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Launched in 2012, Gerard Schmitter follows the blueprint of CroisiEurope's more than 20 other riverboats. A modest but comfortable ship, catering to a majority French clientele. CroisiEurope's family roots are clearly on display on Gerard Schmitter; the ship itself is named for the company founder, and both his portrait and his own art can be found onboard.
Like other ships in Croisi's fleet, Gerard Schmitter has a bright colour scheme that is repeated throughout the ship. The pink and purple furnishings onboard are prevalent, but they're softened by the neutral colours in the carpet and wall coverings. All in all, though, pastel reigns on this ship -- from Mr. Schmitter's still life's to the soft colours of the blown-glass lights in the reception and lounge areas.
The ship carries 176 passengers in 88 simply furnished cabins and offers a very French set menu at lunch and dinner. The fare onboard is consistently good, although it can be a bit rich for British and American palates. Like most other Europe riverboats, Gerard Schmitter includes wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner in its fares. However, shore excursions cost extra.
Gerard Schmitter has plenty of space for sitting and watching the countryside roll by. The ship offers two lounges, fore and aft, both with access to outdoor deck space. The open-air top deck is so large and relatively empty that it brought to mind a sports field with its ample amount of space, few chairs and indoor/outdoor carpeting. Overall, it's a pleasant and unpretentious ship that reflects the company ethos, offering value-for-money river cruise experiences.
Smart casual is the normal mode of dress onboard Croisi ships. Because the ship and its clientele are mainly European, colours are darker, and generally nice trousers or jeans and collared shirts for men (blouses for women) is the norm onboard. There is, however, one Gala Dinner on each sailing, with most passengers in evening dress, enjoying a crew performance and dancing after dinner. If you're planning on touring -- either with the ship's added-fee shore excursions or on your own -- don't forget a comfortable pair of shoes. As the ship sails in Europe, with its lovely and historic landscapes, tours frequently involve cobblestones and other uneven surfaces.
Typically, days are spent ashore exploring, and on days when the boat is sailing, sightseeing tips and trivia are given (in French and English) over the loudspeakers. Quizzes are offered, too, and can be picked up from reception.
Shore excursions are priced in euros, along with everything else onboard.
During the evening and on chilly days, the main lounge on Deck 2 is the entertainment hub on the boat. It features the lounge bar on the port side. Swivel chairs line the bar with its two beers on tap, espresso maker, wines and spirits. The dance floor-cum-stage is directly in front of the bar. The main lounge is surrounded by hip- to head-height windows and decorated in mauve, cream and muted gold. Fabric plants and modern sculpture-like lighting fixtures are dotted throughout the space. The prow of the ship is visible and accessible from the lounge, with the ship's engraved bell taking pride of place.
The main lounge bar is the spot for after-dinner entertainment. This ranges from traditional regional entertainment to crew shows and keyboard music from the resident musician. The lounge is open from 9:30 a.m. to midnight, though it will stay open later on livelier nights. Port talks and lectures also take place in the main lounge, but only on cruises of six days or longer.
For a more intimate space, head to the Piano Bar at the aft of the ship on Deck 3. In addition to clusters of sofas and chairs, it offers a flat-screen TV and a small bar with beer on tap and an espresso maker. Doors lead to a small outdoor area with wicker indoor-outdoor chairs and sofas, along with built-in wooden benches; it's a perfect spot to watch the scenery drift into the distance.
The top-deck space is a vast, open area, nearly equal in size to the ship's full footprint. Facilities are minimal, given the height restrictions of the bridges on Europe's rivers, but there are chairs and loungers set on AstroTurf carpet. Drinks are served on the top deck when the weather is nice and the itinerary permits.
As is the case on all riverboats, Gerard Schmitter has only a few public rooms, so it doesn't take long to get to know the ship -- or your fellow passengers.
The reception area is set in the centre of the ship on the second deck. A small oval central atrium is open to the third deck above, with three large, bulbous blown-glass chandeliers. Forward from the reception area on Deck 2 is a hallway to the ship's main lounge. Off the hallway, there are public toilets and the one accessible cabin onboard, in addition to a spiral staircase leads to the third deck. The rest of the cabins on Deck 2, as well as the dining room, are down a hallway to the aft of the reception area.
Deck 3 houses the Piano Bar and more cabins. The top deck is reachable via staircases leading from either side of the reception area on both decks 2 and 3.
Food is a top consideration for any cruise. And there's no question which culture's culinary traditions rule onboard Croisi. Food is French, without apology, but also without pretence.
Called a restaurant, the ship's main dining room on Deck 2 is done up in more purple and pink hues. A serving station in the centre dominates the room and includes an espresso maker and a buffet bar at breakfast. Round tables seat six comfortably, and the space holds everyone onboard without feeling too cramped. The dining room is accessible from all floors via several spiral staircases.
A very important point to note: Lunch and dinner menus are set. Passengers have little choice in what they're served, apart from certain dietary restrictions, like vegetarianism, which are honoured. Menus are posted an evening ahead in the reception area and on televisions in the public rooms. If you need to request an alternative to what's being served, speak with reception well in advance.
The food is good onboard the ship, but it's very rich and very French. There are really no options, apart from the breakfast buffet, that could be called light. Expect to be served French classics like foie gras and veal and lots of sauces where butter is a major component. Lunch and dinner are waiter-served, three- or four-course set menus with an appetizer, followed by a main and dessert and sometimes a cheese dish. Espresso coffee is served with dessert; decaffeinated is available. Complimentary wine is served with lunch and dinner, and you can choose from reds, whites, roses and sparkling. It's all French and very good.
The waitstaff are friendly, efficient and hardworking, especially given the fact that there are two waiter-served meals per day. The dining room operates like a well-oiled machine. You'll never feel rushed over your food -- the French wouldn't allow that! -- but meals are always finished in their allotted time, and that's mainly to do with the well-trained staff. The breakfast buffet has a wide variety of options, from cold deli meats and yogurt to fruit, eggs, sausage and an abundance of bread. Coffee and milk pitchers are provided at each table at breakfast.
Gerard Schmitter's bright colour scheme of pink and purple is repeated throughout the ship, and the cabins are no exception. The pastel palette is softened, however, by the neutral colours in the carpet, wall coverings and faux-wood cabinetry.
In the cabins, this office-style cabinetry makes up the majority of the functional furnishings. A roomy 6'x3' shelving unit sits behind the door and also holds the safe. Next to it, a 6'x2' wardrobe has plenty of room for hanging clothes and a shelf above and below. A thigh-height countertop runs nearly the length of one wall. It has three sections -- a small vanity space with a simple mirror, chair and a drawer concealing the hair dryer on one end; two cabinets with shelves on the other; and a heating and cooling unit and vent in the centre. Another small cabinet with shelves is next to the window.
Cabins don't differ greatly in size or layout. All measure 140 square feet, and, of the 88 total cabins, 73 have two movable -- but not interlocking -- twin beds. The rest have double beds. There is one accessible cabin for those with disabilities. The 25 lower-deck cabins are partially below the waterline, with smaller, higher rectangular windows. Second- and third-floor cabins have "French balcony windows" -- eight feet wide, opening halfway and with a railing outside. Small bedside tables are tiny with small lamps. The mattresses and bedding aren't fancy, but they're comfortable.
A small wall-mounted flat-screen television offers 19 channels in French, four in English, three in Spanish and 15 in German. The four English language channels are news channels: BBC America, CNBC, Bloomberg and CNN.
The lavatory is big enough, although basic, like the cabins. The whole room is made from fiberglass bathtub material, and the area under the sink and wall-mounted vacuum toilet is overlaid with a non-slip covering. Next to the mirror, a separate cabinet behind frosted glass provides storage space.
