You can read all about the ship and what I thought of the excursions and ship-board life but unfortunately, again because of the Wi-fi speed I couldn't upload many photos so I thought I'd give you a bit of a pictorial tour of the ship here.
Don't be confused by this picture, I wasn't on a Viking river cruise it was just they happened to own the docking station we were berthed at, (apparently this is quite common).
What becomes immediately apparent from the outside of the ship is how new she is. When we were comparing her to some of the other ships we sailed past the SS. Antoinette always looked very sleek with very clean lines, giving a very modern feel to the outside.
This is your first view of the ship and it's certainly eye catching, (my pictures don't do it justice). It's a black and white staircase with a golden bannister and a giant blue chandelier. It immediately lets you know what to expect from the rest of the ship.
Although some of the people I travelled with found it 'chintzy' to my mind it reminded me of a palace in seventeenth century Versailles. The decorations right throughout the ship ave very opulent and French in style.
Heading down the corridor to my cabin with a rich blue carpet and clean white walls. Those square panels you can see on the bottom of the walls were mirrors in gilt frames.
This was the wallpaper in the cabin. As I said, very French! It did however work very well, fitting in nicely with the theme of the rest of the ship.
The balcony was a little different to an ocean cruise balcony. In this picture it looks like a floor to ceiling picture window however at the touch of a button the top half descended to transform it into a balcony. This worked well as it meant you could use your balcony space no matter what the weather was like outside.
The above picture really impressed me. Before I went I wasn't sure what adaptor to take but when I arrived it turns out I didn't need any. All the cabins had European, English and American sockets to cater for their guests from all over the world. Maybe only a little touch but I thought it was really clever.
The bathroom was very clean and spartan, done out in white tiles. There were eight different mirrors in the bathroom all placed at slightly different angles which could be a little disconcerting at times but did mean I could brush my teeth whilst watching the back of my head which I'd never done before.
A quick video of my cabin for you, hopefully it will give you a better idea of the size of the cabin and how the balcony worked.
This is the L'Orangerie, the alternative dining venues onboard where afternoon tea is sometimes served as well as a more select dining experience with butler service, (this happened twice in the seven nights I was onboard). Due to the height of the ship however the SS Antoinette can't fit through some bridges so when it approaches these this venue has the roof lowered and is closed for public, hence the below picture
This is the main lounge or the Salon du Grande Trianon as it was called onboard. It was open from early in the morning to late at night and is where most people congregated during the afternoons for a quiet drink or in the evening after dinner.
Entertainment on the ship tended to be a subdued affair with the evening entertainment consisting of a husband and wife team singing to a piano however they did bring on a string quartet on a couple of occasions.
The SS. Antoinette also has a cinema onboard if you fancy something a bit extra to do whilst you're away with showings at 10:00, 15:00 and 21:00 every day, (the movies changed daily over the seven day period).
This is the indoor swimming pool, (heated), and those doors you can see at the back of the room open up during the summer months if you want to let in a breeze as you're swimming.
Although the pool doesn't look massive, (for the keen swimmers amongst you), you can switch on a current to swim against if you want to get a bit of exercise whilst you're away.
Although you can't see it very well in these pictures those panels at the back of the ship are see through with the pool right underneath you so that the pool is always well lit during the day.
And finally what report on a cruise ship would be complete without showing you some of the mouth watering food I've experienced over the last few days?
Spinach and ricotta crepes
Chicken consume with a crusty pie top
Foie gras
Escargot
Confit of duck
Caesar salad
Scallops
So what have you though of the ship? Do you have any questions about her? How do you think she compares to an ocean going vessel?
Happy, (river), cruising
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