Vedettes Pont Neuf sunset cruise time confusion

My grandkids and I were in Paris in early April last year and took the evening cruise. We booked tickets for the 8:15 pm cruise, and sunset was at 8:30 pm that evening. We arrived at the Eiffel Tower around 8:45 pm, in time for the sparkles and shimmering lights.

Does that help? You want the cruise that starts at least 15 minutes before sunset. That way it will be dark by the time you get to the Eiffel Tower. So something that starts around 9:30pm (21:30 to 21:35) or beforehand.

Thank you Mardee.
So in our case we’d want the 9:15 cruise, which would get to the Eiffel Tower about 5 minutes before sunset rather than the 9:45 “sunset” cruise, which probably begins at sunset but gets to the Tower about 25 minutes after sunset?
Does that sound like the best option?

The one hour sightseeing cruise is timed for the lights on the tower. https://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/cruises/ When you pick the specific date from the calendar, it tells you what time sunset is and the first cruise time that is after sunset. The Eiffel Tower sparkles at exactly the top of the hour starting after sunset. So if you want to see the light show, you need to pick the cruise departure that leaves after the sunset time and before the top of the hour. I took the boat that left at :45 past the hour and it arrived exactly on time for the light show.

Someone else in the forum noted that the company had the wrong sunset time listed on their travel dates. I looked at June 2 and it says sunset is at 10:27 which I don't believe is correct. As the other poster did, I suggest you contact the company and ask specifically about the date you are interested in so you can pick the correct cruise time that suits your need. Here is their email: [email protected]

So here's the thing. The concept of the sunset cruise is twofold. First is to enjoy the ambiance that the light of a setting sun provides as you cruise along the Seine. The second is the timing, to arrive at the ET to see the lights twinkle shortly after darkness falls.

Why? Because the lights dont twinkle until it gets dark. And then they twinkle for 5 minutes every hour (roughly on the hour) until 11 PM or midnight (depending on time of year). So if your aim is to see the twinkle from the boat, take any cruise leaving shortly before or any time after sunset.

https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/the-monument/lights

I have the Sunset on June 9th as 9:52pm, with "civil twilight" ending at 10:34 (I have had this on a spreadsheet for my trip that week written down for quite a while). Personally, I wouldn't be as concerned about the Sunset itself—which you can't see very well from down low at the river level. Instead I would be more concerned that it is dark enough to see the lights sparkle to maximum effect. The sky is still fairly light for quite awhile after the Sun sets, and the lights will come on only eight minutes after Sun sets during the 9:45 trip. If it was the Sunset you wanted to see, I would choose to be on the Eiffel Tower at that time. In this case, I would choose the later sailing to make sure there isn't so much leftover ambient light from the Sun that the Eiffel Tower is less spectacular. I'm sure either will be fine, but if it were me, I would choose the 10:15 sailing or later.