Uniworld's Grand France Cruise

[traveltrooper]

My wife and I flew to Paris on April 25, 2013 for this adventure. We started out spending two nights at the Radisson Ambassador Hotel. This is a very good hotel in a great location. Like a lot of other hotels in Europe the rack rate is steep - 650 euros a day. The rooms are not large, but they are very well appointed. The restaurant at the hotel is also typical of restaurants in Europe - the menu prices aren't cheap! Internet service is "free" but very difficult to access beyond an initial web site. Thus, if your email requires a password, as most do, you're not likely to be able to access it. We were warned about pick pockets, but didn't encounter any. There are many great attractions in Paris, including the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe. One can easily spend a day in the Louvre museum. My favourite was the Musee d'Orsay.

 

We then boarded the River Baroness for an eight day Cruise north from Paris. The boat was clean and well maintained. The food was good, but not as good as we remembered from a previous Uniworld cruise. The cabins on this boat are far from large. Practically speaking, only one person can navigate around the room at any one time, unless the other person is on the bed or in the water closet. The ports going north were very interesting, including Monet's house and gardens and the DDay beaches. The April weather was cool and wet, but that didn't spoil our positive overall impression.

 

We returned to Paris for another night at the end of this Cruise. We then took a train to Lyon and boarded the River Royale. This boat is more modern and clearly a level above the River Baroness. The cabins were larger and the additional closet space and counter space was very welcome. The meals on this boat were also a cut above those on the River Baroness. The excursions on this Cruise weren't quite as impressive as those on the River Baroness, but the Palace at Versailles and the Aqueduct are must sees. Southern France had received a considerable quantity of rain and the rivers were experiencing very high water levels, which meant some locks were closed. Although our itinerary had to be altered, we were able to enjoy the all of the high" points.

 

If you like to view the scenery while you're cruising, these cruises might not be for you. Most of the scenery looked like a shipping lane between the towns and villages. There are a number of locks and once you've experienced one, you've experienced them all! The wine is definitely good, with our favourite being a white Beaumont de Gras.