River Cruise

We did the Viking Seine cruise over a decade ago. They changed the itinerary shortly thereafter, so it isn’t the same cruise anymore.

Good morning, Sharon
Yes, on Avalon for seven days departing and returning in Paris. The River Seine doesn’t come with jaw-dropping views and is more about the Normandy sights with stops along the way.
What I don’t like about cruises is you eat their food when I would rather eat what the locals eat instead of a western version of their recipes. The croissants were a disappointment. If cuisine is important to you, AmaWaterways is the one people rave about.
Excursions are expensive but informative. I especially enjoyed visiting Port Winston Artificial Harbor and the WWII Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Do visit Giverny, Honfleur, the thatched roof houses, Rouen and Auvers-Sur-Oise.
Be careful when opening your drapes in the morning, boats park next to each other and you can see inside your neighbors, windows. What is nice is you don’t have to figure out how to get from one place to the next and some of these drives are long. The up side is you can pack heavy because if you want choices and don’t want to move around a lot then a cruise would work for you. Laundry is expensive but available. You also meet new faces and form friendships that can last.

Hi sbowers992, we did a Viking Rhine river cruise a few years ago and really enjoyed it. We’re booked on a Christmas Markets cruise on the Seine in December. Do you have any specific questions?

Last spring I travelled with CroisiEurope, second-largest European riverboat company. I went from Strasbourg to Luxembourg and everything was fine. They sail on the Seine. French company and therefore lots of French food, with wine (all day) and shore excursions included.
Considered midrange in price, not as fancy as some of the newer lines but efficient and gracious. They operate a US sales office. The only thing to check is how many English speakers may be on board. I went when cruising was in its comeback so the craft was barely one-third full and nobody spoke English except the staff, who bent over backwards to keep me informed. The US office can offer an estimate of the passenger mix. I know because I asked on behalf of a second trip, this one through Venice.

Depending on what your total time is as well as what your interests are, Road Scholar has a program including the Normandy Beaches and a Seine cruise. The cruise portion is actually 6 nights but there is a night in Paris to start with, 5 nights in Normandie learning about the DDay landings and an ending night back in Paris. This program includes a day in the British and Canadian Sectors as well as 2 days in the American Sector plus a visit to Mont Saint-Michel.

https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-adventure/12416/The-Seine-D-Day-Beaches-to-Paris/itinerary/

I've talked to several people who have done this particular Road Scholar program and it gets high marks. If you don't have an interest in WWiI it won't be for you.

They use the CroisiEurope ships Southam mentions as well.

Thanks everyone for your reply's. The river cruises look very appealiing, however after some research I think I'm more of a land cruiser. I ususally plan my own vacations, with the help of travel forums of course. Enjoy the Holidays everyone
Sharon