Every European Waterways Cruise Offers Memorable Experiences and Unexpected Surprises
“For European Waterways’ guests, the most memorable experiences are sometimes the most unexpected”, says Derek Banks, the company’s Managing Director.
“Of course, on our hotel barge cruises, ‘the places you’ll go’ are integral to the experience. We offer daily excursions to renowned vineyards, castles and historical sites,” he says, “but it’s also about ‘the people you’ll meet along the way,’ as well as a few unexpected surprises that excite our guests and make the days more interesting.”
Banks noted that many of these surprises, which he calls, “insider experiences”, often reflect the traditions of the cruise region. These may include a live jazz band to welcome guests back on board after an afternoon excursion in the South of France; an entertaining “Opera Evening” put on by the crew on a Venice cruise; an ”impromptu” visit to the local Lock Keeper’s garden to barter some of their produce for a bottle of wine in Burgundy; or a Scottish Highland piper serenading guests on the banks of Loch Ness, among many others.
Guests Who Come to Dinner
In addition to the gastronomic feasts from the onboard master chefs, European Waterways is dedicated to treating passengers to some of the unique “gastronomic gems” to be found in the cruise region. They include private dining ashore hosted by local aristocrats or in unique settings, depending on the region.
They can have dinner with a Countess at the 17th century estate of Villa Ca’Zen, which sits on the shore of the Po River. The experience is offered by La Bella Vita, which cruises in Venice. Guests can dine with a Baroness at the Chateau de Ricey-Bas, available on European Waterways’ La Belle Epoque in Burgundy. On hotel barge Renaissance, cruising France’s oldest canal, the Canal de Briare, guests explore the studio home of 19th century artist Rosa Bonheur and enjoy lunch in her salon, surrounded by many of her paintings and personal artifacts.
Guests on European Waterways’ hotel barge Finesse always relish an excursion to the three-hundred-year-old Maison Champy in Burgundy. After a private wine tasting, they are treated to lunch in one of the winery’s huge wooden vats or “cuves” that was converted into a distinctive dining space.
People You’ll Meet Along the Way
Another source of pleasant surprises to European Waterways passengers are the colorful local “personalities” they might meet on private excursions. On Shannon Princess in Ireland, they visit the country’s original “haunted house,” Leap Castle.
They are hosted by its eccentric owner and his Irish musicians, who relay the fascinating history of the castle and its part in founding the American Constitution. The traditional boatbuilders at Peter Freebody’s Boatyard in Maidenhead, England, offer fascinating demonstrations of their time-honored talent. Guests enjoy a “first-row” view of the artists at work as they restore classic wooden craft. The excursion is available on cruises of Magna Carta on England’s River Thames.
On Spirit of Scotland and Scottish Highlander in Scotland, an expert falconer proudly displays his skills with a variety of “birds of prey” that soar high in the sky and dive toward the “prey” that he swings above his head on the banks of Loch Ness. A similar demonstration is offered on cruises of Shannon Princess on the banks of the River Maigue in Ireland.
Animal lovers will tell you that dogs are people too! In France, a truffle hunting dog proves the old adage, “Every dog will have his day,” as he takes European Waterways passengers on a truffle hunt. Sniffing the grounds in the hills of Argeliers in the Minervois wine region in the south of France, he leads them to the “black gold” to be found and dug up underneath the oak trees. The experience is available on hotel barges Anjodi and Enchanté, which cruise France’s Canal du Midi.
European Waterways’ luxury barge cruises are all-inclusive. They feature fully equipped en suite cabins, daily gastronomic meals prepared by a master chef and complemented hand-picked wine pairings, bicycles for pedaling along the gentle towpaths and through nearby towns, as well as all daily guided private excursions per the itinerary.
(Every European Waterways Cruise Offers Memorable Experiences and Unexpected Surprises – European Waterways)
