Christmastime on the Seine (2012)

Depart today on your flight to Paris, France.

Arrive this morning or afternoon in Paris. You are met at the airport and transferred to your ship, Grand Circle's Private M/S Bizet. Get acquainted with your Program Director and your fellow travelers this afternoon at a buffet lunch served onboard.

Attend a briefing about the ship and meet the crew this evening. Your Program Director will answer any questions you may have. Later, celebrate your arrival in France with a Welcome Drink and the Captain's Welcome Dinner.

As you depart Paris this morning, enjoy an exclusive Discovery Series presentation about Impressionist artist Claude Monet and the importance of Rouen—a city you'll visit on Day 5—to his work. Over the course of two years, Monet painted Rouen Cathedral more than 20 times, capturing how variations in light due to weather and time of day changed the image he saw before him. Then, savor a tasty introduction to France's love of fromage—cheese. From chevre to brie and beyond, French cheeses are among the country's most beloved and delectable treasures.

You arrive in Mantes La Jolie around lunchtime. You may explore on your own here, being sure to visit its most beloved building, the Notre Dame Cathedral. Dating from the end of the twelfth century, Notre Dame replaced the church burned down by William the Conqueror in 1087, during a siege of the town that cost him his life.

Or, join an optional tour of the Palace of Versailles. This afternoon excursion to the incredible palace includes a guided tour through its Grand Chambers, the dazzling Hall of Mirrors, and the beautiful Royal Chapel. You'll marvel at luminous decorations of marble, chased bronze, and gold leaf, with Rococo-style woodwork, and Italian-style painted ceilings—the home of 3,000 princes, ministers, and servants. Please note: To take advantage of this optional tour, you must purchase it in advance, prior to your departure.

You'll dine onboard our ship and set sail this evening.

Disembark in Rouen for a walking tour with a local guide this morning. Rouen is an important French commercial port city with a distinguished history dating to pre-Roman times. But it is more "infamous" as the city where Joan of Arc was imprisoned, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake. Here, your stops will include the Old Quarter, with hundreds of timber-framed houses, Notre Dame Cathedral, a Gothic architectural treasure so inspirational to Monet, and a colorful Christmas Market.

After lunch onboard, gather at Notre Dame Cathedral for a special Christmas concert. For at least six centuries, Choir Masters have trained students in liturgical music, some going on to become world-renowned conductors and composers. You'll revel in an inspiring concert of seasonal music here.

Early this evening, participate in an exclusive Discovery Series discussion about France's many Christmas traditions, from Buche de Noel, the traditional cake in the shape of a Yule log, to Le Reveillon, the long and festive Christmas Eve dinner.

Make your own discoveries in Rouen today. This was the capital of the Anglo-Norman dynasty that ruled England and large parts of what is now France from the eleventh to the 15th century. You might like to return to Monet's beloved cathedral, visit one of the city's many excellent museums, or see the dramatic Place du Vieux Marche, a modern church dedicated to Joan of Arc, who was burnt at the stake in Rouen in 1431. A bronze cross in the square marks the location of her death.

Or, join an optional half-day excursion to the Benedictine Abbey de St. Wandrille. Founded in the seventh century, the abbey has undergone two near-complete restorations, and today's building is mostly an 18th-century structure. Forty monks still call the abbey home, and invest the area with a real sense of calm and historic continuity. You can hear the monks sing Gregorian chants at morning Mass.

Around lunchtime, start cruising to Vernon. Get your camera ready as your ship passes La Roche Guyon, where Monet's close friend, the artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, established a studio. Though known primarily for his portraits, Renoir also painted scenes of this beautiful area. As you cruise, admire the town's castle, built on the chalk cliffs overlooking the River Seine. This castle was Rommel's General Headquarters during World War II. This afternoon, learn how to speak like a native during an exclusive Discovery Series French language lesson.

This evening, your ship arrives in Vernon, where you enjoy dinner onboard.

This morning in Vernon, celebrate with your fellow travelers—and make new friends—as you experience a Home-Hosted Visit at the home of a Vernon family. After your visit, you'll have a bit of time to stroll around this lovely town before returning to the ship. With only 25,000 residents, Vernon retains some of the Old World charm that has endured since it was founded as royal town in the ninth century.

Cruise back to Paris this afternoon, taking in the wintry beauty of the French landscape.

Gather with your new friends to toast your enriching journey at the Captain's Farewell Drink, followed by dinner onboard. Your ship arrives in Paris tonight.

After breakfast, enjoy a half-day panoramic tour introducing you to the classic highlights of Paris, including the famed Champs Elysees. View the Arc de Triomphe (commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 and completed in 1836) standing at the end of the Champs Elysees at the large central roundabout where twelve elegant, tree-lined avenues converge. You'll also drive by the magnificent Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Place de la Concorde.

After enjoying lunch together on board, your afternoon is at leisure.

Or, join an optional tour to the renowned Louvre Museum. Your first glimpse of the Louvre will be the I.M. Pei-designed entrance, which created a great deal of controversy when it was built in 1989. Called the Pyramide du Louvre, the steel-rod, cable, and glass pyramids at the three main Louvre entrances are today considered a fine example of the blending of modern with classic architecture. The treasures inside the museum are world-famous, and the collection of sculptures and paintings by the Great Masters unrivaled. Stroll through gallery after gallery, marveling at works by the likes of Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Rubens, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Matisse.

This evening, see the "City of Light" from a new perspective, if the weather—and the tide along the river—permits. Cruising along the Seine through the city, you'll enjoy the stately architecture and romantic icons from the vantage point of our boat. As the ship passes under its bridges, you'll see why the Seine is the ideal pathway to discovering the magic of Paris.

Explore Paris at your own pace this morning, perhaps visiting the Musee d’Orsay, housed in a notable building and known for its collection of Impressionist, post-Impressionist, and Art Nouveau works. In advance of the 1900 World's Fair, the architect Victor Laloux won a competition to build a new train station, which he gave the facade of a classic stone hotel, creating a structure that naturally integrated with its elegant neighborhood. The 1898 building served a number of purposes after 1940, when it was no longer suitable for more modern trains. It was classified as a Historical Monument in 1976 and opened as a museum in 1986.

Or, join an optional tour to Montmartre, one of the most famous districts in Paris. A lively area that has attracted artists since the1800s, Montmartre is located on the Right Bank of the Seine, on the highest hill in Paris, crowned with the Sacre Coeur Cathedral, which you’ll visit. Explore the romantic Montmartre hill area and the small streets that wind through it, perhaps capturing some of the ambiance of the time of Monet, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. You’ll have free time for a stop at a cafe for a drink and some shopping.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.