The ship's butlers celebrate the christening of the Joie de Vivre.
PARIS TO PARIS Eight days of pampered living on the Seine Written by Jeffrey Cohen There is probably no better place to comfortably enjoy the bucolic beauty of rural Normandy than from the vantage point of Le Bistrot, a small dining spot ideally situated at the fore of the S.S. Joie de Vivre, a chic and sophisticated super yacht that regularly plies the waters of the river Seine. Here, a glass of tart and refreshing local cider in hand, I reveled in the rich tapestry of the northern French countryside, shaped by thousands of years of agriculture, marveling at the gnarly apple orchards, timbered homes and ancient hedgerows as we meandered our way down the river towards the English Channel. Two days earlier, my wife, kids and I had arrived at the dock in Paris, whisked there by private car from our direct flight, energized by the prospect of spending a week on this floating boutique hotel in the heart of France. We would be embarking upon the Parisian Royal Holiday cruise, eight days of history, 66 slmag.net
art and gastronomy on the majestic river Seine. This was to be our first cruise of any kind, and in spite of our excitement, I still had a minor reservation, stemming from a fear of seasickness: I had heard that the Seine can get quite choppy at times and had accordingly stocked up on appropriate medicines just in case. The Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection operates a fleet of luxury vessels on rivers around the world, and represents the vision of Beatrice Tollman, president and co-founder of the award-winning boutique Red Carnation Hotel Collection. Mrs. Tollman and her daughter Toni Tollman carefully design each ship interior, inspired by the very destinations through which they sail. With distinctive themes, color palettes, personally selected original art, sumptuous furnishings and antiques, she and her team blend old-world elegance, the latest technological innovations, and ultra-luxurious amenities on every ship.
