54 TRAVEL + L E I S U R E / M AY 2 0 1 7
CHRISTIAN KERBER%(<21'
Fa m i l y Tr i p
I marvelled at her energy, but
more so at her sense of excitement.
Hannah is a seen-it-all New York
City high school senior who speaks
fi ve languages and spent her early
childhood in Rio de Janeiro. I am
a former foreign correspondent,
and my ex-husband is a Serbian-
Canadian photographer who now
lives in Belgrade. After Hannah was
born, we travelled the world with her.
She is amazingly cosmopolitan,
and I worried that she would
fi nd a river cruise organised by
the theme park’s tour operator
lame and boring. And although
Hannah politely refused to wear
the Adventures by Disney lanyards
studded with Mickey Mouse pins
we were all given to mark each day’s
excursion, she was engaged in a way
I have never quite seen her.
That’s in large part becauseAdventures by Disney, which recently began chartering ships operated by
AmaWaterways, doesn’t off er a traditional river cruise. Most companies target
an older clientele, and before I boarded our ship, the well-appointed, 82-cabin
AmaViola, I must admit I had visions of shuffl eboard and bridge. But among
the 110 people on our cruise, I met gay couples, families with small children,
and single parents with their adult kids. The vibe? Relaxed and welcoming.
These family-focused cruises have proven to be so popular that Adventures by
Disney and AmaWaterways are off ering
15 sailings this year, on both the Danube and the Rhine.
Like Hannah, I found myself completely captivated by the whole river-
cruise experience, which unfolded like a series of mini-adventures day after
day. Family activities included a slide deep into a salt mine in Salzburg and a
backstage tour of a marionette theatre in Vienna. Adult excursions included
wine tastings in Krems and tours of food and craft markets in Bratislava
and Budapest. All were conducted in conjunction with local guides who had
in-depth knowledge of their native towns. The ship’s crew was also well
informed, which I noticed after Hannah started questioning them about
everything from where to fi nd the best café mélange to how much we should
pay for taxis in our next port.Among the 110 people on our cruise,
I met gay couples, families
with small children, and single
parents with their adult kids.
56 TRAVEL + LEISURE / MAY 2017