Tuesday, April 26, 2011

French Barge AMARYLLIS Grand Cru Wine Tour & Barging Cruise, Burgundy France: UPDATE

AVAILABILITY UPDATE:
As of April  26th, there are only TWO cabins available for the first week and
the second week is fully booked.

ATTENTION LOVERS OF FINE WINES:  The French Hotel Barge Amaryllis has devoted two special weeks this summer to a Grands Cru Wine Cruise. Taste the 33 Grand Crus of Burgundy.

This would be an excellent gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day!


Join Amaryllis on a 6-night cruise and experience this unique opportunity for the wine connoisseur to taste the 33 Grand Crus of Burgundy, including Bonne Mares, Montrachet and Romanée Conti. No need to book the whole boat as it is open on an individual cabin, shared charter basis.

RATES and DATES:
  • $10,000/person, double occupancy (i.e. $20,000/cabin)
  • July 17-23, 2011 (St Leger - Dijon) and July 24-30, 2011 (Dijon - St Leger)
What’s included:
  • 6 nights' accommodation on board Amaryllis
  • Breakfast, lunch & candlelit dinner each day
  • Refreshments on board after excursions
  • Wine with meals, liqueurs and bar drinks on board
  • Sightseeing excursions, including entrance fees
  • Wine expert
  • Use of bicycles
  • Air-conditioned vehicle with guide for sightseeing
  • All transfers as described in the itinerary
  • Return TGV between Paris and the Amaryllis
View the itinerary:  Burgundy Grands Cru Wine Cruise

French Hotel Barge Amaryllis - Barging in Burgundy France

Travel in superb comfort on the luxury barge Amaryllis, where you will enjoy the delightful scenery and culture of Burgundy at a very relaxed pace. The wines that you will come to enjoy during the cruise are the heart and soul of the region, and have an honored place in the wine cellars and at the dinner tables of wine lovers all over the world.

The 8-passenger, 6-crew, ultradeluxe French Barge Amaryllis is one of the finest river cruisers in Europe, with all the amenities of a luxury hotel and the ambience of a country inn. You will cruise the Burgundy countryside in exceptional style.  The air conditioned interior is traditionally French with contemporary touches set off by Louis XVI and XV antiques. Amaryllis has been decorated by some of the most respected names in France and Italy.

Domaine Ponsot

Cruise along the Canal de Bourgogne, River Saône, and the Canal du Centre as you wind your way through the famous wine region between Dijon and Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune.

Be sure to look at our supplemental web page for more information about places you'll see on this special wine tour cruise: REGIONS: Burgundy, Grands Crus

AVAILABILITY UPDATE:
As of April  26th, there are only TWO cabins available for the first week and
the second week is fully booked.



Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book AMARYLLIS 
View Amaryllis's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges & barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 


Monday, April 25, 2011

Tulip photos - Dutch Tulip Barging Cruises - Book Now

Today's online Daily Mail (a UK Newspaper) has some wonderful photos in a story about the tulip fields of Holland.



We have two barges in Holland, each with one week available in the beginning of May, so we can still arrange your Dutch Tulip Barge Cruise if you are quick :)
These weeks are completely open so they are available for private charter or on a shared cruise with individual cabin bookings.

Go Barging in Holland this spring!

Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book your barging vacation holiday
Visit our website for more information on our barges and barging : www.BargeCharters.com
 


Saturday, April 23, 2011

Luxury Crewed French Hotel Barges - Barging Cruises in France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Italy, Germany

For a selection of luxury crewed hotel barges we represent, please visit our web site, view our blog, read our monthly barging newsletter, or contact us!

A barging cruise is a wonderful vacation for singles, couples, family, friends, and corporate trips too!

Come and explore the European waterways aboard a quality, luxury, all inclusive, crewed boutique hotel barge.

Visit our website to view barges in France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland / Belgium, Italy, Germany / Luxembourg



Hotel Barge SAVOIR VIVRE: Cabin Cruise Weeks Update

The French Hotel Barge SAVOIR VIVRE, who cruises along the Canal de Bourgogne in southern Burgundy, has opened up a new cabin cruise week (shared charter).

French Hotel Barge Savoir Vivre - Barging in France
Barge Cruises in Southern Burgundy, France along the Canal de Bourgogne

Savoir Vivre currently has designated cabin weeks for:
  • July 31-August 6, 2011: 2 cabins available
  • September 18-24, 2011: BOOKED
  • NEW ==> October 16-22, 2011: 2 cabins on hold & 2 cabins available

If you are a party of 4 and are willing to share the boat with 4 others, inquire about dates and we might be able to open up another cabin week for your group.

RATES, 6 nights:
  • Individual Cabin Bookings, Shared Charter:
    • $3000/person, double occupancy
    • $5000/person, single occupancy
  • Private Charter:
    • 6 guests:$22,000
    • 7 guests: $23,000
    • 8 guests: $24,000

There are still a few weeks open for a private barge charter... but hurry, they won't last long!

See our previous post about Savoir Vivre. See our online brochure for Savoir Vivre & contact us.

SAVOIR VIVRE: Ability to live life well and with intelligent enjoyment, meeting every situation with poise, good manners, and elegance. Etymology: French, to know (how) to live.



Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book SAVOIR VIVRE 
View Savoir Vivre's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 


Friday, April 22, 2011

French Hotel Barge EMMA - Land & Sea Package, Surf & Turf

INTRODUCING TWO LOVELY LADIES, EMMA and VERONIQUE

French Hotel Barge EMMA --- Domaine La Véronique

EXCITING NEW VACATION OPPORTUNITY IN FRANCE FOR JUNE, JULY, & AUGUST 2011
Combine a 4-night cruise aboard the luxury crewed hotel barge EMMA on the Canal du Midi in the south of France and 3 nights in a luxurious Languedocian farmhouse nestling in the vineyards.
This is a unique opportunity to experience two vacations in one week.  How?  Read on...

For the first portion (Saturday afternoon through Wednesday morning), guests will be cruising along the Canal du Midi aboard the luxury crewed hotel barge “Emma” in the company of husband and wife team Liz and René Jacquot, ably assisted by their friendly crew of Rosie and Annette. This will then be followed by 3 days (Wednesday afternoon through Saturday morning) with husband and wife team Peter and Sally Shaw, in their beautiful home, “Domaine La Véronique”, set in the rolling vineyards and olive groves of Puisserguier.

Guests will receive a unique experience, with wonderful food and wine, combining the authenticity of France without sacrificing any creature comforts. You can be assured that you will be looked after by a team of professionals with 20 years' experience dedicated to providing you with the vacation of a lifetime.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?
  • Pick up on Saturday afternoon from nearest train or airport, and drop off the following Saturday morning
  • Accommodation for 7 nights with gourmet meals, excellent wines and an open bar
  • Guided excursions to discover the history and life of the Languedoc with English/French speaking guides
  • Use of bicycles on the barge
  • Use of the swimming pool at La Véronique. And route maps for walking

A FEW EXCURSION HIGHLIGHTS
  • Narbonne: steeped in Roman history, the Via Domitia and underground tunnels; the12th Century Cathedral; and not forgetting its covered daily market, renowned for its fresh Mediterranean produce.
  • Minerve: with its pre-historic and Cathar history, in its breath-taking location in the gorges of the Cesse and Brian surrounded by the garrigue smelling of wild rosemary and thyme, buzzing with honey bees.
  • Pezenas: a trade fair center from Medieval times and an important cultural center from the 16th century, with its history of Molière, wonderful architecture and doorways, makes a stunning visit. Shopper’s delight!
  • Carcassonne: La Cité, the largest and best preserved medieval town in Europe, with its huge ramparts, amazing towers, and wonderful castle. It’s a fairytale village!!

UNIQUE POINTS OF THE TRIP
  • Eight days / Seven nights – Saturday to Saturday
  • Two different chefs preparing gourmet regional food
  • Two spectacular settings
  • Possible optional extras:
    • Cooking workshops with Peter Shaw at La Véronique, as an alternative to (or in combination with) excursions
    • Golf at the nearby St Thomas golf club in Beziers
    • Horse riding at Puisserguier
    • Canoeing/ kayaking on the River Orb
    • Additional nights at Domaine La Véronique can be negotiated

PRICES: 7 nights
Accommodation is based on double occupancy. All bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms.
  • 6 guests: $26,000
  • 4 guests: $24,000

FRENCH BARGE EMMA
The French Hotel Barge EMMA is owned and operated by Liz and René Jacquot and have two additional crew members, Rosie & Annette. They cruise along the Canal du Midi in the south of France between Beziers & Carcassonne and Carcassonne & Toulouse.

EMMA is fully air conditioned and also has central heating, if needed. There are three guest cabins; one has a queen bed, while the other two can be configured as either queens or twins. Beautiful handmade Irish quilts from Oonagh Morisson add that extra touch of luxury. Each guest cabin has its own private, ensuite bathroom with sink, toilet and a normal sized shower with sliding doors. The interior is bright and spacious with beautiful arched double glazed windows which give you a good view of the outside countryside whilst cruising. The French oak furniture has been hand made by a master craftsman and the whole effect is warm and inviting. 
EMMA has a spacious upper deck (385 square feet) with tables, chairs, and loungers. Shade from the sun, too, if you want it. This is a marvelous vantage point to see the wonderful countryside and a great place to enjoy cocktails before dinner. Later on, view the stars and set the world to right. And, of course, EMMA has bicycles and a minivan to chauffeur you to various excursions.

DOMAINE LA VERONIQUE
Peter and Sally Shaw invite you to enjoy their entire property Domaine La Véronique, a beautiful stone built farmhouse with an acre of land, and beautiful 360º views across vineyards and out to the Pyrenees.

Peter & Sally are well-known in the barging community as they used to charter their barge, La Tortue. Peter Shaw is an excellent and highly respected chef.

Véronique has three beautiful guests rooms with en-suite bathrooms, and each bedroom can be made up as a king size double bed or as twin beds. The ground-floor bedroom has wheelchair access. There is a comfortable living room (with grand piano, TV, sound system and WIFI internet access), a dining area and an immaculate kitchen.

Outside there is a wonderful swimming pool with beach area for easy access; several sitting areas with views over the countryside; terraces with tables for al fresco dining; and a boulodrome. You can walk straight from the Domaine into the countryside, up in to the hills or down in to the valley. It is the ideal setting for a quiet walk or a relaxing dip in the swimming pool.

Book soon while there is still good availability for this summer, especially since we will have to coordinate the two venues.

REMINDER: Paradise Connections has a special gift for June 2011 bookings.  See HERE.



Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book EMMA 
View Emma's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

French Hotel Barge ALEGRIA - Shared Cruise Week Available

The French Hotel Barge ALEGRIA, a luxurious 4-guest barge cruising the Canal du Midi, has a couple who is looking for another couple to book the other cabin for October 1-7, 2011.

Cruise the canal du midi aboard the luxurious French Hotel Barge Alegria

The 4-guest rate is $21,000 so splitting the cost between the two parties would mean that you would be able to have a week aboard Alegria for $10,500 for your cabin. Excellent!

But, if you wish to book the whole boat for this week, this is possible too.  First come, first served :)

Another interesting opportunity for Alegria is a 3-night Discovery Cruise, July 26-29, 2011.  The charter price for this cruise is $12,880 for 4 guests.


If you wish a barging cruise aboard Alegria this season, you better hurry as there are only a few open weeks:
  • July 9-15
  • July 26-29 (3 night Discovery Cruise)
  • October 1-7 (Shared or Private Charter)
  • October 15-21 (Value Season = $18,400 for 4 guests)
  • October 22-28 (Value Season = $18,400 for 4 guests)

Alegria hosts a maximum of four guests in two large cabins fitted with king size beds and ensuite bathrooms. The large, beautiful cabins are distinctive, light and bright. Intimacy and privacy are ensured, thanks to two entrance doors from each cabin leading either directly to the outside of the barge or inside to the lounge. Each guest cabin has a mini fridge and is equipped with a coffee & tea tray.

Enjoy the heated pool after a warm afternoon… or just relax while enjoying some pre-dinner drinks … Every day is a new day of discoveries ...

Barge cruising aboard the French Hotel Barge ALEGRIA offers a week of relaxation, fabulous food, excellent wines, fascinating culture, great landscapes and friendship.


Congratulations, Olivier for your already successful upcoming third season and we hope that Paradise Connections will complete your calendar!


Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book ALEGRIA 
View Alegria's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges & barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 


Wednesday, April 13, 2011

French Hotel Barge PROSPERITE: Updates

We have updated our online brochure for the French Hotel Barge PROSPERITE.

French Hotel Barge PROSPERITE - Barging in France
Luxury Crewed Barging Cruises in Burgundy

We have added a "Food & Wine" page with sample lunch and dinner menus, along with a wine list.

We also uploaded new itinerary pages... one for each direction:

Prospérité has a cabin week available October 2-8, 2011 for a shared barging cruise. There are currently THREE cabins open. Price: $12,500/cabin (i.e. $6250/person, double occupancy).

Prosperite has other charter weeks available... Inquire!

Prospérité accommodates up to 8 guests in 4 suites, which can be configured as doubles or twins, with sitting area and desk, each having their own private ensuite bathroom. Prospérité is fully air conditioned and also has central heating when necessary, hot tub on the sundeck, bicycles, air conditioned minivan for excursions...



Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book PROSPÉRITÉ 
View Prospérité's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 

Sunday, April 10, 2011

FETE DE LA MUSIQUE - June 21st - France

Tuesday, June 21st, is Fête de la Musique day in France, but the festivities normally start up a few days beforehand with free street concerts everywhere. One year we saw Joan Baez singing on a stage set up at the Place de la Concorde in Paris!

To celebrate this festive occasion, we will send you and the other member(s) of your barging party a gift for any French hotel barge booking taking place in June 2011 (either a cabin booking or a private whole-barge charter)... See our iPod Shuffle Giveaway post for details!

Many of the French hotel barges are fully booked for the week but luckily there are still a few openings (June 19-25, 2011):
Availability: 1 cabin open
Route: Northern Burgundy: Canal du Nivernais - Auxerre to Clamecy
Brochure: http://www.bargecharters.com/barges/art-de-vivre/index.html
Availability: Fully Open - 3 cabins
Route: Canal du Midi: Beziers - Carcassonne
Brochure: http://www.clairdelune.ws/
  • EMMA - up to 6 guests
Availability: Fully Open - 3 cabins
Route: Canal du Midi: Beziers - Carcassonne
Brochure: http://www.bargecharters.com/barges/emma/index.html
Availability: Fully Open - 4 cabins
Route: Southern Burgundy: Canal de Bourgogne - Dijon to Vandenesse
Brochure: http://www.bargecharters.com/barges/reine-pedauque/index.html
Availability: 2 cabins open
Route: Upper Loire/ Burgundy: Canal de Briare - Montargis to Chatillon-sur-Loire
Special offer: Book before April 31, 2011 and receive a $2000/cabin discount
Brochure: http://www.bargecharters.com/barges/renaissance/index.html
Availability: 1 cabin open
Route: Canal de la Garonne: Agen to Montauban
Brochure: http://www.bargecharters.com/barges/saint-louis/index.html
Availability: Fully open: 4 cabins
Route: Southern Burgundy: Canal de Bourgogne - Fleurey-sur-Ouche to Vandenesse en Auxois
Brochure: http://www.bargecharters.com/barges/savoir-vivre/index.html

Unfortunately, the official Fête de la Musique website is not working today but should be soon... Here's the link: http://fetedelamusique.culture.fr

Remember to check out our iPod Shuffle Giveaway for June 2011 Barging in France vacations.


Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book your barging holiday
For more information on our barges and barging, visit our website : www.BargeCharters.com
 


iPod Shuffle Giveaway - French hotel barge cruises June 2011

Fête de la Musique day (June 21st) is one of our favorite French holidays and we hope to be anchored in one of the French islands in the Caribbean... Perhaps Jimmy Buffett will show up in St Barths and do an impromtu gig! He could sing He Went to Paris and perhaps Last Mango in Paris :)

Confirm your June 2011 French hotel barge cruise and get a FREE 2GB iPod Shuffle... or two... or three... or four... or more...


We'll send each person in your party (whether a cabin booking of 2, or a private charter booking for 12, for example) a handy gift to enjoy on your barging vacation...

Don't let it's tiny size fool you. With this 2GB player, you can pack up to 500 songs... That should do you for a week!

The latest generation of iPod Shuffle allows you to use playlists so you can use this feature to organize your French language lessons, and French music from A to Z, such as:

Antoine, Charles Aznavour, Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Brel, Patrick Bruel, Maurice Chevalier, Mylène Farmer, Claude François, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Serge Gainsbourg, Johnny Hallyday, Indochine, Kassav, Claudine Longet, Eddy Mitchell, Vanessa Paradis, Édith Piaf, Sheila, Téléphone, Zouzou.

This offer is good for any Paradise Connection booking for a French barging vacation taken in June 2011, but check out the barges that are currently available for Fête de la Musique week.

We hope you'll be able to take advantage of this special offer from us at Paradise Connections.

 Enjoy!


Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book your barging holiday
For more information on our barges and barging, visit our website : www.BargeCharters.com