Pictured left to right outside the new store are: Paul Hardwick, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Director of Retail; Emma Bailey, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Tutti Taylor, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Councillor Candy Vaughan, Mayor of Eastbourne; Trevor Ridler, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Business Development Manager; and Shirley Waters, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents..
France attracts more than 80 million visitors a year, making it the world’s top tourist destination, and Carley from our Jarrolds branch in Norwich enjoyed a 7-night river cruise with Riviera Travel along the Seine. This enchanting waterway links France’s famously romantic capital of Paris with the English Channel, flowing past the ever-changing scenery of Normandy. History abounds along this route, with medieval castles and imposing cathedrals interspersed with rural villages and lush green countryside.
Carley was onboard MS Jane Austen, which accommodates just 140 passengers. She was very impressed with the ship’s facilities, “This was a luxury ship, spotlessly clean, and with beautiful interiors. My cabin was really lovely: situated on the upper deck, it had floor to ceiling windows and a French balcony. It was very spacious and was cleaned each day, with a turn down service every night. My cabin included toiletries, bathrobe and slippers and tea and coffee making facilities.” The other cabin grades available are all of a similar high standard, “We saw the ocean view cabins, which were on the lower deck. These were a little bit smaller, with a window just at the top, and we also saw a suite, which had a lot more space and a bigger bathroom, but other than that looked the same as our cabin.”
The public spaces are very comfortable and welcoming, “The bar was nice and spacious, with lots of room to sit. The upper deck outside was lovely too, with lots of seating and some sun beds for the warmer months,” confirms Carley. Her cruise was during October though, “They had a heated plunge pool on the upper deck, and this worked really well for us as it was chilly when we were sailing, so having a warm dip was really enjoyable.”
“I found the best place to spend downtime was in the bar area during the day, on the top deck watching the world sail past,” says Carley, “or in my cabin sitting by the balcony, watching the views.” There is a spa onboard and evening entertainment in the bar, “Every night there was a singer for us to enjoy. They also played music some evenings where people could get up and dance. We took part in quizzes in the evenings and watched some presentations on the destinations we were visiting too.”
Food and drink are a key part of any cruise experience, and MS Jane Austen offers a main restaurant, as well as La Brasserie for relaxed dining. “We visited the main restaurant for 6 out of our 7 nights and I had some of the best duck I have ever eaten! On the other evening we dined at La Brasserie, for French tapas and charcuterie.” As for dressing for dinner, it is up to each guest to choose, confirms Carley, “It was quite smart onboard in the evenings. A lot of people enjoyed dressing up but there were also people who were dressed casually too - it didn’t matter what you were wearing.”
Riviera’s river cruises include selected excursions and Carley’s itinerary stopped at the Seine’s key highlights:
Les Andelys - here the spectacular medieval castle of Chateau Gaillard stands guard over the river. This amazing fortification was completed in 1198 by Richard the Lionheart to defend Rouen from the French.
Honfleur – with its picturesque old harbour.
Rouen - Normandy’s historic capital and one of Europe’s finest medieval cities, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake 1431 and home to the magnificent Jumièges Abbey.
Caudebec – for trips to Bayeux and Arromanches or to sample local produce from the region surrounding this traditional French village.
Giverny - site of the famous house and gardens of Claude Monet. He described his garden as his ‘most beautiful masterpiece’ and here the Japanese-inspired water garden was the inspiration of his famous Les Nymphéas (Water Lilies) series.
Paris – starting and ending in France’s unforgettable capital, this itinerary affords the opportunity to enjoy Paris’ iconic sites such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Élysées, stunning Sacré-Coeur, the recently restored Notre Dame cathedral, and of course the famous Eiffel Tower.
“We had shore excursions every day,” confirms Carley, “and these were usually walking tours. We visited Claude Monet’s garden which was really amazing. Overall, I learnt that there is a lot more history to France than I was aware of! I also found out that many people in the smaller towns we stopped at do not speak any English, so learning some basic French words would be really helpful.”
As well as excursions, Carley’s trip included Eurostar connections from London St Pancras to Paris at the start and end of her cruise. “We got the Eurostar from London to Paris and then got picked up in a coach and taken to the port. The journey was slightly chaotic because our Eurostar was delayed, but Riviera made everything run smoothly in the end. We checked in at St Pancras and went through security with plenty of time before we boarded the train. I’d recommend arriving early as it can be busy, and if you are not able to lift a heavy suitcase up onto the belt to go through the security machines, book assistance at St Pancras so they can help you.”
Overall, Carley had a fantastic time, “The whole cruise was brilliant, the food was amazing, the drinks were lovely, but the service we received onboard was unmatched. The staff were really amazing - nothing was too much trouble for them - it was very impressive. The trips that we went on were really good, allowing us to explore at each destination, and it’s a very relaxing way to travel - when you are sailing you have time to sit back and enjoy all the scenery - Riviera Travel offer a fabulous 5-star experience!
If you would like to find out more about river cruising with Riviera Travel please contact your local branch. You can find Carley at Jarrolds, Norwich.
