The Absent Uncle: So, it is trust

We are in midst of planning a European trip this August. The trip we are planning for Sherrill and I center around a river cruise on the Danube. But you have to get there and get back; the River Cruise – well – it is planned.

We’re taking this river cruise with some high school classmates. When we planned the trip, it was pretty simple. Meet at the pier in Germany – get off the boat in Budapest. Have the experience in between.

Oh, but then the options. Pre-trip and post-trip excursions. Plus – a reminder – you have got to get there and get back.

As a group – there are four couples involved in this excursion – the cruise line, timing, direction, we’ve all decided together with a fair amount of discussion, debate, and agreement. Deposits paid – settled.

And then the discussion really took off. Given the price of the cruise, transportation back and forth over the Atlantic – well – whatever are you going to add on to make this trip “worthwhile”? And frankly – nobody can agree (and this changes weekly in between calls!). 

As Midwesterners we always want to get as much as we can for our money spent. This trip is no different. What can we see for the price being paid? What are we missing?  

What can we do before the cruise? Or after? The cruise company put options to consider, but it took just a few minutes of comparing prices to determine money well spent needed to be further researched. 

So then, you look at photos, presentations to entice you into believing their offerings are what you are looking for – something to remember and make your trip memorable. Somewhere, something you shouldn’t miss. Look at the popular travel “experts” who lend their advice online or in print. 

And I am at that point – I actually asked – can I trust you to tell me the truth?  

The high points of the trip are now booked. Some details need to be looked at, but the big decisions have been made.

I will tell you next August if I swallowed the lure, or if I found something to remember and memorable. I believe in trust, believe in people reaching out to just help you.