Reviews

Staff were wonderful. Breakfasts were great and lots of food to take for lunch. Nice dinners in the dining room after a day of cycling and sightseeing.

Staff, itinerary, daily organisation and food

This was our 13th Boat Bike Tour and we both agree that the Arkona ship was very comfortable. The staff were exceptional and the food was delicious.

Our boat and bike experience was great! We enjoyed the cycling in the beautiful countryside and the opportunity to make new friends from other countries. Boat and bike is very organized, but we would have liked more description of the things that could be seen along the trails. For example, we rode up hill to see a monastery, but found empty buildings except for a Lego display. Also I know it is not always possible, but having one queen size bed instead of 2 twins would be very nice. We really enjoyed the Indonesian specialty buffet! Our guides were great at checking up to make sure no one was having difficulties.

Unfortunately my wife had an accident on her E-Bike and although the assistance back on board was wonderful, the communication available to get assistance at the time of the accident was non existent. Refer to her separate incident report.

We had a wonderful time on the Arkona. The boat was very nice and comfortable. The staff were friendly and professional and the food was varied, plentiful and tasty. Being able to make lunch from the buffet breakfast was a big plus. The itinerary was excellent along the Rhine and Moselle. The scenery was quite spectacular and there was so much to see. The weather also was very good to us which made the trip even better. The criticism that I did have was the fact that there was no water on the tables at dinner time. You had to pay quite a cost to have it. I have never come across that before. Also we contemplated purchasing the drinks package but after inquiring what it included we decided not to. It really was not worth it. Its inclusions were very restrictive. We like a drink and thank goodness. Our drinks bill at the end of the week was half what the package would have cost. Overall though we enjoyed our barge and bike week. We met many lovely people. It is the second one we have done. Would we do another one? Not sure.

We had a great time. Being on the inaugural tour it did seem on some days a little bit unorganized. But the team did their best with certain moments that were beyond their control.

Our bike tour from Bad Wimpfen to Koblenz was a wonderful experience. The staff on the boat were pleasant, helpful and always wanting to make sure we were well taken care of. The Patria is an older boat yet served us well. The only negative comments I have are: 1) There was an unpleasant odor in our room on the lower level. One got accustomed to it however it was always there when we walked in the room. 2) The dining room on the lower level got quite warm during dinner. They have fans but a few times it was uncomfortable. The bikes were good, comfortable and perfect for our trip. The scenery was fabulous and the many small towns we biked through made us appreciate the beauty of the Rhine valley. Most of our biking was on cycle paths, some paved and other compacted gravel. The signage along the way was well marked and we only took a few minor detours by accident. A couple of times we had to bike along side of traffic but those times were rare. I will definitely recommend this trip to my friends. We would also like to do another boat and bike trip as we really enjoyed this one.

We had a wonderful time cycling the Rhine. The barge MS Andante was well equipped for the safe care of the passengers. Crew were very helpful, polite and friendly. Some of the directions for cyclists needed a bit of work for accuracy but we felt it added to the fun and mystery of the tour! Instruction was clearly given in all passenger languages. Cabins were sufficiently spacious and private. Catering was great for breakfast and dinner. Lunch was ‘prepare your own take away’ and eaten in transit. This was set up mainly for the European palate, mainly cheese, meat, bread and very minimal salad. (we missed not having more salads!) We would have appreciated being able to freely make a cuppa when one wanted one instead of just the set time for afternoon tea. Enjoyed the opportunity to get to know new people and to cycle with them. Playing cards, games or generally chatting in the evening was fun and a nice way to finish off the day.

Very good trip, the river barge ‘Patria” was excellent with wonderful food and a crew who work very hard and see to everyone’s needs brilliantly. Some sections of the Rhine, where the cycle path is right next to a busy road not great, but overall a good trip.