Bordeaux River Cruise Prices 2020 is the second of a series of comparison charts and articles featuring nine European River Cruises offered by 10 world class river cruise lines. Each post in the series will feature two separate charts, one for summer peak pricing and one for the autumn season.
Comparison charts serve as a guide and attempt to answer: What is the price for an entry-level and upgrade cabin; what’s included Bordeaux River cruise; what Bordeaux river cruise incentives are there for 2020?
The goal is to provide a True Per Diem for each cruise. The charts answer the questions: What is a Bordeaux river cruise going to cost me and how does the cruise I am looking at compare to Bordeaux river cruises offered by other companies?
There are only five cruise companies that provide Bordeaux river cruises. The charts in this post focus on seven-night/eight-day Bordeaux cruises in France.
I’ve experienced Bordeaux cruises on four of the five companies operating in Bordeaux: AmaWaterways, CroisiEurope, Scenic and Viking. Uniworld also operates in Bordeaux.
I joined a guided bike tour, using AmaDolce’s complimentary bicycles, to pedal from Blaye to Bourg, only 17 kilometers, with a few hills to get the heart pumping. We saw AmaDolce passing about halfway through our trip to Bourg. © 2016 Ralph Grizzle
Of my experiences, I would briefly characterize each as offering … 1) AmaWaterways, great shore programs, including bicycling and hiking; 2) CroisiEurope, French flair and basic staterooms; 3) Scenic, elegant staterooms with multiple dining venues; and 4) Viking, beautiful Longships and great programs ashore.
- In Bordeaux, The Exceptional All-Inclusiveness Of Scenic River Cruises
- In Bordeaux, What Scenic Does Differently
- AmaWaterways ‘Taste Of Bordeaux’
- AmaWaterways Bordeaux, A Review & Tips For Making The Most Of Your Time On AmaDolce
- Bordeaux On CroisiEurope’s Cyrano de Bergerac
- Viking Forseti; Bordeaux
The cruises in the Bordeaux region operate on the Gironde estuary, Garonne river and Dordogne rivers. All of the cruises in the charts embark and disembark from the city of Bordeaux, the wine capital of France. The French poet and novelist Victor Hugo is said to have found Bordeaux to be so intriguing that he said: “Take Versailles, add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux.” To fully appreciate this sentiment, dedicate a few hours to strolling or cycling along the left bank to enjoy Bordeaux’s beautiful architecture such as Place de la Bourse with the Miroir d’eau.
Scenic Diamond sailing the Garonne River in Bordeaux. © 2017 Ralph Grizzle
Bordeaux has been a center for wine trade for nearly 2,000 years. The Romans, who conquered the region in 60 BC, endowed Bordeaux with vineyards and wine production. Today, more than 10,000 wine-producing châteaux and 13,000 grape growers produce more than 50 appellations, many of which are world-renown and some of which are among the world’s most expensive wines. A fact that will astonish oenophiles: The Bordeaux region produces nearly 1 billion bottles of wine annually.
Depending on the cruise you choose, itineraries may include excursions to Saint-Émilion, the ancient wine capital of the region; wine tastings in Bordeaux vineyards; a visit to Blaye Fortress, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and other cities such as Pauillac, Libourne, and Bergerac. Most of the cruise companies offer an included shore excursion each day. Some cruise companies premium excursions for an extra fee. Some companies offer biking and hiking.
In a single week, guests typically visit multiple vineyards for lessons on past and present production methods and samples of the local wines, which can even include dessert wines like Sauternes. A few river cruise lines offer up visits to nearby Cognac, where fans of the famous brandy can participate in tastings and even blend their very own cognac at the Camus Cognac Visitor’s Center.
Do you have to be a drinker to get the most out of this trip? Not at all. At every turn, magnificent chateaus rise up and fall over the landscape, punctuated by vineyards that stretch for nearly as far as the eye can see. This is wine country, to be sure, but historic cities like Blaye and Cadillac make for fascinating destinations in their own right.
To learn more about Bordeaux, see Bordeaux River Cruises
River Cruise Advisor published price comparison charts for European River cruises in 2019. The price comparison charts for European River Cruising 2020 are updates with a few additions. We have added embarkation and disembarkation ports, the square footage of upgrade cabins and per diems for the upgraded staterooms.
This year we researched Autumn for shoulder season 2020, whereas we used Spring for the 2019 charts. The information in the article for 2020 pricing also includes single and mobility limited cabin details, if the cruise line websites made that information readily accessible.
The prices in the chart are based on double occupancy. The upgrade costs for a cabin with a french balcony are per person. The value of the incentive is broken down per day, per person. True per diem will include the savings of incentives/discounts offered at the time of research as well as the imputed value of items that are not included.
Prices and details reflect information available at the time of research. Cruise lines offer varying incentives with differing time limits or deadlines, and it is best to check with a travel agent or the cruise company’s website. The incentives that are included in the charts were current at the time they were compiled and may no longer apply or there may be a new special offer.
Notable Observations
Some noteworthy observations were made when researching the cruises for these chart, which were completed on April 29,2019.
Amawaterways recently initiated a Sip & Sail Cocktail Hour, which features complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks before dinner. This is in addition to complimentary sparkling wine with breakfast, and unlimited wine and beer with lunch and dinner. At time of research Amawaterways was offering a $500 savings per stateroom. The chart reflects a $250 per person discount.
AmaDolce docked in Libourne. © 2016 Ralph Grizzle
CroisiEurope’s Cyrano de Bergerac has a mobility impaired accessible cabin. All beverages are included, with the exception of premium brands.
At the time of our research, Scenic was offering an airfare special of $395 from select major North American airports. Check Scenic’s website for more details. We estimated the average flight from a major U.S. hub to Bordeaux to be $1,600. Scenic’s offer could amount to a $1,200 savings, depending where you fly from.
Uniworld offers savings for guests who book their cruise and pay in full before June 30, 2019. The savings offer a 5 percent discount on Suite category staterooms and 10 percent on all other stateroom categories. This amounts to an $349 discount for a classic cabin, per person.
For its summer 2020 Bordeaux cruises, Viking is offering a $500 per person discount as well as airfare from $799 per person. The airfare discount is from select gateways and amounts to an imputed savings of $900 for a flight. For the Viking Bordeaux cruise we researched in the chart, balcony cabins were already fully booked.
Bordeaux River Cruise Pricing Chart Peak Season 2020
| AmaWaterways | CroisiEurope | Scenic | Uniworld | Viking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | AmaDolce | Cyrano de Bergerac | Scenic Diamond | Bon Voyage | Forseti |
| Rate | $3,999 | $2,648 | $4,695 | $3,499 | $3,699 |
| Sailing Date | June 18, 2020 | June 27, 2020 | June 3, 2020 | June 21, 2020 | June 22, 2020 |
| Nights | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Itinerary | Taste of Bordeaux | Aquataine- 3 Rivers | Bordeaux Affair | Brilliant Bordeaux | Chateaux, Rivers and Wine |
| Cabin Category | Category E | Main Deck Suite | Standard suite E | Classic | Standard F |
| Embark/disembark | Bordeaux-Bordeaux | Bordeaux-Bordeaux | Bordeaux-Bordeaux | Bordeaux- Bordeaux | Bordeaux-Bordeaux |
| Square Footage | 170 | 140 | 160 | 140 | 150 |
| Room With A View? | Window | Window | Window | Window | Window |
| Per diem | $571 | $378 | $671 | $500 | $528 |
| Port Charges | $22.75 | Included | Included | included | Included |
| Gratuities (on ship) | $18 | $18.00 | Included | Included | $18.00 |
| Gratuities (on shore) | $2.50 | $2.50 | Included | Included | $2.50 |
| Beverages | Included | Included | Included | Included | included |
| Laundry | $3 | n/a | Included | Included | $3 |
| Optional Shore Excursions | Included | Included | Included | Included | included |
| Current Incentive | $250 | n/a | $1,400 | $349 | $1,100 |
| Value of Incentive | $36 | n/a | $200 | $50 | $157 |
| True Per Diem | $582 | $399 | $471 | $450 | $397 |
| Per Diem/Square Foot | $3.42 | $2.85 | $2.94 | $3.21 | $2.65 |
| Balcony Upgrade | $999 | $286 | $1,145 | $1,200 | $400 |
| Balcony Per Diem | $725 | $440 | $634 | $621 | $454 |
| Balcony room sq footage | 170 | 140 | 205 | 217 | 135 |
| Balcony sq footage per diem | $4.27 | $3.14 | $3.10 | 2.29 | $3.36 |
| Updated 4/2/2019 |
* Nights - A 7-night river cruise spans 8 days, but one of those days is the disembarkation day. For that reason, the "per diems" are calculated based on the number of "nights" on board. The result is a fairer assessment than calculating the cost per "day."
* Per Diem - The rate divided by the number of nights on board, indicated per person but based on double occupancy. Solo travelers will, in most cases, pay single supplements.
* Gratuities (on ship) - Some companies include gratuities for crew, others leave it to their guests to take care of gratuities.
* Gratuities (on shore) - Just as with crew gratuities, some companies take care of on-shore gratuities for guides and drivers; other companies leave it to their guests.
* Beverages - Nearly all river cruise companies offer complimentary soft drinks, speciality coffees, beer and wine during lunch and dinner. In between mealtimes, though, you'll pay for most beverages when traveling with AmaWaterways and Viking. Beverages are included on CroisiEurope, Scenic, and Uniworld. AmaWaterways introduced a "Sip & Sail" Happy Hour in 2018, which includes complimentary cocktails before dinner.
* Optional Shore Excursions - All river cruise companies include complimentary excursions in most, if not all, ports of call. However, some companies offer optional shore excursions for a fee.
* Current Incentive (per person) - Riviera does not offer booking incentives. The rest offer a range of incentives, ranging from early-booking savings to two-for-ones and reduced or free air. The incentives are always changing so be sure to check with your travel seller or the cruise company about current offers.
* Value of Incentive (per day/pp) - We've divided the amount of the incentive by the number of nights to arrive at a per-diem value.
* Balcony Upgrade - Nearly all of the entry-level staterooms feature fixed windows.
Shoulder Season Bordeaux River Cruise 2020 Price Comparisons
The Shoulder Season Bordeaux River Cruise 2020 chart compares all the same details that the peak summer season chart compares. The cruises selected sail in late September or October of 2020. The notable observations for each cruise line described above for the Summer chart also apply to the Autumn charts, unless specified otherwise.
Amawaterways is advertising a discount of $1,000 per person for the 2020 Bordeaux River cruise we included in the chart. Amawaterways describes this journey as a Special Wine Cruise, offering wine-related experiences and excursions at no additional price.
On CroisiEurope’s Cyrano de Bergerac, cabins have picture windows and upgrades are to a panorama window on an upper deck. CroisiEurope’s latest Bordeaux river cruise for 2020 is in August.
Scenic has the same $395 airfare offer for shoulder season Bordeaux cruises as it did for its peak season cruises.
Uniworld features the same 2020 Early Booking Savings offered for the summer for this cruise also.
Viking was offering $599 airfare per person and $500 off cruise price per person for its Autumn Bordeaux river cruise in 2020. This amounts to a savings of about $1001 per person depending on where guests fly from. This offer may have expired. However, check Viking’s website as there are always promotions and discounts.
Bordeaux River Cruise 2020 Shoulder Season Pricing
| AmaWaterways | CroisiEurope | Scenic | Uniworld | Viking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | AmaDolce | Cyrano de Bergerac | Scenic Diamond | Bon Voyage | Forseti |
| Rate | $3,399 | $3,275 | $4,495 | $2,799 | $2,899 |
| Sailing Date | November 5, 2020 | August 14, 2020* | September 5, 2020 | November 1, 2020 | November 7, 2020 |
| Nights | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Itinerary | Taste of Bordeaux | Aquataine- 3 Rivers | Bordeaux Affair | Brilliant Bordeaux | Chateaux, Rivers and Wine |
| Cabin Category | Category E | Main Deck Suite | Standard suite E | Classic | Standard F |
| Embark/disembark | Bordeaux-Bordeaux | Bordeaux-Bordeaux | Bordeaux-Bordeaux | Bordeaux- Bordeaux | Bordeaux-Bordeaux |
| Square Footage | 170 | 140 | 160 | 151 | 150 |
| Room With A View? | Window | Window | Window | Window | Window |
| Per diem | $486 | $468 | $642 | $400 | $414 |
| Port Charges | $22.75 | Included | Included | included | Included |
| Gratuities (on ship) | $18 | $18.00 | Included | Included | $18.00 |
| Gratuities (on shore) | $2.50 | $2.50 | Included | Included | $2.50 |
| Beverages | Included | Included | Included | Included | included |
| Laundry | $3 | n/a | Included | Included | $3 |
| Optional Shore Excursions | Included | Included | Included | Included | included |
| Current Incentive | $750 | n/a | $1,400 | $279 | $1,501 |
| Value of Incentive | $107 | n/a | $200 | $40 | $214 |
| True Per Diem | $425 | $488 | $442 | $360 | $308 |
| Per Diem/Square Foot | $2.50 | $3.49 | $2.76 | $2.38 | $2.26 |
| Balcony Upgrade | $999 | $43 | $1,145 | $1,200 | $500 |
| Balcony Per Diem | $567 | $494 | $606 | $531 | $297 |
| Balcony room sq footage | 170 | 140 | 205 | n/a | 135 |
| Balcony sq footage per diem | $3.34 | $3.53 | $2.95 | n/a | $2.21 |
| Updated 4/29/19 |
The next segments of this series will include comparison charts and articles for cruises on the other rivers of Europe for the same cruise lines. Crystal cruises will also appear in charts for the Danube and Rhine. Coming up next will be the Rhine River Cruises 2020, Bon Voyage!
Researcher Tamera Trexler compiled the information and pricing for this article.
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