Belmond afloat8/2/2023 ![]() There were some good staff (mostly Bulgarian) on board but there were a few who seemed to be resentful and to have a chip on their shoulder, to quarrel amongst themselves and were openly hostile to the clients for example rolling their eyes when asked for something and returning greetings with a unfriendly stare. Evening dinners were a bit more variable. In general, the breakfasts and lunches were of excellent quality. The Lord Byron boat was very nice and although the cabin was a little small we had no problems. The rep who accompanied us was of little help to this person and seemed totally confused by the layout at Lyon. However it should be noted that the coach drop off point at Lyon airport is a long way from the terminal and at least one of our number who was disabled struggled greatly to cover the distance. We did not feel that the food was in any way special.įlights out and home on BA were uneventful. The ship offered a special dining experience at no extra cost in a small dining area at the rear of the ship, our experience of this was not favourable, one reason was it was understaffed and too far from the main kitchen. One issue we hadn’t been aware of is the strong winds affecting the Avignon area (the notorious mistral) which had a big impact on our enjoyment of the first few days. The outings were good but this river is less interesting and scenic than the Rhine or the Danube. All the staff and crew were very friendly and helpful the rooms were clean and comfortable. The drinks in the lounge bar which are not included in any package were quite expensive. Had we not paid for the drinks package and bought a bottle of wine each evening, we would have saved quite a bit of money and not had the frustration of asking for refills. We regrettably paid for the drinks package, we do not drink more than one bottle of wine between two of us with a dinner, but the frustration of continually asking for more wine became an issue. Having travelled previously with Viking where all drinks with meals are complimentary this is not the case with Riviera. The ship is very clean and maintained to a high standard but is rather dated. Flew to Lyon followed by a three and a half our uninteresting coach journey to the ship in Avignon. We are now looking to do another River or canal trip with Belmond. The French captain and first mate, worked to a very tight schedule probably due to the locks, do not expect him to be flexible. The decor inside is tired but really this was not a problem (it could be to some guests) Belmond could do with refitting this barge but all was very clean and the plumbing was good. It was a very hot week and we spent a lot of time in the lounge inside. The was air conditioning inside the barge. Do not take too many clothes! What was also very nice the river was quiet, very little river traffic, a few container barges and large river cruises. The cabins were small but we really only slept in the cabin. The layout and size of the lounge and dining room, all good. Well done to Jade her cooking was superb and we really challenged her with our complex dietary requirements. A really lovely taste of the country side although I was surprised how industrial this wide river was. All out excursions extremely enjoyable thanks to Cat and her mini bus. An excellent 5 days, 6 nights ,thanks to Cat, Jade, Kirsty and Becky (British crew) We were 12 people/6 couples cruising the Rhône from Avignon to Lyon.
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