Explore Your Ancestral Homeland on a European River Cruise
Learn MoreCaptivating Rhine
November 2, 2023
- 7-night journey on the Rhine, Amsterdam to Basel (Captivating Rhine) aboard AmaStella
- Optional 2-night in Amsterdam pre-cruise and/or 4-night in Switzerland (Lucerne and Zurich) post-cruise packages
Legendary Danube
June 17, 2023
- 7-night journey on the Danube, Nuremberg to Budapest aboard AmaViola
- Optional 3-nights in Prague pre-cruise and/or 3-nights in Poland post-cruise
PRIOR TO YOUR SAILING
Your journey begins the moment you reserve - because anticipating and preparing for your river cruise is almost as exciting as the sailing itself! In addition, your expert Ancestry genealogist will begin performing research into your history as AmaWaterways, with the help of your experienced travel advisor, prepares you for your experience of a lifetime.WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
- A welcome call with your expert genealogist (about 1 hour).
- A five-hour consultation and introductory research to study aspects of your family that are of particular interest to you. (Additional hours are available at an extra cost.)
- A summary of findings from the five-hour consultation and introductory research. (The summary is completed as part of the five hours). Through this research, we will look to identify places we will visit or pass on the river cruise that may be connected to your ancestry, as well as options for add-on Ancestral Home Visits.
- The services of your preferred travel advisor, who will share their travel expertise and take care of all aspects of your journey, including reserving convenient airport transfers, pre- and post-river cruise land packages, available Ancestral Home Visit options and any extra hotel nights you may need to ensure you have a seamless journey.
- A series of pre-cruise emails introducing you to your ship, the destinations you’ll visit and more, plus helpful hints to help you get ready for your journey.
- Your online Cruise Check-In, where you will complete important documents needed to embark the ship and where you can also reserve most of your preferred included shore excursion choices.
DURING YOUR RIVER CRUISE
- 7-day luxury river cruise in elegant stateroom aboard the brand-new AmaLucia
- The luxury of space on board a ship accommodating up to just 156 guests
- Your expert genealogist will be with you for the entire river cruise, personalizing your experience, setting the historical context, and answering your questions about your family, their history, and the next steps we can take to research them. Your expert will connect the places you are visiting to your family history and bring the past to life, helping you understand how various locations and settings have changed since your ancestors lived there. Your expert will also explain changes in national borders and regional politics over time, all while providing a glimpse into your ancestors’ likely experiences and daily lives.
- Your expert genealogist will deliver at least two historical and genealogical presentations during the cruise. These presentations will help you learn more about what life was like for your ancestors and what records are available to find out more about them. Your expert will explain the history of the areas where your ancestors lived as you travel through those same regions.
- Each participant will receive one private consultation with your expert genealogist while on board. (You will sign up during the cruise.) This is a great opportunity to review your family tree with your expert genealogist.
- All fine dining in multiple venues, including a multi-course dinner at The Chef’s Table specialty restaurant
- Hand-selected premium wine, beer and soft drinks during lunch and dinner
- Daily Sip & Sail cocktail hour with complimentary wine, beer, spirits and cocktails
- Up to 21 small-group guided excursions, with a variety of choices and activity levels each day, including hiking, biking, gentle walker tours and culinary-themed Special Interest Tours
- Take an excursion with your expert genealogist. You can visit an archive or engage in a different experience to learn more about your family history.
- AmaWaterways’ signature “Castles on the Rhine” scenic cruise
- Wellness Program with up to four optional fitness classes daily
- A fleet of state-of-the-art complimentary bicycles to use on your own or during guided tours
- Live local entertainment
- Complimentary high-quality Wi-Fi throughout the ship
- The services of a professionally trained Cruise Manager throughout your journey
- The once-in-a-decade opportunity to visit the Floriade Expo, a world-renowned horticultural show
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
- You will have the opportunity to add an Ancestral Home Visit with an expert genealogist guiding you in your ancestral town either during your river cruise or as part of an optional land package before or after your sailing for an additional cost.
- Join us, stay awhile and extend your journey with AmaWaterways’ 4-night pre-river cruise land package in Switzerland. Enjoy two nights in Zurich and two nights in Lucerne staying at 4- and 5-star hotels, with convenient transfers, daily breakfast and city tours all included, as well as the services of a professionally trained Cruise Manager.
Ancestral Home Visit Experience
California resident Vicki Stuber went on a recent tour to Ireland with AncestryProGenealogists® and found her ancestral home visit to a small village in County Clare to be the most unexpectedly moving stop for her. She had arranged for a day-long visit to the village of Cree and Ballynagun West Townland in Kilmacduane Civil Parish of County Clare, where her paternal ancestors lived.
"You know, I'm not a wealthy person, but it was just something I set aside for, and it was worth it to me. Because my dad died in 1979, and he couldn't share all this stuff with me. I just thought at the time, 'This is something I've always wanted to do. I've set aside money for it. I'm going to take advantage of everything,'” Vicki said.
Joanna Cicely Fennell, a researcher from AncestryProGenealogists® Dublin office, met her in Cree with a bulging file of documents she had found regarding Vicki’s ancestors. Vicki knew she would need professional help to sort out the many local residents with her family surname, Considine. She and Joanna hit it off immediately.
"She's my little Irish doll! She was so much fun,” Vicki said. “And what I love about the Irish is they're so welcoming, and they're so family-oriented. And we drove around to cemeteries, and she would point out her relatives and my relatives. We had so much fun that whole day. She was just so excited about my journey and what I was doing."
As they drove through the village, Vicki saw businesses with her family name, Considine, on them, and her excitement grew. People at local pubs were curious about her search, and many chimed in with information and tips. They spoke so fast in their thick Irish brogue that Vicki was again grateful for Joanna, who understood every word. After some colorful conversations with friendly village residents, they drove out to the farm where Vicki’s great-grandmother grew up.
I felt at home,” Vicki said. “I felt very comfortable there. And I thought, 'She was here!'”
They took a chance and knocked on the door of the home that now stands on the property where Vicki’s great-grandmother, Mary Considine, once lived. Peader Considine, who turned out to be Vicki’s third cousin once removed, answered the door. He celebrated with Vicki when she described their connection. He even spread out photos and family pictures and got on the phone to call other relatives who lived down the street.
Joanna then led Vicki to the home of Mary Considine’s father, where they again found a gracious homeowner who shared what he knew of the farm.
"It was so emotional,” Vicki said. “And I could never have gotten to those places without that help. I could never have found those places."
Another discovery was in store—this one astounding even the genealogists. Vicki had taken an AncestryDNA® test before she left home, and the results revealed a cousin match who lived in Galway. (News of this match fittingly arrived while Vicki was in County Clare on her ancestral home visit, in the exact area where their common ancestors lived.) She contacted the cousin, Peggy Doherty, via Ancestry® messaging service, and they arranged to meet a few days later when Vicki arrived in Galway.
Vicki said the time she spent with Peggy felt like a reunion, even though the two women had never met and likely never would have without the help of AncestryDNA®. Their common ancestors lived so far back in time that historical documents alone are not able to prove their connection; DNA analysis was the only conceivable way they could have realized they were related.
“We're friends for life now," Vicki said.
The women shared the research they had done, and Peggy’s work opened up an entirely new branch of Vicki’s family tree. Now Peggy plans to visit Vicki in California to continue researching their family together.
Each step of her journey revealed a new part of Vicki’s ancestry, and she struggled to articulate how much it meant to know more of her own identity, not to mention the deep connection she felt to her own father after all these years since his death.
"You know what it did? I always thought I was a mutt, just not ‘anything of anything,’ ” Vicki said. “And I found I'm almost half Irish. I feel like I'm somebody now. I have a sense of who I am. I have a culture, and I'm proud of that. And my dad would be so thrilled, you know? I mean, this is what I'm going to pursue now. It has really meant a lot to me. It's changed me."
Vicki is now planning her next research pursuits, hoping to follow her great-grandfather’s story in the coming months. She already made reservations for another Ancestral Home Visit.
“I had the time of my life,” Vicki said. “It was the ultimate trip for me. I want to say this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but now that I’ve done it, I know it’s not going to be only once.”
The ancestral home visit can be added to your agenda on your own personal trip or can be scheduled as part of a regular guided tour—before, after, or in the middle of a tour itinerary. Costs vary based on location, transportation, and research needs. Consult an AncestryProGenealogists® representative for more information.