Port Days
The port card, walking levels, all-aboard routine and questions to ask about every stop.
The trip begins before you book.
A better river cruise
starts with
better questions.
From the cabin you choose to the cobblestones underfoot: a retired river cruise director’s guide for travelers over 60 planning their first European sailing.
Get the book · US$2714 chapters · booking questions · packing list
Carol HaugenAuthor of Before You Sail
BEFORE YOU SAIL
01 / Inside the book
Plan for the trip you will actually take.
A Retired River Cruise Director’s Guide for Travelers Over 60
Before you pay
Cabins, flights, solo supplements, travel insurance and what happens when the water level changes.
Pack for old towns
An old-town packing list, medicine planning, an emergency card and help for the days that go wrong.
02 / The chapters
A look inside
Before You Sail.
- Who’s on Board
- Choosing Your River and Your Month
- Reading the Fare
- Flights
- Port Days
- Picking Your Cabin
- Traveling Alone
- When the River Won’t Cooperate
- Medicines on the Move
- Medicare Stays Home
- The Fourteen-Day Clock
- Staying Well on Board
- Money and Pickpockets
- When Something Goes Wrong
03 / A note from Carol
Twenty-two years along the river.
I’m Carol Haugen. For 22 years I worked as a program director on the Rhine, Danube and Main. I retired in 2023, but I still think about the travelers who arrived with questions they wished they had asked months earlier.
This is the conversation I would like to have with you before you book: where you will walk, what the fare includes, how the cabin feels, and what happens if the river changes the plan. Then you can look forward to the trip.
Carol Haugen
The digital edition
Before You Sail
By Carol Haugen
US$27USD · PAY ONCE
- 14 chapters
- booking questions
- packing list
Secure checkout with Dodo Payments
04 / A few questions
Before you get your copy.
What is included?
The digital edition of Before You Sail, including all 14 chapters and the supporting recipes or planning pages described above.
How should I use the book?
Read it in order, or start with the chapter you need. The checklists and planning pages help you turn the reading into practical next steps.
Is this a subscription?
No. The book is a one-time purchase of US$27 USD.