Sailing down the River Seine, admiring golden flecks of dusk light illuminating the majestic Notre Dame Cathedral as you clink your glass with your partner and settle down for a dinner spread. That’s as cliché as it can get, but when in Paris, I think you’re forgiven for jumping on tourist traps such as this.
I did exactly that when I was in Paris. It started out with the thought of taking a cruise down the Seine. Not having the luxury of time means if I can kill two birds with one stone, I would. Having dinner while soaking in sights along the river? Count me in.
If you take a walk along the river bank, you’ll notice a handful of tourist operators, with a few offering meals. I picked the Marina de Paris, mainly because their meal offers are more reasonable than others. I also took a peek at the table settings of the other ferries and liked how Marina de Paris arranges theirs. Some ferries arranged their tables in a way that you can’t enjoy the view the river offers.
You get to choose either the lunch or dinner cruise, I thought dining at dusk gives it a more magical feel. That and it frees up the rest of your day to cramp in sight-seeing before winding down for a nice dinner. I spent the day wandering the Louvre, which is only a ten-minute walk away before ambling down to the river, famished for more sights, and food of course.
Here’s a look at my one and a half hour dinner cruise on the Marina de Paris:
This is the ferry looks like. I like how it’s full of glass that allow plenty of light in, and for us to get a better view of both sides of the river.It’s bright and spacious inside the ferry, just the way I like it.The hubs and I were seated at the front end of the ferry. I wish we were seated right at the head of the ferry though. Those folks looked like they have a fantastic view.The tables are arranged such that all guests are able to get a good view of the riverbank.One you are settled in, the starters will stream in. You only have precious 1.5 hours on the ferry, no time is wasted.The other starter. When you book the tickets, you’d be asked to choose your meal from the menu. I love the presentation.Off we go. The first sight we came across is the Musee d’Orsay, a museum transformed from an old railway station. I realised instantly that if I really wanted to admire the architecture of old buildings, a cruise doesn’t quite cut it. The river is too low for us to get a good view of the structures along the Seine. We can only see half the building.This is the second sight- the Institut de France. Again, I can only see the top half of the building. I’m beginning to wish I’d taken a ferry that has two levels, just like this one in the picture.Then it’s time for the mains. You get to choose from three.The portion doesn’t look big but is pretty filling.Sometimes when you concentrate on eating and taking pictures of the food, you forget about the sights. I looked up just in time to catch this- Le Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris.Notre Dame! The good thing about taking the cruise at dinner time is the lighting, giving it all sorts of hues.Don’t miss the Pont Alexandre III. Unlike buildings, ferry rides give you a close up view of the bridge. And this bridge is gorgeous. Connecting the Champs- Elysees quarter, the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower quarter, this bridge is regarded as the most ornately designed bridge in the city and is classified as a French Monument.Dessert time! Service on the Marina de Paris was very efficient. I guess with only one and a half hours, the crew needed to run everything like clockwork.The original Statue of Liberty. Much smaller than its New York counterpart, she was erected in 1885 and underwent a makeover in 1990. This also marks the halfway mark of the cruise.Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind started blaring from the sound system the moment the Statue came into site. Slightly tacky, but I guess it fits the scene. Can you see the Eiffel Tower peeking in the background?I was intrigued by the carvings on the side of this bridge, and obviously, their intended audience are ferry passengers.You get a good view of the Eiffel Tower on this second half of the cruise. Get ready your camera and go on a trigger-happy frenzy.As you pass the Eiffel, take a moment to look at the Pont d’Lena (Jena Bridge) beside it. It links the Eiffel Tower on the Left Bank to the district of Trocadéro on the Right. It was Napoleon who ordered the bridge construction, and named the bridge after his victory in 1806 at the Battle of Jena.Sailing down the river at dusk means everything is covered with a golden blanket. Here’s the golden Pont des Invalides, built in 1855, the longest bridge on the River Seine. The sculptures on the pillars are themed, the Land Victory by Victor Vilain and the Maritime Victory by Georges Diébolt.I must have watched too many of those romantic movies that has loving couples walking along the riverbanks of Seine. I was expecting it to be all calm and picturesque, but instead, crowds greeted me almost along the entire stretch. Couples lounging, bookworms reading, groups of friends relaxing, it’s anything but romantic. But perhaps I’m sailing down the more commercial side of the Seine; that somewhere further down the river is a tranquil trail for some peaceful reflection.
The dinner cruise set us back 60 Euros each; get details of the different cruises from Marina de Paris.
In retrospect, the cruise might be for those who want to experience something a little frivolous, after all, you’re in Paris. If you’re really looking to do some sight-seeing, combining a dinner and cruise might not be the best idea. While I was trying to admire my food and soaking in the whole atmosphere, I missed out on the scenic sights around me. And when I do look up, I only managed to catch a portion of the incredible architecture.
Having said that, I fully enjoyed the entire dinner experience. It might have been a little bit rushed and a wee bit commercial, but there’s something about having dessert while gliding past the Eiffel Tower that makes me feel, for a fleeting moment, that life is perfect.
Tip: If you want to take the cruise to enjoy the the charming sights long the Seine, pick a ferry with two levels and sit at the upper deck.
Have you taken a river cruise along the Seine? How was it like?
