Christmastime on the Seine (2012)

Insist that the TD's have the customers introduce themselves in opening group to each other. I understand maybe this won't work on a big boat, but there is no excuse for this NOT being done on the pre-tour.

Traveler: Evelyn Casserly from Coralville, IA traveled on November 20, 2011

This was my first Grand Circle River Cruise and it wont be my last.

The ship and the crewstaff and guides were excellent and organized . They made sure that everything ran smooth and on schedule and made everyone feel very comfortable.

The meals were excellent. Everything was fresh and mouth watering. And as I said before, the service was excellent.

France in the Fall is beautiful. The weather was cool and comfortable while strolling along Mantes La Jolie, Rouen, Vernon and most of all "Paris".

Each destination was a fun experience. There was always something to see and learn, and everything I saw was postcard beautiful.

There was some down time while traveling from one town to another, but I came home relaxed and stress free.

On our last night on the cruise, we had dinner while cruising along the river Seine in Paris. The views were beautiful and the food was excellent. You look out the wondow and see the Eiffle Tower sparkle. What more could you ask for.

Thank you Grand Circle for a wonderful experience.

Traveler: Robbin Valentich from Elgin, IL traveled on November 23, 2011

We just returned from our 21st. trip with Grand CircleOverseas Adventure Travel.
We have now taken all the Christmas time cruises plus other river cruises as well.
We are scheduled next for "Eastern Europe to the Black Sea" in april
We are always pleased and impressed with the wonderful trips and the fine services this company and their staff and employees provide.
We cannot say enough about the quality of these trips and the personal enjoyment in seeing the World via Grand Circle.

Traveler: David & Joyce Weizenicker from Rockport, TX traveled on December 21, 2011

As usual, this was another great experience with GCT. We heard dire warnings about "December weather in France", and none came true. We wore light jackets at most, and never used our rain gear. Anyway, you're in France on a riverboat, so how bad can life be?

We had three great program directors, Mimi, Chantel, and Lauren. They all had a wonderful sense of humor, especially Mimi; what a hoot she is! I will especially remember Lauren's presentation on the French impressionist artists. It was a great background for our visit to the Musee d'Orsay.

The lasting image of the trip will be the holiday lights in Paris. It's not called the City of Lights for nothing, and adding the Christmas lights takes it to another level. Docking near the Eiffel Tower is another memorable scene.

Rouen, Vernon, Versailles and the other towns along and available from the Seine make wonderful side trips, but Paris is still the jewel. A really pleasant surprise was our visit to L'Abbaye Saint-Wandrille, meeting Brother Lucien and celebrating Mass with the Monks.

I recommend this trip to anyone looking for something a little different for the holidays. But then, I always find a reason to recommend a GCT trip.

Traveler: David Southern from Saint Marys, GA traveled on December 07, 2011

Weather is a risk at this time of year and the first two days were too windy and cold for walking and exploring. After that it was clear and comfortable if dressed properly. The ship, crew and food were all very good. The chance to see France during the holidays as well as the historic sites was very enjoyable. If given a choice I would recommend Air France which makes Delta look mediocre.

Traveler: Lynn Armstrong from Portland, OR traveled on December 14, 2011

The cruise on the Seine was very good in all respects. We have limited interest in shopping, and this cruise was not billed as a shopping trip, so we did not mind that extensive time was not set aside to spend in Christmas markets. Walking on our own, we found many Christmas stalls near the Place de Concorde that had some interesting things and foods. We like off season travelling when the traffic in museums and popular spaces is lower. The Abbey tour was good for seeing the Abbey, monks, hearing chants at Mass, and seeing more countryside from the bus. On the ship, the singers, cheese lecture & tasting, dance game, etc., were fun., and the houses and scenery along the river were interesting. We were glad to have ample time for walking tours on our own in Mantes, Rouen and Paris. Our home host in Vernon gave us a little walking tour there. I thought the guide in Rouen was a bit longwinded and silly, especially in cold rainy weather. We had not been to the Louvre in 16 years so found the guided tour interesting and helpful. On our own we went to Centre Pompidou (Edvard Munch exhibit) and the Grand Palais (Stein collection of Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, etc.). The Stein collection was amazing. There are great views from Pompidou, and you pass through interesting pedestrian streets on the way. It was easy to take public transportation from and to the ship in Paris. The ship restaurant was excellent and the staff was friendly and efficient.

Traveler: Greens from Columbia, MD traveled on November 30, 2011

Christmas time on the Seine was a beautiful trip! France's countryside was lovely &very scenic . Paris was spectacular & is a city that makes you want to return too over & over! The Montmartre was a highlight & stole my heart with its splendid view of Paris! The Eiffel Tower was breathtaking & the cruise at night was a dream come true!! The staff & Bizet were wonderful ! The weather was quite rainy much of the time but that did not dampen ( no pun intended) my time in the least! The temperature was very mild thankfully. I was surprised though at the lack of Christmas markets nor much Christmas ambience. But besides that.... It was a wonderful trip .... Just as GCT always does!!

Traveler: Patricia Snyder from Cumberland, MD traveled on November 30, 2011

Food and food service were outstanding.
So disappointed not to see ANY Christmas markets or Christmas decorations on the trip.
Big disappointment as compared to the Christmas on the Danube and Rhine River cruises
Captain spoke only French and was very aloof and absent from the ship.
.On previous trips the captain was always front and center and interacted with all passengers as they daily came and went from the ship.
Bizet is a nice ship.

Traveler: Eric Sandblade from York, PA traveled on November 30, 2011

The MS Bizet was a very comfortable ship and the crew was both professional and friendly. Richard the head chef and his crew prepared fabulous meals. They were the best that I have enjoyed on any trip or cruise. The magic of Paris, Rouen, and the River Seine in the winter is outstanding.
My wife and I are very happy that we experienced this fantastic river tour!

Traveler: Steven Hoag from Carmichael, CA traveled on November 23, 2011

Great crew and great food! (This was our 2nd Christmas cruise. While Paris and Rouen were great, as far as Christmas markets go, the Danube cruise was better.) Laurent, our Cruise Director, Marie, & Olivier worked well together. The excursions to the Louvre and Versailles were exceptional. Our guides for both were fantastic! Dinner with the nighttime view of the Eiffel Tower was incredible. This cruise gave us an appetite for the longer Paris to Normandy cruise!

Traveler: Leaford & Debra from Baton Rouge, LA traveled on November 24, 2009

Having always traveled happily independently, we were not quite sure what to expect on our first cruise with Grand Circle.
We were pleasantly surprised at what a wonderful time we had - we enjoyed the optional tours, the educational aspect of the Discovery sessions, the excellent meals, especially dinners, unpacking one-time, and the free time to explore on our own in Rouen - a wonderful city we had never visited before -and Paris. The MS Bizet and crew were tops!
The only thing I would change on a future trip would be to make sure that the airline schedule did not include a stop-over - really unnecessary going from DC to Paris, and with delays on both trips, it added many hours to both travel days. Not a huge deal, but avoidable, and if non-stop costs are an issue, perhaps it could be offered as an option.

Traveler: Tom & Anne from Woodbridge, VA traveled on December 15, 2009

My wife enjoyed the trip. Unfortunately I had a serious Siatica attack on the third day of the trip. She enjoyed the optional trips etc.There were some areas that could be improved..1. Taking over three hours to get from the airport to the ship was exhausting. Don't have Boston departures leave till much later to avoid arriving in Paris at6:30 AM and then hitting so much trafficthat we didn"t arrive to the ship till 9:30 thenwe had to wait till 11:00 to get to our cabin since previous passengers didn't leave. 2. Evening meals were excellent, well presented and plenty of wine. Breakfast.Lunch was a disappointment poor salad bar. Theservice was excellent as were the crew ie cabinpeople etc. Our Program Manager was excellent Jean Pierre went far beyond what was expected even ving our suitcase repaired after damaged by the airline.I guess what really disappointed my wife was the CD the program managers prepared. Too bad so much time was showing Paris during the spring and summer. It seems that one manager did most picture takingand most of the pictures were of his group over and over again. The same problem was the excessive amount of picures of the crew show and the same people again. Too bad they eliminated the Kindergarten Show and the last day of the trip.All in all a decent trip, but doesn't compare to our trip last year to see the Christmas Markets on the Danube. The Adagio was wonderful

Traveler: Donald from Newton Center, MA traveled on December 08, 2009

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The Ambiance of eating dinner in the MS Bizet dinning room with the Eiffel Tower flashing the colored Christmas Lights every hour on the hour in the backgroound windows while floating down the Seine river, then waking up to Swans along the river bank outside your cabin winow, is what dreams are made of.

Traveler: Marion from Myrtle Beach, SC traveled on November 24, 2009

What a wonderful trip! Don’t be afraid to go to France in NovemberDecember – it’s not that cold and wow! the Christmas ambience is so beautiful.

We know that river cruises are great – unpack and enjoy – but did you know that being in France amid the Christmas shoppers is amazing? Walking in downtown Rouen, a concert at the cathedral, buying macarons at the patisserie, seeing the Great Clock, what an experience!

The Home-Hosted was great! We went to a truly French home and talked and laughed. It was fun! I’m from Seal Beach, California and learned the word for Seal in French (Le Phoque).

Our Program Directors, Laurent, Marie, Olivier, were wonderful. They worked so hard to make our experience delightful and succeeded beyond measure. Lovely, sweet Marie was a miracle of organization and …. a special shout-out to Olivier – I got lost at the airport and he found me – thanks!

Life on board is great, thanks to the tireless efforts of the captain and crew. Paris is always wonderful, but you can be worn down by the constant outlay of cash for every meal, every cup of coffee. On the good ship Bizet you can have a cup of hot chocolate at 2:30 am (I had massive jet lag) for free. Go to a lovely bistro if you like, but a wonderful, included meal is always available. By the way, the food is great and with over 100 people on board you can find someone fun to sit with. An added attraction, you can see the Eiffel Tower from the dining room – can you do that in most hotels? I think not!

Will I go on a French River Cruise again? Oh, Yes!

Traveler: Mary from Seal Beach, CA traveled on November 24, 2009