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This summer, the yacht Bougainville, owned by the cruise ship company PONANT, is to make Bordeaux her home port. This elegant boat with 92 luxurious cabins will travel up and down the Atlantic coast, allowing her passengers to discover the highlights of Gironde, Charente Maritime and the Basque Country.

This initiative is part of a national strategy which aims to showcase the strengths of French tourism. Throughout the summer, the company is offering 100% French cruises that depart from 5 great national ports: Bordeaux, Saint-Malo, Le Havre, Marseille and Nice.

The first cruise departing from Bordeaux, called ‘The Nature and Tradition of Nouvelle Aquitaine’ sets sail on 11th July, with the trip lasting for 8 days. At the moment of writing, 11 such cruises are set to leave from Bordeaux.

© Ponant/Philippe Plisson

The Bordeaux port authorities, the CLYD shipyard and Bordeaux Métropole are hosting the yacht YERSIN while it is refitted, from Monday 18th May 2020.

Yersin left the Piriou shipyard in Concarneau in 2015. The 77-metre-long ice class yacht is somewhat unusual in that it is an exploration yacht, able to navigate any sea and face any weather, including that of the North and South Pole, thanks to its aluminium and steel hull.

The ship was designed to be used frequently by scientists for oceanographic missions, aptly bearing the name of the famous Franco-Swiss doctor and explorer Alexandre Yersin, who was a student of Pasteur and discovered the bacillus of the bubonic plague at the end of the 19th century.

The Yersin arrived in Bordeaux late on Monday 18th May to dock for technical repairs. Around twenty members of the crew – which is usually made up of 40 members, including 18 scientists – are present during the stopover in Bordeaux. The yacht is initially docking for a dozen days at the Ariane pontoon run by Bordeaux Métropole before entering the dry docks of the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux for various repair works.

Copyright: Laurent Hodebar

Embark on a river cruise to discover the estuary of the Gironde!  Guests can now enjoy, on the right bank, a new call in Royan. There, the port can accomodate 2 river cruise ships up to 135 meters.

A good opportunity to taste regional specialities such as Cognac (brandy), or oysters ! With its 50’s architecture and five sandy beaches , Royan has all the ingredients for successful holidays! Ideal for swimming, the Grande Conche is known for its iconic beach tents.

The majestic and unique Lighthouse of Cordouan, located in the open sea, only accessible by boat, is also a tour opportunity from Royan.
Guests will also enjoy the Palmyra Zoo , one of the most famous in France, with 1600 residents!

One of the river cruise companies settled in Bordeaux has already programed various calls in Royan for 2020 season, and there should be others soon…

June

From 11/06 (1pm) to 13/06 (12.30am) – CRYSTAL SYMPHONY – Bordeaux
From 14/06 (8.00am) to 14/06 (6.00pm) – AIDA AURA – Le Verdon
From  15/06 (4.15am) to 16/06 (4.00pm) – CORINTHIAN – Bordeaux
From 29/06 (3.30pm) to 01/07 (4.30pm) – SYLVER SPIRIT – Bordeaux

July

From 05/07 (9.00am) to 06/07 (8.45pm) – CORINTHIAN – Bordeaux
From 14/07 (11.00am) to 14/07 (9.00pm) – NORWEGIAN JADE – Le Verdon
From 22/07 (10.15am) to 23/07 (9.00pm) – SILVER WHISPER – Bordeaux
From 25/07 (12.15am) to 26/07 (12.00am) – BRAEMAR – Bordeaux
From 27/07 (2.15pm) to 28/07 (2.00pm) – SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY – Bordeaux

Access the 2020 program

The City of Bordeaux- in conjunction with the local urban, port and pilotage authorities and with the support of the federation of local cruise companies, Cruise Bordeaux- are committed to the conservation of the Gironde Estuary and its ecosystem, as well as that of the section of the Garonne that runs through the city centre.

Signed this Monday, on 9th December 2019, this charter for good environmental practice cements the desire on the signatories’ part to establish guidelines for the cruise industry’s future development.

Every year, Bordeaux’s left bank attracts between 40 and 50 cruise ships of between 80 and 950 passengers that stay for 1 or 2 nights. Sustainable cruises have played a significant role in the recent economic boom in both the city and the region as a whole. In order to ensure that Bordeaux remains such an attractive destination, the charter’s signatories come together as partners in this development with the aim of ensuring that each operator voluntarily and ethically works towards the following measures:

> Commitment n°1: Reduce polluting emissions in the air

> Commitment n°2: Eliminate polluting waste in the Estuary

> Commitment n°3: Establish a generalised environmental process

> Commitment n°4: To optimise access to the quays of Bordeaux city centre and the modalities for taking the Chaban-Delmas Bridge.

> Commitment n°5: Limit noise impact when docked

> Commitment n°6: Work in conjunction with local pilotage (Le Pilotage de la Gironde) and optimise sailing procedures