Teen Scene
How two teenaged boys fared on a river cruise with their ’rents
Let’s face it. Most teenagers aren’t dying to go on a river cruise. But this mom of teen sons likes small-ship cruising and I’m still the boss (I think!). So last summer I signed the family up for a Bordeaux river cruise with the French line CroisiEurope.
We boarded the 174-passenger Cyrano de Bergerac, a long white baguette of a river boat with a thin green stripe, in the heart of beautiful Bordeaux, walking past several folded up wheelchairs and a gaggle of seniors at the gangway. My teenagers had a mild look of alarm on their faces. Where were the other kids?
CroisiEurope doesn’t cater to children on its Bordeaux cruises (though they have some family river itineraries in Croatia, Portugal, and Italy). And that’s fine. I have kids, but I don’t necessarily enjoy a riverboat full of them. I chose CroisiEurope because of its appealing 5-night Bordeaux itinerary and the exposure to France it would give my sons.
There’s no question my boys miss the 20+ megaship cruises we did when they were younger — the activities, gaming, multiple eating options, and all those other kids. But as they’ve gotten older, I’ve migrated our family to smaller ships. Of course, the things that mom and dad appreciate about river cruising — the intimacy, the simplicity, and the cultural focus — don’t particularly resonate for most teenagers. Oh well.
French Flair — and Family Time
I reasoned that a Bordeaux river cruise would be educational for my sons (and us) because of the many UNESCO World Heritage sites and also because of the French feel of the onboard experience. Family-owned CroisiEurope was founded in 1976 as a French river cruise line for French people.
Though they’ve opened their arms to North Americans and other nationalities in recent years — our sailing comprised about 25 Americans, and announcements and entertainment are in English as well as French — it’s still very French. At least half the passengers were French, as was the captain and hotel director, and not surprisingly, so was the food and wine.
As most riverboat cabins sleep no more than two people, my boys loved having their own cabin, allowing them — and us — to have some alone time. The cabin décor, much like the rest of the ship, is simple and clean, based on crisp whites and sky blues. Huge sliding windows could be opened for fresh air, making the room an appealing place to hang out.
River cruises are typically more culturally immersive than big ship cruises. You’re literally close enough to the riverbanks to see sheep grazing in a field, people in their gardens, and cars on a road. From the deck, you can make out the details of a steeple and the crumbling ramparts of a medieval fort.
On a riverboat, you’re also in close proximity to your fellow boat mates, fostering good ole fashioned family time (whether my teens appreciated it or not). The four of us watched movies side-by-side in one of our cabins and played Scrabble in the lounge after dinner in the cheerful blue-and-white windowed restaurant.
While my boys may have found the cruise boring in some ways, they certainly enjoyed the food and so did we. In keeping with French and European custom, lunch and dinner was a fixed three-course menu, which could be customized to accommodate allergies or other requirements. Naturally, French and European favorites were featured, including France’s favorite bird: duck, which was served in various forms including duck confit (duck leg slow cooked in duck fat), foie gras (duck liver), and duck breast.
Overall, we enjoyed the well-prepared and nicely presented salads, seafood dishes, puff pastries, desserts like crème brûlée, and especially the breads and cheeses.
As I thoroughly enjoy wine, I was in my happy place when the server would come by double fisted with bottlenecks. A choice of nine different French wines (included in the fare) appeared at lunch and dinner and was liberally enjoyed by the French and other Europeans (and me!).
On Shore Adventures — Paired with Wine
My husband and I signed up for five excursions over the full four days of the cruise, and my boys did the three active ones with us: two guided bicycle rides and a helicopter excursion.
From the first stop, Pauillac, we boarded a morning helicopter ride over the vineyards of the Médoc region for a bird’s-eye view of the many châteaus, famous producers like Margaux, and our boat Cyrano de Bergerac. My sons were sandwiched next to the pilot in the front row while mom and dad were in the second row with another couple. The weather was good and the 10-minute ride was thrilling for all of us.
After lunch on the boat, our family set off on a second tour, this one a guided bicycle ride through the same vineyards of Médoc that we had seen from above. Our guide was excellent and she stopped along the way to explain various aspects of the region’s history and wine making to our group of a dozen or so. At the end, we stopped at a vineyard for a tour and a tasting, with each of us given a delicious cheese board and a selection of wines, a few sips of which we allowed our boys to sample.
The next day, Cyrano de Bergerac moved toward Blaye, also along the muddy milk chocolate– colored Gironde estu- ary, where the main attraction is the impressive ruins of the 17th- century citadel built by the famous military architect Vauban. We caved and let our boys stay on board and vegetate with their phones and movie watching, while we toured the nearby fort. The tour ended, of course, at a winery for a tour and a tasting.
Our fourth day was spent in the charming 13th- century Libourne, a medieval town built at the confluence of the Isle and Dordogne rivers near the elegant old wine estates of SaintÉmilion and Pomerol. Hubby and I toured this lovely town while we gave our boys a second “get out of jail free card.”
Finally, we arrived in Bordeaux, where Cyrano de Bergerac would be docked for the last day and night of the cruise. The four of us opted for another guided bicycle tour led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who shared some of the city’s main UNESCO World Heritage sites. The tour ended with — what else? — a wine-tasting session.
After five days in Bordeaux aboard Cyrano de Bergerac, I’m sure my teens understand France a bit better — the language, the history, and, perhaps subconsciously, the wine.