When we were on our river cruise, I had taken a journal to jot down thoughts and impressions on river cruising. Here is my very honest assessment -

We had spent several magnificent days in both London and Paris, actively seeing the sights and wandering both cities. Accommodations at Le Grand were beyond words. All in all, a very tough act to follow. We were ready to embark on our much anticipated Deilmann river cruise. We went into this with pretty high expectations.

Saturday afternoon, June 3, at about 2:30, we took the taxi from Le Grand InterContinental to embark the MS Cezanne, located at Port Javel Bas . The taxi driver had a difficult time locating the area that the Cezanne was docked in. A transfer that should have taken about 15 minutes took about a half hour. We then found our way. We were the only guests at port. We were warmly greeted by the Hotel Director, Vanessa, and two crew members, who quickly took our luggage from the taxi to the ship. Vanessa then led the way onto the vessel. No embarkation lines, no other eager passengers, no glass of champagne, as we’ve been accustom to on Regent.

The Reception/Front Desk area is quite small. It was quiet and pretty desolate. Vanessa then led us to our cabin, which was to be the most deluxe accommodations on the vessel, located at the front of the vessel – Cabin #1. The cabin was adequate; however, not to the standards of the suites on Regent. We expected smaller accommodations, so size came as little surprise. The cabin was not anything terribly upscale. Despite the fact that the Cezanne, built in 1993, received a renovation in 2004, the cabin décor, as well as ship’s décor, seemed a tad tired, in my opinion. Certainly not awful, but not fresh and crisp. The room was large enough for us to move easily about. Accommodations included a queen bed, that looked less than queen size, two night stands, ample lighting, large window, two chairs, small table, desk and padded stool, small closet, which held our clothes with no problem, two small sets of drawers, which also accommodated our clothes, a decent sized bathroom, with ample shelf space, a stall shower, which was a bit snug for Alan’s 6’2” frame, a safe for personal belongings, hair blower, and two large umbrellas.

Molton Brown toiletries and sufficient towels were supplied. Linens were average in quality. Nothing special. Three bed pillows were on the bed. They were too mushy for my liking. I used two pillows. Alan chose to use one. The bed was just adequate in comfort.

Our room attendant, Erica, never came to introduce herself upon our arrival. This is something we’ve come to expect and appreciate on our Regent cruises. It didn’t happen on Deilmann.

No comp bar set up. No free bottles of water, sodas, beer, etc. However, a bowl of fresh fruit was on the table with serviceware.

After checking out our cabin, we then proceeded to see the Restaurant Manager, Thomas, to get our dining room seating assignments. Thomas was friendly. He asked if we would prefer to sit by ourselves or dine at a table large enough to accommodate either 4 or 6 people. We said we were not fussy and would prefer to sit with others. He placed us at table #25, which faced the window. We would be seated with four other people. Thomas then explained the dining schedules. He then told us to go to the lounge and have some refreshments.

We then proceeded to the lounge. A large, sunny room with comfortable seating and large windows on both sides of the vessel. Refreshment selections included tea, coffee, finger sandwiches and pastries.

Fellow passengers slowly made their way into the lounge for a meet and greet with ship crew. As embarkation concluded, it was obvious that we were the youngest passengers on board. Most passengers appeared to be in their late 60’s and considerably older. Approximately 85% were German speaking. We were told that there would be about 14 English speaking passengers on our sailing. It came as no surprise, once again, that this cruise line caters primarily to Europeans, mostly of German descent.

Embarkation day was tremendously anti-climactic. We were used to far better embarkation experiences on Regent. After our whirlwind and quite spoiled time spent in London and Paris, Cezanne was a letdown of fairly monumental proportions. We are active people and this all seemed at a snail’s pace to us. I was miserable and told Alan that I was ready to leap into the Seine! I would never make it through 7 nights on Cezanne. Alan tried to console me. We then reached an agreement to make the best of our time spent on Cezanne.

We settled in, continued to check out the ship and then went to dinner. We met our dining companions for the week – Joan, a retired RN and Tom, a Philosopher, who are from the Bay Area, and Joan’s sister, Mary, also a retired RN and her husband, Jim, a Radiologist, from Iowa. They were charming and engaging. We had a lovely first night’s dinner with them. OK, we have really nice dining companions for our 7 day cruise. A relief!

Others then introduced themselves to us and we to them. Before we knew it we had so many people to mingle with and spend time talking to. People from the U.K., Germany and Austria, all warm and congenial. Many German speaking people spoke English fluently, while others attempted to converse with us in English. We were struggling to say a word or two in German. It was so funny, but immensely enjoyable. Misery was slowing dissolving.

Each day provided touring either in the morning, afternoon, or both. Anyone wishing to do their own thing was able to do so easily. Those touring through Deilmann, who spoke English, benefited in being a small group, as our tours were almost private. The German tours were far larger. The plus for their group was the consistency of a guide. English speaking guides changed frequently and were not consistent, ranging from excellent to just OK.

Alan and I began to fall into a really nice pace of breakfast, touring/wandering, lunching, touring/wandering and then dinner. Times relaxing on the sun deck, sailing the Seine, became special. The quiet hush of the Normandy countryside, the birds chirping, the water lapping against the Cezanne, the historically regal castles, abbeys, and timber homes “painted” into the landscape were captivating and something we will long hold in our memory. Misery? What misery?

Each day brought new sights to behold and experience. Our fellow passengers added to the joy of each day. Germans, Austrians, English, Irish, and Americans all sharing in the beauty of Normandy. Language was no barrier. We all made ourselves understood. We laughed and enjoyed.

The dining room on Cezanne is something very, very special. Staff aims to please in a very big way. Our servers, Gabor and Krasamir, were outstanding. Gabor is from Hungary. Being half Hungarian, I was easily won over by his charm and personality. He made each meal fantastically wonderful for all at our table. In fact, all servers appeared to be very responsive and adept. Each meal is painstakingly prepared and served. Food was outstanding. Very European. We loved it! Dinners consisted of nine course meals. Limited, but sumptuous, menu choices. It did not appear that you could special order, as you can on Regent. Wine was not included at dinnertime; however, could be purchased by the glass or bottle. Other alcoholic beverages were also available for purchase. Prices seemed moderate.

Entertainment was fine and very mellow. It suited the slow pace of river cruising.

Staff was friendly, congenial, efficient and helpful. All announcements, etc. were spoken in both German and English. We found this to be no problem whatsoever. In fact, it added to the European feel of the sailing.

The Captain’s Welcome and Farewell receptions were very low-key by comparison to Regent’s. A glass of champagne was offered with some hors d’oeuvres. Nothing terribly fancy. Ship’s officers were all friendly and interacted with passengers, with the exception of the ship’s Captain, who never uttered a word to anyone, as far as I could tell. I found this a real negative. It takes so little to meet and greet guests sailing on your vessel and make them feel welcome. He made no attempts to meet anyone – not even a smile! Why even have the Captain host a welcome or farewell reception, when the Captain was hardly a host! It was laughable. No doubt about it – All the ship captains on Regent win the personality contest!

BEWARE OF CABIN #1 ON MS CEZANNE:

We did have an issue with our cabin, which I had brought to the attention of the Hotel Director and will also bring to the attention of Deilmann’s corporate offices in the U.S. Upon entering the locks, our cabin vibrated very substantially and the noise was loud and jarring. This was not a constant, but occurred enough evenings and early mornings to jolt us out of a sound sleep. When I initially booked this cruise, I specifically requested a quiet cabin. I felt the cabin on the upper deck would be very quiet, as there was nothing above us. I was assured that this location would be perfect. WRONG!

PROS OF DEILMANN RIVER CRUISING – MS CEZANNE:

Unpack once
Accommodations and meals included
Ease of getting from point A to point B
Package touring available at fairly moderate cost
Outstanding cuisine
Excellent service/European hospitality
Slower pace to relax and appreciate the landscape
No more than 100 passengers
More casual atmosphere
Formal attire not strictly enforced
Sailing with Europeans as well as Americans is a very enriching experience
Ease of access into small towns and villages

CONS OF DEILMANN RIVER CRUISING – MS CEZANNE:

Smaller cabins
Atmosphere is warm, but not as luxurious
No real nightlife, casinos, discos, show productions
Set meal times and seating
NO COMPUTER ACCESS
No real afternoon activities while sailing
Smoking in lounge and on deck is permitted (no smoking in the dining room or guestrooms is allowed)
Not all-inclusive
No self-serve laundry facilities
No pool or spa
No tubs


Now, the burning question – Would we do this again? Yes, I believe we would, depending upon the itinerary. While the vessel (Cezanne) is not quite up to the luxury standards of Regent, we found our experience to be very fulfilling and enriching in many aspects. Crew (with the exception of the Capt.), make you feel a very welcome guest in their “home.” The beauty and tranquility of the landscape was breathtaking. I find it extremely hard to relax and love being on the go. Yet, I found myself enjoying the slower pace after touring. Alan and I loved sitting on the sun deck, slowly sailing along the charming and picturesque towns and villages. A very soothing and quiet, graceful living painting.

We’ve loved our sailings on Regent and will continue to book, plan and enjoy future ocean cruises. However, for those looking for a very different and quieter experience, river cruising does offer one that opportunity to enjoy sailing in a very unique and smaller scale manner. You do have to weigh what is important to you and choose accordingly. I’m happy to say that Alan and I have found pleasure in both ocean and river cruising. It was a very hard sell for me on the day we embarked. However, misery turned to enjoyment and pleasure very soon thereafter!

Oh my gosh Denise, my heart sank when I read that part about you being ready to leap into the Seine! What a sigh of relief when I read in the next paragraph that you started liking it!

It sounds like such a different experience from ocean cruising and that's probably part of the beauty.

Thank you so much for your rich description of the experience. Since it excelled in the areas I care more about, dining and service, I might well consider it for some time in the future.

Where did the cruise stop? Did you go to Giverny?

Welcome back!

Denise, thanks for getting your reports up so fast. They were all great plus informative. The slower pace sounds good to me, but I never have had your energy. I think this is something I will try - some day.
Not to be a pest - but now all we need are pictures. :)

So happy to read this Denise. It sounds like a wonderful experience once you accept the differences between ocean cruising and river cruising. Nice to hear too that there was no language barrier to struggle through. It sounds like the scenery and small towns were breathtaking and I can just picture you and Alan up on the sun deck! Sounds like a wonderful experinece for a one week cruise. Your reports are so well written, you make us feel like we were there!!

Hi Maria,

We did visit Giverny/Monet's House. It was BEAUTIFUL! Monet's paintings alive and living in Giverny! A must visit for anyone who loves Monet!

I just can't begin to tell you how beside myself I was on that embarkation day. It felt such a letdown. Alan, who was very interested in river cruising for some time now, kept apologizing. It well could have remained a very negative experience through those 7 nights; however, we chose to take the river cruise for what it was - a slower paced, picturesque sailing. It really was magnificent seeing those timber houses, abbeys, cathedrals, cows, horses, etc. along the way. Something you don't experience on ocean cruises.

Sailing with warm and friendly passengers from Europe gave our sailing a very nice touch. We enjoyed the company of so many each day.

Both ocean and river cruising are very different experiences. As for Alan and me, we can find pleasure in both.

Hi Betty,

The beauty of the sailing really gave way to relaxation for us. Alan has no problem "lounging." I, on the otherhand, need to be on the move. I found myself relaxing and watching the landscape sail by and it was soothing. Something I never thought I would enjoy to the extent that I did.

We've only been home two days. I had to go back to work today. I did muster up the energy to give some detailed reports. So, please be patient - photos to follow soon! :)

Hi Marcie,

One week was perfect. Don't know how I would have done on a longer sailing.

I do think if you have a group of friends along, it would also add to the enjoyment.

It is amazing how we can be miserable at first with an environment than is less than we are used to, then relax, accept and move on. Been there myself few times.

Good for you Denise to make that mental adjustment and enjoy your river cruise.

I KNOW you like to be on the go all the time just like I do. I had to learn to relax on the Nile cruise too and finally did, as we watched the farmers on the side of the Nile I came to really enjoy that. Of course we had big rooms too so that really helped.

Denise:

I know what you mean about the captain. Ours at least did appear at both the welcome and farewell events, shook hands with everyone, smiled and provided a photo op. But nobody ever sat at the captain's table. Not once. And that was the only time we saw him, at those two events. And the champagne flowed more freely at those events, too, than it apparently did on yours. (I think J commented on that and the surprisingly small amount of hors d'ouevres being provided in his detailed review on CC's river cruises board.) And we got a glass of bubbly on embarkation, also. But I got the feeling that the captain's English wasn't as good as some of the staff members' English.

We had different and local guides in each town -- which was kind of nice since they were from the towns we visited. Wonder if local guides who are fluent German speakers are hard to find in France?
I'd think it would be harder to find guides fluent in English. Strange difference.

There was something else I wanted to comment on -- I forget what. I'll add it later if I remember it. (Oh, right, it was my sister's birthday last week, not mine. She's now only 1 year different from me instead of 2. OK, she's younger than I am. I keep forgetting/blocking that. :D )

Oh, now I remember. Denise, how could you consider lack of computer internet access a negative? Given the amount of time touring and eating, when would you have spent time on the computer? Actually, we enjoyed that lack (except for not getting final four results easily -- since J works at the cinderella school that didn't do so well after that, oh well), and there were internet cafes in some of the places we stopped (which we avoided). Life does go on.... :rolleyes:

Like Maria, I was thinking "Oh no...I feel so bad.." Then things turned around!! I am so happy you & Alan had a nice time. It sounds really lovely.

sjanova -- hi. I didn't realize that you posted on this board as well as the cc river cruising.

Denise -- welcome home. My husband says I don't do relaxation well and because of my medication, I can't sit in the sun. No sun deck for me. I love to tour and meet new people, and I am hoping that will be enough to make our river boat cruise fun. That's for posting so quickly. Judith

Great review Denise! So glad that all turned out well, but you both have the prediposition to make the best of things and keep an open mind which usually will result in a great experience.

Ngaire, at first it was resignation and then we began to view things quite differently from when we first embarked. The landscape and people won us over, as did the very fine service and cuisine. We've been spoiled by Regent and our expectations for Deilmann were very high. The initial reaction was one of "OH NO!" We soon mellowed.

Hi Susan! Was meaning to send a note your way. So much going on right now, trying to come back to reality and our PST zone! I found J's reviews to be invaluable and very, very informative, as you know. Thanks for your input and insight.

Sorry to say I am hooked on my computer. The cut-off was probably a very good thing for me (and Alan appreciated more time spent with him). I did survive almost 2 weeks with no computer! We never tried to seek out internet cafes. Too much time touring and wandering (and eating pastries!). Wonder of wonder!

Champagne flowed somewhat at both receptions. However, we are used to Regent receptions, which are sumptiously outrageous (in a very good way!). Deilmann was very low-key, by comparison.

Thanks, Robert! Our entire trip was very lovely. We so appreciate our time to travel and visit places we've dreamed of visiting.

Hi Judith,

You can sit on the sun deck, as there are umbrellas that will give you lots of shade.

You can ask anyone who has travelled/sailed with us - I simply don't do relaxation well, either! Would much rather be on the go. This was a forced relaxation and I found it soothing (in small doses, of course!).

Hi Leslie,

We began this with a very open mind. I guess some sort of reality hit me when we embarked - like "what the heck were we thinking when we booked this?" We were easily and quickly won over. Others may have chosen to look only at what the negatives were. We chose the positives, of which there were MANY!

We had a truly wonderful vacation! Now onto planning Monte Carlo to Dover, Voyager, June 2, 2007!

Denise, thanks so much for your detailed information. Like others, my heart sank to hear about your initial disappointment and rose to hear about your later enjoyment. We have been so lucky to cruise a line like RSSC, but other types of vacations can be just as rewarding, even if not as luxurious. I'm so happy yours turned out well!

Denise,
I'm so glad you went to Giverny/ Monet's house. It's amazing, it was like looking into his paintings "live".

Wouldn't it be fun if we could form a BIG group and "semi-charter" one of the river boats? I would go in a second! I'm interested in looking into the ones that cross the Danube.

sjnova,

What river cruise were you in? Thanks,

HI Denise. I've been out of town, close to your area the past few days! I can't wait to really catch up with your reviews. welcome home and it sounds like you and Alan had a fabulous river cruise!!!

Best, Nancy

Sorry we were unable to connect, Nancy, while you were in my corner of the world. Hopefully, next time!

Thanks, Priscilla. You know how long we've been working on this trip. It came and went far too quickly! However, now onto planning other journeys! ;)

Denise,
Thanks for the detailed report. So glad you turned the situation into a positive experience. Giverny was one the highlights of our recent trip to France, too.
We are looking to do a River cruise - Budapest/Prague next year on Amadeus Waterways. Welcome home and thanks again for the full report!

Maria:
DH was another "winner" -- same deal as Denise -- and took the classical music cruise on the Danube at the beginning of April. Peter Deilmann's Mozart. :D

Denise:
I wasn't looking for e-mail just yet. Re-entry is tough! Besides catching up on the snail mail, newspapers, and e-mail, it's too much reality! :rolleyes:

Denise, You should be a travel writer! I love reading what you write. I got the feeling you were a little disappointed in the cruise itself when I read your first postings about London and Paris. Did you dock every day? I think we are scheduled to get off everyday. I would be bored if we can't. We love to explore new places and I heard the German villages are like postcards. I hope we won't be disappointed in Budapest. We are there 6 days before the cruise. I messed up on our flight arrangements.
Denise, I am going to look at your pictures now. Thanks so much for sharing with us. I know these are your true feelings and appreciate your honesty. Love ya, Judy

Loved the review, Denise! Thanks for getting your comments up so quickly. So glad that it all turned out OK in the end!

Masaki

sja,

I assume from your smiley face that you were happy with it? Did you write a review somewhere about it? Thanks,

Miriam,

Giverny is a wonderful highlight of this river cruise. In fact, no ports disappointed. I kept snapping photos of Monet's garden and the lily pond. It was spectacular.

Friends of our sailed the itinerary you are taking on Amadeus and really enjoyed it. Will be eager to hear of your experiences.

sja,
Re-entry is the pits. Seems I've just dived back in. I'm trying my hardest to get back into my stride. Seems to be a fairly slow crawl. Alan had off from work yesterday and is off today. I went back to work yesterday to a whirlwind of activity. Oh, to be "rolling on the river" again!

Judy,
We were in Paris the day of embarkation and an additional day. We also were docked in Caudebec En Caux for two days. You can easily get off the vessel and wander. Needless to say, the only time you need to remain on the ship is when you are sailing.

Thanks, Masaki!

I promised to give a fair and balanced review and hopefully accomplished that.

Maria,

sja's husband, J, wrote an incredibly detailed review of their river cruise on the river cruise boards of CC. He did an awesome job!

Denise, you made lemonade out of your potential lemon.

McKeever,

It was lemonade from the beginning. I just needed a day to develop the "taste" for it! ;)

Denise, glad you enjoyed the experience, especially after a shaky start. Your reviews have been great, fair, balanced and honest. Love that!

Hey:

Your comment: "It was lemonade from the beginning. I just needed a day to develop the "taste" for it!"

That says it all for me.

Variety is the spice of life.

Cheers! Ray & Penny

Wonderful ending to your review, Denise. This paragraph says it all!!


"Each day brought new sights to behold and experience. Our fellow passengers added to the joy of each day. Germans, Austrians, English, Irish, and Americans all sharing in the beauty of Normandy. Language was no barrier. We all made ourselves understood. We laughed and enjoyed.
"

Denise,

Thanks for giving such wonderful detailed reports. You do a wonderful job of capturing the moments and making us feel we are right with you! My mother is quite interested in a river cruise and I can pass along all your information. We visited Giverney (took the train from Paris) on the 3rd of June and enjoyed every minute. Perhaps we may have crossed paths there?

Cheers, Pam

Denise - your reviews are pretty close to mine on Amadeus last year on the Danube - very similar comments. We were on a special charter and we (41 & 39 then) were average in age on that particular charter. But I think that most river cruises tend to attract an older group than does Regent. We had a lot of fun on our cruise but a lot of it was the people on the cruise. I'm hoping that the charter company does arrange other itineraries as we'd go on one again but probably wouldn't go on a "regular" riverboat cruise.

I'm really pleased that my review has been so well received. I did feel a responsibility to fully examine, document and report our experiences - good, bad or indifferent, in a very honest manner.

It appears that so many want to give river cruising a try at some point. I encourage those who wish to do so to give it a try. We've been continually spoiled by the stellar Regent experience, making a change a very hard thing to do. Branching out is sometimes taking a risk. In our case, the plunge into river cruising was a delightful and favorable change. Nice to know we have so many terrific options from which to choose.

Pam, We were docked in Giverny on June 9. The Monet House/Gardens/Lily Pond were sights to behold!

Peter, I think river cruising with friends would be delightful.

Very interested to read your thoughts, Denise. It's definitely on our list of things to do, but now I think I'll go into it with different expectations. Todd is exactly like you - truly happiest when he's on the go constantly. I'm more like Alan, happy to lounge a bit as well. :)

Like so many others, my heart sank a bit when I read how you felt the first day. I'm so glad to hear you were able to make the adjustment and enjoy it so much in the end.

Would you do Deilman again or try a different river cruise line?

Welcome home and thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. You were missed.

Kathy

Hi Kathy,

Thanks!

We certainly would go with Deilmann again. I'd be open to another river cruise line, as well. However, I am told that Deilmann is considered the most upscale river cruise line. That has been validated pretty much every year on Conde Naste Gold List. I've heard very good things on Amadeus and Viking, too, from friends who have sailed on both. Itinerary and pricing would be things we would factor into our next river cruise decision.

I do hope you and Todd will give this cruising option a try.

Hi Denise,

I finally finished catching up an fully read your review. You are a wonderful writer and I really enjoyed your perspective. I also don't know how to relax but could get into the groove if need be. We will catch up one of these days! After going to Playa del Carmer the first weekend in June, more humid and hotter than HOuston, the weather in LA this past weekend was so, so fabulous and I finally had a relaxing, relaxing for me type of weekend.

Once again, thanks and welcome home.

Nancy

Nancy, whenever that Houston weather gets too uncomfortable for you, please come visit SOCAL again!

Denise - great review and impressions. Frank would LOVE this, all that relaxation time - bet he'd get caught up on his crosswords and sudocos in that one week!!! I'd be a little antsy for awhile, but then like you would decide to just "go with the flow" and enjoy it!

Thanks again for giving us a wonderful travelog of your trip!!

Glad you enjoyed the review, JoAnn.

Looking forward to meeting you and Frank in Sept.!

Denise,

Glad you and Alan had a good time. Will CHAT more when we get home (or maybe we are home here on the Voyager?)

Perfect Denise.
That is the difference in river and also barge cruising versus big ship "cruising"..the pace.
The problem in our lives is we are all going at such a fast pace. When we get on a "real" ship we are all so used to that go, go, go mentality....it's wonderful to actually slow down, and well.."smell the flowers".... glad you enjoyed and thanx for the report!

Thanks, Claudia. Having experienced barge cruising, you are appreciative of the differences and benefits of a slower pace. Not for everyone. At first, I thought not for me. But, I soon mellowed and saw just how great river cruising can be.

How right you are that we are go, go, go (go, go, go seems to be my mantra!). Europeans have it right - take it slower and savor the day!