Has anyone done the lunch and dinner cruises with either Bateaux Parisiens or Bateaux-Mouches? How did you like the experience and was it worth the cost? We are a family of 4, our girls are 9 and 11 and would be fine eating the fancier dinners if that is what we decide to book.
Thanks!
Have you looked back a few pages in the France Forum or put bateaux into the Search function at the top of the page if you are using a laptop or behind the sergeants stripes if using a phone or tablet?
You will find several reviews, a couple particularly strident, generally of the trend that the rides are ok on some and the food overpriced and under delivered..... Go and have a read, that will give you a leg up while waiting for other answers...
I would have a hard time focusing on both food and views at the same time. If you're not eating, you can walk around, change your viewpoint, be outside, and take photos. Real restaurants should have better value and more selection. Here's one recent bad review.
To get a decent meal and an uncrowded experience with a dinner cruise on the Seine you're going to pay north of $100 euros each for the experience...anything less will be packed with people and not that great. If you want to spend the money these cruises can be quite nice! The river is getting so crowded with these boats now...
I’ve done Bateaux Mouches a couple of times and enjoyed it. It was worth the cost to me but everyone has a different cost/enjoyment threshold. I’m taking my little girl soon for her 5th birthday and we will most likely do it. The food is good, not spectacular, the view is gorgeous, but can be had on cheaper excursions, but together both trips were very memorable. I even bought the professional group photos they sell on board both trips.
Vedettes de Pont Neuf -- non-dining cruise -- wonderful! As Laura noted, without being restricted to a dining table you can walk around, get photo angles, enjoy the fresh air. Probably more fun for the 9 and 11 than sitting for a meal. (And you could buy them street food like Nutella crepes before or after the cruise.)
Personally I would avoid these cruises as the food tends to be average at best and as others have said it is difficult to enjoy the food and the views at the same time. Our preference (and we have been to Paris more times than I can remember) is to take the Bateau Bus during the day. It's a hop on hop off service with many stops on the central part of the Seine. There is some very brief commentary, but much less noise than on the bigger boats. The boats are not too large, and we find it just perfect as a way of getting a taste of the city and to travel between the major sites.
Another vote for the late evening Vedettes de Pont Neuf non-dining cruise. We've taken cruises with several companies and they are, in my opinion, the best. Suggest a good meal before the cruise so you can move about the boat.
Check out Le Calife. We were a group of four and had a wonderful time. The food was good and overall it was a good experience and good value.
We booked Le Calife, too, Caroline! For September 14. Their reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp are VERY good. That's what convinced me to book a dinner cruise. People said it was a nice cruise AND good food -- just like you!
