Up Front With Martin B. Deutsch

A FRENCH BARGE ADVENTURE

BY MARTIN B. DEUTSCH

July 27, 1998 -- Until his death earlier this decade, Richard Revnes was a dominant figure on the travel scene, most notably as the longtime president of Royal Cruise Line — a company that was reorganized out of existence a few years ago. Revnes was not only an ardent cruise advocate and a powerful champion of travel agents, but he was also an appreciative and sophisticated traveler.

It’s in this context that I remember him telling me the finest vacation his wife Christa and he ever took was a barge cruise through the Burgundy countryside of France. The Revnes duo and five other couples, all friends, chartered a barge for a week out of Dijon and, however trite, proceeded to have the time of their lives. Fortunately, I can now share Revnes’ unbridled enthusiasm for the navigable rivers and canals of France, which crisscross the countryside for 5,500 mostly scenic miles.

In June my wife and I boarded the Libellule (Dragonfly) in Paris for a six-day journey into the nearby province of Champagne through St. Martin Canal onto the Seine, and then the Marne River for the heart of the journey. One of eight barges owned by Continental Waterways of Dijon, the Libellule measures 126 feet and carries up to 20 passengers on two levels. Cabins on the upper deck feature large picture windows that open; those below have fixed portholes.

We had 16 guests in our group: 11 Americans, one British woman and four Australians. Most were retired professionals: teachers, lawyers, doctors, librarians and politicians. I’d say the average age was 60. Two couples had cruised on barges, both in Burgundy, which seems to be the most popular region for such trips.

We had assembled on Saturday afternoon in the lobby of the Regina Hotel, in the shadow of the Louvre, for a short motorcoach transfer to a boat basin virtually in the heart of Paris. The same bus would trail along for the next week to take us sightseeing and, eventually, back to Paris.

We were introduced to each other and the seven-member crew as soon as we got onboard. The chemistry was good almost immediately among the passengers and crew, a fortunate reaction when you consider the close quarters and elbow-to-elbow space. Not that you ever felt crowded or cramped, but a casual intimacy holds sway; you never need a jacket or a tie.

Tight Quarters. The Libellule has a dining room (five tables for four with flexible seating), a lounge with bar that can hold the full complement, and deck space with chairs fore and aft. A half-dozen bicycles are strapped to the deck for those inclined to exercise and explore.

The cabins are spartan, utilitarian but comfortable, with an attached bed on each side. There’s a private bathroom with shower, as well as adequate closet space and drawers. It’s a little tight, so tell your clients to bring less rather than more. But they should carry lots of reading material and film.

The first dinner set the tone for the mostly four-course meals to come: food was uniformly excellent, with a dual focus on wines and cheeses. At each lunch or dinner, a white and red are introduced with such information as the grapes used, where the wine is produced, their vintage and other distinctive qualities. In all, we imbibed 22 different wines, and I thought they were very good; whether it was a ’96 Haute-Côte de Beaune or a Gevrey Chambertin 1995. After the appetizers and the main course (there are no choices), and before dessert, one of the staff introduces the cheeses, usually two or three per seating. I counted 21 in all, one better than the next, including nonpasteurized Camembert from Normandy and Bleu d’Auvergne.

I’d be curious to have a real wine (and cheese) connoisseur like Carnival Cruise President Bob Dickinson pass judgment on the vin et formages.

I won’t describe the other courses, but they were high on the gourmet scale. For example, we had duck one night, and it was awesome. Indeed, miracles were wrought in that tiny galley, though a passenger said the “ultimate irony, given the U.K.’s historic reputation for lackluster food, is that Gail, the chef on our gourmet French barge, should be English.” (Gail has been working these barges for more than two decades.) Not surprisingly, Continental Waterways’ logo is a chef chasing a snail.

Still Life. Beyond the cuisine, there’s the stunning countryside. It’s like floating through an Impressionist painting. It’s almost a still life, with the Libellule moving along at a feisty four mph. I now understand why painters for more than 100 years have been drawn to Paris and its environs to try their hand at capturing these subtle shapes, colors and hues. The backyard world glides by…locks large and small…wonderful woods (They’re very green in June.)…a cluster of children on ponies…swans and cygnets, ducks and ducklings, bridges and tunnels. Talk about laidback…and not one billboard…plus stunning chateaux in the distance.

On the first morning, we made our way alongside tree-lined Parisian boulevards, with a short motorcoach detour to the Place de Vosges (a trendy art and brasserie area), the controversial new Opera House and shopping for produce at the bustling Bastille market. The next day there was a morning excursion to Vaux-le-Vicomte, a magnificent 17th-century chateau that so enraged Louis XIV with its opulence that he imprisoned its owner, Finance Minister Fouquet, for life. On Tuesday we found ourselves at Chateau Thierry for a visit to the vast American cemetery at Belleau Wood, the scene of fierce fighting in 1918. Some 2,800 U.S. servicemen are buried here, near the imposing Aisne-Marne American Memorial. Impressive, sad and moving was how our barge mates described the experience.

In the days that followed, we made a sidetrip to Reims to see the great cathedral where all but two French kings since the 5th century were crowned; to Epernay, for a tour of Moet & Chandon’s extensive cellars; and to nearby Cumieres, where Dom Perignon invented the “champagne method” of fermentation.

Fittingly, all of the Libellule’s passengers were booked by travel agents. Our arrangements were made by IST Cultural Tours of New York, which promotes the barges under the “Beyond Cruises” label. IST President Michael Goren told me these packages include not only the barge portion, but also three nights at three-, four- or five-star hotels in Paris, with buffet breakfasts, airport and barge transfers; the services of art, history and lifestyle specialists; admission to the major museums; a booklet of metro tickets; plus dinner at Le Grand Louvre restaurant.

With air from New York, these programs run $2,470 per person; $2,945 per person, land only. On barge charters, negotiated with IST for six to 44 passengers, rates are much lower, according to Goren. These charters, with lectures and specialists onboard, are generally scheduled the first and last six weeks of the March and November season. Agents earn 10 percent to 15 percent commission for all IST offerings; charters can also be arranged with net rates. Goren says IST France has 77 barge charters booked this year.

Barge programs certainly provide a great opportunity for you and your clients. And I can now see why Dick and Christa Revnes felt the way they did. (In a subsequent issue, we’ll cover the Paris portion of our barge adventure.)

This column originally appeared in Travel Agent magazine.

Copyright © 1991-2006 by Martin B. Deutsch. All rights reserved.