In Pauillac, the return of river cruise ships is a balm to the heart

Suspended since 2020 for safety reasons, river cruise ship calls have resumed at the port of Pauillac. The first boat, carrying 115 passengers, arrived at the beginning of the week. A revival eagerly awaited by traders and the town.

He promised it during his public meetings, and Pauillac Mayor Florent Fatin kept his word. On Monday, April 28, the marina welcomed its first river cruise ship in four years, "Le Bon Voyage," and its 115 passengers. A symbolic stopover, which was welcomed by the mayor. "In 2021, I launched a study on the condition of the pontoon and banned the arrival of these boats carrying tourists until we had the results. Work then began, with the installation of the mooring dolphins, and on Monday, the first boat was able to dock. We are delighted!"

This resumption marks the end of a long hiatus. While Pauillac had regularly hosted river cruises since 2011, everything came to an abrupt halt in 2020.

"We noticed that the port structure was cracked. We initially thought the cruise ships were the cause, so we suspended all port calls as a precaution," explains Fabrice Fatin, director of the port of Pauillac and the Maison du tourisme et du vin. "We then undertook three years of very in-depth analyses. There were core samples, electronic measurements, chemical analyses... In the end, an assessment showed that the concrete was sound, but that the metal reinforcement between the blocks, undersized when they were built in 1977, had finally given way."

During this period, Pauillac paid a high price. "We had up to 32,000 passengers disembarking per year. For the tourist office alone, that represented €170,000 in revenue from excursions, and €90,000 in port taxes, which helped finance a port that remains structurally in deficit," explains Fabrice Fatin.

To allow the return of river cruise ships without stressing the quay's solid structure, the town hall invested around €600,000 in installing four mooring dolphins, self-supporting mooring piles equipped with floating bollards that follow the tide's movements. The work was completed in early April.

Since then, the port has reconnected with the companies. " Uniworld, an American luxury company , is the first to return with a stopover every Monday. Others are arriving, like Avalon, and we have resumed contact with CroisiEurope . On May 14, we received a senior executive from Viking Cruises from the United States to discuss their return to Pauillac in 2026."

While 2025 remains a year of recovery, the City of Pauillac's objective is clear. The goal is to return to a rate close to two stops per day between March and October by 2026. To maximize local economic benefits, a priority system has even been introduced.

The principle is as follows. Boats offering excursions in Pauillac—such as to the La Rose Pauillac cooperative winery, Grand-Puy Ducasse, the Maison du tourisme et du vin, or the town center—will be given priority for slots. Guided tours are also being prepared.

As cruise ships return to Pauillac, ocean cruises are also preparing to return. The cruise ship test season continues with the partnership of the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux, at the Trompeloup wharf. On Tuesday, May 6, a cruise ship from the Ponant company, owned by the Artémis group (a holding company owned by businessman François Pinault, who also owns Château Latour in Pauillac), will drop anchor off the coast of the town. 220 passengers will disembark by shuttle via the new nautical stopover.

This operation is still on trial, but the municipality hopes to renew and expand it. For shopkeepers, winegrowers, guides, and the tourist office, this restart represents a breath of fresh air. "Everyone wins," assures Fabrice Fatin. "And after all these years of waiting, this is a real relief."