Cyrano de Bergerac Cabins

There are three accommodation decks: upper, middle and main. Cabins are pretty similar in size on all three (about 140 square feet) and priced mainly according to their location on the ship. Cabins on the upper deck have French balconies, which help to create a sense of space. Accommodations on the middle deck have large picture windows; on main deck, they've got portholes. One cabin on middle deck is adapted for wheelchair use. Most have twin beds, which are pushed together to create doubles, and a few have fixed doubles. The cabins are not big enough to fit third or fourth births (which is not unusual for a river vessel), so families need to book separate accommodations for children.

The cabins are basic. They're bright and colorful, with a blue and white theme and Impressionist-style paintings on the walls, but they do have a slightly plastic feel about them. Each contains a wardrobe, drawers and two bedside tables, as well as individually controlled air-conditioning, a TV showing French channels, a hair dryer and a safe. Wall outlets are 220v European, so you'll need to bring an adapter. Bathrooms are tiny to the point of being impractical. When you shower, everything on the single storage shelf gets wet, and the hand basin isn't deep enough; every time we cleaned our teeth, we ended up being drenched by the tap. There are no amenities apart from a liquid soap dispenser affixed to the wall between the shower and vanity.