Friday, March 30, 2012

recent reviews of seine river cruises

I am not sure which cruise i would like so if you done any of these please give your review.





1st i%26#39;m not sure if i want to do a dinner cruise or just a night illuminations cruise.



i looked at vendettes cruise, which seemed nice without dinner just the cruise 1 hour long reasonably priced. i believe i%26#39;d have to board at ile de la cite (notre dame)



the other one with dinner is bateaux parisiens



and captain fricasse?





originally i thought eiffel tower w/dinner at altitude 95, seine river cruise, and moulin rouge



there are so many different packages, so any recommendations are appreciated.




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There are so many Seine river cruises available, and you can always just walk up and hop on the next one. Most depart every half hour or hour, and are inexpensive (and prices are about the same), so you just do not need to schedule this. Rather, you can just go whenever you feel like it, happen to be near one of the many departure points, the weather/skies are beautiful, you%26#39;ve run out of other things to do, etc.





We%26#39;ve never had the urge to go on a dinner cruise. We%26#39;d just rather be outside enjoying the scenery than eating indoors or in the buffet line. Dinner is pricey (and the food on these receives no raves), so it%26#39;s probably better to enjoy a nice dinner elsewhere before or after.





And, because the boat tours are so inexpensive and run frequently, you can go more than once...We%26#39;ve often hopped aboard on a hot/sunny afternoon to relax and cool off, then gone again at night.





Again, you can see much better and much more from the larger boats. Many dinner cruises are on vessels that are low/close to the water with glass all around - but they are so low that, depending on the water level, the beautiful buildings and scenery are not so visible.





Since you are staying near the Tour Eiffel, you can just walk to the quai across the river and follow the signs to two or more boat tours. OR, watch for a little shuttle with BATEAUX MOUCHES on the side. They%26#39;ll sell you tickets and drive you right up to the dock. After, you can %26quot;stroll home%26quot; to your hotel. Or, catch the 80 bus from Place de l%26#39;Alma. Incidently, one of our favorite places in all of Paris to wind up the evening is the terrace of Chez Francis at Place de l%26#39;Alma.




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The Vedettes de Pont Neuf are fun, these are just small boats that cruise the river, 30 or 40 people on board. You generally can walk right up, no reservations needed. They are relatively inexpensive.





Two additional advantages to taking these: you can relax in the little park at the tip of the Ile de la Cite where the Vedettes launch, called the Square du Vert Galant, and watch the river traffic coming towards you. It%26#39;s lovely and quiet, and a unique view. You can also walk across the street to the beautiful, quiet oasis known as Place Dauphine, and have a lovely lunch or dinner at the various bistros that are located there. My favorite is La Rose de France, but there are others.





The big Bateaux Mouches are also a fun experience, but cost a lot more, and you%26#39;re sharing the experience with a few hundred people. Some people like that experience, others don%26#39;t.





I%26#39;ve never had a dinner cruise, so I can%26#39;t comment on that experience.




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%26quot;The big Bateaux Mouches are also a fun experience, but cost a lot more, and you%26#39;re sharing the experience with a few hundred people. Some people like that experience, others don%26#39;t.%26quot;





The fare for Vedettes de Pont Neuf is €11. (You can print €2 discount coupons online or book online with a €4 discount.) The fare for the Bateaux Mouches is €10.





I%26#39;d rather share the experience with %26quot;a few hundred people%26quot;, which is generally not true, than be stuck on a small boat with a bunch of noisy people where you can%26#39;t move around for good photo ops.




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I have to disagree with you djkbooks, on this one. The first and last time I was ever on a Bateaux Mouches, we got on early just so we could sit up front. As soon as the boat started moving, about a million tourists with cameras slung about their necks, walked up and stood right in front of us for the whole trip. Needless to say, we were totally pi$$ed.




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We thoroughly enjoyed the Vedettes du Pont Neuf, and found it to be neither noisy, nor crowded. Everyone on board had seats and could see quite well. It was a relaxing, pleasant, and scenic cruise. We went about 10 pm, in order to see the lights.




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There are at least three levels on the Bateaux Mouches with lots of places to %26quot;sit up front%26quot;. And, you do NOT need front row seats.





But, the best spot on the Bateaux Mouches (which most people do not discover) is the front of the main deck - for photo ops and fewer people.




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We must have had two different boats or boatloads...or something. Honestly, that%26#39;s exactly where we were sitting. Front row of the main deck. To each his own, but I strongly prefer Vedettes de Pont Neuf.




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Perhaps for a first trip you may like the tour cruises with narration. But my fave is BatOBus. 12 euros for one day, 14 euros for 2--hop on and hop off or just sruise along. No pesky narration. Great views, you are on the water and ca zigzag along to Eiffel Tower, Louvre, D%26#39;Orsay, Notre Dame, Jardin des Plantes, etc. They run until 7 or 8 at night.




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We opt for Vendettes - its a really nice experience.





When are you going? We went in the fall for an evening cruise and it was a bit chilly on the water.




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LOL!





I stand corrected on the cost. Must be that bottle of plonk red wine I drank last nite made me forget the price.

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