CroisiEurope has launched its first Seine River paddlewheel ship 50 years after the line was founded, writes Tamara Hinson for Cruise Trade News

MS R.E. Waydelich L.J set sail on 16 March, becoming the company’s first paddlewheel vessel to sail the river. Built in 2018, the ship previously cruised central Europe’s Elbe River.

With a capacity of 81 passengers, the 102-metre vessel will sail two itineraries from March-November. Fares for the six-day Little Gems of the Seine cruises start at around £1,158pp and the eight-day History of France from Paris to Normandy sailings come in at £1,639pp.

“For us, the Seine is so important,” said CroisiEurope’s director Lucas Schmitter, grandson of the late Gérard Schmitter, CroisiEurope’s founder, at a press conference prior to its inaugural sailing.

“Our grandfather was so proud to be the first company to sail the Seine in Paris, and with this ship, when we say small ship cruising, we mean it – this paddle wheel enables a 85cm draft, allowing us to sail in less than one metre of water.”

Cabins are almost identical in size, barring the sole single cabin and the PRM cabin for passengers with reduced mobility. The 28 upper deck cabins have French balconies and sliding doors, and highlights of the 14 main deck cabins include large windows.

Passengers can expect the usual river cruising staples, including satellite TV, internal telephones, safes and complimentary Wi-Fi. They will also have the chance to enjoy the ship’s art collection, which features several pieces by late French artist and the ship’s namesake Raymond-Émile Waydelich.

In the main restaurant, buffet-style meals for breakfast and fixed menus for lunch and dinner are available, while the lounge offers cocktails and live music.

It comes as the line prepares to launch a new river ship on Brazil’s Amazon River in 2027. Earlier this year, CroisiEurope extended its Seine sailing season beyond November. Scmitter put this down to changes in weather patterns.

“The weather is changing, and people want to travel more,” he said. “In November you’ve still got nice temperatures, but fewer people at the sites.”