This May, CroisiEurope celebrates its 50th anniversary along with a highly successful 2025, during which it carried more than 205,000 passengers, served 1.8 million meals and achieved 97% occupancy across its fleet of 50 river and ocean ships and hotel barges.
Founded on May 1, 1976, by Gérard Schmitter in Strasbourg as Alsace Croisières, CroisiEurope has grown from a local operator of Rhine River lunch cruises to become one of Europe's leading river cruise companies. The family business, renamed CroisiEurope in 1997, has built its reputation on innovation, becoming a major shipowner that designs, owns, and operates a fleet of over 50 vessels offering diverse and affordable itineraries throughout Europe and around the world.
Historical milestones:
- 1976: Gérard Schmitter founded Alsace Croisières, offering restaurant cruises on the Rhine near Strasbourg.
- 1982: The company acquires its first ship, L'Alsace 1, offering cruises from Strasbourg to Rüdesheim.
- 1990: Important turning point when the company becomes a shipowner and orders its first custom-built ship, the MS Libert.
- 1993: Launch of the first cruises on the Danube.
- 1995: Launch of the first cruises on the Rhône and the Saône.
- 1997: Name change to CroisiEurope, marking its expansion beyond the regional French waterways.
- 1998: Launch of the first cruises on the Seine and the Volga.
- 1999: Gérard Schmitter hands the company over to his children.
- 2000: Launch of the first cruises in Venice, its lagoon and the Po River.
- 2002: Launch of the first cruises on the Douro River.
- 2004: Launch of the first cruises on the Danube.
- 2005: Launch of the first cruises on the Guadalquivir River.
- 2007: Entry into the coastal cruise market with La Belle de l'Adriatique.
- 2011: Launch of the first cruises in the Gironde and the Garonne.
- 2012: Launch of the first cruises on the Mekong.
- 2013: Introduction of hotel barge cruises on French canals.
- 2015: Introduction of the first paddlewheel boat on the Loire.
- 2017: Launch of the first cruises on the Elbe and the Moldau.
- 2019: Introduction of its second ocean-going ship, La Belle des Océans.
- 2020: Launch of unique safari cruises on Lake Kariba, in southern Africa.
- 2027: CroisiEurope will launch a new ship and new itineraries on the Amazon.
CroisiEurope celebrated its 50th anniversary last month with a lavish gala in Strasbourg, hosted by three generations of the Schmitter family. The event featured eight illuminated ships, 250 crew members, and 50 chefs who offered a sophisticated culinary experience, showcasing the richness and diversity of French gastronomy. Guests also enjoyed a water show on the Rhine that recounted CroisiEurope's journey over five decades, from its European roots to destinations as far afield as southern Africa and Cambodia.
To commemorate its 50th anniversary, CroisiEurope has launched a paddlewheel boat on the Seine along with a series of themed cruises, including wine, gastronomy and hiking.
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