Seminars and company events
Les Bateaux Bordelais organises seminars, study days, conferences, client invitations, product launches, team building and year-end parties on the Garonne for groups of 20 to 250 people. The company runs five boats from the quays of central Bordeaux, in the Chartrons district and in front of the Place de la Bourse, and boats can be hired in full or in part.
For meetings on board, the company provides a wireless microphone, a sound system, a screen and a projector. A morning working session can be followed by lunch on the water, or a day of meetings ashore can end with an evening cocktail cruise past the city's riverfront. Business lunches, executive committees and cocktail receptions are listed among the corporate formats, and the team handles planning, coordination and customization of each event.
Weddings and receptions
Private clients book the boats for weddings and wedding receptions, birthdays, christenings, retirement parties, family reunions and bachelor parties. The format is adapted to the number of guests, from a private lunch or dinner to a standing cocktail or a full reception on the river.
Rooms and capacities
The Sicambre is the largest boat, with 170 seats at tables and up to 250 passengers for a cruise. It has a main deck room for up to 150, an upper deck room for up to 50 and an open terrace deck, and its air is filtered by a purification system. The Maddalena, a riveted steel boat built in 1951 at the La Mouche yards in Lyon and shortened to 33 m in 1990, seats 150 in an air-conditioned room and has an upper deck with all-round views; it is fully renovated and wheelchair accessible.
The Sardane takes 75 guests, 50 inside around a lounge bar and 25 outside, and suits tastings and aperitifs. The Sirius, an electric boat built in the Doubs and added to the fleet at the end of 2022, holds up to 70 for private hire, sails quietly and has wide windows. The Pibal, with an aluminum hull, a bar and a 180-degree view, completes the fleet.
Catering
On the restaurant cruises, a chef cooks fresh, seasonal dishes on board. The company also runs a winemaker aperitif cruise and a Sunday brunch cruise, and private events are built around a meal, a cocktail or a reception chosen with the team.
History and setting
The boats sail the Garonne through the heart of Bordeaux, along the riverfront listed by UNESCO, with views of the Place de la Bourse, the quays and the bridges. The fleet mixes a historic boat from 1951 with newer vessels, including an electric one.
Getting there
Restaurant cruises board opposite 24 Quai des Chartrons, reached by tram line B at the CAPC Musée d'art contemporain stop, with parking at Cité Mondiale. Other departures leave from the ponton d'honneur on Quai Richelieu, tram lines C, D or E to Place de la Bourse. Bordeaux Saint-Jean station and Bordeaux-Mérignac airport serve the city. Guests should arrive 30 minutes before departure.
