This cruise was recommended by friends with whom my wife and I we were traveling in France. After spending 4 days in Paris we cruised to Normandy and back over the course of a week. Embarkation and disembarkation were flawless and uneventful. The food was plentiful and excellent and the staff attentive without being intrusive. Being in France and knowing little French, I thought language might be a problem, but it wasn't. In fact, it appeared that most of the crew we encountered were not from France and speaking French was as big a problem for them as it was for me.

The shore excursions were interesting, including a "must see" stop in Giverny to see Monet's garden. As an American, I found the excursion to the beaches at Normandy especially interesting and memorable. It was nice to see how well-maintained the cemetery was.

We had a suite, and after getting a glimpse of the standard cabins while they were being cleaned, I don't think we would have taken this cruise in a standard cabin. They just appeared too small. We had a lot of stuff. This was our first river cruise, but probably not our last.