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Le Phenicien 
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Share our French "Art de vivre" for a while, forget the land, just relax you are now aboard Le Phenicien!
Sip fine wines and enjoy our gourmet Provencal cuisine cooked by our French Chef, learn about History and traditions of this land, remember the roman times, discover our local cow-boys on their superb white horses, have a cool bike ride in the back-country and enjoy being pampered by our crew.

Individual travelers, family groups, corporate managers you are knocking at the right door. Provence and Camargue Rhône river and canal cruise, Golf cruise, Bike cruise, Wine cruise, tailor-made cruise, it is all there.

You will discover from an unusual point of view Avignon and its monumental Palace of the Popes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape vineyards, the Roman aqueduct of Le Pont du Gard, the Medieval village of Les Baux de Provence, the famous city of Arles, wildlife and ranches of the Camargue and the walled city of Aigues-Mortes.

Like Queens, Kings and Nobles of the Middle Ages travel with us in luxury and style on the waterways of southern France through space and time.

Cruise Highlights: 

Provence/Carmargue Cruise:

Sunday
Transfer from a defined picking point to Le Phénicien which is moored close to the Avignon ramparts. It is time for a little nap or a free visit of the city. Our first dinner on board gives an indication of the high standard of cuisine that will be served during the cruise and the accompanying wines have been specially chosen from top-notch local vineyards.

Monday
History and wines are our centers of interest today. We first take a guided tour to learn about the religious and artistic importance of the city’s prestigious past with the palace of the Popes visit. Then a first nice lunch cruise takes us closer to one of the best cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape where we have a guided visit followed by a wine tasting. This evening we sail to Villeneuve lès Avignon where we will stay overnight. The wines tasted in the morning are back on the table at dinner!

Tuesday
This morning the gigantic Roman aqueduct “Le Pont du Gard”, its recently made-up site and its modern museum are waiting for you. After this intriguing guided visit we get back to the barge and sail down to Vallabrègues a quiet and charming little port where it is good to rest, have a bike ride or play the pétanque under the plane trees.

Wednesday
Spots of legend are many in the surroundings and after breakfast, we will visit the charming mediaeval village of Les Baux de Provence and take some time to shop around!
Back to the barge we pass through the huge 36 feet high lock of Beaucaire and sail down to Arles, the open-air Museum of Provence.

Thursday
Our guided visit in Arles this morning will delve deep into antiquity and, at the same time, unravel the joys and despair of Van Gogh who painted 300 canvases during his year here in 1888.
The most impressive navigation is for today heading for the Camargue! We cruise the Rhône river, the petit Rhône and the canal to reach the quiet and typical village of Gallician.

Friday
For our last day of excursion, what would you say about a nice trip to visit the wild Camargue? There we reach a manade, a typical ranch, where the gardians à cheval, the local authentic cowboys, show us how they tend the herds of bulls on their superb white horses. Our final destination is Aigues-Mortes, a 14th century walled city rising from a flat landscape from which St Louis set sail on his Holly Crusades. The Camargue never fails to surprise and welcomes us for our farewell dinner!

Pick up time / Drop off & location

Cruise direction Aigues-Mortes/Avignon

PICKUP:
NIMES - PICKUP LOCATION/TIME 1: Sunday, at 4:45 pm at the TGV train station a crew member holding a sign
“LE PHENICIEN” will be waiting at the “meeting point” on ground floor of the station.
NIMES - PICKUP LOCATION/TIME 2: Sunday, at 5:00 pm at the hotel Vatel

DROP-OFF:
AVIGNON - DROP-OFF LOCATION/TIME 1: Saturday at 9:00 am at the TGV train station
VILLENEUVE lès AVIGNON - DROP-OFF LOCATION/TIME 2: Saturday at 09:30 am at the hotel La Magnaneraie

Cruise direction Avignon /Aigues-Mortes

PICKUP:
AVIGNON - PICKUP LOCATION/TIME 1: Sunday, at 4:45 pm at the TGV train station a crew member holding a sign “LE PHENICIEN” will be waiting at the sign “meeting point” on ground floor of the station next to the black board with the train schedules.
VILLENEUVE lès AVIGNON - PICKUP LOCATION/TIME 2: Sunday, at 5:00 pm at the hotel La Magnaneraie

DROP-OFF:
NÎMES - DROP-OFF LOCATION/TIME 1: Saturday, at 9:00 am at the TGV train station
NÎMES - DROP-OFF LOCATION/TIME 2: Saturday, at 9:30 pm at the hotel Vatel

These cruises mentioned below are ONLY available on full boat Charter:

Cooking Cruise:
This is our last innovation, you will have "hands on" cooking classes with some of the best Chefs in our region. For you we open the doors of three prestigious properties: La Mirande in Avignon, le domaine de Valmouriane in St-Rémy-de-Provence and le domaine de ChâteauVirant in Lançon-de-Provence. In these magic places you will touch the finest Provencal cuisine, its authenticity, conviviality and multiple flavors. Cruise available in Avignon/Aigues-Mortes direction for groups from 9 to 15 passengers.

Wine Cruise:
Do you want to know more about how to taste and drink wine? how to make good wine? how to store it and how long for? you will learn all this with our special wine cruise program and you will have fun doing this! this cruise is available to groups from 9 passengers.

Golf Cruise:
How to play 5 different 18 holes golf courses in a week and pack and unpack only once? here is the answer. You will play on some of the best golf courses in the south of France as Pont Royal and Nîmes Campagne. This cruise is available to groups and individual travelers and can be mixed with our Provence/Camargue cruise.

Bike Cruise:
With almost 300 days of sunshine a year, flat lands and tough hills, a very dense good quality roads and trails network our region is a true paradise for bikers! and your luxury hotel and restaurant is following you...what else could you reasonably ask for? this cruise is available to groups from 9 passengers.

Itinerary:

Rates 2010:

Note: All prices are in Euro
One week cruise from Sunday evening to next Saturday after breakfast including:

The cruise, six nights aboard, all meals with beverages, transfers, excursions, facilities of the boat, full open bar (other options may be available on request).

(*) Available for individuals as an option of the regular Provence/Camargue programme

(**) Charter only. A minimum base of 9 passengers is required

(**) Charter only. Maximum 15 pax. Avignon/Aigues-Mortes cruise direction only

(***) Charter only. Includes extended crew availability and 8H/day bus availability

Value season: March 28 to April 24; July 11 to August 14; October 31 to November 13

Mid season: April 25 to May 15; June 27 to July 10;  August 15 - 28; October 17 - 30

Regular season: May 16 to June 26; August 29 to October 16

Features:

Bar Restaurant   Bath & Lavatories Dimensions and weight: Length: 127 feet Beam: 16 feet 7 inches Height: 16 feet 5 inches Ceiling height: 7 feet 5 inches Cruising weight: 250 tons 6 queen-bedded cabins 3 twin-bedded cabins.     Lounges/Seminar   Cabins   Sundeck   Crew   Kitchen   Machines

Rates include:

• All meals with beverages

• Transfers

• Excursions

• Facilities of the boat

• Full open bar

Rates do not include: