Amawaterways adds a taste of Bordeaux

AMAWATERWAYS has expanded its France portfolio with the launch of new seven-night cruises on the Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne rivers.

The one-week voyages are on the 148-passenger AmaDolce sailing round-trip from Bordeaux and include visits to Cadillac, Pauillac, Blaye and Liborne for tours to the wine regions of Sauternes, the Médoc and St Émilion.

Médoc and St Émilion. There are also included tours to castles and fortresses, and an optional excursion to Bergerac for those who want more wine-tasting. The penultimate day is spent in Bordeaux, with an optional tour to the town of Cognac.

Ten of the 2016 departures are wine-themed cruises hosted by experts from some of America’s top wineries.

p wineries. AmaWaterways is offering the cruise on its own or as a 12-night package that includes three nights in Paris and two in Amboise in the Loire Valley for a tour of some of its famous chateaux. They include Chateau du Close, where Leonardo da Vinci lived, and Chambord, the largest castle in the Loire Valley.

Prices start from £1,999 per person departing November 2 for seven nights including flights and transfers.

MEANWHILE, THE COMPANY is opening a sales and marketing office in the UK this autumn. It will be headed by Stuart Perl, who has been appointed to the new position of sales and marketing director UK and Europe.

Perl was previously marketing director at Cunard and most recently has been running his own group and charter river cruise business.

Fred Olsen Travel will continue in its current role as UK representative until the office opens in September. After that it will remain a preferred partner. It will be launching its own-branded, dedicated AmaWaterways 2017 brochure in May.