Tale of Two Small Cruises: Luxury Barges & Rustic Windjammers with Tamara Gruber

Come along to delve further into a “tale of two cruises” as we chat with travel expert and small-ship cruise enthusiast Tamara Gruber about her barge cruises through France’s small waterways and a Maine Windjammer cruise aboard schooner Heritage, sailing along the coast of Maine.

We compare how these intimate experiences are similar and how they’re completely different, from daily life onboard to who the ideal passenger is for each. We also dive into the food: from gourmet French cheeses and wine on the barge to classic lobster bakes and fresh coastal fare in Maine.

If you’re curious about slow travel, immersive itineraries, and unforgettable culinary moments, this conversation will help you decide which small-ship cruise is right for you.

Follow Tamara: 

• Website: https://yourtimetofly.com
• Instagram: @yourtimetofly
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/yourtimetofly

Download Tamara’s free guide to Boutique Hotels in Europe!

Transcript

Hello and welcome to Small Ship Cruise Talk. Today we are on the subject of what we do best small ships, which don't always have to mean the same experience. 

Today, we sort of have a really special episode, A Tale of Two Cruises with Tamara Gruber. She is sharing all about her experience on a luxurious French barge. Barge. I made it like "Target." French barge cruise and a rustic Maine Windjammer sailing both very small passengers ships, but totally different. We are going to compare the comfort activities and atmosphere so you can decide which small ship adventure fits your style and maybe even piques your interest.

Dan (01:22)

Welcome Tamara. Please tell us about yourself.

Tamara (01:26)

Well, I am a travel content creator, but also a luxury travel advisor. I've been in the travel industry for about 13 years, and that's taken me kind of all over the world and across all of the states. And I live in New England, but I spend a lot of my time in Europe. I am someone that really loves boutique hotels. I love cultural experiences, food, wine. I'm kind of into the slow travel now that I'm like a little older and I have that opportunity to do that as an empty nester. And so that's why I try to avoid crowds and I kind of love this small ship cruising.

Mikkel (02:03)

I support that notion, 100%. I also love that you live in Rhode Island, but you're a Jersey girl. I appreciate both things, as a New Yorker. I haven't been to Rhode Island in so long, but I need to get back. And are you close to the coast? I mean, I guess you can't be far from the coast in Rhode Island, wherever you live.

Tamara (02:21)

Exactly. You can never be more than an hour from anything. I'm actually as close to Massachusetts as you can get, but that also could be a lot. So about an hour to the coast, 45 minutes to an hour to the beach, but also 45 minutes to an hour to Boston.

Mikkel (02:36)

Okay, never too far from the nautical environment. I love that. Yes.

Dan (02:42)

So we talk small ship cruising here and a lot of our listeners picture very upscale boutique experiences. And then we've talked about the Maine Windjammer schooner experiences, but today we're really going to talk about two very different polar opposite experiences. Yeah, I'm just ready to dive in and hear the contrast between your two cruises.

Tamara (03:06)

Yeah, and I will say like, I'm not really a cruise person, right? So I've been on a few big ocean ships and didn't really love the crowds, like I said. But I've always been curious about other ways of traveling. And I actually was very surprised by both of these. I loved them both. They're completely different as we'll get into, but yeah, it just, it surprised me, I think, how much I enjoyed them being someone that's very like, "I don't like cruises."

Dan (03:35)

If you before like if somebody would ask you what's your favorite type of cruising?  I mean there's so many different to choose from big cruises There's a river cruise barge cruises. Like what would you be your initial reaction or answer to that?

Tamara (03:51)

I do love river cruises because I feel like it aligns so much with what I like, which is exploring different European cities, getting to have the opportunity to be like right there where I can step off the ship and enjoy, you know, maybe even the dinner. Like, I know when we've done one in the past, I kind of skipped dinner on ships. I can still enjoy it on land. So that would have been my favorite. Also, you know, from a size perspective, it is not overwhelming. It feels very comfortable.

Mikkel (04:18)

What are the similarities you see across these two experiences in particular that we're talking today? I mean, we know about them because we've been on them, but for everybody listening, this could be completely all new information and opening their eyes to these two experiences.

Tamara (04:37)

Yeah, I remember it was probably five or more years ago, the first time I had even heard of barge cruising. And it doesn't sound appealing because at first you're thinking of, I don't know, like barges. Barges doesn't sound very comfortable or luxurious or anything like that. So what really surprised me though was with both of these is I think what's the commonality between them is how small they are and how much you make a connection with other passengers because you're eating with them, you're spending your day with them. Which can be a good and a bad thing, right?

Mikkel (05:11)

Exactly. I love asking people, you know, obviously in your own words, because that is a heartwarming answer, but not what I would have thought of first. I would have thought of like passenger size, but yours is so much more, you know, pulling on your heartstrings and actually pushing on why part of why we love the small ship experience. So yeah, thanks for that.

Tamara (05:31)

I think people travel sometimes to make connections with people. I know I'm a little bit introverted, so my husband will sit at the bar and he might start talking to people. I'm like, "Why are you talking to a stranger?" But it is very nice. It's so great to always meet people from different walks of life, different countries and such. And so it's a nice way... It's a natural way for it to happen. It's not forced. I feel like both of these opportunities feel comfortable whether you're traveling with a friend or by yourself. It's just so intimate.

Mikkel (06:03)

Yeah, well said. So let's jump into your barge cruise experience. Tell us what barges you went on and where they went. And then if you want to jump into what a day on a barge trip looks like and anything you want to share about them. This is one of our favorites too. So I'm glad we're talking about this.

Tamara (06:24)

Well, I'm sure you guys have covered kind of what a barge cruise is before, but the first one that I did was Hotel Barge Elisabeth in Burgundy in Northern France. And that was a summer cruise. And then honestly, it was the same summer that I also did with European Waterways, the Anjodi on the Canal du Midi. So that was, gosh, it was really funny how different those experiences are. Like Barge Elisabeth can hold up to eight passengers, but the difference there is that it is a full charter versus individual cabins that you can book. So with European waterways, you can book an individual cabin. And that's where you get kind of the luck of the draw of who you're with. And so it definitely created a very different environment. I was also kind of thinking I'm going to be bored or I'm going to get some work done.

And every day I would go up top and I would bring my laptop or bring a book and think I was going to do something. And then I would just sit there and watch the sunflower fields go by and just enjoy the scenery. And I actually relaxed and I hardly ever feel that relaxed when I'm traveling. And I'm like, wow, this is really, this is slow travel. This is luxury. I always think of luxury, like not as necessarily like some huge room because you're not going to find that on a barge cruise. It's not about the appointments of the barge, although there are those options with the Belmond barges, but it's more the luxury of the service and the pace and just the attentiveness of making the experience what you want it to be.

Dan (08:03)

I think you bring up such a great point with slow travel because it literally is slow travel. Like you could step off the barge and then, you know, run or walk alongside it and step back. It's so slow. And then I also think it's so important to note that it can be that luxury, but it's a different version of luxury. 'Cause you think of barge cruise or very small cruise in France and you automatically kind of like think it's going to be stuffy.

Tamara (08:13)

I'm part of it, yes.

Dan (08:32)

But it's so approachable.

Tamara (08:35)

Yeah, it's very comfortable. I mean, where you're really knocked out of the park is the food. Just the amount of food, the level of food you can't imagine in this small space, you know, what is created. You know, you think of every other larger cruise line, they're making food for so many. And here they're making food, you know, it's like being in a very fine dining restaurant or being in someone's home. They're just creating such a wonderful menu for you. And it's all of those touches that make it so special.

Mikkel (09:06)

It's true. And we've talked about the luxury of choice. And that's part of what you're saying too. You have the luxury of just all this time on your hands and the choice to me, it's like take a nap, work on your computer from the top deck, not do anything at all. Just watch the sunflowers, like you said. And that really is a luxury. And I think that the definition of luxury in the past five years, especially post COVID has changed for people in a really expansive way for what those trips can look like and mean for them.

Tamara (09:38)

Yeah, definitely. I mean, I enjoyed so much just, you know, when we were going through the locks, just hopping off, walking, meeting them back, like just the ability to do something like that. You think of a traditional cruise experience where you're kind of checking in and checking out if you leave the ship and it really is like a home on the water. Yeah.

Dan (10:00)

What I loved about our barge cruise experience was seeing the other boats because they're like literally right there as you're going by. And it's not like seeing another ocean liner and you're waving and you know, like it's just, makes the whole thing so much more intimate and approachable.

Mikkel (10:17)

You remind me of being in the locks and on a river cruise ship: one boat goes in the lock. But on a barge cruise, you could have like, you're all snuggling together locked in there. Like it could be three boats. Right. And then they do it together. Yeah.

Tamara (10:32)

And it's fascinating to watch.

Mikkel (10:35)

You said this in passing, but I think most people don't realize you can get off the ship, the ship, you can get off the barge to watch it go in the lock because you're just that close to, I mean, truly the sidewalk.

Tamara (10:54)

I think the captain would get a little annoyed with me because I would just like hop off and I know then he's like, "No, no, I need to put out the steps or the gangplank!" And I'm like, "I'm fine. Trust me." And he's like, "Oooh, liability."

Mikkel (11:06)

I love it. So between the two, you did two slightly different itineraries, both in France. But what were the main differences that stick out in your mind about where you went regionally?

Tamara (11:21)

So in Burgundy, it was quieter. The towns that we visited were just small little gems. We did go to Chablis, but even Chablis, which you would think would be a more popular stop, you know, on the wine route at least, was so quiet. You know, we were there in the middle of the day, had lunch, and then just walked around. And I'm like, "Is anyone even in this town?" Yeah. 

It was just, you really felt like you were off the beaten path. You got to see villages that I'm sure I would have never sought out on my own. And I love that. I kept going through my head like the little Belle song of like, "Bonjour!" You feel like you're just in one of these like just classic French villages. It was so, so  charming in that way. And I think the Canal du Midi is more popular. So you have more of like the rental Le Boat, you know, people. 

It's more crowded. You might have to wait a little bit longer at the locks to go through them. The towns that you're visiting like Narbonne or Carcassonne, like those are busy, touristed towns. So it's a different experience in that way. I would say like some of the other elements of like what we did when we were off the ship were similar in that there's a tour, some kind of walking tour, there's maybe a wine experience. You know, so they're not so dissimilar when it comes to itinerary, but it feels very different in my experience.

Mikkel (12:48)

And for everyone listening, keep in mind, it's always a small group tour on a barge cruise. It just depends, like you're saying, if you're in the bigger city, like Narbonne, we started our Anjati barge cruise there. Did you start there?

Tamara (13:03)

Yes, I believe so. I know that's where we were picked up.

Mikkel (13:06)

Yeah, yeah. So that's the nice thing about these experiences. You're never going to have to contest with a bigger group within your trip. You might have to contest with it for, know, if you're walking the fortress in what's it called? Carcass... Is that where the statue is with the boobs? Yes. Very famous statue, a bare-breasted lady.

Tamara (13:20)

Carcassonne. Carcassonne, yeah. She defended her city and that's why I guess it's always something that you rub so it makes sense.

Mikkel (13:39)

I love it. Definitely memorable. Just to go back to the food, do you have any standout meals? I the food's amazing overall, but is there anything sticking your mind of like, that was incredible, I'll never forget it.

Tamara (13:51)

So I cannot say enough good things about the Hotel Barge Elizabeth. Like food on both was wonderful, but there's something about when you are on a barge that's an owner and an operator versus staffed. The level of care and also the chef was definitely a perfectionist in his previous life. was, I believe, a conductor and I can't remember if it was symphony or opera but definitely very much a perfectionist and everything was exceptional. Like, he really tried to bring in all of the local specialties and flavors but also took in mind what you liked as well. 

I mean every day was spectacular like I would go and repeat that itinerary just to between him and his partner, the captain, they were just so lovely to chat with and they were just, you know, so like so attentive and it was just— it made you feel like you were there with, with friends and family. So it really makes me want to go back and enjoy that experience. So it's not like one particular meal as much as just the whole entire thing. Although I will say with both of these, having a cheese course with both meals of the day was a little much every single night at dinner. 

It's a long dinner. You have multiple courses and you're starting upstairs with a, with a cocktail or a glass of wine and a little hors d'oeuvre. And then you're moving down to your first course and your main course and your cheese course. And so I would always have to hop off and take a little walk through whatever village we were staying in. I'm like, I can't go to bed, which is like 10 feet away from this dining room. I need to move a little bit. So definitely be prepared to eat for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Lots of food.

Tamara (15:42)

Lots of cheese.

Dan (15:43)

I mean, it's difficult your first day or two to get into the cheese rhythm, but then once that happens, it's hard to step out of that.

Tamara (15:51)

 Well, you don't want to be rude.

Dan (15:55)

Of course.

Mikkel (15:57)

Make sure you don't have bloodwork taken by your doctor after one of these cruises. The cheese is probably best, you know, in your memories and your soul, not on your heart and your arteries. But it is delicious and you're in France, so who can resist? In terms of whether or not somebody should book a charter versus an individual cabin, like you were saying before, do you think it's worth somebody saying to, you know, five other family members, let's try to do it or what are the pros and cons in your eyes?

Tamara (16:34)

I think that if you have the opportunity to do this with friends or family, it will elevate the experience so much because like I said, you are spending all day with everyone. You may eat breakfast at different times, but the typical day is that you're doing a half day excursion, lunch, and then half day enjoying the cruise. And then you're having dinner and there's always one full day that you're then doing maybe a lunch or a dinner on land.

And it can rotate. It never feels like super fast-paced. You know, sometimes it's a morning excursion, sometimes it's an afternoon, but you don't have a lot of space to like get away from people. So for me to go with people that you really enjoy hanging out with and to have that experience with them, just think of how much fun you can have when you go out with friends and you're having dinner together and you're laughing and you know, it's just the great conversation. So if you have the opportunity, I would.

100 % say that you're going to, in my opinion, enjoy it more if you can do it as a charter. And you're not talking about a lot, because like we said, these are like six passengers, eight passengers. You just need a couple of couples, a few other people, some friends, and you can make it work. Otherwise, it can go either way. You can have a lovely time meeting wonderful people, and you can have a time where maybe you're not getting along and then you're really kind of in small quarters for a week.

Mikkel (18:04)

If somebody doesn't have the option to charter for whatever reason, would you still encourage that person or a couple to take a cabin on an otherwise filled barge cruise?

Tamara (18:17)

I mean, I love the experience of barge cruising. It almost feels weird for me to say that because I never thought I would come out of it being like such an advocate for it. But it really is just such a relaxing way to travel, such a wonderful way to kind of get off the main path and just enjoy little villages, little, you know, just enjoy, like we said, a slow pace of travel. But I think you need to think to yourself, like, do you enjoy talking to other people?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? And look, I'm introverted, but you can still go to your cabin. You can go upstairs, but you're going to have, you meals. You have to have some natural curiosity where you like meeting other people and you like kind of hearing their stories and learning from them and such. So I think if you're open to it and you understand what it is that you're, you know, about to experience, then a hundred percent still give it a try.

Mikkel (19:11)

Yeah, it's true. No matter what, if you book a cabin on a barge cruise, let's say as a solo traveler or a couple, it's unlikely you're going to be the only people on that cruise. You're still going to have to talk to the crew, the captain. Yeah.

Dan (19:26)

We're wrapping up barge cruises. Now let's go to the opposite side and let's talk about the Maine Windjammer cruise you took.

Tamara (19:35)

Yeah. So living here in New England, I go out to Maine a lot. You know, I spend a lot of time, you know, exploring the coast and the mountains and the lakes. And one thing that always kind of appealed to me when you see these schooners out in the water is just like, wow, what would that experience be like? But I don't own a boat, you know, like that's not how I get to experience the world. And so the opportunity to take one of these, it's, you know, a kind of a historic schooner. So it's this wooden boat with sails. 

There's so many different ones that are out there each summer and there's different, lengths of time that people do it. You can do it for three nights or four nights or longer. So I kind of jumped at the opportunity to do it, not really thinking through exactly what it would be like, because everything that you see like on Instagram is like, "Oh my gosh, they did a lobster bake on the beach of this private island.

And all this food is homemade. It looks amazing." You see all the fun stuff of like jumping in the water and pulling up the sails. And, you know, so it definitely has a lot of appeal. And like I said, I invited a friend to join me. So we shared a cabin that we had bunk beds. When we first came on board and we went down to the cabin, I'm like, "Oh...oh, so that's why they said to pack light."

They meant like a backpack, I think, because that's about all that will fit. So luckily I had my car there, so I went and put some stuff like back, you know, in my car. But it's definitely, very different. I mean, for me, the way that I describe it, and maybe you guys completely disagree, but I describe it as camping on the water.

Mikkel (21:15)

Exactly, yeah, we say it's not even glamping. It's pretty much camping.

Tamara (21:20)

Yes, there was on Schooner Heritage that I did, there was, I think, one cabin that had its own bathroom, but they were kind of told like, maybe you don't want to use it that much because it might not smell so great, you know. So you're sharing a bathroom, you know, upstairs or the head. And then the shower is, you know, you pull the chain and you get a little bit of water. So yeah, by the end of the cruise, which I only did, I think a three-night, you know, people are looking a little rough.

Mikkel (21:50)

Do you remember what month you went?

Tamara (21:52)

I went in early August and early August is a great time to go because usually there's a meteor shower around that time. So there's like one sailing that's usually designated as like the Perseids meteor shower. I happened to go during one of the worst heat waves in Maine. I think you're going to bring all your sweatshirts and things like that, which we did end up needing. But the first night, maybe even the first or second night, my friend and I, we slept upstairs. We took some cushions and we laid out there because it was so hot in that cabin. But that's rare. I mean, for the most part, when you're in Maine in the summer, the evenings really cool off. You’re on the water, so it's always cooler. I don't know what you guys experienced, but usually you need a sweatshirt. You need something to bundle up a little bit. So we saw both of those during our time.

Mikkel (22:44)

Yeah, we were saying on an episode not too long ago, the next time we go, which is in July at the end of July, we went in June last time on American Eagle, and we're going on Grace Bailey this time. And I know you went on Heritage. For anyone listening, there's nine ships in the fleet. But we are going to bring a lot more layers because we had sweatshirts and jeans and such, but we were freezing. It was so cold.

Tamara (23:11)

Yeah, you need like a blanket, but I would also suggest for someone going on it, if you can bring one of those like portable fans. I mean, the cabins do have electricity, so that's something. And there is that tiny little, at least the one I was in had a tiny little sink. So if you wanted to wash your hands or brush your teeth, you could, but for everything else, you're going upstairs. But without having something to like move the air around, it gets stuffy.

Mikkel (23:35)

What did you love about your experience on Schooner Heritage with Maine Windjammer fleet?

Tamara (23:41)

You know, it goes back to similar to the barge is the ability to kind of just sit and watch the scenery go by. I just feel like it's so hard in our lives to take time to slow down. And I've, you know, when I used to talk a lot about family travel, I would always say like, it's kind of good to go to a place that has a forced disconnect. And it's a little bit like that in that, you know, there's only so much to do. Like, I know cruise ships, it's all about like, how many more things to entertain people can we add?

And this is really the opposite of that. This is really being at peace with yourself and reading your book or talking to other people or playing a game. And some of the things that I really remember one night, the two captains, they played music on the guitar and we kind of all did a sing along under the stars. I mean, who does that? Like, you know, I think of my daughter who goes to like, she used to go to camp up in Maine.

And of course, they do campfire and campfire songs, but it had that feel. And I think that, and I mean, as pretty as it is on Instagram, the lobster bake on the beach is pretty awesome.

Mikkel (24:46)

Was it the best lobster you've ever had?

Tamara (24:49)

I've been to Maine a lot. I mean, it was up there, but from an experience level, it absolutely was.

Mikkel (24:55)

Yeah. What did that look like? Paint a picture.

Tamara (24:59)

So we pulled into a private like little cove. There's no one else around. You transferred to basically like a rowboat and you row in and then you just have some time. Like, you know, it's a rocky beach where you can walk, explore the beach or just sit and relax. And the crew, they bring everything onto land. 

They lay everything out for you and kind of set up this whole picnic. They're boiling the lobsters and it was just so much fun. And picture like you're sitting there with this plate with this whole lobster and all of your sides, you know, your corn and all of this traditional lobster bake kind of thing. And you're just looking out at the water and you're, I mean, this is something like— living in Rhode Island— there are a couple of like luxury hotels in Southern Rhode Island, they will do a couple of times a summer, the lobster bake on the beach. And you're spending like, I don't know, a hundred/$150 a person for the experience.

And it's with a huge crowd and all of that. This is not that this is like, imagine if you had relatives that lived in a house on an island off the coast of Maine, and this is what you did as a family every summer. That's the kind of feel of it.

Mikkel (26:07)

 It's so profound to me what you said about stripping down things and that similarity between the barge cruise and the sailing ship. That almost— what you said about the mega ships— it's like, "What else can we add? Can we add a roller coaster? Can we have water slides? Can we add more entertainment? Can we add more nighttime shows? Can we add this, that?"

And here you are on this uniquely small ship cruising experience with just two people from the crew playing their guitar and you guys all enjoying the music and singing under the stars. And you cannot, I don't care what anybody tells me, you cannot get that on a bigger ship. You just can't. I would argue you can't even get that on a ship with 200 people. It's like there's luxuries in a different way. It's not going to be in the lack of AC or the lack of Wi-Fi.

But it's going to be in the stripping away of those options that you mentioned. And that is a luxury in itself. We make so many decisions every day in even a digital world and like you have a daughter and all these decisions that just to turn that off and have somebody say to you, "We're going to set up dinner tonight and it's going to be here and we're going to bring the lobsters on the shore and you're just going to enjoy walking around." All right, tell me more of what I can do to just relax.

Tamara (27:24)

Right. Yeah. And every night you're just kind of sitting around this common area where you're having dinner and you can help make it if you want. And if not, you're just impressed by what they can produce from a small like wood-fired stove in the middle of the summer. And I just really, really find that it's, we're all like addicted to technology, to being connected, to being like go, go, go. 

And it really takes sometimes an experience where you either can't do that or just kind of forces you. And then you take a breath and your shoulders drop and you just feel like, "This, this is what it's about." Right? And like, so some people will seek that out, you know, on a beach resort or something, but yeah, I've really enjoyed these experiences for truly slowing down, truly appreciating the experience and the travel and just so unique.

Mikkel (28:17)

How many people were you with on the schooner Heritage?

Tamara (28:21)

That's a good question. I am thinking probably between 12 and 18, maybe. I can't quite remember.

Mikkel (28:30)

Yeah, I know the maximum passenger capacity is 30, but we had a similar situation. We had less than the 26 passenger capacity on American Eagle when we went. So there is definitely a possibility it won't be at capacity.

Tamara (28:46)

Yeah.

Dan (28:47)

So we talked about barge cruises. We talked about Windjammer cruises. What's next?

Tamara (28:53)

So my travels always seem to somehow form around different themes. Like last year I spent a lot of time in South America. And this year I'm like, well, maybe my spring is going to be about rivers because I am doing a couple of like bucket list experiences for me. One is in Jordan, but one is in Egypt. And when I'm in Egypt, I'm going to spend a couple of nights in one of the luxury ships on the Nile, which I've heard is absolutely amazing.

I'm so excited to get to experience it that way. Hopefully, there won't be any Agatha Christie kind of things going on there. And then just a couple of weeks after that, I'm going to Amsterdam and I'm going to be sailing on the Scenic Opal. A lot of people aren't familiar with Scenic, but it's one of the luxury river cruise lines. Basically, it's a roundtrip to and from Amsterdam. So through the Netherlands, through Belgium, and back, but it's going to be right at the time of the tulips. So I think it's right around opening weekend. So that should be really spectacular, but very different. So I'm looking forward to both in different ways.

Mikkel (29:57)

That's amazing. One of our favorite experiences that we've talked about is going to Keukenhof and seeing those flowers. And even in the beginning of the season, in late March, there are amazing flowers. Oh, you might get to see the daffodils too, there. Those are spectacular because you'll be there in March. Ah, amazing. I'm excited for you.

Tamara (30:15)

Nice. Well, especially I look out my window at like two feet of snow, so at like, two feet of snow so…which it's so cold. I don't think it's melting anytime soon. So thinking of flowers, thinking of sand, bring it on.

Mikkel (30:29)

I love it. And also, you are so kind and generous to offer everybody listening your boutique hotels guide in Europe. So definitely check the show notes and are you going to extend before or after to get in on some of your favorite boutique hotels in the areas you're visiting?

Tamara (30:51)

So I'm only going to extend a little bit in Amsterdam, but I do have a trip planned to the south of France later this year. I'm always, always adding to that list of, you know, I'm just someone that really appreciates, as you can tell from this conversation, design, style, intimacy, service, you know, the kinds of things that don't feel over commercial or impersonal. So I love a boutique hotel.

Mikkel (31:21)

Yeah, and that slow travel that you mentioned, bringing it full circle.

Dan (31:27)

Tamara, how can we follow along your spring of river cruises and beyond?

Tamara (31:33)

Well, I would love if anyone wants to follow me on @yourtimetofly on Instagram or Facebook. So it's your time to fly (T-O) and you can also check out my blog, which is yourtimetofly.com.

Mikkel (31:48)

And everything will be written out and hyperlinked in the show notes or if you're watching on YouTube in the description. Any final thoughts before we close out this fantastic tale of two cruises episode?

Tamara (32:02)

No, but thank you guys so much for having me on. It's always fun to revisit these memories. It was only a couple of years ago, but there's been so many new experiences since, but these really do stick out. When people ask me, what are some of your favorite travel experiences, these always pop out. So I'm glad to get to chat about them.

Mikkel (32:20)

Well, thank you for sharing them with us. are honored. And it definitely took us down the path of dreaming about those vacations, too. So thank you. Until next time, keep cruising.