Bateaux Parisiens boat tours and dinner cruises on the River Seine
The Bateax Parisiens provide numerous different types of sightseeing tours and cruises on the River Seine with their fleet of panoramic boats and restaurant boats for a family outing through to a romantic evening dinner.
Bateaux Parisiens sightseeing cruise tours
The sightseeing cruise tours last one hour and you can opt to either embark and disembark at the Pier No 3 at the foot of the Eiffel Tower or at the Montebello Quay by the Notre Dame Cathedral.
The cruise tours operate virtually every day of the year and run approximately every half hour in summer and every hour at other times from 10am through to 10pm or 11pm during summer, although this is dependant upon the number of people on board, weather conditions, etc nd earlier departures are often available during the high season, yet in low season the Bateaux Parisiens sightseeing cruises do not operate on certain days such as a Monday or Tuesday except when it is the French school holidays.
Going from the Eiffel Tower departure point, you will be able to access an audio guide, which is available in 14 different languages including French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, etc. However, the commentary on the departures from Notre Dame is only available in French, English, Spanish and German. Also an audio guide is available for children, but at present this is only in French.
Now the cost for a Bateaux Parisiens Sightseeing Cruise Tour from the Eiffel Tower point is €16 for adults and €7.50 for children between the ages of 4 and 11 as of 2023 if booked online directly with Bateaux Parisiens, whereas taking the boat cruise from the Notre Dame point is a cost of €18 and €9 for children, but children under the age of 4 are free of charge.
There is also the Les Incollables, or Quiz Cruise, Tour that is a cost of €16 per adult and €10.50 per child where you get a quiz as well as the commentary available in 14 languages as above, which again is provided by individual audio guides, yet unfortunately, at present the quiz itself with 36 questions and answers is only available in French.
Bateaux Parisiens lunch cruises
When it comes to the Bateaux Parisiens River Seine lunch cruises, you can read a little more about the restaurant boats in our other article that also provides details on access to Bateaux Parisiens and about this cruise company in Paris.
So for a Bateaux Parisiens lunch cruise on board a restaurant boat, there are different options you can choose depending upon your budget and things such as where on the boat you would like to sit.
You will find that the Bateaux Parisiens lunch cruise departs from the foot of the Eiffel Tower at their dock on the quay called the Port de la Bourdonnais at 12:45pm and lasting a duration of 2 hours, you get a 3 course lunch accompanied by musical entertainment.
The first is called Service Etoile for €69 per adult and €34 per child under the age of 12. For this you will get a choice of starter, main course and dessert where you sit in the centre of the boat on a table for 2 to 10 people. However, you can opt for a cheese course instead of dessert, or you can add this course for an additional supplement of €8 per person as of 2023.
The next option is the Service Privilege for a cost of €89 per adult or child over the age of 12, with the same discount rate of €34 for a child under 12, and for this option you get a window seat for either 2 people or 4 people in addition to a selection of fine wines to accompany your meal, which also includes a cheese course.
However, the ultimate Bateaux Parisiens lunch cruise is with the Service Premier for €109 as of 2023 where are you greetws with a welcome glass of champagne plus you still have the selection of fine wines to accompany your choice of starter, main dish, cheese course and dessert. And being the most intense of the River Seine cruises, you will have an exceptional position on a round table in the bow of the boat for even more incredible views.
Bateaux Parisiens also offer lunch cruises on specific National French holidays, which are themed for the occasion, and one such impressive lunch cruise is on 25th December, which departs at the usual time of 12:45pm from their dock by the Eiffel Tower and Musee Quai Branly.
Called the Christmas Lunch Cruise, you will be greeted on board one of their restaurant boats with a welcome glass of wine, this is then followed by a 6 course set lunch menu and finishes with Petit Fours as Macarons, which are one of the French specialities of cuisine.
For the Christmas 2021 menu, this consisted of Creamy haddock and potato soup with peppered whipped cream as an Appetiser, Chicken pate en croute and confit pear marmalade with star anise for Starter, then a main course of Beef cheek in Perigourdine sauce and potato mousseline. After this comes Matured French cheese, toasted pain de campagne and mixed baby greens followed by a Snow-capped yule log, which is a creation from the renowned Maison Lenotre.
A bottle of French red wine and a bottle of French Chardonnay white wine are also provided to be shared between 4 people. Mineral water is also supplied and there is coffee to accompany the petit fours macarons to finish, just prior to reaching the end of the fabulous panoramic River Seine Christmas Lunch cruise.
So depending upon where you wish to be seated, you have the Elegance Service at €95, the Privilege Service at €105 and the ultimate Premier Service at the front of the boat for €125 per adult as of 2021, whereas a child under the age of 12 is a cost of €45 no matter what option you choose. Yet each year for special occasions there is always a different menu and the pricing also adjusts accordingly, so the above is just a general guide to what you can expect, whether it be during the festive season, on Bastille Day and so on.
Bateaux Parisiens dinner cruises on the River Seine
Bateaux Parisiens is a cruise company renowned for its fine dining River Seine dinner cruises on board one of their restaurant boats, and just like the lunch cruises there are various options to choose from depending upon your budget.
So through popularity and demand there is a now a shorter Dinner Cruise available at 6:15pm, which is a duration of 75 minutes, or 1hr15m, with boarding at Pier 5 or Pier 7, yet we would like to point out that boarding ends at 6pm sharp for the 6:15pm departure time, so ensure you are not late!
You have the same options as a lunch cruise with the Etoile, Privilege and Premier Service that depicts where you will be seated, although you get an aperitif to start before the 3 course meal, if opting for the Premier service you have a welcome glass of champagne and an appetiser before your 3 course meal.
This is a very popular choice for friends and families, especially being the fact that the Etoile Service Dinner Cruise at 6:15pm is only €89 per adult and €34 per child under the age of 12 as of 2023. Although we would like to point out that the Privilege Service and Premier Service are the same cost for a child as an adult at €119 and €149 respectively.
There is also Etoile Service at 8:30pm, which is another option for those on a budget or travelling with children as the cost is €109 per adult and €34 per child under the age of 12,as of 2023.
Yet this is a 2hr30m cruise classed as the ultimate Bateaux Parisiens Paris Illuminations Dinner Cruise that departs at 8:30pm and also includes musical entertainment that you can enjoy even after you return to the dock, although boarding finishes at 8pm, so please bear in mind the duration and smart dress required for this.
But with an all inclusive package that includes a choice of a la carte dishes, whether you are looking for a basic 3 course meal through to an option with an appetiser, starter, main dish, cheese course and dessert, accompanied by a selection of fine wines and two glasses of champagne, there is something for everyone for a memorable dinner cruise, whether it be with friends, family or a romantic evening for two.
To start with, as we mentioned above, you have the most basic River Seine dinner cruise called the Service Etoile, which is a cost of €109 per adult as of 2023 that includes a choice of starter, main dish and dessert with a special rate of only €34 for a child under the age of 12. Although a cheese course can be added for a supplement of €8 per person if desired, and known as the essence of Paris, this would be seated in the middle of the restaurant boat towards the back of the Bateaux Parisiens boat on tables laid out for between 2 and 10 people.
For the following dinner cruises with Bateaux Parisiens you will find that there is a set price person and no discounts are provided for children. Also, although the cruise departs at 8:30pm for any dinner cruise, we would like to point out that last boarding finishes at 8pm, so you must ensure that you allow plenty of time to get to the boat docks with the cruises leaving from Pontoon 5 or Pontoon 7, which will be provided to you when booking.
Now getting back to the Bateaux Parisiens dinner cruise options, the second level is called the Decouverte Service and classed as a gourmet discovery as you cruise along the River Seine, you will be provided seating in the middle of the boat but with panoramic views. For a cost of €139 per person as of 2023, you will also get a welcome glass of champagne along with a choice of starter, main dish and dessert plus you can choose from a selection of fine wines with one bottle to be shared between 4 people, in addition to mineral water.
You then have the Service Privilege for the Paris Illuminations cruise on the Bateaux Parisiens, which is a cost of €179 and for this the aperitif is a welcome glass of champagne, yet you also get a cheese course and a window table for an intimate setting over Paris with tables for 2 or 4 instead of the Discovery option that can be for tables up to 10.
But the ultimate dinner cruise on the River Seine with this company is the Paris Illuminations Premier Service, which is a cost of €215 per person.
For this you get a glass of pink champagne with amuse-bouche hors d'oeuvres like an aperitif, the choice of a gourmet a la carte starter and main course, a cheese course by the house fromager and then a choice of dessert, with the latter being the creations of the renowned Maison Lenotre and this is accompanied by another glass of champagne.
Within the meal itself you also get provided with either a bottle of Chardonnay white wine or a bottle of red wine to share between 4 people, plus there is mineral water supplied, then to round off the evening you are provided with coffee and a sweet selection, known as mignardises in French.
Additionally, you also have an exceptional position at a round table in the bow of the boat for those even more incredible views of the monuments in Paris, and the numerous bridges over the River Seine that will pass under on this 2 and a half hour cruise, returning to their dock at 11pm.
Bateaux Parisiens also offer dinner cruises for special occasions, which are all themed and are available on dates such as Valentines Day, Bastille Day, which is the French National Day, Easter weekend, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve.
As you can no doubt appreciate, these special dates get full very quickly and you do have to book in advance, which can be done online at their dedicated website, plus the prices vary and with no discounts for children, they are also more expensive than a standard River Seine dinner cruise.
So let us take a look at the most expensive option of the New Years Eve Dinner Cruise on December 31st where you can also enjoy live entertainment and party until dawn on New Years Day.
For the dinner cruise itself you get half a bottle of champagne between 2 people, an appetiser, starter, 2 main dishes, a cheese course, dessert, coffee and macarons plus a selection of fine wines to accompany the meal. Depending upon where you wish to be seated, whether it be the middle for the panoramic view, a window seat or at the front of the boat, the cost ranges from €395 up to €595 per person as of 2023.
French cuisine of the Bateaux Parisiens
The menus do of course change according to the seasons and what fresh produce is available, but there are also different menus available, whether it be at Le Bistro Parisien quayside restaurant, the lunch menu on board or the dinner menu on board the River Seine cruise boats.
However, you will be pleased to know that there are always vegetarian options available, which is actually quite unusual for a lot of restaurants in Paris, but they will also take into consideration specific dietary requirements such as menus designed for gluten or lactose free diets, diabetics, etc, although you do have to arrange this with Bateaux Parisiens when you are booking.
The lunch menu could consist of delights such as a country terrine and gherkin accompaniment on a slice of bread or a chilled courgette cream soup with rocket and sheep's milk curds whereas the dinner menu could be large marinated prawns with avocado and grapefruit or duck Foie Gras with a truffled condiment or scallops with onions and turmeric, white radishes, carrots and a hint of liquorice.
You then have the main course, and for a lunch cruise this could be salmon cooked from one side with braised fennel and cooking juices or pan fried rump steak with shallots and baby potatoes. Whereas the dinner menu could be sea bass with green asparagus and an lobster emulsion sauce, or breast of duckling with red onion and fig and a sweet and sour sauce.
The Paris Bistro also offer a completely different menu at Le Bistro Parisien quayside restaurant and there is always a dish of the day from the fresh produce that was available to purchase that day, alongside the menu which also includes pasta options, chips and more.
In addition to this, there is also a children's menu available at the quayside restaurant for those under the age of 12, which is a better option for most if you are thinking of a family cruise on the River Seine combined with a meal, even though children are allowed on the traditional dinner cruise restaurant boats as well.
However, we would like to point out that for the dinner cruises, smart dress is required and if you want to enjoy the Bateaux Parisiens Paris Illuminations Cruise then this is definitely smart come evening dress and on any dinner cruises clothing such as sports wear, shorts, trainers, jeans etc are not permitted and you will not be allowed to board if you are in such attire.
Yet as we mentioned earlier, there are also special events and dinner cruises organised on specific dates of the year such as Valentines Day, Bastille Day, and so on. And these have special themed menus and are of course different costs that do have to be booked in advance, with the same dress code applying, although you will find that full evening wear is the preferred option.
Another thing we would like to point out, is that those that are disabled and wheelchair users are welcome on board Bateaux Parisiens, although spaces are limited and there are no accessible toilets on board as stairs have to be negotiated, but you can find out more about accessing the Bateaux Parisiens from our other article including how to get there, etc.
