Summary over a cruise on the Haute Seine and Yonne on a barge. As seasoned cruisers, knowing well all aspects of cruising on seas and rivers, we had no experience about traveling on a barge in a canal. It was also time to overcome this lack. A number of companies offer this kind of cruising on barge with 8 to 16 passengers, however very often at exorbitant prices. Luckily, we discovered that the company CroisiEurope offers one week cruise on various canals in Europe, at very decent price, especially considering that all is inclusive (full board, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and all excursions) on modern barges with a maximum of 22 passengers. We opted for the barge Ms Deborah, which cruises on the canal de la Loire, with the Briare to Nevers’ route. We were looking forward to this itinerary because the proposed excursions particularly suited us. Unfortunately, only a few days before departure, we were informed that due of a lack of water in the Loire canal the Ms Deborah was switched over to the Haute Seine and Yonne for a new itinerary from Paris to Sens. Despites the fact that this new itinerary didn’t really meet our desires, especially the excursions, we decided to accept the change. Our group of 6 persons from Switzerland was very warmly greeted by all members of the crew when arriving on the quai de Grenelle in Paris where we see the MS DEBORAH for the first time, our floating home for the week. With its two dominating colours blue and white, it is difficult not to fall in love with this beautiful small ship. We were invited immediately for the welcome cocktail during which we met officially the crew and the other six individual passengers originating from New Zealand, England and the USA. With less time than it needs to tell, the relation between us was created, so that everyone felt part of a bunch of friends knowing each other for long time. There is no need to present here the MS Deborah itself, as this is already thoroughly done on the Cruise Critic page. The crew of 6 persons is composed of a captain, a sailor, a cruise director, a chef, a waitress and a cabin hostess who put all their efforts to satisfy the passengers and offer them the best possible service. The captain as well as the sailor are always trying to make passengers at ease, answer questions or even bring a drink. The lady cruise director is omnipresent, taking care of the passengers better than a mother hen would do. The talented young French chef aims to produce dishes which please everybody. His outstanding sauces and excellent desserts should be particularly praised. However, referring to comments we made during a cruise on the Seine Princess two years ago, we cannot understand that why today it is not possible to offer the choice of a light buffet at lunch instead a three or even four course menu! The always smiling and friendly Hungarian waitress was very caring and attentive, without forgetting the cabin hostess doing a great job in the cabins, the public spaces and even the kitchen. It wouldn’t be fair to name a single person as all members of the crew, without any exception, do all they can to make the cruise unforgettable. Our one-week cruise on the barge Ms Deborah enables us today to make the following comments: ~ a cruise on a barge cannot be compared to any other kind of cruise ~ despite all the comfort offered on modern barge, one must be very aware that life on board happens at a restraint space, requiring therefore much flexibility and understanding in all aspects from all passengers ~ in our case, being only 12 passengers, we had the opportunity to take our meals on the terrace. We also never had the feeling that the boat was overcrowded. This can be different when the ship is full, especially by bad weather ~ the state of mind between the passengers who are mostly of foreign nationalities, who don’t know each other and don’t speak French, must function well right from the beginning ~ if the interrelation works, it is difficult to find a more relaxing and enjoyable way of travelling ~ the success on a barge is mainly due on the quality of its crew. Ms Deborah’s crew members have quickly created a family spirit on board, showing also that they genuinely like what they do ~ excursions can play a major role in choosing an itinerary. Not speaking French or English can be a handicap Do we recommend to do a cruise on a barge? Yes, definitively! It’s affordable, the atmosphere on board is unique, the routes can be very interesting. In our case, this second try with CroisiEurope gives them a better note. We would also consider again if some improvements are made in a certain sector Read Less

We chose this cruise because our travel operator came to our development and presented this cruise to us. We were a group of 12 friends and neighbors. Even though the ship has cabins for 22 passengers, I would think 14-16 would be the max ideal. There is one handicapped cabin on the main deck. All others are below deck down a fairly wide spiral staircase. There is no elevator so one must be able to go up and down the staircase. The common areas are very well appointed. The dining room is large and employs white linen tablecloths. The lounge has very comfy seating with a bar area tucked in the corner. There are outside tables and chairs under umbrellas, and a hot tub on the main deck. There is an upper sun deck which is available only when the ship is docked. The crew was outstanding! There are only six of them--captain, 1st mate, purser, chef, server, and housekeeper. Sometimes they wear different hats as there is always a bartender. It's amazing what only six crew can do. Every day after the appointed breakfast hour, we would go out on one or two excursions. These would be to churches, monasteries, working farms, vineyards, wineries etc. We would return to refreshment, lunch, and the afternoon was free to nap, enjoy the passing scenery, the process of going through locks (of which there were many), read, and relax. At a couple of towns where we docked, we were able to take out the plentiful on-board bicycles and ride down the bike paths. Dinner was at 7:30 pm. Because it didn't get dark until at least 10 pm, we were able to avail ourselves of some of the games like petanque which the ship carries. The food ranged from very good to outstanding. Breakfast is for the most part European. The breads are fantastic. The chef tries to use locally grown and produced products when he can. A few times a crew member was sent with us on our excursions into town to get fresh items at the markets. They try very hard to accommodate dietary restrictions, but for the most part, there is one appetizer, one salad, one main course, and one dessert. At lunch, an informative cheese course of 2 cheeses is presented. There is a "gala" dinner on the last night which was outstanding! Dress is casual. For the "gala" dinner, long pants and a button down shirt is about how dressy it gets. I do not think this is a vacation for young children unless you have a whole group of like-minded families, reserve the entire ship, and bring your own entertainment. I would go on another of Croisi's canal/river cruises. It was a great experience! Read Less