Dinner Cruises on the Seine

ABOVE: A Seine dinner boat passes the Conciergerie on the Île de la Cité.

The Seine River doesn't just flow through the heart of Paris--it is the heart of Paris, having supplied water, transportation, and food to the locals since Celtic fishermen of the Parisii tribe built a village on what is now the Île St-Louis more than 2,200 years ago. This means that a dinner cruise on the Seine might be viewed as a kind of historic pilgrimage, making the price of an expensive meal and boat ride easier to bear.

In this article, we'll tell you about Seine dinner cruises from six Parisian companies--three on this page, and three more on page 2. (Prices and other information were last checked in August, 2005.)

Bateaux Mouches

The best-known purveyor of Seine dinner cruises is Bateaux-Mouches, which we discussed (with other fleets) in our Paris Sightseeing Boats article.

Bateaux-Mouches offers a "La Nef des Fous" dinner menu aboard the flagship J.S. Mouche for €120 per person and a "Tradition Menu" on one of its other restaurant boats for €95. Prices include wine and service, and you can watch videos of the food preparation on the Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches Web site.

Dinner cruises run year-round, with embarkation starting at 7:30 p.m., sailing at 8:30 p.m., and return to the Bateaux-Mouches pier by the Pont de l'Alma at 10:45 p.m.

Lunch is available on weekends and holidays. The price is €50 (€25 for children), with boarding at 12:30 p.m. and return at 2:15 p.m.

Bateaux Parisiens

Three dinner options are available on the Bateaux Parisiens restaurant boats: "Etoile Service" for €92, "Select Service" with better wines and a window table for €115, and "Premier Service" at a round table with a hostess near the front of the boat and after-dinner drinks for €135. Boarding starts at 7:45 p.m., the boat sails at 8:30, and you're back at the quay near the Eiffel Tower at 11 p.m.

Lunch is cheaper, with prices of €50, €60, or €70. (Kids under 12 get the bargain rate of €31). Boarding is at 12:15, and the cruise is over at 2:30 p.m. On certain dates, you can book a musical "theme cruise" with lunch followed by a one-hour concert.

For more information, visit the Bateaux Parisiens Web site.

Vedettes de Paris

The Ile de France has Saturday dinner cruises for €89 (wine extra), with occasional discounts. Unlike most of its competitors, Vedettes de Paris welcomes children on dinner cruises, with a price of  €45 for diners under 12.

Embarkation starts at 8 p.m., departure time is 8:30 p.m., and the boat arrives back at the Pont de Suffren (near the Eiffel Tower) at 11 p.m.

For details, see the Vedettes de Paris Web site.

Cheaper (or more expensive) dinner cruises

On the next page, we describe smaller cruise lines that offer dinner at prices ranging from €39 to €165. (The latter price buys you the atmosphere and charm of a vintage yacht.)

Next page: More Seine dinner cruises

Photo: Copyright © Paris Tourist Office. Photographer: Catherine Balet.

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