2025 Rouen Cruise Season Ends: Upscale Ocean and River Calls on the Seine

In 2025, Rouen handled 18 ocean cruise calls and 984 river cruise calls, making it a particularly active year on the Seine for both sea-going and river vessels. High-end river cruising also played an important role, with more premium and luxury ships using Rouen as a key stop on itineraries linking Paris and Normandy.

The positive trend continued into 2026, with 16 ocean calls and 1,095 river cruises already on the books, helped by new vessels entering service on the Seine river.

Rouen worked closely with a solid base of repeat clients, including Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Windstar Cruises, and Azamara Cruises, and marked the inaugural call of Seabourn Cruise Line's Sojourn, which further strengthened its position with higher-end brands.

Market segmentation in 2025 showed a clear shift compared with the pre-pandemic years. Expedition calls rose to 6%, a noticeable increase for a segment that was almost absent before 2022, reflecting growing interest from smaller, exploration-focused ships. The premium segment reached 56% of traffic, roughly double its long-term average, underlining strong demand for more content-rich, experience-driven itineraries. Luxury cruises accounted for 33%, close to twice their historic share, and helped position Rouen firmly on the map for high-spend international guests.

Overall, 2025 marked a decisive move towards premium, luxury and high-end river calls, while contemporary cruises continued to retreat, confirming Rouen's appeal for operators targeting more discerning passengers.