Paris Bateaux cruises - Parisiens or Mouches?

DK, we've only done the cruises with dinner in the evening. To me, all the dining in Paris is overpriced . We've done the dinner cruise on 3 occasions; 2 of them were the "gold" package, the most expensive. My first time was priceless. The silver service was less formal and less romantic, everyone sat at a long table and had 4 or so choices to choose from, I would never choose this again. If you are there with that special certain person and want to impress, choose the better option. Btw, did Bateaux cruise in Dubai and loved the food more then I did in Paris, go figure. I think it also depends on the entertainment, sometimes it's a small band, sometimes it's a solo artist. I held back tears when we passed the small version of the Statue of Liberty and they sang Sinatra's New York, New York.

DK, If you don't want a dinner cruise, take a look at batobus.com Kind of a hop on off boat. It will give you a full day for about the same as the evening cruise
Runs until 21:00 in the summer, though still not dark at this time

I've only used the Mouches once and hated it - huge, crowded with hundreds of tour bus folks, etc. I like Vedettes du Pont Neuf, Batobus, etc. much better. As for the previous comments about food in Paris, I've always found great food - but not on the boats and not in fancy places. I prefer to go to neighborhood bistros that are very reasonably priced. If you're interested, PM me and I'll send you a list of my favorite Parisian restos, from Moroccan to hot chocolate to French specialties.

I like the Batobus, you can ride all day, hop on and off, for a price comparable to a dinner cruise. But it's not as comfortable as a tour company boat, there's no narration, and you're under a clear plastic dome the whole time. I haven't done a dinner cruise but others, on this board and elsewhere, have reported the meal isn't worth it. Maybe there are great dinners at high prices, but why spend precious sunset river time eating? If you opt for one of the tour companies, I'd suggest dining elsewhere and sitting on the upper deck if weather allows so you can focus on the sights instead of the food.

I've done Seine river cruises more times than I can count, have done them all, and my favorite one is the one that is directly across from/next to Notre Dame, on the left bank (south side of river). Sorry, can't remember the name. It has the best narration (a live person) and sound system. I only like boats where I can sit outside on top. If the next boat leaving doesn't have that, I won't do it. I've never done a dinner cruise, and never would. Have heard nothing but negative about them. I, too, eat very well in Paris at very reasonable prices. Cafe Med on Ile St. Louis, for instance, is wonderful. Great atmosphere and 3 course meals for under $20.

I liked the Vedettes des Pont Neuf. For me, the ideal time was just at sunset, going down the Seine as dusk fell and the lights began to go on, returning after dark with everything lit up.

Another vote for the Vedettes de Pont Neuf (that's the one Susan meant). And another vote that lots of food in Paris is not bad value for money, so there's no need to accept this. I haven't taken a dinner cruise, but they are very high priced; for that money, you could get a good meal and a good river cruise separately, and be guaranteed of a good experience with each.

This will probably be our plan, dinner separate from the cruise.. Great comments, keep them coming- we will be there mid September. I expect the crowds to be pretty much gone..

DK, "we will be there mid September. I expect the crowds to be pretty much gone." September is "fall shoulder season" and I've found that the crowds can still be fairly thick at times. I typically travel in either September / October (fall shoulder season) or May / June (spring shoulder season). Happy travels!