by Scott Laird
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Sat April 12, 2025
Avalon Waterways
has repositioned Avalon Artistry II to her new homeport in Bordeaux,
sailing itineraries on the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. TravelPulse got
a preview of the ship and the region in late March, and the ship embarked its
first guests on March 25.
“With the addition of the Garonne and Dordogne, Avalon
Waterways now sails most of the major rivers in Europe,” said Pam Hoffee,
president of Avalon Waterways, during the event.
Avalon Artistry II has been completely refreshed for its new
deployment. Fans who have previously sailed on the ship will notice new
furniture in public spaces. On the sky deck, more contemporary flooring,
textiles, décor, and internet upgrades—in fact, the uninitiated could be
forgiven for mistaking the ship for a brand new one.
Avalon’s “Suite Ships” are mostly identical, although they
come in two sizes, and Avalon Artistry II is the smaller of the two, carrying
just 128 passengers (the larger ships carry 166). While river cruises are a
largely homogenous product, the point of differentiation for Avalon is in their
suite design, where the divider between the bathroom and suite is angled,
making for roomier showers and allowing the line to orient the foot of the bed
directly toward the view over the river. Another focal point is a full French
window balcony, which allows the entire room to be opened to the fresh air.
The dining rooms also make delightful use of the light, with
large windows and a few dividers so guests can get light from both sides of the
ship. Menus draw significantly on the wine and cuisine of the region, with
notable vegetarian options available (of particular note was a rich mushroom
bourguignon), and for post-excursion snacks, the ship's staff order in pastries
and sweets from local patisseries wherever the vessel happens to be docked.
Breakfasts and lunches are served from a buffet, allowing
guests to dine as quickly or as leisurely as they prefer. Dinners are served a
la carte, generally in four courses. There's a menu of local specialties that
changes nightly or an "always available" menu of classics like
grilled beef tenderloin or salmon. Guests who prefer to dine lighter at each of
the three meal periods can pick up light options in the ship's lounge instead
of the dining room.
Club Lounge on Avalon Waterways' Avalon Artistry II. (Photo Credit: Avalon Waterways)
Naturally, wine is a focal point on these eight-day
sailings, which call at Cadillac-sur-Garonne, Cussac Fort Médoc, Blaye, and
Libourne. The ports are all relatively close to each other, limiting transit
times and maximizing time in each port, but there are afternoons of scenic
cruising, during at least one of which there's a demonstration of making canelé
pastries, a specialty of the Bordeaux region.
Avalon’s fares include shore excursions in each port, while
premium excursions can be had for guests wanting an in-depth experience. We
sampled wine blending in Fronsac at Château de La Dauphine. We
learned about how the differing soils on the small estate affect the
characteristics of the wine, and it was fascinating to note how different wines
from grapes grown just yards away from each other have such different
characteristics. Blending grapes from the siltier, wetter ground near the river
with those from the limestone soil further up a small nearby hill gives the
wine greater complexity and more drinkable character.
There are three types of included excursions in most ports:
Classic, which focuses on sightseeing; Discovery, which offers more immersive
experiences; and Active, which offers more strenuous activities like biking or
hiking. In Cussac Fort Médoc, we board a bus for the Discovery option, which
takes us to Château Siran, in the
Margaux appellation, for a wine tasting, then on to Mademoiselle de Margaux,
a chocolate shop that specializes in chocolate-covered cherries flavored with
Armagnac or other liqueurs.
Observation Lounge on Avalon Waterways' Avalon Artistry II. (Photo Credit: Avalon Waterways)
Some included excursions felt premium, as though they would
have been offered as optional add-ons. One of the included excursions in
Bordeaux is a full-day tour of Arcachon, a seaside town popular with French
vacationers. It's about an hour on the bus to an oyster shack where we sample
oysters pulled right from the bay (with a glass of wine, of course) and then
enjoy some free time to stroll through the town's gourmet food and spice shops.
The city is near the Dune of Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe, and many
patisseries in town sell the dune blanches pastry, a sugar-dusted crème
puff shaped in homage to the dune.
For a taste of more of France, guests can also combine the
Bordeaux departures with Avalon’s sailings on the Seine and Rhône Rivers,
traveling between embarkation cities via train.
Overall, Avalon Waterways is a pleasant way to cruise the
Garonne and Dordogne rivers, with the beautifully redecorated, comfortable,
intimate Avalon Artistry II deserving almost as much of the credit for a
relaxing vacation as the region itself.
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