Ancestry on the Rhine: Cruising with AmaWaterways

*After reading, watch Ancestry on the Rhine companion video here.

Storybook Towns on the Rhine

Have you ever watched one of those TV shows where a celebrity meets one-on-one with a genealogist to discover all kinds of stories and unknown ancestry?

They can be quite fascinating. Without a doubt, the show ends, and my wheels are turning about my own ancestral mysteries.  

Now, imagine yourself in the middle of Europe on a fabulous river cruise waking up to new daily adventures in storybook towns along the Rhine …Rüdesheim, Strasbourg, Riquewihr, and Heidelberg? Yes, please.

There are also the comforts of a five-star all-inclusive, like fine dining, because it is among the top river cruise lines plus oh, so many castles. And there is a genealogist on board who has done some ancestral research for you.

Now you’re discovering stories, making personal connections, and fleshing out that family tree. Maybe you’ll be planning an Ancestral Visit deep inside a storybook town. Or maybe, you’ll let your imagination go while cruising past the village of a long-ago ancestor you didn’t know existed.

As an avid DNA explorer and travel addict, I was highly anticipating the inaugural heritage cruise before I even knew exactly where the ship was going. I knew AmaWaterways River Cruises from a previous trip to Bordeaux, and I had no doubt that their Captivating Rhine River Cruise would be unforgettable, too, especially with their exclusive Ancestry Discovery package.

Five Countries, Seven Days

Travel has come back with gusto, and river-cruise purchases have boosted to nearly double according to reports. I was busy playing catch up with all the dreamy adventures stunted by the pandemic myself.

Experience has taught me that a river cruise can offer the best of all worlds in terms of travel. That is especially true if you love being on the water and exploring a variety of cultural gems along the way.

Beginning in the Netherlands and onward to Belgium, Germany, and France before disembarking in Switzerland, AmaWaterways’ Captivating Rhine quickly became a fantastic seven-day, five-country whirlwind. And I didn’t have to sit in traffic or race to trains to do it.  

Amsterdam was beautiful at sunrise upon my flight arrival. With hours to explore the city before actually embarking there, a companion and I checked our bags at the ship’s port. Check-in was slated for later in the day, but we were delighted to be offered an early breakfast in the dining room before heading out to explore the waking city.

The streets became more bustling and lively as we meandered along the canals, discovering historic sites, wandering outdoor markets, and perusing the Rembrandt House. Others we’d later meet aboard the ship opted for the guided tours, and some went rogue to the Anne Frank House or beer tastings.

AmaWaterways’ cruises provide choice activities for its guests at each port, but having already covered lots of ground way before check-in, we were ahead in the adventure. After all, we were due to join the Ancestry special-interest excursion after this first night on the banks of Amsterdam.

Easy-Going Travel  

The actual idea of a river cruise has in the past been reserved for say, an older retired demographic. But with the growing attraction to easy-going, more intimate travel with many having options to work remotely there’s freedom to reconsider possibilities. Plus, with options to customize for budgets, river cruising can be surprisingly doable for a maturing younger generation. And the assurance of being taken care of by attentive staff and all the amenities is an added appeal.

The fresh, colorful, and stylish accommodations of the AmaStella were more modern luxury hotel than simple cabin. The stateroom’s storage and necessary accouterments were ample, too.

Our room proved very comfortable for not only sleeping and showering, but cozy enough to unwind with some vino, lounge with a movie, or order room service while rolling along the river. My companion even had her one-on-one Pro Genealogist session inside.

With multiple lounges, the upper deck, fitness & pool areas, bars, and entertainment offerings, etc… there were plenty of nooks to content us, rest assured.  

Personal Adventure 

The multi-destination factor of a river cruise is significant, of course, but the exclusive Ancestry Pro Genealogy factor transforms this particular adventure into something undeniably unique and personal.

The experience begins upon booking. I had already done my DNA test with Ancestry.com a few years earlier, so I bypassed that step. But the test is an integral part of heritage travel, and is provided as part of the deal. Next came a one-hour consultation with an Ancestry Pro Genealogist spent discussing what DNA match or branch I wanted to know more about before boarding.

As a developing science, Ancestry has occasional DNA updates, revealing things previously unknown or narrowing things down like origin communities. By way of an update, I had just happened to have been recently informed of a mysterious connection and, lo and behold, it was some unknown German ancestry. My own research traced my match to somewhere near the Alsace region, but I was unsure of just how accurate that was. I wanted to know more.

After a few weeks, I received an email from the genealogist with a private link containing documents, old records, maps, and their interpretations of the research on my mysterious connection. The paper trail went back a couple hundred years to a Prussian village just outside of Cologne in Germany revealing ancestors, their children, their trades, and a glimpse into their lives. Sorry to be cliché, but I had no idea. And how bizarre that this is coming to light now that I am going to be cruising along the Rhine, with a stop in Cologne.

Wow. But it’s true. Kismet.

The Ancestry experience then leads to a one-on-one session aboard the river cruise. It is advisable to send any questions on further research to the Ancestry Pro Genealogist before the session. That way you can use your allotted time wisely. It is also important to note that expertise in ancestral research is not at all required to join in. In fact, informational Q&A’s were offered on board with Ancestry’s Pro Genealogist as well.

There is also an option to do what is called an Ancestral Visit as an add-on. While there might have been a church still standing in my ancestor’s village, I opted to continue on the program’s daily excursions. However, a colleague’s genealogist wound up tracing an ancestral line of Reverends and the actual church they served in. Watch his personal Ancestral Visit experience here.

Red Star Line Museum Connection

The light crept in from our private balcony beside the beds while waking. I could see the reflection of the river dancing on the recessed ceiling. It was just after dawn and the Ancestry group was gathering in the lobby with to-go cups of coffee and water.

It was a meeting of the minds with Ancestry buffs, historical tour guides, and Ancestry Pro Genealogist, Laura House. Today we were embarking on the special-interest journey via shuttle to explore ancestral connections at Red Star Line Museum and historical Antwerp in Belgium.

As an American exploring European roots I’d only just discovered, I imagined what it might have been like to immigrate to America then. Well, this museum is like Europe’s Ellis Island and gives a good glimpse of that.

The files I received from Ancestry’s researchers contained much to make heads or tails of, but I’d soon piece together that my ancestor wound up in New York City well over a hundred years ago settling just a few miles from where I now live. One document that the genealogist sent me also revealed the name of the ship that my ancestor arrived on at Ellis Island. And there was mention of something about a port in Antwerpen.

I was beginning to make the connection that this ship mentioned made its actual departure to America from this very port. I was inside the actual original building that was apparently the check-in for The Red Star Line, a main shipping line from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries based in Antwerp’s port. And I found myself realizing as the tour guide went on that I was standing in the very room where this great, great, great ancestor, over a century ago, presented his passport and his papers just minutes before his departure to America.

I had to stand there a bit and let that sink in. It’s very moving. I didn’t expect that.

Records from Red Star Line have been lost, unfortunately but the logs of many of the ports of entry including Ellis Island’s are well preserved. And those are very invaluable in researching migration. Multimedia exhibits throughout the museum are chock full of immigrant’s stories offering a deeper appreciation of the experiences. And a searchable database for visitors to explore is available at the museum. Tours are available to explore a well developed collection of artifacts and passenger diaries. Video and photographs reveal a glimpse into the stories of the two million plus immigrants who came from as far east as Russia during the pogroms and continued until post WWII.

Fun fact: Albert Einstein was a frequent passenger of the Red Star liner.

Historical Antwerp

The Antwerp excursion was among the most fascinating of AmaWaterways’ daily offerings on the journey. But I loved all those little towns. A bond formed between many of us doing the Ancestry package. All of us curious to hear the stories, the history, and the mystery, sharing a strong desire to know something more about the past. This is one of the essences of travel for me; finding connections and immersions in other cultures, meeting people, learning about ourselves, and finding common ground. A unique crew of explorers were we. One memorable evening, there was a special dinner at the Chef’s Table arranged for us, and for some of us that went into the night listening to each other’s stories.

Antwerp oozes history everywhere. As a precursor to The Red Line Museum, we made a stop at nearby Antwerpen-Centraal or Antwerp Central Station or, as some dub it, The Railway Cathedral. Considered by many to be among the most beautiful rail stations in the world, Antwerpen Centraal had an unexpected relevance to our journey. Our guide revealed that this was the last destination of all those who made the bold decision to journey from far & away to Antwerp to board the Red Star Line bound for America.

Inaugurated in 1905, the station, which is indeed often mistaken for a cathedral, is comprised of marble, glass, and metal while donning a dome inspired by Rome’s Pantheon. The grand entrance is palatial and its regality ascends up onto its elegant marble staircases. Strong beams of light peered through the ceiling’s turrets like an old movie projector, spotlighting the grand dame’s bustling commuters weaving around her columns. The clock above wears the city’s coat of arms.

Morphing into a station of the future, preserving its fine architecture while also making accommodations for the newest high-speed trains, iron and glass arch like an umbrella above the long symmetrical platforms, perfectly contrasting the blue sky. It is quite a thing of beauty.

After our tours, we went rogue in Antwerp’s Central Square while the shuttle waited. The architecture, the chocolates, the people watching, and the beers we brought back to sample in our staterooms… Not bad for our first day on our AmaWaterways river cruise with Ancestry.