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CroisiEurope

History, Review, Itineraries, Ships, Deck Plans, News

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Review of CroisiEurope

The CroisiEurope travel brand ("Alsace Croisieres" until 1997, croisieurope.travel) is a French cruise line, which is family-owned and run, and based in Strasbourg. The brand specializes mainly in river cruising and also Mediterranean coastal voyages. Gerard Schmitter founded CroisiEurope in 1976, chartering his first riverboat (MS Alsace) in 1982.

Company history

CroisiEurope (CroisieuropeRiverCruises.com) is one of Europe's/and the world's largest river cruise shipping companies. Its boats are deployed on Europe's main/largest inland waterways (rivers and France's canals) and also in Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, India) and Africa/Egypt (Nile). The company additionally charters vessels that cruise on Volga River in Russia, on Irrawaddy River in Burma, on Chobe and Zambezi rivers in South Africa.

The company's brochure 2023 included 55 vessels and 170+ canal-, river- and ocean itineraries on 39 waterways in 37 countries.

CroisiEurope logo

Two of the company's vessels are ocean-going ships. Throughout the 1990s and the 2000s, the cruise line underwent rapid fleet expansion. As the fleet grew, the company expanded its passenger shipping operations outside France. In 1999, Gerard Schmitter handed the management over to his children.

CroisiEurope currently owns a fleet of premium riveboats cruising on Europe's all large rivers. Passenger capacity varies from 100 to 180 (depending on vessel design). The fleet is partially renovated (each year) and professionally maintained. Most boats are newer (built in the 2000s) with many newbuilds (launched after 2010). All vessels are with Bureau Veritas certifications.

French is the primary shipboard language, although most of the staff-crew also speak English and other European languages. All onboard announcements are in English and French. What distinguishes CroisiEurope from other major river travel brands are the moderately-priced fares. Like on most European riverboats, CroisiEurope deals are inclusive of beverages (soft drinks, beers, wines by the glass) with lunch and dinner. Unlimited drinks are offered during high season (April through October), including house spirits. However, one of the differences is that CroisiEurope passengers have to pay extra for shore excursions (excluding on the barges), unlike many other brands which fares are inclusive of many guided land tours.

In addition to the Main Dining Room restaurant, the ship's signature public spaces also include an indoor Bar Lounge (Salon) serving the company's enrichment program with daily lectures and media presentations and evening live entertainment (ranging from traditional regional to resident musician performances and crew shows). The Lobby's mezzanine level (reception area) houses a small Gift Shop. The outdoor carpeted Sun Deck houses the boat's Wheelhouse (Bridge) and shaded-seating areas (for relaxation and sunbathing) fitted with deckchairs and tables.

In 2006, CroisiEurope celebrated its 30th Anniversary. In 2007 was inaugurated CroisiMer - the subsidiary company that manages the sea-going fleet (La Belle de l'Adriatique). In 2010 was created the brand CroisiYacht to manage all chartered cruises on Russia's Volga River. In 2014, CroisiEurope bought "Compagnie Fluviale du Mekong" (Mekong River Cruise Company), thus adding 4 Mekong-based boats to the fleet.

Barge cruises in France

Most of CruiseMapper's barge cruise ships (excluding CroisiEurope's) are currently grouped in European Waterways. CroisiEurope is currently operating 6x luxury hotel barges sailing on canals in France. With max passenger capacity 22 per boat, these small ships have regularly scheduled departures (with fixed itineraries) but also can be privately chartered (with altered itineraries).

Chartering one of these 6 motorized/self-propelled barges (DeborahDaniele, Anne Marie, Madeleine, Raymonde, Jeanine) is also a unique alternative for vacationing with friends or small family group travel. Daily shore excursions (in each of the visited river ports) are included in the cruise fares.

 

Fleet expansion (new ships)

In March 2016, CroisiEurope announced the addition of 4 new riverboats to its fleet in 2017. Their scheduled deployment was on the rivers Mekong, Douro, Rhine, and Danube. The newbuilds are in addition to the 2016-inaugurated riverboats Elbe Princesse (80-passenger paddlewheel, designed to navigate on the complicated Elbe River) and two 22-passenger hotel barges - Daniele (Burgundy rivers) and Deborah (Briare Canal in Upper Loire Valley).

The new Douro ships Miguel Torga (2016) and Amalia Rodrigues (2019) are the company's 5th and 6th boats in Portugal. Each carries 132 passengers and has 3 decks and an aft-located sundeck swimming pool. Their itineraries are roundtrips from Oporto and stop in Vega de Terron, Ferradosa,Pinhao and Regua.

Also in 2017, Indochine 2 (announced in 2015) started cruising on Mekong. This is the 5th CroisiEurope Mekong ship (60-passenger, all-balcony cabins). In 2017, for Rhine and Danube shipping, the company built two new boats - Symphonie 2 (April, 106-passenger, 54 cabins) and Douce France 2 (June, 135-passenger, 68 cabins).

In 2019, to CroisiMer was added the acquired from Silversea Expeditions superyacht "Silver Discoverer". This 1989-built ocean-going vessel was initially named "Clipper Odyssey" and joins the fleetmate La Belle de l'Adriatique in 2020-Q1 - under the new name La Belle des Oceans.

From South Africa are offered Chobe River (flights+hotels+cruise) tours with two fully-owned by CroisiEurope houseboats - African Dream (2017) and Zimbabwean Dream (2020).

CroisiEurope France river cruises

In 2016, CroisiEurope expanded the company's "Cruise and Bike Program" on 3 European rivers, adding Loire River to Danube and Rhine.

  • Prices for an 8-day Loire River cruise and biking tour start at USD 4,880 per person. These deals are on the Loire Princesse ship (launched in April 2015) and include professional guided cycling trips on a daily basis, plus all meals, unlimited beverages, and free Wi-Fi.
  • The "Cruise and Bike Program" is operated in groups averaging 8 passengers per tour (max 14 passengers), 1 group leader (for every 4 passengers) and cycling along Loire River. Included are stops for walking tours in all local towns (along the river) and also wine tasting (ashore).
  • The program also includes 8-day "Garonne Biking Cruise" (pricing per person from USD 4,490) and 8-day "Saone and Rhone Biking Cruise" (pricing PP from USD 4,790).
  • Early booking discounts (done by October 31) are 10% per person.

All cruise tours are price inclusive of all meals and complimentary unlimited drinks and onboard Wi-Fi.

(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, CroisiEurope suspended its entire fleet's passenger shipping operations (all vessels - ocean and riverboats) canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 14, 2020, through early-July 2021.

Operations were planned to resume in July-August 2020, with the following restarting dates - July 13 (Seine River), July 16 (Rhone River, Burgundy Canal barges), July 20 (Rhine River), July 26 (Mediterranean / Corsica Island via CroisiMer), July 31 (Loire River, Danube River), August 3 (Elbe River), August 7 (Douro River Portugal), August 13 (Croatia Adriatic Sea cruises via CroisiMer), August 26 (Gironde River). However, in October, all November-December 2020 departures fleetwide (Europe-Asia-Africa) were canceled.

All affected bookings received a full (100%) monetary refund. For new bookings, CroisiEurope allows penalty-free cancellation up to 30 days prior departure - excluding booking fees and any ancillary charges.

Itinerary of CroisiEurope

CroisiEurope operates on Europe's major waterways. Among the line's specialties are the France river cruises, including on luxury hotel barge ships.

CroisiEurope boat deployments

CroisiEurope owns and operates the following vessels:

New river and barge itineraries 2023-2024

CroisiEurope's 2023-2024 schedule listed some new itineraries for both the hotel barges (deployed on canals and rivers in France) and the boats, deployed on rivers in Europe (Spain, Holland, France), Asia and Africa.

The new itineraries include the 7-night/8-day "La Dolce Vita along the Italian Coastline" (visiting Italy's regions Florence, Lucca, Siena), the 6-night/7-day "Oise Valley" (France), the 7-night/8-day "Mysterious Cyclades and Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea" (Greece, including Attica's coastline).

(ship La Belle de l'Adriatique) "La Dolce Vita along the Italian coastline" itinerary is roundtrip from Naples (starts with an overnight on the ship prior to departure) and visits the Aeolian Islands (Milazzo Sicily/DAY3, Messina Sicily/DAY4), Calabria (Vibo Valentia Marina/DAY5), Amalfi (Sorrento or Salerno), and ends with an overnight in Naples.

(hotel barge Raymonde) "The Oise Valley" itinerary is roundtrip from Paris (starts with an overnight on the barge prior to departure and a scenic night cruise) and features cruising from Paris to Bougival (DAY2), from Bougival to Pontoise (DAY3), from Pontoise to Auvers-sur-Oise and Saint-Leu-d'Esserent (DAY4), from Saint-Leu-d'Esserent to Pont-Sainte-Maxence and Compiegne (DAY5/excursion to Chateau de Chantilly), and from Compiegne to Pont-L'Eveque (DAY6/excursion to Noyon). In Pont-L'Eveque is the debarkation followed by bus travel back to Paris (DAY7).

(ship La Belle de l'Adriatique) "The Mysterious Cyclades and Dodecanese Islands" itinerary is roundtrip from Piraeus-Athens (starts with an overnight on the ship prior to departure) and visits Syros (DAY3), Amorgos (DAY4), Rhodes (DAY5), Santorini (DAY6), Milos (DAY7), ending in Athens (DAY8).

Mekong itineraries

CroisiEurope's Mekong voyages (in Cambodia and Vietnam) are seasonal and operated between August and April.

 

CroisiEurope is the only cruisetour company that offers 6-day Douro River itineraries in Portugal. These voyages include towns that are usually not listed in other companies' itineraries, among which are Folgosa and Ferradosa, as well as Senhora da Hora and Leverinho (both in the Porto Metro City district).

 

CroisiEurope cruise ship tracker

Our CroisiEurope cruise ship tracker is a function integrated into all CroisiEurope river cruise review pages. On page-bottom on each page, you'll find a map with the boat's current location (AIS position). All the real-time tracking data is provided by VesselFinder. It's all about convenience - you will find where is your CroisiEurope ship cruising today and now along its current itinerary! Enjoy the "luxury France" river cruising on your CroisiEurope vacations!

Note: You can see CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All river passenger shipping line companies and their fleets are listed there.

CroisiEurope related cruise news