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Paris to Cannes – Rhone River Golf Cruise – 27 September to 12 October 2024

Paris to Cannes – Rhone River Golf Cruise – 27 September to 12 October 2024

Luxury 15 Night Tour with 7 to 9 Golf Games
27 September to 12 October 2024* from A$16,930 per person

Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours invites you to join us on our Paris to Cannes golf cruise/tour onboard Tauck’s luxury MS Emerald.

Our journey commences with a 3 night stay in Paris at the 5 star Intercontinental Hotel and includes 2 games of golf on the Albatross Course at Golf National (venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup, 2024 Olympics and regular home for the French Open). Our timing is near perfect as we will play between the ending of the August 2024 Olympics (on 10 August) and the start of the French Open on 10 October. From Paris, we’ll travel 2 hours on the high speed TGV train to Lyon and board the boutique luxury 98 guest MS Emerald to commence a 9 night Rhone & Saone Rivers cruise from Lyon to Arles in Provence (including cruising over 100 km north of Lyon on the Saone River). We then coach to Cannes for our final 3 nights at the iconic 5 star Carlton Cannes Hotel located on the Cannes waterfront and and have golf games on the Chateau Course (rated # 8 in France) and Riou Course at Terre Blanche,. Both golf courses are always favourites of our tour groups with great hospitality provided by Terre Blanche on every previous visit.

Golfers should not be concerned about joining the tour with non-golfing partners as the cruise includes complimentary shore excursions. This ensures your partner will be kept well entertained. There will be countless tourist options for the non-golfer in Paris and Cannes on the two days pre and post the Tauck tour.

Importantly, singles can join this cruise with only an A$300 single supplement provided a Tauck Category 1 stateroom is booked on MS Emerald.  However, Tauck has a limited number of Category 1 staterooms available for single travellers.

We have included 2 optional games on the cruise, both north of Lyon at Beaune (Golf de Beaune) and Macon (Golf de Macon).  The cost to play is EUR 225 pp per game with all the usual inclusions and is priced at approximate cost.

Your cruise includes all meals and beverages (standard alcoholic and non-alcoholic), gratuities, wifi, standard shore excursions , use of the fitness centre and arrival/departure airport/train transfers. The 6 nights pre and post-cruise hotel stays include breakfast daily and 4 dinners. In addition, golfing guests will enjoy 7 rounds of golf, return coach transfers, motorised carts, prize money, and drinks post golf.

Your tour hosts are Adrienne Witteman and David Cooper, Directors and Co-Owners of Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours.  Both are enthusiastic golfers and longstanding members of one of Sydney’s most prestigious golf clubs. They have golfed and cruised extensively throughout the world.  They invite you to join them on this fantastic tour, stopping at great towns and cities, with long port days combined with the chance to play 7 games, all at a wonderful selection of France’s leading golf courses.

Significant additional information on the Tauck component of our tour can be found on the following link:

https://www.tauck.com.au/tours/river-boat-cruise-france?tcd=rps2024

The Tauck tour has been fully sold out and the only way to access a room is via Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours group allocation.

*Important Disclosure – While the tour is advertised as 15 nights, the actual Tauck tour is 13 nights with the extra night in Cannes on 11 October 2024 made available as part of your participation of the Trendsetter Travel golf programme.  The extra night in Paris on 27 September 2024 is provided as a group incentive to Trendsetter Travel by Tauck.  Thus the two extra nights are not available on the stand-alone advertised Tauck tour.

Tauck European river boats have significantly larger staterooms/suites than their competitors.  On MS Emerald, 70% of the guest rooms have a size of 20 sqm and above.  Reflecting the larger size of its guest rooms, MS Emerald has a maximum capacity of 98 guests (compared to its competitor ships where capacities are up to 160 guests) but on our cruise we expect less than 90 guests.  We have a large group allocation of Category 7 rooms which are on the top deck and offer stand out value with their size of 27 sqm, Euro 100/room on board credit (not available to other room categories) – available for spa, laundry and gift shop and entitlement to both larger and upgraded hotel rooms for your 6 nights in Paris and Cannes.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Friday 27 September 2024 – Paris

Enjoy a complimentary transfer from either CDG airport or most of the major Paris railway stations to the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand Hotel, your base for the next 3 nights in Paris (in most cases Tauck will provide the complimentary transfer on an earlier day).  While recently renovated, the Intercontinental is a Paris icon having opened in 1862.  It is well located in the 9th arrondissement and overlooks the Place de l’Opéra.

Meet up at 6.30 pm for Trendsetter Travel welcome drinks and dinner at a local restaurant.

Tour Inclusions: transfer to hotel, pre-dinner drinks, dinner (including drinks) and accommodation

The extra night of 27 September 2024 is made available as part of your Trendsetter Travel golf package.  

Day 2 – Saturday 28 September 2024 – Paris – Albatross Course – Golf National

Golf (Round 1): The golfers will play the Albatross Course at Golf National, the permanent home of the French Golf Open and the venue for the Ryder Cup in 2018. The course should be in magnificent condition and will have recently hosted the 2024 French Open. This is a challenging course, with some brutal rough and penal water hazards on many of the holes. This will be the first of two rounds on the Albatross Course. Expect excellent hospitality and a bucket list experience, sure to be the golfing highlight of the tour.

After returning to Paris, we meet the full Tauck tour party over cocktails and a welcome dinner at the exclusively chic Fouquet’s Restaurant on Champs-Elysees

Tour Inclusions: breakfast, golf and welcome Tauck cocktail function plus dinner and accommodation

Day 3 – Sunday 29 September 2024 – Paris – Albatross Course - Golf National

For the non-golfers, there is a morning orientation coach tour of Paris followed by a free day for independent touring. For the afternoon, Tauck offers complimentary entry tickets to either Musee du Louvre or Musee Jacquemart-Andre.

Golf (Round 2): The golfers will play the Albatross Course at Golf National, for a 2nd round. It is rare that we play a course twice on our European tours but the Albatross Courses is so special we believe an exception to our rule is warranted. You will not be disappointed.

Independent dining tonight.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast, golf and accommodation

Day 4 – Monday 30 September 2024 – Paris – Lyon – Board MS Emerald

After a free morning to independently explore Paris, we transfer by coach to Gare de Lyon for the high speed TGV to Lyon.  After transferring to MS Emerald late afternoon, we cruise north from Lyon up the Saone River.  Tonight is the ship’s welcome reception and dinner.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast, dinner, coach transfers and TGV train to Lyon

Day 5 – Tuesday 1 October 2024 – Chalon-sur-Saone - Optional Golf Game

We arrive early morning in Chalon.  There is a guided tour of some of Chalon-sur-Saone’s noted food shops and in the afternoon, time at leisure or  an optional wine tasting at Chateau de Rully, a private vineyard on a grand family estate.

For the keen golfers, we have included an optional game at Golf de Beaune, an approximate 30 minute drive from Chalon-sur-Saone.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast, lunch, dinner plus standard Tauck tours.

Day 6 – Wednesday 2 October 2024 – Tounus – Macon – Optional Golf Game

We arrive this morning in Tournus, 30 km south of Chalon-sur-Saone where there is a  a Tauck tour of the Southern Burgundy wine region including a visit to the historic 17th century estate of Chateau de Cormatin.  Lunch is back onboard and we then sail 30 km down the Saone River to arrive at Macon in the late afternoon.  Tauck has introduced a new complimentary shore excursion where you can join a group and cycle the 30 km from Tournus to Macon following MS Emerald.

For the keen golfers, we have included an optional game at Golf de Macon, an approximate 20 minute drive from both Tournus and Macon.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast, lunch and dinner plus standard Tauck tours

Day 7 – Thursday 3 October 2024 – Trevoux - Lyon

Today we sail 50 km south to Trevoux and after a scheduled Tauck tour of Cluny, we re-board MS Emerald and sail into Lyon that evening.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast, lunch and dinner plus standard Tauck tours

Day 8 – Friday 4 October 2024 – Lyon – Domaine du Gouverneur - Le Breuil Course

Regarded as the culinary capital of France, Lyon claims to have more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in France.  It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.   For our non-golfers, there will be a morning city orientation tour with the afternoon at leisure.

Golf (Round 3):  Today we play the Le Breuil Course, the better of the two golf courses at Domaine du Gouverneur, a golf resort 55 minutes north of the city centre.  We are promised a croissant and coffee when we arrive with a one tee start from 9.50 am.  The Open de Lyon (a European Challenge Tour event) was played on Le Breuil for five years between 2008 and 2012.   We return in time for our 5 pm departure and a 3 hour cruise (34 km) to Vienne.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast and dinner plus golf.

Day 9 – Saturday 5 October 2024 - Vienne

Today you can enjoy a walking tour of Vienne or a guided bicycle tour along the Rhone river.  After lunch on the ship, we depart south for Avignon, a 200 km leisurely cruise south down the Rhone river.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast and dinner plus standard Tauck tours

Day 10 – Sunday 6 October 2024 – Avignon - Golf International de Pont Royal

Arrive this morning in Avignon and spend the remainder of the day and overnight in Avignon.  The non-golfers will enjoy a a Tauck morning tour followed by time at leisure.

Golf (Round 4): This morning we travel around 40 minutes to Golf International de Pont Royal, the only course in France designed by Seve Ballesteros (1992).  Ranked in the top 50 courses in France and one of the leading courses in South East France, the course now named Ballesteros is a fine Championship course which has hosted several Challenge Tour events.  It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the Provence region.

After golf, we travel back to the ship by late afternoon to rejoin our group and travel to the Duchy d’Uzes.  This ia a beautiful medieval city dating back to the 11th century and Tauck will showcase its charms with guided tour, a cocktail reception and a Tauck exclusive gala dinner at the recently restored Chateau.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast, dinner, golf plus standard Tauck tours

Day 11 – Monday 7 October 2024 – Avignon - Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Enjoy either a morning of independent leisure or Tauck morning excursion to Saint-Remy-de-Provence.  Saint Remy is home to the ruins of the Roman city of Glanumas well as the Saint Paul Asylum where Vincent van Gogh was a patient.  Return to the ship for lunch followed by a second excursion – wine tasting at one of the select nearby vineyards permitted to produce Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the most famous of the Cotes du Rhone wines.  After reboarding our ship we sail toward Arles for a late evening arrival.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast, lunch and dinner plus standard Tauck tours

Day 12 – Tuesday 8 October 2024 – Arles – Golf de Servanes

For the non-golfers, this morning allows time to explore Arles and its medieval street system. Or you may prefer to take a guided 2 hour bicycle excursion across the countryside surrounding Arles.  Enjoy lunch at a working farm, enlivened by traditional Provencal entertainment.

Golf (Round 5): Today we play Golf de Servanes is but a 30 minute drive from Arles.  In part, we have chosen this course as we are promised a shot gun tee start from 10 am and sufficient motorised carts for all our group.  Our originally selected course could only provide a one tee start with insufficient golf carts for our group.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast and dinner plus golf

Day 13 – Wednesday 9 October 2024 – Arles – Disembark MS Emerald – Cannes

After a relaxing breakfast, we disembark MS Emerald at 9.00 am to travel to lovely Aix-en-Provence  After a guided morning tour of the historic medieval town centre of Aix-en-Provence, there is free time for lunch before we are transferred mid afternoon to the iconic iconic 5 star luxury Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel located on the Cannes waterfront.  Tauck has advised that all rooms will be of a Superior Category with partial sea views. The remainder of today and this evening is free for independent exploring and dining.

Tour inclusions:  breakfast, transfers, standard Tauck tours and 5 star hotel accommodation (3 nights)

 

Day 14 – Thursday 10 October 2024 – Cannes – Golf – Terre Blanche - Chateau Course

For the non golfers, Tauck offers the option of two tours.  A visit to Nice and Monte Carlo with guided walking tours of both or an alternative of a visit to Grass, one of the world’s premiere locations for the perfume industry followed by a visit and walking tour of the 13th century Provencal walled town of Saint Paul de Vence.

Golf (Round 6): We travel to Terre Blanche the upmarket 36 hole golf resort.  We will play the Chateau Course, ranked # 8 in all France.

This evening we have our farewell tour dinner for all of our group

Tour inclusions:  breakfast, farewell tour dinner, accommodation and golf

Day 15 – Friday 11 October 2024 – Cannes – Golf – Terre Blanche - Riou Course

For the non golfers, our final full day offers a day of relaxation or independent exploring of the famed seaside town of Cannes.

Golf (Round 7):  Today we return to Terre Blanche and play Riou Course, the 2nd of the resort’s two championship courses and ranked in the top 50 courses in France.  Having played previously in 2022, we can confirm that Riou Course is every bit as high a standard and condition as the Chateau Course.

Following golf, we will have our Trendsetter Travel Golf Group farewell dinner (including drinks) in Cannes.

Tour inclusions:  breakfast, golf,  an extra night’s accommodation provided to the Trendsetter Travel group and a final tour dinner including drinks.

Day 16 – Saturday 12 October 2024– Cannes – Tour Ends

Say goodbye to your many new found friends with complimentary Tauck transfers to any of Nice Airport or the Cannes railway station.

Tour Inclusions: breakfast and transfers to airport or train station

MS Emerald – Specifications & Deck Plan

In reviewing the above deck plan, Trendsetter Travel has a limited allocation of Category 1 (no single supplement) and substantial allocations of Category 6 (middle deck) and 11 of the 14 Category 7 (top deck) rooms.   Please note that the bottom deck (where the Category 1 rooms are located) is partly below the water line and only has ¼ windows which do not open.

For couples or twin share, we strongly recommend the top deck Category 7 rooms as offering great relative value.  We currently hold a group allocation of these rooms – at 300 sqft they are double the size of the lead in rooms and over 50% larger than similar rooms on most other comparable luxury river boats.   Indeed, with an internal room area of 300 sqft, they approach the internal room areas of the standard lead-in suites on both Silversea and Seabourn, the two ocean cruise lines we use for most of our deep water golf cruises.  In addition, Category 7 guests in Paris receive a Deluxe Room with an Opera House View larger than the Superior Rooms for Categories 1 to 6.  In Cannes, Category 7 guests receive a Premium City View Room larger than the Deluxe Garden Pool View Room for Categories 1 to 6..  In addition, Category 7 rooms receive a Euro 100 pp on board credit available to be used on MS Emerald in the spa, gift shop or for laundry (there is no guest laundry).  In our view, the top deck Category 7 rooms represent outstanding relative value and for couples they should be preferred over all other room categories.

The Finer Details

ALL Trendsetter Travel guests, as part of our golf tour, will receive a 16 day, 15 night golf tour, which includes a 9 night inclusive luxury cruise on Tauck’s MS Emerald, 6 nights in 5 star hotels (including breakfast), 7 games of golf (including shared motorised cart), coach transfers, prize money, drinks post golf, 13 dinners (inclusive of drinks) and airport/train station transfers.  The final night in Cannes is provided by Trendsetter Travel as part of the golf programme and the first night in Paris is a Tauck promotion provided as a Group incentive to Trendsetter Travel.  Separate lower pricing is provided for non golfers with the 7 games of golf removed.  The option exists to play either 1 or 2 additional golf games while on the cruise at Golf de Beaune and Golf de Macon – the cost is an additional EUR 225 pp per round.

Paris to Cannes – Rhone River Golf Cruise – 27 September to 12 October 2024
  • The golf package price does NOT include golf club hire. It does include green fees, motorised cart hire (subject to availability – all courses booked should have sufficient motorised carts), coach transfers, prize money each game, drinks post golf and one extra night in Paris.  Golf will be played on the courses as specified but Trendsetter cannot be held responsible for any cancellation/s necessitated by a change to Tauck’s itinerary due to weather or any other event, or late amendment by the golf course or if Trendsetter considers it in the best interests of the tour party as a whole to make a change in the specified golf course (eg due to course maintenance issues or lack of motorised carts or a better golf course having been found).  In the event of a cancellation and Trendsetter cannot organise an alternative golf course, Trendsetter will pass through any refund available.  For those walking and not using a golf cart, a small refund will be provided.

 

Contact Trendsetter Travel & Cruise Centre (www.trendsettertravel.com.au) for further information on this tour by phone +61 2 9428 5900 (Longueville/Northwood office) or email david@trendsettertravel.com.au or Mob 0413 010 638.

Policies of Paris to Cannes – Rhone River Golf Cruise – 27 September to 12 October 2024

Golf cruises offer golfers an interesting way to travel, enjoy your passion for the game and remain fit while partaking in the gourmet delights most luxury cruise ships offer.  For those looking at the options available for you and your fellow keen golfers, here are some pro tips to help you find a cruise that meets all your needs. Finally, your ship has come in!  

Check the itinerary

Check the itinerary before you book, to ensure it is a realistic schedule. Seek a cruise that features long and plentiful shore days at ports with good golf courses.  You will probably appreciate the occasional sea day to rest up and relax.  

Go all-inclusive to save

High-profile US tour companies typically price their golf at US$500 (A$650) plus per person per round in addition to the cost of the cruise. Trendsetter Travel and Cruise Centre specialises in small all-inclusive luxury ships, and recommends this for the best experience.  Playing the same courses as its more expensive pier group, the golf package component of a Trendsetter cruise less than half the price of its international competitors.  

Ship size does matter

Be wary of cruises for more than 1,300 passengers.  Large ships will give priority to their own tours when it comes to disembarking, preventing independently organised golfers from exiting the ship quickly.  Delays can mean missing tee-off times.  Even if you can overcome a late arrival, the delay can cause disappointment when you must abandon the course early to return to your cruise shipboat. David Cooper, the director of Trendsetter Travel, recommends selecting a cruise ship with between 100 and 900 passengers. “These smaller ships can also get to the smaller ports, such as St. Tropez, St. Malo, Menorca, Portofino, which all have great golf courses.”  

Make sure you get enough time at port

Most golf excursions take at least eight hours—including return transportation to the course, an un-pressured golf game and importantly time post golf at the club for refreshments and prize giving. To make the most of your day, aim for a minimum of ten hours in port. Your group will need to arrive at the course an hour prior to tee-off, and allow for a round of four balls to be completed (plan on four and ½ hours hours).  

Healthy competition and fair play

Select a golf cruise where the organisers incorporate adjustments up and down for players’ handicaps, after each round.  This means that the prize money is spread around over the tour. David Cooper advises to ask about this when you are booking.  “We run a handicap adjustment system after each round to establish a par stableford score for the day,” he says. “After eight games, the better performers may see their handicaps reduce perhaps two shots and the ‘battlers’ might earn four or five shots back.” Every tour golfer wants at least one collect.  

Swing your partner ‘round

Cooper advises, “Where our golf tour participants book as a couple, they will always play as a couple unless they request otherwise.”  If you are booking as a single or wish to enhance the challenge by playing outside of your group, find an organiser who is mindful of matching players’ handicaps, so that you can get the most out of the cruise.  

Beware the fake golf cruise

You may discover cruises advertised as a golf tour but, on closer inspection, find they only offer golfing pre and post cruise.  Check for this, as it might not be what you have in mind. Trendsetter golf cruises schedule a minimum of six games on ocean cruise shore days.  David Cooper mentions, “We even create opportunities where a golf enthusiast can play additional optional rounds, and others can have a more limited golf programme depending on what they are looking for with equitable downward price adjustments.”   To learn more about the great golf cruises that Trendsetter Travel and Cruise Centre have available, please contact David on 0413 010 638 or +61 413 010 638 (if calling from overseas) or on david@trendsettertravel.com.au
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