Bordeaux River Cruise
The Bordeaux region in southwestern France is a romantic dreamscape of rolling vineyards, grand limestone châteaux, and some of the best food and wine in the world. The region is covered with endless rows of vines, often dotted with cypress trees and roses. Its roughly 280,000 acres of vineyards run the gamut of grand, historic estates to small, family-owned properties.
We love wine and had heard that Bordeaux offers a perfect blend of historic charm and upscale wine & food culture – which sounded like the kind of place we wanted to visit!
We booked a weeklong Uniworld river cruise on the SS Bon Voyage to see the area with friends. The cruise we selected was a special edition, wine focused cruise hosted by former professional football players Drew Bledsoe of Doubleback Winery and Damon Huard of Passing Time Winery.
THE ITINERARY
This 8 day, 7 night cruise followed the waterways of the Garonne River, the Dordogne River, and the Gironde Estuary. This world-famous wine region is home to some of the world’s most famous vineyards and chateaux, grand crus, and villages. As we cruised, we experienced the towns of Blaye, Cussac-Fort-Medoc, Cadillac, Saint Emilion, Pauillac, and Bordeaux (3 times).
The cruise line offered organized excursions each day. There were typically at least two choices each day – some were included in the price of the cruise and others were an additional fee. We did some of the organized excursions but also did some exploring on our own.
ABOUT THE SHIP
The Uniworld SS Bon Voyage is a 361-foot luxurious river cruise ship. It was built in 2006 and completely renovated in 2019.
The ship has 3 restaurants – Le Grand Fromage (gourmet restaurant), La Brasserie, and the rooftop Le Cafe du Soleil, as well as 24-hour room service. A breakfast buffet and lunch buffet (depending on excursions) was served daily in Le Grand Fromage. Options were plentiful and food was good. A 4-course dinner was served in Le Grand Fromage each evening and paired with a local red and white wine to complement the meal.
The ship accommodates 124 guests in 62 rooms. The room options were 4 suites, 22 French balcony rooms, and 30 Deluxe rooms and 6 Classic rooms. Rooms were furnished nicely and equipped with modern amenities.
We had a French balcony room, which was 140 sq ft with a balcony. Amenities included hair dryer, safe, TV, bath products, bathrobes and slippers, butler service, etc. The room felt a bit cozy at times but was fine for the amount of time we spent there – which was mainly to sleep.
It was a beautiful boat decorated with dark wood, brass, and shades of green and blue. The top deck had a small infinity pool and lots of space for lounging in the sun or shade while cruising or in dock.
The staff on the boat were extremely attentive and very friendly. Service was exceptional!
THE CRUISE EXPERIENCE - DAY BY DAY
We started our adventure the day before we were to be in Bordeaux by meeting our friends Heidi and Rick in Paris for a quick tour of the city.
We then jumped on the TGV (high speed train) for our 2 hour and 15 minute trip from from Paris to Bordeaux. Mike and I love to bring fun food and beverages when we travel by train and make it into a party!
Upon reaching Bordeaux, we had our first opportunity to walk around and check out the sites. This was the first of many as we were in Bordeaux 3 times on this cruise.
Cruise Day 1 – Embarkation and Welcome Dinner
We spent much of our first day walking around Bordeaux. The city is a beautiful 18th-century masterpiece with majestic buildings along the Garonne River. Known as "La Belle Endormie" (Sleeping Beauty), the city has transformed into a vibrant, modern cultural destination featuring a massive pedestrian center and the scenic Miroir d'eau (world’s largest reflecting pool in front of the Place de la Bourse). It has 362 monuments (some dating back to Roman times), which makes it the city with the 2nd most monuments in France (after Paris).
As we set out to explore, our first stop was a visit to a canelés shop. We’d read that Bordeaux is known for more than just wine, it is the capital of the canelé as well! We stopped at the Baillardran canelé shop. These yummy pastries are carmelized and crunchy on the outside and soft and custardy on the inside. They are made from flour, milk, eggs, sugar and butter – then enhanced with the aromas of rum and vanilla. When in Bordeaux, one must experience the canelé!
We wandered over to the outdoor market – Market of Chartrons. This market happens every Sunday morning and is a gathering spot for locals and tourists with over 60 stalls selling unique products. We love wandering through local markets to discover what’s available locally and get a taste of everyday life there.
In the late afternoon, we boarded our ship – the SS Bon Voyage. We enjoyed the welcome dinner where they provided us with information about the cruise and they really set the stage for the week ahead. The staff engagement with the passengers and exemplary service started on this first day and continued throughout the week.
That evening we cruised to our first port of Blaye - where we docked for the night.
Cruise Day 2 - Blaye
We spent the morning of day 2 in the beautiful village of Blaye. We left the ship to walk through the Citadel de Blaye. This fortress, built in the 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV, overlooks the Gironde estuary and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built to protect the city of Bordeaux from enemy attacks. The ancient citadel, with good views along the river, included ruins of a medieval castle, houses, squares, streets and a convent.
After this morning outing, we returned to the ship. The ship had a small spa and we got spa treatments - a dreamy deep tissue massage for me and some relaxing foot reflexology for Mike. Treatments were relaxing and it was nice to have that option on the boat!
In the afternoon, we boarded a bus for one of the cruise-organized tour and tasting excursions to the Remy Martin headquarters in the town of Cognac. The tour through the historic house and cellars included 300 years of history, an overview of the distillation and aging processes, and tastings of a cognac cocktail and three different cognacs. Who knew the taste of cognac becomes even better when in the exact environment in which it is created?? It was an informative and enjoyable excursion!
Once back on board the ship, we got ready for the Captain’s reception that evening.
Cruise Day 3 – Pauillac and Cussac-Fort-Medoc
Day 3 was spent in Pauillac and Cussac-Fort-Medoc. We spent the morning on another one of the cruise-organized excursions. This one was a blind vertical tasting at Chateau Lagrange, a prestigious, 118-hectare Third Growth (3ème Cru Classé) estate in Saint-Julien. This tour included a guided visit of the vineyard, vat room, and cellars, followed by a blind vertical tasting (four different vintages) of the Grand Vin of Chateau Lagrange. The estate produces elegant, structured Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant red wines, along with a dry white wine. It was an interesting and enjoyable visit!
After our tasting, we walked through historic Fort Medoc. This fort was built between 1689 and 1721 together with the Citadel of Blaye and the Fort Pate to prevent enemies from sailing to Bordeaux.
In the afternoon, we did a cruise-organized “Let’s Go” guided bike tour through the Medoc vineyard region. We cycled through the Médoc peninsula's vineyards on winding paths, passing renowned châteaux and picturesque villages. The vineyards seemed to go as far as the eyes could see. Our destination was a tour and tasting at Château Malescasse, a 19th-century winery and estate located in the village of Lamarque. We got to explore their vineyards then stood amongst the barrels as we tasted their wine.
One of the fun things about our evening meals on the boat was sharing wine at the table every night with our group of friends. During the day we might go on excursions together or we might go different places... But come dinner time, we’d gather around the table and share wine purchases from the day with one another. It gave us the opportunity to try many great wines from many different producers.
We docked in Bordeaux again this evening.
Cruise Day 4 – Cadillac
Day 4 brought us to Cadillac. Mike and I had had enough organized excursions so we skipped the tours, grabbed a couple of the on-ship bikes and made our own fun this day.
We stopped at a local grocer for a baguette, a selection of fromage, and some charcuterie. We rode up and down hills through beautiful vineyards with no agenda other than to enjoy the day and time with each other. We saw a degustation (wine tasting) sign by the side of the road so turned up the driveway to see what we would find. There was a guy in overalls working on his car (who spoke very little English) and we asked if we could wine taste. It turned out he was the 5th generation owner and wine maker at the winery. He did a tasting and tour for us (using lots of sign language and Google Translate). It was SO fun! At one point, he showed us his photo album (the kind with the plastic pages and sticky backing from eons ago) with pictures of him as a small child growing up in the vineyard. It was super special and a day we remember fondly!
We bought some of his wine (it was SUPER cheap and really good) then continued our ride through the vineyards. We found a park, opened a bottle of the wine we’d just purchased, and had a picnic (drinking the wine out of the bottle as we had no cups).
On the way back to the boat, we made friends with a local bartender who recommended another vineyard. We tasted and purchased there as well.
And it was a beautiful evening on the water!
Cruise Day 5 – Saint Emilion
The morning of Day 5 was spent in Saint Emilion – a picturesque medieval village renowned as a UNESCO world heritage site for its historic vineyard landscapes. I fell in love with this little town! Saint Emilion is postcard-perfect with narrow cobblestone streets, Romanesque churches, and a unique 12th-century monolithic church carved entirely out of limestone – all on sloping hills surrounded by vineyards.
We walked around the village, enjoying all of the sights, had a wonderful lunch, and tasted some wine.
The afternoon was spent at a tour and tasting at Chateau Valandraud and exploring our little port town of Libourne.
And it was another beautiful evening to be on the water.
Cruise Day 6 – Libourne market and Bordeaux in the evening
The next morning, we visited the Friday market in Libourne to grab a few things for a late breakfast on the ship deck. I just love the farmer’s markets in Europe!
The cruise had an afternoon wine tasting session that we attended and we sailed back to Bordeaux for our final full day.
Cruise Day 7 – full day to explore the city of Bordeaux
For our last full day, we were in Bordeaux again. It is a beautiful, grand city. The old architecture and tree-lined streets made you feel like you had been transported back in time. You could shop for days in Bordeaux – from quaint little boutiques to the big-name designer shops.
With over 300 majestic monuments around town, you realize you are in a place with amazing history. A few highlights:
Place de la Bourse & Miroir d'Eau: 18th-century classical architecture featuring the world's largest reflecting pool
Monument aux Girondins: An immense, ornate column and fountain located at the massive Quinconces Square
Grand Théâtre: Elegant 18th-century opera house featuring 12 Corinthian columns
Saint-André Cathedral & Pey Berland Tower: Stunning Gothic cathedral, with a separate bell tower offering panoramic city views
Porte Cailhau: A 35-meter, 15th-century medieval gate designed like a castle
On our last day here, we did a cruise organized walking tour of the city with chocolate and pastry tasting, had lunch, and did some more wine tasting.
The 2-hour walking tour included some of Bordeaux’s most iconic locations, as well as some amazing bites for tasting. We got to taste some yummy chocolates, chocolatines, canelés, truffles, and dunes Blanche.
After the tour, our group stopped for some more wine tasting at a local wine shop. We did a tasting flight, then enjoyed a (really expensive) taste of the very famous Chateau Lafite Rothschild (2004 vintage). While it was good, not sure it was worth the price we paid to taste it!
Because it was still during “covid times,” everyone on board who was traveling out of France had to be tested for covid (which was most of the passengers). Mike and I were going from France to London so we went and got our covid tests. Turns out someone brought covid with them to the ship and 30+ passengers tested positive, including us. Ugh!! Luckily we felt fine but needed to get careful about what we did from there as we didn’t want to infect others.
Cruise Day 8 - Disembark
After a great week on and off the water, day 8 was disembarkation day – so we packed up and left the ship.
SOME TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR FIRST RIVER CRUISE
This was our first cruise so we didn’t know what to expect and had nothing to compare it to. All in all we enjoyed our time on this cruise. It was the perfect combination of history, gorgeous vineyard views, fabulous wine, fantastic food, and relaxation.
Some of our takeaways include:
Cruising is definitely an easy way to travel for a week and see multiple destinations. You unpack once and don’t have to carry your bags around from place to place. This was great!
Uniworld puts on a great cruise! The boat was comfortable and nicely appointed. While the rooms were small, they were nice and sufficient for the time spent in them. The excursion options were varied and destinations/guides were top notch. The food and wine were fantastic. The attention to detail and service provided were exceptional. The staff was amazing!
We felt like we spent too much time in Bordeaux itself. It’s a great city but we didn’t realize we’d be there 3 times and for as much time as we were.
The rivers were very not picturesque. Before we went, I had this idea of cruising down a beautiful blue river with lots of amazing sites to see on the shore as we cruised. While you can find that in other places (like the Rhine), that was not Bordeaux. The rivers are muddy so brown in color. And there wasn’t really that much to see as we cruised from place to place.
The excursions weren’t our favorite. While they were well organized and the destination options were varied and good, we confirmed that we like to own our own time and be flexible to change things when we want to. We loved our days when we toured on our own (especially our day biking thru the vineyards).
WHERE TO STAY IN BORDEAUX
On the night before our cruise, we stayed at the InterContinental Bordeaux, Le Grand Hotel. It was a fantastic hotel that included beautiful rooms, a pool, a spa, a 2 Michelin star restaurant, and a lovely rooftop bar and restaurant. We highly recommend the InterContinental if you are looking for a place to stay in Bordeaux.
INTERESTED IN A UNIWORLD BORDEAUX RIVER CRUISE OF YOUR OWN?
For more information on upcoming Uniworld Bordeaux River cruises, check out 2026 | Brilliant Bordeaux | Uniworld River Cruises.