Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - 14:51 by ce-press
Rouen is known for being the closest cruise port to Paris. Cruiseships of up to 240m in length make the journey up the River Seine and stay overnight in the city.
It is very rare that larger cruise ships pass each other on the river as there are so few places where it is possible. This April was the first time that ships from the same company actually sailed side by side in opposite directions.
At 0700 on April 5, Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Magellan (221m long), sailed past its company sister Marco Polo (176m).
Hundreds of passengers and crew on both ships got up early to witness the experience, with both ships sounding their whistles. The moment was captured not only by a film crew on board Magellan, but also a drone and a crew at the side of the river.
Yves Leclerc, director of Rouen Tourism and Congress, said: “There was great cooperation between Cruise & Maritime Voyages, the Port of Rouen and the pilots association to make this happen and I look forward to witnessing something like this again.”
Looking ahead, the Rouen Armada will take place June 6 to 16 next year when more than 50 smaller ships will parade along the River Seine to Rouen.
