MV La Belle des Océans: 7 decks, 130 passengers, 73 crew
The MV La Belle des Océans is CroisiEurope's sea-going ship. Of the 64 vessels in the fleet we document, she is the only one with 7 decks: the others have 2 or 3. She is 103 metres long and 15 metres wide, carrying 130 passengers in 65 cabins and suites, all outside, with 73 crew.
Seventy-three people for 130 passengers is one crew member for fewer than 2 travellers. On the fleet's European river ships the ratio is one in 5. That figure is why this ship compares to nothing else in the catalogue.
What she has that the river ships do not
A pool, a fitness centre, a spa, a wellness lounge, several bar lounges. On European rivers those features are rare: space is short and draught limits everything. Of the 60 vessels CroisiEurope publishes, we counted 12 with a pool, including all 5 on the Douro — such as the MS Infante Don Henrique — plus the Nile, the Mekong and Lake Kariba. What sets this ship apart is the rest: a spa, a gym and a wellness lounge, which we found on no other vessel in the fleet.
The restaurant serves all meals, contemporary cooking. Every cabin has an outside view, without exception: of 65 cabins, none faces a corridor.
A 1990 hull, a 2014 fit-out
Here is the figure to face squarely. She was built in 1990 and refurbished in 2014. Her hull is 36 years old, her fit-out 12. A properly maintained sea-going ship sails for a long time, and 1990 is not a safety issue. But 12 years since the last refit shows in the finishes, and you deserve to know before boarding rather than at your cabin door. We do not sell this ship as a new product, because she is not one.
The imperial cities of Morocco
CroisiEurope programmes this ship on an itinerary devoted to Moorish art and the imperial cities of Morocco, port to port. This is a coastal cruise rather than a river cruise: the sea replaces the river, and with it comes motion that a river vessel does not have. Anyone who chooses river cruising precisely to avoid seasickness needs to weigh that.
Air routings to Morocco from Montreal vary by carrier and season. We build the journey with you and confirm the exact routing before you sign, rather than announcing a non-stop flight we have not verified for your dates.
What is included and what is not
The CroisiEurope formula covers full board, drinks with meals and at the bar, and onboard entertainment. Excursions vary by departure. Gratuities are not included. Travel insurance never is. We itemise every line and explain what Quebec's FICAV fund covers before anything is signed.
Who she suits
Travellers who want a ship's equipment at a river vessel's scale: 130 passengers is fewer than most Rhine river ships. Travellers who tolerate the sea. She does not suit anyone looking for new, or anyone who chose river cruising for the absence of motion. Compare with the MV La Belle de l'Adriatique and, in an entirely different register, the RV Ganges Voyager. The full fleet is on our CroisiEurope cruises page.
