A CULINARY EXPERIENCE IN GRAND FRANCE

We invite you to select the tours, activities, and events that interest you most, so you can experience your cruise your way. There are 3 types of included shore excursions from which to choose.  Enjoy the Taste of France on this beautiful, scenic cruise on the Seine.

A CULINARY EXPERIENCE IN GRAND FRANCE (SOUTHBOUND)

15 Day Seine River Cruise Paris to Port-Saint-Louis

We invite you to select the Tours, activities, and events that interest you most, so you can experience your cruise your way. There are 3 types of included shore excursions:

CLASSIC:  Your local expert is ready to guide you through the history and heritage of local destinations. You’ll marvel at the legends, lore, and spectacular architecture of iconic and historic sites.

DISCOVERY:  We’ve found inspiring and inter-active activities to speak to your interests including cooking classes, to immerse you in each day you explore.

ACTIVE:  These energetic excursions will keep you in motion and on the go – from a guided jogging Tours, to biking, paddling, and hiking your way through scenic locales.

Independent:  Various exploration options on your own.

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

DAY 1 – PARIS, FRANCE (EMBARKATION) – Welcome to France. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.  Flights into Paris must arrive by 2:30 pm.  Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.  Your day is free to explore the world’s most romantic city before starting your cruise on the Seine. Get acquainted with the City of Light today with some shopping, strolling, or with a croissant and café au lait to watch the world go by amid the Parisian cityscape.  Dinner provided

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VERNON

DAY 2 – VERNON & Les Andelys – Monet’s Muses, Castle Courtyards, and Crêpes du Jour.  Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.   Tours available are:  Classic and Discovery.   This afternoon, enjoy a beautiful cruise to the picturesque town of Les Andelys.  Serenity on the Seine with either a Classic or Active Tour

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CAUDEBEC

DAY 3 – CAUDEBEC – Ancient Abbeys Along the Seine on a Classic Tour. This afternoon, you may choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the old seaside town of Honfleur. Enjoy live entertainment on board.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CAUDEBEC

DAY 4 – CAUDEBEC. EXCURSION TO NORMANDY – Heroic Bravery on Normandy Beaches and French Farming Traditions.  Enjoy any of three Classic Tours:  including a Guided Tour of Normandy’s WWII landing beaches, visit significant U.S. sites, including Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery, OR:  take a full-day Guided Tour of the British and Canadian commemorative sites, including the British cemetery, Pegasus Memorial, the seaside town of Arromanches, the Juno Beach Center, and the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, OR join “A Taste of Normandy” Guided Tour for an in-depth look at this rich agricultural region.  Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.

EVENING CRUISE TO ROUEN

DAY 5 – ROUEN – The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, and a Heroine for France.  Join in either a Classic or Active tour.  Enjoy onboard entertainment before setting sail this evening.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CONFLANS

DAY 6 – CONFLANS – Enjoy a Classic Tour to the home of Vincent van Gogh or to the home of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine or to the Palace of Versailles…

EVENING CRUISE TO PARIS

DAY 7 & 8 – PARIS – Cafés, Cathedrals and Canvases in the city of Light – Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.  Two Classic Tours are available.  Discover the ancient heart of Paris on a captivating Guided Walk featuring the Palais-Royal, Louvre pyramid, ancient sites on the Left Bank, bustling Latin Quarter, and more, OR:  Join a Guided City Tour, that shows you the iconic sites of Paris, such as the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, and the famous Champs-Élysées.  Stroll through Paris on your own, or linger at a café on the Left Bank.

PARIS (DISEMBARKATION)–DIJON–BEAUNE–ST. JEAN DE LOSNE (EMBARKATION) – Southbound – Take a High-Speed Train from Paris to Dijon, then drive on to Beaune.  A Classic tour would include: a visit the Hôtel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune, built in 1443, today home of the Van der Weyden’s painting of the Last Judgement.  This afternoon, travel to St. Jean de Losne to board your Ship.  Lunch on your own.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MÂCON

DAY 9 – MÂCON – Beverages and Cheese on the deck. Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities.  Enjoy leisurely cruising to Mâcon along the majestic Saône River. Consider a Discovery tour with a Guided Optional Excursion to the Castle of Cormatin.  Enjoy live entertainment while sailing for Trévoux this evening.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN TRÉVOUX

DAY 10 & 11 – LYON – La Vie En Rose in Lyon – Sail for lovely Lyon this morning.  A great Classic Sightseeing tour to survey Lyon with its numerous churches from Fourvière Hill. You’ll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafés, monuments, and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux.  Spend free time biking through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet, or take a Discovery tour and enjoy a pastry demonstration hosted by a French chef on board your ship.  Enjoy Adventures in Food – Join a Culinary Walk through the city to discover why it is known as the gastronomic capital of France.  The rest of your day is free to explore, relax, or shop in France’s third largest city. Take a bike from the ship and explore local produce markets and parks, or take a leisurely tour of the city’s more than 100 murals.

EVENING CRUISE TO TOURNON

DAY 12 – TOURNON & Viviers –  A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Chocolate with a Classic  morning Guided Walking Tour to explore Tournon—one of France’s oldest medieval cities. See its 16th-century castle, and Roman ruins between the Rhône River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage.  Or take a Discovery Tour and enjoy an onboard Chocolate Tasting event.  Enjoy a leisurely sail to Viviers after lunch where you will discover Old World History in a Charming French Country Village.  Join in a Classic Tour and explore the pale-stone buildings on a late afternoon Guided Walking Tour of this charming village. You’ll see its Romanesque cathedral and Old Town with a mix of historical Christian, Roman, and medieval influences.  Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AVIGNON

DAY 13 – AVIGNON – The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence.  Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities which include a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the fortress city of Avignon—with its ramparts encircling the city—and a visit to the amazing Palace of the Popes.  A Guided Optional Excursions include a visit to the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, or a trip to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the region, or a cooking class.  Explore Avignon on your own for the city’s art and culture, theatre, and museums. Be sure to snap photos of the captivating countryside, historic monuments, and the medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet.  A Discovery Tour might be in the evening, join an onboard dining.  Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment.

EVENING CRUISE TO ARLES

DAY 14 – ARLES – Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights on an Active Tour – Grab a Nordic walking stick for a hike with your Adventure Host. OR a Classic Guided Walking Tour of Arles, enjoy the captivating city of the Provence region where you’ll visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city, OR: Discover a Painting Workshop to learn techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of the legendary artist.  Consider also a Guided Optional Excursion to the Carrières de Lumières (Cathedral of Images) a unique experience of art, sound, and light in the old quarries of Val d’Enfer.  Take free time to stop in Le Café Van Gogh.

EVENING CRUISE TO PORT ST. LOUIS

DAY 15 – PORT ST. LOUIS (DISEMBARKATION) – Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.  Flights should not leave Marseille airport before 10 am.

We always recommend a hotel stay either the day before the cruise and/or a day after depending upon your calendar AND Travel Insurance.  There are other optional Shore Excursions available through TravelKatz.  We can arrange for your air travel separately or as an add-on to this trip with the supplier.  All staterooms have a balcony.

The first 8 days are a round- trip cruise from Paris, then a high speed rail and motorcoach ride for the remainder of the Southbound Cruise.

Please do not forget to purchase travel insurance.  TravelKatz can help you with your choices.  Call 352-277-7300 for information.