By Gary Stevens, Vice President Leisure Sales & Marketing
Leaders In Travel, Ltd
December, 2011

I love cruising - ocean cruising that is on ships of all sizes from megas to yachts, but I admit I was somewhat skeptical about what the experience would be for my partner and me to partake on a river boat cruise for a week. We had been talking about it for a few years now as the river cruise industry is booming with more people going and more new luxury vessels being built than ever before. We knew this is a great way to explore towns and villages up-close-and-personal. Being wine lovers and seeking to explore more of France, we chose an extraordinary itinerary with Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, taking us from the charming Provencal town of Arles (between Marseilles and Avignon) up the Rhone River into the Burgundy region village of Chalon sur Saone, the furthest point north a cruise can navigate the river. Uniworld includes complimentary wines with dinner and many of our excursions would include wine tastings and visits to wineries. We knew we would be enthralled with the destinations - how can you not be in the countryside of France, but would a River Cruise onboard experience be to our liking? We love nightlife and lots of things going on. Would we be bored? Would we be - dare I say - among the youngest, even in our 40's and 50's? Would be the token gay couple?

Suffice to say we LOVED this cruise and had an amazing time. Yes, we were among the younger set of the 113 guests (the boat holds 132), but not the youngest by any means, or the youngest at heart, as it was a diverse group of fun loving, spirited travelers, many of whom have chosen the river boat as their preferred method of vacation after years exploring the world on larger ships. We were surprisingly the only gay couple onboard, which was a jar for us initially, but for most guests we were also the life of the party. Like Mame and Vera, it's the time for making merry and boy did we make merry. In addition to the ship's nightly entertainment of a piano lounge singer/pianist and local guest musicians - it was seven nights of bringing our own theatricality to the River Royale with song and dance, disco and Broadway choreography, all with a wonderful interaction with the guests. Comments I received such as "thank you for dancing with my wife - she hasn't lived like this for 30 years", just warmed my heart.

About the cruise and why Uniworld does it so well: in a word - consistency. The crew - each and every one - delivers a uniform excellence in service. Being a small ship, it is a personal experience for the guests to interact with the staff and a large part of what we all remember about the cruise. The team onboard River Royale brought about a true friendliness and care for each guest, no pretensions, always there to solve any kind of problem and always looking to go the extra mile with a smile. Much of this is attributed to the dynamic team that I personally got to know and spend time with including the fabulous and oh-so- glamorous Emanuelle Bonneau, Cruise Manager; the hilarious, sardonic wit of Eric Christophe, a Hotel Manager who runs the tight ship; and the youngest, baby-faced Captain I have ever encountered at just 29 years old, Emmanuel Quendera. To this team and their crew - from the wonderful room stewards, to the pursers, wait staff, bartenders, chefs and all behind the scenes - hats off and thank you to everyone.

 

Many of the guests connect with each other through the dining experiences or on the daily excursions. Meals onboard were always a pleasurable experience, with again, one of the most consistent levels of quality and enjoyable selections to choose from than we have experienced on most ocean cruises. Breakfast buffets were bountiful, with an omelet station and a wide variety of cheeses, breads, fruit and traditional American and European breakfast selections. Lunch buffets were always something to look forward to, as after a morning excursion through the countryside or in a city, we were back at the ship by noonish, eager for a hearty meal. Dinner never disappointed with thematic multi-course dishes indicative of our locale, from Provencale to Bouchon Lyonnais and even a special Epicurean wine pairing meal, sampling various wines per course. Dessert options ranged from the decadent to more decadent in the homemade ice creams, parfaits, crème brulee, and chocolate marvels. Watching one's weight on a trip though France is pretty much unachievable. Dining each evening was casual elegance with two nights of dress attire slightly more formal - once for the Captain's Welcome Dinner (where Alan and I were graciously invited to the Captain's table) and again at the Captain's Farewell Dinner. With dinner an open seating policy, guests can dine with whom they like. There are only two tables of two, so meals are very much a communal experience. For three of the evenings our tablemates were a fun-loving dapper foursome from Southern California, Catherine, Gary, Juliane and Mike, who also helped make our after-dinner evenings the fabulous fun that it was on the dance floor and behind the mic.

 

I was amazed at the mighty length of the River Royale - at 361 feet, walking the top deck and realizing all the open space ... and the new ships are being built much longer. With her width at just 37.5 feet, the ships can only be built in length due to the river's locks. Alan and I witnessed several of our locks crossings and saw Captain Emanuel navigate with just 1' between the wall and the ship's edge. Truly a sight to behold! The River Royale, built in 2006, is already undergoing the cruise line's policy of refurbishment every 6 years this winter. She is a lovely ship, draped in a French provincial motif, with staterooms averaging 160 square feet, the top deck of staterooms boasting French balconies. The other decks feature either panoramic window or port hole. Traveling during autumn in early November, we did not get to utilize our balcony much, but it was wonderful to have it nonetheless, for stepping out for fresh air and seeing the sights of passing under a bridge and viewing the magnificent colors of the fall foliage in the picturesque French landscapes. I can only imagine how superb the River Royale will be as it comes back to life in a few months with a fresh new "Red Carnation" makeover to match the rest of the Uniworld fleet. Voila! Voila!

As mentioned being in Burgundy and Provence, several of our excursion opportunities centered around wine. Uniworld includes a complimentary daily excursion in every port - generally a wonderful, insightful walking tour of the town or village. Additional excursions are optional, reasonably priced and not to be missed. Our week started with a walking tour in Arles, famed as the town Van Gogh called home for many of his masterpieces. We saw numerous sights which he painted including The Yellow House and Starry Night over the Rhone. We visited a working Olive Farm, in the countryside where we learned the art of making olive oil and were treated to samples of the olives, oils and tapenade. From the Olive Farm our private motorcoach brought us to the wonderful medieval village of Les Baux-de-Provence and its fortress, high in the Alpilles Mountains. In the charming walled city of Avignon, where the ship docked overnight, our walking tour brought us to the Pope's Palace and an exploration of the city. Alan and I learned there was a happening nightlife in the town as we ventured to one of the clubs in the evening. An excursion to the Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the Roman era and a delectable wine tasting at Chateauneuf du Pape were next on our agenda. One of the standouts of our week's visits was to the unspoiled, undiscovered by tourists, utterly charming town of Viviers. A 5th century village located in a sheltered canyon, the breathtaking architecture of the houses and streets captured our imaginations and whimsy. It was here that we were guests at a thrilling organ recital in the town's 12th century St. Vincent's cathedral. A particular delight was learning that our favorite Uniworld guide, Francis, a hilariously dry-witted cross between Dame Maggie Smith and Rita Rudner, lives in Viviers and we got to see her home. Francis - one of the highlights of our entire trip - is a marvelously sharp expert guide specializing in the region of Provence, whose sense of humor and storytelling - and way with a zinger - enamored us as well as the entire River Royale group. Another superb guide led the way for us in Lyon - Christian. Smart, funny, friendly with an outstanding speaking voice of radio quality, Christian showed us the marvelous Basilica cathedral, les traboules - famous passageways hidden behind the doors of apartment dwellings of Renaissance facades and the highlights of the magnificent city. We loved Lyon! Additional wine tastings were had in the towns of Tournon/Tain l'Hermitage. Our most phenomenal day - probably our favorite of all the excursions - was saved for last as we visited Beanue, it's amazing Hospices de Beaune and its glorious open-air market (so glad we were there on a Saturday when this takes place), followed by a chateaux visit /meeting with the count who resides; and yet another wine tasting at a vineyard in southern Burgundy. All of this pretty fabulous, don't you think?

We were thrilled to have made this trip in the fall, as the weather was divine for walking - not hot but not too cold - and a spotlight on the foliage with brilliant colors that extended through the hillsides of the region for miles.

We started out skeptics but river cruising won our hearts and with a new found respect for what it offers, we would eagerly explore other regions and additional adventures with Uniworld. Although a younger generation may be of the notion that river cruising is sedate and mostly for a retirement set, on the contrary, we found that it is not only a superior way to discover and experience magnificent destinations off the beaten path and not easily accessible, but you can make your own fun and a river cruise experience can be whatever you want it to be. One guest may be on a gentle walking tour, while another is on their own on a bicycle adventure through the hills and countryside. Same trip - totally different experience. And we'll throw in a little disco and Broadway if Gary and Alan are onboard!

Voila! Voila!

 

Shangri-La Hotel Paris

It is with great anticipation and sheer excitement that my first night of this trip to France would be a stay at the Shangri-La Hotel Paris, the hotel company's first foray in Europe. I have been fortunate to have stayed in some of the city's premier addresses over the years including Le Bristol, Crillon and George V, but with a resurgence of luxury hotel openings coming about in the city of lights in recent times, much attention has been made to the Shangri-La Hotel Paris, which opened in 2010, and might I add that the hotel deservedly lives up to all the hype and acclaim and even exceeded all expectations. Built between 1892 and 1896, the building was in fact home of Prince Roland Bonaparte and the meeting place of Paris' aristocracy and bourgeoisie. 115 years later, lovingly restored by prominent architect Richard Martinet, nestled in the refined, residential 16th arrondissement between the Place des Etats-Unis, Place d'Iéna and the iconic Trocadero high on Chaillot Hill, the hotel is located directly across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, with jaw dropping views that cannot be beat. The area has one of the highest concentrations of museums in Europe. Just steps away, the renowned Guimet Museum offers Paris' most extensive permanent collection of Asian art and oriental exhibits. Art lovers will enjoy the treasures of the Palais Galliera, Palais de Tokyo, Museum of Man, Museum of Modern Art and the Marmottan Monet Museum, all within walking distance. We found the hotel very convenient in walking to other central attractions in the city as well.

In addition to its setting, what places Shangri-La Hotel Paris apart from the rest are the magnificent accomodations. The largest rooms and suites to be found in Paris - with an average size of over 500 square feet, a flawless attention to detail can be found in every corner. 40 per cent of the rooms and 60 per cent of the suites feature a breathtaking, direct view of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine, while nearly half of the rooms and suites feature a private balcony. Our home at Shangri-La, the Duplex Suite, a stunning two-story jaw dropping Parisian experience, provided a welcoming head-on view of the Eiffel Tower with lush appointments and every creature comfort one can imagine. I had opportunity to do a site inspection of two additional suites - the hotel's grandiose 2,970 square feet Imperial Suite, the largest in the hotel and a palace unto itself. With its 16-foot high beamed ceilings, gilt work and decorative carvings, the suite itself was once the former private apartments of Prince Roland. If these walls could talk!
Suite Shangri-La, perched on the top floor of the hotel houses a more modern motif with French flair, complemented with Asian accents throughout. With a total of 2,420 square feet of living space, the real pice de resistance of a stay in this suite is the uber-dazzling 1,076 square foot terrace, providing pure panoramic bliss in its views of the Eiffel Tower, the Seine and entire city. It's a sight to behold that you will find nowhere else but here at Shangri-La.

While the hotel is a museum unto itself, you'll never feel anything less than a friendly and welcoming atmosphere as General Manager extraordinaire, Alain Borgers and his team of experts in the art of customer service, tend to any and every need and request without hesitation.

Dining is an experience unto itself with three award winning restaurants - La Bauhinia,
L' Abeille and the newest, Shang Palace, just having opened in September as the first and only fine dining Chinese restaurant in France. It was a privilege to dine with Mr. Borgers in the gourmet French restaurant, L'Abeille, featuring Chef Phillippe Labbé's highly creative modern variations on classic French dishes. The courses were an endless feast of culinary delights, paired with exceptional wines. The wait staff were amazing - highly professional yet personable in describing all the dishes in detail. Breakfast was served in La Bauhinia - nothing less than wonderful as even my special request for a particular fruit was fulfilled without hesitation.

Did I love this hotel for a truly authentic Parisian "Wow" experience? Without a doubt it's the romance of Paris and a fond memory that will last with me for years to come.

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Esprit Saint Germain

From the opulence of the Shangri-La in the Right Bank, it was our desire to explore a neighborhood four-star boutique hotel in the more bohemian Left Bank for the next two nights of our Paris stay before heading on to our cruise. Esprit Saint Germain had been on my radar for quite some time as a popular favorite of clients and colleagues. It was time to discover this hotel myself and how thrilled I am to have had the opportunity. A gem in the heart of the upscale Saint Germain neighborhood, filled with chic boutiques and many good restaurants, this hotel is more like a private residence - your own apartment in Paris. With just 28 intimate rooms and suites, its discreet location on a small, but convenient side street is unassuming without the feel of checking in to a hotel. Immediately the small, family-like fantastic staff makes you feel at home.

The hotel has created modern, comfortable living room areas -inviting places for guests to gather, relax with a newspaper, and particularly enjoy the benefits of their (almost) round the clock open bar. Literally anything you want from wine and champagne to a mixed drink is completely complimentary for the duration of your stay, as well as anything from the mini-bar in your room. What a fabulous perk as in a city as expensive as Paris, cocktails can add a hefty amount of Euro to your budget. We found the living room-bar area to be a very social area where in the evenings before or after dinner, the hotel's mostly American guests talk about their comings and goings and findings in Paris, comparing notes and stories. While there is no restaurant on premise (but so many to choose from in the area), continental and American breakfast is available as pastries and other delights are brought in from local neighborhood eateries.

Service here is exceptional. It's what the hotel strives for, achieves and undoubtedly why it has reached the level of success that it has with a high level of repeat guests. Marvelous owner Ms. Laurence Tafanel and her Director, Francesca La Mastra along with Front Office Manager Djenane Poidatz and the rest of the team fully interact with the guests, truly getting to know to their needs and handling any requests. There is no separate concierge or reception - the team does it all and knows it all. And they definitely are there to troubleshoot guest issues if a need arises. I was the recipient of their superior service when Air France went on strike cancelling my flight to the cruise just two days before departure, obviously leaving Alan and me in a most stressful situation. Thanks to Francesca and her team they immediately assisted working the phones and internet calling their contacts in rebooking my travel arrangements. All worked out thankfully - but I will always be grateful and remember the service level and TLC in what they did for me. They even followed up after my departing the hotel.

Rooms at Esprit Saint Germain are of a more intimate size, as all tend to be on the Left Bank, however, the comfort level is bar none, with generous appointments, luxe linens and comforters and in-room amenities including ipod/iphone docking stations, DVD & CD players and flat panel TV's. Our room allocation was one of the hotel's four Suites comprising a bedroom separated from the sitting area by a sliding door for privacy, 2 bathrooms with bathtub, shower and walk in closet - its size alone almost that of a room in a New York apartment! It was a glorious accommodation and a spacious 400+ square feet. We loved the star lights in the ceiling above the bed and the living room. It added a sparkle and added dimension to the room's stylish décor. We did get to see the hotel's Penthouse Suite with Private Terrace - with its view overlooking Saint-Sulpice Church and the rooftops of Paris- oh so divine.

Walkable to art galleries, museums, les Jardins du Luxembourg, Church of Saint Sulpice, the fabulous shops of Avenue Saint Germain, happening restaurants and bistros ... what a wonderful home away from home is the Esprit Saint Germain. We fell in love with being a guest in what felt like a friend's private home in one of the world's most fascinating cities.

Voila! Voila!

 

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