This was our very first cruise of any kind, so we have nothing to compare it with. We had considered the South of France for a honeymoon when we got married 4 years ago-neither of us had been to France before. When we saw the deal for this cruise, we booked it right away and are so glad we did! It was hot, but France was beautiful-we loved it and look forward to going back! Highlights for me were Avignon and Tournon-the walled city was so charming, and Tournon was just really cool-I fell in love the minute we walked into town-the scenery, the architecture, the forests, the steam train-and our guide, Philippe. I could live there! Another highlight was our excursion into the Ardeche region-unlike anything I have ever seen and fascinating. We loved Cluny, too-gorgeous countryside and impressive abbey. I liked Paris but not as much as the smaller towns in Southern France. We loved the local guides, too.

Our crew was stellar, especially Christine, our cruise director-she was simply fabulous! We also loved the young people who served us meals-so friendly and nice. I wish I had had the chance to practice my French a bit more, but that is a minor thing. Overall, the service was exceptional. The food was good, but there were a few "misses"-I did see some regional food, but it appeared that some meal choices were the chef's interpretation of regional specialties. The Provencal luncheon was wonderful-from the tablecloths to the food served that day. Overall, the food was very good and we liked having choices for all our meals. The shore excursions were great, and I'm glad we were able to add on the ones to the Ardeche and Cluny-I just wish we hadn't missed one of the towns because of the Ardeche excursion. It was hard to choose some of them! We loved the ship and look forward to our next river cruise! It was the trip of a lifetime!