European Waterways announced that it has invested more than $600,000 in upgrades to its hotel barges and added new routes for the 2015 season.

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - April 1st, 2015 - European Waterways announced that it has invested more than $600,000 in upgrades to its hotel barges and added new routes for the 2015 season.  The company will also be expanding its fleet next year with the addition of “the latest in luxury hotel barging,” the double-decker 8-passenger Finesse. The Finesse will cruise Southern Burgundy from St-Jean-de-Losne to Montchanin – an area not currently offered in the European Waterways Program.  It is scheduled to launch in April 2016 and will be priced at $7,000 - $7,500 per person.

European Waterways is working with British designer Marion Falchi on interior renovations of several hotel barges in its fleet, including new floors, upholstery and general décor for La Belle Époque’s cabin area. The Renaissance has also been equipped with new cabins, bathrooms and bedding. To prevent disturbances during rest hours, hotel barges have been fitted with silent night generators for when plug-in power is not available. As part of the upgrades and repairs, on-board Wi-Fi has also been enhanced.   

For the convenience of their guests, European Waterways will be providing international English-language newspapers on board all of their hotel barges. It has restructured all programs to include at least one cooking demonstration on each cruise and has updated the itineraries of L’Impressioniste and  La Belle Époque. Savoir Faire, another 12-passenger vessel, will be cruising a new route in the Upper Loire region during the summer, and the Panache will be back on the Niderviller to Strasbourg route in Alsace starting mid-July.

Fine and Dandy

Designed by Roger and Louis Gronow, the experienced owners of Enchanté, the 8-passenger Finesse is nearly 125 ft. long and features a classic design. It will have panoramic saloon windows, and very spacious cabins of approximately 260 square feet. It will also be equipped with amenities such as a sun deck, a spa pool, touring bikes and Wi-Fi, and will pick up passengers in Lyon or Dijon.

Highlights aboard the Finesse include cruising down the Saône River and the Canal du Centre. The barge will also make its way through the Burgundy vineyards and past the famed wine village of Santenay. Guests will visit the Roman city of Autun and the pilgrimage town of Paray-le-Monial. The cruise will also feature a wine tasting in Beaune and a private lunch prepared by a Michelin chef at the Chateau de Bouchard Pere et Fils Orangery.  A visit to Chateau de Gemolles, home of the Dukes of Burgundy, is also on the itinerary.

For more information, pricing, cruise schedules, and brochures, visit www.gobarging.com or call Toll Free 1-877-879-8808. Follow European Waterways on Facebook and Twitter. You can also view their YouTube channel, http://bit.ly/19kQhbm.

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