The Carte Atlas Journal

The Moselle carved its valley through wine country, not around it. Growers have terraced these banks with vines for two thousand years. A river cruise ship follows the river’s only navigable channel. That channel runs directly beneath Europe’s steepest vineyard slopes for nearly every mile. WHY DOES THE RIVER CRUISE ROUTE RUN THROUGH VINEYARD COUNTRY? […]

Any lover of castles, fairy tales, wine and history will have a Rhine River Cruise as a travel desire. Which does beg the question, why does one river have so many castles? The answer starts nearly a thousand years ago. WHY DID MEDIEVAL RULERS BUILD SO MANY CASTLES HERE? The Rhine was Europe’s busiest trade […]

No safari experience compares to seeing elephants, except perhaps when they are seen from the water. A Chobe river cruise drifts past herds gathering along the riverbank daily. Why indeed does this river draw so much wildlife to it. The answer lies in the river itself,. WHY DO SO MANY ELEPHANTS GATHER ALONG THE CHOBE? […]

My fellow wine connoisseurs love to chat with me about the Rhône. It keeps coming up alongside Bordeaux and the Douro as we discuss wine regions of the world. It is one of our favorites because here is a secret; it covers two completely different wine regions! WHY DOES THE RHÔNE CONNECT TWO WINE REGIONS? […]

Wine lovers, like myself, love to chat with me about river that inspire them. The Douro River is one that absolutely does. It actually helped inspire wine regions to become officially and legally recognized. WHAT MAKES THE DOURO VALLEY SO HISTORIC? The Douro became the world’s first officially demarcated wine region in 1756. Portuguese authorities […]

Colombia just recently joined the river cruise map, and is already a “not to be missed” destination. A Magdalena river cruise sails a river closed to travel for decades. The answer to the question lies in years of planning finally coming together. Guests now reach towns few outsiders have visited by ship. WHY DID IT […]

When someone is on their first cruise, they can be often startled by a sudden, deep horn blast. They usually assume something has gone wrong. In almost every case, it’s actually routine. COLREGS GOVERN WHEN SHIPS MUST SOUND THE HORN Ship horns exist primarily as a safety and communication tool, governed by an international rulebook […]

Many people unfortunately often use “wine region” loosely, assuming it just means anywhere that grows grapes. In the travel and wine industry, it is actually a specific idea. Often with legal borders and documentation. And exploring one of these regions can be a legendary event. TERROIR SHAPES A REGION’S IDENTITY A wine region is a […]

Once in awhile, I have someone tell me they are not sure if they have a passport. Or they go further and question whether or not they even need one. Why go through the hassle of getting and then having to renew a passport if you are not sure you will use it? MOST AMERICANS […]

A Panama Canal crossing is one of the few itineraries where the calendar genuinely changes the experience, not just the weather. It borders on an expedition because it is a wonderous event, while also being an ocean cruise as it is likely you will not disembark. To say you have gone through the Panama Canal […]