River Royale just returned!!!

[sperantei]

Suzanne, I paid the tips in Euros, cash, because that's what the written materials they gave us said. Then I heard people say they charged the tips on their credit card.

 

I don't think there were tables for two, but several couples sat by themselves in the tables for four.

 

I never did see the American outlet. It's supposedly there somewhere. BTW, the hairdryer is in the vanity drawer in the room, not the bathroom.

 

I was pleasantly surprised that not everyone got real dressed up for the formal nights! A lot of men did not wear ties or even sportcoats. I believe there were men in polo shirts. I don't like dressing up and wore a black cotton shirt with black pants and a necklace, and I changed out of the walking shoes into sandals.

 

Hope this helps!

[sperantei]

Aix en Provence makes a good extra night stop because it is so close to Marseilles and you can get there easily and cheaply via shuttle bus from the airport. When my critique is approved and appears, you can read the details about how to do this and where I stayed (Hotel Saint Christophe).

[sperantei]

Regarding the tours:

I took the Avignon secret gardens tour because I did not want to walk up 100 steps to get in the Popes Palace. You see the exact same things on both tours except for going inside the palace. It's a misnomer to call it a secret gardens tour; even the guide said that. In an unadvertised offering, they provided a tram tour to some people who weren't up for either of the other tours.

In Lyon, I did the walking tour. You get to see the secret passageways, which I found interesting, and the old part of the city. It wasn't strenuous at all, IMO.

[sperantei]

Yes, it was remodeled. All the furniture is brand-spanking-new. The lobby is lovely with a large floor-to-ceiling mosaic of Provence scenes behind the desk, and a golden chandelier. There are photos on Uniworld's website.

[sperantei]

One more thing: your iPad might be dual voltage. My netbook is. You may not need a transformer.

[sperantei]

I'm sorry I misunderstood your question about your ipad. You don't need a transformer, but you need an adaptor plug just to be sure -- unless you can find the American plug, which I did not.

[amd1234]

Question, Which place was your favorite? We have the reverse itinerary June 2013. We end in Arles. We wanted to stay one more night before departing for home. Question what is Arles like? Would it be worthwhile to stay an extra night? Our last river cruise I booked an extra night in Budapest and my husband wanted to go home. He had enough:confused: not me I hate to have a vacation end...

[sperantei]

My favorite was walking in the steps of Van Gogh in Arles because I am a Van Gogh fan. But I found the hospital at Beaune fascinating too. I don't think you'd want to do another day in Arles. You will have seen everything there is to see. You could do an extra night in Aix en Provence, a half hour from Marseille Airport. There is a shuttle bus to take you there.

[newlondon]

Kathy, What a great blog! You did concern me somewhat, however, as my mobility is a challenge. Are the walks too difficult if you stay with the slow group and if so do you miss things? What scared me more than anything else, though, was your description of the walk over the Rhone between Tournon and Taine l'Hermitage. Do I need to call Uniworld to arrange transportation as a swinging suspension bridge is a non-starter for me. Also, the funicular-how many minutes?

[Yggdrasil98]

NewLondon, not Kathy, but I did this and had some health issues. The walk over the bridge wasn't "swinging"it was like walking across a normal bridge. Gentle walking, even the fast groups seemed not to need to hurry. Even though there are a fair amount of cobbles, meandering walks were what I would describe them as, even T'ain Hermitage..

 

Totally agree re Beaune, just ask the Director each time what is involved, they are very good like that and can tell what will be challenging if that is the case and suggest an alternative.

[Suzanne123]

Maybe I missed it, but did you get a chance to see the Pont du Gard? -- Is it possible to book a private excursion from the boat? Thanks again.

[sperantei]

NewLondon: The bridge to Tournon doesn't sway a lot; I've mislead you. Just a tiny bit. We had two women on the trip with mobility issues. The gentle walking groups worked for them, even though they huffed and puffed and were in pain with bad knees. Even in Viviers, which is very steep, they managed. The guide will wait for you. You walk a little, then you stop to see something; repeat. There are no lengthy walks without stopping along the way.

 

The funicular is just a few minutes; 3-4 maybe. It is enclosed most of the way so it's no problem if you are afraid of heights. There's nothing difficult about it.

 

I did not do the Pont du Gard; I believe it is included on the Chatau Neuf du Pape tour, which I did not do. I think you could arrange for private tours from the boat, but I don't know that first-hand. The employees are very accommodating.

 

Kathy

[newlondon]

Kathy, You are a life saver:) Thank you so much. We had to use a suspension bridge in Patagonia that almost made me faint. I made it but it still gives me nightmares. We did do the funicular in Santorini with no problems, that's why I asked "how long"? We've done Pont de Garde twice so someone else must have asked that question. Btw Les Beaux is one of our favorite places in the world. We have stayed there twice and love both the village and Le Beauxmaniere,a 2** Michelin rest. For those of you reading or lurking the artistic presentation in the abandoned quarry will be a highlight of your trip if the subject matter interests you. We saw an unbelievably good Cezanne slide show. What was also great was that after seeing it you coul get in your car and without much difficulty see many of the sites.

[pb3]

Welcome back! Do you have any pictures of River Royale that you could post? I would love to see the new refurb that was done. We are going on this cruise in August and really looking forward to our first river cruise.:)

 

We're are also from Ontario (Kingston) and going in August, departing on the 19th? This will also be our first river cruise and we're very excited. When are you going?

[pb3]

Just finished reading every word of your amazing blog. We are going on the same cruise in August, and now I am more excited than ever. Thank you so much for sharing.

[newlondon]

Thanks, Ygg for your answer. I feel much better:)

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Glass doors that open are great ...

[Yggdrasil98]

Moi? Pont du Gard? Qui! Had a really nice visit. I was not Chatau Neuf du Pape tour on mine, I don't drink. I think it was the Uzes trip.

[SunDapple]

I will try to answer some of the questions I've seen on this board. But you can read all about the trip on my blog at http://www.riverroyale.weebly.com. There are a few photos but not too many on the ship.

 

Very nice blog. Thank you for taking the time to write it and for sharing. :)

 

Jacquie

[Fairfield Nana]

We just completed the Arles to Chalon-sur-Saone trip on the River Royale and we rate it 5 stars in all main categories. My brief post in the RR reviews area should be posted in a couple days. Couldn't/didn't add much to the reviews by the two folks who were on this shhip just ahead of us in April as they totally nailed it with their comments--right on!The only thing I would strongly suggest is to spend some time in Aix-en-Provence & the surrouding areas of Gordes, St. Remy, and the Camargue--spectacular scenery and local color!! St. Remy has a wonderful museum & exhibits to Van Gogh as he was hospitalized there and created more than 100 works during his stay.

We stayed 3 nights in Aix at the Aquabella which was very reasonably priced, great service and perfect location just 3-4 blocks to Cours Mirabeau area. Stayed one night prior to boarding ship in Arles at the Hotel Le Belvedere--very nice, affordable, wonderful service and only 2 blocks from where ship docks. We took all the ships tours except the Chateauneuf and Aquaduct tour in Avignon. All rest were great.

Laundry srvice on board was fast and reasonable price--no ironing as someone stated. This cruise is pretty casual and I only saw 4-5 older gents (I'm older) who wore ties, and a few who wore blazer w/out tie (I did first fancy dress night but not second)--slacks/dockers and polos are fine!

Didn't see too many folks in the exercise room or using the onboard computers. I kinda felt I'm on vacation-why waste my time on-line? Tons of stuff to see while cruising or while ashore at every opportunity! We totally enjoyed our french sliding doors and the fresh air as we had very nice weather. Unless you want to splurge or aren't addicted to fresh air--the lower two decks are perfectly fine (and a bit cheaper). Wine and other adult drinks in the bar are a bit pricey but not extreme--on the other hand, the lunch and dinner time in the dining room is called the "time of the endless pour" or wine. They serve some nice French wines and we enjoyed them even though we are from the Napa area in Nor. California.

Our first river cruise but can't wait to go on another. May try one of the other lines, but would be totally pleased with U'world again!!