As I sat on our balcony with a glass of French wine and cheese we’d picked up at an outdoor market in Lyon, a medieval castle appeared along the riverbank. The sun was setting over the Rhône, casting everything in gold, and the only sound was the gentle movement of the water as we quietly sailed along.
For a moment, I just sat there taking it all in. I was in France with my husband, celebrating our 25th anniversary on our very first European river cruise aboard Scenic Sapphire. It felt like a scene from a movie.
And that’s when I thought, This is why I travel.
It’s often the unexpected moments—the ones you could never quite plan—that stay with you the longest.
The River Cruise That Almost Didn’t Happen
Because of my job, I’ve been fortunate to travel all over the world and experience many cruises, but a European river cruise had somehow eluded me.
Our 25th anniversary seemed like the perfect time to finally change that.
We originally planned to cruise the Danube, which had special meaning because we were married in Austria. Then, literally one week before departure, we learned that low water levels meant our cruise couldn’t sail as planned.
Instead, we were offered a Rhône River cruise through France for the same week. Flights were changed, plans were rearranged and suddenly we were headed to Lyon.
I had approximately one week to brush up on my French.
Why Scenic?
We chose Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours because we wanted our anniversary trip to feel special. I was particularly intrigued by its luxury, all-inclusive approach. Meals, beverages, excursions, and gratuities were included, allowing us to simply enjoy the experience without constantly thinking about additional costs, which can add up quickly on many cruises. Trust me! With only 129 guests aboard Scenic Sapphire, the experience also felt much more intimate than the larger cruises I’d taken before.
And we had our own butler.
Wait…what?
That was certainly a first for me. And no, my husband doesn’t count.
A Memorable Welcome Aboard Scenic Sapphire
Scenic arranged our stay at the beautiful InterContinental Lyon – Hotel Dieu and our transfer to the ship. Our luggage was handled and brought directly to our suite.
Well…my luggage was.
Greg’s suitcase hadn’t made it to Lyon.
Unfortunately, the man who has been married to a travel expert for 25 years had packed his medications, toiletries, and virtually all his clothes in his checked bag.
I desperately wanted to say, “How many times have I told you?”
I didn’t have to. He knew.
This mishap gave us our first glimpse of Scenic’s service. When the cruise director and team learned what happened, they began making calls to track down the suitcase. Somehow, about an hour before we sailed, Greg’s bag arrived.
Travel Expert Tip: Always keep medications, toiletries, and at least one or two changes of clothes in your carry-on—especially when you’re boarding a cruise. Your suitcase can catch up with you. Your ship may not.
Our Home on the Rhône
Our suite was beautifully appointed with a king-size bed, plenty of storage, and a surprisingly spacious bathroom with high-end products and fantastic water pressure.
But my favorite feature was the balcony.
On an ocean cruise, I love looking out over the water. On the Rhône, the view constantly changed. Vineyards, villages, castles, and the French countryside seemed to glide past our window.
It was our own front-row seat to France.
Food Is Part of the Journey
Food quickly became one of the highlights of our Scenic river cruise.
At L’Amour, Scenic’s intimate French specialty dining experience, we enjoyed a multi-course menu paired with wines. The food was elevated but never intimidating—which, to me, is exactly what luxury should feel like.
Greg, who loves to cook, also participated in Scenic Culinaire, the ship’s intimate onboard cooking school. He returned inspired and ready to try what he’d learned at home.
As the person who gets to eat what Greg cooks, I considered that a win for both of us.
Our First Taste of Burgundy
Scenic Freechoice allowed us to select experiences based on our interests, and in Mâcon our choice was easy: a culinary experience at La Huchette, a Michelin-starred restaurant just outside the city.
Chef Didier Goiffon demonstrated traditional French techniques while preparing a beautiful chicken dish with mushrooms and truffle butter.
Then came the best part—we got to eat it.
Sitting in the French countryside enjoying the meal with a glass of local Mâcon wine was pretty much our definition of a perfect afternoon.
We loved the dish so much that we brought the recipe home and made it ourselves the following week.
For one night in Chicago, we felt like French chefs.
A Very Personal Surprise in Les Baux-de-Provence
Les Baux-de-Provence is a gorgeous medieval village set high on a hill, and as I walked through its narrow streets, surrounded by stone walls and beautiful architecture, I truly felt as though I had stepped back centuries.
But what made this stop especially memorable for me was its connection to Prince Albert II of Monaco.
As some of you may know, Prince Albert is my third cousin. In October 2025, my sister, mother, and I had the extraordinary opportunity to have lunch with him at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco—yes, just the four of us! It was a beautiful gift to spend that time together and get to know him personally.
So imagine my surprise when we arrived in Les Baux-de-Provence and I learned about the village’s centuries-old connection to the Grimaldi family. Prince Albert was presented with the keys to the city here in 1982 and formerly held the historic title Marquis des Baux. Today, that title is carried by his son, Prince Jacques.
Suddenly, this beautiful medieval village felt a little more personal.
And when I spotted a plaque honoring Prince Albert, of course I had to take several photos in front of it. I plan to send him one. After all, how often do you unexpectedly find a family connection while exploring a medieval village in Provence?
Falling for Avignon
Avignon was larger and livelier than many of the towns we’d explored, with beautiful squares, little shops, markets, and cafés where locals and visitors lingered over leisurely meals.
I could have spent hours wandering through the cheese shops filled with wheels of French cheese, admiring beautifully shaped loaves of freshly baked bread and, of course, popping into the wine shops.
But my unexpected discovery was the fashion. Market stalls in the town square were filled with handmade dresses and hats unlike anything I could easily find at home. I bought a couple of dresses and three hats—including two that reminded me of something Grace Kelly might have worn.
They cost about $40 each, but don’t tell anyone. They look like I bought them at a high-end shop in Monaco!
And naturally, we bought cheese to enjoy later with wine on our balcony as we sailed along the Rhône.
Sometimes I look back and honestly wonder if I dreamed all of this.
But Scenic still had one more surprise for us.
That evening, we were invited to an unforgettable private experience at Avignon’s magnificent Palais des Papes—the Palace of the Popes. After the crowds were gone, we stepped inside for an exclusive evening and dinner in one of France’s most extraordinary historic settings.
It was the kind of night that reminded me once again: sometimes the experiences you never expected become the ones you remember most.
So Much More Along the Rhône
These were only a few of the experiences that made our journey so memorable. Along the way there were beautiful villages, historic cities, vineyards, markets, wonderful meals, and countless moments when Greg and I simply looked at each other and thought, Can you believe we’re really here?
There were far too many wonderful stops to fit into one story—which might be one of the best things I can say about this cruise.
Was River Cruising Worth the Wait?
For years, I had dreamed about the romance of a European river cruise. And despite all those beautiful river cruise commercials I’d watched, the real experience somehow went beyond anything I could have imagined.
Did it take me 25 years to finally make it happen? Sure.
Was it worth the wait? Beyond what I can say.
There is something magical about unpacking once and watching Europe unfold outside your window—medieval villages, vineyards, castles, and places you’ve dreamed about suddenly becoming real.
And maybe that’s what stayed with me most.
The older I get, the more I realize that some of the best things we can invest in aren’t necessarily the bigger house, the nicer car or all the trappings of success. They’re experiences. They’re the places we see, the people we meet, the cultures we discover and the time we spend with the people we love.
Twenty-five years after Greg and I said “I do,” we found ourselves sitting together on a balcony somewhere along the Rhône, sharing French wine and cheese while a castle drifted past us.
I couldn’t have planned that moment if I’d tried.
If you’ve been dreaming about taking a river cruise someday, put it on your bucket list. See the villages. Taste the food. Talk to the locals. Sit at the café a little longer. Watch the world go by from the river.
Because ultimately, travel isn’t about how many places you’ve been.
It’s about the memories you bring home.
And those, I’ve learned, may be the most valuable things we ever collect.
This journey was hosted by Scenic. As always, all experiences and opinions are my own.
All photo credits: Colleen Kelly
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