You never expect something like this on a quiet river cruise through France.
Early on June 29, 2026, a fire broke out on CroisiEurope’s river ship MS Botticelli while the vessel sat docked in Honfleur, Normandy.
It appears to be a kitchen fire as the blaze started in the galley around 3:30 AM, filling sections of the ship with thick smoke and moving fast enough that the crew had to execute an immediate emergency evacuation.
Midnight Evacuation
A total of 132 passengers and 31 crew members were on board. So, 163 people were forced off the ship in the middle of the night.
Thankfully, every single person got off safely, with zero casualties or injuries reported.
Passengers woke up to smoke and alarms before being ushered off the vessel by the crew. The international guest list included travelers from France, Belgium (including roughly 40 Belgian nationals), Spain, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Germany.
Local authorities and emergency services also reacted quickly. Passengers were first brought to Honfleur’s Poudreux community hall, where teams provided water, support, and meals.
From there, they were moved into regional hotels while CroisiEurope arranged their trips back home.
The cruise line confirmed they are working to repatriate everyone as quickly as possible.
Video of Cruise Fire
The video below was audo-dubbed for English speakers as a French news station originally reported on the story. Still, it gives a sense of the fire and what it was like for passengers.
The Emergency Response
The crew clearly did a great job following emergency procedures and keeping things under control. The local mayor praised the crew’s professionalism and said that their quick actions helped prevent a tragedy.
The emergency response itself was pretty huge. More than 70 emergency responders and firefighters, including two specialized teams trained specifically to tackle ship fires, showed up at the scene.
First responders battled the fire and heavy smoke well into the morning, officially bringing the blaze under control around 8:00 AM local time.
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Looking Ahead for the Ship
MS Botticelli is a longtime favorite on the Seine. Built in 2004 and fully renovated in 2016, the 360-foot vessel carries up to 145 guests on routes between Paris, Rouen, and Honfleur.
Early reports suggest the galley area took the worst of the damage and suffered extensive impacts from the fire.
Official investigations have been launched by local authorities to determine the exact cause of the ignition.
In the meantime, we will need to wait for the full damage assessment before knowing how long the vessel might be out of service. But it looks like it might be a while.
CroisiEurope put out the following statement about the incident:
“We also extend our sincerest thanks to the emergency services, the City of Honfleur, the Prefecture, UNASS, the French Red Cross and everyone mobilized on site for their prompt response and invaluable support.”
Bottom Line
Any cruise ship captain will tell you that fires are the biggest concern for any vessel on the water. But unlike ocean cruise ships, river ships are always very close to land and in this case that made it a lot easier for the vessel to evacuate everyone quickly.
River ships also have a lot fewer passengers and crew which made it possible to get everyone onto land in a relatively short period of time.
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