GETTING THERE
IHAVE RECENTLY returned from floating down the sun-caressed rivers of Burgundy and Provence in the warm embrace of France’s favourite actress Catherine Deneuve. Tough, eh? All right, that’s not exactly true. I was not actually in the arms of the still-stunning star of Les Parapluies de Cherbourg. But I was enjoying the exquisite care and comfort offered by the imperiously glamorous SS Catherine, the latest hotel-on-water in the Uniworld rivercruise chain. The ship was named after, and launched by, Deneuve last year, not long after the release of her film, On My Way.
I was on my way at 3.45 am on a quiet July Sunday when the punctual driver sent by the travel company Titan arrived at my house to take me to Heathrow — all part of the package wherever you live, it seems. After a BA hop to Lyon airport, our transfer bus took us to the Quai Claude Bernard, where the Catherine, all 443 feet of her, stood in stately splendour at the edge of the Rhone. It was quickly apparent that this was to be a week of luxury.
My cabin was in the superior category and exemplified Uniworld’s attention to detail. Ingeniously designed, it somehow provides extensive space for clothes — I counted 28 coat-hangers (yes, I know that sounds sad but it is phenomenal, and they were proper hangers, too, not those infernal, nailhead theft-proof jobs). The bathroom, too, makes perfect use of its dimensions, has a great shower and top-name toiletries.
I could gaze across the water from a small balcony with windows that open, plus a mosquito-net mesh that can be slid up and down independently of the windows. There are British and continental electric sockets, and modern, flexible reading lights are placed either side of the sumptuously comfortable double bed.
The cheaper cabins on the deck below are slightly smaller with narrower windows. Still, there is plenty to see from the bars, restaurant and lounge — and, of course, outside on the long, wide and magnificent sun deck.
The clientele, including a generous PACKAGE An eight-day “Burgundy and Provence” river cruise starts from £1,699 per person (departs March 20, 2016) including a saving of £800 per person for bookings made before September 30, 2015. Includes return scheduled flights, seven nights’ allinclusive cruise on board the SS Catherine, unlimited beverages and all gratuities on board, shore excursions with English-speaking, expert local guides, all transfers and the VIP Home Departure Service. Tel: 0800 988 5873 www.titantravel.co.uk