CroisiEurope, a leader in the European river cruise market and known for its excellent value for money, inaugurated the MS Loire Princesse in Nantes on April 2nd. The 90-meter-long river cruise ship was commissioned from the Neopolia and equipped with the latest technological advancements required for its design.
The inauguration was presided over by the Mayor of Nantes, the President of Nantes Metropole, the Mayor of Saarbrücken, and the CEO of STX France shipyards, who served as the ship's godfather. The christening ceremony was officiated by Father Gilles Bolle.
After the inauguration, the ship embarked on its inaugural voyage with international press and invited guests to Saint-Nazaire, which included a visit to the renowned STX shipyards. The return to Nantes took place on the 3rd, with disembarkation on the 4th.
The final itinerary of the Loire Princesse will be:
Departure: Nantes
1: Nantes – St Nazaire
2: St Nazaire – Ancenis
3: Ancenis – Bouchemaine
4: Bouchemaine – Angers (1)
5: Bouchemaine – Chateaux de la Loire
6: Bouchemaine – Ancenis – Nantes
Arrival: Nantes
A technological challenge
CroisiEurope worked on the design of an unusual ship propelled by paddle wheels.
Due to the shallow draft in the Loire region – one of the last wild rivers in Europe – the vessel has been designed with a paddle wheel propulsion system, making it the largest French vessel of its kind since the closure of transatlantic lines at the end of the 19th century.
Continuing with the latest scientific studies on this subject in the late 1950s, paddle wheels have been optimized in a digital test tank in Nantes by the HydrOcean society.
The movement of the side paddle wheels is provided by two diesel engines that meet the latest environmental protection standards, ensuring a low noise level, setting this project apart from traditional ships with hydraulic or steam engines.
To cope with the inherent limitations of navigating the Loire and its unique character, STIRLING INTERNATIONAL DESIGN drew inspiration from the Loire's particularities to provide a hull with a shallow draft and very flat (70 cm empty and 80 cm loaded).
The ship's weight has been reduced thanks, in part, to its aluminum superstructure. Furthermore, the naval architect has designed the aforementioned unique paddle wheel propulsion system.
These two elements combined allow the MS Loire Princesse to navigate effectively in limited water depth and low speed (15 km/hour).
This challenge has been effectively met by CroisiEurope's commitment to innovation, bringing together renowned professionals specializing in shipbuilding through the Neopolia naval industrial consortium, for both the design and construction of unusual vessels.
If the MS Loire Princesse is CroisiEurope's first ship of this type, its twin, called Elba Princesse, will also be built in Saint Nazaire.
CroisiEurope, established 36 years ago and family-run, joined CLIA as a global cruise member and part of the Cruise Special Collection (CLIA), operating a fleet of 43 river vessels (from 24 to 180 passengers each), offering cruises in France (Seine, Rhône, Saône, Garonne, Dordogne, Loire, Meuse, Rhine), Italy (Po), Spain (Guadalquivir), Portugal (Guadiana, Douro), on the Rhine and its tributaries, on the Danube, on the Elbe and the Volga, on the Mekong (Vietnam and Cambodia), the Irrawaddy (Burma), and the Chobe River (Africa).
It also owns and operates the Belle de l'Adriatique, which can accommodate 198 passengers and sails along the Mediterranean coast.
In 2014, CroisiEurope welcomed 197,894 passengers, resulting in a turnover of €146 million, representing an 8% increase over 2013. 55% of the passengers carried were French, and the remainder were distributed among other European nationalities, including Germans, Belgians, British, Swiss, and Spanish.
