One of my very favorite ways to visit Europe is by riverboat.  Pure Bliss!  The best part is staying in port overnight, most often in the middle of a city with the best sightseeing only steps away.  And, since you purchase the cruise (including sightseeing, dining, cabin) in dollars, it’s still affordable despite the weak U.S. dollar.

So, imagine my joy when I discovered a new cruise company, Jewel River Cruises, will start up May 15 with the first all-suite river boats.  The company’s first boat, the Jewel River Blue, will debut with a 10-day maiden voyage along the River Seine to

Rouen.  Cruising between Paris and

Rouen, the ship will offer

22 voyages of seven and ten-days with the last sailing November 20.  Seven-day cruises start at $5,129 per person.  The boat will accommodate 80 guests in 40 suites with an impressive 2:1 guest-to-crew ratio. The three categories of suites – ranging from 215 square feet to 473 square feet – are among the largest of any river cruise ship and rival those found on luxury ocean liners.  Amenities not found on other river cruise ships include: a specialty restaurant, cigar lounge and wine bar. Two Owners Suites will each be an expansive 473 square feet. The 14 Marquise Suites will measure a spacious 322 square feet and the 24 Jewel Suites will be 215 square feet.

Private behind-the-scenes tours of the Louvre and Opera Bastille, a personal culinary class with a Michelin-3-star chef, private vintage wine tastings with master winemakers, a day at the wheel of a vintage Cabriolet or a helicopter ride over the Champagne countryside – these are only a few of the “Lifestyle Experiences” Jewel River Cruises has designed for its guests.For reservations and information, please contact Jewel River Cruise Line, 401 East Las Olas Boulevard, Suite 2270, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301; or call 1-866-342-7607, or visit the line’s web site at www.jewelrivercruises.com.