After locating our joy-riding bag in yet another low budget terminal in Lyon, we headed outside into the warm sunshine. To our surprise, there were several other couples already on board the Uniworld bus. However, none had been on our EasyJet flight. It was already warm enough that we appreciated it when the driver turned on the air conditioning while we waited for a few other people from other flights to arrive. We were happy to sit on the comfortable bus and get acquainted with a new group of cruisers. Before too long, the bus pulled out for the short ride to the dock, the Quai Claude Bernard. The SS Catherine, sleek and shining as ever, was waiting for us. The ship was docked on the Rhone although the Saone river also runs through Lyon. This evening the Catherine would sail to the junction with the Saone, traveling north towards Alsace-Lorraine to dock in Macon around 11:30 PM.
The crew was waiting to greet us and placed our bags in the reception area to be taken to our cabins. We then checked in and had our photo ID’s made. These days, Uniworld like many other cruise lines has tightened security measures. You upload your photo ID when you leave the ship and scan yourself off when you return. This is a petty good system as the staff at the desks can not only check to make sure everyone is on board but also have a photo of anyone who might be missing. However, once in a while a passenger will forget to scan out; they are usually reminded to do so by the staff at the desk.
The Catherine is one of Uniworld’s super ships, over 400 ft long, with sleek modern lines. Inside, the decor is unique to the ship;. Unlike some lines, every Uniworld ship has been decorated with unusual artwork and sometimes an over-the-top and always vibrant color scheme. Either you like the decor or you don’t, we do. It is very hard to remain indifferent.
As we were really early, neither of our cabins was ready, so we headed for the dining room. There a light lunch was available for both new arrivals and those waiting for a later flight. Since there were no suites available on the Catherine and we had booked one the cancelled cruise, Uniworld had offered the Ramblers their own cabins, next to each other but without a connecting door. The Ramblers accepted their offer and it was mostly a good thing. We were close yet had a whole bed and bathroom to ourselves. We would take some ribbing again for going back and forth between cabins, some clandestine romance!!! On the positive side, we didn’t have to worry about what to do with the butler.
The Catherine was mostly empty except for the crew when we arrived, around 11 AM. Housekeeping was busily cleaning the recently vacated cabins, as there were still a few folks from last week’s cruise on board, who had late afternoon flights. Although everyone was supposed to be out of their cabins by 8:30 AM at the latest, but some folks always bent the rules a little.
No activities were scheduled for today but we decided to get off the ship and walk around the broad walkway facing the Rhone. Above a series of steps, there was an avenue lined with the buildings of the University. Although the prominent building color in Bordeaux was gray, in Lyon, the buildings were a much lighter color and seemed very cheerful in the bright sunshine.
An Emerald cruise ship was docked in back of us and we took the opportunity to look it over. Although quite a new ship with rakish lines, it had several serious scrapes along its side. This isn’t so hard to do because some of the locks are barely wider than the ships. On a Uniworld ship, any scrapes are fixed the next day if possible. The sailors launch their small inflatable boat, and get to it. Perhaps we are prejudiced but we have never seen a Uniworld ship that isn’t sparkling inside and out.
After a leisurely afternoon in Lyon, we watched the sailors fold up the gangplank and cast off the lines; the Catherine was on her way to Macon. Shortly afterwards, all the passengers were called to the lounge where the Captain discussed shipboard safety and then all the passengers found our stations in case of some kind of nautical mishap. although in some places the rivers are so shallow that you could wade ashore, others are considerable deeper and have a strong currant. Thus this talk is important though some passengers are bored by it.
Finally, Emmanuelle, our cruise director, talked briefly about what to expect on board and just a little about what we would be doing tomorrow. One thing we did need to know was that the bus for Beaune would leave at 8:30 AM.
Around 6, the stewards began pouring cocktails in the lounge before dinner. in the Cezanne restaurant at 7. The dining room on the Catherine is attractive and seating is comfortable. There is never assigned seating on a river cruise,and on the first day, the Ramblers chose a likely looking spot with a window view so we could watch the countryside roll by as we ate. Although some people travel with a group, the Ramblers have always been 2 against the world; we get to meet a lot of people that way. Most are very pleasant company. We didn’t stay up late as it had been a long day and we would have an early start tomorrow. On to Beaune!