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BOOK ACTIVITY

Seine River Cruise - Lunch

Port de la Bourdonnais, Paris, Île-de-France

Description

There are several operators of lunch and dinner cruises on the Seine River from the centre of Paris. This review is for the 2h lunch cruise - Privilege Service seating with Bateaux Parisiens that includes a 4-course meal (starter, main, cheese, dessert), water, red wine and white wine and seating by the window in tables of 2 to 4. There are 2 other price and seating alternatives - please refer to website for details. The trip covers a lot of Parisian landmarks such as the Grand Palais, Place de la Concorde, the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame de Paris, les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower where it departs from and returns to after navigating until the French National Library in Bercy.

Access & Transport

Boarding is at Port de la Bourdonnais (at the foot of the Eiffel Tower), at pontoon no. 3. The closest metro and train stations are Bir-Hakeim and Champs de Mars (RER C), respectively. Trocadero and Pont de L'Alma are also within walking distance. There are some bus stops along quai Branly and Avenue de Iena (across the Iena bridge). The most practical parking is Tour Eiffel - Quai Branly.

Instructions & Recommendations

The cruise leaves at 12h45 and check-in opens around 12h00 so customers should target to reach around 12h15 and start enjoying the meal before the boat leaves. We would recommend combining this activity with a visit of the Quai Branly Museum or Eiffel Tower and then a walk over to the Trocadero.

Meta review

Most reviewers are very positive about their experience, citing the views and service by the waiters as the highlight. Overall, the food quality seems good but not exceptional. There are some negative comments (some of which are clearly made up and malicious) that relate to booking issues, music being too loud or the food not being to one's liking.

Environmental & Social

The company has lofty ambitions (clean energy and recyclable boats) but not much details to back it up - for the time being the boats still run on fossil fuels. Neutral from a social perspective.

Conclusion

The "bateaux mouche" lunch cruise is, in our opinion, more than the addition of a lunch and a sightseeing cruise: it makes for a great social setting and experience. Do not go there expecting gourmet cuisine and think about the view as a changing landscape rather than a series of landmarks, otherwise you will not be able to take in the atmosphere. If you are looking for something romantic or have a significant budget the dinner cruise might be a better choice but otherwise the lunch cruise should not disappoint.

Key positive

Special lunch setting

An efficient way to take in many landmarks for those short on time

Good service

Key negative

Experience can be impacted by the weather, high water levels or other selfish passengers

Value is fine but it is far from being cheap

Suitability

Suitable for all ages and accessible for customers with reduced mobility (subject to a cap per boat)

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

May 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
Food
starter + main dish + cheese + dessert
Drinks (non-alc.)
bottled water
Alcoholic drinks
White wine and red wine
Timing
Duration of visit
Lunch cruise is 2h long

av. transport time:0h 25m

est. visit time:2h 30m

Regulated hours

Monday12:15 - 14:45

Tuesday12:15 - 14:45

Wednesday12:15 - 14:45

Thursday12:15 - 14:45

Friday12:15 - 14:45

Saturday12:15 - 14:45

Sunday12:15 - 14:45

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
€95
Adult
12 - 64
€95
Child
4 - 11
€39
Infant
0 - 3
€0
Price for the "Privilege Service" option

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