Chateaux, Rivers & Wine 2016

[PrissyLovesCabs]

Hi everyone,

 

My name is Donna and looking for a little help. I've been on Viking's email list for several months now, back when I was thinking about taking "Portraits of Southern France". I've received notifications about reduced rates on that particular cruise (Portraits) and a few others.

 

For those who've ever sailed "Chateaux, Rivers & Wine"....does this cruise ever have a sale, or is it so popular that it pretty much sells out? I realize there wouldn't be a sale any time soon for 2016, but I wondered if it was worth holding out until next spring. I noticed that everything for 2015 is sold out up to November. We and our friends want to take the October 8 2016 sailing--we just don't want to take the chance of missing it if this particular cruise never has reduced rates.

 

Thank you

[Rosethorn40]

October is a popular month for river cruising in Europe, especially early in the month. It's not so hot, and the crowds are thinner at major sites. I was looking at dates in late September, and it seemed to me that those dates were selling out faster than the summer months.

 

I also think that some would be tourists were scared off by terrorist attacks and threats in France, and that may have affected bookings, which may be why it seemed most of the major river cruise lines were offering great deals. Once fears subside I would expect demand to increase.

 

It may also depend on what category cabin you are looking at. My observation has been that with the fall sailings, the French Balconies go fast as well as the cheapest cabins.

[PrissyLovesCabs]

Thank you for your help, Rosethorn! Your points make perfect sense and yes, we want a French Balcony room! I guess we'll be putting in that deposit very soon!

[Bet & Peg]

We took this cruise in 2014 sailing on October 4th - and it was fabulous! That was the first year Viking offered this itinerary and we booked it November 2012! I think it was a "sell-out" on most of its sailings!

 

The itinerary is heavily concentrated on wine - only Viking cruise to have a Sommelier on board! And the daily wine choices were definitely a step above the usual Viking offerings! As for reduced rate special, I think the uniqueness of the cruise keeps the rooms filled!

 

DH choose the timing since he wanted to see the vineyards in the fall - and that out perfectly since we actually got to walk among the pickers at Chateau Siaurac! (I highly advise that optional tour - highlight of the trip - owner Paul Goldsmith was fantastic!!)

 

I don't know your cruising experience, but for rooms/cabins - be aware that the French Balcony is very tight! Good storage but not much room to walk around. (We had one on a Christmas cruise in 2012) You do have the ability to open the door for fresh air but there's no balcony to stand on. But that being said - on the Bordeaux cruise we had a balcony room and never had time to sit on the balcony!!! Next cruise I'm not sure what type room we'll decide on!!!

 

Don't know your time schedule but we found Bordeaux a lovely city and wish we had planned time there per/post cruise. We actually spent a week in Paris (fabulous!!) and I wanted to plan a few days in Bordeaux but was voted down - we were traveling with 2 other friends.

 

Any questions - general or specific - just ask away - I'll be more than happy to try and answer! (I'm really jealous of you - would love to plan a repeat of this cruise - it was really our favorite!!)

[pontac]

I did this cruise in March this year.

 

I really enjoyed it tho' the weather was miserable most of the time.

 

This really is a trip for wine lovers, and especially the wines of Bordeaux.

 

Non-wine lovers won't feel the same emotions when stopping for photo-ops at Ch d'Yquem, Palmer, Cos d'Estournal etc...

 

The tour is more focused on wine rather than cruising. Scenery from the boat is not in the league of the Douro or Rhine, and of course you start and end at the same point, keeping to quite a small geographical area.

 

I am a wine lover, I did enjoy the trip and of all the ones I have taken, this is the one I most want to repeat, but next time in the autumn, when the vines are burdened with grapes and harvesting is under way.

[beanpittsburgh]

I have to agree with Pontac -- he is right on. If you want to see fantastic scenery while cruising then do something else. This cruise is meant for wine lovers. I do think Viking could improve the itinerary by doing a winery tour each day. The wineries we did get to were fantastic. As to discounts and sales, it seems like Viking always has a 2 for 1 sale but if you sign up in February for a future cruise they give you an additional $600 off per couple. At least that is the way it worked for us. The drawback to this is that Viking gets your money in full shortly after booking the trip.

[Bet & Peg]

pontac and beanpittsburg are both very correct! This IS a cruise for wine lovers and will cover very little distance - we loved it but also understood its limitations when we booked it.

 

We began drinking wine in the late 60s - then, even in NYC, it was mainly French or California! As the wine market expanded so did our tastes but the "old standards", i.e. Bordeaux, still hold a special place in our hearts. So when this itinerary was first announced we jumped at the opportunity to tour this special area.

 

If you'd like a visual preview - here's a slide show from our cruise - should give you a little idea of the scope of the cruise - sorry you can't taste the wine!!! Chateaux, Rivers, And Wine Slideshow TripAdvisor™

[slineberry528]

Thanks for all of the information. I will be on this cruise on Aug. 8. There are 20 of us going and all are like minded and have contacts with several wineries in central Virginia. We are all looking forward to this very much.

 

Susan

[PrissyLovesCabs]

Oh my goodness, you have ALL made me us so happy!!!! Thank you!!! I was reading all your responses to hubby and our friends last night. Eyes lit up at "wine-centric", "heavily concentrated on wine", and "Sommelier on board"! I'm just awaiting my boss to approve my time off :)

 

One disappointment is that Château Siaurac and The World of Truffles are the same day :( as we'd love to do both. For those who've done one or the other--I'd love to know what you think.

 

Peg, I'm going to start your slideshow in 3, 2, 1....

[Rosethorn40]

Fotopeg, Thank you for sharing your slide show. Great pictures. I hope to take my own some day.

[beanpittsburgh]

I did the truffles and my wife did Ch. Siaurac. We each had a good time. I was really curious about the truffles since I had never had one before. I still don't see what the fuss is as they were basically tasteless. The Truffle hunting itself only took about 10 minutes. With that being said, it was still a very worthwhile experience. Eduard and his dog Farrah were fantastic. The man had a great passion for his profession. The 5 course meal his wife prepared was excellent in his 16th Century Chateau. We still had time afterwards for a brief tour of St Emillion. I would definitely do the truffles again. As a side note, the tour passes through the village where the 30000 year old cave paintings are, although you don't get to visit the caves. As for the winery, my thought is that there are other wineries to visit in your life time but this is one chance to experience truffle hunting that you will never do again in your lifetime. PS -- don't pat the dog, Eduard doesn't want him distracted.

[pontac]

One disappointment is that Château Siaurac and The World of Truffles are the same day :( as we'd love to do both. For those who've done one or the other--I'd love to know what you thin

 

We took the optional wine trip to Chateau Siaurac, where we were greeted by owner Paul Goldschmidt who is an amusing host who walked us through his vineyards and gardens and in his living rooms in the chateau. We had a tasting of several wines and then had a decent lunch with more wines.

 

However, this optional tour cost €87 a head and I think it was well-overpriced*. Yes we had lunch, but we’d already paid for lunch and wine on board. Assuming that wine enthusiasts would be the ones booking this trip, I thought it didn’t offer enough, there wasn’t enough detailed info (although Paul was delightfully indiscrete on occasions). Looking at the winery website you see they offer blending experiences, for example.

 

*Especially as its a real marketing opportunity as Siaurac holds stock of its wines in the US and Americans are encouraged to order at the winery on this trip for delivery when they get home. And a great many did so.

[PrissyLovesCabs]

So despite the question I asked about truffles vs. Château Siaurac last year, we decided not to do either. The four of us are VERY into our wine and know lots of people ITB so we have a driver for the day that we're in St. Emilion. We'll do two chateaux, lunch, and sight-seeing.

 

I see that there are two additional shore excursions on the last full day: "All Around The Barrel" and "Bordeaux For Connoisseurs". Has anybody been on either? Also, I read that some passengers have participated in cooking demonstrations and wine tastings aboard the Forseti. Does that happen on every cruise? It's not long now and we're so excited!!!

[MalibooNewYork]

We took this cruise in May of '14. We loved everything about it. The weather was beautiful, sunny and cool with a few sprinkly showers periodically. You don't cruise much but that's what we liked although one of my favorite memories is sailing down the river on the sun deck with a glass of champagne. There was ample time to explore Bordeaux which was an easy walking distance from our ship. We have even toyed with the idea of taking the cruise again.

You are going to have a wonderful time and I look forward to reading more about Bordeaux for Connoisseurs when you get back.

[jrkstl]

So despite the question I asked about truffles vs. Château Siaurac last year, we decided not to do either. The four of us are VERY into our wine and know lots of people ITB so we have a driver for the day that we're in St. Emilion. We'll do two chateaux, lunch, and sight-seeing.

 

Hello!

 

Be sure to not miss any of St. Emilion! I didn't think we had enough time there, and the town is magical. This is also where we decided to take advantage of the many wine stores that ship to the US, and got so caught up in the experience that we ordered two cases :) Absolutely zero regrets, by the way. We shopped at a place called Ets Martin in St. Emilion, and they were wonderful. Cost to ship a case to the US was 75 Euros each, but they gave a good price discount, and there was no duty or taxes. I've looked up our purchases once home, and they are competitively priced.

 

We were just there, and I'm ready to go back!

 

Jeff

[leftygolfer]

So despite the question I asked about truffles vs. Château Siaurac last year, we decided not to do either. The four of us are VERY into our wine and know lots of people ITB so we have a driver for the day that we're in St. Emilion. We'll do two chateaux, lunch, and sight-seeing.

 

I see that there are two additional shore excursions on the last full day: "All Around The Barrel" and "Bordeaux For Connoisseurs". Has anybody been on either? Also, I read that some passengers have participated in cooking demonstrations and wine tastings aboard the Forseti. Does that happen on every cruise? It's not long now and we're so excited!!!

 

 

We were on the cruise last month. The barrel tour was very good, although a little loud as you will be walking through a production facility. In addition there is a stop and tour at a local Chateau for a tour - Chateau Paloumey. I would recommend it.

 

The only cooking demonstration was foie gras and the passengers did not participate. The chef did 2 dishes.

 

The excursion to Cognac was very good also.

Edited July 11, 2016 by leftygolfer

[xpcdoojk]

Hi everyone,

 

My name is Donna and looking for a little help. I've been on Viking's email list for several months now, back when I was thinking about taking "Portraits of Southern France". I've received notifications about reduced rates on that particular cruise (Portraits) and a few others.

 

For those who've ever sailed "Chateaux, Rivers & Wine"....does this cruise ever have a sale, or is it so popular that it pretty much sells out? I realize there wouldn't be a sale any time soon for 2016, but I wondered if it was worth holding out until next spring. I noticed that everything for 2015 is sold out up to November. We and our friends want to take the October 8 2016 sailing--we just don't want to take the chance of missing it if this particular cruise never has reduced rates.

 

 

 

Thank you

 

We booked a wine appreciation cruise on Avalon last fall, early November. I think because it is that shoulder season between fall and Christmas market cruises, prices were lower than before or after. So, I think some of these River Cruise companies encourage people with things like wine appreciation cruises. We saved quite a lot of money compared to an October non wine appreciation cruise the year before.

 

There are a lot of cruise companies, I would not lock myself into just one, unless you just love it. There are travel agents that regularly advertise reduced price cruises.

 

JC