Viking Chateaux, Rivers & Wine

[magellan2022]

I just got off the phone with our travel agent who was able to book the Chateau Suirac optional tour for us. After reading the descriptions and experiences of those who loved it, I am sure it will be worth the $230 for both of us!

I am so ready for July 5th to come!

Jackie

[editor@cruisecritic]

For whatever it's worth, some photos that remind me fondly of the Chateau Suiarac day, which was just...lovely.

 

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

A few more photos....

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

MaiibooNewYork, despite working for a web site, I'm hopeless unless I'm at home. Do it at the airport, no worries, that is what I did. If I had been feeling a bit more organized I would have sent my docs to the Viking concierge and asked him to print them out. But there wasn't really any need....

 

 

Carolyn

 

Thanks for the quick response about the outlets.

@Remy. It sounds like a brilliant solution but I am not tech savvy at all. For example, my cell phone is a $14.99 flip phone from Tracfone. There must be people like me who need to print boarding passes the old fashioned way. Can that be done on board, easily and in advance or do you have to wait until the airport?

[id4elizabeth]

Hi All, I’m just getting to the task of going through my brochures, cards, tickets, books, etc that we brought home from our April 12 Bordeaux sailing. I wanted to make sure I had found his card before I told you about this. We had a fantastic chauffeur, Bruno Lerouge, who drove us from the Forseti to the Bordeaux Train Station. He speaks wonderful English, with just a charming bit of French accent – easily understood. What I wanted to share with you though was that he also does tours of the Bordeaux wine country and will arrange reservations for tours of any Chateaux you wish to visit. He has a very large, and very clean air-conditioned van that he says will seat 7, but I would say 5 or at the most 6 in order not to be squished. He charges € 350 for a full day tour for everyone – so split up, that would not be bad. Of course you might also have to pay for any entrance fees, if applicable, for specific Chateaux. His contact info is: phone 06 25 33 74 30, and his email is lerouge.bruno@sfr.fr . Now, keep in mind we were with him for a short duration, but we were very impressed with him. I’m certainly keeping his card in case we find ourselves in the Bordeaux region again.

I’m also starting to go through my thousands of pictures, sorting them and deleting the bad ones – reliving some very pleasurable moments.

Carolyn – we did likewise – but for breakfast. I bought some fois gras pate and some brie cheese and took these with me to breakfast every morning. I did get the odd curious look.

[kidfixer]

We just finished the wine and chateau cruise on the Viking Forseti so I thought I'd try to answer some questions. I'll try to work in a somewhat logical order. If there are things I don't cover, please post questions and I'll try to answer.

 

Airport to ship: you can get a taxi at the airport without a problem. The cost is about €50-60, unless there's a group and then it would be more. The trip takes about 25-30 minutes, depending on traffic. I heard that from the train station, it's about €17-20, but I can't confirm that. Fyi, the ship's location can change without too much notice (they won't move except when everyone is on board, unless planned in advance). We were docked in Bordeaux and had to move due to an event right across the street. Since the buses could not park, we just moved up the river. But be aware that things can happen on short notice, and don't dismiss your taxi unless you've confirmed that your ship is there.

 

Wine: there is a lot of wine on this cruise! We had 2 wine tastings before noon, which is a bit early for me, but they think nothing of it. The wines served at dinner varied from day to day, and were regional and pretty good. Definitely not the best, but a lot of people seemed to just want to get drunk, so they're not going to use "the good stuff". You could buy wine and bring on board, and the staff will open it, decant it and serve it. If you do buy wine, get it at the maisons du vin, as they're much cheaper than the wine stores for the same wines. I also got some at a good price at the market.

 

If you have a sweet tooth, try the macarons. They're a specialty in St. Emilion, but can be found all over. There are crispy ones, plain ones, and colored ones with a flavoring. You'd have to try all to see which you like. In Bordeaux, the colorful ones sell for €5 for 100kg (about 6-7 little cookies). The beautiful chocolate shop in the Grand Hotel building has good ones for the same price, plus wonderful chocolates! The chefs did a demo on how to make macarons, and then told us they're very difficult, so just buy some.

 

Activities: this was the downside for us - we were bored. There was little to do when you weren't on an excursion and the internet was so slow, we even had trouble downloading more books when we ran out of reading. The cruise director gives a talk most days, but that's only about 30 minutes. The piano player was wonderful, and you could dance in the evening (if you weren't too drunk!), but often there was nothing to do.

Rivers vs estuaries: I should explain - I didn't realize we were sailing on an estuary. That meant that the ship had to change their schedule according to the tides. Some of the days were switched around, excursions were deleted or added, etc. Sometimes we had to just wait for the ok to go under a bridge, but you couldn't be on the sun deck because the bridge was too low. There was much less walking than on the other river cruise I'd done.

That all being said, there were some fabulous included excursions. The dinner at Chateau Kirwan was amazing. I enjoyed the citadel in Blaye, but not the chateau in Cadillac. Your opinion will probably be different than mine.

 

Optional excursions: I didn't do any of these so I'm reporting what others told me. Two men we met did the cognac one and really enjoyed it. They said if you are really into cognac, it was worth it. They did some tasting and then learned how to combine different ages into their own special drink. They got certificates,a bottle of their special blend, etc. The wives were happy they hadn't gone. Reports from the other trips were also good. The capucin market visit was added as an included one since we skipped the Liborne market. I liked it, but I'm interested in that sort of thing. In addition to touring the very large market, we did some tastings and had time to shop. That's where I bought some nice regional wine.

 

Cabins: there are 3-4 outlets in each cabin - more if you've brought the adapters (2-prong round ones). Beds were firm, pillows soft, and cabins were very bright in the morning. Even with a sleep mask, I was awake by 6:30 daily. Toiletries are L'occitaine, very nice. Umbrellas and water bottles are at the door whenever you go out, included.

If there are other questions, please post them and I'll try to answer.

Linda

[Bet & Peg]

kidfixer ~ thanks SO much for your review and comments!!! Now we have a ballpark figure for a cab to/from airport!!!

 

Did you dock in both Blaye and Cadillac???

 

Did you, yourself, slip the Liborne Market or was the tour cancelled?

 

Thanks much for the info about the Cognac optional tour - DH & his friend are really looking forward to it!! Was there any alternative offered at that tour's time? Just wondering since firend's wife and I (like the wives on your cruise) aren't really interested in taking the tour but we'd enjoy seeing the town!

[roebud]

Kid fixer.....thanks for your review...where is Madison du vin? Is it near the ship?

 

Rose

[editor@cruisecritic]

Fabulous report, clearly I'm still missing the cruise :)

 

From what I learned the ship's location in Bordeaux is always the same place...so your insight is intriguing. Even still. The waterfront is fairly compact so it's easy enough to figure out where....

 

The cost for a taxi can be anything from 50 euro to 80 euro depending on traffic, and plan to pay with cash as there's no such thing as a credit card reader.

 

I love wine but have to admit that on our Saturday-Saturday cruise I hit the wall on Thursday. Haven't quite yet recovered! On the other hand, my Finnish husband, who only ever drinks Chardonnay, became quite the red wine aficionado.

 

FWIW, I could care less about cognac, but loved the experience. The optional tour provided a memory that I wouldn't ever have had. We have the bottle...for awhile it was left on top of the washing machine :confused: -- that's how serious I am. But I loved the experience.

 

Carolyn

 

 

PS You don't need a "tour" of the Libourne market, just wander over and enjoy and remember there's both an outdoor part, and an indoor part. In France, the indoor markets are where locals really buy; outdoors it's either seasonal or touristic.

 

 

We just finished the wine and chateau cruise on the Viking Forseti so I thought I'd try to answer some questions. I'll try to work in a somewhat logical order. If there are things I don't cover, please post questions and I'll try to answer.

 

Airport to ship: you can get a taxi at the airport without a problem. The cost is about €50-60, unless there's a group and then it would be more. The trip takes about 25-30 minutes, depending on traffic. I heard that from the train station, it's about €17-20, but I can't confirm that. Fyi, the ship's location can change without too much notice (they won't move except when everyone is on board, unless planned in advance). We were docked in Bordeaux and had to move due to an event right across the street. Since the buses could not park, we just moved up the river. But be aware that things can happen on short notice, and don't dismiss your taxi unless you've confirmed that your ship is there.

 

Wine: there is a lot of wine on this cruise! We had 2 wine tastings before noon, which is a bit early for me, but they think nothing of it. The wines served at dinner varied from day to day, and were regional and pretty good. Definitely not the best, but a lot of people seemed to just want to get drunk, so they're not going to use "the good stuff". You could buy wine and bring on board, and the staff will open it, decant it and serve it. If you do buy wine, get it at the maisons du vin, as they're much cheaper than the wine stores for the same wines. I also got some at a good price at the market.

 

If you have a sweet tooth, try the macarons. They're a specialty in St. Emilion, but can be found all over. There are crispy ones, plain ones, and colored ones with a flavoring. You'd have to try all to see which you like. In Bordeaux, the colorful ones sell for €5 for 100kg (about 6-7 little cookies). The beautiful chocolate shop in the Grand Hotel building has good ones for the same price, plus wonderful chocolates! The chefs did a demo on how to make macarons, and then told us they're very difficult, so just buy some.

 

Activities: this was the downside for us - we were bored. There was little to do when you weren't on an excursion and the internet was so slow, we even had trouble downloading more books when we ran out of reading. The cruise director gives a talk most days, but that's only about 30 minutes. The piano player was wonderful, and you could dance in the evening (if you weren't too drunk!), but often there was nothing to do.

Rivers vs estuaries: I should explain - I didn't realize we were sailing on an estuary. That meant that the ship had to change their schedule according to the tides. Some of the days were switched around, excursions were deleted or added, etc. Sometimes we had to just wait for the ok to go under a bridge, but you couldn't be on the sun deck because the bridge was too low. There was much less walking than on the other river cruise I'd done.

That all being said, there were some fabulous included excursions. The dinner at Chateau Kirwan was amazing. I enjoyed the citadel in Blaye, but not the chateau in Cadillac. Your opinion will probably be different than mine.

 

Optional excursions: I didn't do any of these so I'm reporting what others told me. Two men we met did the cognac one and really enjoyed it. They said if you are really into cognac, it was worth it. They did some tasting and then learned how to combine different ages into their own special drink. They got certificates,a bottle of their special blend, etc. The wives were happy they hadn't gone. Reports from the other trips were also good. The capucin market visit was added as an included one since we skipped the Liborne market. I liked it, but I'm interested in that sort of thing. In addition to touring the very large market, we did some tastings and had time to shop. That's where I bought some nice regional wine.

 

Cabins: there are 3-4 outlets in each cabin - more if you've brought the adapters (2-prong round ones). Beds were firm, pillows soft, and cabins were very bright in the morning. Even with a sleep mask, I was awake by 6:30 daily. Toiletries are L'occitaine, very nice. Umbrellas and water bottles are at the door whenever you go out, included.

If there are other questions, please post them and I'll try to answer.

Linda

Edited May 26, 2014 by editor@cruisecritic

[lovetocruise17]

My DH and I have had to cancel this River Cruise due to an illness. We were to go in Aug. Do hope this trip continues to get better and better and that the rivers continue to be good to you all.

[Bet & Peg]

lovetocruise 17 ~ sorry to hear about you cancelling your trip! Hope all feel better soon!

[marazul]

Kid fixer.....thanks for your review...where is Madison du vin? Is it near the ship?

 

Rose

 

It's Maison des Vins or Maison du Vin. (House of wines or House of wine.) They are run by wine grower associations and you will find them in each wine producing town. Here is the list:

http://www.vignobledebordeaux.com/infos_synd.php

[imisseurope]

Fabulous report, clearly I'm still missing the cruise :)

 

From what I learned the ship's location in Bordeaux is always the same place...so your insight is intriguing. Even still. The waterfront is fairly compact so it's easy enough to figure out where....

 

The cost for a taxi can be anything from 50 euro to 80 euro depending on traffic, and plan to pay with cash as there's no such thing as a credit card reader.

 

I love wine but have to admit that on our Saturday-Saturday cruise I hit the wall on Thursday. Haven't quite yet recovered! On the other hand, my Finnish husband, who only ever drinks Chardonnay, became quite the red wine aficionado.

 

FWIW, I could care less about cognac, but loved the experience. The optional tour provided a memory that I wouldn't ever have had. We have the bottle...for awhile it was left on top of the washing machine :confused: -- that's how serious I am. But I loved the experience.

 

Carolyn

 

 

PS You don't need a "tour" of the Libourne market, just wander over and enjoy and remember there's both an outdoor part, and an indoor part. In France, the indoor markets are where locals really buy; outdoors it's either seasonal or touristic.

 

Thanks for the info re: cash only for taxis.

We are on Uniworld's cruise in June and are staying at the Quality Bordeaux Center on Sainte Catherine for our arrival night.

We will need to get a taxi from airport to hotel. Does anyone know or have

experience with this? It is a pedestrian area, so concerned about not getting dropped off at door of hotel with suitcases. But I read somewhere that the taxis have some kind of tokens to get thru the pedestrian gates??

[MalibooNewYork]

Just got back from this cruise. Will write a review when I decompress, but wanted to say that we had a wonderful time. It couldn't have been nicer---the food, wine, service, cabin, excursions, staff, Viking--all were exemplary.

[Le bon vin]

Can't wait to read your review MalibooNewYork. Glad to hear you had a wonderful time. We have less than four weeks to go before we leave for our cruise. Getting excited!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Edited May 31, 2014 by Le bon vin

[Bet & Peg]

Maliboo ~ SO happy your cruise ws a good one!!! Also can't wait to hear all about it!!!!

[roebud]

Does anyone know how many euros from the train station in Bordeaux to the ship? Not sure if this question was asked before.

 

Rose

[Bet & Peg]

I think someone "reported" that other passengers had said cab's about 20euros from the train station. Looking at the map it isn't too far and even possible to take the tram if luggage isn't a consideration. We're planning on taking a cab - but that won't be until October!

[ABQcruiser]

Does anyone know how many euros from the train station in Bordeaux to the ship? Not sure if this question was asked before.

 

Rose

A tram ticket is 1Euro 40 to last one hour, including any transfer you need. The C line goes to the gare (station), but the B has the Chartrons stop. Looks like you can transfer at Quinconces, 6 stops along. Then just 2stops on the B line to Chartrons.

We are on the ship now and having a great time.

Alice

[roebud]

Does anyone know how many euros from the train station in Bordeaux to the ship? Not sure if this question was asked before.

 

Rose

 

I should have been more specific. I was wondering how much a taxi ride was from the train station in Bordeaux to the ship

[ABQcruiser]

Does anyone know how many euros from the train station in Bordeaux to the ship? Not sure if this question was asked before.

 

Rose

 

I should have been more specific. I was wondering how much a taxi ride was from the train station in Bordeaux to the ship

 

We took a cab from the station to our hotel at Meriadek for 15 euros cash. To the quai de Chartrons where the boat docks would probably be 10-15 more. Don't count on being able to use credit cards for the taxi.

It is quite a way from the airport to Bordeaux and heavy traffic at 5 pm. We took the Navette shuttle bus from the airport to town. There is a shuttle route with five stops, but we found ourselves on an express to the train station. Still, the shorter taxi ride was much cheaper than it would have been from the airport to town.

Heading toward Libourne now while some have gone on the truffle excursion or to Chateau Siurac.

[tipsygirl]

Thanks for the info re: cash only for taxis.

We are on Uniworld's cruise in June and are staying at the Quality Bordeaux Center on Sainte Catherine for our arrival night.

We will need to get a taxi from airport to hotel. Does anyone know or have

experience with this? It is a pedestrian area, so concerned about not getting dropped off at door of hotel with suitcases. But I read somewhere that the taxis have some kind of tokens to get thru the pedestrian gates??

We stayed in the city center and took a taxi from the airport to our hotel (Adagio Gambetta on Gambetta square). Yes, the taxis have a way to enter the pedistrian areas.They have a special gate they go through that regular cars cannot access. We were dropped directly in front of our hotel and were picked up there also when we took a taxi to the ship.

Taxi from airport cost us 45 euros, but did not have much traffic. Taxi to the ship was about 15 euros. Drivers were friendly and helpful and worked hard to communicate with us.

Edited June 3, 2014 by tipsygirl
mispelled word

[magellan2022]

Thanks ABQcruiser for taking the time to share a few moments with us during the cruise. After all that I've read I feel as if I know just where you are! Sounds like not doing the tour and staying with the boat gives you more "sailing time," a good option. Hard to believe that July 5th will be here in 5 1/2 weeks. I follow this board and the weather app daily!

We are arriving by train, so the cab information is quite helpful. When are leave the ship, we will be on our way home. So we'll be sure the to have the requisite euros for the cab.

[ABQcruiser]

Though only Thursday we had the debarkation info session this morning while sailing to Cadillac. The word is that taxi from ship to airport is 70 euros for a van or about 60 for regular taxi, and 20 from ship to rail station. No credit cards.

 

People taking taxis let the desk know what time the need to leave, use different color bag tags according to their departure time and Viking will have arranged taxis for your pickup time. We are traveling independently later in the day but still have a certain tag color for bag storage. All passengers must be out of cabins at 9 a.m. but can have breakfast and/or hang out in the lounge. Bags must be ready for collecting by 9, too, and will be safely stowed. Many people on this cruise have quite early return flights. We will leave our bags on the ship and wander to a nearby museum or some shops, then return for our bags, take a tram to the train station, then Navette shuttle to the airport using the senior rate return tickets (10.40 Euro) purchased a week ago.

 

Gratuities can be added to your account. With so many people leaving very early Saturday, settling up on Friday night will be busy.

 

Tomorrow, Friday, is a free day in Bordeaux (if not going on the optional Arcachon trip). Chef Magalie will give a (free) market tour. The concierge put together a list of suggested things to do. We may head to the Museum of Aquitane. We've had enough food and wine to last a while!

Alice

[MalibooNewYork]

I hope this doesn't appear twice as my previous post got lost in the ether.

I posted my review this morning.

A suggestion: The monolithic church in St. Emilion is very dark. If you are unsure of your footing and/or have trouble seeing in the dark, you would benefit from taking a small LED flashlight like the one I left on my bedstand.