HOW TO ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT

Last Sunday, we returned from a three weeks journey to Eastern Europe. We started in Berlin, then flew to Bucharest, and from there we traveled on the Viking Rinda cruise on the Danube River to Vienna, Austria, visiting six more countries along the way. While we have taken ocean cruises before, this was our first river journey. The last two were with Norway’s Hurtigruten Expeditions to Alaska, and prior to that, we went along Norway’s Fiords. Both were remarkable. Nevertheless, for many years we would receive Viking’s brochures, and the itinerary was very appealing. More information about Viking’s European River Cruises is available at this link.

There were only 190 passengers on board, being served by 50 crew members who were incredibly good and caring. In the morning, we usually took a trip to the new city or town either on the bus or on foot, accompanied by a guide. We visited many churches and synagogues, explored countryside and learned a lot about the local history and culture. There were additional trips offered for a fee, but we felt what we had was enough. All the guests were from different parts of the United States or Canada. During the meals, we changed tables and had the opportunity to meet different people. In my observation, the average age was around seventy and the majority of the guests were retired.

We learned that people traveled on Viking many times. There was one couple for whom it was their thirteenth trip. We befriended one couple from Arizona who already made reservations for two for next year’s journeys. I’ve heard that some couples travel on ships for a long time. For example, you can take a trip from December 20, 2023, till May 6, 2024, and visit 57 ports for about $55K per person, plus extra excursions, laundry and tips. But then your life is completely taken care of. There are many more affordable itineraries. Of course, not everyone has enough savings to undertake such a life. However, there are some ways to finance your retirement journeys. This is why I I’ve written the book titled “Retirement Solutions for Smart People™. How to Accomplish Financial Comfort.”  The book is going to be selling on Amazon soon. I’ll let you know as soon as it is available for purchase.

Meanwhile, in the weeks to come I will be posting more stories about each stop we had made during our river cruise.

Here are three images from our trip.

Enjoy and Share!