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Jeanine is a barge operated by France-based river cruise company CroisiEurope, which has a fleet of more than 20 riverboats.
A purpose-built hotel boat, 24-passenger, two-deck Jeanine has 12 cabins and sports a very bright new look -- one of its standout features -- making it one of the most modern barges on the waterways.
Jeanine offers a real taste of France in every sense of the word. Until recently, the family-owned company was virtually unknown outside of mainland Europe. CroisiEurope is now being promoted much farther afield, attracting passengers from the U.S. and Australia, but it still makes a big point of offering an authentic French experience. So, although the predominantly French crewmembers speak English, the cuisine retains a heavy French accent and will appeal to gourmands.
Complimentary coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages are included in the fares, with the exception of Champagne and a small selection of premium brand wines and spirits. Daily excursions are also included.
The barge has a relaxed, continental atmosphere with no set dress code. By day, passengers wear casual slacks, jeans and shorts with T-shirts, plaid shirts, sweatshirts or sweaters, depending on the weather. Some keep to similar clothing in the evening, although the weekly Gala Dinner is an excuse to dress up, with the accent on smart casual, rather than formalwear. Sneakers or comfortable shoes are a must. There's a lot of walking on excursions, and the terrain includes cobbled streets, vineyards and uneven surfaces.
Due to the size of the barge, there's not even room for an electronic keyboard, so there's no onboard entertainment program. CDs of popular and light classical music are played in the lounge, and passengers can request their favourite discs. Playing cards and a small selection of games, such as Monopoly and Scrabble, are available in the corner by the bar, along with the quintessential French ballgame of boules or pétanque. The towpaths and quiet roads next to Jeanine's mooring spots provide perfect playing surfaces, and the crew are always happy to challenge passengers to light-hearted matches and explain the rather inexplicable rules.
There is a whirlpool situated on the open deck terrace area at the bow of the ship. About a dozen well-maintained bicycles are free to use on a first-come, first-served basis. Passengers generally get their exercise by walking on the riverbank or canal path, and, as the barge sails at an average of four miles per hour, it's easy to hop on and off at locks with no danger of being left behind. The barge does not have a spa.
An unexpected wow factor is Jeanine's décor. The barge's old-style exterior belies the cool and funky interior. The public rooms, comprising the dining room and the combined lounge and bar are on the upper deck.
Dazzling cushions in pink, turquoise and purple hues (to name just a few) adorn the white cow-skin sofas and stools made from the hide of the region's distinctive Charolais cattle. The staircase to the lower deck is surrounded by striking fuchsia rails that resemble a giant wine rack, and the theme continues with clusters of round wooden-framed mirrors that imitate corks.
The dining room is decked out with reclaimed wood from a Canadian chalet building and decorated with round coloured lamps, Andy Warhol-style boating prints and nautical ornaments. The contemporary design won't appeal to everyone, but it makes a refreshing change from the traditional decoration associated with barges.
When Jeanine is full, and particularly on days when it is too cold to sit outside, the lounge and bar can get pretty cosy. But the upside is that, on a ship of this size, you quickly get to know your fellow passengers and the six members of the crew.
Outside, the top deck has ample sunbeds, and it's a lovely place to lounge on sunny days. However, due to low bridges, it's often closed to passengers for long periods at a time. The other alfresco area is the terrace outside the lounge, where there are chairs and tables (again in an assortment of mismatched colours).
Other amenities include a small collection of books and magazines by the bar and free Wi-Fi, available throughout the barge.
Food is an important part of any cruise, and it's the pièce de résistance on Jeanine. In fact, it's like a floating French restaurant, and the waitstaff are charming and hardworking. Many of CroisiEurope's chefs have worked alongside Michelin-starred greats like Paul Bocuse and Marc Haeberlin. The line's head chef, Alain Bohn, belongs to the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France, a revered culinary association with just 250 members worldwide.
So, the food is exceptional and unashamedly French: rich, meat-heavy and served at a leisurely pace. Note: Lunch and dinner menus are set, but kitchen staff can accommodate special diets, including vegetarian, with advance notice. (It's best to inform CroisiEurope before you board.)
All meals are served in the dining room, although lunch and dinner are sometimes served on the open-air terrace on sunny days.
The day's menus, with often-charming English translations like "swimming islands" for île flottante, or "floating islands," are posted on the bar each morning. Lunchtime in France is an institution, and the three-course midday meal, heralded by the complimentary cocktail of the day, is what many would view as an evening meal. Expect hot dishes, such as pork fillet in mustard sauce, veal chop glazed with honey or the classic regional dish boeuf bourguignon served with vegetables and salad, followed by two cheeses and desserts like crème brûlée.
At 7:30 p.m., dinner is another three courses, this time featuring an appetizer, main course and dessert. One day there was a savoury crème brûlée of foie gras followed by guinea fowl and a strawberry sabayon. The next evening featured mushroom soup, salmon fillet roasted with pesto and butter, and black and white chocolate mousse. Complimentary white, red or rose wines are served with lunch and dinner, followed by espresso or coffee with milk. Decaffeinated coffee is also available.
The only lighter respite on the food front is breakfast, but there are still tempting freshly-baked croissants and pastries. Served buffet-style from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., the choices also include juice, fresh fruit, yogurt, cheese, cold meats and boiled eggs (with fried eggs available on request).
Drinks are served all day and are complimentary, apart from Champagne, premium brand vintage wines and spirits that are listed on the special wine list and available at an additional, albeit reasonable, charge.
Jeanine's cheerful and colourful décor extends to the cabins, which have bright cushions, bedspreads and drapes and contemporary prints on the walls. There are 12 air-conditioned cabins, all on the lower deck and accessible by a flight of stairs. Two cabins have comfortable fixed hotel-style queen-size beds, and the rest each have two twin beds, which can be configured as doubles. All measure 97 square feet apiece and pack a surprising amount into a space that is small compared with larger river cruise vessels.
Partially below the water line, the wide windows offer a "duck's eye" view over the canals and waterways. The windows can be opened at the top.
The half-length wardrobe contains a safe and fixed hair dryer and has a mirrored door. There are four shelves in the storage area that runs above the bed alongside one cabin wall, a window shelf that runs the full width of the cabin -- with two electrical sockets -- and useful storage areas for books and other items in an alcove behind the beds. There's a small dressing table/worktop with two electrical sockets, a drawer and mirror, and a round stool that tucks beneath it.
The all-in-one bathroom, with an attractive strip of blue mosaic tiling, contains a toilet, shower and a mirrored sink with storage around the basin and in the cupboard below. The shower is separated from the rest of the facilities by a curtain, with a dip in the floor to allow water to drain away. If you're careful and pull the curtain around completely, the other facilities in the bathroom stay dry, although it does get very steamy, and it takes a while for the mirror to clear and the air to cool down. The water pressure in the shower is good and the temperature consistent. CroisiEurope branded soap and individual bottles of shampoo and shower gel are provided.
The most novel feature is the flat-screen television that folds up into the ceiling and is raised and lowered by a switch at the head of the bed. There are European and English-speaking channels.
There's a telephone for internal calls only. All cabins are equipped with 220-volt European-style round-pin sockets, so you'll need to bring an adaptor.
