"River Victoria" Courtesy Uniworld

River boats operating on the Russian rivers are generally not as grand as those plying the Rhine or the Danube.  As we understand from the tour manager of a company we travelled with, river cruise operators are somewhat restricted on what boats they can employ on Russia’s rivers. Whatever the politics, this hasn’t stopped Uniworld from rolling out a refurbished boat for the 2011 river cruising season.

In May 2011, the “River Victoria” will cruise the Imperial Waterways of Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg or vice versa. Passengers can expect beautifully appointed staterooms and suites with hotel-style beds and linens. There are four decks and the suites and staterooms on the Neva and Volga decks have full private balconies. This is really worthwhile having on any river cruise.

Facts about the River Victoria:

• The River Victoria has 103 cabins and can carry up to 206 passengers
• There are 93 Staterooms, 2 Presidential Suites, 6 Deluxe Suites and 2 Junior Suites
• There is an elevator which is good news for passengers with mobility problems
• Usual amenities include a library and gymnasium

Uniworld says that the River Victoria (leased) may not have all the same amenities as a Uniworld company-owned ship, but it is is one of the best ships to sail the Volga River. Uniworld’s river boats are floating hotels and if you have a look at some of their boats, you’ll get an idea of the standard of accommodation you can expect.

River Antoinette - Courtesy Uniworld

In March 2011, another stunning riverboat joins the fleet of Uniworld’s European river cruises. The River Antoinette is the sister ship to the majestic River Beatrice and will cruise the Rhine River on Uniworld’s popular “Castles Along the Rhine” and “Rhine Holiday Markets” cruises.

The River Antoinette will be Uniworld’s largest ship and according to Uniworld, it will have the largest staterooms of any of the contemporary river cruise ships operating in Europe. The River Antoinette is 443 ft. length-wise and 37.5 ft. wide and the additional space is being used to create extra spacious staterooms and suites for the guests rather than increase passenger capacity. Most of the 73 staterooms will measure at 196 sq. ft with 20 staterooms being 163 sq. ft. There will be eight junior suites measuring 294 sq. ft. and one Owner’s Suite at 391 sq. ft.

With the design of the River Antoinette, Uniworld will also set a new standard in river cruising innovation by offering top deck suites and staterooms with full open-air private balconies which, with a touch of a switch, will raise the glass to create a completely enclosed conservatory during cooler weather – it would be interesting to see images of this when they are available. Other design features that will add to the comfort of Uniworld’s guests include a heated swimming pool and a sky lounge on the sun deck.

Some Features of the River Antoinette

• Lavishly appointed riverview staterooms with made-to-order English Savoir™ beds in fine linens, a vanity, built-in closets, safe, individual thermostat for air conditioning and heat, direct-dial telephone, flat-screen TV with satellite
• Sun deck with chess and shuffleboard, Leopard Bar, and Sky Lounge
• Princess deck (top deck) staterooms have full balconies and the pool is on this deck
• Duchess deck (middle deck) staterooms have French balconies and the fitness room is on this deck
• The floor to ceiling window in the staterooms on the Duchess Deck will be able to be lowered automatically with the touch of a button. This will replace the traditional sliding doors (French balconies) that can be found on most of the newer river cruise ships today
• There is a boutique on theCountess deck (lower deck)
• Wireless Internet access in public areas

Uniworld riverboats are really 5-star floating hotels and many of their ships and cruises have won numerous prestigious travel industry awards. No doubt the River Antoinette will collect some awards as well.

River Royale in Avignon - Courtesy Uniworld

Burgundy and Provence are two regions in France that are renowned for their wine and cuisine.  For anyone who’s keen on French wine and good food, a Rhône and Saône River cruise takes you through the heart of Provence and Burgundy, France’s top wine-making regions.

The Rhône is one of the major rivers in Europe. It originates in Switzerland and flows into the south-eastern corner of France, emptying into the Mediterranean Sea near Arles. The Saône river originates in France and converges with the Rhône at Lyon, where the Saône becomes the Rhône.

On a Rhône and Saône River cruise, you’ll sail past acres of vineyards and have ample opportunities to taste the local drop as well as enjoy regional cuisine from these famous parts of France.

Several river cruise companies offer a 7-night Arles to Chalon-sur-Saône river cruise where you will arrive at Marseille International Airport and transfer to the ship docked in Arles, and at the end of the cruise you will leave from Lyon International Airport. The trip can also be done in the reverse direction,  Chalon-sur-Saône to Arles, in which case you will fly into Lyon and depart from Marseille Airport.

The river cruise companies also offer the option for passengers to extend their holidays with a day’s stay in Paris either at the start of end of the cruise. The fast TGV connects Lyon and Paris, so you can also choose to arrange your own pre- or post-cruise holiday extension.

Rhône River at Avignon

Typically, the Rhône and Saône river cruise calls at the charming town of Arles (which so inspired Vincent van Gogh to produce 300 paintings), Avignon (home to the famous Pont d’Avignon or Pont St-Benezet), Vivier (a small, walled city with buildings dating back to the Middle Ages), Tournon (famous for its wine and chocolate), Lyon (the second largest city in France and a capital of gastronomy) and Chalon-sur-Saône (Beaune) in the heart of Burgundy.

The following companies offer comparable 7-night cruises between Chalon-sur-Saône and Arles or Avignon.

Avalon    – Flavours of Burgundy and Provence – Between Chalon-sur-Saône and Arles
Viking      – Portraits of Southern France – Between Chalon-sur-Saône and Avignon
Uniworld – Burgundy and Provence – Between Chalon-sur-Saône and Arles

In selecting your cruise, it is important to consider the experience you would like from your cruise and not base your choice on price alone. For instance, 2-for-1 offers are a great opportunity to save money on your holidays, but check that the discounted cruise will give you the experience that you want. Cabin type is very important.  It’s also important to compare the itineraries closely, see what shore excursions are included, is wine provided at lunch and dinner, dinner only or not at all, does the riverboat have (affordable) internet access, library, etc.

Below is a sketch sample itinerary taken from Uniworld’s 7-nights Arles to Chalon-sur-Saône cruise on their River Royale.

Keukenhof Garden in Spring

Spring is a beautiful time in Europe and for anyone doing a river cruise starting or ending in Amsterdam, there’s the added bonus of visiting the world’s most beautiful spring garden – the Keukenhof Gardens.

A number of river cruise companies offer 7-night cruises from Amsterdam and which travel down to the Romantic Rhine River. This cruise will allow passengers to see the magnificent spring flowers in Europe as well as get a taste of a Rhine River cruise.

The first two or three nights of the cruise are in Amsterdam before the river boat makes its way down the Rhine and ending up at different cities.

• APT – Amsterdam to Trier (Amsterdam to Trier)
• Avalon – Amsterdam to Basel (Romantic Rhine)
• Uniworld – Amsterdam to Frankfurt (Springtime along the Rhine)
• Viking – Basel to Amsterdam (Majestic Rhine)

Although the above are all 7-night cruises, there are significant differences in the way the cruise prices are packaged. APT for instance quotes their price inclusive of gratuities. Uniworld’s cruise price covers a lot of included shore excursions, including the Keukenhof Gardens visit. So, in deciding which cruise is right for you, look at the what’s included in your cruise price section. Another important factor to consider is the river boat that is being employed for the particular cruise.

Below is a sample itinerary of Uniworld’s “Springtime Along the Rhine” cruise which I particularly like because of the included Keukenhof Garden visit and the many other included shore excursions.

An 1890 View of Gloucester Cathedral

Cruising the rivers of Europe on board a luxurious river boat is without doubt, one of the most pleasurable ways of enjoying the sights of Europe. Whether its cruising down the Rhine, the Danube, the Seine or one of Europe’s many scenic rivers, this is a fantastic way to discover the many wonders of Europe.

England has many rivers as well although we haven’t heard a lot about holidaying on English rivers – that is up till recently when Griff Rhys Jones set out in his canoe to rediscover the rivers of England in a BBC documentary.

If you’ve been inspired by Griff Rhys Jones paddling around the rivers of England but don’t think that canoeing is for you, there is a river cruise on the Severn River that you can do which requires very little effort on your part. While not the calibre of the luxurious river cruises on the Rhine or Danube, a cruise on the Severn River is cozier affair and takes passengers through the beautiful English countryside where you can enjoy walks, do some bird-watching and visiting some famous riverside towns.

The River Severn is the U.K.’s longest river, whose source is in Wales and it flows through famous English shires like Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.   English Holiday Cruises (www.englishholidaycruises.co.uk) runs river cruise holidays on the Severn River from Gloucester. Most of the cruises are short weekend cruises, however their flagship cruise is a six-night full river cruise on the Severn. Below is a sample itinerary for the cruise from Gloucester up to Stourport-on-Severn and back.

Contact:

English Holiday Cruises Ltd
3rd Floor, Alexandra Warehouse
West Quay, The Docks
Gloucester GL1 2LG
Tel:  01452-410411

River Baroness - Courtesy Uniworld

If enjoying the sights of Paris, cruising on the Seine River and the opportunity to explore the Normandy coast sounds appealing, a Paris and Normandy Seine River Cruise may fit the bill.

Several river cruise companies offer a 7-night cruise to the Normandy coast. Although the cruise names sound similar and they all start in Paris and sail up to Normandy, there are major differences in their itineraries so it’s important to take a close look to ensure that you’re choosing the right cruise.

CroisiEurope for example goes to Honfleur and back and their cruise does not feature the Normandy Beaches. Avalon spends half a day on Normandy’s D-Day landing beaches. Uniworld and Viking are the two cruises that spend a full day visiting the historic beaches of Normandy. In addition, Uniworld takes passengers to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum where you’ll be able to see the amazing medieval tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings and King Harold’s demise.

Don’t base your decision on the price alone as some cruises include more comprehensive sightseeing than others and they may include more and a better quality on-board benefits.

Avalon       - Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches
CroisiEurope – Paris to the Normandy Coast
Uniworld    - Paris and Normandy
Viking          - Paris and the Heart of Normandy

Below is a sample itinerary taken from Uniworld’s 7-night cruise “Paris and Normandy” on their River Baroness.

This Seine cruise should be particularly appealing for travellers and history students who have an interest in the history of battles and wars. You’ll be able to see D-Day memorial sites commemorating the 6 June 1944 Normandy Beach Landing, see the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Battle at Hastings and in Rouen, the site of Joan of Arc’s martyrdom.

But, the battlefield tours is only the icing on the cake, all passengers on this cruise will enjoy the incredible scenery of Northern France’s countryside, including Monet’s Giverny. And for art lovers, visiting the villages and homes of the Impressionists will certainly thrill.

River Queen Restaurant - Courtesy Uniworld

On the European river cruises that I’ve been on, I found our  river boats’ interior design and our staterooms to be sufficiently comfortable, but I wouldn’t described them as  plush.

Of course river boat designs are continually being enhanced and what caught my attention is Uniworld’s latest remodeled cruise ships.  I must say that I’ve not seen any small cruise ship interior as luxurious as the River Queen and River Empress.

Both of these cruise ships sail the extremely popular Rhine River and were refurbished for the 2010 cruise season.

Uniworld’s Secret to Classy Ships

Uniworld classifies itself as a “boutique” hotel-style cruise company. As such, all their ships are built to have a totally different look and feel, but at the same time what binds them together is the ’boutique feel’ of each of their ships, and their warm and intimate atmosphere. Uniworld’s philosophy is to  design ships that stand out from the ordinary and in their fleet you won’t find the prefabricated look.

It helps that Uniworld has a sister company, the Red Carnation Hotels Group, who is able to apply all their boutique hotel decorating concepts to the river boats.  The team at Red Carnation Hotels oversees the building of all Uniworld’s new ships as well as the  remodelling of the fleet.

Some Features of the River Queen

River Queen Stateroom - Courtesy Uniworld

• The River Queen is the only river boat in the entire river cruising world to have a working fireplace.
• River Queen’s plush interior decoration and furnishing give a 5-star home away from home feel.
• The different category staterooms each have their own designs and colour schemes.
• The suites have coffee machines – very civilized!
• All staterooms have custom-made furniture and marble bathrooms
• Amenities include quality L’Occitane bath products and cozy bathrobes!  This I like very much.
• Wireless internet access in public areas
• Free laundry services and daily newspaper

Uniworld’s ships are really 5-star floating hotels and it’s no wonder that many of their ships and cruises have won numerous prestigious travel industry awards.

With ships like the River Queen and River Empress offering luxurious European river cruising, it’s hard to contemplate anything less.

Gondolas on the Grand Canal

One of the greatest charms of  Venice is its Grand Canal, intricate network of winding waterways and lagoons and all the art, history, culture and everyday live that exists on these waterways.

If you love being on the water, here is a five-night Venice cruise that will allow you to holiday afloat in Venice and the Po River Delta.

Anyone who knows Venice will know that hotels along the Grand Canal are very expensive and although this cruise doesn’t travel a great distance away from Venice, it can be a nice home on the water for your Venice vacation.

The river boat is moored in Venice for three nights of the 5-night cruise.

Following is a sample 5-night itinerary taken from CroisiEurope’s “Venice and the River Po” cruise on the MS Michelangelo.

CroisiEurope is a major player in the European river cruising industry.  This is a French-owned, family-run company so on this cruise you can expect a distinctly French touch on cuisine and services.

Cordoba's Mezquita

River cruising in Spain in the past has mainly been limited to the Douro River cruise – a cruise which starts in Porto in Portugal and which strays into Spain for a couple of days. However, now there is an exciting river cruise on two of Spain’s major rivers -  the Guadalquivir (the Great River) and the Guadiana rivers covering the historic Andalucia region.

This interesting cruise on the Guadalquivir and the Guadiana  rivers includes a section of coastal cruising along the Andalucian coast joining the two rivers.

A Sample Itinerary

The following itinerary for a river cruise on the Guadalquivir and the Guadiana rivers in Spain is from CroisiEurope’s “Charms of Andalucia Cruise” on the MS Belle de Cadiz.

This is a 7-night cruise which starts and ends in Seville.  Passengers board the river boat from Seville and cruise downstream on the River Guadalquivir to the Atlantic. From here the boat cruises along the coast of Cadiz Bay up to the Guadiana River on the Spanish-Portuguese border and then returning to the Guadalquivir River to cruise back to Seville.

On this cruise, you’ll get to explore Seville and Cordoba, cruise alongside the Donana National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site, tour Cadiz and the Rock of Gibraltar  or go on an excursion to Tangiers.  At Alcoutim, Vila Real and Faro there’s the opportunity to experience a part of Portugal’s famous Algarve region.

About CroisiEurope

European River Cruise

When it comes to European river cruising, CroisiEurope does not get any coverage in the southern hemisphere.  Yet this French river cruise operator now has 27 river boats covering all the rivers in Europe and it seems that the company is cruising along to be one of the key players in the flourishing river cruising business in Europe.

History of CroisiEurope

CroisiEurope is an independent family business with an interesting humble beginning. When Gérard Schmitter created  his company in 1976, he started the trend of river tourism by offering lunches and afternoon dances around the port of Strasbourg. An Alsatian by origin, he named his company Alsace Croisières.

In 1982 Gérard Schmitter acquired his first boat which he aptly named “L’Alsace 1″.  With this, he was able to offer romantic cruises on the Rhine and sailing down to Rudesheim in Germany.

In 1984, the company introduced its first river boats with cabins. The “Hansi”, “Kleber” and “Petite France” allowed Alsace Croisières to offer longer cruises, sailing down the Rhine and its tributaries (the Neckar, the Moselle, the Main and the Saar) as well as cruises on the Dutch inland waterways.

1986 saw the launch of the “Kellermann”, the company’s first prestige-class river boat. The company then decided in 1990 that it would build its own boats. “MS Liberté” was the first company built river boat and they haven’t stopped building since.

A Name Change to CroisiEurope

To reflect its European river cruising presence, the company’s name was changed in 1997 from Alsace Croisières to CroisiEurope.

By 1999, CroisiEurope was already a flourishing company when Gérard Schmitter and his wife, Jeanine decided to hand over the reins to their four children, each one managing a certain aspect of the company’s business.

The Rhine and the Danube rivers are by far the most popular cruises for CroisiEurope, followed by the Seine, the Rhône and the Saône and the Douro River. The French make up the majority of passenger group (64.2%) but marketing campaigns outside of France has increased their non-French passengers to 35.8%.

An interesting proposition by CroisiEurope is that they offer short cruises of 3 – 7 days as well as the longer 14-day cruise. So time-challenged passengers who can’t afford the longer cruises, or families with young children, can still experience a cruise down the Rhine, Danube or any of Europe’s beautiful rivers.

Although CroisiEurope began as a river cruising business, they are now also active in the ocean cruising sector through their CroisiMer brand.

Headquartered in Strasbourg, CroisiEurope (www.croisieurope.com) has offices in Paris, Lyon, Nice, Brussels and Lausanne.