---

We both were ready to go home after this busy 3 weeks of travel. Our return flight itinerary was from Prague to Frankfurt to Seattle. The Prague airport is lovely, not overbearing like many of the other airports we fly through. Check-in and security clearance was quick and efficient. The flight to Frankfurt was only 45 minutes and Lufthansa even managed to serve a plated breakfast during the short time, something US based airlines seem unable to do. There was a bit of a hassle getting through the Frankfurt airport because you have to go through passport control there as you are leaving the European Union. We had enough time between flights so it did not pose a problem.

While we were on our trip the Condor Airline parent company (Thomas Cook) filed for bankruptcy and shut down operations virtually overnight. Luckily it did not affect their subsidiary, Condor Airlines, and our flight left as scheduled. Again we had another wonderful meal on board; I certainly hope they weather this storm so we can fly them again in the future.

We arrived in Seattle on a sunny afternoon and worked our way back to our home on Miller Bay where our beds welcomed us back once again.

Epilogue

This river cruise reaffirmed our love of river cruising. The smaller ships, fewer people and the close proximity to the towns and land around the river makes for a relaxing vacation. One feels so much closer to the land and it’s people.

The problems with our ship on this trip dampened the trip somewhat as did the cooler than expected weather, but, all in all we enjoyed ourselves. This area of Germany introduces you to many small, delightful villages that you would not see when traveling the larger rivers in Germany. The major issue/risk that you have to be concerned with is the possibility of low (and sometimes even high) water conditions that might impact the operation of boats on certain portions of the Danube River. I do have to give Vantage Travel credit for the excellent way they handled the disruption.

My personal disappointment was with the quality of the food and menu selection  on board our ship. It did not meet the standards we have come to expect when traveling with Vantage. The chef seemed to be new so I wonder if that was part of the problem, rather than an attempt by the company to lower their costs. Time will tell.

If you are contemplating a river trip in Germany I would recommend doing the Rhine River first. It offers a better introduction to Germany. This trip on the Main River then adds to the mosaic that is Germany.