Savoir Faire
Barging in Holland

Passengers: 12
Size: 128 feet long
Last Visited: 2007 in Holland
2008 in France
Rating: Deluxe, A/C, Families

2011 rates

Whole-Boat Charter of 10 or less: $39,000
Whole-Boat Charter of 11: $42,000
Whole-Boat Charter of 12: $45,000

Per Person in a Double occupancy cabin: $4,000
Single Supplement: $1,700

2011 holland Dates

AMSTERDAM TULIP CRUISE

April 3 - 9	April 17 - 23	May 1 - 7
April 10 - 16	April 24 - 30	May 8 - 14

NOTE:  Savoir Faire will also be running their 3 Country Cruise which can be booked as one or two weeks!

HAARLEM TO GHENT
May 15 - 21
GHENT TO PARIS
May 22 - 18

Cabin for 1 week section of cruise, Per Person, Double Occupancy: $4,000
Single Occupancy Supplement: $1,700
Whole-Boat Charter for up to 12: $45,000

Cabin for entire 2 week cruise, Per Person, Double Occupancy: $7,600
Single Occupancy Supplement: $3,600
Charter for up to 12: $70,000

On our last visit to Savior Faire in Holland in April 2007, we found SAVOIR FAIRE moored in Haarlem, one of the most quaint and interesting of the Dutch ports. Savoir Faire's Dutch season cruises are very value-priced for this gorgeous vessel on a top Tulip Time itinerary: Excursions include Keukenhof Gardens, where millions of tulips are blooming, and the Aalsmer Flower Auction, from where a multitude of flowers are auctioned and shipped daily. Cruise to the enchanting towns of Delft, Gouda, Haarlem and right through Amsterdam!

In 2007, we welcomed in Holland some wonderful guests, Eve and Sam Beller, who were kind enough to supply some of our new photos. They said: "We loved exploring the quaint towns and villages. The cruise was wonderful from the beginning to end and we hope to cruise on SAVOIR FAIRE next year."

SAVOIR FAIRE , the former Etoile de Champagne, was purchased by Captain Chris Bennett. Previous owner of a small and informal vessel on the Canal du Nivernais, Captain Bennett had high aspirations for Etoile de Champagne. The most welcome changes were made in the cabins: totally gutted and rebuilt, they are now spacious and pretty havens, overflowing with books and art, which includes Chris’ own delicate pencil drawings. The elegant public areas have been redecorated, too; these areas are especially spacious on this larger 3-story vessel. Everybody’s favorite is the back-of-the-barge bar, scene of a convivial cocktail hour.

Savoir Faire

Holland Barge Cruise Itinerary

HAARLEM to HAARLEM
Sunday: Amsterdam to Zaandam
Afternoon cruise to an ancient port
After your pick-up in central Amsterdam, you will be taken to the barge moored in the center of Haarlem for a champagne welcome. We will relax for the afternoon with a cruise to Zaandam, (an important shipbuilding center of the 17th century, visited by Peter the Great) where we will moor for the night. Enjoy your first gourmet dinner on board.

Monday: Haarlem to Ouderkerk
Restored Dutch church with working windmill
After breakfast we will take a short drive to the restored Dutch village of Zaanse Schans to visit a working windmill, a clog maker and a cheese maker. In the afternoon, cruise to Amsterdam, through the heart of the city where the small canals and architecture will take you back to a previous century and then along the Amstel River to Ouderkerk.

Tuesday: Ouderkerk to Gouda
Millions of flowers are purchased here daily!
An early rise and drive to the colorful flower auction in Aalsmeer - an incredible institution where millions of flowers are purchased and shipped every day. Upon return we will set off for a cruise on the canals to Gouda. Besides cheese, you will find beautiful buildings, excellent shopping and the most magnificent stained glass windows in Holland. After lunch, we will take a drive out to a local cheese farm.

Wednesday: Rotterdam to Delft
Delft - where pottery is still painted by hand
A morning cruise to Rotterdam through the center of this busy port and then onto Delft. Visit the Delft Pottery works, where porcelain is still handmade and painted. Spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around this beautiful ancient Dutch city, crisscrossed by canals and made famous by the paintings of Vermeer.

Thursday: Delft to Oude Wetering
Acres of tulips at Keukenhof Gardens
A morning cruise through the canals past Leiden, across the Brasemmer Lakes to Oude Wetering. Spend the afternoon at the famous Keukenhof Gardens with the largest display of flowers in the world. Here you will see hundreds of varieties of tulips, hyacinths and can purchase bulbs for shipment home.

Friday: Oude Wetering to Haarlem
Cobblestoned town of Haarlem, delightful museum and church
Morning cruise to Haarlem, a picturesque town and the home of the famous Dutch painter Frans Hals. We’ll tour the Frans Hals Museum. The lovely 15th century Grote Kerk (former St.. Bravo’s Cathedral) has a magnificent organ on which both Mozart and Handel played. Farewell celebration on board and your last elegant gourmet dinner ends the cruise in style.

Saturday: Return Transfer
A Sad Farewell
This will be your last breakfast on board. You will then be driven to either the airport or your hotel.

Please note: this is a sample itinerary which may be subject to change depending on local conditions. The route will run in reverse on alternate weeks. Contact The Barge Lady for reservations and more information about Barging the canals and waterways of France Or call us toll free at (800) 880-0071.

Savoir Faire Guest Book

"Our cruise was excellent.  Every need was catered for and all we had to do was ask and we received.  We had a great time!"
-Ian Bruce Andrews and Jane Elizabeth Hall, 2009

"At our post-barge dinner party, we asked our guests for feedback.  No one could just sum up our experience in a word or two - it started from AWESOME and expanded from there.  Most felt that the SAVOIR FAIRE was the trip of a lifetime, one that could not be improved upon.  We are still basking in the afterglow and working off the pounds put on!"
-The Kenney Family, 2009

"Our barge voyage along the canals and through the locks provided us with a unique, comfortable, and delightful way of experiencing charming villages and beautiful countryside."
-Robert Reed and Karen Saunders, 2009

"Excellent: staff, quality of service, supreme lunches and dinners, views of the countryside."
-Dr. Leona Zastrow, 2009

"Our first barge trip on the Savoir Faire through the Burgundy and Upper Loire Valley of France was unique and lovely!  The crew was greatly responsible with their delightful creativity and humor.  And, the food, wine and cheese for lunches and dinners on board were quite delicious and well-presented (even a sushi-making lesson one day!)  Day excursions to Vaux-de-Vicomte, Fountainbleu, Sens and Provins were great for history, architecture, culture and shopping.  A real highlight was a picnic in the Chablis region with a gorgeous vista of vineyards.  Bicycling countryside with its sunflowers, cornfields, churches and manor homes also was quite memorable.  We enjoyed the barge journey itself through locks, canals and rivers with lush scenery and pretty country surrounding route to read, converse, write postcards or in travel diaries and the like in the cozy parlor room.  The barge certainly was compact but well-designed within cabins and with front, back and topdecks, sitting and dining rooms and bar.  In all, August 2009 will be well-remembered for the most distinctive voyage!  Merci beaucoup!"
- Dara Hensley and Jack  Smith, 2009

"One of the nicest cruises we have had - with wonderful staff!"
-Carl and Karen Brasee, 2009

"Dean's history lessons were superb - loved his commentary on the towns, cathedrals and chateaux.  The cuisine and crew were excellent - plus.  The entire experience was splendid - the Captain and entire crew bent over backward to give us the time of our lives!"
-Robert and Eve Eckhardt,  2008

"The first barge trip we have ever taken but it certainly won't be our last.  We are already thinking of next year on the Savoir Faire."
-Dr. and Mrs. James Brawner, 2008

"For a family of 23 people, our double charter proved to be an exceptional trip.  There were activities for guests age 14 to 83 to enjoy!  The Captains and crew did so much to make the cruise memorable.  The 4th of July celebration was spectacular!  Thanks so much!"
-Doug and Kitty Quarles, Jr.
 Marjorie II - Savoir Faire
 Double Charter, 2008

"Ellen, thank you for all the help with the trip.  Everyone loved it.  Chris and his entire crew were perfect.  I told Chris that his service was better than the Hotel Plaza Athenee!  They went out of their way to make us feel at home."
-Very Satisfied 2008 Guest

"Our trip went off without a hitch.  The captains and crews on the Savior Faire and Marjorie II were terrific...very friendly and seemed to go out of their way to make the side trips worthwhile."
-Bob Doolittle
Marjorie II - Savior Faire
Double Charter, 2008

Savoir Faire Floor Plan

128 Feet long
-Bow cabin 142 square feet , Five cabins 116 square feet - all with twin or queen beds
-Individual DVD player in each cabin, large selection of movies
(Snuggle up with hot cocoa and your favorite film!)
-Wifi connection available
-Elegant barge with mahogany paneling
-Piano and large salon/dining room with large windows
-Separate bar at stern
-Two sun decks