Comments and input welcome - Paris City Drive & The Louvre Museum LEH-110

[JimAOk1945]

I've posted my questions on the Princess board, but perhaps this is a better place for them. My wife and I are booked on a Princess British Isles cruise next summer. I came across this excursion on the Princess website.

 

I hope someone who has done this excursion can answer a couple of questions. I’ve searched Cruise Critic and the internet but can’t find any information that has the specific information I’m looking for. The website descriptions don't go into details.

 

Question one: During the Louvre visit, is there a guide that stays with the group for the entire visit, or only part of the time and then you are free to wander around the museum?

 

Below is a description from the website about the Louvre visit.

 

“Upon arriving at the Louvre, you'll marvel at this former royal palace. Today, it's perhaps the greatest repository of fine art in the world. Experienced guide offer highlights of this vast collection, including the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory, Leonardo de Vinci's immortal Mona Lisa, and other paintings by such masters as Delacroix and Gericault. You'll have free time to browse in the museum shop before departing for lunch.”

 

Question 2: Is there any free time to take pictures after lunch? I noticed on internet pictures there seems to be a outside walkway on the same level as the restaurant. Below is a description from the Princess website about lunch.

 

“You'll enjoy lunch at 58 Tour Eiffel, a restaurant on the first floor of the tower, while viewing charming views of Paris from the venue's large windows. When it's time to call it a day, you'll snap a photo or two of the imposing tower before your return drive to the pier.”

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Ballerina Sweetie Pie]

We did this excursion on Royal Princess in July. The guide(s) started with us on the bus trip over & stayed with us all day. Lunch in the Eiffel Tower was nice. At the Louvre, we were divided into 3 smaller groups. Our guide was very pleasant & well informed- rushed us through the maze of exhibits- goal to see the Mona Lisa- accomplished. We were given about 15 minutes on our own- barely time to make our way through the crowds to the meeting point. No time to shop- although several in the group did- causing the rest of us to wait on them. Whirlwind trip- not sure it was worth the time & money- although I can mark it off my bucket list- sort of.

[rocklinmom]

Ballerina Sweetie Pie (love the name!), do you recall what the lunch at the Eiffel Tower was? I assume a pre-set menu, but just wondering what they served. Especially if we might not have time to grab a snack.

[Ballerina Sweetie Pie]

It was a big meal- think we had a choice of chicken or fish with vegetable, salad, rolls? White/red wine was self pour at table & delicious chocolate dessert.

[rocklinmom]

Sounds great, thank you!

[JimAOk1945]

Hi! I'm the OP. I just wanted to say thanks for everyone's input. If anyone has some advice or suggestions, please let me know.

 

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[rocklinmom]

This excursion (Paris City Drive and The Louvre Museum) has disappeared from the list of available shore excursions for our June British Isles cruise.  I had it saved on my Wish List from a few months ago and now when I click on that it says "Error...please call for assistance".  The other Paris excursions are all still there and are fine when I click on them.  Can anyone else booked on a British Isles cruise on the Crown this summer access this excursion in their Personalizer?  I am wondering if it's still going to be available or not.  

[Nhsaltshaker]

On 11/24/2018 at 1:18 PM, rocklinmom said:

This excursion (Paris City Drive and The Louvre Museum) has disappeared from the list of available shore excursions for our June British Isles cruise.  I had it saved on my Wish List from a few months ago and now when I click on that it says "Error...please call for assistance".  The other Paris excursions are all still there and are fine when I click on them.  Can anyone else booked on a British Isles cruise on the Crown this summer access this excursion in their Personalizer?  I am wondering if it's still going to be available or not.  

I'm going in May and that is excursion disappeared on me also.  Now all I see is Paris On Your Own, which, I guess, means you can do the Louvre on your own.

[rocklinmom]

Interesting!  I can see the Paris on your Own, Best of Paris, and Seine River cruise one.  Good to know that you don't show the Louvre one either.  I hope it reappears later.

[Hlitner]

"Paris on your Own" generally means you will get bus transportation from the port to a drop point in Paris (it is sometimes near the Eiffel Tower and other times at the Place de la Concorde).  Once you leave the bus you are completely on your own and simply must return to the pick-up point at the proper time.  As to going to the Louvre on your own, sure anyone can go there as long as its not Tuesday when the Louvre is closed.  You simply get in line, pay the fee, and then go where you please inside the huge facility.   For museum loves we also recommend L'orangerie (not far from the Louvre) where they have the amazing Monet mural downstairs.  But of all the museums in Paris our personal favorite is the Musee d'Orsay which is a must for any lover of French Impressionism.  

 

Our favorite way to explore Pairs in primarily on foot with occasional use of the Metro if trying to move longer distances.  When walking around Paris (DW's favorite city in the world) it is almost sad to see tour buses drive by with the passengers having their noses pressed against the windows.  Seeing Paris from inside a bus is akin to watching videos of it on a large screen TV.

 

Hank

[rocklinmom]

I'm not sure if we are brave enough to attempt Paris on our own LOL.  Do you happen to know how far it is between the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower?  They seem pretty far apart and are the two places we really want to see.  I speak Spanish not French so don't know about navigating through the city, although many people do it.  

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, rocklinmom said:

I'm not sure if we are brave enough to attempt Paris on our own LOL.  Do you happen to know how far it is between the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower?  They seem pretty far apart and are the two places we really want to see.  I speak Spanish not French so don't know about navigating through the city, although many people do it.  

It is a long walk (a bit over a mile)  which is great for those of us who love long walks.  And it can be a really fun walk on either bank.   The #72 bus is almost direct (although you would still need to walk across the Seine).  Using the Metro is more complicated but the RER C Train is  another good option.  You would need to cross over the Seine to the Musee d'Orsay (our favorite museum) and take the "C" train to the Eiffel Tower stop.  The "RER" is kind of like the Metro (within the city) but a different system.

 

We cannot help you deal with your fears, which perhaps means you should book tours.  But we only are fluent in one language (English) and have somehow managed to travel all over the world without too many language problems.  In fact, we used to say that our worst problem with language barriers has been in parts of London (but that is a story unto itself).  For those who do like to DIY,  the Rick Steve's books are near perfect for meeting all your needs.  They have the various maps and clearly explain how to use buses, metro/RER, etc.  

 

Speaking of the fear of DIY travel, many folks find that doing lots of pre-trip homework help to alleviate much of the fear.  For many it is simply fear of the unknown, and once you learn your options there is no longer the unknown :).  What we like about being on our own is our freedom to do what we want, when we want, with who we want.  If walking from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower we might decide to stop at a cute cafe and have a beer, glass or wine, snack, etc.  If on a tour (even a walking tour) we would pass by the cafe and think, "I sure would love to stop at that cafe"  but of course that is not an option on most tours.

 

Hank

[Ballerina Sweetie Pie]

Our guide had prepurchased tickets to the Eiffel Tower & Louvre- huge lines at both. I would think you could do the same- if not, all of your time would be spent waiting in line.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Ballerina Sweetie Pie said:

Our guide had prepurchased tickets to the Eiffel Tower & Louvre- huge lines at both. I would think you could do the same- if not, all of your time would be spent waiting in line.

In our experience the lines at the Louvre are not a big problem....at least for getting in the museum.  The fact that everyone wants to get close to the Mona Lisa does create crowding in that one gallery :).  The Eiffel Tower is another story and the line situation can be awful.  When we went up the Eiffel about 30 years ago (to take our 9 year old DD) it was not much of a wait.  But now, when we are in the area we have often seen long lines.  Even with a ticket you can find yourself waiting a long time, especially if going all the way to the top.

 

By the way, my very strong recommendation for those going to Paris is to first read Edward Rutherford's "Paris."  It is a very long historical novel, but will give the reader a slightly different perspective on Paris and especially the Eiffel Tower.  Just a warning that one should start reading that book at least a month before their trip because it is very long.  But what a wonderful read.

 

Hank

 

[DUTRAVEL]

8 hours ago, rocklinmom said:

I'm not sure if we are brave enough to attempt Paris on our own LOL.  Do you happen to know how far it is between the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower?  They seem pretty far apart and are the two places we really want to see.  I speak Spanish not French so don't know about navigating through the city, although many people do it.  

Depending on how fast you walk, its about 45 minutes to walk between the Louvre and Eiffel Tower.  The 72 bus will take you between the two. We just returned from Paris and do not speak French, we had no problems communicating. The bus is easy (even with a wheelchair). You can pay cash on board. The lines at the Eiffel Tower are long - buy tickets to both places in advance if you are able to figure out your timing.

[lamchops]

On 11/27/2018 at 11:28 AM, Hlitner said:

In our experience the lines at the Louvre are not a big problem....at least for getting in the museum.  The fact that everyone wants to get close to the Mona Lisa does create crowding in that one gallery :).  The Eiffel Tower is another story and the line situation can be awful.  When we went up the Eiffel about 30 years ago (to take our 9 year old DD) it was not much of a wait.  But now, when we are in the area we have often seen long lines.  Even with a ticket you can find yourself waiting a long time, especially if going all the way to the top.

 

 

We did a “free” walking tour in Paris and the guide showed us two other ways to avoid the Louvre lineup at the “pyramid “ entrance. If you walk down the boulevard past the pyramid towards the obelisk there are stairs marked “carousel “ along the side. Carousel is the “mall” shops and There’s a tobacco store that sells admission tickets as well as machines by security. We used this entrance on our visit to the Louvre. The other was a building which is the extension of the. Louvre that had some lion statuettes out front which only the locals seem to know about. We waited for the trip up the tower as well but we weren’t on a cruise excursion.

[Host Bonjour]

My guess as to why the excursions disappear from the offerings in May/June is because it’s becoming peak visiting season in Paris and these sorts of arrangements aren’t practical for many reasons. 

 

But, as others have mentioned, it’s still quite possible and fairly easy, highly recommended to do on your own for a great experience in Paris. You get the history, architecture, art, ambiance and more by going to the Louvre (originally a palace) and seeing the Eiffel Tower up close. 

 

There are guided tours of the Louvre - I took one when I first visited, it was in English and was meant to be 90 minutes but it lasted about 2 hours. The famed works of the museums were highlighted on the tour which was exciting and indeed, it was packed by the Mona Lisa but it’s always mobbed at the Monet or Van Gogh gallery at The Met and at Starry Night in MOMA. I’m wondering if I go now in January it might be calmer...maybe. There’ll probably be school trips :eek: 

Self guided audio tours are great too. 

 

And yes, Musée d’Orsay is amazing! It’s built inside an old train station and there’s also usually a crowd (and a secret, upon entering, go straight up to the impressionist galleries on the top floor, work your way down) queues etc. so it’s probably a matter of the experience you want to have or have had in terms of art, and history and travel and Paris and Europe and....well, only you can decide. 

 

As mentioned there are various options for getting from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower. It’s not complicated whichever way you choose even if you do not speak French. I also think it’s nice going from the Louvre to the Tower because, well especially above ground, you are in the middle of Paris and you go from the Righr Bank in the 1st arronondissment over to the Left Bank in the 7th arrondissment crossing over La Seine River. Alternatively, the Louvre métro station always struck me as being one of the most outstanding with its display of classic art! Unexpected to say the least. Other metros around the world are stylish and artsy, but not like this! 

 

As for lunch near the Eiffel Tower, there are many great places to eat in the 7th from haute cuisine to casual bistros or maybe even just getting a baguette, some cheeses, wine and chocolates to enjoy outside in the fine Champs du Mars relaxing before heading back to your ship? For some it’s a relaxing and very Parisian way to enjoy some outdoors time. It’s part of the art of living 🙂 (this I enjoyed many times in Paris, no gude necessary!) 

 

Let us know what you decide and then how it works out when you get back. We enjoy hearing follow up stories from members here on the boards. 

 

 

 

[rocklinmom]

Thanks Host Bonjour, and do you know of any reason why the Princess Louvre museum shore excursion wouldn't be available on Saturday 6/29/19?  Perhaps conflicts with World Cup?  I have no idea and Princess doesn't either.  I keep hoping it will reappear in my cruise personalizer. 

[Hlitner]

Since somebody brought up the Impressionist Collection in the Musee d'Orsay (our favorite Paris museum) I wanted to add a tip.  For Impressionist lovers there is a much less visited Museum in the suburbs of Paris (you can get there on the RER) called the Marmottan!    Google the place for information, but its Monet Collection is quite impressive.  This is not a good option for cruisers since it is outside of the main tourist parts of Paris, but an excellent place to visit if spending a few days in the city.

 

Hank