A leisurely-paced cruise celebrating centuries of French history, culture and cuisine.
Journey through the countryside immortalized by some of the world’s most beloved artists on this 10-day Seine River cruise. Trace the footsteps of Van Gogh in the town where he spent the final months of his life. Admire the magnificent abbeys dating back to medieval times, or venture to see the white cliffs of the Alabaster Coast. Discover the charming harbor of Honfleur or make a pilgrimage to the tragic D-Day beaches of WWII. More choices await in historic Rouen—explore the city’s colorful medieval past, or see it from Monet’s perspective and peruse the Fine Arts Museum. Stroll amongst the colorful blooms of Monet’s glorious gardens in Giverny, then embrace the cultural splendor of Paris. See the sites on a panoramic tour or a boat trip through the heart of the city, explore the trendy Marais neighborhood and visit the Jewish memorial, and savor Impressionist landscapes at the renowned Orsay Museum.
Connoisseur Collection (Select sailings)
Discover why UNESCO declared French cuisine a “world intangible heritage” on a scenic cruise showcasing food and wine. Visit the restaurant where Julia Child had her first French meal and experienced a culinary epiphany. Savor cider and freshly made cheeses amongst the apple trees on a Normandy farm. Celebrate Monet’s passion for art and food in a café near his former home and gardens. All this and much more!
You will visit the following 6 places:
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region. The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,193,031, but the Paris metropolitan area has a population of 11,836,970, and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. In 2009 and 2010, the city has been ranked among the three most important and influential cities in the world, among the first three "European cities of the future" according to a research published by Financial Times and among the top ten cities in the world in which to live according to the British review Monocle. The city is the home of the most visited art museum in the world; ''the Louvre'' as well as the ''Musée d'Orsay'' noted for its collection of French Impressionist art, and the ''Musée National d'Art Moderne'' a museum of modern and contemporary art. The notable architectural landmarks of Paris include Notre Dame Cathedral (12th century); the Sainte-Chapelle (13th century); the Eiffel Tower (1889); and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre (1914). In 2014 Paris received 22.4 million visitors, making it one of the world's top tourist destinations. It is also known for its fashion, particularly the twice-yearly Paris Fashion Week, and for its haute cuisine, and three-star restaurants. Most of France's major universities and grandes écoles are located in Paris, as are France's major newspapers, including Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Libération.
Vernon Township
Le Havre
Honfleur
Honfleur is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The most picturesque of the Côte Fleurie's seaside towns, its inhabitants are called Honfleurais. It is especially known for its old, beautiful picturesque port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted many times by artists, including in particular Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet and Johan Jongkind, forming theécole de Honfleur (Honfleur school) which contributed to the appearance of the Impressionist movement. The Sainte-Catherine church, which has a bell tower separate from the principal building, is the largest church made out of wood in France.
Rouen
Rouen is a city on the River Seine in the north of France. It is the capital of the region of Normandy. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. An important city in the Roman era and Middle Ages, it has Gothic churches and a cobblestoned pedestrian center with hundreds of medieval half-timbered houses.
Auvers-sur-Oise
Auvers-sur-Oise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. Located 27.2 km (16.9 mi) from the centre of Paris, it is associated with several famous artists, the most prominent being Vincent van Gogh. During the 19th century, a number of painters lived and worked in Auvers-sur-Oise, including Paul Cézanne, Charles-François Daubigny, Camille Pissarro, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Vincent van Gogh. Daubigny's house is now a museum where one can see paintings by the artist, his family, and friends, such as Honoré Daumier, as well as rooms decorated in period style.
