Esprit Review

Delivered More Than Promised

Review for Europe River Cruise on Esprit
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Russbo
2-5 Cruises • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Sep 2017

We were looking for a quiet, pretty cruise through the heart of the Burgundy wine country. We got that but we also got far more. The crew was extremely nice; every single individual was friendly, helpful, and cheerful. The "host", Charlie Pope, went out of his way to see that every single guest had a great time.

But the thing which was not emphasized enough in the advertising was the quality of the foods and wines. If you are a foodie, this is the cruise for you. Every meal was an absolute delight. Interesting and (at times) creative dishes, nicely plated, and accompanied by great wines. Whites and reds with each lunch and dinner and a great percentage of the wines were either Grande Crus or 1er Crus and they never served the same wine twice.

The chef did a fantastic job and can't be praised enough. The only disappointment was at the 3-star restaurant which was included in the tour, Lameloise. Lameloise is an unbelievable restaurant, better than any I have ever eaten in from the point of creativity, imaginative flavor combinations, great flavors, not to mention elegance and service. What was the problem then? It was the local Charlerois beef. The beef was tough enough that I had to saw my way through the meat. And when I was able to get some on the fork, it was tasteless. In the US it could never be called prime. I didn't expect wagyu but this was not worthy of even an average steakhouse. Fortunately, the other dishes made up for the beef so we still came away satisfied.

Cabin Review

Tight, about what one would expect.

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