Booked this cruise because it was deeply discounted, found it to be the bargain of the century. It started out very rocky because of high water and a French air traffic controller strike, but Vantage scrambled and put us up in a lovely hotel for the first night, and we boarded the ship after the regularly planned excursion on day 2.

The River Discovery II is a beautiful ship with an excellent crew. As with other river ships, the rooms are a bit small but this had plenty of storage area and a nice bathroom. Service was outstanding in all parts of the ship, particularly the dining room. (I'd like to know just how much wine I drank - they never let you empty your glass without refilling it.) The cabin staff, too, was remarkable: our room was meticulously maintained throughout the cruise. The food was consistently excellent, as was the entertainment. Like other river cruises, the entertainment was minimal and local, but the entertainers were very talented.

Shore excursions were very educational and not too physically challenging; on occasion there would be multiple options to allow the more fit passengers to see more but with greater effort. There were two optional (extra-cost) excursions offered, but one was cancelled due to the heavy rain that preceded our cruise. The other, a visit to a medieval village, was well worth the price. Read more