Day-by-Day Aboard Our Upcoming Brilliant Bordeaux River Cruise!

We just sailed on Uniworld's S.S. Bon Voyage in preparation for our upcoming Brilliant Bordeaux river cruise vacation and are thrilled to welcome you aboard next May! Each day features exciting experiences in this beautiful part of the world - and, of course, plenty of wine! Take a look at some of the amazing experiences you can enjoy on this upcoming vacation!

Day 1

We arrived and boarded the beautiful S.S. Bon Voyage ready for an amazing adventure!

Day 2

We spent the morning in a beautiful village called Blaye. Our host and hostess were Les and Clarissa who own not only the local winery but also a beautiful art gallery and guest house. Their wines are made by turning the barrels manually four times per day and crafted by hand creating a truly unique Bordeaux that they shared with each of us. Les explained the importance of terroir in French wines. Although there is not an English translation for the word, it means a “sense of place” where all factors that go into producing wine (climate, soil, winemaker) create the magic of their wines. Clarissa’s art gallery was full of beautiful, creative works of art and the space was magical.

After our tour, we walked to the Unesco World site, the Vauban Fortress. What a landmark full of so much history! We of course had to walk through and enjoy a glass of Sauvignon Blanc while sitting inside such a place.

The afternoon was spent at a sleep village called Bourg where our guide shared stories of how the locals lived centuries ago. My favorite was the Lavoire wash area where the women would gather to manage their family’s laundry and spend the day sharing their stories and lives.

Day 3

We began the morning with a stop at Cussac Fort Medoc with a freshly harvested oyster tasting on the terrace of the fort. The oysters were delicious and the setting spectacular. These unique experiences are one of the things that make Uniworld River Cruises the best in their business.

Our lunch onboard was followed by a drive to our first Château of the trip with a wine tasting. La Tour Carnet was lovely and their wines were a great example of the wines produced here in the Bordeaux region.

The night wrapped up with a casual dinner onboard in La Brasserie where we enjoyed local cheeses, French Onion Soup, and Beef Bourguignon that was cooked to perfection.

Day 4

This morning we were docked back in Bordeaux and so excited for our tour today. If you know me, you know I am obsessed with the movie Moulin Rouge. Today, we toured the childhood home of Henri de Toulouse Lautrec at Chateau Malrome. The Chateau and grounds were absolutely beautiful and we learned so much about this complicated and interesting man. I only wish we did not have just carry-on luggage as I wanted to bring home some of the wine from this stop with the custom labels.

We spent the afternoon catching up on work during our sail to Libourne on the top deck. One of my favorite parts of river cruising is the sail while sitting on the deck with a glass of Rose.

Day 5

Day 5 onboard Uniworld’s SS Bon Boyage! I have fallen in love with Saint Emilion and cannot wait to come back! The perfect little town with delicious wine! Our day started with a tour of the underground church and catacombs then led to a wine tasting and cooking class. We made risotto with Scallops, chicken with mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and zucchini. And well, our chef was pretty easy on the eyes! After the class, we had a lovely glass of wine by the bell tower.

Day 6

Day 6 onboard Uniworld’s beautiful SS Bon Voyage! Today we docked in Libourne. We signed up for one of the most unique tours I have ever experienced. We saw how wine barrels are made from log to barrel. There were some machines involved but much of the work is done by hand. Afterward, we strolled through the local farmer's market and down the shopping street. Such a cute town! After lunch, we went to the top deck for the sail and enjoyed the sunshine and glass of Rosé. Later in the afternoon, we were brave enough for Wine and Paint where we tried our best at watercolor painting with Simon. I feel like we did pretty well!

Un jour de plus!

Day 7

Day 7 and sadly our last day onboard Uniworld’s SS Bon Voyage. We spent the day in the city of Bordeaux and what a place! We did one of the offered Masterpiece tours and explored the city on motorbike with a sidecar! Definitely a tour for the more adventurous type and we loved it. We were able to see the other side of the river in addition to the main area. Later in the afternoon, we stopped to see the Intercontinental Bordeaux where we will be hosting our pre-night stay before our May voyage. Definitely a good choice. We had dinner in the eclectic Saint Michel Square and checked out the local gay bar Coco Loko.