Making the Most of the Journey: Our Unexpected Viking River Cruise Adventure
A Year in the Making
Travel is an excellent way to learn how to make the most of every moment and every opportunity.
A year ago, we booked our first-ever river cruise with Viking Cruises. No one anticipated the drought in Europe or the historically low river levels that would disrupt tours and trade along the Danube, Main, and Rhine Rivers, among others.
As summer unfolded, our plans were increasingly in flux—touch and go as we heard stories of disrupted cruises, stranded ships, and long bus rides replacing planned river excursions. We hoped for a turnaround. We hoped for more rainfall and rising river levels. But that didn’t happen.
Staying the Course
As we got closer to our late August departure date, we were offered the option to change our dates or even change our cruise. Jeff and I discussed the situation several times and decided this was our best opportunity to go. We would simply make the most of it.
The unexpected changes would become part of our adventure.
So, we intentionally committed to our cruise and stayed the course. After all, if we stayed home, what would we see? Nothing we had planned for and anticipated for so long.
A Ship Full of Adventurers
What a delight it was to discover that our Viking ship, Tir, was full of guests who had made the same decision! It did our hearts good to see the positive, adventurous spirit of our fellow travelers. We made friends with couples we otherwise might never have met.
And we saw places we might not have been guaranteed to see later—Prague, Budapest, Vienna, several towns in Germany, including Passau, Regensburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and Koblenz and Cologne, as well as Kinderdijk and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
The River Had Other Plans
Yes, we had to change tours, change ports, and even swap ships. We had to leave behind the lovely Viking Tir crew and their fun-loving, personalized care. We also had to leave the Viking Vali early.
But our Program Director, Anthony, made sure we had a personalized experience on a smaller ship traveling up the scenic Rhine River in the Wachau Valley with its myriad castle ruins and community churches. Along the way, he filled the journey with the stories that brought those places to life. Whatever we seemed to “miss” was replaced by another delightful adventure!
What We Carried Home
I could have focused on what we missed-the tours that changed, the ports we didn’t visit, and the experiences that didn’t happen as planned. Instead, I find myself thinking about what we gained. Rather than feeling deprived by missing out on some of the experiences a river cruise is supposed to provide, I feel enriched by our adventure.
We were blessed by the opportunity to explore and learn about the history, art, and culture of this beautiful part of the world. Indeed, we were blessed by the people we met, the places we saw, and perhaps most of all, blessed by the reminder that an experience doesn’t have to unfold exactly as we imagined it to be meaningful.
A Different Perspective
What we saw in our travels could easily be applied to other parts of our lives. How often do we have a picture in our minds of how something should happen? The trip or the career, a family gathering or the next season of life. We make our plans, anticipate the outcome, and sometimes become disappointed when the path takes an unexpected turn.
Perhaps we need to look at it in a different light. Maybe the unexpected isn’t always something to be endured until we can get back to the plan. Perhaps it is part of the plan. There is a joy in the journey when we make the most of the opportunities we’ve been given.
There is beauty in being willing to adjust our expectations, open our eyes, and receive what is right in front of us. Our river cruise didn’t turn out the way we expected, but it turned out to be an adventure. And I’m grateful we went.
Where Will We Go from Here?
Looking back, I’m glad we didn’t stay home. I’m glad we didn’t wait for perfect conditions. I’m glad we said yes to the journey we had been given, even when it wasn’t the journey we had originally imagined.
Who knows where the next adventure will take us and which part of the world we will see? And perhaps the more important question isn’t where we will go, but where we are being led.
What journey does God have you on right now?
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