Canal archive

Well spotted ours started about 29th April, did you have the lovely Maria I think Elizabeth as your tour guide?

Notamermaid you’ve got it in one basically laden and unladen weight, water being one of the heaviest things (if water is a thing?) you can carry. So to get through a shallow section, shed as much water as possible, ensure that the boat is stable and crawl with fingers in ears not to hear the hull scrapping on the bed of the river/canal, best done at night so as not to upset your passengers. Just a technical note although it may be possible to transverse a shallow section if that section includes a lock then you may have a challenge it depends how it is constructed. Oh these engineers there always fiddling with designs.

More likely the loss of staff that is being felt absolutely everywhere combined with the huge tech outage they suffered recently.

Something Scenic should look at as I think the company they have used for many years has been taken over.

Ohhh just what’s needed a bit of the wet stuff from the skies.

pully8 keep that outlook. Looking back you’ll see the humour!

We’ve only ever traveled with Scenic so are used to our documents arriving during the 14/7 days prior to departure so must admit to wondering why people get concerned.

Okay your in the hands of the Gods, will it rain locally or up in the hills will it rain upstream? Hopefully. It will all depend on the availability of water that is be added to the river from whatever source and this time of year you don’t get snow melt. It’s a case of ‘fingers crossed’.

Basically the shallower the draught the better. I think I’ve said it before somewhere but at our port talk our Captain came to explain the situation and to ask us a question. We were approaching a very shallow area, the ship swap that had been available was taken, if he got the chance to proceed would we be confident in him to proceed - guess what to a man & woman we said yes. Off we went to dinner super evening as usual in the lounge and off to bed. Woke up in the morning with a moving boat and at breakfast discovered we had scrapped - evidently- over the shallow bit. The captain had conferred with two heavily laden barges and they made up a convoy, barge - us - barge so being boaters ourselves our ship was covered and we had a superb captain. Okay it doesn’t always work but when it does well all due to amazing sea or is it river man ship.

Smaller ships similar to the Seine smaller locks.

Wearing seat belts on coaches is mandatory across Europe and I’m not to sure if it’s still the same but it was the driver who was fined not the errant passenger. Remembering to release the belt when leaving gained the expression ‘doing the Scenic dance’. We put in a standing order for 7 each morning one tea and one coffee, adding or subtracting as we go. Who knew what a learning curve a river cruise was!

Not usually it’s covered in the small print!

Have just watched Jane McDonald on a Douro cruise with Emerald Waterways.

Liz just enjoy yourself have a wonderful time.

English Tim thank you so much I’ve been living vicariously through you. My husbands an electric bike rider but has always been wary of the Scenic ones for some reason. If we can we have always gone Eurostar even to the South of France although coming back the Lille stop is a pain. Our Boudreaux cruise was the biking by the most we’ve ever seen to the extent that on one day they had to hire so many extra bikes a couple of other cruise companies complained most bitterly. I must admit travelling with Scenic is a learning experience but dealing directly with the office does seem to work better.

This is my dream - that across the world all electrical connections are interchangeable. As an ex technical illustrator in the satellite industry you would not believe how much easier conformity would have made my life. Especially with those hunks of hardware spinning around above us.

I’ve experienced many a relaxed dinner with new acquaintances on Scenic. I’ve tried to upload a picture from our Douro cruise but it won’t play ball. It’s a picture of a table absolutely full of every different type of drinking glass. We weren’t tipsy but it was a Sunday and one of our lovely waiting staff had a raging toothache to get this lad to the only dentist along the Douro who was open and was in Porto was a logistical nightmare. The staff managed it we had a most enjoyable but maybe not up to your standard evening. He had returned by the Monday evening to be embarrassed by most of the cruisers asking after his well-being.

Picking myself up off the floor are these the costs each or for a couple?

Where in our wonderful world are you as in the U.K. your final documents don’t arrive until about two weeks or less before you depart and they may be emails rather than hard copies. I’m sure all will be okay, the Douro cruise is wonderful helped along by the lovely Portuguese.

It looks like the River Princess has a draught of 1.6 mts.

Crickey that went quickly!

I’m so glad I’m not sailing with you!

Mrs Miggins I must admit to never using a TA I’ve always booked direct and never had a CD who’s given up! Had a couple of useless CDs who have been covered by excellent other staff. Hopefully this is what English Tim is experiencing. The Australians/Tasmania’s/Canadians/New Zealander’s have saved the day many times! Ive sat at the front of the boat with a few beverages several times and put the world to rights and come to the decision that a lot more could be achieved with the Commonwealth. Sorry a bit political but hey ho not.

Babs135 I say just go for it, I’ve never had to walk across open water bridges to get on board usually up the side of the boat. Basically ‘deep breath’ and to hell with it! Good luck my thoughts are with you.

English Tim thank you, ahh memories!