Christmas on the Main & Moselle

Revel in the major sights of the “City of Light” during a festive drive amid twinkling lights. Begin along the famed Champs-Élysées, viewing the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his triumphs. Admire the illuminated sights of Paris, including the celebrated Louvre Museum with its glass pyramid entrance and Town Hall. Continue into the Latin Quarter, then drive by Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Luxembourg Gardens, Musée d’Orsay, Place de la Concorde, and the recently restored Grand Palais and Petit Palais. See the Les Invalides complex of military buildings, where the tomb of Napoleon sits, and the École Militaire. Cap your tour with an iconic view of the Eiffel Tower from Champ de Mars. Before returning to the ship, enjoy some free time at one of the Christmas markets in the city center.

See Paris in all its illuminated glory as you drift along the Seine River on a leisurely night cruise. Board your open-air vessel and set sail to view the city’s famous monuments, such as the Louvre, the Musée D’Orsay, the Grand Palais and the imposing Conciergerie—once part of the Palais de la Cité and a former courthouse and prison that housed Marie Antoinette. Your leisurely cruise is one of the most relaxing ways to see the sights along the Banks of the Seine River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, which is currently being restored after a fire ravaged the centuries-old building. Admire the illuminated bridges as you glide through the heart of the French capital awash in a glow of twinkling lights. At the tour’s end, marvel at the brilliant Eiffel Tower, whose beacon shines over the Paris skyline from its iconic spire.

Visit one of the most celebrated districts in Paris—Montmartre. This bohemian enclave, in which Belle Époque (“Beautiful Era”) artists, writers and poets such as Dalí, Modigliani, Monet, Picasso and van Gogh whiled away hours and gained inspiration in cafés and at cabaret revues, still retains its charms from that bygone era. Meet your local guide and head to the foot of Montmartre Hill along the Rue Caulaincourt. Then, walk up the hill along winding, cobblestone streets to Sacré-Coeur, the splendid Church of the Sacred Heart. Its ovoid dome is the second-highest point in Paris after the Eiffel Tower. You can explore the glorious interior on your own, then enjoy a coffee and pastries in a stunning setting. Finally, you may choose to descend the hill on foot or in the historic funicular, which first opened in 1900.

Enjoy a day at the former home of French kings: the awe-inspiring Château de Versailles. The palace and its sprawling gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, began as a small hunting lodge. Over the years, it was enlarged by each of its three resident kings—most famously Louis XIV, the “Sun King.” A local guide will accompany you to the château, where you will marvel at the extravagance and excess of French royalty. See the state apartments of the king, the Hercules Drawing Room with its magnificent painted ceiling and the famed Hall of Mirrors—the glittering corridor of chandeliers and glass in which the Treaty of Versailles was signed, thus ending World War I. Learn about court life in the 18th century, and see the queen’s apartments and the chamber of Marie Antoinette. Later, there will be time to explore the vast, elaborate gardens.