Day1

Paris

Please make your own way to the port to board the MS Amadeus Diamond and ensure you arrive in time for the 4:00pm check in. There will be plenty of time to get to know your floating hotel before the Amadeus team welcome you on board with a cocktail in the panorama bar. In the evening, the on-board chef will serve a carefully devised welcome dinner. During dinner the vessel will depart from Paris and set off north for Conflans. The boat will leave port around 8:00pm.

Conflans

During breakfast your vessel will arrive in the medieval town of Conflans. From here you can set off on an optional excursion which will introduce you to the famous expressionist artists in the small town of Auvers-sur-Oise. Many of the great masters (including Cezanne, Pissarro and Daubigny) moved here, the most famous being Vincent van Gogh whose last resting place is right here in this town. Enjoy a multi-media show at the Chateau d’Auvers where the modern museum takes you on a trip back to the 19th century and presents some of the greatest French artists and their best-known works. After this trip it is time to return to the Amadeus Diamond where you can reflect on the memories of the day while the vessel sets off from Conflans in the early evening to return to Rouen.

Day3

Rouen and Caudebec en Caux

This morning, you reach the town of Rouen in northern France. During the morning you can take an optional guided tour to explore the town. A visit to the beautiful medieval town centre is a must, along with the imposing Gothic cathedral and ‘Le Gros Horloge’, one of the world’s oldest astrological timepieces. Also worth a visit is the ‘Eglise Sainte-Jeanne D’arc’ church where a monument now marks the spot where Joan of Arc was executed. Then it’s time to return to the Amadeus Diamond for lunch before the vessel sets sail for Caudebec en Caux. This small community is the ideal starting point for numerous exciting optionnal excursions in Normandy. You have the option to take a tour along the so-called ‘Abbey Road’ offers a chance to see many of these beautiful buildings: countless churches, castles and abbeys await along this romantic route. Some of the buildings have fallen into disrepair over the course of the centuries, such as the former Jumieges Abbey which is now open to the public.

Day4

Caudebec en Caux

Today there are two optional excursions to give you a chance to draw inspiration from the magnificent natural landscapes of Normandy and recharge your batteries. During the morning you can join in on a walk along the coast of Etretat. The steep chalk cliffs with their imposing needle-like formations have inspired many great artists including Boudin, Monet and Manet. In the afternoon you can choose to take a trip to Honfleur. This small town is one of the most beautiful treasures of the Cote Fleurie and you can take a stroll along the picturesque old harbour basin dating from the 17th century and explore the nostalgic cobble-stoned alleyways of the romantic old town. In the evening it’s time to return to the vessel and spend the night in Caudebec en Caux.

Day 5

Caudebec en Caux

Today you can choose between two exciting optional all-day excursions – both equally appealing. The first takes you along the famous Normandy beaches where the allied troops landed in 1944. During the tour you’ll visit the landing sites at Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach, the American cemetery in Colleville and the former Arromanches harbour which the allied forces built to transport further troops to land. As an alternative, you can take a tour to Bayeux, Caen and Pont l’eveque which focuses on the treasures of the landscape. With lush green meadows, rustic half-timbered houses and apple orchards as far as the eye can see, Normandy quite rightly impresses visitors, year in, year out. You’ll visit the historic towns of Caen and Bayeux where you can walk in the footsteps of William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy and subsequent King of England. Later you can explore the community of Pont l’eveque which is famous for its cheeses. It’s also home to numerous traditional half-timbered houses which you can admire as you take a gentle stroll through the area. In the evening, you will return to the Amadeus Diamond before setting sail upstream.

Day 6

Les Andelys and Vernon

This morning your vessel will arrive in Les Andelys, one of the most beautiful towns along the Seine. This is the starting point for an optional morning excursion to the Chateau Gaillard (built in 1196), the castle of Richard the Lionheart. Visitors can enjoy breath-taking views of the river and surrounding landscape. The tour then leads on to the town of Giverny, where the famous impressionist Claude Monet lived until his death in 1926. Take a look around his house and the magnificent garden which inspired the artist in many of his paintings. After lunch there’s a chance to visit one of the world’s best known buildings – the magnificent Palace of Versailles. Originally a small hunting lodge, the palace was extended to its current size under the rule of Louis XIV and is now one of Europe’s largest palaces. The tour takes you through the private regal rooms and into the world-famous Hall of Mirrors. A detour to the lush castle gardens is also a must. In the evening it’s time to head back to the Amadeus Diamond with lots of new memories. The vessel travels from Les Andelys via Vernon to Poissy while you’re out and, once you’re back on board, continues to Paris.

Day 7

Paris

Early in the morning you arrive back in the French capital of Paris where you can choose between several excursions. In the morning there’s a city tour taking in the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and the lively Champs Elysees. In the afternoon you can choose to visit the vibrant artists’ quarter of Montmartre, based on a hill in the northern part of the city. Alternatively you can pick a visit to the Louvre, home to some of the world’s most important works of art such as Da Vinci’s world-famous Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Or you can set off on a tour of discovery through the aristocratic Le Marais district, known as the Jewish centre of the city and home to some true architectural treasures. As the crowning finale of the cruise, on your last evening you can enjoy a romantic boat trip by night through the illuminated city of Paris, showing off the metropolis in all its splendour.

Day 8

Departure

Now it’s time to say ‘au revoir’, disembarkation beginning after breakfast. The crew of the Amadeus Diamond wish you a relaxing onward journey.

PRICE INCLUDES:

• 8-day river cruise with large, outside river-view staterooms, most with French balconies or walk-out balconies.
• Complimentary state-of-the-art audio headsets for all excursions.
• Services of an experienced Cruise Director.
• Onboard Concierge Service, dedicated to the independent experience seeker.
• Gourmet dining with all meals included (buffet breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack) in the elegant Panorama-Restaurant, which accommodates all guests in one seating.
• Free-flowing quality red & white wines from Europe?s famous wine regions with every dinner on board.
• Coffee and tea after lunch and dinner.
• 24-hour complimentary coffee, tea, hot chocolate and water.
• Cocktail Reception, Welcome Dinner and Captain?s Gala Dinner.
• Special onboard entertainment including lectures, cooking demonstration, onboard music performances and nightly piano music in the Bar.
• All English language on board in a non-smoking environment (smoking permitted only on the Sun Deck).
• All port taxes and local taxes.

PRICE EXCLUDES:

Travel insurance, personal extras, additional excursions and gratuities.