Although I've been on lots of ocean cruises, this was my first river cruise experience. I had precise dates for the cruise, due to being booked into a chateau in the Bordeaux region mid-May. After a lengthy search for Bordeaux cruises in May, I happened across CroisiEurope, which went exactly where we wanted to go and at the right time. And also, when I saw the price, I knew it was exactly what we wanted.

The shp was moored in central Bordeaux (Chartrons) - a lovely area with plenty of things within walking distance. The ship is quite small compared to the big players - holding about 150 people in all. We were greeted by the crew, who helped us with our bags to our cabin on the lower deck. The cabins are smallish but functional, the bathroom is tiny but didn't really bother us (except for the shower curtain which tended to stick to you!). There are no drawers (except in the side tables) but plenty of shelf space and hanging space. Only amenities are a TV and hairdryer but, again, we didn't spend much time in the cabin so no big deal for us. I'd say the cabins were a little dated but they were very clean.

Being a small ship, there is also a small crew, who seem to do everything - serving, cleaning, entertaining. All spoke very good English and were very friendly. The ship has a bar, restaurant, small shop and sun deck. Entertainment was mainly a pianist/violinist as well as a crew show and some quizzes. There is only one sitting for dinner (about 7-7.30) and we were sat with English speaking guests, who were great fun. Food was very good; if there was something you didn't want, they would go out of their way to get you something else. Read more