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In need of advice
Has anyone taken this cruise in mid -June? Curious about weather, any lavender fields in bloom? For those who have done this cruise in 2023, are we back to pre-pandemic standards? ie. staffing, plated dinners vs buffet?
Also generally for those who have traveled on the Emerald, are all category 7 cabins the same or is there a preference? Specifically, any reviews on cabin 315?
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Have not done this cruise but did take the Seine trip last May 2022. Everything on the boat was back to normal although some of the crew and TD's wore masks.However, not all of the time .All cat.7 cabins are the same.
Thank yo so much for your response. Reassuring and much appreciated.
As of late, Paris and environs south have been experiencing a heat wave--perfect for seeing the lavender fields in Provence but not an ideal travel time in my opinion. If you don't mind hot weather and summer crowds, you will be fine. It's impossible to predict what the climate will be like next June (I presume that is when you plan on going.)
As mentioned above, all category seven (7) cabins are identical in size and amenities. We have enjoyed cabin 308 on our prior river cruises and have it booked again this winter for a holiday market cruise. And yes, everything is back to normal in terms of staffing and meals. I recommend having a supply of masks just in case. We were on a Seine cruise this past April and two people tested positive for COVID-19 two or three days before the end of the cruise. Not very many guests wore masks after that and, sure enough, more guests became ill--not sure if COVID was the culprit again.
We took the Savoring France cruise in 2019 and it reigns as our second favorite river cruise. It is a fabulous tour with food and wine being plentiful. The excursions were the best!
Thank you, very helpful. Yes, theoretically, late spring, early to mid June. I will keep my fingers crossed for pleasant weather and some lavender. Very excited as this tour gets very positive feedback!
We took almost the exact same cruise (the old French Waterways cruise) in the first half of July 2014 and had both heat and got rained on in Paris and Provence. Guessing the weather these days is a gamble.
The only issue I can see with cabin 315 is you'll be doing a lot of walking. Except for Arthurs, everything else on the ship happens forward - going to the lounge, going to meals, leaving the ship for excursions, etc. Other than than I suspect it's just fine.
Thank you! Indeed, weather is unpredictable! A week before my land tour in Southern Spain, the temperatures were in the 100's and I fortunately experienced comfortable 70-80 degree temperatures.
We did this trip mid May 2022. Forecast was for the mid 70’s, but instead we got an intense heat wave. Mid 80’s into 90’s….it was steamy on excursions. We did not have the right clothing! The ship was fabulous….crew, service, food and wine excellent. We had a level 7 cabin and loved it. Have fun!
Thanks! I've had similar experiences when it comes to weather, but it's reassuring to see by the responses that, at very least, my choice of river cruise , ship and itinerary is a good one!
We are joining this tour on August 16 and looking forward to it. Also, we are staying in Cat 7 as we enjoyed the cabin so much when we were on the Rhone cruise which we absolutely loved.
I made a mistake in my above email. We are going on the Seine cruise in August. The Rhone cruise was wonderful with great food and interesting places to visit.
We just returned from this trip yesterday. It started on July 9 and it was very hot. We were still able to see many fields of lavender and sunflowers, although some had been cut. We were also back to pre pandemic standards such as buffets and plated meals with many menu options. We had great experiences at 2 cooking schools, beautiful bike tours, wine tastings and a trip to a truffle farm with unlimited tastings. It's a wonderful tour that I'm sure you will enjoy.
We were in the category 6 cabin, so I'm not sure about the cat 7. We just wanted a room close to the mid ship with minimal noise at night and we wanted the larger bath and not the one that's angled off. Hope this helps and let me know if you have additional questions.
Also, if you're interested in a performance at the Opera House in Paris, make sure to make your reservations far in advance. We booked the ballet 3 months ahead of time and just got lucky as there were only 2 seats left together in the orchestra section. We really enjoyed it.