Join Our State as we delight in the dazzling sights of Paris, explore the charming villages along the Seine, and encounter the sacredness of Normandy on our seven-night cruise aboard the Amadeus Diamond.
October 20-28, 2020
Package Includes:
- • Round-trip airfare — Raleigh/Durham International Airport or Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- • Seven night cruise — outside cabin
- • 22 meals: nine breakfasts, six lunches, seven dinners
- • Regional wine with dinners
- • Welcome and farewell dinners
- • Onboard entertainment: music and lectures
- • Our State host and a tour/cruise manager
- • Hotel and ship transfers, baggage handling
Itinerary Highlights:
- • Paris city tour — Étretat Tour
- • Historic Normandy tour, including WWII D-Day landing beaches
- • Arromanches-les-Bains — Bayeux
- • Excursion to Giverny (home of Monet) and Chateau Gaillard
- • Auberge Ravoux (home of Van Gogh)
- • Auvers-sur-Oise tour
- • Rouen walking tour
- • Conflans-Sainte-Honorine — Le Havre — Les Andelys
Itinerary:
Day 1 – Depart USA for overnight flight
Day 2 – Arrive Paris
Meet your Premier World Discovery Tour Cruise Manager – Transfer to your ship
Board the MS Amadeus Diamond for your seven night Seine River cruise
Welcome drink & welcome dinner onboard
Meals – D Overnight – Amadeus Diamond
Day 3 – Conflans
Morning Cruising – Arrive in Conflans
Afternoon Auvers-sur-Oise Tour & Auberge Ravoux Visit (Van Gogh home)
Our State magazine wine & beer reception
Meals – B,L,S & D Overnight – Amadeus Diamond
Day 4 – Rouen
Morning – Rouen Walking Tour (Museum Town)
Afternoon Optional Excursion along the Abbey Trail
Meals – B,L,S & D Overnight – Amadeus Diamond
Day 5 – Le Havre
Morning – Étretat Tour (Walk along the Normandy Coastline & scenic village)
Afternoon at Leisure or Optional Excursion to Honfleur
Meals – B,L,S & D Overnight – Amadeus Diamond
Day 6 – Le Havre – Caudebec-en-Caux
Full Day Tour of Historic Normandy with Lunch (WWII D-Day Landing Beaches)
Meals – B,L,S & D Overnight – Amadeus Diamond
Day 7 – Les Andelys
Excursion to Chateau Gaillard & Giverney (special Our State inclusion)
Afternoon Seine River Cruising & relax onboard
Gala Farewell Dinner Onboard
Meals – B,L,S & D Overnight – Amadeus Diamond
Day 8 – Paris
Morning – Paris City Tour
Afternoon at Leisure in Paris to explore on your own OR
Optional Excursions – Montmarte Walking Tour OR Palace of Versailles
Final Dinner Onboard
Meals – B,L,S & D Overnight – Amadeus Diamond
Day 9 Paris – Flight Home
Transfer to the Paris Airport for your flight home
Meal – B
More information about our included tours:
Paris: Paris, the “City of Light” is the world’s most visited capital. Enjoy a Paris City Tour to see the beloved landmarks that line the Seine including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. Also see the majestic Arc de Triomphe and ride along the Champs-Élysées. During your leisure afternoon wander the historic banks of the Seine which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or maybe join an optional excursion to the Palace of Versailles or Montmarte.
Conflans – Auvers-sur-Oise – Auberge Ravoux: Conflans is only an hour or so from Paris but things move much slower in this town. Visit the little town of Auvers-sur-Oise, an inspiration to many of the famous Impressionist masters including Cezanne, Pissarro and Daubigny. The most famous of these artists is Vincent van Gogh, whose final resting place is located here. Visit Auberge Ravoux, where Van Gogh lived in a very simple and small room only lit by sky light. Inspired by the picturesque site with its inhabitants and surroundings, Van Gogh painted close to 80 canvases here.
Rouen: Enjoy a Rouen Walking Tour including a visit to the magnificent cathedral that inspired Claude Monet, and the modern Church of Joan of Arc with its mag- nificent 16th-century stained-glass windows. Rouen is known as Museum Town for its many museums, was important in the Roman era and Middle Ages, and features a cobblestoned pedestrian center with medieval half-timbered houses.
Le Havre – Étretat: A UNESCO World Heritage Site & important port, Le Havre, sits where the Seine River meets the English Channel. The harbor was destroyed in World War II and was rebuilt. Enjoy a Étretat Tour to explore the famous Normandy coastline featuring cliff-top paths for views of steep chalk rocks with impressive needle- like formations, which have inspired many well-known artists. Enjoy some leisure time during the tour in the attractive village of Etretat as well.
Historic Normandy Tour: Discover Normandy on this full day tour featuring many historic landmarks. See Arromanches, the closest harbor linked with the liberation of Western Europe after D-Day. The staggeringly big concrete blocks remain from the Mulberry artificial harbor of the massive Allied operations. Visit Longues-sur-mer with its artillery battery and the only German coastal defense battery classified as an historic monument on the D-Day Landing Beaches. Enjoy lunch in Bayeux to see the famous Cathedral & fabulous historic center. Later visit Calvados and experience a brandy tasting at a traditional distillery.
Les Andelys: This morning your vessel anchors in the quaint little town of Les Andelys in the shadow of Chateau Gaillard, the one time home to Richard the Lionheart. After a long day to Normandy, today is the perfect day to relax onboard & enjoy the amenities of your ship & passing Seine scenery. An optional is available to visit Chateau Gaillard and nearby Giverny, home to Impressionist Claude Monet.
The Ship – MS Amadeus Diamond: The 144-passenger MS Amadeus Diamond has been a highlight of the fleet since 2009, and will be the new jewel of the French waterways after its complete renovation for 2019. The refresh will upgrade both the interior of the ship and the ship’s technology. The Diamond travels exclusively along the Seine and allows guests to experience the charm of northern France in an unforgettable way. The extensive Restaurant and the Panorama Bar offer divine views of the passing riverscapes. The 60-staterooms & 12-suites are bright, modern and provide a wonderful private space to enjoy your river cruise. The attentive English Speaking onboard service staff will see to your comfort with typical European hospitality. The beauty of river cruising is that the most interesting destinations come to you. This Diamond charter features English-only onboard commentary with inclusive sightseeing excursions balanced with choice to simply relax onboard during your leisure time or add sightseeing with optional excursions. The ship offers countless choices for your leisure time including a putting green, fitness studio, massage facilities & quiet spaces to escape with a book.
All Meals Included Onboard
Three meals daily are served graciously in the single seating designed exquisite restaurant and feature local & international specialties. All dinners are four courses and are served with included Regional Wines. While dining, you have splendid views of the passing scenic landscapes through large picture windows. Enjoy afternoon and/or late evening snacks in the lounge based on the daily schedule.
Comfortable, Well-appointed Staterooms
After boarding, unpack only once. All staterooms onboard offer excellent river views and are bright, modern and inviting giving you a space of your own with all the amenities and pleasant touches of an upscale hotel. The Mozart & Strauss Decks feature suites and staterooms with French Bal- conies. Staterooms on the Haydn Deck have a fixed window. Each stateroom is fully equipped with comfortable & modern furnishings including flat screen TV, individual heating/air conditioning controls, safe, phone, hair dryer and a private bathroom with shower.
About our ship and meals: (video HERE)
Optional 2-night London Post Cruise Extension
$895 pp dbl +$400 single supplement
Day 9/Oct 28 Paris – Eurostar Train – London Sightseeing
Board the Eurostar Train in Paris for the 2.5 hour rail experience to London. Upon arrival enjoy a panoramic London City Tour to see Kensington Palace, the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben & Buckingham Palace.
Meal – B (onboard ship) Overnight – London
Day 10/Oct 29 London – Day at Leisure
Enjoy a day of leisure to explore London on your own. Maybe shop at famous Harrods, visit a museum, enjoy the theatre or take in a meal at a local pub. An optional excursion will be available featuring Windsor Castle.
Meal – B Overnight – London
Day 11/Oct 30 London – Transfer to Airport – Flights Home
Meal – B
London Optional Extension Includes: 2-Nights Hotel Accommodations – London, Eurostar Train from Paris to London, London City Tour, 2 Meals (2-Breakfasts), Tour Manager & Transfers to London Heathrow Airport.
Notes: London Extension must be booked at time of deposit. Due to group air policies outbound air on 10/20/2020 could be different schedule than the rest of group for London extension passengers. Based on 20 passenger minimum.
