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French-owned CroisiEurope launched MS Cyrano de Bergerac in Bordeaux in May 2013. The ship is dedicated to cruising the Gironde estuary out of Bordeaux, sailing the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers, principally to visit the great wine-growing areas of the Médoc on itineraries ranging from four to eight nights. The vessel is a significant step up from the line's older ships, with clean, fresh green-and-white livery; bright, cheerful décor; and light-filled interiors.
The food is great, and complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks are available all day long.
Dress code is smart casual throughout, and there are no formal nights, although passengers are encouraged to dress more smartly for the once-per-cruise gala night. Most of the passengers are French, so there's an element of chic onboard. French cruisers do not, for example, wear shorts for dinner. As with all river cruises, good walking shoes are recommended, as there's plenty of walking during the shore excursion program. The ship moors right in the heart of Bordeaux, too, which is a very walkable city.
Entertainment onboard takes place in the attractive lounge and bar forward on the middle deck, a rather glitzy setting with a blue, aqua and silver colour scheme. A resident pianist in the lounge plays during cocktail hour and after dinner. Sometimes talks are held there, although they're more focused on the ports than on serious enrichment. The company offers various themed cruises, when guest speakers are brought onboard. The lounge gets quite lively in the evenings, with passengers making enthusiastic use of the dance floor.
A second bar, aft on the upper deck, is more intimate, and it's a good place to sit when the lounge is busy. The pleasant outdoor terrace there is ideal for a quiet after-dinner drink overlooking the boat's wake.
Daily shore excursions are offered but are not included in the price, which is a big advantage if you already know the destination and prefer to duck in and out of the tour program. Excursions can be pre-booked, with discounts offered for early takers.
Cyrano de Bergerac has a vast sun deck, occupying the whole of the top deck, with green AstroTurf-style flooring, reclining deck chairs and a long canopy to create shade. It's the only area where smoking is allowed. The boat does not have spa or fitness facilities. The ship is very simple in layout. There's a reception desk and tour desk in the small atrium, as well as a tiny boutique (essentially a glass cabinet selling postcards and souvenirs). Wi-Fi is available onboard for a fee. A lift is a useful feature for those who have difficulty with stairs.
The dining room, done up in blues and whites, is located on the middle deck. It can seat all passengers at once at tables of four, six or eight, with seating assigned at the beginning of the cruise.
Food is exceptionally tasty, particularly given the low price of the voyage. Breakfast is a buffet comprising cheese, cold cuts, yogurts, fruit, pastries and a couple of hot dishes (scrambled eggs and bacon). For lunch and dinner, a set, three-course menu offers a couple of starters, a choice of two or three mains and a dessert.
There's a choice of red or white wine, both of which are decent and generously poured. Soft drinks and beer are included in the cruise fare, too.
There are three accommodation decks: upper, middle and main. Cabins are pretty similar in size on all three (about 140 square feet) and priced mainly according to their location on the ship. Cabins on the upper deck have French balconies, which help to create a sense of space. Accommodations on the middle deck have large picture windows; on main deck, they've got portholes. One cabin on middle deck is adapted for wheelchair use. Most have twin beds, which are pushed together to create doubles, and a few have fixed doubles. The cabins are not big enough to fit third or fourth births (which is not unusual for a river vessel), so families need to book separate accommodations for children.
The cabins are bright and colourful, with a blue and white theme and Impressionist-style paintings on the walls. Each contains a wardrobe, drawers and two bedside tables, as well as individually controlled air-conditioning, a TV, a hair dryer and a safe. Wall outlets are 220v European.
