Private Boat or Shared Cruise in Bordeaux? How to Choose

Should you choose a private boat or a shared cruise in Bordeaux? The answer depends on what you want to experience on the Garonne. In both cases you discover the city from the water, but the experience and the organisation are very different.

Here is how to compare the two options for an event or a group outing.

The shared cruise: discovering the city while sharing the boat

A shared cruise is open to several passengers who do not know each other. The timetable, the route and the organisation are set by the operator. It is a simple way to discover Bordeaux from the river, but it leaves little room for personalisation: you fit in with the existing programme.

The private boat: a space reserved for your group

With a private boat, only your guests are on board. You can build a tailor-made programme: meal, cocktail party, speeches, music, entertainment. Depending on the boat and the format, you can choose between sailing and a moored boat, as explained in our article on choosing between a moored boat and a sailing boat.

When to choose one or the other?

• Shared cruise: for a simple discovery of the city, with no need to personalise the outing.
• Private boat: for an event (birthday, corporate evening, hen or stag party, reception) where exclusive use of the space and control of the schedule matter.

What to compare beyond the format

Before deciding, look at what is included: actual duration, services, scope for customisation, cancellation conditions. A rigorous comparison avoids unpleasant surprises; our article on comparing quotes for a boat in Bordeaux gives you a method, and our guide to organising an event on a boat sets out the next steps.