Perry Giancola of Ed’s Fine Wines in Clearwater, Florida is a great wine lover. Having grown up in his father’s wine shop, he’s a walking encyclopedia of wines and vin culture. In the past, he’d taken his customers on wine trips in the U.S., and had dreamed about a trip to France, but feared it would be too difficult. Aside from the challenges of figuring out where to go and how to get from place to place, his big concern was that he’d be so busy managing everything he wouldn't have time for his customers.
One of Perry’s wine suppliers knew Back Tees Tours, and introduced him to the owner, Alan Clark. Perry told Alan he wanted his clients to learn what made French wine world-famous and to experience it with French cuisine. After they discussed options like land tours, river cruises, or a canal barge cruise, Perry felt the barge cruise would be the best way to show his customers the ”l’art de vivre“ of France.
Together, they created an itinerary for both experienced and novice travelers. They wanted Perry’s guests to sample superb French wines, experience wine-making in France, enjoy the great food, and see historical and cultural attractions. And it had to be a real vacation - no rushing from place to place.
The canal barge cruise would be perfect, and Alan knew just the right company - CroisiEurope. Based in Strasbourg, France. A family owned and operated river cruise line with over 40 vessels on Europe's waterways. Among European travelers Croisieurope is recognized as a great cruise line because they are always innovating. A recent innovation was to revolutionize canal barge cruising with an entirely new class of boats carrying 24 passengers instead of the traditional canal barge’s 6 to 8. The new ships preserve everything that makes canal cruising special: luxurious accommodations, unique routes away from touristy attractions, and a pace that brings guests close to the people and their culture. Plus the larger ship provides an economy of scale that dramatically reduces the price.
In CroisiEurope’s portfolio of over 150 worldwide cruises there is a week long cruise on the Canal du Rh™ne ˆ Ste between Languedoc-Rosell—n and Provence on the new canal boat, the MS Anne-Marie. This cruise through the wine country of southern France fit the bill perfectly.
To help Perry tell his clients about the trip, Alan created brochures, posters for the store, and a website with a videos about the trip showing the places they’d visit. The trip was offered as a complete package including: a group rate airfare, airport transfers, and the cruise itself. The package included everything so once they got on the plane to France everything was taken care of, all they had to do was relax and soak up the south of France.
As soon as Perry spread the word about the cruise in his shop and to his customers, the ship started filling up!
The Cruise Experience
Perry and his group arrived in France after an easy trip across the ocean by air, they were greeted by a motor coach waiting to take them to the MS Anne-Marie. The Anne-Marie’s French and Hungarian staff (all spoke excellent English), greeted them at the ship and helped them settle into their cozy cabins. Everything they would need for the next week was right on the boat.
That evening the French culinary and wine odyssey began to unfold. As they experienced the first of many wonderful meals on board the Anne-Marie. The next morning the journey began with a stop in Arles, a city known for being the essence of Provence. The cruise on the Canal Rhone-a-Sete was going to take them to visit ancient abbeys, explore fortified cites, see wild horses and cowboys in the French Everglades, visit a lagoon that is a shellfish and oyster farm, and a city of islands on the Mediterranean. There would be guided tours of historical sites, opportunities to explore villages, bicycle along the canal, and always meeting people along the way.
After everyday’s adventure, the travelers returned to find a sumptuous meal cooked by the chef, Each meal the chef explained about the food, its’ preparation, and the specially selected wines. Perry commented: ”Everyone looked forward to both the food and the conversations with the chef. The service from the staff was impeccable.“
Pat and David, a husband and wife on the trip shared: ”The food was fantastic. Each day the chef chose exceptional cheeses to serve in the afternoon for all the guests. He would take time to share his knowledge in detail about the wines, cheese, and the food for the day.“ One of their favorite parts of the trip was a visit to a French vineyard. ”The views were magnificent, and the smell of rosemary, thyme, and lavender planted near the roses emitted this gorgeous aroma as we walked through the vineyard. And the wines were excellent. The staff was friendly, accessible, and a bonus on the trip.“
Charles, another traveler thought the ”food and wine pairings, and unlimited wine, were the highlights of the trip.“ He really
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