Today I’m passing the microphone to my mother, who experienced
her first-ever cruise last week. She joined me on Uniworld’s River
Royale along the Saone and Rhone in southern France.
Her response when asked, on day three, what she thought?
“Heavenly.”
“I didn’t expect to be on land so much, to get off every day and walk
around,” she said.
“And I didn’t expect the staff to be so nice. I thought they would be
‘fake nice’ but they are genuine and have a great sense of humour.”
At the end of the one-week trip, Mum gave me her final assessment.
The cabin
“A bit small but it had everything that was needed and was fine for
the length of time. You can sit in the lounge or on the sun deck or use
the computers. I was amazed by our French balcony. I thought we’d
be lucky to have a porthole.”
The food
“Brilliant. Lots of variety, vegetarian and low-fat options. The
desserts were ruinous. As much as you weren’t going to have one,
you couldn’t pass it by.”
The service
“First class. They really couldn’t do enough. Every day they were
fresh and enthusiastic. I couldn’t pick a favourite: maybe Georgiev or
Bogdan or Lina or Nadia. All of them!”
The passengers
“An interesting mix; mostly good-natured and friendly. I liked
sitting with different people at meals, but if you didn’t feel like it, you
could find a table to yourself. At first I thought I was going to avoid all
the Aussies, but I ended up having a lot of fun with them.”
The destination
“All ports were very interesting culturally, with good shopping. The
local guides were great. I liked that there was a choice of tours for
different interests and levels of fitness. I could’ve done with an extra
day in each place.”
Ease of travel
“By far the best way because you’re always getting off at a different
location, and you can walk into town, go on a tour or stay on the
boat. I also loved being able to take a bike for a ride along the river.”
Value onboard
“I was happy with the free wine with meals, and other drinks are
reasonably priced: 4 euro for the cocktail of the day and 16 euro for a
bottle of sparkling wine.”
Unexpected surprise?
“I enjoyed the morning exercise with the charming fitness instructor.
She was very low-key, which would befit people on a river cruise.”
What was missing?
“A swimming pool, even though I was secretly glad to not have to
take my clothes off. There was a Jacuzzi at the back but nobody
seemed to know about it.”
What would you say to people contemplating a river cruise?
“Try it before you try an ocean cruise. An ocean cruise might put
people off cruising but a river cruise wouldn’t.”
A seven-night cruise in Burgundy and Provence is priced from
$3,155pp. Pay in full before 31 October 2012 to receive a discount of up
to $1,000 per couple .
For full details see www.uniworldcruises.com.au.
