Independent guideseine.boats is an independent guide to Seine river cruises. We are not the official website of any boat company or booking platform. Booking links go straight to our partners.
EN

River cruisesSeine river cruise · review

CroisiEurope Seine river cruise review: ships, Honfleur and prices

CroisiEurope is the French line on the Seine and the cheapest on the market: three ships, an eight-day loop to Honfleur, five- and three-night options and special sailings for the Rouen Armada. Drinks are included, excursions are not. We don't sell it; here is our view and what you can book here.

Boards at

Eiffel Tower Port de la Bourdonnais · Metro: Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel (RER C), Bir-Hakeim (6), Trocadéro (6, 9)

Lengths
8 days / 7 nights, 6 days / 5 nights, 3-night Paris short break
Ships
Botticelli (145 guests), Seine Princess (136), Renoir (105)
Highlight port
Honfleur, two days on the eight-day loop
Price
from €1,659 (8 days), from €518 (Paris, 3 nights), on the line's website
Paris boarding
Grenelle quay as a rule, confirmed 15 days before
Audience
French-speaking and European, budget

Updated October 17, 2026Facts checked against official sourcesContains affiliate links

Of the lines that sail the Seine from Paris to Normandy, CroisiEurope is, as far as we know, the only one where life on board runs first in French, and the only one that sells genuine short breaks. We have no partnership for multi-day cruises: this page describes the offer as it stands, gives the official link, then shows you the Paris cruises and Normandy day trips we do sell. To see how CroisiEurope compares with the American and British lines, see our Paris to Normandy river cruises page.

Botticelli, Seine Princess, Renoir: the three ships

All three ships are 110 meters (about 360 feet) long, have two decks and sail only on the Seine. They are older vessels, renovated since:

  • MS Botticelli: built in 2004, fully renovated in 2016, 145 guests, 73 cabins of about 110 to 125 sq ft. One listing page on the line's site gives 42 cabins and 81 guests: that is an error, and the ship's own page does say 73 cabins.
  • MS Seine Princess: built in 2002, renovated in 2010, 136 guests, 66 cabins of about 135 sq ft and two suites of about 195 and 215 sq ft, 26 crew.
  • MS Renoir: built in 1999, renovated in 2018, 105 guests, 26 crew, cabins in categories A, B and C, French balconies on the upper deck.

In our view, the Renoir is the nicest of the three for a couple: it is the smallest, the most recently renovated, and it has French balconies on the upper deck. The Botticelli, for its part, has smaller cabins than the Seine Princess. Either way, don't expect the suites of the luxury ships: these are functional cabins, at a price in a different league.

The eight-day "Seine Valley" loop

This is the main product, from April to October, round trip from Paris:

  1. Parisboarding at 6 pm on day 1, optional Versailles

  2. La Roche-GuyonGiverny

  3. Honfleurtwo days: the Côte Fleurie, Étretat, optional D-Day beaches

  4. Rouenold town and cathedral

  5. Les AndelysChâteau Gaillard

  6. Parisdisembark at 9 am

The itinerary is one of the best balanced on the market: two days in Paris at the start, two days in Honfleur with the ship inside the harbor, then Rouen and Les Andelys on the way back. The ship doesn't stop in Le Havre and doesn't turn around at Rouen. To prepare the ports or redo them on your own, read our Rouen and Honfleur guide.

The six-day (five-night) version keeps the essentials: Paris, Les Andelys, Honfleur, Rouen and back to Paris. It drops Giverny and the second day in Honfleur. There is also a five-day version.

What's included, and what isn't

At CroisiEurope, "all-inclusive" is about drinks: all meals on board, with drinks included at meals and at the bar, a welcome cocktail, a gala dinner, Wi-Fi, audio headsets for tours, port fees and travel assistance and repatriation insurance. That is more generous than Viking or AmaWaterways, which serve wine and beer only with meals.

On the other hand, on the "port-to-port" formula sold by default, excursions are optional and cost extra. The D-Day beaches day, from Honfleur, only runs with at least 30 participants. Add up the excursions you want before comparing with Emerald or Riviera Travel, which include them. Gratuities are not mentioned on the line's pages.

Families get discounts: 20% off for children aged 2 to 9, free under 2, and 30% off for a third adult in the cabin.

CroisiEurope Seine prices: from €1,659 for eight days

On the line's website, when we last checked, the eight-day loop started at €1,659 per person, double occupancy (a late-June departure on the Botticelli) and rose to €2,357 for a late-September departure on the Seine Princess. The six-day version starts above €1,000, with end-of-season promotions that sometimes take it below.

Per night, that is about €240 per person: CroisiEurope costs two to three times less per night than Scenic. These are "from" prices for a given date and cabin, excursions not included; they change with the departure and the promotions. Only the line's quote is binding.

Paris short break, the holidays and the Rouen Armada

CroisiEurope is the only line that sells the Seine in a short format. The Paris short break lasts four days and three nights without leaving the city: a panoramic tour, Montmartre, a night cruise and a run down toward La Défense if the river level allows. It runs in November and December, from €518 on the Botticelli and €609 on the Renoir. There is no two-night version.

For the holidays, the line also schedules, according to its departure lists, a Christmas in the Seine Valley (four nights from December 23) and a Parisian New Year from December 28 to January 1, with Rouen and Honfleur.

Finally, the Rouen Armada, the tall-ships gathering, returns from June 17 to 27. CroisiEurope runs six-day cruises for it on all three ships, with free evenings on the Rouen quays, from €1,265 on the Seine Princess, €1,375 on the Botticelli and €1,445 on the Renoir. During the Armada, other lines' Rouen calls may be changed: check your itinerary if you sail then.

Boarding in Paris: Grenelle as a rule

CroisiEurope boards as a rule at the Grenelle quay, in the 15th arrondissement, "a few minutes' walk from the Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro gardens", according to the line. The ship may instead moor at Bercy, Javel or Austerlitz: the exact location is confirmed fifteen days before departure. Boarding is at 6 pm on the first day.

Arriving late in the morning therefore leaves you the afternoon for a one-hour Seine cruise: Bateaux Parisiens leaves from Port de la Bourdonnais (pontoon 3) and Vedettes de Paris from Port de Suffren, both at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Our Seine cruise piers page gives the access details.

Our verdict: the best value for the itinerary

Pros

  • The lowest price per night of the major Seine river cruises
  • Drinks included at meals and at the bar
  • Two days in Honfleur, with the ship in the harbor
  • Life on board in French, short formats and Armada sailings

Cons

  • Excursions cost extra, D-Day day needs 30 participants
  • Older ships, cabins of about 110 to 135 sq ft
  • Paris pier known only fifteen days ahead
  • Gratuities not specified

Our scores

Price
4.7/5about €240 a night, drinks included
Itinerary
4.3/5two days each in Paris and Honfleur
Ships
3.3/5renovated but older, compact cabins
Included
3.6/5drinks yes, excursions no
Choice of formats
4.6/58 days, 6 days, Paris 3 nights, holidays, Armada

No cruise this time? The Seine in Paris and in Normandy

If you only have a weekend, the CroisiEurope short break has a much cheaper equivalent: a one-hour night cruise to see Paris lit up, and a Seine dinner cruise for the evening. One-hour cruises leave from the Eiffel Tower, Pont de l'Alma or Pont Neuf for under €20:

Prices checked on October 17, 2026

For Normandy, Rouen is about an hour and a half by train from Saint-Lazare, and Giverny under an hour to Vernon-Giverny, plus a shuttle. Here are the Normandy day trips we can book:

Prices checked on October 17, 2026

To compare, read our reviews of Viking, the big American line that also boards at Grenelle, and of Riviera Travel.

Your questions about CroisiEurope cruises

Which CroisiEurope ships sail the Seine?

The Botticelli (145 guests), the Seine Princess (136) and the Renoir (105), three ships of 110 meters (about 360 feet) used only on the Seine.

Where does the CroisiEurope cruise leave from in Paris?

As a rule from the Grenelle quay, near the Eiffel Tower. The ship may also moor at Bercy, Javel or Austerlitz; the location is confirmed fifteen days before.

Are excursions included?

No, on the port-to-port formula they are optional. Drinks, on the other hand, are included at meals and at the bar.

How much does a CroisiEurope Seine river cruise cost?

From €1,659 per person for eight days and from €518 for the three-night Paris short break, when we last checked.

Is there a two-night cruise in Paris?

No. The shortest format is the four-day, three-night short break.

Does CroisiEurope run cruises for the Rouen Armada?

Yes, six-day cruises in June on all three ships, with free evenings at the Armada, from €1,265.

Keep exploring

River cruisesNormandy river cruisesfrom €26 River cruisesVikingfrom €26 River cruisesAvalon Waterwaysfrom €26 River cruisesUniworldfrom €26 River cruisesAmaWaterwaysfrom €26