The River Cruise Lady

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Crystal River Cruise on the Rhine and Mosel

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From the welcome airport greeting to the final farewell, our Crystal River Cruise was a fantastic experience!
We met the friendly Crystal staff at the Amsterdam airport and were promptly transferred by Crystal’s own fleet of buses (that follow along the cruise) to the Crystal Mahler. The river cruise pier is located right in front of the historic Grand Centraal Station so we took a stroll around the ship, checked into our cabin (they call them suites) and headed out to tour the city.

We walked past the station, Anne Franks House, over many bridges & canals and even the Red Light District (which is usually fairly quiet during the day but a rather robust women was standing outside as we went by). Amsterdam is such a beautiful, bustling walkable city although one has to look both ways frequently to avoid the constant whish of bicycle riders that whiz past (at top speeds I might add) as that is their main form of transportation there.


Heading back to the ship, we decided to unpack and took some pictures to show the features of our Petite Suite – category S4/S5. The cabin was spacious enough at 188sq ft but with the closet & bathroom lacking drawer space to put some of our stuff, just made do with using the cupboards instead. The mini-bar was fully stocked with water, beer, pop and later white wine. The Nespresso type coffee maker is unique to Crystal as you don’t often see any type of coffee maker in a river cruise cabin. The suites are also equipped with binoculars, Audio machines for going out on tour to hear the guides without having to stand beside them and lots of plugs.(great for all the devices we tend to bring along)

If you upgrade to the Deluxe Suite -category S1/S2, which is larger at 253 sq ft (there is one cabin in category S3 and if ever interested in that one, just pop me an email to linda@therivercruiselady.com and I can explain the difference between that one and the S1/S2) you get a full walk in closet plus two sinks in the bathroom and drawers in both) Both have the luxurious King Size bed (or two singles), the Panoramic Balcony Window, interactive TV system with complimentary movies on demand, a bedside Ipad and wifi.

Dining options on the Mahler were plenty starting with breakfast at the Waterside restaurant, usually served between 7:30 and 9am or if felt like sleeping in, could catch the late risers breakfast at the Bistro served from 9 to 11:30am. If you happened to really sleep in, there were snacks & pastries at the Bistro from 11:30am to 6pm or lunch service started at 12:30 to 2:30pm. The Waterside restaurant times varied daily but was usually between noon and 2pm. Of course you could also order 24 hour room service (including selections from the main restaurant menu) or help yourself to the 24 hour self-service pantry which featured snacks, specialty coffees, teas and non-alcoholic beverages.
Dinner was either at the Waterside restaurant, the Bistro for a Tapas menu or for a special multi course with wine pairing evening, there was the Vintage Room which had an extra cost and needed to be reserved in advance. The food on Crystal was some of the best I’ve ever been served – the presentation was always artistically crafted and the taste was delicious.

Our cruise itinerary had to be changed due to the record low water conditions on the Danube so we ended up sailing on the Rhine, Mosel and the Belgian Waterways instead and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Crystal was to be commended for coming up with new excursions due to the changes and we visited some wonderful picturesque places like Bernkastel, Bruges, Ghent and Arnhem. They included cultural visits in Nijmegen to the Van Gogh Kroller-Muller Museum, the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague, Drachenfels Castle in Bonn and a magical Concert evening with Eva Vermeeren, Hanne Roos & The Turnhoutse Snaar.

We participated in many of the bike excursions that Crystal offered and although they do not store the bikes onboard, top quality e-bikes were brought to each location where they offered the excursions. We rode through Historic Nijmegen, Veluwezoom National Park, the Netherlands Waterlands and even biked up a mountainside to play golf and sample some local wine (don’t worry, they bussed us home after that 😊)

If you would like to view a video about the bike excursions, you can view it below:

The evening entertainment ended up being something we looked forward to every night. Some lines just have a piano player softly in the background in the lounge but our cruise had Rita and Bruno, a musically talented couple who both sang and played the piano. They seemed to be able to sing anything and even led a couple of triva contests too. There was also an indoor pool that looked inviting but I never saw anyone using it (perhaps they did early in the mornings?) Same with the gym, but again, could have been used early. One place that did get a lot of use was the self service laundry room which included two washer/dryers and ironing board.

While it is true that the cost of a Crystal River Cruise can be higher than other companies offering an all inclusive experience, it seemed as though most passengers felt that it was a very good value for what they received. Plus their crew to guest ratio is one of the lowest at 1 to 1.55 which we noticed as there always seemed to be a helpful crew member to assist. Crystal has four Rhine class sister ships which are the Mahler, Bach, Debussy and Ravel while the Crystal Mozart that sails on the Danube is configured differently. Whichever one you choose, you’re sure to have a memorable river cruise!


For a video tour of the Crystal Mahler, please watch the video below:

Crystal River Cruises changing the world of river cruising!

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Crystal Cruises entered in the world of river cruising two years ago and is upping the ante all around.   They’ve just launched their 4th ship, the Crystal Debussy, which is a sister ship to the Crystal Bach, Crystal Mahler and Crystal Ravel. 

All four ships will sail either on the Danube, Rhine, Main or Moselle with only 106 passengers (compare that to their same size longship competitors sailing with almost 190 passengers) which means more spacious cabins and more lounge space.

They have also introduced open seating dining in their Waterside restaurant so no more 7pm rush for a table.  They also boast the following: 

  • The only all-suite river yachts in Europe; every suite featuring a King-size bed, most with walk-in closets and double sink vanities
  • The highest staff-to-guest ratio among all European river cruise lines
  • Michelin star-inspired farm-to-table dining, featuring Crystal’s acclaimed six-star cuisine with regionally-inspired menus
  • Unmatched culinary choices with flexible open seating dining in each restaurant
  • Wine sommeliers offering educational insight and endless pour of acclaimed vintages
  • Unmatched collection of multiple Complimentary Crystal Adventures® ashore in each destination; cultural, active and overland
  • High-tech in-suite amenities including: bedside iPad directory; interactive TV system with complimentary movies on demand, extensive music library; ambient lighting and temperature controls
  • A full service, well-appointed Crystal Life Spa aboard each river yacht, staffed by dedicated, highly-trained professionals
  • Crystal luxury motor coaches, featuring complimentary Wi-Fi and coffee bars

As part of their luxury all inclusive river cruising experience, Crystal includes:

  • unlimited fine wines, champagne, premium spirits, beers, soft drinks, specialty coffees, teas and bottle water in-suite
  • All gratuities both shipboard and shoreside 
  • Unlimited wifi/Internet plus electronic international newspapers
  • Daily yoga and fitness classes 
  • Complimentary self-service guest laundry  (so handy for those 15 day voyages)
  • Use of eBikes for both excursions and on your own
  • Complimentary airport transfers from the airport to the ship on day of embarkation/disembarkation

Here is a short video about these wonderful new ships

 

If you would like to view the deckplan seen in the video, just click CRYSTAL SISTER SHIPS DECKPLAN

I will be sailing on the Crystal Mahler in Sept so look for a new post with a full report upon my return.   Cheers, Linda

 

 

Breathtaking Bordeaux Scenic River Cruise

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I now see why the new Bordeaux region river cruises are becoming a fast favorite – it was wonderful (and not just because of wine tasting at 10am !)

There are a couple of different ways to get to the region, one being a pre-cruise stay in Paris and then taking the 3 hour train ride to Bordeaux or flying straight into BDX which is the airport in the region.  Since I had previously been to Paris, chose to fly straight in and the representative from Scenic Cruises was there to meet us for the 20 minute transfer to the ship (one of their complimentary inclusions, even if you don’t book your airfare with them)

After settling in our cabin, enjoyed a welcome buffet dinner but due to some jet lag, many turned in early that night.

The next morning we sailed to Bourg and once we were docked, we headed off for our first excursion which was a Saint Emilion city tour where we got our first glimpse of the stunning chateaus that fill the wine region.

On our way back after the tour, we stopped at Chateau Soutard for a “sundowner” drink which was very nice.  It is one of the oldest estates in the area dating back to 1513 !Then we met up with the ship in Libourne.

Our next day gave us a choice of three different excursions and I chose to do the wine tasting at Chateau Franc Mayne  (we were in Bordeaux after all 🙂 )

The Chateau is not only a vineyard but also a charming little hotel that has a total of 10 rooms, each of them different with a specific theme.  Right in the middle of their vineyard, they even have a tree house that you can stay in.

Back to the ship again for a scrumptious lunch and then we did a leisurely sail along the river heading towards Pauillac enjoying the scenery along the way.   We also had great talk about “Understanding the Gironde Estuary” from Captain Jeremy followed by a port talk from the cruise director on what to expect for the next day.  Then the Captain rejoined us for a his welcome reception before we headed off to dinner.

Another day, another wine tasting !  This time we had a guided tour of the Medoc area and passed so many stunning chateaux, especially on such a beautiful sunny day.  Our tasting was at Chateau Lagrange and since we were such a small group, hardly needed to use our “Tailormades” (which are Scenic’s GPS locator guides connected to personal headphones that allow you to wander around while still being able to hear your guide without having to stand right next to them, plus they are also useful when walking around on your own or sitting up on deck listening to the diverse selection of topics)

After lunch we had a free afternoon so took the bikes out for a spin around the Paulliac area, such a nice leisurely way to see the town.  The Scenic bikes are so easy to use and don’t like to admit but the power assist boost sure made it easy to go up any hills.  For dinner that night, we were treated to a meal off the ship at the famous estate of Chateau du Tertre and it was so special, we felt like royalty.

It was nice to have a leisurely morning the following day as we sailed back to Bordeaux.  Since we enjoyed the bikes so much the day before, signed up for the Bordeaux City tour by bike and although there was more traffic, was still a very enjoyable way to see the sights.

I haven’t even talked about the food yet which is another wonderful part of river cruising, you certainly never go hungry !   Dinner every night is served at 7pm in the dining room but there are two other choices available.  One is a separate dining area on the ship called L’Amour which is a separate smaller venue that you can make a reservation for. The other one is exclusive for Diamond deck guests and they are treated to a special six course degustation menu dinner called Table La Rive with sommelier paired wines.  Only ten guests per evening partake in this so it makes for a more intimate dining experience.

There was a multitude of excursions to choose from the next day which were 1) Hiking tour through Loupiac (which we chose) 2) Walking tour of Cadillac 3) Excursion to Roquetaillade or 4) Excursion to Saint-Macaire.

We were lucky to have another beautiful day for our hike and with our quirky local guide leading us, felt very immersed in the area and had some wonderful views of the river from the ruins of the castle that we hiked to.

That evening because we were still in Bordeaux, took advantage of going for a walk after dinner and we found out why its nicknamed, Breathtaking Bordeaux as the lights that lit up the buildings were just that.  We were docked right in the heart of the city and could walk around easily.

Whew, the next day we were back to wine tasting – this time in the Sauternes region with a visit to Chateau de Myrat  – run by the Pontac family who have been winemakers for over 400 years !

After dinner, a local guitarist, Jeremy Dupouy came onboard and had most of the crowd singing along with him for an evening of fun.

We had a longer bus ride the next day as headed all the way to the coast to Arcachon where we did a really interesting hike up and down Europe’s tallest sand dune.  It is called Dune du Pilat and when we got to the top, (felt like I cheated go up the stairs so walked back down the dune ) had a great time watching this fellow try to paraglide but there wasn’t quite enough wind so he just couldn’t get going.

Stopped for a great lunch (included) before heading back to the ship where we were joined by some amazing musicians called Les Veneurs d’Epernon.  They play what is classified as Trunk Hunting which belongs to the family of natural brass and its origin was a church instrument for liturgical songs and concerts.

When we sailed to Blaye/Bourg the next day, we were feeling very brave and signed up for the 30km/18.6m guided bike tour and it turned out to be one of our most favorite ones.  The scenery was spectacular, the weather was wonderful and felt better knowing that I was burning off some of those delicious meals!.  Scenic even presented all the bike riders with a certificate at the end for our accomplishment.

As we head into our final day, I should mention that Scenic is the only company (currently) who offers Bordeaux as a 11 day itinerary which is why we were able to fit so much touring in, while most others usually do it as an 8 day sailing with pre-nights in Paris or post nights in Amboise/Loire Valley to create a longer trip.

Speaking of our last day, it was also a pretty special one as headed up to Cognac where we had a picturesque walking tour through the town before continuing on to visit the Remy Martin estate and sample a few tastings.  The toughest decision was deciding on which bottle to bring home as a souvenir ! (the kind of souvenir that doesn’t sit on your shelf gathering dust 🙂

As we sailed back to Bordeaux, that evening we were treated to a beautiful illumination cruise up to the Pont de Pierre bridge to help create more memories of this breathtaking river cruise.

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(604) 540-8287

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Email:
linda@therivercruiselady.com