Review of Normandy & Gems of the Seine cruise on Scenic Gem from April 25–May 5, 2022

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

Here is my long-awaited review of our Normandy & Gems of the Seine cruise on Scenic Gem from April 25–May 5, 2022.

I was waiting to construct a blog on Wordpress with my full photo library for this trip, but sadly Wordpress has changed their rules and made it impossible for me to create new blogs in a format I like. Therefore I am switching to Cruise Critic for my trip reviews.

Update: I got my camera back today! (Sep. 7, 2022) The Scenic Gem CD kept bird-dogging it until the bus driver found it, the bus company returned it to the ship, the ship agent mailed it in Rouen, the French PO returned it to the agent for a missing document, and finally the agent posted it a second time. Great props to Scenic for this 'above and beyond' service!!!

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

01 Introduction

This is a blog of the Jazzbeaux Normandy & Gems of the Seine cruise on Scenic Gem from April 25–May 5, 2022.

Scenic Gem at Les Andelys

We flew from JFK to AMS on Delta, cruised through Holland and Belgium round trip from Amsterdam – the blog for that cruise is posted here – then took the Thalys TGV train to Paris, and cruised down and up the Seine, and ended with two nights in Paris before flying back CDG to JFK on Delta. This latter part is the subject of this thread.

During the trip, Jazzbelle kept detailed notes and I [Jazzbeau] took lots of pictures. After returning home, I revised the notes to remove names [to protect the guilty, as they say…] and put it in my voice to avoid confusion. Jazzbelle became ‘DW’ in internet parlance [‘Dear Wife’].

In planning for this trip I used Rick Steves France (2021 and Rick Steves Paris (2021) as well as Trip Advisor [www.tripadvisor.com] and, of course, Cruise Critic [www.cruisecritic.com].

What follows is a day-by-day account of the trip, with a selection of pictures, followed by a Conclusion with a comparative review of AmaSerena and Scenic Gem.

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

02 Mon Apr 25, 2022 – Amsterdam to Paris and Scenic Gem

Around 10:15 we were told our taxi was waiting to take us to Amsterdam Centraal Station for the TGV to Paris. We arrived there in ample time to ask for help in finding which track the Thalys train would arrive on and where to find the exact car for which we had tickets.

Punctuality is impressive! We boarded minutes ahead of time, stashed our suitcases and found our roomy, comfortable seats. Off we went heading backwards. A little off-putting! [You can’t tell which way the train will be facing when you select your seats.] An attendant came around with a cart, offering beverages and what turned out to be a snack—chocolate cake or a vegetarian treat (a thin ribbon of seasoned zucchini on a skinny strip of bread). We savored these as we thought this was lunch. DW napped for over 90 minutes and woke in time for the real lunch of marinated pork on a bed of spicy quinoa accompanied by flavored corn on a wedge of sweet potato. There was a choice of rolls and a small custard tart. Also wine, coffee…

We arrived at Paris Gare du Nord on time and our Scenic driver was waiting for us at the end of the platform. He drove expertly [impressive even to a couple of seasoned New York City drivers, and DW told him so] through the winding, congested streets to the quay where Scenic Gem was docked.

The assistant cruise director, Mitchell, greeted us and had our luggage taken to our cabin. He escorted us to the lounge where we relaxed a bit before checking in and being escorted to our suite by our butler Eduard. We immediately sent out a bag of dirty laundry. We unpacked and became creative in storing our personal items. [This ‘suite’ was a larger cabin than we had on AmaSerena, but it still seemed short on storage space.]

Before long it was time for the muster drill. First to the lounge and then up to the sundeck where we donned life vests. Back to the lounge, we were introduced to the captain and he spoke to us re safety. [This cruise had a much more serious safety presentation than other river cruises we had done, because we would be sailing into the English Channel from Rouen into the harbor at Honfleur.] Next up was the hotel manager. Then Mandy, the cruise director. We had a short time to chat with the people sitting near us in the lounge before dinner.

On this cruise, there are no seating assignments so we went down to the Crystal Dining Room and thought we could sit with a couple at a table for six but they told us nicely they had already arranged for 4 more passengers to dine with them. “Perhaps another night?”

We decided on a table for 4 adjacent to an occupied one for 2 at the window. We greeted them but it took a long time before any ice melted there. [Suddenly AMA’s fixed seating started to look like a really good idea!]

Tables seem quite close together for waiters to get in and around the chairs.

DW ordered a salad with bacon (but there was none on it), a bowl of the highly touted Cream of Artichoke with Parmesan cheese soup, and vegetarian curry plus a piece of the featured Hoki [a sustainable white fish from the southern Pacific] and crème brûlée for dessert.

The soup never came and when the waiter was delivering the entrée, the light went on so he brought her a tasting of it which was quite sufficient. (It was delicious but this was just enough.)

I ordered the same for my entree and the Hoki turned out to be a nice choice—a tender, flaky white fish on a bed of red beets whipped with lobster. The curry had a variety of veggies but could have used some more spice. DW’s crème brûlée was okay but minimal. I opted for the featured dessert, Baba au Rhum. The chef came around and we gave him our honest evaluations.

DW could not walk on the Sundeck as it was closed and flattened down as much as possible for low bridge sailings.

We returned to our cabin till almost 10 when it was time for the ship to sail. Then we were treated to the nightly Eiffel Tower light show from our own balcony. Not spectacular [the ship was too far away] but uplifting.

We had a good night’s sleep.

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

03 Tue Apr 26, 2022 – Les Andelys and Richard the Lionheart

Today we docked in the small village of Les Andelys.

Breakfast and lunch on Scenic Gem are buffet style but one may order from the waiter off the menu.

I went to eat breakfast in the lounge and loved their pastries. [Much better than on AMA this time.]

At 10 am Mandy gathered us in the lounge to go over all the tours for the upcoming days. There are only 66 passengers on this cruise. [The ship holds 124, so about half full.]

Lunch was substantial and tasty with a variety of offerings. We went to the carving station where Executive Chef Andre sliced us each a chunk of braised veal leg and ladled brown onion gravy over it. Tender and delicious. There were lots of salad and veggie choices and a pot of pea soup on which you could put crumbled pancetta. Half bowl was just right. Had to save room for a sampling of 3 cheeses including a Camembert. DW topped it all off with one small scoop of chocolate ice cream with a bit of caramel topping and some chocolate syrup, as well. Enough!

Our guided tour began at 2:30 pm. There were 12 of us and were we surprised when our leader strode in in full costume as Richard the Lionheart speaking in a deep, gravelly voice! (His real name is Ben Baillie.) He entertained and informed us for the next 2.5 hours as we leisurely took our time walking through part of the village and straight up the steep hillside to the site of Richard’s castle, Château Gaillard. Gratefully, he made a number of stops along the way to talk more and to let us catch our breath. We had a panoramic view of the river from our perch in the ruins. Once back down, we meandered through the main street of the village looking into the windows of the shops.

After our port talk from Mandy, we had the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail and Gala Dinner. We were not disappointed. Perfectly cooked Chateaubriand was our entrée. Before that we both had the frisee salad, I had spinach tortellini (delicious) and DW the mushroom essence. Dessert was a mocha gateau.

Mitch (Enrichment Manager, aka assistant cruise director) then entertained in the lounge singing Legends like Sweet Caroline. Of course, we sang along!

DW walked the Sundeck twice today.

Richard the Lionheart (Ben Baillie) at Les Andelys

Chateau Galliard, Les Andelys

Chateau Galliard

Les Andelys

Chateau Galliard

Richard the Lionheart and a young admirer

View of Les Andelys from Chateau Galliard

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

04 Wed Apr 27, 2022 – Rouen and Rollo the Viking

We awoke in Rouen, the capital of the Normandy region. We took a morning walking tour with 8 other passengers led by Ben Baillie, now dressed as the Viking Warlord Rollo ‘the Walker’ who guided us through the medieval cobblestone laneways of Rouen. He pointed out the Saint-Ouen [Owen] Abbey Church and we visited the gardens behind where there was a statue of Rollon [Rollo].

We saw the Palais de Justice, the narrowest street in town called Rue de Petit Mouton, the palace of the bishops, the Great Clock (Horlage), the courtyard of the Hotel de Bourgtheroulde, the old market square. We had free time to go in and explore the Notre Dame Cathedral.

We returned to Scenic Gem in time for a special lunch. The chef and his crew provided a yummy BBQ up on the Sundeck. [In the usual river cruise safety drill, this is the promised activity ‘if the ship should happen to sink.’] We feasted on bratwurst, chicken, salmon, homemade slaw and potato salad, baked potatoes, green salads, cheese and two desserts. Weather was sunny around 60.

We then ventured back out on our own into the city to get a better look at two of the churches. Turned out that Saint Ouen was being used primarily as an art gallery. The other, Saint Maclou, was closed for a funeral when we first approached but the undertaker told us to return in 20 minutes for admission. We were not disappointed.

Our next stop was the new museum devoted to the trial of Jeanne D’Arc [Historial Joan of Arc, located in the Archbishop’s Palace next to the Cathedral]. With English programmed headsets we set out to watch all the witnesses, accusers… over the next 75 minutes. We moved from room to room as the scenario developed. Of course, it does not end well for Jeanne. She is burned at the stake. (Rollo earlier had offered an apocryphal tale which one would hope to be true. A bowman shot a deadly arrow into the heroine as she was being consumed by the flames to spare her further agony.)

We returned to Scenic Gem in time for a special presentation on WWI given by our favorite tour guide. This time Ben was dressed as a Doughboy and gave an excellent talk about the war and what life was like as a soldier. This was our last encounter with him.

Mandy did her briefing and we headed down to the Crystal dining room for dinner. Tonight we both chose sea bass for our entrée. It was a small portion but tasted great in a creamy sauce. DW had a garden salad before it and I had veal liver as an appetizer. For dessert we were treated to a pastry buffet provided by an local pâtissier.

[And we learned that there are three different terms for French bakeries: boulangeries make bread; pâtissieries make tortes and cakes, creampuffs and Napoleons; viennoiseries use yeast to make the flaky dough of croissants, brioches and custard/fruit tartlets, which is what I thought of as ‘pâtisserie’ – but what do I know? You could look it up:

https://www.busbysbakery.com/patisserie-and-viennoiserie/]

There was after-dinner entertainment in the lounge, a guest group called Destination Woodstock, but DW definitely needed a walk!

Rollo the Walker (Ben Baillie) in Rouen

Rouen Medieval Walking Tour

Rollo and Rollo

Viking Runes

Palais de Justice

Rouen Hotel de Bourgtheroulde

Rouen Gros-Horlage

Rouen Cathedral

Rouen Saint Ouen

Rouen Saint Maclou

Rouen Historial Joan of Arc

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

05 Thu Apr 28, 2022 – Rouen: Art, a giant Clock, and Joan of Arc

Most passengers were up early and on their coaches by 8 am heading for the Somme battlefields and cemeteries from WWI. The terrible battle which took place in Somme claimed the lives of more than 150,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers.

We opted to stay in Rouen and met with 14 other shipmates for a guided tour of the Museum of Fine Arts which was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte. We saw works by Caravaggio, Rubens, Sisley, Money, Renoir…

Upon returning to the ship, we had lunch up in the lounge/River Café as there were too few of us to open the dining room. We had quite a nice spread with cheese, salads, soup, Cuban paninis, fish and chips, wraps and yummy desserts. Today one of the two featured ice creams was mocha and it was one of the best coffee flavored ice creams DW has tasted. And that is her favorite type.

We returned to Rouen and meandered about (actually we missed our turn) and found a real pâtisserie. So we went in and gazed at the lovely pastries in their cases. Several clerks offered assistance but DW smiled and replied, “No, merci.” They were fine with our browsing. We made our way to the Gros-Horlage, the famous city clock from the 14th Century which was fully restored in 2006. We paid our admission and walked up a total of 140 original spiral stone steps to the top of the belfry. We stopped at 12 featured stops on the landings on the way up and down to listen on our headsets about clock making, bell operation and ringing, water supply for the old city, etc. Up top we could go outside on a very narrow walled ledge for a panoramic view of the city.

Upon leaving there we went up to the modern church of Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc. We had been there before and we always find it to be a peaceful, meditative site and enjoy just sitting there praying. The stained glass windows are from the former church of St. Vincent dating from the Renaissance.

Back to the ship but the coaches were still out. When we went in for dinner there were only a few people there. The hotel director said the buses had just returned. Soon our table mates arrived. They had had a long, tiring day but a rewarding one.

DW had a garden salad and I had deep-fried Camembert cheese on a bed of stewed cherries. We both had beef stew as an entrée. Delicious! Norman apple tart was dessert.

DW walked.

Rouen Musée des Beaux-Arts

Rouen Gros-Horlage

55 Rouen Church of Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc

58 Rouen Church of Saint-Vincent

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

06 Fri Apr 29, 2022 – Honfleur and Norman Cheese & Calvados

We arrived in Honfleur overnight and got out early [for me] to watch the captain dock Scenic Gem around 9 am by backing into the narrow harbor. We were all quite impressed. We saw the local Ferris wheel and the ubiquitous French carousel nearby.

A slightly later tour departure than usual! Hooray!

At 10 am we were on our coach for a half-hour drive to Pont L’Eveque where we visited the Tourist Information office and were treated to small wedges of the local cheese named after the town, a thin slice of sausage and a small pot of brown rice pudding laced with lots of cinnamon. Nice! Then we followed our guide to an active Catholic Church, Saint Michel, that had been renovated and kept up. It possessed a very large oil painting by an artist (Grun?) who has another canvas on display in the Musée des Beaux Arts in Rouen. As its stained glass windows were blown out in the war, it now has colorful modern ones. The church is well kept and seems to be well used.

We boarded the bus and drove on to the Christian Drouin estate where the third generation is now making the apple alcoholic beverage, Calvados. A woman from the company gave us a guided tour explaining how it is made and then distributed samples to us. Not a big hit; the two of us favored the 17% alcohol liqueur Pommeau, made with 3/4 apple juice. Asking price per bottle was 18.5 Euros.

We continued on our way to pretty village of Beaumont-en-Auge with its half-timbered houses where our tour guide gave us a brief walk/talk before setting us free for a half hour or so.

Riding through the country side we saw many special dairy cows and white horses, and lots of lilacs in bloom. There were varieties of horses and you could spot the ones being bred for racing with their thin legs versus the sturdy, stocky farm work horses.

We made it back to the ship with barely a half hour of lunch time left in the main DR. We both chose the lamb carving station for our protein. I had some spinach tortellini, and DW took salad and ratatouille. For dessert she sampled two small pieces of cheese.

We walked through Honfleur to the Eugene Boudin Museum to see his paintings and those of other Impressionists.

We returned to the ship in time for Mandy’s talk on The Famous Men of D-Day before we went to our special dinner for 10 guests at Table La Rive. It was a reserved area in the front of the Crystal dining room where butler Coco took charge describing our seven courses and the wine pairings.

There were three flavors of tapenade of olives for our rolls. Next was a mini (ice cream) cone with layers of mashed rutabaga, parsnip and caviar. There was an herb soup with 2 halves of a quail egg. We had a fish plate with a small square of tuna and two tiny chunks of salmon. Then green apple sorbet atop popcorn for a palate cleanser. The main course was excellent—perfectly tender and delicious short ribs. Dessert was a delicately lime flavored mousse igloo. Lots of courses, but the small portions made it manageable.

The evening entertainment was a 1920s-style jazz band called Clarinet Marmalade, but it didn’t appeal. DW walked.

Pont de Normandie

Honfleur

Saint Michel, Pont L-Evêque

Christian Drouin Estate

Beaumont-en-Auge

Musée Eugène Boudin, Honfleur

View of Pont de Normandie from Musée Eugène Boudin

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

07 Sat Apr 30, 2022 – Honfleur and the D-Day Beaches

We had to be on the coaches at 8:00 am for an all-day excursion that wouldn’t return until 6 pm. We had a two hour ride to the Normandy Beaches and D-Day museums, memorials and landing sites. We both took advantage of that long bus ride to catch up on some beauty sleep.

As Americans, we headed for Utah Beach (where the U.S. VII Corps forces fought to liberate the Cotentin Peninsula) in the morning and Omaha Beach in the afternoon. We arrived at Utah Beach around 10 and it was overcast, misty and exceptionally windy. We went straight to the visitor center/museum and began exploring. We looked at exhibits and listened to witnesses’ reminiscences. Then we saw a short movie which tied the whole thing together; if only we’d known, it would have been the best starting point. We regrouped and went outside to see one of the memorials before heading down to the beach where we could have been blown away while filling our mini containers with sand from this WWII site. [Maybe we should have put the sand in our pockets!]

We then went on to Sainte-Mère-Église, the celebrated village 15 minutes to the west which was the first to be liberated by the Americans. The area around here was the center of action for our paratroopers whose objective was to land behind enemy lines before dawn on D-Day and wreak havoc in support of the Americans landing at Utah Beach that day. It was here that Pvt. John Steele dangled from the town church steeple for two hours as his parachute had become snagged. A parachute and a replica of Steele has been reinstalled on the steeple. A great photo op! We visited the well maintained church which is dedicated to peace. Afterwards we had free time to explore the thriving town.

[The guide told us the joke that when a French local saw him dangling on the steeple and asked what had happened, Pvt. Steele said “my parachute didn’t open.” To which the Frenchman replied, “But of course. It’s Monday – nothing opens in France on Monday!”]

Back on the bus we went farther afield to the Mercure Hotel Omaha Beach golf resort to have lunch in their private dining room. [Where we saw a window display of a bright red Christian Louboutin spike heel shoe – with golf spikes!]

We had center cut pork chops with gravy and a few dabs of vegetables. There were bottles of soda, water and wine on the table to share. Dessert was vanilla ice cream topped with chopped apples in Calvados. [DW was given fresh fruit cocktail, as a special ‘non-alcoholic’ dessert.]

Our guide Alexander gathered us to move on to Omaha Beach to visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. It is one of the 14 permanent American WWII military cemeteries on foreign soil. The government of France granted use of this land, in perpetuity, as a permanent burial ground without charge or taxation. There are over 9,300 headstones here of known and missing soldiers. (One may look from the walkways but not go into the cemetery itself.) Alexander led us around and then left us for a while on our own at the visitor building. There were exhibits and a movie. We returned to the bus for a short ride to our final stop, Omaha Beach itself and the famous monument in the sand which the French dedicated to the Americans. It is a striking modern metal statue (The Braves, 2004) which rises from the waves, symbolizing the rise of freedom on the wings of hope.

One cannot visit these battlefields without being touched emotionally. For us, the initial reaction was one of awe at how this whole Operation Overlord was planned and orchestrated and kept under wraps till it was executed. [Imagine that happening today?] But as one watches the movies and sees the photos, it becomes strikingly clear how perilous this was, how exposed these (mostly) young soldiers were. Landing in water, they were in wet clothes and boots trying to keep their weapons dry. Many had been seasick on the transport. They were someone’s sons, brothers, sweethearts… And so many died or were terribly wounded and maimed.

No one wins a war!

We returned to our ship with all its luxuries. No rations there!

DW walked for a while.

[We didn’t realize until the next morning that I had left my camera on the bus. So the pictures from this day are all courtesy of The Google…’ Update: as I was editing this, I got an email from Mandy that my camera was finally located—almost four weeks after I lost it. A million thanks to Mandy for her tenacity, asking every day if the bus company had located it yet! Sadly, this great news hasn’t yet resulted in the return of my camera. Mandy reported that the Scenic agent in Rouen had posted it at the French post office there, but tracking indicated that after a week it was returned to sender. Apparently the customs label had fallen off.]

[Update: I got my camera back today! (Sep. 7, 2022) The Scenic Gem CD kept bird-dogging it until the bus driver found it, the bus company returned it to the ship, the ship agent mailed it in Rouen, the French PO returned it to the agent for a missing document, and finally the agent posted it a second time. Great props to Scenic for this 'above and beyond' service!!!]

We got ready for dinner, went to Mandy’s talk (and Andre’s and Robert’s descriptions of the food and wine to be served). Mandy gave all the ladies a mini bouquet of muguets des bois (lilies of the valley) in honor of May Day. They are to bring luck and prosperity for the coming year.

Back with our British and Scots mates for the evening meal. DW had salad with fresh artichokes, bouillabaisse, veal with morels, fig tart. I opted for escargots (no shells) to start and then had the veal and the tart.

All six of us went upstairs to the lounge for Mitch’s Fun Quiz Night trivia contest. We won (16 out of 20) after arguing our case on one of the answers. [The question was what are the two symbols at the beginning of musical staves? His answer was the ‘treble clef’ and the ‘bass clef.’ I had written ‘G clef’ and ‘F clef.’ When we appealed, Mitch was gracious enough to check with The Google and admit that we were also right.]

[Note that we have just spent two nights in Rouen and two nights in Honfleur. That is what makes this Scenic itinerary special – 10 nights on the Seine rather than the usual 7 nights allows an unhurried pace and the chance to see more sites. This is one of Scenic’s big advantages over most other river cruise lines; we will be doing a similar 10 night cruise on the Douro next year.]

[Update: since I got my camera back, I have revised the pictures below to include mostly mine along with a few internet grabs to fill in details]

Normandy Beaches Landing Sites

Utah Beach Museum

804187263_08UtahBeach-ShermanTank.jpeg.57475d06d0098d4aa5d67c13952a2641.jpeg

Utah Beach – Sherman Tank

Utah Beach Invasion

Utah Beach

Utah Beach – US Navy Normandy Monument

Utah Beach

Utah Beach – Higgins Boat Monument

Utah Beach – Red House

Ste-Mère-Eglise

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

Omaha Beach Invasion

Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach – Signal Monument

Omaha Beach – Les Braves Monument

Edited September 9, 2022 by Host Jazzbeau
added photos from my retrieved camera

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

08 Sun May 1, 2022 – Caudebec-en-Caux and the Alabaster Coast

Today we were docked in Caudebec-en-Caux. So far our weather has held steady. No rain! Which is unheard of in Normandy where there are two types of weather: it rains, or it rains harder!

We left with Andre at 9:00 am for Fécamp where our driver took us to the top of Cap Fagnet to the Saint-Sauveur Church complex. It was closed (as were most places for May Day) but we walked the bluff and had wonderful views of the English Channel and the Alabaster Cliffs (France’s counterpart to the White Cliffs of Dover). [Apparently, the British Isles have been moving away from Europe for eons. Perhaps someday Ireland will actually abut Boston, reuniting the two largest Irish settlements in the world…]

We passed abandoned WWII bunkers that were observatories (not artillery sites). Andre spent time with us and explained things but then set us free for a while. Next we drove down to the rock-covered beach [these rocks were imported to replace the eroded sand] where there was a group of people going into the cold water. Brrr!

We walked the boardwalk and all regrouped at noon for our final site, the Benedictine Palace where Benedictine liqueur is distilled. We were to have visited here but that was cancelled due to May Day, as well. [The clifftop walk was the substitute for the palace visit – we considered that a win.] Our driver slowed down as we passed the Palace. Then we returned to our ship for samples of the liqueur and lunch.

DW went to the carving station for moist roast chicken with gravy, a mix of vegetables and a salad before indulging in a custardy pudding with blueberry compote. I ordered from the menu: croissant sandwich with ham and brie, and fries. Then I got ice cream from the lounge: one scoop each of pistachio and vanilla. [It was the same creamy French vanilla flavor that I had so loved on Noble Caledonia. The pistachio was very good too.]

We walked into Caudebec-en-Caux and easily found L’Eglise de Notre Dame which was open. There were no more Masses for the day so we found the chapel of repose and sat quietly in prayer for a while. Then we wandered about the streets for a bit before heading back for a cheese and Calvados tasting with Chef Andre in the lounge. Yum for the cheese! No thanks for the Calvados. [It could remove paint.]

DW then headed out on her own to explore and enjoyed seeing so many people out enjoying their leisure time: elders in wheelchairs being pushed by family members, children in the playgrounds, couples holding hands and strolling along, boys fishing.

Flowers are blooming in France but it seems that all varieties are flowering simultaneously: rhododendrons, calla lilies, peonies, iris, lilacs, roses and tulips! And the size of some of these flowers is awesome! [This was our second spring this year, after Fairhope; when we got home NY was starting a third spring. God’s bounty is awe inspiring!]

Most shops were closed but the boulangeries and pâtisseries were open. [“Man does not live by bread along, but cake too!”—Marie Antoinette…] We both enjoyed looking in every one of their windows but resisted indulging.

This evening we had another invitation for a special dinner called L’Amour to be served in the front of the River Café. We were assigned to sit with a couple and the wife was someone we had chatted with on a tour. We enjoyed their company.

Dinner: baguette with boursin cream cheese, smoked river trout mousse with cranberry aspic, onion soup, saffron risotto with smoked duck breast, braised beef cheek with vegetables, and for dessert Paris Brest [a typical type of pâtisserie]. It sounded great but we were somewhat disappointed; the chef’s reach exceeded his grasp…

Mitch did his second show, The Crooners! [In the first show, he sang Sweet Caroline and I suggested that you can’t do the Boston Red sox theme song if you don’t also do New York, New York for the Yankees. He promised that it was coming in this show.]

We retired to our suite for the night.

Saint-Sauveur, Cap Fagnet

Alabaster Coast, Cap Fagnet

WWI Observation Bunker, Cap Fagnet

19 Fécamp

Benedictine Monastery, Fécamp

Nôtre-Dame, Caudebec-en-Caux

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

09 Mon May 2, 2022 – Vernon, Giverny, and a Concert

We are now in Vernon, France. And this morning, just about all of us took a short bus ride across the Seine to Giverny, the home of Impressionist artist Claude Monet. [The small minority – the youngest couple on board, with Mandy and Mitch as guides, biked there.] We spent the entire morning there, enjoying great weather [when we visited in 2015 it was raining].

Our first stop was the Water Garden with the famous pond and water lilies (these were not yet in bloom). There is a Japanese bridge, under weeping willows, over the pond filled with the water lilies, and there are arbors of wisteria, plantings of azaleas, tulips, peonies… Occasional benches invite one to sit and reflect or imagine Monet out in one of his wooden flat boats getting a different perspective or light when he painted another aspect of the lilies. It is a magical, restful and energizing location.

[Thanks to the early Group Entry time, we were the first ones in and could enjoy the serenity of the water garden just as Monet had done. My pictures from the prior visit, despite the rain, are full of tourists blocking the view…]

We also visited the Clos Normand (formal garden) with rows and rows of tulips, iris, lilacs, peonies, phlox, pansies… and the House.

Monet’s gardens are like his paintings—brightly colored patches that are messy but balanced. Flowers were his brushstrokes, a bit untamed and slapdash, but part of a carefully composed design. Monet spent his last and most creative years cultivating his garden and his art at Giverny, the spiritual home of Impressionism.

Back to the ship for lunch. DW had Hoki on spinach, a big salad and a tasting of two dabs of cheese. I went for the Croque Monsieur and cherry topped pudding.

We then headed into town and visited Notre Dame Collegiate Church which was wide open and inviting. We wandered about Vernon but because it was Monday, most businesses were closed except for the bakeries. [See the joke about the paratrooper above…] We wound up visiting the Alphonse Georges Poulain Museum which had an animal sculpture exhibit and the rest was paintings mostly done by Impressionist artists, particularly those of the Monet family.

We then returned to the Scenic Gem and DW napped.

Mandy’s talk (5:15) and dinner (5:30) were much earlier than usual as we were going to a concert as the Scenic Enrich event in the evening.

Two buses left at 7:15 for a short drive to Château de La Roche-Guyon for a classical concert with the quartet called Quatuor Improbable. It was an unusual [‘improbable’] grouping of vibraphone, clarinet(s), double bass and harp. [Not only is the instrumental line-up unusual, they scramble gender stereotypes: the double bass is played by a woman, while the harpist is a man.]

They offered short selections by Bernstein, Bizet, Vivaldi, Debussy, Piaf, Chaplin, Ravel, Faure… and even debuted an original piece by the harpist. The concert was well done and entertaining and just long enough. There were drinks out on the terrace beforehand. We were back onboard at 9:45 where small sandwiches and goodies awaited us. No thanks—enough food for the day already…

Giverny

Giverny [wrong dress?]

Vernon Notre Dame Collegiate Church

Vernon Alphonse Georges Poulain Museum

Vernon Bridge

Chateau de La Roche-Guyon

Quatuor Improbable, Chateau de La Roche-Guyon

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

10 Tue May 3, 2022 – Conflans and Versailles

We were docked in Conflans this morning.

We had signed up for a tour to Chantilly Castle, but presently they are filming a new Three Musketeers movie there. So it is off limits. The substitute was a 45 minute ride to the Versailles Gardens. [Kind of like when we had reserved to rent a Jaguar in London, and they apologized that they couldn't find one but ... 'would you accept a Maserati?']

Unfortunately, the evergreens in the formal gardens have been hit with some blight. They look rather like moth eaten inverted ice cream cones, and the hedges are almost completely eaten away. There are no flowering plants visible in these open gardens as they were identified as the conduit for whatever bug it is that is decimating the trees. [The French wine industry was saved by importing hardy American vine rootstock. Maybe we can save them again.]

We were given some time on our own, so the two of us went in search of some of the 15 groves, designed by André Le Nôtre. They are small enclosed areas hidden at the heart of the wooded parts of the Chateau’s garden. They are decorated with fountains, vases and statues, accessed by secret paths. Almost like natural sitting rooms, they brought surprise and fantasy to the Royal Garden. Louis XIV and his court went there for light meals, to listen to music or dance. (Or perhaps for a tryst?). The king could also enjoy gambling and the theatre in these open air drawing rooms exclusively dedicated to entertainment and amusement.

We visited Colonnade Grove with 28 fountains, stumbled upon Enceladus Grove where the defeated giant Enceladus is partially buried under the rubble from the erupted Mount Etna. (This turned out to be a favorite for us.)

We went on to the Flora Fountain. It is located at the crossroads of several groves, including the Queen's Grove. Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers, gardens and springtime, and the polychrome fountain symbolizes the first season of the year. Sculpted by Jean-Baptiste Tuby, the goddess can be found at the center of the fountain, wearing a floral crown.

We came upon the Dauphin’s Grove and with time running out, we searched and found Apollo’s Bath Grove. The current grove dates from the reign of Louis XVI and was built between 1778 and 1781. The central pool is overlooked by a large artificial rock decorated with waterfalls and hollow caves. It houses the sculpted groups of The Horses of the Sunstanding on either side of Apollo Served by Nymphs.

We had to hustle to meet our guide and group for our walk back to the coach.

[Chantilly will have to wait for a future visit, but we very much enjoyed our time in the gardens of Versailles. This was another example of Scenic pivoting quickly and providing an equally good substitute when the original plan became impossible.]

Back onboard Scenic Gem, we had lunch. DW had turkey breast and root vegetables plus a salad and a scoop of raspberry sorbet. I picked the BLT with potato chips and had plum cake with blueberry compote and raspberry sorbet. [Also wine. I had all my fruits for the day in one swell foop!]

We headed out for a quick walk as the ship was leaving at 4 pm. We walked along the quay and passed several bateaux mouches (barges). One was set up as a café called the Bateau Chocolate. [We would have gone in, but there was no sign of Johnny Depp or Juliette Binoche.]

Next was an enclosed theatre barge, and all the way down the wharf was a barge built in 1911 that has been converted into a floating church and pastoral center for the maritime community. It is an active Catholic parish for boatmen, dedicated to Saint-Nicholas. The barge contains a full chapel with pews, altar, tabernacle (under which were the words Je Crois, i.e., I believe). At the other end was a meeting room where people were getting French lessons; it seems that this parish has welcomed Tibetan refugees since 2014. It is called Chapelle Je Sers [i.e., I serve]—how fitting!

We headed into the village in search of an ATM and suddenly we were in bank land! We climbed a steep street to catch a glimpse of the Tour Mount Joie and L’Eglise Saint-Maclou.

We hurried back to Scenic Gem and were the last to board. The ship departed for Paris at 3:50 pm.

Our disembarkation talk by Mandy preceded the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail & Gala Dinner, and the presentation of the crew. Dinner was a special menu. All six of us at the table ordered the filet mignon. For appetizers, DW & I both got the lobster medallions, DW got sweet potato soup and I had foie gras crème brûlée. Dessert was a Valrhona chocolate/mango cake. Yummy meal!

This was followed by a special show with Mitch and Mandy singing old favorites.

We arrived in Paris around 9:30 pm, and DW and I went up to the top deck just before 10 to see the Eiffel Tower light show.

Versailles

Versailles [devastation]

Versailles

Versailles Bosquet de la Colonnade

Versailles Apollo's Fountain

Versailles Bosquet de l'Encelade

Versailles Bosquet du Dauphin

Versailles Bosquet des Bain d'Apollon

Versailles

Le Bateau Chapelle, Conflans

Tour Mount Joie, Conflans

Eiffel Tower Light Show

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

11 Wed May 4, 2022 – Paris Palais Garnier and a Ride in a 2CV

Our last official day of the cruise and we’re not sailing because we are already in Paris.

We were originally scheduled to take a tour of Château Vaux-le-Vicomte, Louis XIV’s inspiration for Versailles [he couldn’t let a mere vicomte have a more splendid palace than the King!]. However, because we had been to Versailles the day before, we changed our plans and instead went on a guided tour (with Laurent) of the Palais Garnier opera house, built for Napoleon III and finished in 1875.

The stunning Paris Opera House is the masterpiece of Charles Garnier. From the ornately decorated theatre to the opulent chandeliers and the ceiling painted by Chagall, the interior of this building is breathtaking. The grand staircase with its columns, statues, railings, lanterns, chandeliers and different colors of marble culminates in a ceiling fresco featuring Apollo. This staircase was the Opera House’s stage for the evening’s real show: the grand spectacle of elite Parisians—out to see and be seen—strutting their elegant stuff. Imagine this space with ladies in flowing satin gowns and white-gloved gentlemen in top hats and tuxes. Imagine, too, their horror if they were to see today’s spectators in jeans, sweats, leggings, etc.

We returned to Scenic Gem for lunch. I had the Monte Cristo sandwich (ham and cheese on white toast) with potato chips followed by bread and butter pudding and raspberry sorbet. DW had a couple of pork ribs (no sauce), a salad, some cheese and a scoop of raspberry sorbet. Then she walked the Sundeck.

Next on our agenda was a private tour that I had booked: the Legendary Paris 2CV Tour (two hours being driven slowly around Montmartre and many other areas of Paris in a classic Citroen Deux Chevaux (fondly called the 2CV). DW often had a smile on her face, and at other times closed her eyes in terror! This basic car—last produced in 1990 [but who knows when our example was made? I’m guessing the 1960s…]—seemed to be held together with spit, string and chewing gum. When DW looked for her seat belt, she couldn’t find one but discovered that her door didn’t close in all the way and she could see the road passing by when she looked down! [Based on how thin it was, it wouldn't have provided much protection in any case...]

It was an interesting two hours and although the speedometer never made it over 20 km/per hour, our knowledgeable guide J.J. was able to fit in a lot of territory. Passersby smiled and snapped pictures. [J.J. said he believes he’s been photographed more often than the Pope!] As we returned to the ship, a few sprinkles of rain fell on us through the rolled-back top of the 2CV. Another adventure! [No pictures – too much fun joy-riding!]

We were back in time for Mandy’s Goodbye talk and dinner.

DW had a salad, lamb stew with big white beans (but she only got one chunk of lamb so I gave her one of mine) and ice cream. [We all got vanilla ice cream even though it was advertised as rum raisin with Amaretto. There were no raisins and no hint of rum or the liqueur. But this was a rare fail for Scenic.]

Then it was time to do our cruise experience survey and to pack our bags.

Paris - Opéra Garnier

Paris - Opéra Garnier – Grand Staircase

Paris - Opéra Garnier – The Auditorium

Paris - Opéra Garnier – Chagall Ceiling

Paris - Opéra Garnier – Phantom of the Opera's box

Paris - Opéra Garnier – Salon du Glacier

Paris - Opéra Garnier

Paris - Opéra Garnier – Grand Foyer

Paris - Opéra Garnier – The Loggia

Paris - Opéra Garnier – View from The Loggia

Paris - Opéra Garnier – Salon de la Lune

Paris - Opéra Garnier

Paris - Opéra Garnier – Library-Museum

Paris - Opéra Garnier – Ballet Costumes in Grand Entrance Vestibule

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

12 Thu May 5, 2022 – Paris Montmartre Food Tour

Up early for breakfast and final packing. [One of the nice things about river cruises is that you don’t have to put your bags out in the corridor the night before – in fact, they don’t want to you, because there’s no place to store them!]

We vacated the room as directed at 8:30 and headed for the lounge to wait for our 9:00 am taxi. Mandy went with us to explain to the driver in French where we were going (Hotel Jeu de Paume on Ile Saint-Louis, near Notre-Dame) and that he was to wait for us as we checked in and left our luggage. Then he was to continue with us unencumbered and drop us at the Metro station in Montmartre called Blanche. It was there that we were to meet with our tour guide for Chef PJ's Montmartre Food Tour.

We were over an hour early so we walked around the area passing Irish bars, clothiers, a mini mall and a number of sex shops. We stumbled upon a nice, little chapel dedicated to St. Rita, the patron saint of heartbroken women.

We arrived back at Blanche but there was no sign of any guide or any other tour participants. Others gradually drifted in and we were eventually joined by 5 other Americans (and at the last minute by the 2 adult daughters of one couple) and eventually our guide PJ showed up late. Punctuality is not his strong suit, but he more than made up for the late start as the promised 3 hour tour turned into 6 hours!

He was a font of information which he shared with us about Parisian history, and especially Montmartre and its sense of community/neighborhood, food and wine. We walked and he talked for over 2 hours. We stopped into Sylvain Maire’s boulangerie/pâtisserie where he bought us each a pastry and a hot drink. No one passed on eating one of these buttery, fresh delights. We moved on and he pointed out and chatted with shop owners at a restaurant and a boucherie (butcher) where he showed us serial nos. on chickens and services provided for regular customers, a wine shop where we learned how to read the labels to look for sustainable, natural products.

At a fromagerie (cheese store), he stood behind the counter and pointed to different varieties and spoke knowledgeably about them. Then he put in an order for 3 kinds and DW carried the bag the rest of the walk. We went into another boulangerie and he ordered fresh baguettes—white flour, whole grain and corn.

We stopped at the Love Wall in a small park near a carousel [you know France has a thing for carousels?] and the Abbess Metro station. The Love wall was created by an artist and there are ~200 inscriptions written on blue tile saying “I love you” in different languages.

Finally we arrived at his restaurant, Le Petit Moulin, a tiny establishment that barely fit the 9 of us for lunch. He brought out two bottles of white wine and discussed them—white Burgundy made from Chardonnay with a little oak, and a Muscadet made with Melon de Bourgogne—and how to properly evaluate wines.

The first baguette was passed around and we each tore off a piece for the person to our left as a sign of hospitality. (Then more were cut and put in bowls to have with our several courses.)

He then served us each 1/2 dozen escargots in shell cooked with olive oil, garlic, shallots and salt and pepper. Delicious!

Next up were two red wines—Beaujolais 2019 and Bordeaux 2012-- to drink with our Boeuf Bourguignon.

Our third course was the cheese. We each received a slate topped with half-salted butter, Pont L’Eveque, Comté, and Brillat-Savarin with truffle ash. We devoured them with bread. Wow!

At this point it was almost 4 pm (and we all expected to have been on our way at 2) and he announced that we should use the one toilet on the 2d floor so we could do our dessert walk. We thought he was joking. He wasn’t!

We first went to a specialty baker who only bakes Chopettes. We each received one which the assistant had just filled with whipped cream. PJ instructed us to turn this light cream puff over so as not to have the cream come out the bottom. We all stood there and inhaled these delightful treats.

Next stop was a chocolatier, actually two South Korean women who make macarons and chocolate candies. We selected two of each and saved them for later.

At this point PJ grabbed a dozen small flutes and two bottles of champagne from his restaurant and we went down the hill to the smallest storefront (perhaps 4’ wide) where a man was making crêpes to order, filled with apricot or raspberry jam, Grand Marnier, Biscoff, salted caramel, Nutella, or honey… We polished them off and [all of us but DW] polished off a bottle and a half of the bubbly.

PJ then bid us adieu around 5 pm and pointed us in the direction we wished to go. We headed towards the funicular so we could visit the Sacré Cœur basilica. On our way we visited a brick church, Saint-Jean de Montmartre. We were in awe of the interior, the windows, the meaningful decorations, the side chapels, the office that seemed to provide social services (there was a sign re ending abuse)…

We finally made our way up to Sacré Cœur, a magnificent structure atop the hill of Montmartre. And we were there well over an hour, as a Mass was about to begin and we stayed for it.

We returned to Île de la Cité by Métro and got off at the Hôtel de Ville stop so we could see Notre-Dame. Of course, one cannot enter. But it is surrounded by a wooden fence on which is described what is happening with the renovation/reconstruction since the disastrous fire 3 years ago. It is disheartening to see some of the damage but one is also hopeful when you can see what loving care and craft are being applied to resurrect this magnificent cathedral that is more than an edifice to the French people, to the world! We can both remember our first visits there almost 50 years ago. It inspires such awe. Such a holy place!

We finally got back to our hotel—our room was ready and our luggage was there. We then popped out for a gelato [we were still too stuffed from the food tour for a real meal!] at Amorino—but they had just closed, so we came back and ate our macarons. The very best ever!

The Hotel du Jeu de Paume is a former royal tennis court. It was built in 1634 by Louis XIII, a keen player who practiced enthusiastically, and matches were played there until 1747. It was renovated into a charming hotel in 1987 with an open plan in the center that shows off the 17th century oak beams. It is located on the only street that runs along the entire length of the Ile Saint-Louis. The street has an almost country village feel, where time has stood still, providing tourists and visitors with a pleasant and cultured haven amid the bustle of Paris. [We love this little neighborhood in the middle of Paris as much as Chef PJ loves his little neighborhood of Montmartre!]

Chapelle Sainte-Rita, Montmartre

The Love Wall, Montmartre

Le Petit Moulin Restaurant, Montmartre

Saint-Jean de Montmartre

Sacre-Coeur, Montmartre

View from Sacre-Coeur, Montmartre

Ile St. Louis

Notre-Dame de Paris

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

13 Fri May 6, 2022 – Paris Marais Walk

Our last full day of vacation! We have had a wonderful getaway and we cannot complain about the weather. No rain has interfered with our travels and temperatures have been moderate. Today was exceptional. Sunny, low 70s in Paris.

DW says Paris is her favorite European city, her favorite non-American city. The City of Light! The City of Music! The street musicians are so entertaining, especially on the bridge leading off our island, L’île Saint-Louis. Today we were treated to a jazz concert by a 5 piece band. People stopped in their tracks to listen and tip them. There was even an upright piano which somehow got transported there. [We had seen this a number of years ago, too. Different piano but same concept.]

After lunch at the nearby La Chaumière (DW had a lovely salad with the most delicious cantaloupe atop lettuce, tomato and cucumber with thin sliced country ham. Plus a few of the frites that came with my Croque Monsieur).

We walked across the Seine to follow Rick Steves’ Marais Walk. The Marais is a small but vital neighborhood that has gone from a noble hot spot to a ghetto and slum and is now a hipster hot spot. It has trendy boutiques and art galleries, cafes, narrow streets, Jewish bakeries, aristocratic mansions. It morphs from young orthodox Jewish men proselytizing in the street to a very gay area with rainbow-striped crosswalks.

We started out seeing Place de la Bastille and continued to Rue Saint-Antoine, the Hôtel de Sully, and Place des Vosges before touring Victor Hugo’s House and the Carnavalet Museum with its history of the French Revolution. Louis XVI was arrested one day and faced the guillotine the next. His wife, Marie Antoinette, spent two and a half months in jail before being led before a wild crowd shouting, “Off with her head.”

We passed on the Picasso Museum but went through Rue des Rosiers (the Jewish Quarter) and seemed to walk the length of Rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie. We had to see the Pompidou Center (really? we did? [Yes. Rick Steves said so…]) and even popped into one of the big department stores [Le BHV/Marais] to check out something for me [unsuccessfully].

We passed the Hôtel de Ville [decorated with Ukrainian bunting] on our way back to Île de la Cité, where we visited the Deportation Memorial dedicated to the 200,000 French victims of *** Germany. Jews and dissidents were rounded up and deported—most never returned.

We crossed the bridge onto ‘our’ Ile Saint-Louis and stopped at Amorino for our treat, the best gelato in Paris (we think). DW had café (coffee laced with ‘coffee beans’ which are really a coffee flavored dark chocolate candy) and I had a combo of pistachio and caramel. We were not disappointed.

Back to our room to catch up on email, etc. before heading to dinner around 8:15 pm. We had a number of restaurant choices on our street, but we returned to L’Orangerie which we had frequented on our last trip, and we were not disappointed. The hostess spoke impeccable English with no noticeable accent and was also the bar tender and waitress for the entire establishment. There was one young man in employ whose job seemed to be the runner between L’Orangerie and its sister restaurant next door—Auberge de la Reine Blanche. He would carry full plates of food there and return with empties. [No problem in his or her achieving their 10,000 steps a day!] One quirky thing about L'Orangerie is that there are TV monitors and projection screens dotting the restaurant. Each one is showing a different movie but without sound. It was comforting to see over the bar that Truffaut’s The 400 Blows was still being shown, and continuously.

We both chose the endive/Roquefort salad and the roast duck breast in a red currant sauce. Nice!

We headed back towards our hotel but kept on past it to Amorino for my last dessert—the coffee gelato that DW had liked so much.

Time for our final rearrangement of things for our luggage, especially what we might want handy in our carry-ons [and/or keep safe from TSA confiscation!]

Pont St. Louis

Notre Dame from Pont St. Louis

Place de la Bastille

Opéra Bastille

Place des Vosges

Musée Carnavalet

Saint-Merri

Tour Saint-Jacques

Hotel de Ville

Hotel de Ville [Slava Ukraini!]

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

14 Sat May 7, 2022 – Flyin’ Home

Weather this morning is overcast, mid 50s.

We had asked Reception to order a car service to pick us up at 9:30 am for our flight out of Charles de Gaulle airport.

Neither Delta nor Amex have a lounge at CDG, so we had to use the YotelAir lounge. The. Worst. Lounge. Ever!

This flight was on an A330-300. The Premium Economy seats and the entertainment system were similar to those on the earlier flight, but the food was much better. [Delta was also a model of stability with this booking, as neither flight was shifted by more than a few minutes and the upgrade of the first aircraft preserved our seating preference.]

Host Jazzbeau · August 23, 2022

15 Conclusion

AmaWaterways has previously been our go-to river cruise line, in fact the only one we have tried. I selected AMA for the first cruise because of favorable reviews on Cruise Critic and in the Berlitz Guide to River Cruising. The draws were spacious ships (compared to Viking), quality of food and wine (Berlitz says that AMA spends more on food and wine than any other river cruise line, and continued that claim even when Crystal had entered the market), a wide range of shore excursion choices, and the fact that AMA is not all-inclusive (which in theory keeps the price down).

And we have enjoyed all 4 of our AMA river cruises: Enchanting Rhine in 2013, Provence in 2015, Discover Africa in 2018, and this Tulip Time in 2022. But this may be our last AMA cruise, because it was overshadowed by the Scenic cruise in almost every way.

A blog and review of that AMA cruise is posted here, but I am including this comparative review section in both threads.

I read every post on the the River Cruising forum on Cruise Critic, and I had come to see that four river cruise lines stand at the top of the rankings: Crystal, Scenic, Tauck and Uniworld. Crystal never appealed because of their checkered entry into this market and is now defunct; Tauck has few ships and therefore limited itineraries and dates; Uniworld décor is so over-the-top that I’m afraid I would have nightmares [of Marie Antoinette losing her head while eating cake!]

That left Scenic; so when AMA’s Seine cruise dates didn’t link up with their Tulip Time cruises, I took a look at Scenic’s offerings. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that in addition to the 7-night itineraries that are similar to everybody else’s Scenic also offers 10-night versions in the more popular areas. Comparing Scenic’s 10-night Normandy and Gems of the Seine to AMA’s 7-night Paris & Normandy immediately impressed me with how many more places could be visited – and also how much more varied the excursion choices were.

As the Scenic cruise went on, we found that every comparison to AMA favored Scenic:

• wi-fi worked beautifully throughout the Scenic cruise [where AMA had driven me to use the T-Mobile hotspot from my phone];

• breakfast pastries on Scenic were more varied and the quality of a Parisian pâtisserie;

• the champagne and wine on Scenic were much higher quality and the range of choices wider;

• wine service on Scenic was as generous as we remember from earlier AMA cruises, not the stinginess on refills that we experienced this time;

• all-inclusive does make for a more relaxed atmosphere onboard [and Scenic’s prices aren’t higher than AMA’s so forget the argument that ‘I don’t want to pay for someone else’s drinks’];

• Scenic had snacks (sandwiches, pastries and ice cream) available at the bar all day and evening;

• the Scenic Captain was very visible (eating meals in the dining room, making brief announcements during CD presentation) while the AMA captain was invisible on this cruise;

• the Scenic Exec. Chef & Hotel Manager offered suggestions for food and wine choices before each night’s dinner;

• Scenic had printed USA News (and versions for other countries), Sudoku & Crosswords every day.

Other points of comparison:

• the towels were nice on AMA, but we were impressed by how fluffy they were on Scenic (although that diminished as the cruise went now – maybe we started off with a new supply – and DW felt the Scenic bath towels were actually too large);

• river cruise passengers tend to be ‘of a certain age’ (because river cruise prices are inherently high) but this crowd on Scenic seemed even older than our shipmates on AMA;

• AMA’s Covid dining rules with assigned fixed table and tablemates worked out very well for us but could have been a disaster; on the other hand, not having a fixed table on Scenic made the first couple of dinners stressful until we found our soulmates and established a voluntary fixed table/tablemates arrangement for the rest of the cruise [no winner here, except that we lucked out both times!];

• the toilet paper was scratchy on both, but AMA’s was worse (‘like sandpaper’).

I noted above that Berlitz says AMA spends more on food and wine that any other cruise line. But the proof is in the pudding, and our experience was that Scenic provided better food at every turn.

The one big standout for AMA cuisine is roast meat – it was as good as the roasting on Scenic, and maybe a tad better [but I would gladly eat the Chateaubriand from either ship anytime!]

Another AMA plus is that they provide free postcards (and postage), and they sent us a thank you postcard after the cruise.

[The Scenic Cruise Director (Mandy Kinnell) went above and beyond when I left my camera on a tour bus – she kept checking with the bus companies every day and finally just on four weeks it was found! Thank you so much, Mandy! Sadly, this great news hasn’t yet resulted in the return of my camera. Mandy reported that the Scenic agent in Rouen had posted it at the French post office there, but tracking indicated that after a week it was returned to sender. Apparently the customs label had fallen off.]

[Update: I got my camera back today! (Sep. 7, 2022) The Scenic Gem CD kept bird-dogging it until the bus driver found it, the bus company returned it to the ship, the ship agent mailed it in Rouen, the French PO returned it to the agent for a missing document, and finally the agent posted it a second time. Great props to Scenic for this 'above and beyond' service!!!]

The AMA Cruise Director made announcements throughout the day which could be heard in public areas and (faintly) in our cabin – we had to rush to turn on the TV bow camera to hear her clearly – and her ‘last call’ was always before the announced tour time. The Scenic CD made NO announcements; she expected guests to follow the times in the printed daily schedule, and everything operated exactly on schedule (except when the buses were late).

COVID rules

• AMA was much tighter about Covid: assigned seating at all meals; Captain invisible; local guides not allowed on the ship (which made it harder for the CD, who had to go onto the quay to brief each one separately; however, local entertainers were allowed onboard [but not many, as there was much less entertainment on AMA];

• Scenic: open seating, Captain out and about; local guides came onboard (and Ben the Doughboy did an entire presentation in the lounge); and several entertainment groups came onboard.So based on all the above, we have another Scenic river cruise booked (Unforgettable Douro, another of their unusual 10-night itineraries) and are giving AMA a rest. Never say never: maybe AmaMagna will tempt us when we get around to a Danube cruise…

Finally, a few observations not related to the cruise lines:

• Dutch bicycle riders are kamikazes (and they don’t wear helmets);

• the bathroom sinks on both ships and the Paris hotel had Grohe one-handle faucets, and the engineering on all of them was substandard – when you move the lever to increase water flow, the temperature should stay the same; but these all increased the temp with the flow and you could easily scald yourself;

• river ships come with face cloths, but many European hotels don’t – so remember to pack them!

Bon voyage!

pontac · August 25, 2022

On 8/24/2022 at 12:06 AM, Host Jazzbeau said:

[The French wine industry was saved by importing hardy American vine rootstock. ]

It's funny how often Americans claim credit for saving the French wine industry yet do not give the reason why it needed saving 😀

pontac · August 25, 2022

Bravo!! (as the French say|) on your informative blog - and excellent photo's.

I am currently on Scenic Diamond on their Bordeaux tour and will post about it on my return, and you have set a high bar.

I found it interesting to read your comparison between Ama and Scenic. This is our first with Scenic after 10 river cruises with Viking and I think - with a very few exceptions - Viking offer a better experience.

Sante!!

Edited August 25, 2022 by pontac
to correct misspellings

CPT Trips · August 25, 2022

On 8/23/2022 at 7:02 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Our guide Alexander gathered us to move on to Omaha Beach to visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. It is one of the 14 permanent American WWII military cemeteries on foreign soil. The government of France granted use of this land, in perpetuity, as a permanent burial ground without charge or taxation. There are over 9,300 headstones here of known and missing soldiers. (One may look from the walkways but not go into the cemetery itself.)

I was surprised to read this. During our 2016 visit, each of us was given a rose to put on a headstone. We wandered amongst the graves for quite a while getting inspiration on who to honor.

One member of our tour was a DDay veteran. He went off in a golf cart driven by the Superintendent with a bouquet for what he called his second longest day even though it was not much more than an hour.

Canal archive · August 25, 2022

Thank you so much jazz and jazz brought back so many memories. As CPT said but we were given poppies for each WW cemetery we visited including the Pont du Hoc American where we were allowed to wonder at will to place our poppies which we did for ‘Those only unto God’.

I owned from new a 2CV, it was a Dolly, yellow and maroon, so it was nicknamed, rhubarb & custard, the salesman explained that changing gear was ‘just like tromboning’ and as the doors were so close to each other it had ‘central locking’. Faboulous car.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Canal archive

Host Jazzbeau · August 25, 2022

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

I owned from new a 2CV, it was a Dolly, yellow and maroon, so it was nicknamed, rhubarb & custard, the salesman explained that changing gear was ‘just like tromboning’ and as the doors were so close to each other it had ‘central locking’. Faboulous car.

When I was a student in France in 1967 one of my classmates bought a VW Beetle. He was involved in an accident with a 2CV [the French at that time were under the impression that you could use the horn or the brake, but not both simultaneously!]. If he pointed it out, you could see the scratch on the VW bumper. The 2CV was totaled...

Canal archive · August 25, 2022

Not a surprise at one time it was not mandatory for the French to have car insurance - most didn’t but to watch them park a car was interesting - just shunt it backwards and forwards until it fitted regardless of the front and rear damage.

jpalbny · August 26, 2022

Nice enjoyable blog, Jazz! The Carnavalet museum in Paris is on Chris's list but we haven't made it there yet. Glad you got to climb the Horloge tower in Rouen - it was closed for regular tours when we were there a few years ago. On the other hand, the crypt in the Rouen cathedral was open so we got to see that. Win some, lose some.

Hope you get your camera back eventually... Good luck!

Croooser · August 27, 2022

Very well done. You have accomplished what many can not - provided lots of personal experience and reactions without being impressed with yourselves.

Nice combination of objective opinions both pro and con as you see warranted.

Much appreciate the time and effort taken to share your trip.

Host Jazzbeau · August 27, 2022

On 8/26/2022 at 8:55 AM, jpalbny said:

Nice enjoyable blog, Jazz! The Carnavalet museum in Paris is on Chris's list but we haven't made it there yet. Glad you got to climb the Horloge tower in Rouen - it was closed for regular tours when we were there a few years ago. On the other hand, the crypt in the Rouen cathedral was open so we got to see that. Win some, lose some.

Hope you get your camera back eventually... Good luck!

So it's not just towers with you – anything involving stairs is on the list!!!

Review of Normandy & Gems of the Seine cruise on Scenic Gem from April 25–May 5, 2022

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