Biarritz: CruisingGrade.Com Port Of The Day

Biarritz, our CruisingGrade.com port of the day, is the subject of a tribute in the latest New York Times Style Magazine. You can read it here: "The Strange, Enduring Appeal of Biarritz; Éric Rohmer’s small masterpiece ‘The Green Ray’ is a hymn to youth — and to the beach town’s indefinable allure."

Cruise ships call on Biarritz spring and fall as they sail north or south along the Western edge of Europe. They typically offer a long day to enjoy Biarritz, an overnight in Bordeaux for wine enthusiasts, and often the possibility of excursions to Giverny, Mont St. Michel, Paris, or London.

Three of these four sailings include Lisbon, one of our favorite world-class destinations, a marvel of tradition, architecture, and cuisine, and worth a few days stay at the beginning or end of your cruise.

Our recommendations:

Sept. 15, 2018 'Glamorous Europe'

12 Nights London to Barcelona, All-Inclusive Excursions, Beverages, Gratuities. Mid-size Regent Seven Seas Explorer, 750 passengers, built 2016. 

Regent Explorer

Suite of 219 sq. ft. plus 88 sq. ft. balcony from $12,899 with free air, up to $2,500 per person less if you make your own flight arrangements. $300 ship board credit. Full day in Biarritz with 8 a.m. arrival and 10 p.m. departure. Route also includes San Malo, another historic French beach resort, with time for a trip to Mont St. Michel. 

Itinerary

Saturday, September 15 London (Southampton), England
Sunday, September 16 St. Malo, France for Mont St. Michel

Mont St. Michel

Monday, September 17 At Sea
Tuesday, September 18 Bordeaux, France
Wed, September 19         Bordeaux, France
Thursday, September 20 Biarritz, France
Friday, September 21 Bilbao, Spain
Saturday, September 22 La Coruna, Spain
Sunday, September 23 Oporto (Leixoes), Portugal
Monday, September 24 Lisbon, Portugal
Tuesday, September 25 Seville, Spain
Wed, September 26         At Sea
Thursday, September 27 Barcelona, Spain

Sept. 21, 2018 'Bordeaux, Basque Lands & Brittany' 

12 Nights London to Lisbon, Not As Inclusive, But A Third The Price. Small-size Windstar Star Breeze, 212 passengers, built 1989, refurbished 2015. 

Windstar Star Breeze

Sea view suite 277 sq. ft. from $3,099, with balcony from $4,099 plus $611 taxes on sale this week only until May 16. The Breeze is the former and much celebrated Seabourn Spirit, with much the same luxury cabins, public spaces, and amenities as then, but gratuities and alcoholic beverages are now additional charges. Bairritz from 1 to 9 p.m.. More French ports, no Seville or Barcelona.

Itinerary

Friday, September 21 London (Southampton), England
Saturday, September 22 At Sea
Sunday, September 23 Paris (Le Havre), France
Monday, September 24 St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands
Tuesday, September 25 Belle Isle, France
Wed, September 26         La Rochelle, France
Thursday, September 27 Bordeaux, France
Friday, September 28 Bordeaux, Francem
Saturday, September 29 Biarritz, France

Biarritz

Sunday, September 30 Bilbao, Spain
Monday, October 1         At Sea
Tuesday, October 2         Porto, Portugal
Wednesday, October 3 Lisbon, Portugal

May 15, 2019 'Vintage Europe'

14 Nights Lisbon To Amsterdam, All-Inclusive Beverages, Gratuities. New ship Seabourn Ovation, 600 passengers, built 2018. 

Seabourn Ovation Rendering

Balcony suite 340-380 sq. ft. from about $8,999 (if you or your agent selects "We Select Your Suite") plus $495 taxes. See our review of her sister ship, Seabourn Encore, here. Brugge, an overnight in Greenwich that allows time for the long excursion back and forth to London proper, and disembarkation in Amsterdam, one of our most recommended cities.

Itinerary

Wed, May 15         Lisbon, Portugal
Thursday, May 16 At Sea
Friday, May 17 Gijon, Spain
Saturday, May 18 Bilbao, Spain
Sunday, May 19 Biarritz, France
Monday, May 20 Bordeaux, France
Tuesday, May 21 Bordeaux, France
Wed, May 22         At Sea
Thursday, May 23 Torquay, England
Friday, May 24 Cherbourg, France
Saturday, May 25 Brugge, Belgium
Sunday, May 26 London (Greenwich), England
Monday, May 27 London (Greenwich), England
Tuesday, May 28 Vlissingen (Flushing), Netherlands
Wed, May 29         Amsterdam, Holland

Amsterdam

Sept. 17, 2019 'Vineyards & Castles' 

12 Nights Amsterdam To Lisbon, More Ports, No Sea Days, Jacques Pepin Aboard for Cruise. Mid-size Oceania Marina, 1,258 passengers, built 2011. 

Balcony cabin of 282 sq. ft. from $4,899, 420 sq. ft. suite from $6,899. About $1,100 more will buy round-trip airfare and six shore excursions or beverage package or $600 shipboard credit. Twelve hour stay in Dover makes quick London excursion possible, and 13 hours docked in Le Harve allows excursion into Paris or Giverny. No sea days means more ports to enjoy. Oceania says:

Oceania Marina

Join Master Chef Jacques Pépin, our Executive Culinary Director, on this unique voyage perfect for culinary aficionados, which features exclusive signature menus, heartwarming lectures, cooking demonstrations and much more.

Itinerary

Tuesday, September 17 Amsterdam, Holland
Wed, September 18         London (Dover), England
Thursday, September 19 Paris (Le Havre), France
Friday, September 20 St. Malo, France
Saturday, September 21 Brest, France
Sunday, September 22 La Rochelle, France
Monday, September 23 Bordeaux, France
Tuesday, September 24 Bordeaux, France
Wed, September 25         Biarritz, France
Thursday, September 26 Bilbao, Spain
Friday, September 27 Ferrol, Spain
Saturday, September 28 Oporto (Leixoes), Portugal
Sunday, September 29 Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon