S.S. Bon Voyage

Wine country begins almost immediately aboard S.S. Bon Voyage. Rather than functioning as a generic luxury riverboat that happens to be in France, the vessel has been designed around Bordeaux and southwestern French culture, creating an onboard experience that feels connected to the vineyards, cuisine and art encountered ashore.

Only 124 guests travel aboard, a particularly intimate number even by European river-cruise standards. The vessel was extensively remodeled in 2019, when four new suites were introduced and every accommodation received a redesign incorporating features such as marble bathrooms and distinctly French decorative touches.

Its home waters are the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers. These routes move through one of France's great wine regions, making vineyard visits, historic estates, medieval communities and Bordeaux itself central to the journey.

Dining naturally receives considerable attention. Regional ingredients and French culinary traditions provide an enormous amount of inspiration, while local wines turn meals into an extension of the day's exploration rather than simply an onboard amenity.

The Grand Suites and Suites offer the most generous accommodations, joined by French Balcony, Deluxe and Classic categories. Savoir beds and carefully finished interiors reinforce the feeling of staying in a boutique French hotel that simply happens to change location overnight.

Public spaces provide opportunities to relax between tastings and touring, while the open deck keeps vineyards and riverside landscapes visible during sailing. The pace is deliberately civilized: Bordeaux is a destination where lingering over lunch can be just as important as checking another monument off a list.

Within Uniworld River Cruises, Bon Voyage is one of the clearest examples of destination-specific ship design. Its personality would feel out of place on the Danube or Nile—and that is exactly the point.

The result is a vessel that turns a Bordeaux river cruise into something broader than transportation between wine estates. French design, cuisine and hospitality continue after guests return aboard, allowing the destination to follow them all the way back to their room.