SOShrink

SOShrink, thank you for posting an explanation of the Palace Gardens and Marie Antoinette’s Estate tour and your advice to watch the movie beforehand - very helpful info since we too have been to Versailles and are instead planning to take this tour.

 

 

 

Mantes-la-Jolie sounds like a nice town to explore, so will research it a bit more. Did you eat lunch there and, if so, is there a good restaurant that you recommend?

Dreamer, I don’t think you would have time for lunch in town that day. Having left Rouen the night before, there is morning sailing and you arrive mid morning in Mantes la Jolie. The regular Versailles Tour leaves at 12 and your Gardens/Antoinette Tour leaves at 12:30. There is also the port talk at 10 AM since they couldn’t do it yesterday due to the full Beaches day. So sleep late and have a big breakfast or go to lunch before the tour as they serve early at 11 AM. You will have to have a quick peek at the town in the mid morning prior to the tour. Unfortunately, they skedaddle at 6pm pretty soon after you arrive back from Versailles

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Just to let you know that the NOVOTEL TOUR EIFFEL HOTEL at 61 Quai de Grenelle is literally across the street from where the Joie de Vivre is docked. I could see it right from my window. I walked over and went inside and it looked pretty decent and there is a taxi stand in front and the Bir Hakeim metro (line 6) down the street. If I didn’t know any better, I bet you could get one of the guys from the ship to walk over and help you get your luggage but don’t quote me on this!

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Good point!

The next morning found us docked at Mantes-la-Jolie for the Versailles day. I have been to the Palace several times and I feel like I’m at Disney with the crowds every time (did I tell you we live in Orlando?)! There is an alternate tour that goes to “Palace Gardens and Marie Antoinette Estate” that we chose instead but just be warned that it is NOT the Gardens and fountains at the actual palace but the ones at the Petit Trianon, which became Marie Antoinette’s favorite place to stay. She turned part of the garden into an English-style park where they frolicked and did a lot of entertaining. I highly recommend seeing the Sofia Coppola 2006 Marie Antoinette movie playing in the room on the ship. You see the film and then you go there and recognize everything and actually understand what the guide is explaining!

I also want to make a pitch for exploring the town of Mantes-la-Jolie when you get back or if you stay behind. You can walk up to the Notre Dames de Mantes Church, then go into a typical Île-de—France town with local life and good shopping. We found a great store that sold local Camembert cheese we bought as gifts. So often, we dock in these amazing villages and towns and don’t explore them (even when there is time) missing out on one of the advantages of river cruising.....perhaps a discussion for another thread.....

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Thank you ShyOne and CDreamer!

The ship had arrived back in Rouen from Caudebec the night before so we could leave early for the Normandy Beaches. The longer tour left at 7:30 am and returned 7:30 pm. This was the Utah Beach with Sainte-Mere-Eglise, Pointe du Hoc, and most importantly, the moving Airborne Museum. The tour ends with a ceremony at the American Cemetery where Taps is played.

The “shorter” tour was 8 am to 6:30 pm and goes to Bayeux, Juno Beach and Arromanches where there is a D-Day Museum. However, if you want to go to this museum, it is on your own during the 20 minute stop so you really have to scramble especially if you want to catch the film on the Landing Beaches. I was not happy about having to rush this and felt we could have spent less time in Bayeux for example. We also ended the tour at the American Cemetery but we did not meet up with group 1 and did not have a ceremony. We were each given a flower to lay at a gravestone but they were mostly roped off so we placed ours at the moving “Bronze Statue” at the entrance. Again, we were disappointed that we didn’t have a ceremony which was listed on the itinerary, but it was a very worthwhile day anyway. So, in retrospect, pick Group 1, the longer day unless you have been there already or have a strong desire to see the unique Bayeux Tapestry and town which is very enjoyable to explore and which had good choices for lunch on your own.

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So glad you were able to see Rouen in addition to Mont St. Michel. It shows what you can accomplish when you think outside the box! If we had been as bold we could have taken a car to Étretat from Honfleur and been back in time for the 3 pm bus back to the ship! Although that might be cutting it too close what with traffic and last minute changes....

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This is a good time to point out that there is enough time after or in between tours to enjoy the Joie de Vivre. We watched movies in our room and they also showed movies on 2 evenings in Claude’s, the lounge in the back where the pool and cappuccino machine and candy is located! Back there is also where Florin, our Romanian massage therapist works. He was so good, many passengers booked him twice (not cheap, but many of us used our shipboard credit).

So we were docked in Caudebec-en-Caux, a small town on the River Seine flanked by a stunning modern bridge (Pont de Brotonnne...see Robin’s photo of this). After the morning in Honfleur or golfing in Étretat (tough choice!), you can walk into town, borrow one of Uniworld’s bikes and bike along the river promenade to the even smaller town of Villequiers, where Victor Hugo lived (about 20 min by bike), or go on an optional wine tasting excursion to Saint Wandrille Abbaye. Or you could stay longer in Honfleur and take the 3 pm shuttle back instead of the 1 pm. The drive to Honfleur is extremely picturesque through typical towns and villages through Normandy countryside as the guide gives a good description of life there.

What can one say about Honfleur? The Vieux-Bassin (Old Harbor) has been inspiring painters, writers and musicians for centuries with its sailboat masts, 16th century townhouses lining the waterfront, and a little carousel adding charm to the whole thing. Lots of good shopping including chocolatiers line the back streets. A nice touch also was the fresh oysters and apple cider Uniworld gave us at the meeting point! The weather was perfect and therefore it ended up being our favorite and most relaxing day....

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Robin, I think you snuck in a stunning photo of Honfleur! If I’m wrong, let me know...

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We woke up docked in Rouen, but the walking discovery tour was not until the afternoon. In the morning were taken to the Chateau de Champs de Bataille where we were give local specialties like Calvados (apple brandy), cheese crepes, cider (spiked and plain) and apple strudel. So skip breakfast on board! Then after lunch on board is the walking tour of Rouen. This is not one of the most exciting tours and you can break free and explore on your own as it is very easy to get back to the ship. You don’t need to spend an hour in the Cathedral learning every detail. Suffice it to see the beauty that Inspired Monet to paint it countless times as you will see the famous painting of it at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. It is also a short walk from there to the ancient Market Square where the Church of Joan of Arc is and where she was burned.

In retrospect, I wish we had gone on the full day tour to Mont St Michel (see Robin’s account and pictures). We were deterred by the 3 hour bus ride and the expense, but now that I look back on it, it would have been worth it! When we are already spending thousands of dollars on this trip, we should not have worried about the cost as Mt St Michel is in my opinion eons more picturesque and memorable. More to follow about the next day (our favorite!) to Honfleur.

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As mentioned above, we are docked right next to the Pont de Grenelle Bridge where the smaller replica of the Statue of Liberty is situated ( the US gave that as a gift to France in 1889 3 years after they gave us the original). At 6:30 pm go up on deck for the sail away and you can take photos of this and of course, the Eiffel Tower as you sail away to VERNON for the morning tour of Giverny (Monet’s house and gardens). I pray you have better weather than we did and that the water lilies and flowers will be in bloom! Despite the drizzle, we still had about 15 intrepid guests who biked from the dock in Vernon, through the town to Giverny. Be aware that the bikers have their own guide and a slightly different schedule so you will not meet up with them at the Gardens in case one of you decides to bike and the other takes the bus. Unlike Robin’s frosty day, we did not go to La Roche-Guyon.

In the afternoon we went to Les Andelys by bus (we were disappointed that the boat didn’t actually dock there so we missed the opportunity to explore the quaint little village) but at least we had the jaw-dropping view of the river and village down below from Chateau Gaillard above. The hikers got a better view as they hiked up from the town. Once again, they were separate and we did not meet up with them on top. So, we departed Vernon at 7 pm headed for Rouen for the next day. More to follow.....

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Wow, those pictures look just like the EPCOT French movie! They should really add Étretat into the schedule for the other excursions. We could easily have fit it in to our Honfleur day. In other words, you shouldn’t have had to sacrifice amazing Honfleur in order to see Étretat.

. We would have been willing to pay extra to do both. It’s not that far away from Honfleur. What do you think?

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We returned last week from this trip. I promised I would add some thoughts and answer any questions. This will be a poor excuse for a follow-up of (ACWMOM) Robin’s excellent, mind-bending review of their trip last month!

Although we didn’t have snow, we did experience some cold and rainy days.....thank you Uniworld for having enough umbrellas for EVERYONE when we visited Giverny and Monet’s Gardens! Remember, Normandy is known for rain so be prepared....

First, a word about your first day in Paris. For those of you arriving on the first day in the morning, have a plan of what you want to do so you don’t sit around bored in the lounge. I was delighted that they had some complimentary Bateaux Mouches 1 hour Seine River vouchers which is a good way to start the day. Another option is getting the Musee d’Orsay/L’Orangerie one day pass on-line ahead of time. You can do both museums in a few hours and it is a ten min taxi/Uber ride from the ship. As you saw from Robin’s amazing pictures we are docked at the Quai de Grenelle a 15 min stroll to the Eiffel Tower. Also, right up the ramp from the dock is the Paris Beaugrenelle Shopping Mall on Rue Linois where on your last day you can buy gifts including a delicious bakery. There is a good easy to use ATM in this mall as well. In the other direction toward the Eiffel Tower is the Bir Hakeim metro stop. For those of you who have never used the Paris metro, it is incredibly civilized and easy to use. More to follow tomorrow. Sorry if this is too boring and verbose! Steve

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This wasn't an extra expense.

 

Robin

 

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There is no cost for the Tasting Dinner. But you do need to make reservations which you should do as soon as you know which night you want to do it. And for how many people. Add a few extra in case you meet others who want to join you. Just let them know ahead of time if you or others are not going to show up out of courtesy.

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The problem with the butlers is that God forbid you do something yourself like get your wife’s coffee or bring a drink back to the room yourself, and pass them in the hall, they make you feel guilty for not asking them to do it. Sometimes I felt like I had to make up stuff for them to do because I don’t want them to lose their job!

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I’m glad U is making things more exciting. Some of the walking tours (Koblenz, Rouen, etc.) are ultimately boring and we usually go off on our own.

By the way, we just returned on Sunday 2 days ago from this trip and I will start a new discussion to see if anyone has any questions and to tell the differences from your week. Steve

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Robin, let me get this straight. They take you to Le Mont Sainte-Michel and they don’t take you to La Mere Poulard for the best omelettes in the world!? or at least have the good sense to charge less for the tour and let you take lunch on your own like they do in so many other excursions? I know the omelet guy on the ship is great, but I’m just sayin’....

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The only advantage is having their airport transfers and to not have to pack and schlep your luggage to a different hotel from the one they use. If you think it’s worth the money to have a stress-free vacation and you don’t mind the expense, then go for it. However, many travelers like the fun and challenge of finding their own hotels and making their own arrangements. There are plenty of incredible places to stay in both cities!

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Robin, This Sunday we will board and will be in 406 across the hall from your room! I will duck in to make sure you left it in one piece! Thanks for the photos of the suite. Why do women love dual sinks? Are we men really that messy!? I have another question about the end of the cruise. About when do they actually arrive back in Paris? I have been hearing conflicting things and we are trying to figure out some free time there. Steve

Robin, not to skip to the end of your essay, but I take it you docked in the normal place (Quai de Grenelle) upon return to Paris at the end?

Robin, the pictures are exhilarating! I mean, how many people can say they walked a few blocks from their ship and go up the Eiffel Tower only to gaze down at your vessel! I have an unrelated question. Is it true that on the first day (Sunday) they actually depart at 6:30 pm heading for La Roche Guyon? That doesn’t give folks arriving that day much time in Paris and so it seems that the only evening available in Paris is the last day the following Saturday. I’m glad you were able to arrive a few days early and highly recommend that even if one has been to Paris before.

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Yes, Quai De Grenelle is much closer to the Eiffel Tower, which will make walking from the ship much easier. Very cool!

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Thanks, Robin, for the Parisian photos! Our cruise leaves next Sat. Hopefully, we will see some cherry blossoms and other flowers beginning to bloom. Do they still dock near the Parc André Citroën? Can you to the best of your recollection, tell me how long they stayed docked in Paris and Rouen? Did they dock overnight or did you have to be back on board by the evening to take off for the next port? This could have a bearing on evening concerts or walks into town, etc. It is very nice of you to share your experience and I hope to do the same in a few weeks......Steve

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Welcome home, Robin! As you can tell, many non-golfers are wanting to go to Étretat! Do they charge the non-golfers too and where do they drop you? Do you get dropped in town, up on the cliff near that little church, or just at the golf course and then find your own way? I’m sure it’ll all be explained at the port talk by the cruise director but if you can clarify....

Hey Robin, I saw your picture of La Roche Guyon and other stunning snowy pictures! I have a question (more when you get back!). Our itinerary lists Vernon and Les Andelys, not La Roche Guyon. Is that just where they dock or did they change the town? Have a safe rest of the week....

I guess nobody took the bike option to Giverny?!

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