Scenic Gem: 11 day Gems of the Seine plus Normandy (hopefully live thread)

[1of4]

Okay I will try to hurry up and just show the basics.  But there is nothing basic here!

 

Dining room 

 

 

 

The art gallery has an extensive collection.

 

 

 

Stained glass post revolution when the main part of the chateau was rebuilt had no colour.

 

 

Entry hall ceiling 

 

 

I couldn’t walk around the gardens as once out of the chateau you can’t get back in and have to walk completely around.  We had 20 minutes so I knew I couldn’t do it.  The closest way back to the buses was through the “back door” and across the mote.  So DH held the door so I could take one picture.

 

 

 

 

The stables...because one owner was convinced he would be reincarnated as a horse so the stables were built as a chateau.

 

 

 

[puppycanducruise]

Fabulous photos.

My neck would be sore from looking up.

[cruiseryyc]

20 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

Interesting advice.  I'll remember that for when we go 🤞.

Please don't not go into the house just because I said so, it was interesting but too crowded for me.  Go with your heart on the day.

[1of4]

We were supposed to have a BBQ on the sun deck for lunch as we sailed towards Paris. But the clouds threatened rain so we ate in the dining room.  But after lunch the sun did come out and it never did rain.  But you know if we had that BBQ outside it would have poured!

 

DH and I did most of our packing then went up to enjoy the views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That night was the Captain’s farewell cocktail and gala dinner after the disembarkation procedures and port talk.

 

—————-

 I forgot to mention that Wednesday night was the special Scenic Enrich event: a concert at Chateau de la Roche Guyon.  This is the event I missed because I was tired and when tired my balance disappears.  Remember me posting about being frightened by someone being in our bathroom?  LOL

 

 

 

[Senga]

I have thoroughly enjoyed your commentary and gorgeous pictures.  We are on our first river cruise September 4th, Scenic Opal Budapest to Amsterdam.  With it being so expensive and having anxiety about water levels and it ending up being a glorified bus tour I had already decided a river cruise was a one-and-done deal.  Your posts have me re-thinking!!!!  I'd LOVE to do the Canadian war memorials and Monet's garden so...…….

 

One question, I have sensitivity to some fragrances and none of the pictures of the L'Occtaine products can be enlarged to allow me to see what the fragrance is.  Can you help?

 

Senga

[1of4]

25 minutes ago, Senga said:

I have thoroughly enjoyed your commentary and gorgeous pictures.  We are on our first river cruise September 4th, Scenic Opal Budapest to Amsterdam.  With it being so expensive and having anxiety about water levels and it ending up being a glorified bus tour I had already decided a river cruise was a one-and-done deal.  Your posts have me re-thinking!!!!  I'd LOVE to do the Canadian war memorials and Monet's garden so...…….

 

One question, I have sensitivity to some fragrances and none of the pictures of the L'Occtaine products can be enlarged to allow me to see what the fragrance is.  Can you help?

 

Senga

 

I am so happy that you have enjoyed reading along!  I understand the anxiety as I would love to do a Christmas Markets cruise next.  If you do decide on another there is never water issues in Seine.

 

I can’t guarantee it will be the same but our L’Occtaine products were Verbena scent except the body lotion which was the standard scent.  To be honest, I brought a Dove unscented bar soap as my skin doesn’t like scent.  Just so you are prepared, smoking is MUCH more popular in Europe as is wearing perfume (in France, anyway).

 

Any other questions, ask away!

[1of4]

Correction: only the bar soap by the basin was regular scent.  All the small bottles were Verbena scent, including the body lotion.

[Senga]

Thanks 1of4.  Verbena and the regular L'Occtaine scent will be fine for me; one less thing to pack.  We have been to Europe numerous times and agree smoking is more prevalent but it's never bothered me thankfully.

[puppycanducruise]

18 hours ago, cruiseryyc said:

Please don't not go into the house just because I said so, it was interesting but too crowded for me.  Go with your heart on the day.

 

"Go with your heart"  Good advice.  Thanks

[cruiseryyc]

Thanks 1of4 for this great report!  Have thoroughly enjoyed reliving my own Seine cruise.

 

For anyone wondering about taking a river cruise on Scenic, I can only reiterate what 1of4 has stated, they are wonderful and well worth the money.

[1of4]

Time to wrap up and let you all rest (or is it me that needs a break since DD was delivered to university yesterday).  Thanks @cruiseryyc, I’m very glad my review stirred up some good memories. 

 

Friday was a beautiful day; sunny but not humid.  We had signed up for the excursion to Château De Vaux-Le-Vicomte but after nearly getting pushed over twice by the same person on Thursday at Chantilly Castle I knew it was best for all that I not go. I had done so well and DH and I are so encouraged that I managed 11 full days when I had been inactive for over 4 years. So we told our cruise director that we would do our own thing. She said given how crowded it can get and how some cultures do not “give way” that she was not surprised. 

 

 

So while we were supposed to be here:

 

 

 

DH and I took a taxi back to Montmartre and the fabric district (insert squeal here)!

 

 

 

 

We were not alone on the boat once the tours left. It seems many just went walking. 

 

We had received our 2 coloured luggage tags Thursday night and when we returned from shopping asked for one more so our wheeled carry-on would be waiting for us in the taxi instead of us carrying it. 

 

We had a lovely final dinner with old and new friends and retired to bed by 10:00. 

 

 

It all worked like clockwork Saturday morning. Our flight was at 13:00 and we were in the taxi 4 hours before so plenty of time. Just like that our amazing vacation and first river cruise had come to an end. Over but not forgotten and we are definitely going to do another...after we save up our pennies!

 

I alluded to a few things that could be improved; these are minor but I will mention here just so you know I am not all roses and butterflies. None ruined our experience but I did mention them on the survey:

 

1). No information on procedures to follow to meet up with transfer to get to the boat pre-cruise. I asked upon check-in and again upon checkout but only got shrugged shoulders and blank stares yet another riverboat company had a 8 foot standing banner in the lobby. Hotel check out was noon but transfer wasn’t until 2:00 according to pre-cruise information and the lobby did not have enough seating for everyone. But seeing others in the lobby was comforting that we were all in the same “boat” LOL. Although the Weston pumps its public spaces full a scent that is very irritating to me, spending 2 hours breathing it is not pleasant. 

 

2). I had filled out all information that I can not tolerate cream. I was sent 2 separate emails asking for details yet we were invited to L’Amour restaurant for a fixed multi course dinner and every course contained cream. It was embarrassing and I felt all eyes on me when 3 people were standing over me asking me what I could eat...anything except cream. 

 

3). More guides need to be used for the Giverny excursion. No group should be over 12-15 people since the pathways are narrow and it gets busy quickly. People at the back of a 30+ person group lose sight and connection to the voice transmission and it is difficult to find your group again. 

 

I was was extremely pleased with how the chef responded to the cream issue post L’Amour. I was told to eat fruit or ice cream for dessert every meal and I said that although that is fine once in awhile, it is not fine for 11 days straight given I filled out all the information I was asked to provide. From that point on there was always one dessert that didn’t have cream. I don’t think anyone was the wiser but it impressed me. Some meals he made me a no-cream version of the dinner-all courses including the soup. That was over and above necessary as I am used to “eating around” sauces and not having mashed potatoes or soup. 

 

I can’t count how many times DH or I have commented since being home (just over a week) what a great vacation it was and how we want to go again. We enjoyed it that much. 

 

Thank to to for sticking with me as I rambled. Again, I will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have if I can. 

 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by 1of4

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks again for all the information you have provided.

We almost booked this cruise (well, same itinerary, different date) but for various reasons, we booked something else.  Now, this cruise is back on my list for the future.

Good luck with your health.

Hope to be reading about your next cruise, soon.

[Canal archive]

Thank you 1 of 4 wonderful reports. France is the land of perfume so really no wonder that it’s used a lot but I have noticed it does tend to be of better quality. Smoking is getting less across Europe on board Scenic five years ago there would have been quite a few smokers the last couple of years not a smoking passenger on board. (Yeh I know) CA

[cat shepard]

Thank you for taking us along. Great info and wonderful pics!

[Ineke]

I enjoyed your posts on the HAL board when you were doing those (my, how your children have grown!), and was so happy to see you were back to cruising, and reporting better than ever!  Thank you for this lively report and the great photographs!  So much appreciated!

[1of4]

On 8/15/2019 at 10:39 PM, Ritabob said:

Loving your report!   

I'm interested in seeing a picture of the fabrics you bought.  Our first river cruise, years ago, was in the south of France and I bought fabric in almost every town we stopped in. I have continued that tradition and now have sewn an extensive collection of dinner napkins, place mats, etc we use every day .  A great reminder of wonderful vacations.

RB

 

Here you go @Ritabob:  I bought leather, laminated cotton, canvas, linen, shirting ( to use as bag lining), tapestry, an unknown fibre with amazing texture and silk.  The Immigration Canada officer raised his eyebrows when he asked what we bought and we replied fabric...he actually stammered “what”? LOL

 

 

 

Silk and mysterious textured fabric, probably polyester 

 

 

 

3 small leather hides 

 

 

One of the leathers shimmers

 

 

Canvas

 

Linen

 

Linen

 

Reversible tapestry fabric, blue on one side/grey on the other

 

Reversible tapestry

 

Now I just need time to sew!

 

[dolllover]

Wonderful review and pictures. What type and brand of camera did you use?

[1of4]

19 minutes ago, dolllover said:

Wonderful review and pictures. What type and brand of camera did you use?

 

Thank you.  Glad to know you enjoyed it.  I hate that I had to leave my Nikon at home this trip so all these pictures were taken on my IPhone 8.

[Ritabob]

Thank you for the fabric photos.  Love the teal silk and the linens!  And what are you going to make with the leather?  For your own use and enjoyment, or for sale?  Let me know if you are selling anything...It will save me a trip to France and the time to sew something. 

RB

[1of4]

5 hours ago, Ritabob said:

Thank you for the fabric photos.  Love the teal silk and the linens!  And what are you going to make with the leather?  For your own use and enjoyment, or for sale?  Let me know if you are selling anything...It will save me a trip to France and the time to sew something. 

RB

 

I do sell but I am not fast because of my condition and I have a few bags to make plus some for my daughter that just moved into university residence.  I am very flattered though.  The leather may make one of these, or parts there of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[puppycanducruise]

Those bags are fabulous.  You have talent.  It's obvious you enjoy what you do.

I hope you have many more cruises to get some interesting fabric.

[Ritabob]

The bags are gorgeous!   Do you teach anywhere?  I will sign up, and then we can talk about cruising while sewing.

RB

[1of4]

10 hours ago, Ritabob said:

The bags are gorgeous!   Do you teach anywhere?  I will sign up, and then we can talk about cruising while sewing.

RB

 

Thank you @puppycanducruise and @singinalot!  @Ritabob I used to teach quilting but not since I got sick.  But I live north of YYZ so if you are in the area you are welcome to come over and sew and chat.

[Senga]

1of4:  You sell yourself short saying you “sew bags”.  Those are original works of art and something I would definitely be interested in seeing.  Since there is no way to PM on cruise critic like you can on TripAdvisor, do you have a website?

Senga

[1of4]

3 hours ago, Senga said:

1of4:  You sell yourself short saying you “sew bags”.  Those are original works of art and something I would definitely be interested in seeing.  Since there is no way to PM on cruise critic like you can on TripAdvisor, do you have a website?

Senga

 

I am blushing.  My name on TripAdvisor is 2plus2-9