Viking Chateaux, Rivers & Wine

[loge23]

I hate to open Pandora's box with this question but will ask anyway since its been growing in my head for months!

 

Anyone who's sailed this itinerary with Viking - are passengers dressing just a little step up on this cruise? With visiting Chateaux, having dinner and an option lunch in a Chateau, I'm thinking that clothes might be a little "smarter" than usual.

 

Last cruise was Christmas Markets in December. Fabulous time and very, very casual - theme was staying warm! Jeans, cords, turtlenecks, layers and coats & boots so no one really knew what anyone was wearing on excursions!! The ship was warm but still most people dressed very casually even for dinner - flying required space/weight be given to the warm necessities!

 

But, hopefully, October shouldn't be that cold. We plan to dress a step up for Paris and just looking for any comments about this specific cruise!

 

Thanks much!!

 

Since you are traveling in the fall, the clothes may be a bit different from our July cruise. But no, I did not notice any appreciable difference from our other River cruises. You will still see a handful with blazers on the last night and there's always a few well-dressed ladies aboard - but it was definitely not a standard. Casual still rules and shorts were abundant in the DR in the summer heat.

[MalibooNewYork]

Ditto as Loge23 said. Clothes were up a notch for the Captain's dinner but casual ruled the day on the May 24 th cruise.

[Bet & Peg]

Loge23 & MalibooNewYork ~ thanks much!! Good to hear from you veterans!!!

[kbella]

Bon jour all. It is Thursday afternoon here on the Forseti and we have just left Cadillac for Bordeaux, after visiting the Chateau d'Arche for Sauternes tastings. It was nice but rushed since we are still at the mercy of the tides.

Everything that was an issue on previous cruises for this itinerary has evidently been worked out. No problems with bridges, ropes, personnel,etc.. They can not do much about the tides.

Service has been top notch. Most evenings, the food is very good, other evenings it is good but not over the top.

Optional tours: Cognac- a perfect blend of fun, camaraderie and education. All 30 of us unanimously agreed we could recommend it to those who follow.

Truffle hunt- This was a complete delightful surprise. The property is located in the winding hills of Peyregord region. The proprietor was so knowledgeable and gracious, it was impossible not to share his enthusiasm. The dog, the lunch, the wine all made the long bus ride(2hrs each way) well worth it. Yes we did find summer truffles!

Tomorrow we will go to Arcachon. If I can get wifi I will report again about that optional tour.

Also, Frank, the wine expert is back on board.

[Bet & Peg]

kbella ~ hurray!!!! Everything sounds fabulous!!!!

 

And I'd love to hear ALL about Arcachon - I'm still trying to decide about going there!!! Carolyn's report was great but I'd like to know the name of the restaurant!!!!

 

Thanks for your post!!!

[reddogranch]

For those of you who have already taken the Chateaux, Rivers, & Wine cruise, please can you tell me how much time you had in St. Emilion? And was it possbile to spend additional time in St. Emilion is you chose? Thanks, Bob

[MalibooNewYork]

I think you might be able to eke out maybe a little more than hour before your church tour and possibly an hour after.

You arrive after lunch then walk as a group through the town, another church, and, I think, cloisters. I don't have my notes in front of me. Then more touring the town which is actually very small. You are given between 45 mins to an hour in front of the monolithic church for free time. I lost the cafe's name where you can use their bathroom but I want to give it a blistering bad review. Looking at the church, to your right are two cafes. The one further up the hill closest to the building is awful. No service at all to speak of. Precious time is wasted trying to catch the eye of tunnel-visioned waiters both to order and to pay. I finally left what I thought was the correct on the table sans tip because I couldn't get a bill. An elderly man with poor eyesight that was on our trip easily waited 20-25 minutes to get waited on. Complicating matters, the next cafe is very good. However, it is virtually indistinguishable from the bad one. They are right next to each other. The good one is the one down the hill, closest to the church.

After the church tour, there is enough time to leisurely make your way back to the pickup point.

So, yes there is additional time to explore St. Emilion. As an outside guess, I'd say maybe two hours extra.

Hope this helps.

[roebud]

Our cruise is shortly approaching. Have learned and benefitted greatly from this thread. Will post our experiences, hopefully while on board.

 

Received our Viking documents....:D Getting very excited!!!

 

Scheduled for surgery a week before this cruise but my surgeon feels I will be able to take this cruise as long as I have some time to recuperate while on board.

Any thoughts from previous travelers as regards to opportunities to rest are appreciated.

 

Rose

[kbella]

Re:St Emillion, not enough time in the area. Viking should really consider an overnight there instead of heading back to Bordeaux to overnight .

Arcachon is really dependent on the weather. We had a very wet,rainy crossing around the bay but when we reached Cap Ferret,weather cleared and it remained sunny for the rest of the day. It was a Bank holiday and it was very crowded with locals . Plus, it was the Fete de Mer, and many ceremonies were being for the blessing of boats,sea, fishermen, etc.

The setting was very different from the river as we had blue ocean and white sandy beaches.

The oyster demonstration was very well done and we had a great lunch at a seaside restaurant.

Next time I would probably just take the 45 minute train ride from Bordeaux and explore independently.

On a different note,Viking is very gracious to guests with independent travel arrangements. Allowing use of the ship facilities until airport departure and calling a taxi for you. This one gesture makes it likely that we would book Viking again.

[Bet & Peg]

kbella ~ once again thanks SO much for your post!! And especially the Arcachon info. The Fête de Med must have been wonderful to see!!! The trip is still a "?" on our list!!

[Bet & Peg]

roebud ~ I've never found it east to "rest" on a cruise - but them I can be like a 5-year old wanting to try everything!!

 

My suggestion would be to really look at the itinerary and decide want you "must" see - what excursions you really want to take. Maybe skip a few. And remember there's always an "easy" group that goes out - they say they see the same as the other groups (at least most times) but at a slower pace. You might especially want to avoid anything with a lot of walking - and I'm sure the guides can recommend some place to sit - park, café, etc. - to wait for the group.

 

On our first RC we made friends with a great couple, she was recovering from knee replacement and said she would have been fine but the pre-Paris trip subway stairs had "killed" her!! She and her husband sometimes split and she's go on the east excursion. In Lyon she was with us for the bus ride, then had coffee in a café while the rest of us went on the walking tour, then took the bus back for lunch while her husband joined the rest of us at lunch in town. I think lots of things are possible depending on the couple! And I'm sure resting on the top deck will be wonderful in the warmer weather!!

 

Have a fabulous time - can't wait to hear about it!!!

[kbella]

Foto-peg: Sorry, I was about to leave for Portugal and forgot you asked about the Arcachon restaurant. It was called Escala. Very good food and a lemon tart to die for!

[Bet & Peg]

kbella ~ Thanks SO much for the restaurant name! Do you remember if there was a set menu or choices? Love oysters - but only the warm kind! But I'm willing to try an oyster at the farm!! DH thinks maybe they'd only have raw ones at the restuarant - I found it on-line but can't open the site!

 

Did they also have oysters before dinner on the ship that night?? Someone didn't go on the excursion but said they had samples onboard. Just wondering!!!

 

You seemed to enjoy the Arcachon excursion but said next time you'd take the train - could you expand on that! Thanks much!!!

[kbella]

Photo-peg: I have mixed feelings about the tour because of the weather circumstances and it being a holiday Friday in France. My thoughts about taking an independent tour was that if i

the weather was bad or it was a known local holiday, I could adjust my plans that day rather than being tied into a pre-paid tour.

The menu for the Viking was pre set with 2 starter and main options. Calamari(excellent) or deviled eggs, then cod or duck for entree.

I thought our choices were limited given the extensive menu for the restaurant as a whole.

[roebud]

Peg... Thanks so much for your input. I'm generally quite tough and will probably retire earlier in the evening and get a good night sleep. Will definitely listen to my body and adjust our day accordingly.

 

Starting to pack and getting very excited.

 

Should we take a converter with us? I think there was a post about this but can'tremember where.

 

Rose

[MalibooNewYork]

There are 2 110v outlets in the cabins if that's what you mean by "converter."

[Bet & Peg]

kbella ~ thanks for your thoughts about the Arcachon excursion - not being tied into a tour does make sense - will have to think about it!

 

Also appreciate your info about the menu. It's funny they had/have a choice of deviled eggs!! Saw that as an appitizer on a NYC menu just last month and thought - "picnic food"!!! But calamari and cod or duck sounds good!!!

 

Thanks again!!!! Hope the rest of your trip is great!!!

[Bet & Peg]

roebub ~ I have to say we found our cabin last year very, very quiet - never heard our neighbors on either side! So if you do retire early you should have no trouble sleeping!

 

When we travel we bring an adapter - actually a pack of them! - one side fits into the 220V outlet and has a USA plug on the other side. There are 2 110v outlets in the cabin, but we bring the adapter to just give us an extra outlet on board and especially for hotel rooms - never know what they'll have!

 

Hope this helps!

[lionsfan99]

Hi - I am thinking of doing this cruise November 22, 2014. I've never done a river cruise before and will be doing it solo. A couple of questions-

1 - is it safe for a single female?

2 - anyone know what the weather is like then? I know that's a tough one!

3 - is the silver bar package worth getting?

4 - what about the optional excursions?

Any input on these questions or any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!!!

[MalibooNewYork]

I am a female and went with a girlfriend and I never gave a thought to safety. In fact, I thought to myself that a single would do very well on this trip. You're in with an adventurous group and the people are very friendly. Conversation at meals is very inclusive.

I didn't get the silver bar package and some have said on here that had they known how generously the wine was poured that they wouldn't have bothered with the package. I, myself, only had one nightcap after dinner which cost 6 or 7 euros. But I did partake a LOT of the wine at meals.

The only optional tour I took was to Chateau Siaurac and I highly recommend it. There are other mentions of the other tours on this site for you to look at but the Chateau Siautac tour seems to be universally liked.

One final thought--where the boats dock in Bordeaux is crowded and well lit. It is an easy walk into town along streets filled with other people having a good time.

I'd go for it. Honestly? I had a ball and can see myself taking the exact same trip again. It was that much fun.

[lionsfan99]

Hi - I am booking for the November 22 sailing!!!!!

Thanks for the input!!!!

Edited August 20, 2014 by lionsfan99

[MalibooNewYork]

My pleasure. I hope you come back here after your cruise to let us know your thoughts. Happy sailing!

[Bet & Peg]

lionsfan99 ~ welcome to CC and to our Chateaux thread!!! Hope its OK that I added you to our "Roll Call" list!! There are 2 others (probably 2 couples) already booked on your cruise - hopefully they'll "drop-in" here before the cruise and say "hello"!!

 

As for safety - I think the RCs might be safer than OCs because there are fewer passengers so its easier to get to know people. So far I've always traveled with my DH, however there are times when we've gone our seperate ways and I've never felt alone - usually there's others who you at least recognize on the tour or shopping, etc. As MalibooNew York commented, RC passengers are very friendly and all inclusive!!

 

You are right - weather is a difficult one to predict! We did a Rgine River cruise last year that left Basel Dec. 7th. We were all prepared for cold, cold weather but, thankfully, it never came! We left our toe & hand warmers with the staff!!! My only sugestion, keep a watch on Bordeaux's weather!!

 

Silver Bar Package - only you can decide if you'll drink enough to make it worth it! Wine/beer is served free at lunch and dinner and poured very generously! Plus you can easily bring your own wine on board and there's no problem - or attitude - with having it at dinner. That being said, pre/post-dinner drink you have to pay for. So only you can decide how much you'll be drinking! But note: when we boarded last December there was a letter in our stateroom saying we could still get the package - so its something you can take your time deciding on!

 

Optional Excursion ~ you sign up for these after you board, so there's still time to decide on that also. I'd say read over the descriptions and decide what you'd like to do. We've already decided on the Chateau Siaurac lunch while our friends traveling with us are going truffle hunting!

 

Hope you have a fabulous cruise!!!!!

 

Viking Chateaux, Rivers and Wine ~ 2014

April 12, 2014 ~ id4elizabeth – ports missed Cadillac

April 12, 2014 ~ Go Pack – ports missed Cadillac

April 26, 2014 ~ tipsygirl – ports missed Cadillac & Blaye

April 26, 2014 ~ ChesapeakeSailor – ports missed Cadillac & Blaye

May 10, 2014 ~ editor@cruisecritic: Carolyn

May 17, 2014 ~ kidfixer: Linda

May 24, 2014 ~ MalibooNewYork Theresa

May 31, 2014 ~ ABQcruiser

June 28, 2014 ~ Le bon vin

July 5, 2014 ~ magellan2022

July 12, 2014 ~ vcgeno

July 12, 2014 ~ SueFrankuk

July 19, 2014 ~ loge23

Aug. 9, 2014 ~ kbella

Aug. 16, 2014 ~ lovetocruise17 – cancelled, illness

Aug. 23, 2014 ~ MABoat

Aug. 30, 2014 ~ roebud; Rose & Gary

Sept. 6, 2014 ~ indianrider - CANCELLED

Sept 13, 2014 ~ smokinmike

Sept. 20, 2014 ~ zmjh45

Sept. 27, 2014 ~ parkie

Oct. 4, 2014 ~ FotoPeg: John & Peg, Tony & Linda

Nov. 1, 2014 ~ Laffey724

Nov. 22, 2014 ~ itchyfeetx2

Nov. 22, 2014 ~ sable16

Nov. 22, 2014 ~ lionsfan99

Viking Chateaux, Rivers and Wine ~ 2015

Aug. 22, 2015 ~ ganski

[Dbakers]

We sail on Oct 18, 2014. Could you please add Dbakers to your roll call (Dave and Donna)

[Bet & Peg]

Dbakers ~ happily added!!!!

 

Viking Chateaux, Rivers and Wine ~ 2014

April 12, 2014 ~ id4elizabeth – ports missed Cadillac

April 12, 2014 ~ Go Pack – ports missed Cadillac

April 26, 2014 ~ tipsygirl – ports missed Cadillac & Blaye

April 26, 2014 ~ ChesapeakeSailor – ports missed Cadillac & Blaye

May 10, 2014 ~ editor@cruisecritic: Carolyn

May 17, 2014 ~ kidfixer: Linda

May 24, 2014 ~ MalibooNewYork Theresa

May 31, 2014 ~ ABQcruiser

June 28, 2014 ~ Le bon vin

July 5, 2014 ~ magellan2022

July 12, 2014 ~ vcgeno

July 12, 2014 ~ SueFrankuk

July 19, 2014 ~ loge23

Aug. 9, 2014 ~ kbella

Aug. 16, 2014 ~ lovetocruise17 – cancelled, illness

Aug. 23, 2014 ~ MABoat

Aug. 30, 2014 ~ roebud; Rose & Gary

Sept. 6, 2014 ~ indianrider - CANCELLED

Sept 13, 2014 ~ smokinmike

Sept. 20, 2014 ~ zmjh45

Sept. 27, 2014 ~ parkie

Oct. 4, 2014 ~ FotoPeg: John & Peg, Tony & Linda

Oct. 18, 2014 ~ Dbakers: Dave & Donna

Nov. 1, 2014 ~ Laffey724

Nov. 22, 2014 ~ itchyfeetx2

Nov. 22, 2014 ~ sable16

Nov. 22, 2014 ~ lionsfan99

Viking Chateaux, Rivers and Wine ~ 2015

Aug. 22, 2015 ~ ganski