France River Cruise

[cole]

So many of the threads provide feedback regarding cruises on the Rhine, Danube and in Russia. We did the Rhine this past April (loved it!) and are considering a cruise through Burgundy, Provence, etc. and would love to hear from folks who have done this cruise. What ship did you travel on, what did you like about the cruise, did not like, etc. Thanks in advance for your feedback. It is always helpful to learn from others' experiences.

Bitzy Cole

[Suzanne123]

--Talk about a small world! We used to live in Conway, Arkansas about 15 years ago.

Anyway...I took my one and only river cruise last September on the Princesse de Provence (Dielmann). It was fabulous, and I would return on the same line and boat in a heartbeat. --Wonderful excursions, fellow passengers and staff. Plan for three-hour dinners :)

[kptbylorraine]

HI Bitzy

We just returned from an Amadeus cruise through Provence. Check the thread Amadeus- Paris to Barcelona for my comments.

Lorraine

[bz]

We did the Viking cruise thru southern France several years ago & it's my favorite of the 3 I've done. Just back yesterday from Viking Paris to Prague. Stops were farther away & a lot of time spent on the boat as a result, less time in the towns. So France remains my favorite cruise. Prices on Viking & GCT, esp. last minute bookings, seem to be less than the other companies doing similar cuises. I'm sure the others offer a superior product, but just bear that in mnd while doing your research. We found the staff & local guides terrifice & loved the wireless listening devices used on the tours. Food was certainly adequate, beautifully presented, altho not crazy about some of the choices. Try to book your own air & transfers, they seem to be offered at quite a premium. Not that hard to do on your own.

[june1]

We took the GCT Provence trip in June 2007 on the Chardonnay which was an older small boat but quite charming. Our room on the upper deck was nice and good size although some of the rooms on the lower deck were larger. We had a door that opened to the outside.

 

Food was excellent and artfully prepared. Our young female tour director, Katell, was super. We had missed our connection in Paris but the driver was there to get us in Nice. I wish we'd been able to do more on the Riviera on our own such as going to Monace but it wasn't offered for our date.

 

I wish I had booked my own air and gone directly to Nice and avoided CDG airport which is very unorganized.

 

I especially enjoyed Aix but you only get an afternoon there.

[Carhut]

I did the same trip last year in Aug. Really liked the itinerary. The boat left a little to be desired, but Katell was a sweetheart. Just loved listening to her talking English with her French accent. We went from Nice to Paris on the Rhone and Soane rivers. In a couple of weeks I will be going on another French trip from Normandy to Paris on the Seine River.

[p598738]

Hi Bitsy ! Took the Chardonnay Soane/Rhone in 06. Loved it. The trip, the boat, the food. Paris is always fun. Nice is very nice. Boo Gate 1.

[cole]

Thanks everyone for your comments on the France river cruise. Sounds like from all of the positive feedback that will be our next adventure. We definitely agree about booking our own flights and always try to avoid CDG. And Paul - I certainly understand your bad feelings toward Gate 1. Once burned, it's hard to change your opinion, especially when you feel no one at Gate 1 is listening to you.

We are so sold on river cruising! May never set foot on another large ship again...

Bitzy Cole

[pacmom]

Look into the River Royale, Uniworld's boat on the Rhone. She is now 2 yeard old and when we sailed in 2006 was just lovely. No cabins are over or under the lounge or dining room. Food and crew and tours were top-notch. Pat