No matter how you discover France, you’ll be enchanted by the country’s beauty and culture. There’s no question about that. But cruise down one of France’s rivers to take in the country from a different vantage point and you’ll have a vacation experience like no other. River cruising in France is hugely popular now and we’re currently aboard the Uniworld River Royale on a Bordeaux river cruise.
So here’s a look around our ship, the Uniworld River Royale. Come aboard, won’t you?
Uniworld River Royale photos
I first heard about river cruising from my friend Tracy who did a Paris/Normandy tour a couple of years ago. River cruises focus on exploring a place’s culture and history through a variety of activities in an intimate atmosphere, as most ships have a max of 200 passengers. You’ll be treated to fine dining and luxury accommodations while feeling right at home — and let’s not forget to mention the outstanding crew. The Uniworld River Royale’s current route is the 8-day Bordeaux, Vineyards and Chateau cruise and we’re having a blast!
So here’s a look at the ship:
The 361-foot River Royale accommodates 140 guests and was put into service in 2006 but remodeled earlier this year revealing an updated interior complete with a sun room on the upper deck for light meals. A marble and chandelier lit reception area welcomes guests and orchids are displayed throughout the ship. There are various lounges from which you can soak in the view, grab a drink or just relax with friends.
The public areas of the Uniworld River Royale include a full-service bar and dance floor, gourmet coffee/tea bar, library, Le Bordelais Restaurant, patio lounge, sun deck with life-size chess and shuffleboard, fitness center, sauna, Jacuzzi® and Serenity River Spa and more. I absolutely plan on getting a massage later this week with masseur Lucian.
Here’s the ship’s modern fitness room with a few cardio machines, dumbbells, resistance bands and mats to help work off all of those delicious calories. In addition, there’s also a personal trainer who does private training sessions and yoga and Zumba classes for those looking to stay fit.
The Jacuzzi up on the sun deck of the River Royale:
And a life-size chess game:
The staterooms aboard the Uniworld River Royale
For me, part of having an excellent vacation means being comfortable when it comes to accommodations and the the River Royale does not disappoint. From comfy beds and plush bath robes to flat screen TVs, the staterooms on board have all the modern amenities of home. The cozy 151 square-foot rooms (cat 2 and 3) are superbly utilized with under the bed storage and built-in closets that keep clutter to a minimum and the bathrooms are modern and outfitted with L’Occitane bath products.
A few shots of the room:
Activities
During the day when we’re not out on an excursion exploring the local town (more posts to come about the food and things we’re doing off the boat), there are all kinds of activities on board to keep guests busy including music, an oyster tasting (just had one this morning), live music at night and port talks with the cruise director.
Here are a few other snaps of the River Royale
Le Bordelais Restaurant:
The specialty coffee/tea lounge:
The spa products:
Just in case your sweet tooth strikes:
So that wraps up the quick tour of the Uniworld River Royale. Have you ever been on a river cruise?
Stay tuned for more info on our river cruise vacation on the Uniworld River Royale later this week….
Click here for my post on river cruising excursions in Bordeaux, France >>
Great pictures, what a beautiful ship. I’m recalling our lovely river boat cruise in France a few years ago… we didn’t have a masseur. Lucky you.
Thank you! I can’t wait to go see Lucien. The massage industry in France isn’t as widespread as it is in the U.S. so it’s nice to have that option on the ship. Reasonable prices too! 😉
Wow. What a beautiful ship. I would love to take one of their cruises. The life size chess pieces are really neat. Everything looks wonderful and modern!
Yes, very modern and luxurious. A really unique experience that I would absolutely recommend for anyone looking for a different way to see France.
Great pictures – it all looks so luxurious! Definitely adding this to my vacation wish list!
Thank you!
Such a lovely presentation. For visitors with mobility limitations, how accessible is this vessel?
Thank you in advance for your response.
Thank you! About mobility concerns: There are a few guests on board the River Royale that use a wheelchair and there’s an elevator on board as well as a chair lift to get up to the sun deck. Depending on tides and how we’re docked, it’s sometimes necessary to depart from the upper deck and walk or wheel up and down a ramp. The staff does an excellent job with fulfilling any requests but part of the experience is getting out and enjoying the destinations. Cobblestone streets aren’t the easiest to navigate w/a wheelchair though. Uniworld does recommend contacting them before booking a cruise to discuss any specific mobility concerns. From their website: “Guests with mobility concerns need to discuss their concerns with Uniworld staff in advance of their departure. Guests requiring the use of a mobility device, such as a wheelchair, motorized scooter, or walker, may not be able to participate in many shore excursions or use them onboard the ships. Also, guests who may be limited in their ability to walk long distances may also have difficulties as there is often uneven terrain on many shore excursions. ”
Hope that helps. Happy to answer any other specific concerns!
Great article! This cruise line definitely knows how to put together an experience. Going to contact them!!!
Diane, we too were onboard with you and Tom last week. It was our first River Cruise and the service and hospitality of Uniworld was exceptional. We were a little worried early in the week with the first 2 excursions, but they just got better as the week went on! I can’t wait to take another cruise with Uniworld!
Hello! It was an excellent cruise and yes, 5-star service all around. I hear the Eastern Europe cruise on the Danube is a great one as well. Some other passengers were telling me about that and how you dock right in the little villages. Great to hear from you!
We are booked on the July 6 cruise. Can’t wait to see these beautiful places through the lens of my camera, too. Can you tell me if the museums and churches allow a mono-pod for the camera? It keeps me stabilized while walking, too!
Hi Esther, you’re going to have a great time! I don’t see why a mono-pod would be an issue at all. Many guests had their cameras and some with tripods. The only restriction is that in some places no photos are allowed (not even without a flash) such as in the church in St. Emilion that you’ll visit. But having a tripod, mono-pod or walking stick with you shouldn’t be a problem. Have a great cruise!
n’arrêtes pas ce super travail merci.
this looks like an amazing and unique vacation!! how were the accomodations?
The cabins were small as you’d expect for a cruise but the space was really well utilized. It was cozy but there was a ton of under the bed storage, a good size closet and adjoining shelves and cabinets to store everything. Didn’t feel cluttered at all once we unpacked. And there was a little table and chairs too. Great use of space
Thanks, Diane, for the information. I have been in places where they won’t even let you carry a monopod. I had to check it in their “coat check”. Since this was a glass exhibit I could see their concern. Does the church in St. Emilion prohibit even carrying a camera? I could to carry it in a bag, I guess….would need to plan to do that. I so much appreciate the opportunity you give us to ask these questions. We can be prepared.
I believe all the walking tours visit the catacombs in St. Emilion and cameras are allowed since tourists pretty much all have cameras to photograph the town, but the no picture rule is strict for the church and underground. There are signs posted that say even without a flash, pics are prohibited. But I don’t think you’ll have a problem with camera equipment or anything being on your person. Enjoy!
Hi – Thanks so much for this piece. We are very much looking forward to our trip to Bordeaux at the end of August. Took our first cruise on the River Royale 4 years ago under the direction of the wonderful AJ – so hoping that he still comes with the package. Because of our wonderful intro four years ago, we have returned to Uniworld in each of the last four summers.
Thanks for the info on cameras. I carry mine everywhere!
You’re very welcome!
My partner and I booked this cruise starting June 29. I broke my ankle and need surgery to pin the bone back together. My surgery is June 25 so I can’t fly. Today I asked customer service if I could rebook the same cruise in August and even upgrade to a category 1 from a category 2. (You have rooms available for several weeks on this route.) I was told no and that I’d forfeit our $9,000. Oh, you offered a $500 credit for the new booking AFTER you keep our $9,000. Why can’t you show compassion and allow the rebooking? I’m not asking for a refund. I just want to enjoy our cruise and travel safely. And you have space available.
Hi Jeff, sorry to hear of your booking troubles and medical issue. I hope you’ll be able to get that sorted out. Although I don’t have all the details, it seems unreasonable to me that Uniworld would not try to accommodate you in this situation. No one should lose that kind of money — unexpected surgeries do come up and I’d hope they’d be flexible. I’m sure you just meant “you” in general and not me, Diane, the writer of this blog. I don’t work for the cruise line or anything so I unfortunately can’t do anything to help with the booking. But I hope they figure this out for you! Good luck and wishing you a speedy recovery!
We are booked on the July 20 departure – very excited! We are going to go to Paris for the pre-cruise extension – did you do that or know of any people that did? It will be our period of time to get over our jet-lag but we do want to maximize our time there. Interesting information about the cameras – I am trying to decide which lens to bring – I just can’t bring them all!
I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your website.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you
hire out a designer to create your theme? Exceptional work!
Thanks, not sure if this is spam or not, but no designer. I had someone create my logo but I set up the site myself after getting a template with the basic theme 😉