A Belmond Boat · Provence
Napoléon
12 guests · 6 cabins · charter or by the cabin
Belmond calls Napoléon the largest, most sociable barge in its fleet, and the numbers bear it out: six cabins, up to twelve guests, all of them reconfigurable to suit the party. She is also the only one of the seven you can board without taking the whole boat — Belmond's Open Sailing option applies here and nowhere else, which is why her journeys price per adult rather than per charter.
She works the Rhône in Provence between Avignon and La Voulte-sur-Rhône, calling at Vallabrègues, Arles and Roquemaure. The week takes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a swim beneath the Pont du Gard, a walking tour of Arles, the medieval village of Viviers in the Ardèche, Grignan and its château, and a market morning at Les Halles with Chef Jonathan Cheri.
The other thing she has that the rest of the fleet does not is an outdoor jacuzzi. It sounds like a small point until the third evening on the Rhône, and it is the detail most often misattributed to the other boats — the jacuzzi is Napoléon's alone.
The cruises
Avignon to La Voulte-sur-Rhône
6 nights
Up the Rhône via Vallabrègues, Arles and Roquemaure, with Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Pont du Gard and Les Halles market with Chef Jonathan Cheri.
La Voulte-sur-Rhône to Avignon
6 nights
Downstream through Grignan and Viviers, finishing with an afternoon in Avignon and the Pont Saint-Bénézet. These two are the only live Napoléon journeys — Lyon and Sète routes still in search results now 404.
The cabins
Upper Deck Double or Twin Cabin
The category Belmond prices Open Sailing against — the only per-cabin fare published anywhere in this fleet.
Double cabin
Six in total, all reconfigurable to suit the party, which is what makes twelve guests workable rather than cramped.
On board
The outdoor jacuzzi
Unique to Napoléon in this fleet. If a listing gives another Belmond barge a jacuzzi, it has borrowed hers.
The lounge
Sized for twelve rather than six, which changes the character of the boat — this is the one that works for a party rather than a couple.
Booking this boat
Napoléon is the exception in every practical sense. She is the only Belmond barge sold by the cabin as well as by charter, so she is the answer when two people want a barge week without hiring a whole boat — bear in mind that per-cabin booking carries a minimum age of 12, which a private charter does not. At twelve guests she is also the right boat for a milestone party or a multi-generational group. Belmond publishes no cruising season; we confirm the calendar and whether your dates are open sailing or charter before anything is held.
Questions, answered
Can I book a single cabin on Napoléon?
Yes, and she is the only Belmond barge where you can. Belmond's Open Sailing option means you reserve one or more cabins and share the boat with other guests; her journeys are priced per adult against an Upper Deck Double or Twin Cabin. The other six boats are whole-boat charter only.
How many guests does she take?
Up to twelve, in six cabins that can be reconfigured to suit the party — the largest boat in the fleet and, in Belmond's own words, the most sociable. That makes her the practical choice for a milestone celebration or a multi-generational group.
Is there a jacuzzi?
Yes, an outdoor one, and it is unique to Napoléon among the seven Belmond barges. If you see a jacuzzi listed for one of the others, that listing has borrowed her feature — the rest have pools or nothing.
Are children allowed?
It depends how you book. Per-cabin Open Sailing carries a minimum age of 12 because the boat is shared. Take Napoléon as a private charter and children are welcome, which is the usual answer for a family group of this size.
Enquire
Hold a week aboard Napoléon
Tell us the party and roughly when, and we will confirm the current itinerary and hold the week with Belmond.
Start Planning