Paris and the Heart of Normandy Captured Our Hearts! Full Trip Report - Viking Rolf

We booked Paris and the Heart of Normandy on Viking and I will check out the thread you mentioned. While my husband and I are frequent cruisers (Royal Caribbean and Celebrity), this is our first river cruise. Expecting a totally different experience.

Thanks for reaching out -

Robin

We booked Paris and the Heart of Normandy on Viking and I will check out the thread you mentioned. While my husband and I are frequent cruisers (Royal Caribbean and Celebrity), this is our first river cruise. Expecting a totally different experience.

 

Thanks for reaching out -

Robin

Robin - My wife are Royal Caribbean/Celebrity cruisers too. We took our first Viking River Cruise on the Rhine a couple of years ago and really liked it. It is a lot more laid back and tends to cater to a more older group which we are a part of. The ship is pretty quite in the evening, but the tours as well as the service on board is excellent. I think you will enjoy it. We are taking the France’s Finest Cruise next month and really look forward to it.

We are going on this exact cruise in October 24-31. Your review was wonderful and informative. So looking forward to it. This will be our first Viking river cruise

[quogte=Sleep7;54574236]It's been a few days since we have been home with plenty of time to reflect on what an absolutely amazing vacation we had on the Viking Rolf. It was relaxing.. it was fun.. it was delicious.. it was interesting.. it was a very special week indeed.

Every I was dotted and every T was crossed. The attention to detail was fantastic.

The genuine warmth of each and every crew member was what really made the week so outstanding.

Seeing their smiling and welcoming faces many times a day made us really relax and enjoy every facet of this lovely cruise on the Seine.

We hope to be back soon..

Thanks for sharing the journey with me!

Hi,We are going on Rolf in November and arriving 3 days early. Any tips and must see or things we should be aware about? Are we better off booking tours through Viking or is Viator a good alternative? Didn't know if Viking has better access for tours and seating. This is our first river cruise as I think we are done with big ships. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Hi,We are going on Rolf in November and arriving 3 days early. Any tips and must see or things we should be aware about? Are we better off booking tours through Viking or is Viator a good alternative? Didn't know if Viking has better access for tours and seating. This is our first river cruise as I think we are done with big ships. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

When in Paris I consider Sainte-Chapelle to be a must see. It’s located a short walk from Notre Dame so it’s possible to do both on the same afternoon. It was built by Louis IX to house holy relics brought back from the crusades, including the supposed Crown of Thorns. It has the most extensive collection of 13th-century stained glass anywhere in the world. It’s amazing.

http://www.sainte-chapelle.fr/en/

The art museums in Paris are organized by period. Most everything Pre-Impressionism is at the Louvre. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism works are at the Musée d’Orsay. Modern Art is at the Pompidou Center. Some museums are closed on Mondays, others on Tuesdays. Be sure to check the websites as to operating times. I’m partial to Monet so I love the Musée d’Orsay. It’s a converted 19th century train station on the banks of the Seine. The Musée de l'Orangerie is across the Seine from the Orsay and is where the large water lilly series of paintings of Monet are located. Also for Monet fans, the Musée Marmottan is owned by the Monet Foundation. Here you’ll find the largest collection of his painting in the world, as well as works he bought or was given from his fellow impressionists. Many of his works that were hanging at his home in Giverny are here (his home contains reproductions).

As far as tours, when it came to the D-Day beaches, we chose the Commonwealth tour. It was much less crowded, only 8 people, and it included a trip to Bayeux to view the famous tapestry of the Norman invasion. I consider this to be a must see. It also goes to the Pegasus Bridge, which was the bridge featured in the movie “The Longest Day.” The museum there has full sized replicas of the gliders used on D-Day.

Thank you for the information. You seem to be well versed in Paris. How many times have you been? This will be my first trip and my wife's second.Have you been on any other river cruise?

Absolutely ditto St. Chapelle!

Also, check out the Paris Museum pass, especially if you are getting around on your own.

Thank you for the information. You seem to be well versed in Paris. How many times have you been? This will be my first trip and my wife's second.Have you been on any other river cruise?

I’ve been to Paris 4 times, twice with Viking.

My previous cruises are in my signature.

We just returned from the Paris to the Swiss Alps cruise, which we did in the reverse direction. We also added the Switzerland pre cruise extension. It went from Geneva to Zermatt to Zurich and included a 1st class ride on the Glacier Express across Switzerland. It was an amazing extension. I highly recommend it.

I agree about getting the Museum Pass. It will allow you to use a different entrance and save time and money.

Another museum worth seeing is the Picasso Museum located in the Marais district. It located in an old mansion that was once own by the merchant that had rights to the royal salt monopoly.

http://www.museepicassoparis.fr/en/

When you are docked in Le Pecq you do a tour of St. Germain-en-laye that lies on the hill overlooking the port. The main church contains the tomb of James II, the leader of the Scottish Jacobite rebellion. He’s the exiled king that is portrayed in the TV series Outlander. I like to mention this because there are many fans of the show I’ve run into on cruises.

Since this is your first river cruise there is one more thing I’d like to mention. The Normandy trip is short on actual river cruising time and given the time of year, it will probably be too cold to use a balcony or go up on deck. You’ll spend a good deal of time docked at Rouen and use that as base camp for you exploration of Normandy.

It was an enjoyable trip for us, but we went in August when Monet’s gardens were open and there was an incredible nightly light and multi-media show projected on the Rouen cathedral. (Look it up online).

For a more typical river cruise experience, one that features the Rhine gorge and the beautiful castles is an ideal starter cruise. It is more reprenstative of what you’ll find on other cruises. If this cruise is to your liking you should explore one of those for your 2nd outing, preferably in the late spring or early summer or early fall.

Another museum worth seeing is Fondation Louis Vuitton, 8, Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Bois de Boulogne - 75116 - Paris

http://www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/en.html

I say 'worth seeing' because the building itself is a stunning new design by Frank Gehry. Unless you like cutting-edge current art, IMHO it isn't worth paying the entrance fee. But it's an interesting bus ride to admire the outside! ;)

I’ve been to Paris 4 times, twice with Viking.

 

My previous cruises are in my signature.

 

We just returned from the Paris to the Swiss Alps cruise, which we did in the reverse direction. We also added the Switzerland pre cruise extension. It went from Geneva to Zermatt to Zurich and included a 1st class ride on the Glacier Express across Switzerland. It was an amazing extension. I highly recommend it.

 

I agree about getting the Museum Pass. It will allow you to use a different entrance and save time and money.

 

Another museum worth seeing is the Picasso Museum located in the Marais district. It located in an old mansion that was once own by the merchant that had rights to the royal salt monopoly.

http://www.museepicassoparis.fr/en/

 

When you are docked in Le Pecq you do a tour of St. Germain-en-laye that lies on the hill overlooking the port. The main church contains the tomb of James II, the leader of the Scottish Jacobite rebellion. He’s the exiled king that is portrayed in the TV series Outlander. I like to mention this because there are many fans of the show I’ve run into on cruises.

 

Since this is your first river cruise there is one more thing I’d like to mention. The Normandy trip is short on actual river cruising time and given the time of year, it will probably be too cold to use a balcony or go up on deck. You’ll spend a good deal of time docked at Rouen and use that as base camp for you exploration of Normandy.

 

It was an enjoyable trip for us, but we went in August when Monet’s gardens were open and there was an incredible nightly light and multi-media show projected on the Rouen cathedral. (Look it up online).

 

For a more typical river cruise experience, one that features the Rhine gorge and the beautiful castles is an ideal starter cruise. It is more reprenstative of what you’ll find on other cruises. If this cruise is to your liking you should explore one of those for your 2nd outing, preferably in the late spring or early summer or early fall.

May I post this in "Everything Viking France"? There is a lot of helpful information here for future cruisers. Could we get you to join the conversation there as well, it is always great to have those who have already done an itinerary acting as resident experts.

May I post this in "Everything Viking France"? There is a lot of helpful information here for future cruisers. Could we get you to join the conversation there as well, it is always great to have those who have already done an itinerary acting as resident experts.

Be my guest.

Want to say heartfelt thanks for the excellent review with photos including menu shots and Viking Daily pics. Doing Paris-Normandy July 2019 in a last Viking 3 generation cruise. Only our newest generation is fluent in French.

And thanks to those posting tips for Paris Museums and walking tours as well.

We are going on this trip in a week aboard the Viking Kaden. Thanks for sharing your experience. Now I know what to expect and can't wait to experience this myself.

We are going on this trip in a week aboard the Viking Kaden. Thanks for sharing your experience. Now I know what to expect and can't wait to experience this myself.

We are going ourselves in just over two months. We'd love to hear your impressions of your trip. Bon Voyage!!

Robin - My wife are Royal Caribbean/Celebrity cruisers too. We took our first Viking River Cruise on the Rhine a couple of years ago and really liked it. It is a lot more laid back and tends to cater to a more older group which we are a part of. The ship is pretty quite in the evening, but the tours as well as the service on board is excellent. I think you will enjoy it. We are taking the France’s Finest Cruise next month and really look forward to it.

We are also Celebrity/RCL cruisers. We were on Rhine Getaway Cruise on Viking Eir in October and loved every aspect of it. It was truly the trip of a lifetime. We are going on Viking to Paris and Normandy in Aug 2020 and hope it’s as interesting as the Rhine was.

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We are also Celebrity/RCL cruisers. We were on Rhine Getaway Cruise on Viking Eir in October and loved every aspect of it. It was truly the trip of a lifetime. We are going on Viking to Paris and Normandy in Aug 2020 and hope it’s as interesting as the Rhine was.

 

 

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ArubaGal, please join the roll call for all 2020 Viking Paris & the Heart of Normandy cruises at https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2674653! We can learn from each other as well as from those who go before (such as this thread).

Carolyn

Sleep7, Thank you for a terrific review. We did our first Viking Cruise in November 2015 and hope to do the Paris to Normandy in 2020. I don't know if I can wait that long after this review! My husband is a huge WWII buff and this will be his first time in France. We will stay a few days pre or post in Paris. Do you think the Viking excursion will be enough for an avid history buff or should we plan either a private excursion or more time pre or post cruise? I know that is a personal question but I think you commented that you had visited Normandy before. TIA

ArubaGal, please join the roll call for all 2020 Viking Paris & the Heart of Normandy cruises at https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2674653! We can learn from each other as well as from those who go before (such as this thread).

 

Carolyn

Also check out Everything Viking France: Normandy, Paris, Provence which is not a roll call but a chance to share information and ask questions about the various itineraries in France.

Thank you for your wonderful post, we are so excited about our upcoming trip on the Rolf leaving Nov 18, 2018, only our second river cruise so all your info was super helpful. Here's to good weather and smooth cruising.

Hello madera1, robinm918, ddffdian, philw1776, sbats2005, NBliving, and CarolynFH, ArubaGal, OneSixtyToOne, HostJazzbeau, Sailboater30, RonBrannon, acwmom,robinm918,MsSailAway, Emorygal1, Peregrina651,

By now all of you have sailed on your cruises and I hope you had the best times ever!🙋‍♀️

I just happened to be glancing back at old posts of mine and realized that I stopped getting notifications about

this thread.. hence no word from me in the last round of comments.

Better late than never.. just wanted to thank those who left such kind and complimentary words about my review.  So glad that it was helpful and fun to read.😍

We just booked a Danube cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg on the Viking Egil in April and are super excited!

I plan to leave a cruise report just like this one when we return.

Thanks again for your positive comments on this old thread.. it made the whole cruise experience even more enjoyable!😃

2 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

realized that I stopped getting notifications about

this thread.. hence no word from me in the last round of comments.

First thing! Great thread. Thank you so much.

If you aren't getting notification for just this thread, check what the settings are by clicking on the following box at the top of the page.

If you aren't getting any notifications at all, listen up. I had the same problem. This is what I learned in the process of getting it fixed:

If your e-mail server for whatever reason-legitimate or stupid mistake-bounces a notification e-mail, your e-address goes on a blacklist and you get no more notifications.

The only way to fix it is to e-mail help@cruisecritic.com. Explain you aren't getting notifications and give them an alternative e-mail address (will avoid an added round of e-mails asking for it). Only your e-mail address for notifications will be changed unless you specify that you wish to change the e-mail address for the entire account.

Personally, I suggest opening a free e-mail account with Yahoo or the like, any client that allows you to create multiple disposable e-mail addresses, because my gut says that if this has happened once, it will happen again. Besides which, having a separate e-mail for your on-line life protects your personal e-mail address from spam and other unwanted attention.

Also add the CC e-mail addresses to your addressbook. news@email.cruisecritic.com (marketing) AND cruisecritic@invisioncloudcommunity.com (notifications) --because it couldn't hurt.

NOTE that marketing e-mails and notifications are handled by different servers with different rules --and that the the rules on the notifications server are much more unforgiving--one mistake and the e-mail address is blacklisted.

Hi Peregrina651!

Yay!  I actually did get an email saying there was a new response to my thread.

I did un-follow and and then re-follow so maybe that did the trick. Hope so!🤞

Thanks for your helpful and sweet post.

On 11/17/2017 at 1:08 PM, Sleep7 said:

It's been a few days since we have been home with plenty of time to reflect on what an absolutely amazing vacation we had on the Viking Rolf. It was relaxing.. it was fun.. it was delicious.. it was interesting.. it was a very special week indeed.

Every I was dotted and every T was crossed. The attention to detail was fantastic.

The genuine warmth of each and every crew member was what really made the week so outstanding.

Thanks for sharing the journey with me!

Thank you for sharing the journey with us!  We are sailing the the Aegir on May 26 from Nuremberg to Budapest. It is our first river cruise and  I'm really looking forward to it. 

Good morning SK! 😃

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.. it will give you a good idea (minus the ports of course) of what your upcoming Viking cruise will be like.  I see you posted on the roll call.. hope somebody else from your sailing posts too because that's always fun! We are so excited about our upcoming Danube cruise too.🤗

We are on this cruise in July.  I wonder if the OP went to LeHavre.  If so, I must have missed the pictures.