I sailed in late April through the beginning of May on the Gironde River with Road Scholar. We embarked in Bordeaux in the evening and it went smoothly; the crew took our bags to our rooms right away. My previous river cruise experience was with AMA-waterways on the Danube River, so that would be my point of comparison. The cabin was spacious with plenty of storage in closets and on shelves; I traveled solo, so had lots of room. The Ship had mostly French passengers and that was the major language. Any translations for the English-speaking guests was abbreviated. The ability to speak French would be a definite plus. Our group dined together at assigned tables at a fixed time. The food was good, but it was a set menu and nothing fancy ( like an exotic or decadent desert). Breakfast was the least good meal with runny eggs and boil your own eggs (in not very hot water). You could review the menu in the morning and let the purser know if you needed to have something different, but you couldn't say what. The staff was outstanding and worked very hard to please. Jose, the purser, was also outstanding. He always had a smile, no matter what was going on. Our shore excursions were handled by our group leader, so I cannot comment on those offered by the ship. We had wine (of our choice) with lunch and dinner and open bar at other times. The Croisi trip was a very different experience from the AMA one. It was less luxurious, but it was also less expensive. I would sail on Croisi again and I would recommend it, but it helps to know what to expect.