When my wife, Jean, and I wanted to take a Danube cruise, we contacted several ITN advertisers. While speaking with Corinna Vargas at Value World Tours (Fountain Valley, CA; 800/795-1633), I knew I had found the right person at the right agency.
Corinna responded to every inquiry by e-mail or phone in a timely manner and handled all the details for our 12-day “7-Country Danube Cruise,” July 7-19, 2011. The price, $5,114 per person, included round-trip air from Chicago and $349 in travel insurance. She also helped arrange flights and book our hotels for two days in London and one in Vienna.
Aboard the MS Kleine Prinz, we were looked after by Cruise Director Dusan Kulljic, who sometimes escorted our group. With his ancestry and diverse educational background, he was able to create for us both historic and contemporary panoramas of our surroundings.
At other times, carefully selected local guides provided the historic background. On shore stops, we enjoyed walks, rides, performances and a diverse composition of scenes and sounds.
For those of us with Jewish ancestors who migrated to the US, Dusan helped locate the sites of certain synagogues. He also helped passengers get tickets for performances not on the itinerary, such as “The Magic Flute” at Vienna’s Marionette Theatre.
On the ship, cabins were kept tidy and fully equipped. The lounge was comfortable and the sundeck, inviting. All staff members were helpful, especially at the reception desk. Every meal was delicious and appetizingly served (noteworthy, for me, as I’m a vegetarian). And every night there was a musical program aboard.
What a memorable experience!
MEL MERZON
Buffalo Grove, IL
