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This would be an opportune point to introduce our vessel, the Swiss Sapphire:
The ship was brand new, having completed its maiden voyage from Antwerp to Amsterdam just the preceding week.
Open seating and casual dress were the norm in the main dining room, which could accommodate all guests at one sitting:
However, there were “dress up” nights --- for example, the Captain’s Welcome Dinner:
River traffic was heaviest on the short piece of the Rhine River we traveled. On it, many such barges could be seen --- some much longer than this:
For great stretches, there were few other ships:
Occasionally, cruises such as ours are not possible because of water levels that are too high or too low. Clearance with bridges is the problem when levels are high; insufficient draught is a concern when levels are low.
As Goldilocks would say, “Our levels were just right”.
Travel by water allowed for drive-by viewing of the historic sections of many towns and cities. When moored, our ship was normally right in the most interesting area:
Two of the river towns we first stopped to explore were Deventer on the IJssel River and Nijmegen on the Maas.