CroisiEurope Inaugurates Three New Ships for the 2015 Season this Month

CroisiEurope, the leader of European river cruises, continues to flourish and expand its fleet with the inauguration of three new ships in 2015. CroisiEurope christened the MS Camargue in Lyon on April 1, 2015 on the Rhône River and the much anticipated MS Loire Princesse in Nantes on April 2, 2015 on the Loire River. The third and final inauguration of the year will be the MS Gil Eanes on Portugal’s Douro River on April 17, 2015.

At the inauguration of the MS Camargue, Sylviane Christinat, a CroisiEurope representative from Switzerland, served as the ship’s godmother and the godfathers were Mr. Gilbert Bouchet, Senator-Mayor of Tain-l’Hermitage and Mr. Jean-Pierre Michel from Voyages Michel. Designed and decorated in the same spirit at the MS Lafayette, which launched last year, this new, upscale, two-deck ship can accommodate 104 passengers in 54 cabins.

The vessel has ample space and a contemporary layout, highlighting CroisiEurope’s attention to elegance.  The MS Camargue will cruise from April to November on six to eight day trips out of Lyon, travelling through Macon, Vienne, Arles, Avignon, Viviers and Tournon.

The next day, on April 2 in Nantes, the MS Loire Princesse was christened on the Loire River, the longest in France. Serving as the ship’s godmothers were Ms. Johanna Rolland, Mayor of Nantes and Ms. Charlotte Britz, Mayor of Sarrebrucken. Mr. Laurent Castaing, General Manager of STX St. Nazaire, served as the godfather.

There were two guests of honor present at the inauguration: Mr. Jean Verne, Jules Verne’s great grandson and Mr. Daniel Richou of Richou Voyages. A prototype designed at the STX worksite in Saint-Nazaire, the MS Loire Princesse uses paddlewheel propulsion, allowing it to cruise with a shallow draft.

Through its innovative construction, this new two-deck vessel offers a capacity of 96 passengers in 48 cabins and opens up a new horizon in river cruising. Also decorated with contemporary flair, this state-of-the-art ship is another jewel in the company’s crown. The MS Loire Princesse will cruise from April to November offering six- to eight-day trips passing through Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, Ancenis, Angers, the Châteaux of the Loire Valley, Saumur, Bouchemaine, and Ancenis.

On April 17 in Porto, the MS Gil Eanes will be christened on the Douro. This ship’s godmother will be Ms. Isabel Morais, wine and tourism manager at Sogrape, and Mr. Eduardo Vitor Rodrigues, mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia, will serve as the godfather. Built at the Meuse and Sambre shipyard in Namur, Belgium, this traditional-propulsion vessel was designed in the same leading-edge style as the rest of the CroisiEurope fleet. The MS Gil Eanes joins the three other CroisiEurope ships in Portugal: the MS Infante D. Henrique, the MS Fernao De Magalhaes and the MS Vasco Da Gama. The MS Gil Eanes is a luxury-level ship accommodating 132 passengers in 66 cabins. It will cruise from April to November and will offer eight-day cruises leaving from Porto and visiting Regua, Vega de Teron, Ferradosa and Pinhao.

For more information about the MS Camargue, please visit: http://www.croisieuroperivercruises.com/ships/ms-camargue-new-2015

For more information about the MS Loire Princesse, please visit: http://www.croisieuroperivercruises.com/ships/ms-loire-princesse-2015

For more information about the MS Gil Eanes, please visit: http://www.croisieuroperivercruises.com/ships/ms-gil-eanes-2015

The 2016 and 2017 seasons look upbeat as well, with four new highly anticipated ships:  the MS Elbe Princesse on the Elbe, the RV Princesse Apsara on the Mekong, and the barges Danièle and Déborah on the Canal de Briare and the Canal de Garonne.