Grand Cru: Luxury hotel barge · Burgundy
New in 2018, on the Canal de Bourgogne
Elegant Waterways · 8 guests · 4 cabins · whole-boat charter
Grand Cru measures 128 by 16 feet and takes eight passengers, with six English-speaking crew. Elegant Waterways dates her to 2018 and describes her as the crème de la crème of its fleet, a yacht among French canal barges. She is a private week for one party: Elegant Waterways sells her as a whole-boat charter only, so the whole boat is yours for the Sunday-to-Saturday cruise.
The salon has several seating areas and continuous panoramic windows, so the countryside stays in view while she moves. The dining room is separate and seats eight, and a glass-walled demonstration kitchen lets the chef cook in front of you, with planned and impromptu demonstrations in French and Continental cuisine. Outside there is a sun deck with a canopied dining space, a seating area for an evening cocktail, and a hot tub.
She works the Canal de Bourgogne between Plombières-lès-Dijon and Vandenesse-en-Auxois, through the Ouche valley, with a Burgundy wine estate, the Clos de Vougeot, Dijon and Beaune on the days ashore. The canal runs 242 km with 189 locks, and the cruise is run in reverse on alternate weeks.
Booking through Via Privata: USD 1,500 charter credit
Credited by Via Privata on bookings of USD 40,000 or more — on top of the barge's own inclusions. We confirm what your dates include, in writing, before you book.
- Boat-selection guidance across the barges we book
- Every benefit confirmed in writing before you commit
- Hotels joined either side of the cruise, as one trip
The route
Drawn to show the order of the moorings, not the exact course of the river or canal.
The cruises
Plombières-lès-Dijon to Vandenesse-en-Auxois
6 nights
The Canal de Bourgogne, Sunday to Saturday, by way of Fleurey-sur-Ouche, Gissey-sur-Ouche, La Bussière-sur-Ouche and Pont d'Ouche. Ashore: the Château du Clos de Vougeot, a morning in Dijon, a private tasting at the Domaine de Cromey, Châteauneuf-en-Auxois with dinner at the Abbaye de la Bussière, and the Hospice de Beaune. It runs in reverse on alternate weeks. The operator lists weekly sailings from 4 April to 30 October 2027.
On board: the cabins
Staterooms
Over 260 sq ft
Four, each with two oversized twin beds or one king bed. Private bath with tub, separate shower, heated towel racks and heated floors; individually controlled heating and air conditioning; a vanity dressing area, a mini refrigerator and a stereo system.
On board
The salon
Multiple seating areas and continuous panoramic windows, in a contemporary style.
The dining room
A separate room that seats eight, where the private chef serves lunch and dinner with wine.
The demonstration kitchen
Glass-walled, with planned and impromptu demonstrations by the chef in French and Continental cuisine.
The sun deck
An outdoor dining space under a sun canopy for morning coffee or lunch, and an adjacent seating area for an evening cocktail.
The hot tub
On the deck, for a dip with family and friends in the evening.
Bicycles
On board, with a bike for each guest; electric bikes can be hired as a special arrangement.
Booking this boat
Elegant Waterways sells Grand Cru as a whole-boat charter only. Cruises run Sunday to Saturday; the operator lists weekly sailings from 4 April to 30 October 2027 and asks for a direct enquiry about 2028. The charter includes daily excursions by Mercedes van with a private tour guide and admissions, a private transfer from Paris on Sunday (2:00 pm pick-up) and back to one Paris location on Saturday (about noon), chef-prepared table d'hôte meals, a lunch or dinner ashore, regional wines and an open bar, bicycles, the hot tub and games. Golf, electric bikes, balloon rides and extra tastings are arranged and charged on top.
Questions, answered
Which agency offers the most perks for booking Grand Cru?
Compare totals, not headline perks: the barge's own inclusions and any agency credit on top. Via Privata books Grand Cru and adds a USD 1,500 charter credit of its own on bookings of USD 40,000 or more. Every benefit is confirmed in writing before you commit.
How many guests does Grand Cru take?
Eight passengers, looked after by six English-speaking crew. Elegant Waterways describes the staterooms as two oversized twin beds or one king bed, and its deck plan shows four of them. She is a 128 by 16 foot barge, new in 2018, and the separate dining room seats eight.
Where does she cruise?
On the Canal de Bourgogne in Burgundy, between Plombières-lès-Dijon and Vandenesse-en-Auxois, by way of Fleurey-sur-Ouche, Gissey-sur-Ouche, La Bussière-sur-Ouche and Pont d'Ouche. The canal runs 242 km with 189 locks. Cruises run Sunday to Saturday, in reverse on alternate weeks, and the operator lists weekly sailings from 4 April to 30 October 2027.
Is Grand Cru charter only, or by the cabin?
Whole-boat charter. Elegant Waterways publishes charter rates for Grand Cru and no fare per cabin, and its own About page describes the company as offering intimate barge charters. A booking therefore takes the whole barge for the week, which suits a family or a group of friends travelling together.
How big are the staterooms on Grand Cru?
Elegant Waterways gives them as over 260 square feet. Each has two oversized twin beds or one king bed, a private bath with tub, a separate shower and heated towel racks and floors, individually controlled heating and air conditioning, a vanity dressing area, a mini refrigerator and a stereo system.
Hold a week aboard Grand Cru
Tell us the party and roughly when, and we will confirm the current itinerary and hold the week with Elegant Waterways.
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