Reviews

Overall we enjoyed the holiday. The barge bedrooms got very hot and stuffy on warmer days. All staff were friendly and helpful. Initially there was confusion about boarding times and a lack of communication. We eventually walked to the moored barge from our hotel to find out the correct time.

Crew and barge were great. Cabin was nice and clean.Food was good. Guide was good but could have been a little more assertive. I wish he would have told the 3 or 4 people on the tour that always had their GPS out and were telling him where to go, to put them away and just follow him. It was very distracting. I would suggest that on these tours that all cell phones be put away during the ride. No need to be constantly looking at them.Enjoy your surroundings instead!

The route we biked was fabulous and I would recommend it to anyone. Absolutely stunning scenery. The boat staff was fabulous, going the extra mile to make our experience wonderful. The wifi and coffee maker broke down but again, our captain, Meye, worked hard to get things repaired. Being without internet for a few days when far from home can be frustrating. Meye, Chris, Claudia, Alv and Kamil worked hard as a team, all pitching in to do what was needed. The meals were great and our cooks responded to any of our special requests. My one concern is with our guide, Geert. He did not listen to his guests, he argued with them and then talked about them in a disparaging manner, he didn’t know where he was going lots of times. He needed to be told on several occasions to slow down and he never looked back to see how his group was doing or how far behind they were. He would start telling information before the last of the bikers were there so they missed any of the interesting information that he had to share. He is a nice man and tries hard, but I do not think he has the skills to deal with a wide range of personalities. He was very knowledgable about art history and architecture history. Geert did an excellent job of helping everyone make their connections after disembarking and I really appreciated him taking us to the train station so we knew how to walk there the following day. Your itinerary needs to be looked into. For instance, we were told we were going to a German beer garden with great German music and dancing at Bingen. When we crossed the ferry, there was nothing. Things like that do not start until higher tourist season. Many of the places on our itinerary were closed when we arrived, either due to renovations, a regulary closed day or low season. The guide needs to know this before we go. When we were in the major centres, it would have been nice to be able to participate in something cultural, like a concert, ballet, theatre. You could provide some options for the guests at their own costs, but have the guide help book them for anyone interested. One of the highlights for me was the wine tasting evening in St. Goat.

For the most part it was a very nice trip. The E bikes we got were great, looked almost brand new and they worked perfectly, the regular bikes looked like they were a few years old and they were in fair condition. A few people had to get adjusted along the way which should have been done at the beginning of the trip. The crew of the boat were fantastic, always there to help and always had a smile. The captain Meya was exceptional, always asked if we were doing okay and if he could do anything to better our experience. The food was good, however not as good as we experienced on the Iris a few years ago. From our experience on bike tours such as this, the tour guides always went over road safety, signs and their meanings, bike safety and rules of the bike paths as well as making sure the bikes fit everyone on the first day. This didn’t happen on this trip, several people had to have adjustments along our route, which slowed us down, and signs were explained as we encountered them. The guide, Geert seemed as though he had some experience as a guide although from my opinion it had been several years since he’d done a trip like this. If he continues on he should be trained from a more experienced guide. As far as our routes we went on, no daily maps were provided and very little explanation of what we would encounter during the day, luckily we had the GPS and on several occasions we told Geert we’d go on our own and meet at the boat at the end of the day. Needless to say, it was very confusing following him. Condition of the rooms were nice and clean and made up every day, however the sheets in the beds and the towels were old and rough to the touch.

Could not have had a better experience. Well looked after by crew and knowledgeable guide. Bikes well maintained, routes well planned and interesting. Guide also arranged evening sight seeing.

Really can’t begin to say how much we enjoyed this bike and boat tour – it totally surpassed our expectations, and we knew when we booked it would be an amazing trip. Right from the minute we stepped on board Allure, the crew looked after everything for us. They were very professional, but friendly and fun also. Vases of tulips greeted us in the dining room and salon area – nice touch!! The meals were incredible – never expected an Italian chef, that was a huge bonus!! Our cabins were a good size and had lots of storage, and were tidied up daily for us. The bikes were light weight and set up for us – great for the cycling we did. Our cycling tour guides really made the trip for us – they were fun, caring, so informative about the area and went out of their way to do little extras for us. Such amazing ambassadors for you!!! We have been talking nonstop about our trip since we got back – and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see a country up close and personal!!!

My wife and I had a great time on the Allure. We really enjoyed the biker tours and the side trips. The boat crew and tour leader were all excellent and went out of their way to provide us wonderful service during our trip. The meal on the first evening was very good, and average afterwards. I would suggest cleaner meals for biking, with less sauces.

The captain and crew were wonderful as was the group leader. Five stars to all of them. The service was outstanding and the routes, both the boat and bike, were very interesting. After the first two dinners, the dinners were of average quality. The ship itself needs to be upgraded, it looks rather tired.

We had a fabulous time – a lovely boat – simple, but well maintained and comfortable with a friendly crew. My only complaint was the cook was rather uneven at dinner time. Our first dinner was wonderful, but it seemed to go downhill from there. It was never terrible, just didn’t maintain the standards of the first night.

I think the Allure dining room was too small. The bikes, the staff and the guide was great. I would have liked appetizers every night before dinner.