Avalon's Seine cruise, under its real name
Avalon Waterways, a river-cruise line sold mainly to North American and Australian travelers, runs a Seine program called Paris to Normandy (code WPP): eight days, out of Paris and back, France only. You will sometimes see a longer name that mentions the landing beaches. It only survives in the web address; the product is no longer called that.
The idea is close to Viking's: the ship sails down to Rouen and back up to Paris, without going to Honfleur or Le Havre. The difference lies in the choices offered at several ports, and in the ship, which is built around big floor-to-ceiling windows.
To be clear about where we stand: we have no partnership with Avalon. You can't book this cruise here, and we earn nothing if you book it. We describe the program as the line publishes it, gaps included, then show you what we do sell: sightseeing cruises in Paris and day trips in Normandy. The overview of every line is in our guide to Paris to Normandy river cruises.
The ports: Vernon, Rouen, Conflans
Avalon's page lists the ports without numbering the days. In Vernon you choose between Giverny, Monet's house and gardens, and Château de Bizy, which the line bills as "Normandy's Versailles". Then comes the optional day at the D-Day beaches: Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc and the American Cemetery. In Rouen the visit covers the medieval quarter and the cathedral. On the way back, the stop at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine offers another choice: Auvers-sur-Oise, Van Gogh's village, or Château de Malmaison.
This choice system is, in our view, Avalon's strongest argument: a couple can split up for half a day, one to Monet's garden, the other to the château. There is a catch. Since the page publishes no day-by-day program, you don't know before booking how long you will spend in each place. Ask for the detailed itinerary of your date before you pay.
The ship: Avalon Tapestry II
The itinerary page doesn't attach a ship to the program. Avalon's "France" fleet filter shows the Avalon Tapestry II, alongside Artistry II, Poetry II and Avalon View: the ship for your date is named when you book.
Tapestry II is built around two full decks of Panorama Suites of about 200 sq ft, where the window runs wall to wall and slides open to bring the river into the room. Avalon calls it an "Open-Air Balcony"; there is no outside balcony as such. There are also larger Royal Suites and smaller Deluxe Staterooms. On board: an elevator, the Sky Bistro, a whirlpool on the Sky Deck and free Wi-Fi. Its capacity, about 128 guests according to cruise guides, no longer appears on the line's current page.
Is Avalon Waterways all inclusive? What the page says, and doesn't
This is the weak spot of the online presentation. On the itinerary page, the only food-and-drink mentions are "wine" and "cheese", without saying what is included. Avalon's usual list of inclusions (meals, wine and beer with meals, choice excursions, Wi-Fi) did not appear on the pages we checked. Gratuities are reportedly not included, according to travel agents.
So our advice is simple: before you book, get written confirmation of what is covered in drinks, excursions and transfers. The price gap with an all-inclusive rival such as Uniworld or Tauck means nothing until you know what the fare covers.
Price and program variants
When we last checked, in mid-October, Avalon's US site showed from $4,076 per person, down from a struck-through $4,951, for an early-November departure. That is per person, double occupancy, in dollars, and it depends on the date and the stateroom; only the price shown when you book counts.
The program comes in several versions: "WWII Remembrance & History", focused on the Second World War (from about $5,301), "Active & Discovery on the Seine", a more active version (from about $5,551), and a version with three nights in London (from about $5,351). The season runs from spring to fall; exact months are not published. Dates and booking: avalonwaterways.com.
Giverny in November: the calendar trap
The headline fare belongs to an early-November departure. Monet's house and gardens normally open from April 1 to November 1, according to tourism sources. On that date, count on Château de Bizy in Vernon instead, and read your date's program closely.
Avalon presents the D-Day day as optional. From Rouen the beaches are about two hours away by coach, so the day includes close to four hours on the road. If the beaches are the reason for your trip, look at the WWII Remembrance version, or at a line that sails closer to the sea, such as Scenic or CroisiEurope, which moor in Honfleur.
Avalon Waterways Paris to Normandy: who it suits, and our view
Avalon suits English-speaking travelers who like to pick their own visits and want a big window facing the river. The program is short on ports but well put together, and the Conflans day adds Auvers-sur-Oise or Malmaison, which Viking doesn't offer.
It suits you less if you want to know exactly what you are paying for: inclusions barely detailed online, no day-by-day program, no ship assigned on the page. And the entry price, higher than Viking's, is no bargain if your date falls in November and you are coming for Monet. For Rouen and Honfleur without a cruise, see Rouen and Honfleur.
Your days in Paris, before or after the cruise
The Paris pier isn't given on the page: it is in your documents. Multi-day ships often dock in the 15th arrondissement, at Port de Grenelle or Port de Javel Bas, west of the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower sightseeing piers are close by: Bateaux Parisiens at Port de la Bourdonnais, pontoon 3, and Vedettes de Paris at Port de Suffren. A one-hour Seine cruise costs around €20 online, and the same loop after dark, with Paris lit up, costs no more.
To compare the companies, see our one-hour Seine cruise guide; for an evening out, the night cruise or the Seine dinner cruise.
GetYourGuide1 hourEiffel Tower
Paris: Seine Cruise departing from the Eiffel Tower Web Rate
4.4 (91,857)
from €18Check dates
GetYourGuidePont de l'Alma
Paris: Bateaux Mouches® Sightseeing Cruise on the Seine
4.4 (6,150)
from €17Check dates
GetYourGuide1 hourPont Neuf
Seine River Sightseeing Guided Cruise Vedettes du Pont Neuf
4.6 (424)
from €17Check dates
Prices checked on October 17, 2026
Normandy as a day trip, without booking a week
Giverny is an easy day out from Paris between April and early November: train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny in 45 minutes to an hour, then a shuttle, about €10 round trip. In Vernon, a canoe or kayak outing on the Seine lasts an hour. Adult entry to the Fondation Monet is around €13, according to tourism sources. Rouen is about 1 hour 30 minutes by train from Saint-Lazare, with a train roughly every half hour; once there, Rouen Tourisme's boat L'Escapade runs a 90-minute cruise on the Seine from €20, with commentary in French. In Honfleur, a boat trip out to the Pont de Normandie shows you the estuary that Avalon's ships never reach.
GetYourGuide14.5 hours
From London: Paris Day Trip, Guided Tour and Seine Cruise
4.6 (223)
from €308Check dates
GetYourGuide10 - 11 hours
From Le Havre: Deluxe Paris Tour with Cruise & Packed Lunch
4.9 (42)
from €169Check dates
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Honfleur: Boat Trip and Tour of the Pont de Normandie
4.3 (36)
from €26Check dates
TiqetsEiffel Tower
Paris: Luxury Guided Day Trip from London + Bateaux Parisiens Lunch Cruise
No reviews yet
from €408Check dates
Prices checked on October 17, 2026
Pros
- A choice of two visits in Vernon and in Conflans
- Panorama Suites with a sliding wall of glass
- Auvers-sur-Oise or Malmaison on the program
- Themed versions, including a Second World War one
Cons
- Inclusions barely detailed on the itinerary page
- No day-by-day program published
- No ship assigned to the program on the page
- Turns at Rouen: no Honfleur, no Le Havre
- Headline price on a date when Giverny is closed
Our scores
- Itinerary
- 3.5/5short, but with choices
- Ship
- 4.5/5Panorama Suites with sliding windows
- What's included
- 3/5barely detailed online
- Price
- 3.5/5dearer than Viking at entry level
- Transparency
- 3/5no clear days, ship or inclusions
What is Avalon's Seine river cruise called?
Paris to Normandy (code WPP), eight days round trip from Paris. The older, longer name now only appears in the page's web address.
Which Avalon ship sails the Seine?
The line lists Avalon Tapestry II for France, but the itinerary page doesn't assign a ship: the name is given when you book.
How much does the Avalon Paris to Normandy cruise cost?
When we last checked, from $4,076 per person on an early-November departure, in dollars on the US site. The themed versions start at around $5,300.
Is the D-Day beaches day included?
Avalon presents it as optional: Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc and the American Cemetery, by coach from Rouen.
Where does the cruise board in Paris?
The page doesn't say. The pier is in your travel documents; river-cruise ships often dock in the 15th arrondissement, west of the Eiffel Tower.
Can I book Avalon on seine.boats?
No, we have no partnership with Avalon. Book with the line; we sell sightseeing cruises in Paris and day trips in Normandy.