Uniworld Seine river cruise review: S.S. Joie de Vivre

One cruise, one ship

Uniworld is a river-cruise line positioned at the luxury end, often ranked among the leaders in that category by the English-language travel press. On the Seine it sells one program, Paris & Normandy: eight days, seven nights, out of Paris and back, on a single ship, the S.S. Joie de Vivre. Its guests come mostly from the United States, the UK and Australia.

A word of honesty before going further: Uniworld's website could not be consulted directly when we last checked. What follows comes from the line's official presentation of the ship, as reported at its launch, and from travel agents' listings. So we hedge where we need to, and we encourage you to check everything with Uniworld.

Another point: we have no partnership with Uniworld. You can't book this cruise here, and we earn nothing if you book it. After the overview, we show you what we do sell: sightseeing cruises in Paris and day trips in Normandy. The full picture of every line is in our guide to Paris to Normandy river cruises.

The S.S. Joie de Vivre, and where Uniworld docks in Paris

According to the line, the S.S. Joie de Vivre was built in 2016 and christened in March 2017 by the actress Joan Collins. It carries 128 guests at most (one travel agent gives 108 at double occupancy), across 2 Royal Suites, 8 Junior Suites and 54 staterooms.

What sets it apart is its length: about 125 meters (410 feet), against 135 meters (443 feet) for most river ships, which, again according to the line, lets it dock in the heart of Paris, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. A photo published by a Paris travel guide shows the ship at Port de Javel Bas, in the 15th arrondissement (RER C, Boulevard Victor–Pont du Garigliano station). Multi-day cruise piers change from one season to the next: yours will be given in your travel documents.

In our view, the shorter hull is a real advantage: a ship that can dock in the city means more time on foot in Paris on the first and last evenings, without a coach ride in from the suburbs.

The itinerary, as travel agents list it

For a June departure next season, one travel agent publishes this program:

So the ship sails as far as Caudebec-en-Caux, a little beyond Rouen, but reaches neither Honfleur nor Le Havre: Honfleur is a coach excursion. Versailles, rare on other programs, is visited from Mantes-la-Jolie. The route can vary by date: ask for the one for your departure.

What is included in a Uniworld river cruise

This is the line's main selling point. According to travel agents, the fare covers unlimited wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks, gratuities for onboard service, excursions, Wi-Fi, arrival and departure transfers, and port charges. A more upscale wine and spirits list, called the "Diamond List", is extra.

One question remains open: are tips for guides and drivers ashore included? The listings speak of "onboard services". Ask when you book.

Compared with Viking, which serves wine only with meals and doesn't include gratuities, the price gap narrows once those extras are added up. It doesn't disappear: Uniworld plays in the same league as Tauck or Scenic, not Viking's.

Price: ranges, not an official fare

We could not read a price on Uniworld's website. Travel agents checked in mid-October showed, depending on date and category, about $4,650 to $5,850 in a Riverview stateroom, $6,050 to $8,250 with a balcony and around $10,800 in a suite, per person, double occupancy. A European agent listed fares from about €3,936.

These amounts are in dollars for the US market and in euros for the European market: don't compare them as one price. They change with the date, and only the fare Uniworld confirms when you book counts. To check: uniworld.com. The season runs from March to November, according to travel agents.

D-Day, Giverny and Honfleur

The D-Day beaches day is done by coach from Rouen, on day 5: allow about two hours each way to the beaches. Giverny comes as early as day 2, by coach from La Roche-Guyon. Monet's gardens normally open from April 1 to November 1, according to tourism sources, so on a March or late-season departure the visit may change. Honfleur is a coach trip from Caudebec-en-Caux: you will see the harbor, but you won't sleep there. To spend the night moored in Honfleur, look at Emerald, Scenic or CroisiEurope, whose ships stay there two nights.

Is Uniworld a good cruise line? Who it suits, and our view

Uniworld is for travelers who want a beautifully finished ship, few fellow passengers and no need to take out a card all week. The shorter hull of the S.S. Joie de Vivre and its suites make it, on paper, one of the most upscale offers on the Seine. The program is also one of the fullest: Giverny, Rouen twice, Honfleur, the beaches and Versailles.

It suits you less if you want a clear public price or if your budget is tight. And since the available information comes mostly from travel agents, we can't rate it as precisely as the others: our score reflects that.

Your days in Paris, before or after the cruise

If your ship docks in the 15th, the Eiffel Tower piers are close by: Bateaux Parisiens at Port de la Bourdonnais, pontoon 3, upstream of Pont d'Iéna, and Vedettes de Paris at Port de Suffren, downstream. A one-hour Seine cruise costs around €20 online and heads upstream first, toward Notre-Dame. The same loop after dark costs the same and shows Paris lit up; the Eiffel Tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour after dark, until at least 11 pm. To compare the companies, see our one-hour Seine cruise guide; for a last evening, the night cruise or a Seine dinner cruise, from about €60 for a simple menu.

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Normandy as a day trip, in the meantime

Giverny is a day trip from Paris between April and early November: train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny in 45 minutes to an hour, then a shuttle. Adult entry to the Fondation Monet is around €13, according to tourism sources, and the shuttle from the station costs about €10 round trip. In Vernon you can also paddle the Seine by canoe or kayak for an hour. Rouen is about 1 hour 30 minutes by train, with Rouen Tourisme's boat L'Escapade for a 90-minute cruise from €20. Honfleur has no train station: allow close to three hours by bus, then take a boat trip out to the Pont de Normandie. For Rouen and Honfleur without a cruise, see Rouen and Honfleur.

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