We travelled from Ebbsfleet to Dijon by Eurostar and TGV in five and a half hours with Scenic waiting to collect us at Dijon station. Embarkation was completed very quickly as the majority of the passengers (mainly Australian) had stayed in Paris the night before and had already completed their embarkation. Drink on arrival, warm towels and welcome talk. The food was stunningly good, not only tasty but beautifully presented and served by staff who all looked as though they really enjoyed their jobs. If you didn't fancy any of the three choices offered each evening you could always order one of the five alternative options, which included a very tasty fillet steak. The five course menu and accompanying wines served at the invitational La Rive table was of Michelin star standard.

The tours were outstanding and included a banquet and recital at the Popes Palace in Avignon; demonstration at the Paul Bocuse Cookery School; wine tasting at Chateauneuf-du Pape. The cruise director managed to combine being informative and helpful with a sense of fun. Some of the entertainment included on board cookery demos; a tour of the galley (v. small - don't know how they managed to produce such fantastic food!); a tasting of local French products; local musicians and a folk dancing troupe.

The ship was immaculate, the staff were all very friendly, the service outstanding. This all inclusive tour really did include everything and with some style. Disembarkation was a masterpiece of planning. It took us 6 hours to travel from Avignon station to home. We arrived stress free, having enjoyed a fantastic time, but missing our personal butler!