Riverboat cruising is one of my favorite ways to travel. You unpack once, you dock right in the destination, there is constant scenery and the excursions are fabulous. But it’s not inexpensive.
We sailed on a more affordable option with CroisiEurope, a company that prides itself on being a good value. Some of the extras you won’t find are suites, large balconies, more than one seating for lunch and dinner, and personalized service. If those things don’t bother you, it’s a good option to consider.
Our room was comfortable, the food was good and the excursions were well-organized and interesting.
Introduction to CroisiEurope
Founded in 1976 by the late Gérard Schmitte, CroisiEurope is still in the family, run by the second and third generations. It has 50 ships that sail in Europe, southern Africa, Vietnam, and Cambodia, with chartered ships in Brazil and Egypt.
The passengers are mostly French, at 54%, with the remainder primarily European. The ships hold from 16-200 passengers.
The river cruises are all-inclusive, which includes all excursions, port charges, food, alcohol from the bar and at meals and wifi access. The crew is salaried and while gratuities are not expected, it was suggested that we tip €5 to €10 per person per day. There is a loyalty club, CroisiClub, with exclusive offers and benefits.
Sailing on the Loire Princesse
The longest river in France, the Loire River poses a challenge to riverboats as it is shallow and sandy. Because it has two large paddle wheels on its sides, the Loire Princesse can sail in shallow water and is the only ship on the Loire. Although the river is 600 miles long, only the portion between Saint-Nazaire and Bouchemaine is navigable. Built in 2015, the Loire Princesse can carry 96 passengers.
We boarded the boat in Nantes, France, an easy walk from our hotel where we had stayed while exploring city. Crew members appeared at the top of the ramp as we approached the ship to help us with our luggage.
The ship had a narrow entry way with a striped bench. Rooms are off the long hallway that ends in the lounge.
Our room was small, as to be expected on any type of cruise unless you are springing for a large room or a suite. Unlike other riverboat cruise lines, all the rooms are the same size. The only difference is location on the ship and whether you have adjustable twin beds or a double.
We had adjustable twin beds pushed together. On previous riverboat cruises, the bed was always against a side wall, but on this boat, our bed faced the water. A nice touch as we could lie in bed and watch the world as we floated by. The only negative is that my twin bed was pushed against the wall, so I had to navigate a narrow area to get in bed and had no night table.
I did appreciate the small light built into the bed. I like to read at night and stay up later than Chris. When we first got married, this habit irked him. “You are the loudest page turner I’ve ever heard,” he told me. The things you learn about yourself. I primarily read books on my iPad or Kindle so he doesn’t have to suffer that particular torment any longer.
There was a table behind the bed, closet, safe and a dresser against the wall. We had plenty of room to unpack our items. We are a carryon-only couple, however, and don’t travel with large suitcases.
The room had a decent-sized balcony, large enough for us to both sit, and a small bathroom. About what you’d expect on a river boat and definitely larger than on a cruise ship.
The room was cleaned daily and fresh towels were available if desired. We had glass bottles for water, which we could refill at the bar. I appreciated the sustainability effort as I strongly dislike the waste of plastic water bottles.
The lounge was large with floor-to-ceiling windows, several seating pods with couches upholstered in shades of burgundy and rose, with bright orange tables and small ottomans.
We sailed in November so the weather was chilly a lot of the time so we didn’t spend time on the deck. But a few people opted to lounge up there and enjoy the 360-degree views.
The bar, supposedly open from 9:30 a.m. to midnight, remained unmanned most of the day, but drinks were easily available later in the day. Entertainment is available in the evenings. We had local singers one night and played a game of movie theme song trivia another.
The dining room was downstairs, a relatively small space but large enough for 96 passengers, and plenty of seating by the large windows.
Breakfast was good, with a wide selection of breakfast items and specialty coffees available upon request. Unlike some cruises, where you have a selection of entrees, there were no choices for lunch and dinner, although special dietary needs were accommodated. Lunch and dinner were several French-inspired courses, and we found the food quite good, beautifully presented with good portion size.
The menus are posted in the entry way and also on the in-house TV channel. Lunch, generally served at 1:00, was more elaborate than I would expect of a value river cruise and included appetizer, entree and dessert. Way more than my usually mid-day meal of a bowl of soup and cheese and crackers.
Dinner, usually served at 8:00, was also three courses and included items like hake filet, steak or stuffed chicken breasts. Servers came around several times offering selections of locally produced French wines. There are no snacks or room service available between meals. Dress onboard is casual although some people dressed up a bit for dinner.
Our excursions, which included trips to visit castles and charming French villages, were well-organized and led by very good guides.
We did run into a potential problem you face on any river cruise in Europe. Not being able to sail for some reason. Often, this is because the river level is too low. It only happened to me once before, and that’s because there was a mechanical issue with the boat.
This time it was due to some construction on the Loire that made it unpassable, so rather than sail close to where the castles are, we had to board buses for a two-hour drive. I didn’t mind and the scenery was beautiful, but it would have been nice to stay onboard.
The ship is small without extra amenities we’ve found on other river boats, like a gym, library, spa, onboard doctor or pool but was fine for our trip. Unlike cruise ships that will often have days at seas, on a river boat cruise you’re off the boat every day so don’t need a lot to do onboard.
If you’re comfortable without the extras, don’t need a suite and a large selection of menu items, CroisiEurope is a good option to explore.
– Jan Schroder, The Travel 100