Editor's note: On May 13, 2007, Nenuphar will re-enter service on the canals of Champagne after a year of extensive renovations.

Though the concept of European-style canal voyaging seemed unusual to us at first, our recent trip on French Country Waterways' 12-passenger Nenuphar was a blend of traditional cruising and something completely -- and delightfully -- different. Nenuphar's elegant decor and superb service reminded me of the finest country house hotels in which I've stayed. Of course, this hotel floats. Albeit slowly.

This is not a frenzied, port-a-day, world-famous sights sort of travel experience. Our barge, which meandered through the canals of France's Loire Valley, moved at a smooth five miles per hour. Sometimes it didn't (move). As it must pass through innumerable locks, there were times when Nenuphar simply sat patiently, waiting for the lockmaster to return from lunch, before it could pass on through. Ultimately, our days offered not only enough activity -- a half-day ship-organized shore excursion (included in our fare) and even a hot air balloon ride (for an extra fee), but also time for recreation and relaxing meals -- and always time for a nap.

Nenuphar is one of a fleet of five hotel barges (that will expand to six this fall when the custom-built Adrienne joins the family). The cruise line is fully owned and operated by Massachusetts-based French Country Waterways. The family-owned company-in its second generation of operation-oversees all aspects of the voyages on its hotel barges, whose passenger capacities range from a low of 8 (the newly revamped Horizon II) to a high of 18 (on Esprit).

Some might consider the small passenger capacity a disadvantage; all thrown together, morning, noon and night on this cozy vessel (there were just ten of us), groups could potentially be less than harmonious. On our trip we were pleasantly surprised as our voyage's disparate folks -- half from Canada and half from the U.S. -- became famous friends. But staffers told us they have techniques for passengers that don't jell as easily (and chartering Nenuphar is an outstanding option for groups of friends or families).

A major plus is French Country Waterways' genuinely all-inclusive policy. Included in the cruise fare are all drinks, including wine and cocktails, plus shore excursions (though a hot air balloon ride was an optional extra) and a transfer from a central Paris meeting point to and from the barge. The only extra charge was the gratuity.

Another high point: service was outstanding. The high ratio of staff-to-passengers (two of them for each one of us) meant that no request was too much trouble, from spontaneously arranging a half-day tour of a pottery factory to serving cocktails (even the captain would jump in and pour).

We only sailed during the daytime, as locks weren't operated after 7 p.m. That meant that each night we docked at a variety of small French towns and villages -- places that don't even exist in guidebooks. This is not a negative for anyone who's ever wanted to experience life beyond France's tourist track. Indeed, this trip was all about indulging in life's small pleasures: a peaceful morning spent at a cafe, sipping coffee and eating baguettes; a lazy and decadent lunch with French wines on the ship's covered terrace; a languid bike ride along canal-side towpaths (where even your moderate excursions outpace that of Nenuphar).

One caveat: Because the ship must arrive at canal locks on a certain schedule, the itinerary wasn't at all flexible. It was hard to do anything spontaneously (such as make a foray into a nearby village or extend a shore excursion to include wandering-around time) but by the end of the trip we'd figured out how to time it -- and would take off on Nenuphar's bicycles and meet the barge at a pre-arranged time further down the line.

Ultimately, as a respite from the too-busy life that we all seem to be enduring these days, our six-night trip on Nenuphar came as close to perfection as any cruise we've ever taken.

Dining
Meals on Nenuphar, particularly lunch and dinner, were highlights every day. Passengers eat together at designated times. Most meals were served in the ship's dining salon, where three tables could be set as a group of four tops, or pushed together for one giant table. Breakfast consisted of sublime French pastries (pain au chocolat, almond croissants and baguettes), cold meat and cheeses, decadent (and fat-filled) yogurts, and cereals. One plus: The flexible chef was willing to take orders for hot dishes -- like bacon and eggs -- even though they weren't technically on the "menu."

At lunch, the chef created a cold buffet, always delicious. One afternoon, for instance, it consisted of pasta salad, a just-baked frittata, cold marinated chicken with grapes, and an endive salad. A selection of local cheeses (served with fresh baguettes) followed. French wines -- one white, one red -- were copiously poured.

Dinner time was just slightly more formal. Hors d'ouevres were served at the nightly and quite jovial cocktail hour. There was a set menu that started with an appetizer (such as grilled foie gras), followed by a main course (incredibly tender veal or, another evening, a lovely duck with cherry sauce), then a salad and cheese presentation. Finally, there was dessert, which ranged from a creme brulee to a phenomenal puff pastry with vanilla ice cream that was sprinkled with the wicked (and illegal in the U.S.) liquor of absinthe.

There is no room service onboard Nenuphar.

As divine as the cuisine was onboard, easily the most spectacular onshore highlight -- and every one of French Country Waterways' barges offers this option (though restaurants vary by region) -- is a visit to a Michelin-starred restaurant. In our case, we visited Auberge les Templiers, a luxurious country house hotel. The on-land meal is included in the cruise fare, as is a pre-dinner welcome cocktail and pre-selected red and white wine.

Public Rooms

The lovely dark-wood-paneled salon, filled with cozy couch and chair combos plus a writing desk, is the main gathering place. An adjacent bar separates the salon from the equally elegant dining room. Most of the time, however, we spent our time outside on the lovely patio-style deck. It was outfitted with gorgeous white ceramic tables and chairs with mesh seats (we loved the colorful accompaniment of flower boxes filled with red geraniums).

The salon and dining room were air-conditioned.

Cabins
Because the ship holds just a dozen passengers, there are only six cabins. All offered the same basic features: either a king bed or twins, a desk area, a closet, and a basic sailboat-type bathroom with shower and toilet. The sink was located in the cabin rather than in the bathroom. All cabins are "outsides" and come with a couple of tiny portholes. While cabins are located below the public rooms (and below the water line, to a point) we found them comfortable and almost cave-like (great for sleeping). And especially appreciated were a number of thoughtful small touches: French shampoos and bath soaps, bottles of Evian water, pre-stamped postcards.

All cabins have air-conditioning but no electronics such as televisions, radios or telephones.

Entertainment
There is no "organized" entertainment (though one night a fellow passenger did dance for us!). The real entertainment at night was a superb meal and good conversation, followed by liqueurs.

You could go off board after dinner and visit a local cafe -- and we meant to, we honestly did -- but we enjoyed our fellow passengers and Nenuphar's relaxed ambiance so much that we never quite got around to it.

Otherwise, entertainment basically revolved around each day's shore outing. These half-day excursions visited chateaux, a perfumer's garden, the village of Sancerre for a wine tasting and a hot air balloon ride.

Fitness & Recreation
While there are no fitness facilities onboard, passengers have plenty of opportunity for exercise. Nenuphar travels along the Loire Valley's canals, most of which are bordered by towpaths suitable for a brisk walk or a bike ride. You hop off at a lock and rejoin the ship further up (or down) stream. Bicycles are available, at no cost, on the barge.

Family
No children's programs exist, and this isn't a ship geared to young families.

Fellow Passengers
On our voyage, passengers were primarily in the 45-plus category, well-traveled, sophisticated yet down to earth, and both physically and intellectually active. This would be a difficult option for physically disabled travelers as there are no elevators, and stairways down to cabins are steep.

Dress Code
During shore outings passengers dressed in smart resort casual clothes. Onboard, day times were quite casual while evenings were resort casual.

Gratuity
The company recommends passengers tip approximately 5 percent of their cruise fare (which means about $180 - $360 per person). Service on our trip was so good that most passengers on our trip tipped above the minimum. Plan to tip with traveler's checks (U.S. dollar and euro are fine) or with cash (again, U.S. dollar or euro is accepted). Credit cards are not accepted.