Uniworld Paris-Rouen cruise

You unpack once, sleep as you sail between cities, and when you get up in the morning you find that you are in or near the center of town. Because I think river cruises are among the best ways to travel, in 2013 I decided to take the 8-day “Parisian Winter Holiday” cruise-tour with Uniworld (Los Angeles, CA; 800/733-7820).

The cost was $2,843 (cruise, $2,424; taxes/surcharges, $140, and AAA Travel Protection, $279). There was no single-supplement charge, and I used my Delta Air Lines miles for the international airfare.

I left Miami on Dec. 12 and arrived in Paris on the 13th. Even though I had made my own air reservation, I was met and transferred to the River Baroness. 

That evening, passengers met in the lounge to learn how the trip would be run. The night before a shore trip, we each would sign up for one of four groups. All groups would visit the same places, but group 4, for people who had difficulty walking, would always do it at a more leisurely pace. For example, at Château Gaillard, the first three groups would climb the hill to the ruins while group 4 would take a bus up.

The next day we arrived at the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, and our first excursion was to Versailles. (All excursions were included in the cruise fare.) Having been to Versailles three times, I decided to walk around the town. With its colorful Christmas decorations, it was lovely. I found a studio where they were having an exhibit by local artists.

The captain’s reception was held that evening.

On day three we docked in Rouen and walked to the cathedral to see the various stalls in the Christmas market. The city’s medieval center features half-timbered houses with slate-tiled roofs. A Renaissance gatehouse with a clock arches over the main street. At the end of Place du Vieux-Marché is a large bronze cross marking the spot where Joan of Arc was executed. 

That afternoon we were treated to a concert in the cathedral. 

Rouen was the turning point of the cruise. It’s located about 66 miles from the sea, and beyond it the Seine is tidal, so few river cruise ships go farther. Over the next few days, as we sailed back to Paris, we passed through six écluses (locks).

In Les Andelys, we took the excursion to the ruins of Château Gaillard, a castle built as a stronghold for Richard the Lionheart.

Whenever we returned from an excursion, the staff usually greeted us with hot chocolate or coffee. However, that day the treat was galettes (buckwheat crêpes) and Normandy’s famous cider.

In the afternoon we had a walking tour of Vernon. A thousand years ago, tolls on the river traffic were collected there. The late-Romanesque church appears in several of Monet’s paintings. 

That night we had a gala dinner.

Auvers-sur-Oise is where Vincent van Gogh spent the last two months of his life. We saw the house where he lived and several statues of him scattered throughout the village. Near several landmarks are reproductions of pictures that van Gogh painted of them, such as the church, the town hall, lanes, etc. 

It was a long walk out of town to the graveyard where Vincent is buried next to his brother, Theo.

On day six we were back in Paris, where we visited the Cathedral Notre Dame and took a cruise on the Seine. We attended the captain’s farewell dinner that night.

The next day started with a visit to Musée d’Orsay. After lunch they offered shuttle buses to various Christmas markets; I went to the one near the Eiffel Tower. In the evening we had a tour of the Christmas decorations in the City of Light. Fantastic!

The next day, we all were homebound.

At all meals during our cruise, wine was served and there was open seating. Breakfast was buffet style and lunch was offered in the dining room or, for a light meal, in the lounge. Evenings offered a choice of three entrées: meat, fish or vegetarian. The food and service were excellent.

Happy hour took place from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Between 6:45 and 7 we were told what would happen the next day. 

Most evenings, the pianist played music, but one night we had local entertainers performing French songs. On two afternoons we heard lectures about France and the Seine River. The ship had an adequate gym.

I was very pleased with this short interlude before Christmas.

PHILIP A. SHART

Tamarac, FL