TESTIMONIALS
ANN MURPHY
★★★★★
WHAT THE CLIENT ASKED FOR:
In the beginning, Ann was a solo traveler coming with friends on my Myanmar trip, and she had a few special requests that were easy to fulfill. She had such a good time that she immediately booked a few more trips as a solo and eventually brought along a good friend on my Tulip Time cruise.
Each time Ann makes an inquiry, it’s essential to give her the time to balance her business demands with her available free time, so we sometimes need a little bit of extra time and planning to make things work, but they always do.
WHAT DAVE BOOKED FOR HER:
Based on my advice, Ann always buys a Future Cruise Credit on board each cruise. This gives her an additional 5% off the lowest price offered on her next sailing and helps offset AmaWaterways' solo supplement.
By combining that with my early alerts of reduced solo sailings, we’re always able to get Ann the cabin she wants without too much of a sting. Now that she frequently travels with her best friend, I am able to balance their two unique styles and wishes to ensure that both of their vacation wishes are fulfilled and surpassed.
THEIR TESTIMONIAL:
"Dave, you are so good at your job and so patient!! My trips are always special because you do such a great job!! The Tulip Trip was even better than I imagined!!! Even better food than I have experienced before, and it was always excellent!"
"Do you realize that my cruise in France next May will be my fifth cruise with you? I have so many great memories, but my favorite is seeing how you take such special, personal care of everyone… each guest thinks they are your very favorite person in the group. As I travel solo… you can’t imagine how I notice what you do for others and for me."
"Best wishes to you and continued success with your wonderful business."
DAVID STUDER & DONINE HEDRICK
★★★★★
WHAT THE CLIENT ASKED FOR:
David and Donine first traveled with Dave on a cruise in Vietnam & Cambodia when they joined their two good friends who were his longtime clients. They had such a great time that they’ve booked several more river cruise adventures since. Each time they enthusiastically sign up for any extra activities that Dave organizes and always arrive earlier than the scheduled AmaWaterways river cruise start date. Their goal is to always get as much out of every trip as possible. They absorb culture like sponges and enjoy sampling and trying things that a typical tourist might not pay attention to or have time for, so they are always particularly interested in Dave’s insider tips on unique places, special shows, or delicious treats.
WHAT DAVE BOOKED FOR THEM:
Along with multiple AmaWaterways cruises, they have used my counsel when an AmaWaterways package might be right for them and when they should travel their own path. Over the past decade, I‘ve helped them enjoy a lot of special extras whether it’s a tapas night in Porto in a local favorite hide-away, the perfect Flamenco spot in Madrid, a bohemian breakfast bar in Berlin, privately arranged dinners in Amsterdam, or feeding and bathing elephants in Myanmar, my extras combine the best of AmaWaterways offerings with my personal favorite gems.
Most importantly, I always help them identify which of their private arrangements overlap with any AmaWaterways tours. I make sure they know what they wouldn’t see and where and when they need to make private arrangements to ensure they truly get an immersed experience. With a bit of their own research combined with my suggestions, they create trips that make them the envy of their friend circle.
THEIR TESTIMONIAL:
"The overall support is something else — from meeting Dave in the breakfast lounge upon arrival to waving goodbye as we head off to the airport and home, he is a wealth of knowledge about all things AmaWaterways and has provided great advice for our pre and post tour adventures everywhere from Budapest to Amsterdam to Cape Town to Mandalay!"
"We've had so much fun and met so many interesting people on his custom side trips that we eagerly sign up for the next trip before the current one is even over. Some of our favorite extra tours provided by Dave include a special night walk of the Red Light District in Amsterdam, an elephant sanctuary visit in Myanmar, special dinners at amazing restaurants everywhere from Basel to Bucharest... even in the countryside of Romania."
"We always have a blast, and we feel so special and cared for as we travel. There's no one like Dave."
SKIP & LINDA SHAW
★★★★★
WHAT THE CLIENT ASKED FOR:
Skip and Linda love to travel, but Linda has a severe Gluten allergy and doesn't like to have extra attention brought to it during the meal, especially when dining with others. "No fuss," she always says. For Dave it's not only important that she can participate in all the various dining experiences on the cruise and tours, but that she can do so safely without drawing attention to her special dietary requirement or fearing a server misunderstanding.
When the Shaws cruise, they also want the opportunity to meet new people, to travel with old friends, and to share their special AmaWaterways experiences with other cruisers who appreciate and enjoy the same things they do: good food, good wine, and nice company.
WHAT DAVE BOOKED FOR THEM:
After confirming the level of sensitivity of Linda’s Gluten allergy, which is relatively severe, I let AmaWaterways know and scheduled a sit down with the Chef upon the Shaws’ arrival. On the first day on board, they met and reviewed the week’s menu, and Linda was able to pre-select her highlight meals so they could be prepared safely. The Chef also had surprises in store. Linda particularly liked that everything was done very simply and discreetly, and at each meal her selections came with all the other entrees without any extra fuss or mix up.
THEIR TESTIMONIAL:
"We particularly loved the visit Dave organized for the entire group to the wine village of Grinzing while in Vienna. We got to know some wonderful people who have since become great friends and are now the core of our merry group of travelers."
After another cruise they said, “Thank you again for a lovely time and for always taking care of me and my gluten allergy. I wanted to let you know that it was a wonderful time again, probably the best of the river cruises so far. Just the right mix of boating, seeing places, and good food and wine. The trip, the company, and everything was just what I needed even when I did not realize how much I needed it."
"I am so looking forward to our next trip!! I cannot wait to see your beautiful face in person again!”
BARBARA & LARRY MASTERSON
★★★★★
WHAT THE CLIENT ASKED FOR:
Barbara and Larry have been booking with me for years, asking for help in planning every aspect of their AmaWaterways river cruises, their pre and post packages, as well as extra tours. Since they live part-time on Aruba and have a fairly busy travel schedule as Disney Vacation Club members, it is essential to them that I balance their various commitments, as well as European flights from both Boston and Aruba, as well as to suggest private alternatives to the standard AmaWaterways land tours, all while accommodating specific flight requests for Larry who doesn’t like long flights.
WHAT DAVE BOOKED FOR THEM:
In their past 6 AmaWaterways cruises, Dave has successfully cut their travel time by arranging flights thru AmaWaterways that appeal to Larry while also accommodating family visits and golf schedules as well as their frequent special trips to Orlando. Together we’ve planned incredible trips thru Bordeaux, on the Danube, the Rhine & Moselle, as well as crafting unique private touring opportunities in places that they’d never heard of but will never forget.
Larry and Barbara are currently scheduled for Stars of Africa, Tulip Time in the Netherlands and Belgium, Egypt, and now Provence 2023.
THEIR TESTIMONIAL:
Danube: "We want to thank you for a wonderful Danube trip. We had such a good time. We are so grateful to have found you as we have years of fabulous trips to remember and even more to anticipate. You are the best!! Love you most, Dave!"
Rivers & Castles: "Wow! You and AmaWaterways have enriched our lives so much through the years! This is a testament to your decision years ago to align yourself with the company as you built your travel “empire!"
Bordeaux: "You are so very good to us, and I want you always to know that we appreciate everything! Your gift for bringing folks together to share an adventure and build friendships continues to be a blessing in our lives!! I also know that you are always “watching our backs”! Looking forward to new adventures!"
Rhine: "I am so impressed with AmaWaterways and grateful that you selected them as your river cruise company! You must feel so validated in that decision as you have worked with company management to address the fallout from this unprecedented world crisis!"
"We have much to celebrate with my 70th birthday this July and our 45th wedding anniversary in 2023. 2022 Tulip Time will "just" be a celebration of great friends and a wonderful life. Thank you for being a part of it.
