As a parent, you try to raise children who are both happy and curious. As a grandparent, I hope the same is true for my grandchildren. So I recently decided to show my six-year-old granddaughter Millie more of the world. A European river cruise through the fairytale landscapes of the Rhine last summer, offered by Adventures by Disney, proved to be the perfect opportunity. Her 40-year-old parents (my daughter and son-in-law) also came along.
On the seven-day cruise from Basel to Amsterdam, we traveled through four countries – Switzerland, France, Germany and the Netherlands – and bonded through encounters that took us out of our routine and expanded our imaginations.
While Adventures by Disney river cruises don’t feature Disney characters and themed attractions like Disney Cruise Line’s ocean-going ships, it helps to have some affinity for Disney if you’re opting for these more intimate river cruises. During our Rhine cruise, Disney references were plentiful, along with a soundtrack of Disney movie songs playing over the ship’s sound system, among other ancillary programming. Fellow travelers were fans who, for example, were excited to collect daily Disney trading pins (in our case, including pins featuring princess characters like Snow White and Rapunzel) and play Disney trivia in the ship’s lounge.
An Adventures by Disney family canoe trip in Strasbourg was a success for this crew, which included writer Fran Golden and her granddaughter Millie in the middle, and daughter and son-in-law in the front and back.
The Disney difference that I found most fascinating was the peace of mind that came from knowing that the trip would be both well-organized and extremely family-friendly. As we boarded the 156-passenger SubscribeChartered by Disney on the upscale river cruise line AmaWaterways, Millie was thrilled to see Captain Minnie in stuffed animal form sitting at the front desk. Millie’s other great joy: a handful of girls her age on board, among the 13 younger children, 17 teenagers and many adults traveling with and without children. The youngsters quickly gravitated toward the ship’s outdoor pool as their favorite place to hang out.
Our entire cruise was overseen by five highly trained Disney Adventure Guides who specialize in storytelling. Three of them were from Europe and two from the US, and all had worked at Disney parks in the past. To keep the kids engaged during the cruise, they mentioned terms like “fairy dust” and “fairy godmother.”
Since we were looking at real castles (not fairytale castles) on the Rhine, we were advised to invent our own family history during the cruise. When asked how our story might begin, Millie shouted “Once upon a time, of course,” which drew giggles from the crowd.
With our guides as cheerleaders in the memorabilia department, our friendly Subscribe The crew, more accustomed to adult river cruise guests, also enjoyed the fact that children were on board. A waiter showed off his skills at making paper hats in the dining room, while the ship’s hotel manager, himself a grandfather, kept a jar of pink marshmallows on his desk for self-service.
The author has grappled with the unpredictability of sharing a cabin with a six-year-old.
Millie was my roommate on board, her parents lived in a cabin across the hall. We had two single beds and AmaWaterways’ signature double balconies – one pull-out balcony with chairs, the other a French balcony.
Living with a six-year-old requires a sense of humor and the ability to improvise. One morning, Millie woke me up at 6:30, opened the curtains and shouted, “Look at the sunrise! I like watching sunrises.” One night, when Millie excused herself for not sleeping by saying she was hungry, I had an orange to peel but no serving platter, so Millie ate orange slices from my wine glass.
The Subscribe made some minor adjustments for Disney, such as introducing a kids’ menu with burgers and pasta. Millie preferred the always-available grilled salmon from the adult menu of international dishes. Complimentary mocktails and cocktails were available in the lounge every night, and I taught Millie how to toast.
We passed through a dozen locks along the way. As we did so, our boat entered the lock (sort of like an oversized bathtub) and the water level was lowered, allowing the boat to descend to the next level of the river so it could continue. The first lock was passed during daylight hours (most were at night). Unbeknownst to me, Millie had made it to the bridge with her new friends and was watching with the boat’s friendly captain. It was reassuring to see that my granddaughter had made herself at home on the boat.
Along the way, we had an impressive selection of excursions included in the cruise fare. I let my daughter Erin and her husband Spencer decide what we would do before the cruise. They also added some alone time to the program while I entertained Millie, which I was very happy to do.
At each port, passengers went in a different direction based on their interests. They could also go off on their own if they did not want to join one of the optional tours with local guides. The Adventure Guides not only accompanied the tours, but also gave tips on how to spend free time in the ports. They even suggested which local snacks in each town would be best for children and adults (adult drinks included).
Disney’s Adventures guides can be a great help when traveling with young children. For example, the author’s granddaughter’s mood improved after one of the tour guides signaled to her and let her lead the tour group.
Our chosen excursions included everything from screeching rides at Europa-Park, Germany’s massive Disney-like theme park, to admiring Van Gogh’s art and historic windmills in Amsterdam. Our biggest thrill, rollercoasters excluded, was a canoe ride past 17th-century half-timbered houses, including a lock about to be lowered in Strasbourg, France.
The guides made sure we didn’t miss any references to things along the route that had a Disney connection. For example, they mentioned that the astronomical clock at Strasbourg Cathedral inspired founder Walt Disney to invent the legendary “It’s a Small World” attraction.
Millie struggled with the more intensive history lesson given by a local guide at Heidelberg Castle, the Renaissance landmark in Mannheim, especially after she got a question wrong and burst into tears. But an adventure guide stepped in and gave her a tour sign to hold, and Millie embraced her role as leader of our group.
In Cologne, Millie supervised Captain Minnie, a task assigned to one family each day, which included reporting the results to the entire ship in the evening. A moment of grandmotherly pride came when she told the passengers that she was less than enamored with the Gothic Cologne Cathedral, but loved the Lindt Chocolate Museum with its many free samples. Her father, she noted, was missing the chocolate, as he was away on a pub crawl.
Adventures by Disney charters river cruise ships like this one from the upscale AmaWaterways line. Added bonus: Kids can watch the castles of the Rhine Gorge from the pool deck.
In the medieval old town of Rüdesheim, Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet Museum full of antique musical machines and curiosities was an unforgettable hit. A tiny music box with a moving bird may have inspired Walt Disney to invent animatronics. Afterward, we used our provided gondola tickets for higher views of the river and vineyards. While her parents stayed in town for wine tasting, Millie and I held hands all the way back to the ship. At times, I also reached out to hold my daughter Erin’s hand, which brought back memories of her childhood. We both marveled at how well we got along during the trip.
Grandmother, mother and daughter were all smiles as Millie showed off a silky two-piece lime green sleeveless top and skirt purchased at a designer store in Strasbourg. One adult on the ship said Millie looked like Tinker Bell in it. All three generations had a blast dancing to Taylor Swift’s music at a dance party one night. And Millie’s parents loved that the Junior Adventurers got their own dinner and activities some nights, including movie screenings, while parents had the option of more grown-up pursuits, like taking a nighttime stroll or dining at the ship’s complimentary Chef’s Table, a multi-course culinary meal that kids might find boring.
An afternoon cruise through the Rhine Gorge, a 65-kilometer-long UNESCO World Heritage Site with 30 historic castles, might be reason enough to book this trip. But as we passed centuries-old citadels, it was hard to keep Millie interested, even as we tried to tell her a fairy tale. She was noticeably more interested when I invited her to the ship’s observation lounge for afternoon tea.
Because I was fascinated by my granddaughter, I gave up some adult things like the ship’s small massage room and gym. These were only small sacrifices. With special attention for the youngest, Adventures by Disney is the perfect provider to create important family memories.
Book: Adventure with Disney’s Rhine Cruises start at $5,799 per person.
