pontac

Day 3 - Crick to Gumley Road We left Crick at 09:40. Travelling in October showed bright colours as leaves changed from green, such as this bright yellow tree, and bushes were covered in berries. Dan spent all day, every day, standing at the tiller. A canal meanders through the countryside and you could be many miles from towns. Many of the original brick-built hump-backed bridges are farm tracks joining fields separated by the canal's construction. We came upon our third tunnel in two days. Husbands Bosworth Tunnel was completed in 1813 and is 1166 yards long. We moored at Gumley road bridge at 17:10, and walked in the dark to the Bell Inn in Gumley. No taxi would come for us so a waitress at the pub kindly took us back to the boat. Back on board the Captain and crew discuss the coming route. We have moored just before the Foxton Flight of locks. Crick to Gumley - 18 miles - 0 locks - 1 tunnel - 6h45 (45m lunch stop)

Day 2 Sunday - Braunston to Crick We departed at 09:30 heading east towards the Leicester Branch of the Grand Union. We soon reached Braunston Tunnel. Opened in 1796 it is longer than a mile, at 2,048 yards. There's no lighting, other than the boat's headlight and the air gets progressively colder as the boat steadily heads into darkness. It took 20 minutes before we emerged into a green tunnel of overhanging trees. At Norton Junction we steered left onto the Leicester Branch and soon came to our first lock flight. Canal & River Trust volunteers were there to assist, operating paddles and gates on one side while Krisie (above) did the other. It took almost an hour to traverse the seven locks which raised us 52.5 feet. Then we came to Crick Tunnel, built in 1818 and 1528 yards long. This was short and straight enough to see the other end before we entered it. Krisie had special t-shirts and caps made for her and Dan. The shirts bore a picture of a narrow boat on the front and the word CREW in large on the back. The caps had CREW. And that was true: as experienced narrow boaters they worked the boat while we enjoyed the views. We arrived at Crick at 16:00, bought Cava in Crick Co-op and enjoyed a bottle before dinner at The Wheatsheaf. As it was Sunday, I had roast beef and we shared a bottle or two of excellent Franschhoek Cellars The Churchyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 Braunston to Crick - 9 miles - 13 locks - 2 tunnels - 5h45 (stopped 45 minutes for lunch)

Day 1 Saturday - Napton to Baunston We met Dan and Krisie at Napton Marina at 14:15. The staff showed them the gubbins (technical term) of Annabelle (above) our home for the next two weeks and we were off at 15:30 heading eastwards to Braunston, five miles away on the Grand Union Main Line Canal. We arrived two hours later at 17:30. Cruising in the dark isn't allowed so shorter winter days limits cruising time. It was bright and sunny but cold. The route Dan planned was to head east to Braunston, and from there north up the Leicester Branch of the Grand Union, turning west onto the River Trent, then turn south on the Coventry Canal back to Braunston, and then west to return the boat to Napton Marina, following the blue route (above) anticlockwise Dan had made a booking for us at The Boatyard at Braunston where the Steak and Ale pie enclosed in shortcrust pastry satisfied a boater's hunger. There was a complimentary bottle of Champagne in Annabelles fridge which we enjoyed before dinner. Napton to Braunston - 5 Miles - 0 Locks - 2 hours

We took our third cruise of 2022 in October, but this was unlike our previous Viking & Scenic River cruises because we hired a narrowboat and cruised for two weeks on some of the English canals and rivers. There are more than 2,000 miles of navigable waterways managed by the Canal & River Trust, and while some are standalone, most connect making a vast network. We made a circular trip. Canal builders used contours to keep the canal at the same level, so they twist and turn and often the ground drops away on one side while level or rising on the other. The canals pass through ravines and along embankments, cross rivers on aqueducts and sometimes pass through tunnels. Canal builders used rivers where they could; we travelled on Rivers Trent, Saor and Sence. We used Nicholsons’ Waterways Guide which is based on the very detailed official Ordnance Survey maps. It’s at a scale of two inches to one mile and every lock, bridge, marina, waterside pub is shown, also information on sights along the way, towns and more. It was invaluable. Where the ground level changes too much, there are locks. These generally are 7ft wide and 70ft long, restricting the size of narrowboats to 6ft 10 inches wide and under 70 feet long. On rivers they built weirs to maintain the upper water level and locks to bypass weirs We rented a 68 foot boat. One doesn’t need a license to drive a narrowboat and instruction is given. It’s quite simple. There’s a lever for speed forward and reverse and a tiller to steer. To operate locks you use the supplied windlass to open & shut gates (paddles) which let water in and out and your body to push lock gates open and closed. Maximum allowed speed is 4 miles an hour, or less if the boat causes a wave to break on the bank, and minimal when passing moored boats and anglers. Together with time spent in locks average speed is 2 or less miles an hour. Travel in the dark is not allowed, so possible cruising time is much shorter in winter. We’d rented boats in the distant past but didn’t feel up at our age to leap off a boat to manage locks, but our son Dan and his partner Krisie take canal holidays every year and they agreed to crew the boat. In return we paid for the boat and evening meals. The only time Dan & Krisie could get two weeks off work at the same time was October so on Saturday 8 October we met at Napton Marina at the start of our canal and river cruise.

@3littlebirdz If you're with Viking or Scenic then there's no curfew, however it's up to you to be onboard when the boat departs. On Viking's Rhine Getaway cruise earlier this year they had an optional dinner in a restaurant at Rudesheim and some couples found their own restaurant to dine in. The boat departed Rudesheim at 08:00 the following morning, so Rudesheim should be a good bet. At Koblenz the boat departed 03:00 - so time for dinner certainly. On that trip.

How can a proper answer be given without knowing which cruise line is being used? Perhaps @3littlebirdz would share that with us. @CPT Trips Viking used to do that, but on our 2022 cruise Basel>Amsterdam the room key was also used to log you off/on the boat using a reader at the door. @travlr21 Scenic used several jettys that needed key codes out of hours on their Bordeaux cruise this year. Not all jettys have gates though. I agree with @Canal archive about telling reception if one will be returning late, and double checking when debarking when the boat is departing as the time may have changed from previous info based on locks etc.

That's true, I exaggerated a teensy bit, but the only two bits of paper we received on board were the invitation to dine at L'Amour and since we got it the evening before the booking it didn't need keeping. The other piece was a sheet with the times of departure which we go the last evening. But there was no Portobellos or Chefs Table restaurant on our boat, so we were on different cruises and it seems had different experiences, not to mention different needs, as the only time we spent in the cabin was to change and sleep so we don't feel the need to decorate it with lights. All other documentation, e.g. which tours we'd booked, were emailed to me as PDFs and I had them on my notepad.

I've never bought the SSP, but was given it on our cruise earlier this year, and it's included in 2023 cruises. You say you have in the evening. If it's just one glass and only in the evening it's definitely not worth it. Remember both of you have to purchase the package for every night you are on board. The house wines - red, white & rose are good and there's plenty of it, they'll just keep refilling your glass at lunch and dinner. What you get with SSP is to choose from the wine list, but not all wines are available on SSP, there's a cut off based it seems on price. And on the cruise we were on, one of the popular wines had run out. You can buy bottles in wine shops and supermarkets ashore and have them on board for zero-corkage If you are undecided, as your post would suggest, why not wait till you are on board. Ask to see the winelist on that boat on the first day when you arrive, look for the asterisks against the wines not included in SSP and look at the prices of bottles you may be interested in. And then - if you think it's worth it - buy the SSP on board

What do you want to stick up? Scenic is paper free.

My apologies, I didn't realise that from your post, but it does means we can geek about Bdx, but Should @Canal archive take another Bordeaux tour with Scenic she'll find non-Bordeaux red wines on their list that do not contain Merlot. There are, of course, Bordeaux wines that do not contains Merlot but as Scenic only had inexpensive wines it's unlikely they will list such wines. 🙂There are Califorian wineries that label their fizz as 'champagne', and last time I was in Los Angeles I had a locally made 'chianti', so I can't take a negotiant calling their bottling a Bdx blend, when it patently isn't, anything other than marketing. Bdx is pretty good as is, that’s why a US marketeer incorrectly describes his red as a Bordeaux blend, and that’s why Bdx blends are made in many other countries that have no restrictions IMO. The Bordelaise listened to the terroir and decided the 6 varieties that best suited the terroir. Problem with Petite Verdot is it wouldn't ripen most years. Well it does now, and more is being used and planted and PV makes a very good wine and adds a lot to a blend. Geeking now, but is that really faint praise? Out of more than 2,000 Bordeaux chateaux only 61 chateaux have 1855 Grand Cru classification. Being a 5th growth is higher than 1,940+ others 😁 which include Bordeaux varieties. Such Fun!!

Maybe it did when you took your last trip with Scenic, but not on my cruise in August. Click below for my post on Scenic's magic Champagne bottle

California wines are not restricted by regulations about which grape varieties they use, and the Cameron Hughes wine is not a Bordeaux blend as it has Syrah which is not a Bordeaux grape. There are 6 varieties allowed to be used for Bordeaux red wines, and Bordeaux wines can be made with just one or any proportion blended of the allowed varieties. However, Merlot is the most grown variety by far (because it suits the clay soil that comprises the majority of the Bordeaux appellation). The six varieties are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Verdot and Carmenere. Most blends use 2 or 3 of the first 3. The is very little Carmenere planted. (They are trialling some warm climate varieties as a response to global warming, but only a small amount is allowed to be used in a blend and they can't be named on the label. I don't know if any of these are being used- as it takes at least 3 years from planting till using the grapes I suspect none in wines currently on sale.) I went on Scenic Bordeaux in August this year and they had non-Bordeaux wines available so finding a wine that didn't include any Merlot was simple

I went on Viking Rhine Getaway Basel to Amsterdam in April this year. Day 1 Basel - casts off at 21:00 Day 2 Breisach - arrive 04:30 - departs 19:00 Day 3 Kehl Arrives 04:00 departs 23:00 (note: included tour to Strasbourg in morning; free shuttle busses in afternoon, so you could get taxi to/from Strasbourg or go on the bus taking the included tour, do your own thing and catch shuttle bus back in afternoon) Day 4 - Arrives Speyer at 08:00 departs 08:45 Arrive Rudesheim 17:30 (note: the walking tour of Speyer in morning is bussed back to the ship as it stops in Worms to pick them up. If you plan to do your own thing in Speyer ensure you know where and when the coach pick up is) Day 5 Departs Rudesheim at 08:00 arrive Koblenz at 13:00 Day 6 Departs Koblenz at 03:00 arrives Cologne 09:00 Departs Cologne 22:30 Day 7 Arrives Kinderdijk at 16:00 Depart Kinderdijk 18:30 Day 8 Arrives Amsterdam 02:00 - vacate rooms by 08:00 PLEASE NOTE: these are timings in April 2022, later years might be different. Although we always arrived before scheduled time, this depends on how crowded river is, time waiting on locks and later in year there were serious low water problems on Rhine which seriously affected schedules.

No, previous Bordeaux trip was with Viking. For tips, see my review of my Scenic trip in August

It'd be nice to know when was this, and where was it that had low water. Because I am surprised as the water ways are tidal, and there was plenty of water when we were there in the last week of August. I can only think it was for a short while at low tide up the Dordogne or Garonne. The furthest inland on this trip is Cadillac on the Garonne and Libourne on Dordogne. However, sandbanks keep forming and reforming; perhaps one formed to block access to a mooring. The distance by road is not far, nowhere visited is very far from Bordeaux - Cadillac is 42km by road, 45 mins by fast road, 54 mins on the longest route. Libourne is 44km, again under 1 hour from Bordeaux, fastest time 51 mins. * So I don't think that @Los_Pepes needs to worry about a spoiled trip. As you say, @Canal archive your relative only had to bussed 'a little further', but It'd be nice to know where the boat couldn't get to. Nothing like the poor devils booked on other rivers that have to bussed the entire way.... *according to Googel Maps

I've not done Bordeaux with AMA but I have done it with Viking (in March) and (in August this year) with Scenic. End of April will be warmer but weather here is changeable and can't be guaranteed. This is a wine cruise, that's what Bordeaux is world famous for, but in Merch the vines will be stumps, pruned and not yet growing leaves. I found it dispiriting to see nothing but brown fields. Thats why I booked the second trip for September. (It was Covid postponed and eventually took place in August, but grape bunches were hanging on vines covered in greenery.) As all the lines travel to the same paces may I suggest you read my thread here for comments on the cruise, the first post is especially relevant -

Hi The Uniworld website shows overnights in Bordeaux, Blaye, Bourg, Cadillac & Fort Medoc. All except last have restaurants within a short walk of the mooring. But I'd suggest caution in booking in advance as the exact itinerary of the boat is dependent on the tide: passage inland from Bordeaux and back again is dependent on when low tide is as that's the only time hotel boats can pass under the Pont de Pierre (Stone Bridge at Bordeaux. The towns visited, apart from Bordeaux are small country towns and although they have some restaurants, they are not gourmet destinations. I'd suggest you'll get better food (and free wine) on board.

I have been on the GET and also several times along the Danube with other Viking cruises. Of the optional ones (i.e. at an extra charge) listed on the 2023 GET itinerary I have been on VIENNA -Historic Farmers’ Market Visit With Local Chef. so-so I quite enjoyed it at the time but the market is not huge and I wouldn't go again. You could visit the market yourself, it's only a short ride on the Metro from where the boat is moored VIENNA -Mozart & Strauss Concert I didn't want to go to this and Mrs P paid and dragged me along unwillingly. I loved it, and we've been back twice and would go again next time we pass through Vienna. MELK - Wachau Valley Winery I'm a wine geek and book wine tastings. Last time we were in Wachau Viking had a visit to Morwald winery which was hosted by owner/winemaker Earhard Morwald. His wines used to be the red and white house wines for Viking - when it was smaller than it is today. The visit was great. But the blurb doesn't name the winery that is visited so it's anyones guess what the visit will be. The most grown white - and what Austria is famous for - is Gruner Veltliner, a beautiful dry crisp white. The most grown black grape is the Bluer Zweigelt, often just known at Zweigelt, a light fruity red wine. Quality of Austrian wines is top notch.

If you drink cocktails or spirits, yes. If you only drink wine or beer, no. But - I don't know how it is in Canada - booking in the UK we have been given the SS package for free in our April booking and our 2023 booking. Both people in the cabin must pay for SSP., so this might influence you if one doesn't drink much. But there are passengers who plonk themselves on a bar stall and have cocktails all evening. If that's you, SSP is worth it. You don't have to decide before hand, you can check the drinks list when you board and decide then. Not all drinks on the list - i.e. the more expensive ones - are included. And, as @Haqdeluxe says, you can bring drinks onboard no problem. You're going though wine country so you might want to get bottles ashore on the way; they'll happily open the bottle and serve it at meal times, no corkage. Also, Viking are generous with drinks along the way, from the reception party, the Explorers Club party, on board wine tasting, aquavit tastings - TBH I didn't attend many on recent trips because wine at lunch and dinner was enough.

Many fewer people than ocean cruisers! Max 190 on the Longships - which is what you'll be on. There's enough room in the restaurant for everyone at the same time. There's plenty of public area sitting space. I have never felt crowded - maybe the most crowded time is the pre-dinner tour manager's briefing when everyone is in the lounge. Since I have never heard anything useful that isn't in the Viking Daily schedule (which is placed on your bed while you are at dinner) I don't bother to go to the briefing, but listen to it on the Lounge Camera option on the in-room TV just incase while getting ready for dinner.. Don't forget, you'll have tours off-boat every day, and you don't have tenders, you can just walk off the boat and explore yourself as you wish. I took the Grand European Tour in 2016 from Budapest to Amsterdam. It's a good trip! RE low water - I have - touch wood - not suffered this in 10 cruises. This year was exceptional for low water, but high water is also a problem as boats can't pass under bridges. At least with Viking, because they have so many boats, is they can't pass under a bridge or there is a section of really low water then there's another identical boat coming in the opposite direction and both sets of passenger's swap boats. Same identical room.

@2cruisecats it's a shame you didn't post which river cruise you have booked, as there are different boats on the Mississippi and Douro. But most boats are the Longships. There is one formal restaurant with waiter service at lunch & dinner. Although lunch & dinner times are shown you don't have to be there at that time, you can come in later. Early birds get first choice of tables, but come in 15 minutes later and you can choose who to sit with. There's also an informal eating area at the front of the lounge - the Aquavit lounge - with a self-serve buffet - or ask the waiter and they'll bring you a dish from the main restaurant. On nice days you can eat in the open at the front of the boat where there's often a barbecue chef griddling meat, burger etc. Breakfast at anytime it's open is self-serve buffet with an egg chef cooking omelettes and fried eggs to order hot and cold dishes, pastries and breads. The Aquavit lounge has a limited 'continental' buffet breakfast for early risers from 06:00. From 07:00 when the restaurant opens you can ask a waiter in Aquavit lounge to bring you up a hot breakfast. I've been so far on 11 river cruises, 10 with Viking, but zero ocean cruises. From what I have read here, apart from being on a boat, there's little in common.

Asking the forum to recommend a cruise line is not going to get you anywhere because you are correct that they are all fairly comparable. People here have their favourites and if this thread stays active for long enough then expect in time that every line that does that route to be praised. Also be aware that cruises change so recollection of travel past - especially pre-covid - may not be matched with current or future cruises. I suggest you start from the point that they are all comparable: you will get a room, a comfortable bed, decent food and drink and sightseeing. What you need to decide on is what you want and how much you want to pay for it. For instance, if you don't want cocktails then do you want to pay for a free bar? If the included sightseeing is what you want, do you want to pay for multiple options of sightseeing that you'll not go on? if you prefer to tip yourself do you want to pay for included gratuities? Next in the mix is the price; there lines publish prices but I don't know if anyone actually pays the list price as they always seem to have discounts and deals. So, I suggest you decide what you wnat to have and find the line that offers it, and has suitable dates available, and is a price that suits. PS: I like the heat, so I'd happily go in July. Indoors on the boat it will be airconditioned, outside on your balcony or sundeck if the boat is moving you'll get a breeze from the boats motion.

Chauffer travel from/to your house to/from airport/railway station is included (up to 50 miles each way) for all Scenic UK customers. If Scenic arrange a hotel at the destination they also include transport from/to boat. But that foreign travel connection could be a coach, depending on how many passengers there are. We stayed at a hotel on arrival abroad and were taken to boat by coach, but on departure from boat were taken to airport by Mercedes people mover as only one other couple were departing at that time. If you make your own hotel arrangements abroad - I didn't with Scenic but I have done with Viking - you have to make your own travel arrangements between hotel and boat. The cruise companies have different offerings in their different markets.

That's what I thought, but wine enthusiasts - as apart from wine drinkers - are few and I believe there are an increasing number of people who love river cruising, have 'done' all the other rivers and are look in the brochures and say - we haven't done Bordeaux, so we'll go there next. (Also the Russian and Ukraine cruises are not currently available). I think Viking found that. I believe they were the first to cruise Bordeaux. I was on Forsetti in 2015 and it was very much a wine cruise. I raved about it to our friend and they went in 2018. But by then the tour to Ch Siaurac for them was just a brief morning visit with a tasting, while we alo had lunch at the Chateau accompanied by the Chateau's wine. Things change, reading the 2023 Scenic brochure I see they feature a wine tasting at Ch Siaurac which replaces this year's tasting at Ch Riviere. I picked this trip because it was Bordeaux and thus for the wine and because by going with a different cruise line I'd visit different wineries. My criteria for the tours were wine related first, and if there were no wine related tours, then the one that started latest (as we don't like early starts). I did overhear another passenger Both Viking and Scenic have tours to Cognac. On the Viking one you come away with a bottle that you've bended to your taste. We didn't go for various reasons, mostly the long coach drive, and we have been to Cognac in the distant past and visited a distillery.

What you should know if considering this cruise. The three rivers sailed on are tidal and at Bordeaux, some 50 miles from the sea, the river level rises and falls by 20 feet, meaning the gangways can be at a steep angle. The scenery is nothing much compared with the Rhine, Mosel, Danube and Douro and the rivers and estuary in particular are wide, meaning that the banks are far away. The left bank is very flat and most of the time nothing is visible apart from the trees lining the bank. Bordeaux is the world’s largest fine wine region, so there are several tours to wineries and included wine tastings. Times are shown on board using the 24 hour clock.