This year the French port of Caen celebrates its millennium with some new developments taking place, which will add to its attraction as a small ship cruise port.
“As a small boutique port, we can arrange private access to many of our sights throughout the year,” explained Morgan Pravos, Cruise Manager, Caen-Ouistreham Normandy cruise.
A new berth, replacing the previous one at Quai Gaston Lamy, which can take ships up to 165 m in length, is due to be inaugurated when Grand Circle’s ‘Clio’ arrives for a two-night stay and turnaround between 4th to 6th June.
There will be a cycle and pedestrian walkway at the new pier to connect it to the medieval historic centre. On the Millennium maritime weekend of 27th to 29th June, there will be 48 sailing ships visiting the city, including the iconic ‘Le Belem’.
In addition, the navigable part of the Caen Canal will be widened by 10 m for the end of summer 2026 with the replacement of the Colombelles bridge. During the work, the port will remain open.
The port has a second dedicated cruise pier Quai de Calix for ships up to 175 m.
This year, the city will receive five calls, but 12 are already booked for 2027, three short of the port’s target of 15 per year.
Pravos explained: “We want to provide a personalised experience for all the calls that come to Caen. This includes free shuttle buses, free cycles and tourist kiosk on the pier and a special welcome funded by the cruise club.
“Investment in the new cruise pier will come from the city because it is important that both passengers and locals be connected to both the port and the city. It’s also one of the reasons why we created our cruise club 10 years ago with all the port and tourism stakeholders, to build the perfect experience for cruise guests,” he said.
(Article courtesy of Cruise Europe).
