The Rhine with The River Cruise Line

OUR JOURNEY STARTED AT THE MOTORWAY SERVICES IN LEICESTERSHIRE VERY LATE ONE EVENING, WE WERE PICKED UP RIGHT ON TIME BY THE RIVER CRUISE LINE COACH AND STARTED OUR JOURNEY TO DOVER PORT. WE HAVE SEVERAL STOPS ON THE WAY TO PICK UP NEW PASSENGERS AT VARIOUS JOINING POINTS. WE ARRIVED INTO DOVER AT AROUND 8.OOAM AND OUR FERRY WAS ALREADY WAITING FOR US. ONCE ON BOARD THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND THE DUTY FREE SHOP WHICH I DID AND GRAB A SANDWICH, NO SOONER HAD WE SAT DOWN AND WE WERE IN CALAIS.

RIVER CRUISE LINE COACH.

OUR JOURNEY WAS QUITE INTERESTING AND AGAIN WE HAD A FEW STOPS ON THE WAY DOWN TO COLOGNE WHERE WE MET OUR SHIP.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE SHIP SHE WAS NOT THE NEWEST RIVER CRUISE SHIP I HAD BEEN ON BUT WAS VERY COMFORTABLE AND THAT REFLECTED IN THE PRICE THAT I PAID FOR US. OUR CABIN WAS ON THE LOWEST DECK- EMERALD DECK (cabin 104) WHICH WAS FINE FOR US TWO, BUT IF YOU HAVE WALKING DIFFICULTIES OR ARE QUITE ELDERLEY YOU WILL STRUGGLE WITH THESE CABINS, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU PAY A BIT MORE AND UPGRADE TO THE DECK ABOVE RUBY DECK.

AFTER WE UNPACKED IT WAS TIME FOR THE WELCOME COCKTAIL WHICH WAS VERY WELCOME A SHORT TALK WAS GIVEN BY THE CRUISE MANAGER AND THEN IT WAS TIME FOR DINNER, THE RESTAURANT WAS DOWN ON THE DECK WE WERE LOCATED ON, BUT THERE WAS A CHAIR LIFT GOING DOWN TO THE RESTAURANT WHICH WAS HANDY AGAIN FOR PEOPLE WITH WALKING PROBLEMS.

THE RESTUARANT WAS LOVELY WE WERE GIVEN TABLES IN A GROUP OF 6, WE ALL GOT ON REALLY WELL WITH THE COUPLES ON OUR TABLE AND THE CONVERSATION RAN VERY SMOOTHLY- YOU NORMALLY FIND WITH RIVER CRUISING YOU CAN CHOOSE WHERE AND WITH WHOM TO SIT WITH SO I WAS A BIT SURPRISED THIS DECISION WAS MADE FOR US, BUT OUR TABLE WAS BRILLIANT.

WELCOME DINNER – SWITZERLAND II

• APPERTIZER – Marinated Farmersalad with cucumber, tomatoes and goat cheese
• SOUP– Mustard Soup, Dutch mustard soup with rye bread croutons
• MAIN COURSE– Braised stuffed beef roulade on red wine sauce with hotch potch and brussel sprouts. OR Egg coated fillet of plaice on lemon- butter with dill potatoes and grilled tomato
• PASTA OF THE DAY – Linguine con pesto a la genovese, platte long pasta served with creamy pesto sauce and shredded parmesan cheese.
• DESSERT – Cream caramel
• CHEESE PLATE – Selection of cheeses, crackers, nuts & grapes
• COFFEE, Decaf Coffee or tea.

TOMORROW WE VENTURE AROUND COLOGNE.