If you like wine but could do without some of the pretentiousness that sometimes accompanies it, you’re in good company.
When a sommelier tells me I should “detect a licorice taste with a hint of smoke” or “it’s busy, but never precocious”, I nod my head, as if I know what’s she’s talking about (even though I don’t have the slightest idea).
I just want to enjoy the wine.
There is no doubt there is an element of wine tasting and wineries that allows some people to be pretentious. This is usually quite comical, and easy to dismiss.
Truly though, I admire people who can truly appreciate a bottle of wine worth several hundred dollars.
I am not that person, but I do have a genuine appreciation for wine. It’s partly about the care that goes into producing it, and partly about the experience.
I like it when someone tells me about what I SHOULD be smelling or tasting with a particular wine. I don’t always register the sensations that are being described, but I still enjoy it.
The trick for any of the cruise lines that offer wine cruises is to cater to those who are true enthusiasts, without intimidating the wine idiots (like me) who are really just there to enjoy great food and wine pairings.
Here are three very different wine cruises that have achieved that balance:
Seadream Yacht Club from Rome to Barcelona
Departing October 31, 2021 for 7-nights
- There are just 5 cabins left, ranging in price from $4199 – $7899 per person.
- Book any Seadream cruise through us and receive a $200 spa credit (exclusive benefit for booking with the Pampered Cruiser).
- Includes all specialty dining, open bar, gratuities, watersports on the ship’s marina, wine on board the ship, mountain bikes to borrow for shore trips
- After departing Rome, you’ll visit Porto Stefano Santa, Portofino, Monte Carlo (overnight), Cannes, Cassis, and Costa Brava before arriving in Barcelona.
- Your wine-related activities:
- Wine tasting at Conti di San Bonifacio
- Wine Maker’s dinner at Bellavista & Petra in Portofino
- Wine tasting and visit to Chateau St. Martin in Taradeau, France.
- Wine tasting on board. Cassis, France.
- Wine tasting and visit to Martin Faixo Wine Cellars in Cadaques, Spain.
With just 112 guests, Seadream is much more like a river cruise on the ocean. They pay attention to details, and with 95 crew, the guest to crew ratio is almost 1:1.
AMA Waterways Burgundy & Provence
Departing July 28, 2022 for 7 nights
If you’re not ready to travel this fall, then we have a group on AMA Waterways wine cruise next summer that might be of interest: https://www.amawaterways.com/agent/pamperedcruiser/destination/europe-river-cruises/2022/essence-of-burgundy-provence-wine-cruise
- We can get you $250 per person off published fares on this cruise, as well as a $250 per person on board credit (exclusive benefit for booking through the Pampered Cruiser).
- AMA includes all specialty dining, a choice of shore excursions in every port, beer & wine with meals (and happy hour right before dinner every night), a wellness program (that includes classes aboard the ship, and activities ashore),
- You board the ship in Chalon-Sur-Saone (north of Lyon), and travel to Tourus, Macon, Villefranche sur Saone, Lyon, Vienne, Valence, and Avignon before finishing in Arles.
- AMA wine cruises are hosted by a wine expert (usually a sommelier, a winery owner, or a wine instructor), that travel with you throughout your journey. There are wine themed events both on board and ashore.
- This part of France not only has spectacular vineyards and wineries, but also Roman and medieval ruins, Abbeys and Cathedrals, as well as several UNESCO world heritage sites.
As mentioned above, we have some incentives on the July 28, 2022 cruise, but if this date doesn’t work for you, AMA has dozens of wine cruises in many different parts of Europe. Here’s a link to their site: https://www.amawaterways.com/agent/pamperedcruiser/destination/wine-cruises/2022
American Queen Steamboat Company
You don’t have to go to Europe to experience a wine cruise. One of the best kept secrets in this country is the wineries of the Pacific Northwest, and AQSC can get you there on a Columbia River Cruise.
Sailing between Portland, Oregon, and Spokane Washington, these 9-day journeys include the spectacular waterfalls, volcanoes, wildlife and scenery of the region, AND a spotlight on all those incredible wineries you’ve never heard of. Remember that the summer days are much longer in Washington than they are in California, and some varietals of grapes thrive with the extra sunlight.
The AQSC’s American Empress runs its Grapes and Gorges tours in October and November every year:
- Book any AQSC cruise with and you’ll receive a $50 per person shore experience credit (exclusive benefit for booking through the Pampered Cruiser).
- There is still some availability for 2021, with prices starting at $2999 per person for the 9-day package. Here are the wine related activities:
- You will stop in Stevenson, Washington, that is the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge, and is dotted extensively with wineries and craft breweries.
- The Dalles, Oregon marks the end of the Oregon Trail, and is part of the Oregon high desert with a long growing season, and a warm climate – perfect for grapes.
- Your journey will start or finish in the Spokane Valley. This charming city of 250,000 has a thriving wine scene. Its urban core has what they call the Cork District that is full of restaurants and venues focused on the local wine industry.
If you ever thought how nice it would have been to visit Napa or Sonoma 40 or 50 years ago, before it was discovered, this might be a similar opportunity before everyone is visiting the Columbia River wine region.
Uniworld for Half Off
Uniworld is a true luxury river cruise operator and is well known for their floating boutique hotels. Each ship is custom designed to reflect the area through which it sails. It is also fully inclusive, so the opportunity to get on board their ships for 50% off represents incredible value.
This offer is for cruises departing this summer. Here are some examples (prices are per person, based on double occupancy):
- Paris & Normandy $2249
- Bordeaux $1999
- Burgundy & Provence $2249
- Portugal Spain $2999 (11 days)
- Milan, Venice & Northern Italy $2499 (10 days)
Book ANY Uniworld cruise through us and receive a $400 per couple shipboard credit (exclusive benefit for booking with the Pampered Cruiser).
The Uniworld fare includes private transfer to/from the airport at the destination, all beverages included at all times, shore excursions, all specialty dining, all gratuities, and an elevated level of comfort and service on their incredible river ships. We had the opportunity to travel with Uniworld on a Paris & Normandy Cruise. Here’s a link to our video blogs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA1r3eOMaDVEP9ouRrZGrhocmhYp7EUPW
Finally, the pent-up demand for travel that everyone is talking about is real, but it’s not impossible to get away if you want. If you are flexible with dates, and you are only looking for one cabin, then there are still lots of options available. If you are travelling with a larger group and/or have a narrow window for which you can travel, then you are best advised to be looking late into 2022 or even 2023.
Either way… let us know. We’re ready to help.
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I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
