ms Botticelli accidents and incidents

29 June 2026Fire Accident

On June 29, 2026, at ~4 AM France time (~2 AM UTC), while the ship was berthed overnight in Honfleur, a fire broke out.

CroisiEurope confirmed the accident and stated that all standard emergency procedures were implemented immediately, including the evacuation of all passengers (132) and crew members (31).

Nearly 90 personnel (firefighters and specialist maritime response teams) were mobilized and dispatched to the vessel.

No injuries were reported.

Reportedly, the fire originated in the Galley (kitchen) before spreading to the Dining Room Restaurant and through technical voids.

All passengers were temporarily accommodated in hotels in Honfleur and Le Havre before being repatriated. CroisiEurope reported that the riverboat sustained significant but repairable damage, primarily to the kitchen, restaurant, and several cabins affected by smoke, forcing the cancellation of upcoming Seine cruises while repairs were undertaken.

MS Botticelli was operating CroisiEurope's 7-night "The Seine Valley Cruise" itinerary (June 25-July 3, roundtrip from Paris) with scheduled visits to La Roche-Guyon (Jun 27), Honfleur (Jun 28-29/overnight), Caudebec-en-Caux (Jun 30), Rouen (Jun 30-Jul 1/overnight), Les Andelys (Jul 2), and Paris (Jul 2-3/overnight).

April 2020Other Incidents

In mid-April 2020, the shipowner CroisiEurope allowed the use of the riverboat Botticelli as a hotel ship (free of charge) to house healthcare personnel working at hospitals in Paris City (France). The ship was laid up since April 10 after CroisiEurope suspended passenger shipping operations fleetwide due to the global Coronavirus pandemic.

The Garonne and Dordogne/France-based fleetmate Cyrano de Bergerac (homeported in Bordeaux) was also used as a free hotel for healthcare workers in Bordeaux City.