St Nazaire rings as an icon ship-building city in the cruise industry, home to STX France. But now the port city has its eyes on cruise tourism, according to Laurence Paitel, cruise manager for the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Cruise Club.

“We are still a new destination for many cruise companies,” Paitel told Cruise Industry News.

A modest 2017 is seeing 13 ship calls and over 8,000 passengers. The Astoria used a terminal in Montoir de Bretagne to turn-around and embark passengers on May 9.

First-time callers for the 2017 season include the Oceania Sirena and Regent’s Seven Seas Navigator.