal River Cruises, and Grand Victoria.