Day 1 Paris
Arrive in Paris, romance capital of the world. We meet you at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and transfer you to your ship.* After boarding, take free time to explore Paris—or join our “welcome walk” to stretch your legs and start getting oriented. (D)
Day 2 Paris
Wake up to a full day in Paris. After breakfast, embark on a half-day tour of this beautiful city and take in its most remarkable sights, including the famous Eiffel Tower. Continue past the École Militaire, Orsay Museum and Latin Quarter. See the Cathedral of Notre Dame, then drive past the Louvre and Opera House and along the famous Champs Elysées. Return aboard for lunch. Afternoon is free to visit the Louvre, shop the many boutiques or visit the artists’ district of Montmartre. Later, enjoy a cruise along the Seine. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Dinner is served aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 3 Conflans & Vernon
After breakfast, take a walking tour along the cobbled streets of Conflans. Or, join an optional tour to the luxurious Palace of Versailles, former home of Louis XIV. After dinner, arrive in the provincial town of Vernon. Take an evening stroll and see the Maison du Temps Jadis (House of Past Times), Vernon’s oldest house, and the 11th-century Church of Notre Dame. Remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 4 Giverny & Les Andelys
This morning, take a short ride into the town of Giverny, where Claude Monet lived from 1883 until his death in 1926. Your guided tour visits the beautiful gardens and charming stone farmhouse where he lived and worked; see the water garden with its Japanese bridge, water lilies, wisteria and azaleas that inspired many of his masterpieces.
This afternoon, cruise to the small town of Les Andelys, known for its imposing castle, Château Gaillard, built in 1196 by Richard the Lionheart. Join a guided walk to this fatally flawed masterpiece of Middle Ages architecture. Dine aboard; remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 5 Rouen & Caudebec
Start the day with a walking tour through the historic center of Rouen, capital of Normandy. See the 14th-century courthouse where Joan of Arc was sentenced to death and visit Market Square where she was martyred. See the old city center, Cathedral of Notre Dame and famous Gros Horloge. Lunch aboard; depart midafternoon. Arrive in the quaint town of Caudebec after dinner and join your Program Director for a guided walk to see the Church of Notre Dame Caudebec. Or take free time to visit a waterfront café—your ship remains docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 6 Honfleur
After a morning of relaxing cruising, arrive in Le Havre. From here, take a short drive to Honfleur, one of Normandy’s best-preserved ports on the left bank at the Seine’s mouth. Take a guided walking tour through the town’s narrow streets to see a number of waterfront houses, the old harbor and timbered Church of St. Catherine’s, one of Monet’s favorite subjects. Return aboard for dinner and remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 7 Le Havre
After breakfast, begin your full-day tour to the historic beaches of Normandy. See World War II landmarks such as Pointe du Hoc monument, Omaha Beach, the American Military Cemetery and Arromanches Debarkment Museum. Enjoy lunch in a local Normandy restaurant. On the way back to the ship, pass Gold Beach, Courseulles sur Mer and Juno Beach. Dinner aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 8 Le Havre
After breakfast, disembark and we take you to the Paris airport for your return flight.* Or extend your time in France with 4 nights amidst the unspoiled beauty of the Channel Islands. (B)
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