MS Botticelli: 145 guests on the Seine, the busiest of the four boats running Paris to Normandy
The MS Botticelli is 110 m long by 11.40 m wide, has 2 decks and 73 cabins of 10 to 12.50 m², and carries 145 passengers with 25 crew. Built in 2004, refurbished in 2016, rated 4 anchors. She sails the Seine from Paris.
Four boats on the same river, and a ladder published nowhere
CroisiEurope runs four boats on the Seine, and their density varies twofold:
The Botticelli is the busiest of the four, at 1.32 guests per metre. That is neither good nor bad in itself: more people on board means more going on in the evening and a more varied crowd, and it also means a queue at disembarkation and a sun deck that fills. A traveller comparing these four pages without this table is comparing photographs.
Two decks, so no lift
CroisiEurope fits lifts only to its three-deck boats. The Botticelli has two, so she has none. The restaurant is on the upper deck with panoramic windows, and so is the lounge bar with its dance floor. A guest on the main deck will climb the stairs several times a day. On an 8-day cruise that adds up, and a guest with reduced mobility should be steered to a three-deck boat such as the MS Beethoven.
A 2016 refit, and cabins of 10 to 12.50 m²
The hull dates from 2004 and was refurbished in 2016, ten years ago. Her 73 cabins measure 10 to 12.50 m², a figure CroisiEurope publishes, which it does not do for its whole fleet. Ten square metres is small, and it is better read here than discovered at embarkation. The decoration works in taupe, beige and emerald with Venetian fabrics. There is no laundry service on board, which weighs on an 8-day programme.
Where she sails
The Seine, on programmes of 5 to 8 days from Paris: Rouen, Honfleur, Caudebec-en-Caux, the Normandy coast. Depending on the excursions chosen, this is the itinerary of the D-Day beaches, Rouen cathedral and the gardens at Giverny.
Paris is a non-stop flight from Montreal-Trudeau, on the busiest transatlantic route out of Quebec. You land and board with no domestic transfer, which remains rare in this fleet.
What the fare includes and what it does not
Included: full board, drinks with meals and at the bar, Wi-Fi, port taxes and onboard entertainment. Not included: shore excursions, gratuities, the premium wine list and transfers. On a Normandy programme where the visits carry most of the content, price the excursions before you leave.
Who this boat is not for
Anyone who cannot manage stairs. Anyone who needs space in the cabin, since 10 m² is a published reality. Anyone after quiet, since she is the busiest boat on the Seine. Anyone who wants a balcony, a pool or a gym, none of which are on board. And anyone travelling eight days with light luggage, since there is no laundry service. Our CroisiEurope page gathers the whole fleet.
