Nymphea barge

MS Nymphea is a hotel barge (cruise ship) built in 1921 in Holland as a cargo barge for dry bulk shipping. She is currently owned and operated by European Waterways, offering cruises on the Cher River in central France.

Originally, the barge transported hops and barley from Rotterdam to a brewery in northern Holland. She returned carrying barrels and bottles of beer, completing a single round trip per week. The former owner had seven children and lived with his wife in the bow cabin, with up to five family members onboard at any one time.

In 1978, the cargo barge was converted to carry 20 scouts sleeping in hammocks. In 1985, she was further converted into a luxury hotel barge. Nymphea later traveled from Holland to Bordeaux via most of the French waterways and pioneered navigation on the Seille River and the Canal du Nivernais. The vessel was also transported by sea to Monte Carlo and Barcelona. When relocated to the Cher River in 1990, Nymphea was transported on a semi-trailer truck. Notably, part of the BBC series “Rick Stein’s French Odyssey,” themed on French regional cuisine, was filmed onboard Nymphea in 2005.

Currently, the vessel features three double cabins accommodating up to six passengers, along with separate crew quarters for a crew of three: the Captain (Master and Pilot), the Tour Guide, and the ship’s Chef.

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