Coping with a heat wave on a river cruise

We had heard in the U.S. about the severe heat wave and drought that was affecting all of Europe during the summer of ’03, causing rivers to be dangerously low, so we wondered how Uniworld (Encino, CA; phone 800/257-2264), with whom we were scheduled to travel down Italy’s Po River, would handle this problem. Looking back, I think they succeeded to the best of their ability.

We were scheduled to travel from Milan to Venice, June 18-26. On arrival in Milan, we were met at the airport and informed that the captain could not bring his ship, the Venezia, up the river to what was to be our boarding place at Cremora. Instead, we would be bused to Ferrara, where the ship was docked, missing our visit to Cremora. (This pleased most of the passengers, as it allowed for an extra day in Venice at the end of our trip.)

In Milan, Uniworld provided us a place to relax at the Sheraton Hotel and offered a free city tour before our scheduled departure. I chose to take the bus into Milan’s main square and see again the beautiful cathedral.

After an afternoon bus ride of about two hours, we boarded our air-conditioned ship for our seven nights on board. Our cruise director was a capable young woman named Trish. When it was hot outside, for instance on our tour of Padua, she arranged for a shuttle to take us from the bus to the square instead of making us endure a long walk.

She also provided bottles of water on the bus for us, with advice to wear hats and drink fluids. On return from every outing, we were met at the ship with cold glasses of iced tea — a welcome and hospitable gesture.

Because of the heat, there was little use of the spacious sundeck on board; in cooler weather, it’s a favorite place to watch the scenery go by. The plus side of these bright, sunny days was that it was ideal for touring and for photos.

My travel companion, Sally Maguire, and I both felt that we had a fine experience in spite of the unusual weather, but experienced travelers do adjust and the passengers and crew on the Venezia did that very well.

All shore excursions were included in the cruise price of $2,898, as was airfare from Boston and meals. Cabin upgrades were available for an additional $200 to $600 per person.

JUNE L. GRIFFIN
Lewiston, ME