WHAT WE LOVE About France

This might just be our favorite part, as evidenced by the well-stocked wine caves on the S.S. Joie de Vivre and the S.S. Bon Voyage. Due to its popularity, you can enjoy French wines anywhere in the world, but there’s something special about drinking a local product amongst the vineyards that created it. Head to Burgundy & Provence regions for excellent rosés, syrah and pinot noir. And if you’re looking for a journey all about the finest French wines, go for Bordeaux. You’ll find yourself becoming a proper connoisseur in no time.

We’re in the mood for indulging our imaginations and going on a little trip through France together. Why? To share our love for one of the most classic vacation destinations in the world with you. It’s one of those places that not only sits on every traveler’s bucket lists, but draws return visitors back time and time again.

Truly, it’s hard to run out of things to enjoy in the country, when its wonders are so varied. Region by region, you’ll find major shifts in architecture, culture, wines, cuisine, climate and more. Never, though, will you leave behind this common thread, the joie de vivre that permeates French culture—a zest for enjoying life that we admire so much we named one of our ships after the phrase.

To travel through the cuisines of France is to discover new palates everywhere you go. In Normandy, you’ll spread creamy Camembert cheese on warm baguettes and sip on spirits crafted from the region’s apple orchards. Butter, of course, brings rich flavor to many of the country’s most famous dishes, but you’ll find it being replaced with the Mediterranean flair of olive oil the farther south you travel. And don’t miss the chance to pair oysters and white wine in Bordeaux.

It takes a talented chef to meet the full potential of French cuisine, which is why we make sure our guests sample the best bites onshore and onboard. Flip to the recipes in this newsletter for some favorites from our ships.

Certainly, France has hosted far more than its fair share of visual and literary artists. Many were born there—including Henri Matisse, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Victor Hugo—and countless others moved to the country in search of inspiration, such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, and Gertrude Stein.

Their work captured the beauty and vivacity to be found in so many aspects of French life, and they found themselves creating some of the most defining moments in all of art history.

You’ll find a piece of that inspiration for yourself any time you visit France.

Walk the gardens of Giverny, where Claude Monet painted many of his most iconic paintings (like his Water Lilies series). Stand in the exact perspective from which Van Gogh captured Starry Night. Or stroll through the Louvre for an up-close look at the masterpieces.

by the Waterways of France

A retired teacher living in California, Mary has been a beloved part of the Uniworld family since her first cruise in 2008. Now, 14 years later, she’s finally reached her 50 th cruise! Read on to get to know one of our most frequent travelers.