We went with friends who have been with OAT and Grand Circle Travel previously. This was our first River cruise with the company & we all had a great time. Both couples had previously saied on Viking river cruise in Europe. Our trip started with a 2 night stay in Nice, France. We met our Program director JP when we arrived in Nice. He is a great man, listens well and is there to help. We arrived at the hotel and he handed us our keys and off we went to the room. We stayed in the Boscolo Plaza Hotel and it was nice. Breakfast was included each morning and food was good. While in Nice we visited Monaco by train. Keep your bag close to you. I can't stress that enough. I was pick pocketed - it turned out fine (wallet was found & returned to me with everything intact - except for the 30 euros I had. Boarded the MS Provence in Arles, France - after a drive through the countryside we visited the Rhone American Cemetery. 861 American soldiers are buried there. We arrived at the ship and it is small. 46 passengers only. You get to know your fellow passengers well. I was concerned about what we would do after dinner in the evenings - but Grand Circle has programs/entertainers for us. Highlights were the keyboard player, we danced on the top deck overlooking Avignon France - it was fabulous, an Opera Singer, Accordian player and his wife who sang, Bastille day celebration and more. The food was excellent in my opinion - hot, tasty and French! I heard some grumbling about there being only 2 choices of lunch/dinner entrée each day. It was great for me - but there was 1 day I didn't care for the 2 options for dinner - Salmon or Mushroom risotto. JP had mentioned to us - you don't like the food - talk to the Restaurant manager & he & the chef will work with you to come up with a great option for you - and they did. Wine & beer are included with dinner and to my unrefined palate the wine was good. The only problem I saw was that the main lounge/dining room could get warm. The kitchen is off the dining room and on hot days (90's) it was a bit stuffy. I think ceiling fans would help in that space. Someone asked me what was the one thing that set this trip apart from others and my answer is the Crew - they made the difference. They danced with us, learned our names, teased us a bit and we just had a great time. I miss them all already! I would take this exact cruise again it was so great! Read Less

I love the wines from the Rhone River, and for a number of years I have wanted to see the area where they came from. Also, I have heard what a beautiful area Provence was and wanted to see it for myself. It did not disappoint. After spending sometime in Paris, and then doing a wine tasting and lunch at Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet, we boarded the M/S Provence in Macon. We then sailed to Lyon (France's 3rd largest city) where we spent 2 nights, and then it was on to Vienne, Viviers, Avignon and Arles. The ship is about 15 years old, is kept in extremely good condition and is very charming. It has a capacity of 46, and on our particular cruise we were only 43, so you really got to know everyone on board. The crew was truly outstanding - 5 star all the way. They were just fantastic and I cannot say enough nice things about them. All in all this was an absolutely FANTASTIC trip. We loved the ship, Our Program Director Olivier was awesome, the food was great and the ports were truly magical. This may have been the BEST trip we have ever taken. Read Less