River Cruising Closer to Home
(42 Reviews)
100% Recommended
Ted Blank
Woodbury, MN
Tailor-Made Journeys
You understand that extraordinary vacations aren’t simply a function of dollars and cents, and you know that they certainly aren’t just pulled off the shelf.
Journeys of a lifetime are carefully designed with imagination, creativity, atten...
You understand that extraordinary vacations aren’t simply a function of dollars and cents, and you know that they certainly aren’t just pulled off the shelf.
Journeys of a lifetime are carefully designed with imagination, creativity, attention to detail, experience, and insider knowledge.
Are you looking for a travel adviser who possesses the expertise, education, intuition, insider knowledge, and connections to turn your vacation into the trip of a lifetime? I open new doors for discerning travelers like you looking to follow your own path to the world’s extraordinary destinations.
As a specialist in privately guided, tailor-made vacations and luxury cruises, you’ll enjoy highly personalized service and expert recommendations during the planning process. As you travel, you’ll come to appreciate being well looked after from wheels up on departure to wheels down on your return, giving you the freedom and confidence to be your best travel self wherever you go.
Through my extensive worldwide travel experience, an intuitive sense of possibilities, careful attention to detail, and a broad network of carefully vetted supplier partners, you can enjoy vacations that others only dream of to destinations in Europe, Asia, Australia and Oceania, South America, Africa, and beyond.
Please click on the links on this page to email me to schedule a complimentary introductory discovery session where we’ll get better acquainted, discuss your travel dreams, and begin to carefully craft the first of many explorations of this wonderful, fascinating world we share!
Can Be Reached At
1-651-964-8245
Along the Columbia River in Washington
While Europe may be the first destination that comes to mind when you think of river cruises, America’s waterways offer the same terrific experiences — a chance to visit historic places and enjoy breathtaking scenery at a leisurely pace.
You can travel in the footsteps of 19th-century explorers Lewis and Clark with a voyage in the Pacific Northwest, discover New England’s rich maritime heritage on a cruise along the East Coast, and take in the culture and cuisine of the South with a journey along the Mississippi River.
American Cruise Lines, American Queen Voyages and Viking River Cruises are three of the top river cruise companies. They all offer passengers an elevated experience, with intimate, elegant ships, first-class service and well-designed enrichment programs both onboard and onshore.
U.S. river cruises usually last anywhere from eight to 15 days, so it’s easy to find one that fits your travel needs. If you have more time, you can take a grand 22-day Mississippi River cruise all the way from New Orleans to St. Paul!
On each of these cruises, you’ll soak up local culture from expert guides, get a taste of regional cuisine, and have time to relax as you slowly sail past rolling farmland, small towns, big cities and natural wonders.
American Queen Voyages has a nine-day trip from Portland, Oregon, to Spokane, Washington, aboard the American Empress, which can carry 217 passengers. You’ll visit Astoria, Oregon, the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies; see the magnificent bluffs of the Columbia River Gorge; stop at The Dalles, which marked the end of the Oregon Trail; and tour Richland, Washington, including Sacajawea State Park, at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers. A museum tells the story of Lewis and Clark through the experiences of the young Native American woman who accompanied their expedition.
American Cruise Lines offers eight-day trips along the upper and lower Mississippi. But the 22-day Complete Mississippi River Cruise, aboard the 180-passenger American Melody, is truly a bucket-list experience. You’ll sail 1,393 miles through 10 states, stopping at iconic ports like Vicksburg, site of a decisive Civil War battle; Greenville, home to the B.B. King Museum and Mississippi Delta Interpretive Center; Memphis, with a chance to tour Elvis Presley’s Graceland; and Hannibal, Missouri, where you’ll visit Mark Twain’s boyhood home. Along the way, onboard experts will bring to life stories about the river and provide context for each shore experience.
If you’re looking for a shorter trip, you can start and end your Mississippi River voyage in New Orleans aboard Viking’s eight-day New Orleans and Southern Charms cruise. I can help you book additional time in New Orleans so you can see everything this vibrant city has to offer, including great music, food and the historic French Quarter. The Viking Mississippi is a 386-passenger vessel purpose-built for the river in 2022, with the cruise line’s clean Scandinavian design. Ports include Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capital, where you’ll savor Cajun and Creole music and food and take a boat tour of the Atchafalaya Basin’s beautiful, wildlife-rich swampland; Natchez, Mississippi, the oldest city on the river; and St. Francisville, Louisiana, home to more than 140 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can enjoy the same types of experiences on a cruise along the East Coast. For example, American Cruise Lines has an 11-day trip aboard the 170-passenger American Constitution that starts and ends in Boston, a city synonymous with Colonial American history. You’ll sail past Maine’s Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in America; visit Acadia National Park; stroll along the streets of historic Newport, Rhode Island, with its Gilded Age mansions; and visit Provincetown, Massachusetts, on the northern tip of Cape Cod, known for its quaint shops, colorful architecture and relaxing beaches.
This is just a small sample of the trips - close to home - you can take on these three cruise lines. I can give you information on many more options and places to go, from a trip along the Southeast, with stops in Charleston, Savannah and Amelia Island, Florida; to a Northern California cruise that starts and ends in San Francisco.
As a cruise expert, I’ll work with you to explore all of the options and pick the best voyage for your interests. Contact me, and we'll get started planning your close to home river cruise!