Some Athos passengers' comments:

“The ultimate relaxing vacation.  No better place to be captive: beautiful scenery, fantastic food and service!”
Georgia, USA

“The service was absolutely tops. Julie and Lindsey are both intelligent and competent young ladies with an attitude that was friendly and helpful and added a lot the the enjoyment to our trip. Rob is a chef of the highest quality and we felt lucky to have him prepare our food. We liked his comments too. Dannielle is a delightful hostess, so well organized so well prepared, and such an easy person to be around. Julian added to the whole mix. The excursions added imeasurably to our enjoyment and were far beyond anything we could have done with an ordinary charter. They were almost (but not quite) as important as the canal trip. Couple the two together, along with the excellent meals, and it adds up to a wonderful experience.”
D. S., Minnesota, USA

“My third trip!!  As relaxing and self-indulgent as ever—thank you (to all the crew), again!”
Kent, Great Britain

“The wines were great - my husband is the wine expert and he was very happy with the selections. I liked every I tried - which was all of them and I was very happy. We can't say enough about the food. It was absolutely wonderful. Everything was perfect. There was the right balance of meat and seafood and everything was always fresh and we always had cheese. Just absolutely fantastic. I loved it all.”
L. S., California

“Wonderful boat, great adventures, fabulous food.  Brilliant crew.  Thanks for a great time”
Pennsylvania, USA

The service was superb. I think the intangible element is that the crew seemed to have a great working relationship with one another--this enhanced the overall experience for the passengers. The meals and wines were first rate--there was excellent variety and the quality of each was excellent. We appreciated that the cheese selections throughout the week showed a progression from the most mild to the more piquant cheeses; we enjoyed the commentary about the courses, cheeses and wines that accompanied each meal as well. We enjoyed the excursions immensely. Again, it was the variety that made the trip so wonderful. We saw varied countryside, got a sense of small towns, small cities and tourist areas. Certainly, the excursions were made so great by our guide, Danielle. Her expertise along with her wit and humor added a great deal to each excursion. Additionally, the excursions were designed to meet our preferences--we got information and direction and were allowed plenty of time to explore on our own. The barge route gave a great sense of the historical marvel that is the Canal du Midi--it is amazing to realize that this canal was built in the 17th C. The route gave us excellent opportunities to experience the lock system that makes the canal possible (I think going "up" the canal was nice to best see the locks and dams). I enjoyed walking into the towns in which we docked for evenings to get a sense of the local culture. This is almost impossible to answer--it really is the totality of the experience that makes the barge trip so wonderful. From relaxing on the deck and watching the barge navigate the locks, to a series of first class meals, excursions (Minerve may have been our collective favorite) and enjoying the company of friends, the trip was really one large high point.
B.C., New Mexico

“Thank you for sharing the past week with us and for making our 10th anniversary so special.  We’ve had a fabulous time and thank you for every moment” 
Sydney, Australia