Why River Cruising One of our longest-serving employees shares how he fell in love with river cruising - and AmaWaterways. Wade Korzan, AmaWaterways’ Director of European Operations since 2005, is one of the longest-serving and most well-traveled members of our AmaFamily. Working in our shoreside office in Basel, Switzerland alongside Manager of European Operations Leo Starico, Wade is responsible for ship operations, the planning of ship Christening events and the hiring and training of our extraordinary Cruise Managers. Below, Wade shares his journey to AmaWaterways – and why he believes river cruising is the best way to travel. A Love for Travel I fell in love with river cruising the very first week I spent on a river ship, back in 1998. Until that point, I had been working first as a local guide in Europe and then as a tour guide escorting German guests throughout the 50 states and most of Canada. I absolutely loved my work touring North America, and it brought me to so many fascinating and unusual places throughout the continent. We would drive from Seattle to Alaska through the Yukon and even make our way up to Barrow, Alaska; we would traverse the country visiting all of the national parks, we would visit amazing cities like Savannah and Charleston; we visited Maine and Manitoba, Bryce Canyon and the bayous of Louisiana; colonial towns of Virginia and the coast of Oregon. However, my heart was in Europe, where I had already lived two times, once as an exchange student from my hometown of Monterey, California to Koblenz, Germany, and a second time working as a local tour guide giving tours of Munich, Salzburg, and Berchtesgaden to American military and their families stationed in Europe. So, when a colleague recommended me for an assignment as Cruise Manager on a European river vessel, I was more than ready to accept the challenge. Falling For the River In 1998, I conducted my first river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel aboard the beautiful Swiss Pearl and I was immediately hooked. I had no idea a river vessel could feel so luxurious, and that was in the late 90s, so it can’t be compared with the comfort and amenities that we find now aboard more than two decades later. I suppose I did not know what to expect but was amazed that we even had such plentiful hot water and beautiful showers on board! For the duration of 1998 I continued doing a mix of river cruises in Europe and tours in North America, and starting in 1999, I dedicated myself to cruising. It was in this year that I also started escorting groups on ocean vessels, taking groups between Buenos Aires, Argentina and Valparaiso, Chile via Cape Horn; cruising the seven Canary Islands in seven days, and then later adding Morocco and Madeira to the program. Additionally, I began escorting groups on train journeys, such as the journey from Beijing to Moscow on the Orient Express, which was an epic and unforgettable journey through Mongolia and Siberia. All of this global travel has become integral to my being. Seeing and exploring the world and its people is the most amazing education one could hope for, and one becomes so rich as person through the experiences and lessons learned. But as a mode of transportation, it is river cruising that lies dear to my heart. Comfortable, Convenient and Easy I’ve been in the river cruising business now since 1998, and with AmaWaterways almost from the beginning when I started in 2003. Since 2005, I have been managing the European office of AmaWaterways and have a team of around 100, including my office staff and our wonderful Cruise Managers. One huge reason I love river cruising is because on a cruise, the fact that we only have to unpack and pack once is a huge benefit. How else can you visit three, five or ten destinations or countries without having to always pack and re-pack? The river cruise vessel becomes your home away from home. It is simply comfortable, convenient and easy. Cruising from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Budapest, Hungary on our 14-night Magnificent Europe river cruise, for example, we visit five countries and numerous cities and villages. But we also pass by—slowly—amazing scenery which we would otherwise miss if driving or taking a train as we would whizz past at high speeds and with the risk of getting lost or taking the wrong turn, or getting on the wrong train…so unlike a leisurely luxury river cruise. A Personalized Experience I also love cruising because you can be as individual as you wish to be. You can, of course, join our included excursions, and that is a great way to see so many things and learn so many things you might otherwise miss. On the other hand, there is also the freedom for everyone to just explore on your own as well, at your own pace. I just love this freedom to choose! And you can be as active or “relaxed” as you wish to be too. Intimate Ships On a river vessel, because of its size, it is so easy to meet people. You pass them in the corridors or see them repeatedly in the lounge or in one of the restaurants, so you inevitably end up talking to and meeting so many people. Some of these people become friends for life. On an ocean cruise, the situation is different due to a greater number of guests and larger amount of space. It is easy to go on and on about why river cruising is so wonderful. But the short answer is clear. You can visit many places with the utmost comfort and convenience and meet amazing people both on board and ashore. You can be individual and private or meet as many people as you like. Our food is always delicious and plentiful as are our included experiences both on and off the ship. I do think a road trip or other kind of holiday has its advantages as well, and one of those is simply to remind us when we are lost with that rental car that we need to reserve our next river cruise! Learn more about why river cruising is the best way to travel, discover our destinations and join us on board soon!