La Nouvelle Etoile
France, Champagne
Cruise Along the River Marne and the Canal de L'Aisne a la Marne
Join La Nouvelle Etoile for an experience through sun kissed Champagne countryside, where verdant vineyards line the shore and flutes of “bubbly” abound.
The creative itinerary will begin or end with a private “Paris by Night” cruise. Moving into Champagne, there are champagne and Brie cheese tastings, as well as sightseeing at Reims Cathedral and Eisenhower’s World War II War Rooms.
This opulent barge recently came under new ownership. Bill and Lisa Desmond are an American couple with wide-ranging professional experience in hospitality management, engineering services, and high-end retail. They have led extensive redecorating and refitting of La Nouvelle Etoile: everything from the acquisition and display of original artworks throughout the vessel to a new Wi-Fi system. La Nouvelle Etoile already boasted a long list of premium innovations such as a lift, guest laundry facility and petite exercise room.
La Nouvelle Etoile continues to be unique in that it cruises in five countries over the course of a single season: Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxembourg – and thus attracts many repeat cruisers. The spacious deck is the perfect place to linger with a glass of wine, admiring the idyllic scenery as the barge gently cruises through the inland waterways of Europe. Guests enjoy an extraordinary culinary experience onboard which features seasonal ingredients and regional specialties, served at a table replete with elegant Wedgewood china, Christofle silver, and the finest crystal. Wines are selected from the barge’s cellar of 2,500 bottles, while the Chef can easily snip fresh seasoning from the on-deck herb garden.
Consider this cruise as the very best way to experience all that is unique and delicious in Champagne!