French Fascination

12 nights - 10 September 2024
Northern Europe
089096
Exclusive to SixStarCruises.co.uk
Exclusive to SixStarCruises.co.uk

Olife Choice AVAILABLE ON EVERY BOOKING - $600 to spend on-board OR 6 FREE shore excursions or FREE beverage package

HUGE savings, FREE pre-paid gratuities worth up to $23pppd & FREE on-board spend - EXCLUSIVE to SixStarCruises

Cruise Only WAS £4419 PP £2821 PP £0 PP £10356 £12746

Prices based on 2 people sharing, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 1 person, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 3 people, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 4 people, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Image featured for illustrative purposes only

Cruise Only WAS £4779 PP £3387 PP £0 PP £11928 £14682

Prices based on 2 people sharing, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 1 person, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 3 people, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 4 people, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Image featured for illustrative purposes only

Cruise Only WAS £5419 PP £3954 PP £0 PP £13526 £16648

Prices based on 2 people sharing, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 1 person, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 3 people, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 4 people, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Image featured for illustrative purposes only

Cruise Only WAS £7299 PP £5519 PP £0 PP £18218 £22423

Prices based on 2 people sharing, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 1 person, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 3 people, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Prices based on 4 people, departing from London airports (unless otherwise stated).

Image featured for illustrative purposes only

Want to add a hotel stay or change your flights?

Just call our team of cruise specialists to help build your dream cruise holiday today!

(Prices correct as of today’s date, are updated daily, are subject to change and represent genuine availability at time of update).

This cruise only holiday is financially protected by ABTA

Please click here to check the essential travel requirements before booking this cruise.

Included with Cruise Only -

FREE pre-paid gratuities PLUS $200 FREE to spend on-board per couple - ONLY when booking with SixStarCruises* (on selected stateroom grades) 

Included with Cruise & fly -

FREE pre-paid gratuities PLUS $200 FREE to spend on-board per couple - ONLY when booking with SixStarCruises* (on selected stateroom grades) 

 

Included with Cruise & Fly -

FREE pre-paid gratuities PLUS $200 FREE to spend on-board per couple - ONLY when booking with SixStarCruises* (on selected stateroom grades) 

 

Itinerary

1

Southampton

Southampton is a port city on England’s south coast. It’s home to the SeaCity Museum, with an interactive model of the Titanic, which departed from Southampton in 1912. Nearby, Southampton City Art Gallery specialises in modern British art. Solent Sky Museum features vintage aircraft like the iconic Spitfire. Tudor House & Garden displays artifacts covering over 800 years of history, including a penny-farthing bike.

Things To See, Do & Taste In Southampton:

  • See:  Stonehenge – A prehistoric megalithic structure and place of spiritual significance.
  • Do:  Wine tasting / winery tour – The Southeast of England has the greatest concentration of commercial vineyards in Britain.
  • Taste:  Tunworth and Winslade cheeses – Locally produced in Hampshire.

10 September 2024
... Read More
Southampton
2

Zeebrugge

In 1895 work began to construct a new seaport and harbour next to the tiny village of Zeebrugge, situated on the North Sea coast. Today the fast-expanding port of Zeebrugge is one of the busiest in Europe and its marina is Belgium’s most important fishing port. Many attempts were made to destroy this important port during both World Wars. Zeebrugge is ideally located for discovering the historic city of Bruges, and delightful seaside resorts with long sandy beaches can be visited by using the trams that run the whole length of the Belgian coast. Please note that no food may be taken ashore in Belgium. We shall not be offering shuttle buses to Bruges, but you may visit the city on an optional excursion: those visiting Bruges should note that there may be quite a long walk from the coach to the town centre.

11 September 2024
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Zeebrugge
3

Le Havre

Le Havre, founded by King Francis I of France in 1517, is located inUpper Normandy on the north bank of the mouth of the River Seine, which isconsidered the most frequented waterway in the world. Its port is ranked thesecond largest in France. The city was originally built on marshland andmudflats that were drained in the 1500’s. During WWII most of Le Havre wasdestroyed by Allied bombing raids. Post war rebuilding of the city followed thedevelopment plans of the well-known Belgian architect Auguste Perre. Thereconstruction was so unique that the entire city was listed as a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site in 2005. 

12 September 2024
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Le Havre
4

Saint-Malo

Thrust out into the sea and bound to the mainland only by tenuous man-made causeways, romantic St-Malo has built a reputation as a breeding ground for phenomenal sailors. Many were fishermen, but others—most notably Jacques Cartier, who claimed Canada for Francis I in 1534—were New World explorers. Still others were corsairs, "sea dogs" paid by the French crown to harass the Limeys across the Channel: legendary ones like Robert Surcouf and Duguay-Trouin helped make St-Malo rich through their pillaging, in the process earning it the nickname "the pirates' city." The St-Malo you see today isn’t quite the one they called home because a weeklong fire in 1944, kindled by retreating Nazis, wiped out nearly all of the old buildings. Restoration work was more painstaking than brilliant, but the narrow streets and granite houses of the Vieille Ville were satisfactorily recreated, enabling St-Malo to regain its role as a busy fishing port, seaside resort, and tourist destination. The ramparts that help define this city figuratively and literally are authentic, and the flames also spared houses along Rue de Pelicot in the Vieille Ville. Battalions of tourists invade this quaint part of town in summer, so arrive off-season if you want to avoid crowds.

13 September 2024
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5

Lorient

14 September 2024
6

La Rochelle

The old port area of La Rochelle is dominated by three 14th and 15th century towers that stand tall at the entrance and is one of the town’s major tourist attractions. Just over 400 years ago the first settlers to Quebec left from La Rochelle and Tour de la Chaine now houses a permanent exhibition celebrating this.

15 September 2024
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La Rochelle
7

Bordeaux

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you'll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described it as Versailles plus Antwerp, and why the painter Francisco de Goya, when exiled from his native Spain, chose it as his last home (he died here in 1828). The capital of southwest France and the region's largest city, Bordeaux remains synonymous with the wine trade: wine shippers have long maintained their headquarters along the banks of the Garonne, while buyers from around the world arrive for the huge biennial Vinexpo show (held in odd-number years).Bordeaux is, admittedly, a less exuberant city than many others in France, but lively and stylish elements are making a dent in its conservative veneer. The cleaned-up riverfront is said by some, after a bottle or two, to exude an elegance reminiscent of St. Petersburg, and that aura of 18th-century élan also permeates the historic downtown sector—“le vieux Bordeaux"—where fine shops invite exploration. To the south of the city center are old docklands undergoing renewal—one train station has now been transformed into a big multiplex movie theater—but the area is still a bit shady. To get a feel for the historic port of Bordeaux, take the 90-minute boat trip that leaves Quai Louis-XVIII every weekday afternoon, or the regular passenger ferry that plies the Garonne between Quai Richelieu and the Pont d'Aquitaine in summer. A nice time to stroll around the city center is the first Sunday of the month, when it's pedestrian-only and vehicles are banned.

16 September 2024
... Read More
Bordeaux
8

Bordeaux

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you'll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described it as Versailles plus Antwerp, and why the painter Francisco de Goya, when exiled from his native Spain, chose it as his last home (he died here in 1828). The capital of southwest France and the region's largest city, Bordeaux remains synonymous with the wine trade: wine shippers have long maintained their headquarters along the banks of the Garonne, while buyers from around the world arrive for the huge biennial Vinexpo show (held in odd-number years).Bordeaux is, admittedly, a less exuberant city than many others in France, but lively and stylish elements are making a dent in its conservative veneer. The cleaned-up riverfront is said by some, after a bottle or two, to exude an elegance reminiscent of St. Petersburg, and that aura of 18th-century élan also permeates the historic downtown sector—“le vieux Bordeaux"—where fine shops invite exploration. To the south of the city center are old docklands undergoing renewal—one train station has now been transformed into a big multiplex movie theater—but the area is still a bit shady. To get a feel for the historic port of Bordeaux, take the 90-minute boat trip that leaves Quai Louis-XVIII every weekday afternoon, or the regular passenger ferry that plies the Garonne between Quai Richelieu and the Pont d'Aquitaine in summer. A nice time to stroll around the city center is the first Sunday of the month, when it's pedestrian-only and vehicles are banned.

17 September 2024
... Read More
Bordeaux
9

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

18 September 2024
10

Bilbao

Time in Bilbao (Bilbo, in Euskera) may be recorded as BG or AG (Before Guggenheim or After Guggenheim). Never has a single monument of art and architecture so radically changed a city. Frank Gehry's stunning museum, Norman Foster's sleek subway system, the Santiago Calatrava glass footbridge and airport, the leafy César Pelli Abandoibarra park and commercial complex next to the Guggenheim, and the Philippe Starck AlhóndigaBilbao cultural center have contributed to an unprecedented cultural revolution in what was once the industry capital of the Basque Country.Greater Bilbao contains almost 1 million inhabitants, nearly half the total population of the Basque Country. Founded in 1300 by Vizcayan noble Diego López de Haro, Bilbao became an industrial center in the mid-19th century, largely because of the abundance of minerals in the surrounding hills. An affluent industrial class grew up here, as did the working class in suburbs that line the Margen Izquierda (Left Bank) of the Nervión estuary.Bilbao's new attractions get more press, but the city's old treasures still quietly line the banks of the rust-color Nervión River. The Casco Viejo (Old Quarter)—also known as Siete Calles (Seven Streets)—is a charming jumble of shops, bars, and restaurants on the river's Right Bank, near the Puente del Arenal bridge. This elegant proto-Bilbao nucleus was carefully restored after devastating floods in 1983. Throughout the Casco Viejo are ancient mansions emblazoned with family coats of arms, wooden doors, and fine ironwork balconies. The most interesting square is the 64-arch Plaza Nueva, where an outdoor market is pitched every Sunday morning.Walking the banks of the Nervión is a satisfying jaunt. After all, this was how—while out on a morning jog—Guggenheim director Thomas Krens first discovered the perfect spot for his project, nearly opposite the right bank's Deusto University. From the Palacio de Euskalduna upstream to the colossal Mercado de la Ribera, parks and green zones line the river. César Pelli's Abandoibarra project fills in the half mile between the Guggenheim and the Euskalduna bridge with a series of parks, the Deusto University library, the Meliá Bilbao Hotel, and a major shopping center.On the left bank, the wide, late-19th-century boulevards of the Ensanche neighborhood, such as Gran Vía (the main shopping artery) and Alameda de Mazarredo, are the city's more formal face. Bilbao's cultural institutions include, along with the Guggenheim, a major museum of fine arts (the Museo de Bellas Artes) and an opera society (Asociación Bilbaína de Amigos de la Ópera, or ABAO) with 7,000 members from Spain and southern France. In addition, epicureans have long ranked Bilbao's culinary offerings among the best in Spain. Don't miss a chance to ride the trolley line, the Euskotram, for a trip along the river from Atxuri Station to Basurto's San Mamés soccer stadium, reverently dubbed "la Catedral del Fútbol" (the Cathedral of Football).

19 September 2024
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Bilbao
11

La Coruña

La Coruña, the largest city in Spain's Galicia region, is among the country's busiest ports. The remote Galicia area is tucked into the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, surprising visitors with its green and misty countryside that is so much unlike other parts of Spain. The name "Galicia" is Celtic in origin, for it was the Celts who occupied the region around the 6th-century BC and erected fortifications. La Coruña was already considered an important port under the Romans. They were followed by an invasion of Suevians, Visigoths and, much later in 730, the Moors. It was after Galicia was incorporated into the Kingdom of Asturias that the epic saga of the Pilgrimage to Santiago (St. James) began. From the 15th century, overseas trade developed rapidly; in 1720, La Coruña was granted the privilege of trading with America - a right previously only held by Cadiz and Seville. This was the great era when adventurous men voyaged to the colonies and returned with vast riches. Today, the city's significant expansion is evident in three distinct quarters: the town centre located along the isthmus; the business and commercial centre with wide avenues and shopping streets; and the "Ensanche" to the south, occupied by warehouses and factories. Many of the buildings in the old section feature the characteristic glazed façades that have earned La Coruña the name "City of Crystal." Plaza Maria Pita, the beautiful main square, is named after the local heroine who saved the town in 1589 when she seized the English standard from the beacon and gave the alarm, warning her fellow townsmen of the English attack.

20 September 2024
... Read More
La Coruña
12

At Sea

21 September 2024
13

Southampton

Southampton is a port city on England’s south coast. It’s home to the SeaCity Museum, with an interactive model of the Titanic, which departed from Southampton in 1912. Nearby, Southampton City Art Gallery specialises in modern British art. Solent Sky Museum features vintage aircraft like the iconic Spitfire. Tudor House & Garden displays artifacts covering over 800 years of history, including a penny-farthing bike.

Things To See, Do & Taste In Southampton:

  • See:  Stonehenge – A prehistoric megalithic structure and place of spiritual significance.
  • Do:  Wine tasting / winery tour – The Southeast of England has the greatest concentration of commercial vineyards in Britain.
  • Taste:  Tunworth and Winslade cheeses – Locally produced in Hampshire.

22 September 2024
... Read More
Southampton

*This holiday is generally suitable for persons with reduced mobility. For customers with reduced mobility or any medical condition that may require special assistance or arrangements to be made, please notify your Cruise Concierge at the time of your enquiry, so that we can provide specific information as to the suitability of the holiday, as well as make suitable arrangements with the Holiday Provider on your behalf.

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What's Included with Oceania Cruises

Accommodation
Entertainment throughout the day and evening
Return flights included from a choice of UK airports (fly cruise bookings only)
WiFi included on-board
24-hour room service
Shuttle service to and from ports and airport where available
Unlimited soft drinks, bottled water and selected hot drinks
Complimentary in-suite bar in selected suites
Butler service in Penthouse Suites and above
1:1.6 staff to guest ratio

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