Originally Posted by milepig

Not exactly what the OP was asking about, but a few years ago we actually rented a self-drive barge. No crew, just us four couples. We had a blast. On the Canal Du Midi you can just pull up and moor overnight anywhere you want to, walk into town, find a place to eat and generally just chill. You don't need to be a sailor or know how to navigate. It's a canal, there's no way to get lost! If you see something that looks interesting just pull up and stop. We say many signs for wineries that were walking distance through the vineyard and also several canal-side restaurants. Some of the lock keepers were selling produce and baked goods. The locks were an adventure but we figured it out.

Someone mentioned Tauck as being a cruise line operator. This they are not. They have a great reputation but they do now own any vessels. They book blocks of room on other cruise ships and then repackage them as Tauck Tours. Nothing wrong with that and they may offer their own tours and have a person on board with the group. But if you book Tauck on AMA or Crystal or whatever, you're going to get their cabins, meals and service.