Cruising the Loire River is not like cruising the Rhine or Danube—and that’s exactly the point. The pace is slower, the scenery more understated, and the towns feel less polished and more lived-in. If you’re expecting grand castles around every bend or bustling port cities, you may find the Loire a bit too quiet. But if you’re drawn to a more contemplative, rural side of France, it offers something refreshingly different.
This Croisi cruise review focuses on my experience aboard MS Loire Princesse, CroisiEurope’s purpose-built paddlewheel ship designed specifically for this shallow and often unpredictable river.
We are unapologetically cruise lovers. Big ships, small ships, and ships in between. Oceans, rivers, canals. We enjoy them all for different reasons, different occasions, and different experiences. We believe there’s a cruise that’s right for most every kind of traveler. It’s just a matter of considering your interests and preferences and matching them up with a cruise line and cruise itinerary that meets those preferences.
Knowing where to start, and the questions to ask may seem overwhelming. That’s why we continue to write about different types of cruising, different ships, different cruise lines, and different itineraries. And we go indepth, all in one story, so you don’t have to hop around looking for everything. You’ll find what you need to know right here – cabins, food and beverage, cruise pricing (which is highly variable), itineraries, what we did, any mistakes we made, and all of our recommendations. Our goal is to help you make an informed cruise choice, and to enjoy cruising as much as we do.
While this Loire itinerary and concept were appealing, the onboard experience didn’t quite match our personal preferences. Colleagues that I was traveling with thoroughly enjoyed it, though, which emphasizes my belief about matching up individual preferences with ships and itineraries.
As always, this reflects our personal experience; your sailing may differ depending on itinerary, cabin choice, and time of year.
Let’s take a look!
Loire River: A Slower Side of France
The Loire River itinerary leans heavily into small towns, regional culture, and pastoral landscapes. Ports tend to be quieter and less commercialized than those on more popular European rivers, which can feel either charming or underwhelming depending on your expectations.
Excursions focus on Loire Valley highlights. Think vineyards, historic towns, and local food traditions, rather than blockbuster sightseeing. Days unfold at an unhurried pace, often with long stretches of scenic cruising in between.
If you enjoy watching the countryside drift by with a glass of wine in hand, this style of cruising works well. If you prefer a packed sightseeing schedule, it may feel a bit too relaxed.
The Ship: MS Loire Princesse
Launched in 2015, the Loire Princesse was specifically engineered for the Loire River’s shallow depths. Its paddlewheel design isn’t just aesthetics, it’s functional, allowing the ship to navigate areas that would be inaccessible to traditional river cruise vessels.
With a capacity of just 96 passengers and around 24 crew, the ship feels intimate and easy to navigate. You’ll quickly recognize fellow passengers, and service tends to feel personal rather than formal.
The layout is straightforward:
- Upper Deck: Cabins with sliding panoramic windows (some with small balconies), plus the main lounge and bar.
- Main Deck: Cabins with high windows (often called swan rooms) and the primary dining room.
- Sun Deck: Sun deck with loungers.
Inside the ship, the design leans classic French riverboat – warm woods, copper accents, and burgundy tones. While comfortable, the overall aesthetic feels somewhat dated compared to newer river ships that emphasize contemporary design and open, airy spaces.
Public areas are limited. There’s one main lounge, a sun deck with loungers, and the dining room—no spa, fitness center, or alternative venues. This keeps things simple, but also means onboard life revolves around just a few shared spaces.
Wi-Fi is included but inconsistent, which is fairly typical for smaller river ships. Ship location and passing through locks, is not conducive to uninterrupted service, but combined with an e-Sim, we never felt truly out of touch.
Dining Onboard
Dining on MS Loire Princesse centers around a single restaurant experience, with a focus on traditional French cuisine and regional Loire Valley influences.
The Loire Restaurant
Located on the Main Deck, the Loire Restaurant serves all meals. Breakfast is buffet-style, with pastries, fruit, eggs, and cold cuts. Lunch and dinner are plated, typically featuring three courses built around local ingredients.
The setting is simple and functional rather than elegant, but large windows provide lovely river views while you dine.
Beer and wine are included with lunch and dinner, and choosing local wines complemented the regional focus nicely.
Breakfast and lunch were easy meals, with variety and choices.
However, the menu for dinner is set, with no choices provided, and this was a challenge for us. While understanding the size of the ship means economies must be made, we were often left facing a menu of food we didn’t like.
Again, this is a personal preference, not a shortcoming. We are fairly mainstream eaters, and the more foodie-focused travelers on the cruise found the menu delightful. We would have found greater comfort in having at least one choice besides the featured entree, even if that was just grilled chicken.
The desserts were the standouts of dinner for us!
About halfway through the cruise, we were informed that alternatives could be arranged (chicken instead of duck, or pork instead of venison, for example); it would have been nice to know this earlier. The process had to repeated every night for the next day. Another option we considered was dining off the ship, but the itinerary changes (noted below), made that a difficult choice.
Lounge & Bar
The Upper Deck lounge acts as the social hub of the ship. During the day, it hosts briefings and occasional demonstrations, and is a great spot for drinks and conversation. In the evening, it’s where light entertainment takes place.
The atmosphere is relaxed and low-key, with a more conversational focus than on lively entertainment. It’s a good space for reading, having a drink, or simply watching the river pass by through panoramic windows.
Sun Deck
The sun deck is simple but pleasant, with loungers and a small bar area. There’s no pool or elaborate setup, but on a sunny day, it’s easily the best place on the ship.
This is where the Loire experience really shines—quiet landscapes, open skies, and a slower rhythm that’s hard to find on busier waterways.
Cabins: Comfortable but Basic
The Loire Princesse has 48 cabins, all outward-facing, which is standard for river cruising.
While small and basic, the cabin was well laid out to provide for good storage and many conveniences. We were in cabin 229, well-positioned mid-ship. It felt a little worn around the edges, in need of a touch up. Again, nothing was truly wrong, just not living up to my expectations as a frequent cruiser. These Upper Deck cabins feature sliding panoramic windows, with some offering small balconies.
Main Deck cabins are more compact, with high, non-opening windows. They’re functional but feel more enclosed.
All cabins include: Twin beds convertible to a double, en-suite bathroom, TV, safe, and air conditioning
Overall, cabins are clean and comfortable but lack the polish and modern touches found on newer ships. There are no suites or upgraded categories, reinforcing the ship’s more utilitarian feel.
The Itinerary: Loire Valley, France
Our precise 4-night sailing isn’t offered for the 2026 sailing season, but is similar to this one.
Also note, our itinerary had changes due to water levels and engineering on the river. This is not uncommon on the Loire.
Day 1: Nantes (Embarkation)
Nantes is a fun, walkable city full of medieval and maritime history. There’s lots to do and see here, depending on your personal interests, and we’re glad we opted to arrive a few days early to enjoy the city.
We always recommend arriving at least one day early for a cruise. Delays happen, and that can be cancelled flights, late arrivals and missed connections, and jetlag. Flights from Seattle to Nantes were limited, so we opted for a stayover in Morocco, arriving in Nantes several days early to explore.
It’s not worth the risk of missing a cruise. And what’s not to like about some extra time in Nantes?
A few spots we enjoyed: Château des Ducs de Bretagne, which anchors the old city and now houses the Nantes History Museum, and the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul; the Passage Pommeraye, a beautiful 19th-century shopping arcade; and the Machines of the Isle of Nantes, a whimsical attraction near where we boarded our ship.
Our recommendation: Walk the green line. Nantes is an easily walkable city, and the Green Line is a permanent self-guided walking trail painted (green) directly onto the sidewalk. The city center loop is mostly flat and is about seven and a half miles around town. We walked a different section each day, stopping in at attractions, for delicious food, or a glass of wine. We stopped in at the Official Tourism Office (9 Rue des Etats, directly across from the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne) for a map that lays out the entire Green Line.
We stayed at the Mercure Nantes Centre Grand Hotel. Rooms were comfortable, rates were terrific, and it was well situated for our exploring. The embarkation location was a short cab/Uber ride away.
Day 2: Saint Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire gives off a very different feel from the prettier inland towns. It’s a working port city at the mouth of the Loire, known for its shipbuilding heritage, Atlantic waterfront, and a more industrial, modern edge. This is where the river starts to feel maritime, with big harbor views, ocean-liner history, and a coastline nearby that includes beaches and estuary scenery.
Our excursion here was to the Escal’ Atlantic Museum, a former submarine base that was turned into a museum, taking visitors on an immersive voyage through the golden age of ocean travel. The experience is set inside the huge wartime bunker, but once you step in, it feels like boarding a luxury liner, with recreated decks, corridors, cabins, and public rooms inspired by famous French ships.
The interactive museum experience let us feel like we wandering about a transatlantic ship, learning about life onboard for both passenger and crew. Their life onboard was much different than life onboard the Loire Princesse.
We enjoyed this excursion, both for time at the museum exploring artifacts, and for time to walk around the grounds.
Day 3: Clisson Village
Clisson is one of the prettiest stops along the Muscadet route, providing an introduction into the Loire Valley’s wine country. Muscadet is a crisp, dry white wine made mostly from Melon de Bourgogne grapes, commonly grown in vineyards around the Nantes area.
The village has a charming look, with pinkish stone, arched bridges, and medieval château ruins. Open spaces with parks and walking paths emphasize the countryside feel. This isn’t big city sightseeing; it’s a town to slow down and wander, perhaps enjoying some wine tasting.
We were able to enjoy both activities – exploring the village and wine tasting – with a walk around the town, visiting a local farmers market, and then wine tasting at Chateau Cassemichere. We enjoy white wine, although don’t collect much of it, but we did spring for a couple of bottles of L’Imperti’Nantes “Blanche.” This sparkling brut was pale yellow in color, with a delicate vanilla nose and hints of citrus and flowers. Priced at only €12.00, it was a great buy, and will be a nice sipper for a sunny summer afternoon on the deck.
Day 4: Villandry
Villandry is one of the Loire Valley’s most beautiful and best-known chateau, completed in the Renaissance era. The chateau is lovely, but most visitors come for the impressive formal gardens.
Restored in the early 20th century, the sheer variety of gardens is impressive. From the water garden to the kitchen garden to the ornamental flower gardens, this is a spot to catch your breath and enjoy some slow-paced sightseeing or garden-spotting.
Day 5: Nantes (Disembarkation)
We disembarked in Nantes and spent another day exploring before heading for home. If you aren’t able to add on extra days on the front end, we recommend you do it at the end.
The Price
Cruise pricing is full of special offers. You’ll find lots of bundling, two-for-ones, included air, and special discounts.
You’ll need to do your own personal research to evaluate what’s important to you on any cruise, and the price point that is comfortable for your budget. Armed with that information and knowledge, you can book directly with a cruise line or use travel agents with good cruise knowledge. If you’re looking for a good cruise agent, get in touch, we’ll be happy to help.
A quick look at 2026 for Loire River cruises show itineraries ranging from five to eight days, with pricing starting around $1,244 per person. Croisi pricing includes all meals, beverages (including most alcoholic drinks), shore excursions, onboard activities, and wifi.
Gratuities
Mention tipping in a group of people and it’s sure to elicit a lively discussion. I wish all service staff were paid a living wage, with consumer prices adjusted accordingly, and that tipping would cease to exist. I know that won’t happen any time soon. Until then, I have accepted that it is an additional expense to factor into a vacation budget.
Croisi is a French family-owned cruise company, and European tipping practices vary widely from the United States. Tipping is left to the discretion of passengers. Generally speaking, $5-10/day per person, per day, is commonplace. It’s handled old-school style, with an envelope left in your room on the final evening. You can slip money into it, then deposit in a designated box at the reception desk.
Is This Croisi Loire Princesse Itinerary Right For You?
This Loire cruise is a good fit for travelers who are open to a different kind of river-cruise experience, especially one that is priced lower than many comparable European river sailings. It tends to attract guests who are comfortable choosing value over extra bells and whistles, and who are happy with a trip that keeps the focus on the river, the route, and the destinations rather than on a highly polished onboard product.
It’s also worth noting that this is the only cruise option on the Loire, so it fills a very specific niche. That makes it especially appealing for travelers who want to see this part of France by river and are less concerned with comparing it to more common itineraries on the Rhine or Danube. The ship and program are built around the realities of the Loire itself, which gives the experience a shape that is different from other European river cruises.
Read About the Loire Valley
Are you ready to prepare for a Loire river cruise? I love reading books about the places I visit as a warm up to my trip. Here are some books set in the Loire Valley region that you can enjoy and get you in the mood for a visit.
- Chocolat – Joanne Harris. A warm, widely loved novel about a mysterious chocolatier stirring things up in a small French town. Or, watch the movie starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.
- French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley – Alice Judge-Talbot. A memoir about daily life in the Loire Valley from an American newcomer’s perspective.
- Nine Coaches Waiting — Mary Stewart. A classic romantic suspense novel with a moody château setting and plenty of Loire Valley atmosphere.
- The Scapegoat — Daphne du Maurier. A suspenseful novel that uses France’s elegant houses and emotional tensions to great effect.
- The Princess of Cleves – Madame de Lafayette. A classic French novel of court life, love, and restraint, still closely tied to the Loire region’s royal history.
- The Wind in the Willows — Kenneth Grahame. A classic children’s book that includes scenes along the River Loire.
