The River Seine doesn't just flow through the heart of Paris--it
is the heart of Paris, having supplied water, transportation, and food
to the locals since Celtic fishermen of the Parisii tribe built a village on
what is now the Île St-Louis more than 2,200 years ago. This means that a dinner
cruise on the Seine might be viewed as a kind of historic pilgrimage, making the
price of an expensive meal and boat ride easier to bear.
In this article, we'll tell you about Seine dinner cruises from
six Parisian companies:
Bateaux Mouches
The best-known purveyor of Seine dinner cruises is
Bateaux-Mouches, which we discussed (with other fleets) in our
Paris Sightseeing Boats article.
Standard dinner cruises run daily year-round, with embarkation
starting at 7:45 p.m., sailing at 8:30 p.m., and return to the Bateaux-Mouches pier by
the Pont de l'Alma at 10:45 p.m. Several menus are available, with prices
starting at €99 for adults. (Children pay less.)
A cheaper (and shorter) "early bird" dinner cruise features
boarding at 5:30 p.m., departure at 5:50 p.m., and return to the pier at
7:15 p.m. Adult prices start at €79.
Lunch is available on weekends and holidays, with prices
starting at €69.
Other options include "Crazy Horse" cruises, a "Get a Yes in
Paris - Marriage Proposal" package, and special holiday cruises. For more information, visit the
Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches Web
site.
Bateaux Parisiens
Several dinner options are available on the Bateaux Parisiens
restaurant boats, with prices ranging from €69 to
€595. (The highest prices are for Bastille Day, Christmas, and New Year's Eve
cruises.)
Lunch is cheaper, starting at €59 and progressing up to
€89 for a seat in the bow.
For details, including departure times, visit the
Bateaux Parisiens Web site.
Vedettes de Paris
This company has replaced dinner cruises with a variety of
bar and snack options on standard cruises. To check the menus or book a voyage, see the
Vedettes de Paris Web site.
Croisière Paris
The relatively small and cozy Capitaine Fracasse
offers a range of meal options, with adult prices from €41 for a cold brunch to
€99 for a dinner with wine.
For more information, including special offers, visit the Croisière Paris Web site at
www.croisiere-paris.com.
Marina de Paris
This company offers two dinner cruises each day.
The first dinner cruise departs at 6:45 p.m.,
arriving back at the quay below the Musée d'Orsay at 8:00 p.m. The base price
for this cruise is €61 for adults and €35 for children from 4 to 10.
The second and longer cruise departs at 9:15 p.m. and returns to
the quay at 11:15 p.m., with prices starting at €72 for adults and €35 for
children.
You can also book lunch cruises, which depart at 12:30 p.m. and
last 90 minutes. The base price is €42 for adults and €29 for kids from ages 4-10.
For a cruise itinerary and menus,
see Marina de Paris.
Yachts de Paris
ABOVE: The Yachts de Paris fleet at Port Henri
IV.
In addition to private business
dinners, receptions, and other charters, Yachts de Paris offers dinner and
tasting cruises aboard Don Juan II,
a vintage motor yacht with only 15 tables. Offers vary by season. For details, visit the
Don Juan II pages at the Yachts de Paris
Web site.
About the author:
Durant Imboden
is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European
cities and transportation.
After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and
Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (including Paris for Visitors) in
2001. The
site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The
Washington Post.
For more information, see
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Top photo: Copyright © Paris
Tourist Office.
Photographer: Catherine Balet.
