 Durant
& Cheryl Imboden'sEurope for Cruisers europeforcruisers.com |
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Le Renaissance StaffFrom: A Barge Cruise in France
ABOVE: Philippe (French operations manager of European Waterways) and Jean-Pierre (our captain) prepare to tie up La Renaissance in a lock. The crewLa Renaissance normally cruises with a crew of five, including:
On our voyage, we were also blessed with the presence of Philippe, the company's operations manager for France, and Phil, the captain of the barge under its previous owner, who was acting as a consultant to Jean-Pierre and Philippe during La Renaissance's maiden cruise with European Waterways. Note: Barge crews don't stand on ceremony, and during our cruise, it wasn't unusual for the captain or the company's operations manager to serve food, pour wine, or perform deckhand chores. Next page: Activities, excursions
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The
captain. Jean-Pierre, the captain of La Renaissance during our May,
2008 cruise, is a veteran of diving and special operations in the French Navy.
(On an excursion to Fontainebleau, he confided that, if anyone bothered his
passengers, he'd feel like killing the offender. Fortunately, the necessity
didn't arise, and Jean-Pierre was both a gentleman and a kind, gentle man during
our six-night cruise.)
The
pilot/engineer. Ellie, who learned to sail in Guadaloupe, is in charge of
the helm, the generators, and the 250-hp diesel engine. He's a friendly,
cheerful man who willingly teaches passengers how to steer the barge.
The
chef. Sylvain, our chef de cuisine, is a culinary one-man band. He
has the knack of preparing several courses at the same time (everything from
appetizers to a dessert) while carrying on a conversation with visitors in his
kitchen. 
The
housekeeping and service staff. Amy keeps the barge shipshape and helps in
the dining room, while her husband Mike is the resident sommelier, cheese
server, deckhand, and assistant pilot. The young couple are from New Zealand;
during the off-season, they work at a chalet in the French Alps.