Major European cruise operator CroisiEurope is setting up its own operation in the U.S. after years of working with American tour operators. The French-based company, which has 1,100 employees, has launched a New York call center and plans a B-to-B site for agents, according to Michel Grimm, international sales director.
With 37 ships, all family owned and operated except three vessels sailing in Russia, the company offers three- to 13-day cruises on 25 canals and rivers from the Rhine, the Rhone and the Saone to the Seine, Bordeaux, Garonne and more. The brand is distinguished by its mix of European and American passengers, as well as by its tremendous variety of itineraries in Europe.
“We are alone in sailing from Seville, and we’ve been in Bordeaux for two years,” said Grimm. “We have cruises out of Venice, including two for Carnival in February, and we are on all the major rivers and many tributaries.”
The company recently added two 24-passenger hotel barges, extending the product line further.
The company’s French culinary experience is led by Alain Bohn, a nominee to the Maitres Cuisinier de France, offering gastronomic voyages with the input of Michelin-starred chefs such as Paul Bocuse and Marc Haeberlin.
New upgrades for 2014 will include an open bar and a fuel surcharge guarantee on its 2014 tariffs. Agents are commissioned at 10 percent for cruise fares and excursion packages.
The Details
CroisiEuropewww.croisieuroperivercruises.com
