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

[Sleep7]

Hello from the OP.😃  Our cruise did not go to Le Havre.

The ports were:

Paris

Giverny

Rouen

Normandy Beaches

Les Andelys

Mantes la Jolie

Paris

You are in for a treat! Much better weather in July for sure.😃

[SfromATX]

4 hours ago, mskaufman said:

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

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I'm wondering which date you are sailing, MSKaufman. We are booked on the July 12th departure. 

Thank you, Sleep7, for such a detailed and upbeat review. It actually answered a lot of my questions. 

[Sleep7]

Thanks SfromATX fro your kind comments.. glad the review gave you an idea of the wonderfulness to come.

Wouldn't that be nice if you both were on the same week.🤞

 

[SfromATX]

Yes! Thank you again, Sleep 7, for writing this detailed report. For the first time this year Viking has launched a couple of smaller boats so that they can actually dock in Paris which sounds good. In your report I was particularly interested in the itinerary so I'm very appreciative of your posting the Dailies. We have been to Omaha Beach several years ago so on that tour day we have hired a private guide to take us to Utah Beach where my husband's father landed on D-Day. We've been on several Viking river cruises and have never had the need for a special guide so I was a little antsy about the schedule. Plus, we've never been on an ocean cruise of any kind so I am a novice! Thus, thanks for a lot of details!

[Sleep7]

Oh that's fantastic that you will be docked in the center of Paris!  It wasn't too much of an inconvenience for us being docked in Le Pecq but closer is always better.

Also great that if you are particularly interested in the DDay landing beaches that you have been there a previous time.  I would say that the time spent on Omaha Beach was a bit short but it's not Viking's fault.  It was a VERY long day trip.. over 3 hours there and 3 hours home. With lunch and bathroom stops and seeing the Atlantic Wall and the American Cemetery the day can only hold so much.  I think they did a great job with what they could given the time constraints.

We had been to Omaha Beach about 20 years ago..  also on a long day trip from Paris so I knew that it would be a lot of bus time.

 

[mskaufman]

7 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

Hello from the OP.😃  Our cruise did not go to Le Havre.

The ports were:

Paris

Giverny

Rouen

Normandy Beaches

Les Andelys

Mantes la Jolie

Paris

You are in for a treat! Much better weather in July for sure.😃

 

In Les Andelys did you do the optional tour to Honfluer

[mskaufman]

3 hours ago, SfromATX said:

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I'm wondering which date you are sailing, MSKaufman. We are booked on the July 12th departure. 

Thank you, Sleep7, for such a detailed and upbeat review. It actually answered a lot of my questions. 

July 14, will waive to you on the River

[Sleep7]

Good morning mskaufman!

I looked back on the daily planner and the optional tour to Honfluer actually departed out of Rouen not Les Andelys.

We didn't take any of the optional tours on this cruise. I felt that the way most days were set up with the included tour in the morning and then free time in the afternoon to just meander around worked best for us.😃

 

 

 

 

 

[SfromATX]

17 hours ago, mskaufman said:

July 14, will waive to you on the River

Awww... we'll miss meeting you! Have a great trip!

[SfromATX]

19 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

Oh that's fantastic that you will be docked in the center of Paris!  It wasn't too much of an inconvenience for us being docked in Le Pecq but closer is always better.

Also great that if you are particularly interested in the DDay landing beaches that you have been there a previous time.  I would say that the time spent on Omaha Beach was a bit short but it's not Viking's fault.  It was a VERY long day trip.. over 3 hours there and 3 hours home. With lunch and bathroom stops and seeing the Atlantic Wall and the American Cemetery the day can only hold so much.  I think they did a great job with what they could given the time constraints.

We had been to Omaha Beach about 20 years ago..  also on a long day trip from Paris so I knew that it would be a lot of bus time.

 

Yes, it'll be convenient to be docked actually in Paris although I've heard Viking makes it as easy as possible with shuttles. When we went to Omaha Beach years ago we went on a on-day bus tour from Paris and I remember the long bus ride. On the way there it wasn't bad because we were excited but going back to Paris seemed longer! It'll be interesting...  

Thanks again for your help.

[Sleep7]

I agree 100% about the bus ride from Paris to Normandy.. long going but REALLY LONG coming back.

You are so welcome! Glad I could be of help.  Enjoy!