Avalon Waterways will sail its first river cruises in France's Bordeaux region.
Starting in March 2025, Avalon will offer a one-week cruise on the Garonne and Dordogne rivers.
The seven-night Bonjour Bordeaux: Châteaux, Wineries & Charming Villages sails roundtrip from Bordeaux, making stops in Cadillac-sur-Garonne, Cussac Fort Médoc, Blaye, Bourg and Libourne.
Cruises will be on the 128-passenger Avalon Artistry II. Avalon will offer its signature Active, Discovery and Classic excursions, which provide guests with shore excursion options according to the activity level.
Tour options include guided tours of Citadel of Blaye (a Unesco World Heritage Site), e-bike tours of the vineyards of Cussac Fort Médoc, a pastry-making class, and a wine-and-chocolate pairing in a Bordeaux chateau.
The cruise can be combined with cruises on the Seine, Saone, Rhone and Rhine rivers to make two- and three-week journeys.
Now available is the 15-day French Masterpiece: Paris, Normandy & Bordeaux, which combines the Bordeaux sailing with a seven-night Paris-Normandy itinerary; the 22-day France, Uncorked: The Rhône, the Seine & Bordeaux, which adds the 15-day Grand France itinerary; and the 22-day Vineyards, Châteaux & Bordeaux, which adds the 15-day Romantic Rhine, Paris to Normandy itinerary.
Avalon said that in a recent survey of guests, more travelers are looking to take longer river cruises, prompting Avalon to expand its France portfolio by 30% with new offerings next year. About 66% of surveyed guests said their next vacation will be two or more weeks compared to the 34% planning to book a one-week vacation.
"Our new, two- and three-week cruise combinations for 2025 -- all of which feature Bordeaux -- perfectly fit with this trend," said Pamela Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways. "They invite our guests to cater their experience to their interests, their budgets and their time, offering them the opportunity to enjoy a more thorough and in-depth vacation through Europe."
Bordeaux cruises start at $3,998 for a Panorama Suite.