FACTS AND QUESTIONS
| Questions before booking a cruise on Barge Luciole |
| Do the crew speak English on Barge Luciole? |
| The majority of our barge crew are English and also speak French. Our pilot however, is from Chile and speaks Spanish, as well as English and French. |
| Will our chef be able to accommodate my specific dietary requirements? |
| Yes indeed, we are easily able to accommodate dietary requests. It is always useful to know in advance, so our chef can prepare suitable alternatives. Once on board the Luciole, the crew will double check to ensure all is covered. |
| Is there a chance I might suffer from motion sickness when cruising? |
| The Luciole is a very stable boat. Although the Nivernais Canal combines river and canal sections, since the waterway is not deep there really is very little motion that you would experience while cruising. |
| Do you have air conditioning and heating on Barge Luciole? |
| The barge has air conditioning and heating throughout. Cabin temperatures can be individually controlled by our passengers. |
| The trips sound interesting, but if I am tired, am I able to stay onboard the Luciole instead? |
| We recommended you participate in the trips, since they provide such an enjoyable insight into this historical region of Burgundy. Should you, however prefer to stay on barge Luciole, you are of course most welcome and our crew will look after you. Further tour accessibility information. |
| I would like to book a barge cruise on the Luciole |
| How do I pay for a cruise on the barge Luciole? |
| When you have decided which week you would like to cruise on the Luciole, we will send you an invoice, requesting a deposit payment of 25% of the total fare. We are able to take direct payment through our website's secure on-line facility. Alternatively we will provide you with our bank details to enable a wire transfer in either US Dollar, Sterling or Euro currency. |
| What is the Luciole booking procedure? |
| When you have decided the week you would like to cruise, we will issue an invoice, requesting a deposit payment of 25% of the total cruise rate. On receiving your payment we will send a receipt to confirm your booking. Final payment is due 90 days before the cruise departure date, on receiving this payment we will send your final cruise documentation. |
| Can I book the whole barge for a family cruise? |
| The Luciole can be booked for family charters. We are very happy to accommodate children and our chef is always able to cook meals for the young ones. We also can change the visits if requested to include children based activities such as tree walking, canoeing and horse riding. |
| How can I make my booking payment? |
| To pay for your cruise, we accept either bank wire transfers directly into our account or via our secure on-line credit card system on the website. |
| Should I purchase travel insurance? |
| We highly recommend that you purchase travel and medical insurance for your trip at the time of paying your cruise deposit. |
| What is included in a Barge Luciole cruise rate? |
| The cruise includes: Transfer from Paris to the Barge Luciole and return to Paris at the end of your cruise. Our crew greet you with Champagne and Canapes. All meals commencing with sunday evening dinner through to saturday morning breakfast, including all wines, open bar with a wide range of spirits. All excursions off the Barge in our air conditioned Mini Bus. All entrance fees to Visits. The use of our on board bicycles. |
| What is not included in the cruise rate? |
| Your cruise rate does not include your own journey to and from our rendezvous in Paris or a gratuity to the Luciole crew. |
| The Luciole - when you are on board |
| Are toiletries provided for the cruise? |
| Molton Brown toiletries are provided in each cabin, consisting of: soap, shower gel, shampoo, body lotion and a useful travel kit. |
| Is smoking permitted on Barge Luciole? |
| Smoking is strictly forbidden inside the Luciole. We request that passengers who do smoke on the deck, do so with due consideration for fellow guests. |
| Do you provide hairdryers? |
| Yes, hairdryers are available - just ask when you arrive onboard |
| What is the dress code for the cruise? |
| Regarding attire, the Luciole has a relaxed ambiance: our crew do not wear a uniform and we hope everyone quickly feels at home. Casual comfortable clothes are the best to bring and in any of the seasons, be it late spring, summer or early autumn, layers of clothes are always the most useful to have with you. For gentlemen during the day: trousers/shorts, shirt/T shirt and jumper. In the evening, occasionally, a jacket may be worn and even sometimes a tie, but we would certainly not say this is the norm, probably just a change of shirt for supper, should you wish. For ladies during the day: trousers/shorts/skirt, blouse/T shirt and jumper with a change of top for the evening, possible a change of trousers but not always. For the last evening onboard, guests might wear something a little dressier, but again it is certainly not necessary. Low-heeled comfortable shoes are the most suitable for the boat and tours while a rainproof is a good idea too. We do hope this helps you with your suitcase packing! |
| What is the electric voltage on board |
| The Luciole has 220 volt electricity. Electrical equipment will require adaptors and we recommend you pick an adaptor before you leave home or when passing through the airport |
| Will our cabin be cleaned during the barge cruise? |
| Yes, your cabin and bathroom are cleaned every day and fresh towels provided. |
| Is there a luggage limit? |
| There is no luggage limit on the Luciole and if your suitcases are bulky we can store them for you until the end of the cruise. |
| Do you have a music system? |
| The Luciole has a music system in the saloon, with a good collection of CDs. Alternatively passengers are welcome to plug in their own iPods |
| Do you allow passengers to bring their pets on the cruise? |
| With regret we are unable to accept animals on board the Luciole. |
| What entertainment is there on board? |
| The Luciole has a library on board with a good selection of reading and reference books. Cards and board games are also available and if we have a charter group with children, we have a lots more toys and jigsaws available |
| Will I be able to access the internet/e-mail whilst on board? |
| The Luciole does not have this facility on board. However, during the majority of our visits there is the access to internet cafes. If access is imperative, we suggest that you bring your own phone/computer with an international facility. |
| Before your cruise |
| What documentation will I receive when I book a cruise on the Luciole? |
| When you get in touch we will send our cruise information. On receipt of full payment, we will send your final documentation. If you have booked through an agent, they will handle all correspondence with you. |
| How do I join the barge Luciole? |
| We make a rendezvous with our passengers in central Paris at the Hotel Mansart. If you prefer to join the Luciole independently, you can arrive directly at the barge or we can pick you up from a hotel in Auxerre. If we are moored in Clamecy, we can make arrangements to pick you up in Auxerre, on our way through to Barge Luciole |
| I have mobility problems? Is a cruise on Barge Luciole suitable for me? |
| On board the Luciole herself there are plenty of handrails and an extremely sturdy staircase, with banisters on each side and shallow steps down to the cabins. Our tour guide Neil can discuss each visit with you in advance. There may be parts of the visit to the Chateau of Bazoches that are difficult, but during our other tours we can take our bus close to the visit and assist you from there. |
| Travelling in France |
| Is it true that France closes in August for a summer vacation? |
| The French do take their summer holidays in August, however this does not affect our operation. Burgundy can be hot but not too humid, a time to enjoy those warm summer evenings on deck or maybe an early evening swim in the River Yonne. Paris can be quiet in August but most larger shops remain open. |
| Do the trains run on time? |
| The French train system SFR is generally very reliable. Tickets for journeys can be bought in advance over the internet or at the stations. There are also machines at the larger stations that enable ticket purchase using credit cards. When catching a train, don't forget to 'composte' your ticket by inserting into the platform ticket punch, to confirm your travel departure |
| Making a phone call from within France |
| When making a call within France, you will call America by first dialling the international number of 001, for calling England dial 0044, then drop the next zero and dial the remaining numbers |
An interesting French fact.......
The blue white and red stripes, of equal width, run vertically, with the red on the right-hand side, the blue to the flag pole. The blue and red are traditional colours of Paris, seen on the city's coat of arms. the use of the Tricolore can be traced back to the 14th Century, when Louis IX met Pope Innocent IV at Cluny, but the flag was fully adpoted during the FrenchRevolution in 179.
French national anthem is called the Marseillaise and was composed and written by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle.......
He was a French Army officer, during the French Revolution on the 24 April 1792, in the town of Strasbourg. The anthem was originally titled “Chant de guerre de l’armée du Rhin” (“War Song of the Army of the Rhine”) A year later in 1793, he was imprisoned as a Royalist but managed to escape the guillotine. He died a poor man at the age of 76 years, in June 1836 and his ashes were held in the cemetary in Choisy-le-Roi. During World War II, his ashes were moved to Les Invalides, in Paris.
The Luciole moors on the quay of Auxerre beneath the dramatic Cathedral of Saint Etienne. On our tour of the city, we stroll up through the Medieval streets to the old clock tower
Bright red shutters on the lock house at Sery. Shutters have many purposes, to keep the houses cool in the summer and warm in the winter