Seine River Cruise

On a Seine River cruise, you most always begin and end your trip in Paris, where ships dock within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower. Cruises are usually roundtrip to Rouen, Caudebec-en-Caux or Honfleur. You should note, however, that few vessels can actually make it to the center of Honfleur for docking.

From our stateroom on CroisiEurope’s Botticelli, cameras ready as we sail into the heart of Honfleur. Few river cruise vessels can actually make it to the center of Honfleur. CroisiEurope’s vessels can as can Scenic’s ships. © 2014 Ralph Grizzle

What We Like About A Seine River Cruise

About the Seine River

The Seine River begins in the Burgundy region of France about 20 miles northwest of Dijon. It flows in a northwesterly direction for 482 miles before emptying into the English Channel at Le Havre and Honfleur.

The Seine is indirectly connected to the Saône River through the Yonne River and Burgundy Canal. Only barge riverboats or other smaller vessels can traverse the waters between the Seine and Saône, though. On the western portion of the river, the Seine is considered navigable for some ocean-going vessels from the English Channel to the city of Rouen.

Many bridges cross the Seine River. The Pont de Normandie Bridge connects Le Havre and Honfleur; and in Paris, the Pont Neuf is one of  the city’s 37 bridges over the Seine. Pont Neuf was built around the beginning of the 17th century and is the oldest bridge in Paris.

In 1991 UNESCO added The Banks of the Seine in Paris to its list of World Heritage Sites.

A Seine River Cruise

Although the Seine is a winding river from Paris to the English Channel, most of the sites and scenery are historical, cultural or archaeological in nature rather than in the form of the beautiful landscape you’ll see on some of the other rivers in Europe.

There are two companies that do not travel on the Seine River – A-ROSA and Emerald Cruises.

The average itinerary length for a Seine River cruise is 8 days. Packages that combine other river cruises can be up to 23 days. The most common cruise is on the Seine, Rhône and Saône.

Prominent destinations often visited on Seine River cruise include:

Also see Seine River Stateroom Size Comparisons | How Do Seine River Cruise Prices Compare? | What’s the Best Choice for a Seine River Cruise?

Companies That Offer A Seine River Cruise

This information is intended to give you an overview and a general idea of what different river cruise companies offer. With regard to itineraries – they change from year to year and sometimes within a year. The number of itineraries listed for some of the companies does not include reverse itineraries for packages that combine the Seine River with other waterways. For example, a reverse river cruise from the Seine and Rhône from Paris to Avignon would be from Avignon to Paris.

Seine Summer 2025 Pricing

AmaWaterwaysAvalonScenicUniworldViking
ShipAmaDanteTapestry IIScenic GemSS Joie du VivreSkaga
Rate$4,599$4,299$14,990$5,599$3,599
Sailing DateJune 7, 2025June 3, 2025June 9, 2025June 8, 2025July 3, 2025
Nights*771077
ItineraryParis & NormandyParis to NormandyNormandy & Gems of the SeineParis & NormandyParis & Heart of Normandy
Cabin CategoryCategory EDeluxe StateroomStandard SuiteClassicStandard F
Square Footage170172160162150
Room With A View?WindowWindowWindowWindowWindow
Per diem *$657$614$1,499$800$514
Port Charges *$33$30Included$33Included
Gratuities (on ship) *$18$18IncludedIncluded$18
Gratuities (on shore) *$2.50$2.50IncludedIncluded$2.50
Beverages *IncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncluded
Current Incentive *$500$500$8,495$560N/A
Value of Incentive *$71$71$850$80N/A
True Per Diem$639$593$650$753$535
Per Diem/Square Foot *$3.76$3.45$4.06$4.65$3.56
Balcony Upgrade *$1,399$1,549$2,150$1,300$1,700
Balcony Per Diem$839$815$865$938$778
Updated 2/20/2024

Seine Autumn 2025 Pricing

AmaWaterwaysAvalonScenicUniworldViking
ShipAmaLyraTapestry IIScenic GemSS Joie du VivreRolf
Rate$3,999$3,899$13,690$5,599$3,299
Sailing DateOctober 30, 2025October 28, 2025October 5, 2025October 12, 2025October 19, 2025
Nights*771077
ItineraryParis & NormandyParis to NormandyNormandy & Gems of the SeineParis & NormandyParis & Heart of Normandy
Cabin CategoryCategory EDeluxe StateroomStandard SuiteClassicStandard F
Square Footage170172160162150
Room With A View?WindowWindowWindowWindowWindow
Per diem *$571$557$1,369$800$471
Port Charges *$33$30Included$33Included
Gratuities (on ship) *$18$18IncludedIncluded$18.00
Gratuities (on shore) *$2.50$2.50IncludedIncluded$2.50
Beverages *IncludedIncludedIncludedIncludedIncluded
Current Incentive *$1,750$1,250$7,845$560N/A
Value of Incentive *$250$179$785$80N/A
True Per Diem$375$429$585$753$492
Per Diem/Square Foot *$2.20$2.49$3.65$4.65$3.28
Balcony Upgrade *$1,399$1,449$2,150$1,300$1,500
Balcony Per Diem$575$636$800$938$706
Updated 2/20/2024

What’s the Best Choice for a Seine River Cruise?

The best choice really depends on your budget, how much time you have to travel and what destinations you would like to see. If you take a cruise on the Seine River only, Honfleur is the farthest port from Paris. That will allow you to experience the longest cruise in terms of distance. However, only CroisiEurope sails into Honfleur. The other companies transport guests by motorcoach from Le Havre or Rouen to Honfleur.

If you have at least two weeks to travel, a combination of the Seine, Rhône and Saône rivers is a good choice. An itinerary to or from Chalon-sur-Saône will allow you to experience more of the Saône than a cruise to or from Lyon.

Read more Seine River Cruise articles.