Name: Canals to Châteaux: cruise from Amsterdam to Bordeaux SH Diana 7 Nights
Brand: Swan Hellenic
Availability: InStock

Voyage Overview

Embarkation

IJmuiden

Disembarkation

Bordeaux

Destination Highlight

Northern Europe

About the Ship

Built in the Helsinki Shipyard in Finland, SH Diana (named after the Roman goddess of light, the moon, hunting and the wilderness) offers a truly elevated travel experience. Whether you’re taking in remarkable scenery from the panoramic sauna, dining in a world-class restaurant, or unwinding in your sumptuous stateroom, this outstanding 5-star ship has you covered.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 - Aug 25, 2027

IJmuiden

North Holland’s ‘Gate to the North Sea’, IJmuiden has four harbours: the Vissershaven, Haringhaven, IJmondhaven and the Seaport Marina - the latter used by pleasure craft. It is the largest Dutch fishing port, but is a relatively young town: it grew up in the 1870s when the North Sea Canal was opened. During World War II, the German Navy demolished much of the town and built huge fortified concrete bunkers for their torpedo boats and submarines. After 1945, the town was rebuilt by the architect Willem Marinus Dudok. He designed IJmuiden’s most impressive building, the Stadhuis van Velsen, which houses local government offices. For cruise passengers IJmuiden is the gateway to Amsterdam, the Dutch capital and one of Europe’s truly great cities, where elegant canals are lined by old brick gabled houses, and superb art galleries and museums are home to some of the world’s best-known paintings. Please note that complimentary shuttle buses operate from the port to the centre of IJmuiden, not to Amsterdam.

Day 2 - Aug 26, 2027

Oostende (Ostend)

Day 3 - Aug 27, 2027

Honfleur

Honfleur, the most picturesque of the Côte Fleurie's seaside towns, is a time-burnished place with a surplus of half-timber houses and cobbled streets that are lined with a stunning selection of stylish boutiques. Much of its Renaissance architecture remains intact—especially around the 17th-century Vieux Bassin harbor, where the water is fronted on one side by two-story stone houses with low, sloping roofs and on the other by tall slate-topped houses with wooden facades. Maritime expeditions (including some of the first voyages to Canada) departed from here; later, Impressionists were inspired to capture it on canvas. But the town as a whole has become increasingly crowded since the Pont de Normandie opened in 1995. Providing a direct link with Upper Normandy, the world's sixth-largest cable-stayed bridge is supported by two concrete pylons taller than the Eiffel Tower and designed to resist winds of 257 kph (160 mph).

Day 4 - Aug 28, 2027

Saint-Malo

Thrust out into the sea and bound to the mainland only by tenuous man-made causeways, romantic St-Malo has built a reputation as a breeding ground for phenomenal sailors. Many were fishermen, but others—most notably Jacques Cartier, who claimed Canada for Francis I in 1534—were New World explorers. Still others were corsairs, "sea dogs" paid by the French crown to harass the Limeys across the Channel: legendary ones like Robert Surcouf and Duguay-Trouin helped make St-Malo rich through their pillaging, in the process earning it the nickname "the pirates' city." The St-Malo you see today isn’t quite the one they called home because a weeklong fire in 1944, kindled by retreating Nazis, wiped out nearly all of the old buildings. Restoration work was more painstaking than brilliant, but the narrow streets and granite houses of the Vieille Ville were satisfactorily recreated, enabling St-Malo to regain its role as a busy fishing port, seaside resort, and tourist destination. The ramparts that help define this city figuratively and literally are authentic, and the flames also spared houses along Rue de Pelicot in the Vieille Ville. Battalions of tourists invade this quaint part of town in summer, so arrive off-season if you want to avoid crowds.

Day 5 - Aug 29, 2027

Roscoff

Day 6 - Aug 30, 2027

Belle-Île-en-Mer

Although one might think that a name like “the beautiful island in the sea” might be a little too poetic, artists and painters have come to love the nature of this largest of the Brittany islands. “Les Aiguilles de Port Coton”, a famous painting by Claude Monet, depicts the wild southern coast and rocks exposed to wind and waves. The island has a ‘soft’ side too. Its northern shore has two ports and long sandy beaches. At the port of Le Palais is one of the historical gems of the island. Mentioned by Alexandre Dumas in his second book about the Three Musketeers, the Citadelle de Belle Ile had great strategic importance as access to the south of Brittany was controlled by Belle Ile and its smaller neighbours Houat and Hoed. The beautifully maintained fort is now a museum. There are other spectacular and unique fortifications along the island’s shore.

Day 7 - Aug 31, 2027

Bordeaux

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you'll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described it as Versailles plus Antwerp, and why the painter Francisco de Goya, when exiled from his native Spain, chose it as his last home (he died here in 1828). The capital of southwest France and the region's largest city, Bordeaux remains synonymous with the wine trade: wine shippers have long maintained their headquarters along the banks of the Garonne, while buyers from around the world arrive for the huge biennial Vinexpo show (held in odd-number years).Bordeaux is, admittedly, a less exuberant city than many others in France, but lively and stylish elements are making a dent in its conservative veneer. The cleaned-up riverfront is said by some, after a bottle or two, to exude an elegance reminiscent of St. Petersburg, and that aura of 18th-century élan also permeates the historic downtown sector—“le vieux Bordeaux"—where fine shops invite exploration. To the south of the city center are old docklands undergoing renewal—one train station has now been transformed into a big multiplex movie theater—but the area is still a bit shady. To get a feel for the historic port of Bordeaux, take the 90-minute boat trip that leaves Quai Louis-XVIII every weekday afternoon, or the regular passenger ferry that plies the Garonne between Quai Richelieu and the Pont d'Aquitaine in summer. A nice time to stroll around the city center is the first Sunday of the month, when it's pedestrian-only and vehicles are banned.

Day 8 - Sep 01, 2027

Bordeaux

Stateroom Options

Premium Suite

Premium Suites measure 41m2 (441ft2) – including 8m2 (86ft2) private balcony – and can accommodate two guests. They feature a king size bed, separate living room, and flame-effect fireplace. There’s also a luxurious ensuite bathroom – with separate bath tub and shower – and a walk-in wardrobe.

All In The Details
Your stateroom has a welcome bottle of Champagne, snacks, and a well-stocked minibar. Plus, there’s an Illy espresso coffee machine, tea facilities, smart HDTV, free Wi-fi, personal safe, and a pair of Nikon Prostaff 3S 10x42 binoculars to help you watch out for wildlife!

Spa Time
Your stateroom has a luxurious bathroom, featuring a large sink, and glass-enclosed rain shower. There are high quality Lajatica toiletries, which transform your ensuite into your own personal spa, including hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. Plus, there are fluffy bathrobes and bedroom slippers, a hairdryer, and a selection of high quality towels.

Suite

Suites measure 41m2 (441ft2) – including a 5m2 (54ft2) private balcony – and can accommodate two or three guests. They feature a king size bed, and have a separate living room, with a flame-effect fireplace. There’s also a luxurious ensuite bathroom with separate bath tub and a walk-in shower.

Junior Suite

Junior Suites measure 32-36m2 (344-388ft2) – including a 6m2 (65ft2) private balcony – and can accommodate two guests. They feature a king size bed, have a separate living room area, and luxurious en-suite bathroom.

Balcony

Balcony Staterooms measure 25m2 (269ft2) – including a 5m2 (54ft2) private balcony – and can accommodate two or three guests. They feature two single beds or a double bed, bedroom with living room area, a flame-effect fireplace and a luxurious bathroom.

Oceanview

Oceanview Staterooms measure 20m2 (215ft2) and can accommodate two guests. They feature two single beds or a double bed, bedroom with living room area, a flame-effect fireplace and a luxurious bathroom.

Included Amenities

Exclusive Bonus: Contact us for exclusive perks available on this sailing.

Gratuities & Tips

Your travel fare already includes the tip and daily service fees.

Therefore, it's not common practice or expected to tip for services rendered onboard our Ships. Many of our guests wish to give special thanks to different parts of our service crew on board. It is always at your sole discretion to honor the service provided by the crew in the bars, restaurants, and staterooms, as well as for the expedition team members. Tipping can be handled, therefore, very individually. But for our guests' convenience, you may contact our guest reception and debit the amount to your onboard account. Monies collected from onboard accounts will be divided equally among all crew members after the cruise. Officers and the Expedition Team are not included in this breakdown.

Starting From

$4,851

per person

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Trip Summary

Ship Name SH Diana

Departure Date August 25, 2027

Duration 7 Nights

Offer ID 1682310999

Ship Facts

Built 2023

Guests 192

Crew 127