Aberkrombie & Kent River Barges

I am thinking about taking a river cruise with DW for our anniversary and would like to know what experiences anyone has had with A&K barge cruises. I'm considering the "Lorraine" doing the Alsace-Lorraine region in France. I'd appreciate any information on this company in general and this barge in particular. We have done many large ship cruises and want a change of pace. Thanks in advance for your help.

We did the Lafayette to Burgundt with A&K in 2004. It was the best trip we have ever taken. Ours was a 20 passenger barge so the cabins were so so tiny. The AC in the cabins barely worked - we all ended up keeping the doors open during the day.

The food was fabulous. Buffet breakfast (cold items) you could order eggs if you wanted. Lunch was a hot dish with 3 salads and 2 local cheeses white and red wine. Dinner was also very good.

The tours were great. Karen was the barge manager and her husband John was the van driver/tour guide. With the small group we were able to go to places that large tours don't. With John doing much of the guiding there was not a lot of repitition of 'gothic vs baroque'.

The passengers were 40's to 70's as this trip was in September after school had resumed.

We choose A&K over French Country Waterways - mostly because of price. But the larger number of passengers made for a more interesting trip.

The pace is much different from a large cruise ship. And the experience so much more personal. The chance to see other than large port cities is priceless. We did stop in a couple of cities and watched the river boats dock. It was so nice not to deal with buses and large groups.

We did the Rhone River on "Napoleon" a few years ago. We all agreed it was the best trip we ever had taken. The boat was luxuriously appointed, the always-open bar had anything and everything, cabins were tiny but beds and linens were fabulous, bathroom stocked with wonderful soaps etc. as well as big, thirsty towels. The chef was Cordon Bleu trained. Every morning the captain went into the town or village and brought back freshly baked pastries to accompany the wonderful breakfast.

We were met at our hotel in Paris and escorted to the TGV train. We zoomed to Arles (I think) where we were met by our Mercedes bus/van and taken to the boat. There we were met by the staff with open arms and glasses of champagne.

This barge had 6 cabins. We had five of them and the sixth one wasn't booked. At night we played board games, toured the current town, etc. One night they brought on board the Gypsy Kings for songs and dancing. There was a hot tub on the deck. All-in-all top shelf. We have traveled a lot and loved this one.

"The Barge Lady" had reviews and ratings of all of the barges--check out that web-site.

We took the Lorraine last June for a birthday celebration. What a great time. The cabins are small but workable. The crew was exceptional, any and everything we wanted. The included shore excursions were interesting and the scenery was fantastic. We went from Nancy to Strasbourg with a pre-cruise day in Paris. I can't recommend it highly enough for a change of pace from the big ship experience. We can't wait to do it again. If you want a relaxing time, with good company, opportunity to read, write, play games, chat, fantastic food (two wines with lunch and dinner), walk, bicycle, etc. then a barge cruise is the answer. Keep in mind that a barge cruise is NOT a river cruise. A barge "trip" is slow, slow, slow and a small barge with no casino, cocktail lounge, Las Vegas show. It is like one big family. Have a great time!

As other responders have said, barging will be one of your favorite trips - so relaxing, unbelievable food, crew, excursions, etc. We have taken two - one in Scotland and the other in the Loire Valley. We have friends who have been on five. Youwon't find a more relaxing way to travel and the food and wine are incredible. We had our own group of six. It's close quarters so I recommend your own group Check out www.thebargeland.com. She booked ours and is very knowledgeable and helpful.

Pink

Correction - should be www.thebargelady.com not bargeland!