This barge hotel cruise on and along the Marne river was absolutely fantastic! It is by far the most relaxing way to travel I've ever experienced. Plenty of on board activities from which to choose during the cruising portion. Interesting daily excursions to learn of the local history, observe a different way of life and take in all that France has to offer. The crew were very attentive and hospitable. One of the biggest, if not THE biggest, highlight of the trip was the food. Breakfast was a typical French style buffet with all the trimmings. Lunch and dinner were menus, in the French style, prepared by our Chef and paired with a variety of wines and cheeses from around France. Each meal was unique and full of variety culminating at the end of the week with our Gala Dinner. One of the excursion highlights, and a major reason why we chose this particular cruise, was the falconry demonstration at Chateau Thierry. It was very well done and quite a moving presentation, which included an American Bald Eagle and, even more surprisingly, Storks. If you are looking for a more intimate way to cruise, Passenger to Crew ratio was 17 - 6, consider barge hotel cruises. We are most definitely looking forward to our next barge hotel cruise experience. Read Less

I truly was not expecting much when I climbed aboard the barge but I was in for such a surprise. The food was 5 star worthy, the crew looked after every need any of us had. It was such a relaxing trip with beautiful views of Paris. Cabins are very small but honestly you are only in it to sleep. Going through the canals of Paris was truly a unique trip. The excursions that were planned for us were fun with great tour guides. Bikes are available for use. Dining outside if the weather permits is also available. CrosiEurope is not a household name but I feel more people should look at this as an option while you are in France as a relaxing way to see the city of lights. I would definitely go again. This is a great cruise option for a family or group of friends to rent out the barge. Read Less

We chose this 3 night barge cruise to enhance our vacation experience while visiting Paris for a week, and we were not disappointed. Thanks to a very attentive crew and pleasant accomodations on the river barge "RAYMONDE", we were treated to an emersive experience in Parisian culture and city life. The barge was initially docked at the base of the Eiffel Tower when we boarded on day 1. We stayed there overnight with a fabulous view of the Tower at night and the busy river scene of passing sightseeing boats and dinner cruises. On day 2, the barge sailed on the Seine River and then on to a canal which took us through interesting locks and tunnels to a quiet neighborhood in Paris. From there, we embarked on a city tour of Paris via tour bus. The Raymonde overnighted in this quiet neighborhood. On Day 3, we did another bus tour in the morning before leaving to sail back through the locks to the Seine for our return trip to our original embarkation point where we again overnighted. While onboard the Raymonde, we were treated to gourmet meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) prepared with loving care by our chef Remy. Lunch and dinner were accompanied by fine wines selected to complement each course served. We were treated like family by everyone in the crew, and were sad to leave. I recommend this experience to couples and families who want more than just staying in a hotel and seeking out places to eat while in Paris. Thanks to the crew of the Raymonde for an adventure we will never forget. Read Less

Our group embarkation was a breeze granted the barge only holds 22 passengers! The staff was very friendly and accommodating to the entire group. I sailed with 11 others. Here is what you can expect: - Intimate, small boutique feel barge. Brand new and stylish. Ideal for family reunions and girlfriend getaways. - Great food - locally sourced and cooked daily. Our chef was just fantastic. - Cabins are very small, but it's a barge cruise so you will only be in your cabin to change clothes - trust me, you want to be experiencing the canals outside. - Loved the open air top terrace - especially beautiful viewing the Eiffel Tower from the river with a bonus of the original Lady Liberty! - Wine will be served at lunch and dinner everyday. All liquor included which we loved! - Staff is funny and looks for ways to entertain their guests and engage them in local culture and flavor. - We loved experiencing the canal locks - definitely a sight to see and experience first hand up close and personal. We are experienced cruisers and highly recommend adding the 3 night Paris Itinerary to your travels in France! Read Less

A very good friend showed me Great Train Journey brochure there were eight adults in our party. We travelled from St Pancras to Paris then transferred to Raymonde Barge in Joigny. No tour of Paris other than driving through the centre of the city. Transfer from Paris to Joigny was unacceptable bus too small very cramped and journey to Joigny is over two hours so very disappointed...not a good start to an expensive holiday and we anticipated that we would travel in comfort. Both embarkation &disembarkation was efficient and smooth thanks too the professional crew on Raymonde Barge. The crew on Raymonde were very welcoming helpful and nothing throughout our stay was too much trouble. The Barge Raymonde had been recently exquisitely renovated the lounge was comfortable clean and spacious. The cabins were Small but thoughtfully designed storage was excellent beds were very comfortable shower efficient sumptuous clean towels daily very clean and attention to detail. Air condition not brilliant cabins sometimes got extremely hot. Dining on Raymonde was an awesome experience the presentation and content divine the cuisine was first class our chef explained our courses prior to lunch and supper daily breakfast was buffet style with fresh produce daily Silvi our waitress was always on hand but discreet with excellent knowledge of wine. Laurie team leader introduced daily new French cheeses to our palette.. Dining on the Raymonde was fabulous and memorable. Laurie who was overall encharge of the crew ensured entertainment and activities were there when and if we wanted. There was great crew participation and fun with all our activities and entertainment from riding the Raymonde bikes alone the towpath to playing boules to charades wonderful fun and laughter. Thank you Laurie Silvi Alan Nikki MoMo and Silvi you guys are simply the best. Service in a word excellent 5 Read Less

We booked this cruise through great rail journeys. We had originally booked to go through champagne region, but a couple of weeks before they contacted us and said we couldn't go because of lock maintenance. We were offered a refund, a later date or an alternative route. After much conferring, we chose the alternative route, which embarked at Joigny. When we received our itinerary we noticed that they were sending us on a dog leg route, quite pointlessly sending us on another train after the Eurostar, and then a long coach ride. After this was pointed out, it was changed, and we had a two hour trip on an extremely uncomfortable mini bus. Not the greatest start! We were a party of eight, and we discovered that the rest had cancelled. The barge has the capacity for 24, so we were more than delighted to have it to ourselves. When we arrived we were warmly welcomed by a crew of six, all of which were absolutely fantastic. They were Laurie, Sylvie, another Sylvie, Nicky, Mohammed, and Alain the captain. Nothing was too much trouble, the food was excellent, all the excursions were brilliant, with knowlegeable guides, and the barge was superb. We enjoyed cycling along the tow paths. We spent our last day seeing Paris, and moored under the Eiffel Tower. Champagne in the hot tub is recommended. So do book this fabulous trip, but do it direct with croisi Europe. Read Less