The differences between ocean, river and canal cruising are vast. One of the clearest emerged the evening before French Country Waterways’ eight-passenger luxury barge, Princess, overnighted beside a 160-year-old lock in historic and romantic Châlons-en-Champagne.
During the captain’s briefing of the next day’s activities, he mentioned that his deckhand would be walking to a local boulangerie at first light so guests could start the day with freshly baked goodies. When some in the group expressed interest in joining the early-morning bread run, the captain gave an approving blink of surprise. The four of us who invited ourselves on this edible errand were treated not only to local flavor on multiple levels, but to the quiet thrill of handpicking the baguettes and buttery croissants destined for the boat’s breakfast table.
Palate pleasing and otherwise, today’s traveler hungers for deeper cultural, sensory and emotional experiences. The cruise industry gets that, and as a result is striving to weave immersive experiences into every itinerary. Some segments are faring better than others in this pursuit, with size and scale emerging as key determinants of success.
On an ocean cruise with France on the itinerary, for instance, you often get just a sliver of time in a major port with thousands of your new best friends, and those are just from your own ship, let alone passengers from others anchored or docked that day.
River cruising may mitigate the masses, and though this style of cruising reveals France in richer detail, even its scenic stopovers aren’t immune to the tide of overtourism.
The hours spent elbow to elbow in packed Paris, congested Cannes and not-so-nice Nice might awaken anyone’s enochlophobia, an irrational fear of crowds. The good news is there’s a third option for cruise-minded travelers who crave Camembert, crepes, croissants and cobblestone streets without the congestion. Which brings us back to the subject of barge cruising.
Before anyone pictures hitching a ride on a rusty, flat-bottomed vessel used to haul goods along France’s extensive canal network, think again. The barges we’re talking about are anything but weathered, and their precious cargo is people — as in big spenders being transported from one storybook dock to the next.
So fairytale-like are the places barge cruises go, chances are you’ve never heard of them. Chavignol, Dizy, Lutzelbourg, Montages, Saverne — these are but a handful of hamlets tucked into the French countryside, by far the most popular destination within Europe, which itself is the global heart of hotel barge cruising.
Whereas river ships tend to dock at centrally located quays and wharves as the larger ocean liners muscle their way into deep-water cruise terminals, hotel barges tie up near locks or along towpaths of a canal. These moorings are often nothing to look at, but their surroundings sure are, making them ideal launch points for the included group tours. At least one excursion is offered each day, and nearly all are at a leisurely pace — just like the barges themselves. These buoyant boutique hotels usually cruise at walking speed, allowing guests to step ashore between stops for a lovely stroll or bicycle ride along the canal bank.
This leisurely style of vacationing is catching on, according to industry experts who are seeing a global shift that favors immersive, slower-paced travel over whirlwind itineraries. Canal barges represent just a ripple in the global cruise market — reportedly less than 1% — but as “slow tourism” gathers momentum, a small handful of major players in Europe are particularly primed to ride that wave — even if the canals ridden don’t naturally have any.
The largest fleet of hotel barges on the continent belongs to European Waterways (europeanwaterways.com) with 17 vessels that accommodate six to 20 guests. Next up is Les Bateaux Belmond (belmond.com), operator of seven barges with capacities of four to 12 passengers. Close behind is CroisiEurope (croisieuroperivercruises.com), which runs six barges that host as many as 22 passengers.
With four luxury barges, French Country Waterways (fcwl.com) isn’t the biggest fish in the sea — or canal — but for more than 40 years it has distinguished itself as both uniquely appealing and remarkably accommodating to American travelers. Besides being the only provider with an all-barge fleet that can be booked by the cabin or as a private charter, French Country Waterways is actually based in the U.S., which explains the Stars and Stripes flying from the bow. English being the primary language onboard is convenient for a clientele that, according to the company, is 95% American.
Comparing prices among and even within the players can be tricky considering all the factors involved. As with ocean and river cruises, a barge provider’s category is a biggie as that determines the level of luxury, exclusivity and service. French Country Waterways and Belmond are generally regarded as ultra-luxury while CroisiEurope and European Waterways are more mid-tier. Another factor is boat capacity, which is where economies of scale come into play; the more people onboard, the less people pay, as a rule. Trip length is another consideration, of course, as is the calendar; France’s cruise shoulder seasons of April and late October are more budget-friendly than summer.
Then there’s the route itself — a factor shaped as much by geography and logistics as by market appetite. Itineraries in the Upper Loire and Western Burgundy — known for their grand châteaux and wine estates — generally run higher than in the Alsace-Lorraine region of northeast France and along the Canal du Midi in the southeast.
When all factors are considered, price differences between ultra-luxury and mid-tier providers can reach thousands of dollars, while variations within a single cruise line may be as modest as a few hundred. Let’s put some actual numbers to the narrative: A six-day cruise this summer and next on French Country Waterways’ two 12-passenger barges, the Adrienne (in Burgundy) and Nenuphar (Upper Loire), is priced at $8,995, per person based on double occupancy. Another $200 gets you on the company’s eight-guest Horizon II for six days in Alsace-Lorraine. If paying homage to Benedictine blendmaster Dom Perignon pops your cork, a near-weeklong journey through the bubbly Champagne region starts at $9,195 per person. That route is currently served by the eight-passenger Princess, a 128-foot-long former cargo barge built in 1973 that has since been refitted and refurbished.
Belmond, by comparison, almost exclusively books private charters. Commissioning its six-guest Coquelicot on a six-night cruise in the Champagne region next summer was pricing out at nearly $100,000 at last check.
Going with any of the four largest canal operators in France promises a trip of a lifetime, depending on one’s worth and longevity. Favoring depth over distance, a quality barge cruise can make memories no ocean liner or river ship can by immersing travelers in the soul of a destination through a thoughtfully curated suite of pleasures both on and off the boat.
Visits to wineries, chateaus, city centers, cathedrals, memorials, and museums are typically part of the mix. While many sights overlap among cruise operators, each company adds its own exclusive experiences between pick up and drop off by motorcoach in Paris. So, as European Waterways takes guests to an artisanal dairy farm on cruises in Gascony, a region rarely visited by hotel barge, French Country Waterways passengers in Conde-en-Brie may enjoy touring the stately and storied Chateau de Conde, which dates back to the 12th century. Special guests are often personally welcomed by the castle’s current owner, Aymeri Paste de Rochefort, whose saber skills rival the sparkle of the estate’s private-label champagne, available (naturally) in the gift shop on the way out.
Another show of brut force in the Champagne region is every cruise line has a standing reservation with a prestigious producer. French Country Waterways, for one, favors Joseph Perrier, a renowned champagne house celebrating its bicentennial this year. While those guests tour the cellars and savor the fruits of centuries-old craftsmanship, Belmond passengers have a standing date at Ruinart, which, only four years shy of its tricentennial, is the oldest champagne house in the world. Wherever guests go, barge tastings are sure to follow.
Sharing toasts and other experiences with a small group that does nearly everything together over several days can spawn lively conversations at mealtime. If a recent cruise with French Country Waterways is any indication, dinners were never quiet affairs; 22 varieties of generously poured wine did their part over five lunches and five dinners onboard, coaxing tales and tea from strangers turned confidants.
As it should be, the impressive wine list was 100% French. So were the 30-plus expertly paired cheeses served on the boat. With very few exceptions, Chef Max’s cuisine coming out of the petite kitchen was flavorful, fancy and fulfilling, and perfectly plated and presented by a well-trained and well-versed Princess crew.
In fact, the only disappointing meal of the cruise — and it was unanimous among the eight of us — was dinner at the two-Michelin-starred Le Parc in Reims. The set menu was uneven and uninspired, relying too much on mushrooms and foam, and service felt perfunctory, with dishes arriving as if on autopilot right down to a dessert made with rye bread that had the color and crunch of fried beetles as made at Chinese night markets.
If anything, this one-time experience had us cherishing the warmth and flair of Chef Max and the others of Princess’ six-person crew all the more.