Caledonian Canal cruise - experiences?

[charlesjb2016]

My wife and I are thinking of the Caledonian Canal "river" cruise next year, searching this site, I couldn't see any reference to it.

 

Has anyone been?  www.lordoftheglens.co.uk/ is the web page.

Online reviews are a glowing, which makes me wonder about sponsored journalism etc.

 

Thanks.

[pacmom]

Last year we cruised om the Lord of the Glens.  The last part of the trip was on the Caledonia Canal. About 60 pax. Quite and international mix. Happy to try to answer any specific questions.  Pat

[charlesjb2016]

Thanks pacmom.  My wife and I are thinking of doing this with her parents.

I do have three questions right now.
o. are there good vegetarian food options (my wife is vego)

o. would someone find it hard to walk around with a walking frame?  (They had no problems on other cruises)
o. were you happy with the food and service?

Charles

[Host Jazzbeau]

I have looked into this cruise as well, as the itinerary is very intriguing.  Be aware that Lord of the Glens has a more-formal dress code than the river cruises I'm used to:

Dress Code: Dress is generally smart casual, with perhaps a jacket worn for dinner. Extra efforts are normally made for the Welcome and Farewell receptions. Black Tie is not necessary.

Not quite as formal as some British cruise lines I've been looking at, but certainly more than the river cruises where a jacket is the exception on any night even for welcome and farewell evenings.

[charlesjb2016]

21 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I have looked into this cruise as well, as the itinerary is very intriguing.  Be aware that Lord of the Glens has a more-formal dress code than the river cruises I'm used to:

Dress Code: Dress is generally smart casual, with perhaps a jacket worn for dinner. Extra efforts are normally made for the Welcome and Farewell receptions. Black Tie is not necessary.

Not quite as formal as some British cruise lines I've been looking at, but certainly more than the river cruises where a jacket is the exception on any night even for welcome and farewell evenings.

Ah missed that, interesting.  We did a cruise with Cunard earlier in the year, it took a few days to get used to the "dressing for dinner" ritual, but it's not all bad - there were gin cocktails..:)

  

[pacmom]

Will try to answer some of the questions.

 

There were vegans on our trip--no problem with meals.  Your order lunch and dinner after breakfast. one nice thing you can order a half portion of the entree.

 There are no elevators on the boat.  There are cabins on the dining room deck.  The lounge is one deck above.  There are times when you leave and enter the boat from the top deck.  Staff extremely helpful.

Food and service were quite good.  Galley very, very small. Amazing what they could turn out.

 

A word about dress.  My husband never travels with a sport jacket.  We were never out of place at any time.  Some of the Brits even wore jackets to breakfast.

 

If you want to do this trip in the summer, then it is with National Geographic,  They charter the boat for the entire summer.  It is almost twice the cost of going in the Spring or Fall.

 

Hope this helps.  Pat

[charlesjb2016]

Thanks pacmom.  One final question - as there are no elevators, the stairs have good sturdy hand rails, right?

Cheers.
 

[Host Jazzbeau]

8 hours ago, pacmom said:

If you want to do this trip in the summer, then it is with National Geographic,  They charter the boat for the entire summer.  It is almost twice the cost of going in the Spring or Fall.

 

This trip is on my radar, and I first learned about it through Nat Geo.  Do you know if Nat Geo adds value commensurate with the added cost?  Do the Spring/Fall cruises include shore excursions, and are they as good as what Nat Geo provides?  [We recently did a Ponant cruise around Iceland that we booked through Backroads – we paid more, but I feel that we got much more value so the price was worth it.]

[pacmom]

Charlesjb, there are good sturdy railings to all levels of the boat.

 

Host Jazz,  If you have ever sailed with NatGeo/Linblad, you know you get great guides.  You also get photographers that really "need" a lot of photo stops.  We had guides at some places, info for self guiding at others.  Having sailed around New Zealand with Lindblad, it is my preference to not repeat.

 

This is a very interesting trip, so glad we took it.  Pat