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Summary over a cruise on the Haute Seine and Yonne on a barge. As seasoned cruisers, knowing well all aspects of cruising on seas and rivers, we had no experience about traveling on a barge in a...
We chose this cruise because our travel operator came to our development and presented this cruise to us. We were a group of 12 friends and neighbors. Even though the ship has cabins for 22 passen...
Passengers are drawn to barge cruises for several reasons. One, they want the intimate setting and personal service that a vessel holding fewer than two dozen people provides. Two, they like the idea of lazing around as the boat drifts down a countryside canal, taking life at a slower pace than you'd expect on a typical river cruise. And three, they expect outstanding regional food and drink.
Deborah, a hotel barge launched by CroisiEurope in 2016, more than fits the bill on all accounts. Deployed on the quiet Upper Loire canal in the center of France, the 22-passenger boat is well-designed, with a cohesive bilingual staff and some of the best food and wine we've had on the water. Cabins are tight, as you'd expect, but attractively modern with features like above-headboard storage and USB ports next to the bed. It's a step up from CroisiEurope's other cruises, even those that are also deemed five anchor (which is reflected in the price -- a barge cruise is almost twice the cost of a river cruise). Yet even with the higher fare, Deborah is still a bargain compared with competitors that charge double (albeit with fewer passengers onboard).
Our cruise on Deborah had a bilingual passenger base, with six Americans, two Brits and one Australian making up the English-speaking group and six French speakers, four of them from France and the other two from Switzerland. Usually on a boat so small, Croisi tries to keep all the passengers on the same language -- you'll never be the only English speaker on any Croisi ship -- but we found the international staff able to move back and forth between the groups easily. Contrary to stereotypes, the French-speaking passengers were friendly and wanted to interact with us, and we all did the best we could to form friendships, despite language barriers.
Plus, having French passengers onboard contributed to the immersion that we felt by sailing with Croisi. The French-owned line takes pride in its food and drink, and it goes all-out on its barges. Mealtimes follow the French model, with a scrumptious, but relatively light breakfast, followed by an elaborate four-course meal with paired wines and the most exciting cheese plates we've ever seen at lunch. Dinners begin on the later side and are also three courses (with the exception of the gala night, when you have five). Unlike Croisi's river cruises, though, Deborah provides snacks and nibbles in the late morning and before dinner. You certainly won't go hungry; in fact, you may wonder if you'll ever feel hunger again!
Our issues with Deborah are piddling, but nonetheless need to be mentioned. We expected to be able to spend our afternoons biking along the canal to help work off all that food, but the unevenness of the towpaths caused passenger injuries in Deborah's first year and so the boat restricted bike use in 2017. While we were allowed to take bikes around once we docked and there was one afternoon where we were blissfully set free, overall, we and others were disappointed by the limited cycling options.
The shore excursions, too, weren’t quite what we expected. The charms of the Upper Loire Valley are quiet, mostly centering on wine towns such as Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire. While we liked the places we went, we found that the hired local guides weren't as confident in their English as the Deborah staff, and many spent much more time on very small details of churches and monasteries than most English-speaking passengers would have liked. If we could tweak the program, we'd build in more free time in towns like Briare, Sancerre, La Charitie-sur-Loire and Nevers, preferably when shops were open.
Likewise, the boat is pretty sparse on evening entertainment or enrichment. Afternoon activities when the boat is cruising are limited to sitting outside and watching the scenery go by; the appearance of a lock causes much excitement. (We did love the onboard wine tasting that the staff organized when a visit to a farm fell through; based on passengers we talked to, this type of enrichment should be added to every sailing.)
Despite these issues, we count our trip on Deborah as one of the best we've experienced in Europe. Barges travel slowly at 4 mph; we found that we, too, reduced our speed, taking time for lengthy conversations, convivial meals and long evening walks around small towns. The Frenchness of it all has an effect; we already enjoyed cheese, but after seeing the love and attention that the staff lavished on it, we'll never put a cheese plate together the same after this trip. Plus having more passengers onboard than other barges meant we weren't stuck talking to the same two people all the time. For those who are looking to give French barging a whirl, at a reduced price compared to other companies, Deborah is practically perfect.
Like all CroisiEurope ships, Deborah attracts international passengers; you'll be almost guaranteed to have French passengers onboard. CroisiEurope tries to make sure that more than a few English speakers are on sailings together, as the line wants to avoid a situation where only two people speak a language. English-speaking travelers are typically American, British, Australian or South African. Announcements, shore excursions and meals are presented in both English and French and all staff are bilingual. Most passengers are baby boomers, aged 60 and up.
Deborah is a very casual ship. During the day, passengers wore jeans, T-shirts, capris, shorts and pants, and often the same clothing was worn at dinner. You'll want good walking shoes for excursions and wandering in the small towns after docking. Once per cruise, there's a "gala" night where people dressed a little nicer -- sweaters, dresses, collared shirts -- but no jackets, formal dresses or heels are required.
Deborah includes quite a bit in the fare. The price includes shore excursions, transfers to the ship from Paris and back, most alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks (with the exception of premium wines and liquors), use of bikes and Wi-Fi. Gratuities are not required on CroisiEurope. The currency onboard is the euro.
With the small size of hotel barges, you expect cabins to be tight. And while our lower deck cabin wasn't huge, we found it surprisingly well-designed, with excellent lighting, storage and a larger-than-expected shower.
All of the 11 cabins on the lower deck are the same size and layout. The decor is modern, with purple carpets and bed accents and gray velvet curtains on the windows (which are placed at water level toward the top of the room -- you have to stand to see out).
Every cabin has two twin beds that are fixed (meaning that couples will have to sleep apart) and a small desk with a stool. There's a closet with space for hanging clothes on one side and cubbies on the other. More storage lies behind the beds, above the headboard, with a door that flips down; there's a safe up there too. Right behind the pillows there are two extremely convenient cubbies, both with electric outlets (European plugs only) and one with two USB slots.
A flat-screen TV is high on the wall near the door. While most of the channels are French, you can get English news channels such as CNN and the BBC.
While the bathroom is small, more square footage within the room is given over to the shower, so you do have room to turn around. It even has a folding glass door! (That's a nice change from small expedition and sailing ships we've been on, where the shower is essentially over the toilet.) There's a ledge that can be used to place some items, as well as hooks. Shampoo/conditioner and lotion are Croisi brand, and there's a hair dryer tucked under the small sink.
Lower Deck: The 11 identical cabins on the lower deck are accessed by a spiral staircase. Each cabin is 95 square feet, including the bathroom.
Main Deck: One cabin is available on the main deck for passengers with reduced mobility. This cabin offers the same square footage, but the bathroom is larger to accommodate a roll-in shower and the bedroom has a single double bed. You’ll also see more from the larger window.
With a focus on fine French cuisine, dining on Deborah is a highlight of the cruise and meals -- lunch in particular -- are greeted with much fanfare. With so few passengers, the onboard chef has the ability to show off with complicated French dishes such as salmon en croute, lamb roasted for seven hours and beef bourguignon, all served with a rotating list of French wines designed to pair. We've never eaten so well on the water before.
For American (or other passengers) who are used to lots of choice with their meals, Deborah -- and the CroisiEurope line overall -- will take some adjustment. Meals are set so there's no need to order or peruse a menu. Breakfasts are on the light side, but lunch is a nearly two-hour affair that has four courses, including a cheese course that comes with a formal presentation. Dinner, too, is on the heavy side, with three courses. Although the French in general do not snack, the Deborah staff put out pretzels before lunch (and more elaborate apps when we went through the Briare Canal) and usually served an "amuse-bouche" during aperitif hour.
Overall, the fixed menus are designed with carnivores in mind. Special diets for vegetarians or food allergies can be accommodated, but you should contact the line when you book and talk to the chef when you get onboard. Croisi is not a line for picky eaters, as the meals could include foods that are somewhat exotic to Americans such as duck, foie gras and veal; we saw pork switched out for some passengers one night, but on the whole, passengers were pretty happy with what they were served.
The wines on Deborah were all French, with many reflecting the Loire Valley. They changed at every meal, and always chosen to pair with the entree. We loved the mix of varietals and learned a lot.
Restaurant (Main Deck): Deborah's restaurant has one table for six passengers and four tables of four. It's a compact, yet attractive space with windows that open, white tablecloths and flowers on the table, purple chairs and gray curtains. People can sit where they wish, although people tended to stick with others who spoke their language.
Breakfast usually begins at 7:30 a.m. The buffet includes croissants, various breads and spreads, cheese and meats, yogurt and fruit. Hard-boiled eggs are available and there's also a hot egg dish, such as scrambled or an omelet, offered each day.
Lunch is the main meal of the day, and it usually begins at 12:30 or 1 p.m. The chef doesn't run through the meal until everyone is seated, so dawdling on the way to the table is not encouraged. Expect a starter of two cold salads such as a pasta salad with salmon and a coleslaw made from celery root, followed by a hearty entree such as veal, lamb or pork. Our favorite was an impressive salmon en croute. The cheese course comes next -- more on that below -- and then there's dessert, which could be creme brulee or chocolate mousse.
Deborah's lunchtime cheese courses are something to behold. Coming after the entree and served with a green salad as a palate cleanser, these cheeses will make anything you've picked up at Trader Joe's look insignificant (and because some are unpasteurized, you can't even find them in the United States). The French take their cheese very seriously, and have appellations for them, just like wine. Among those we were served: Sainte-Maure de Touraine, a goat cheese held together with a straw that's been rolled in wood ash; and Langres, an orange washed rind cheese that is served with schnapps to pour on top. Before the tray was put down, we were given a highly involved explanation of the cheeses that passengers greeted with clapping enthusiasm. If you're lactose-intolerant, Deborah is probably not your ship.
While dinner is a little less of a production than lunch, it's still three course (five on gala night). It begins at 7:30 p.m. and consists of a starter such as a vermicelli consumme, an entree such as beef bourguignon and a dessert like rhubarb tart. The gala night meal was amazing, with lobster soup; housemade duck foie gras with brioche buns; rack of veal with shallots and tarragon sauce, vitelotte mashed potatoes and vegetables; Reblochon cheese baked in a puff pastry and baked Alaska flambeed in Grand Marnier. Oof. Bring antacid.
Deborah does not have room service. You won't miss it.
Shore Excursions
At least one shore excursion happens every day on Deborah; usually, taking place in the morning after breakfast. Since the towns you're visiting aren't bucket list tourist attractions, these are usually fairly mellow excursions to visit a monastery or cathedral, a winery or a goat cheese farm.
If there's one place where Deborah could improve, it's with the shore excursions. The guides weren't always fluent in English, which led to long French explanations with a sentence or two tacked on for us (even a very cool-at-first lantern tour of Nevers at night fell prey to this issue). The guides would spend lots of time discussing small details without revealing some of the basics of why we should care. We found ourselves longing just to walk around without the guide, although the early hours of the excursions meant that many shops in the small towns were closed, so there was nowhere to go.
Daytime and Evening Entertainment
Entertainment during the day is limited to sitting outside with drinks and watching the scenery go by. There is no music or entertainment in the evening either; passengers usually rolled out of the dining room around 9 p.m. and maybe had a digestive before going to bed.
Enrichment
On one morning, our shore excursion was cut short and the boat brought on a Loire wine expert for a tasting of the different varietals in the region. This was an extremely popular activity and many passengers said they hoped it would be added to the permanent itinerary.
Afternoons are quiet time, with no activities or enrichment planned. For the most part, passengers sat outside and talked among themselves, read books or took naps. The appearance of a lock was met with much excitement.
Deborah's indoor lounge takes up the bulk of the main deck. It's an attractive spot, with comfy purple banquette sofas, small ottoman chairs and funky modern lamps. The pinhole lights in the ceiling changed colors during the evening, from purple to orange. There's a small bar with a few stools, although no one really congregates there. Because we didn't have a full house for our cruise, the lounge was spacious enough for everyone to have a seat; if 22 passengers were onboard, it might feel crowded.
Deborah also has an outdoor seating area at the front of the boat. With tables, chairs and sun umbrellas, this was the main spot where passengers hung out during the daytime sailing hours. Bar service at both the lounge and the outdoor space was quick and efficient; the excellent hotel manager took very good care of both French and English passengers.
The top deck of Deborah is a sun deck with lounge chairs, although the area is only open in the afternoons when the ship is docked or almost docked because of low bridges along the sailing route. The staff has a chain on the stairs leading up to it; when the captain removes the chain, you can go up. Passengers awaited this event with glee, as the lounge chairs on the top deck were extremely comfortable. There is no cover for the deck, which was fine during our unseasonably warm fall, but the heat could be an issue at the height of the summer.
Deborah has a hot tub at the front of the boat, but it was broken during our trip.
There's a small service desk with a computer in between the bar and the lounge area where the hotel director can look up information for passengers and also hand out maps; passengers can also use the computer if they want. A few books, mostly in French but some in English, are scattered around the lounge. There's no laundry service.
Wi-Fi on Deborah is free and worked most of the time, except when we were in a particularly remote area or in the locks.
Deborah does not have a spa or fitness room onboard. Compact bikes are available to be used in port. This was a bit of a disappointment. Although our original itinerary said we'd be able to bike between locks, there was only one section where we could do so and it wasn't very long. The paths along the Loire Canal simply aren’t maintained to the standard they should, so biking isn't safe for Croisi passengers.
Deborah does not have age restrictions, and families are welcome on the boat; sometimes a family will even charter the entire vessel. While shore excursions are not adjusted for children, if a large number of kids are onboard, the staff will try to do some limited programming for them. Meals and cabins are not changed.
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