Cruise description

4 Night Cruise sailing from Paris roundtrip aboard A-Rosa Viva.

4 Night Cruise sailing from Paris roundtrip aboard A-Rosa Viva.

Spending Christmas on the move. It may seem strange to some people. But it’s also a tempting idea: not having to worry about anything and knowing that everything on your A-ROSA ship will be arranged to give you the most festive Christmas ever. It’s obvious that we love Christmas. Then there are the settings, like the city of 100 bell towers, medieval Rouen. A few contemplative moments in the abbey church in picturesque Vernon and then, of course, Paris. Paris is always a feast for the eyes, but as darkness falls on Christmas evenings, the city becomes overwhelmingly beautiful. It’s as if the belle époque buildings were erected especially for Christmas. You might hesitate before taking a picture of the sparkling Eiffel Tower, because you don’t want to seem too cheesy (but you do it anyway). And if you’re lucky, it might snow, and the city’s beauty will bring a tear to your eye. Enjoy it. After all, it’s Christmas.

Highlights of this cruise:

Paris
Paris is the capital city of France and every year millions of people come to Paris to marvel at its beauty, savour its exceptional cuisine and indulge in its world-famous shopping. Known as the 'City of Light', Paris benefitted from a huge re modelling program that started in 1852 which gave rise to its current layout, boulevardes, gardens and parks.

The most famous part of Paris is the Champs Elysees, a wide Boulevarde running from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde.
Paris has some of the best know landmarks in the world, apart from the Arc de Triomphe it boasts Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and more. Its great gardens include the Tuileries and Luxembourg gardens.

Divided by the River Seine the City of Paris is relatively easy to enjoy on foot as many of the key landmarks are relatively close to each other. For the bolder tourist Paris now has the ‘Velib’ bike rental system which offers a very cheap and practical way to get around the city.

Rouen
Rouen is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) région. It is situated on the River Seine, approximately 90 minutes drive north-west (135 km) from the centre of Paris.

Rouen was one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe which can be seen in the many monuments and buildings which have been preserved in its historical centre. Its architectural treasures include Gothic monuments like the Notre Dame Cathedral, St Ouen Abbey, Saint Maclou Church and the Palais de Justice or Renaissance style monuments like the Gros Horloge, Saint Maclou Ossuary and the Bourgtheroulde Mansion.

After the historical centre, there is ‘Sainte Catherine’ hill nearby, from where you can admire a magnificent view of the city and the meandering River Seine or walk along rue Eau de Robec where some watermills, testament to an important textile history when people were making a living out of the cloth manufacturing industry, which is now represented by the sheep symbol.

Vernon
Vernon is a commune in the department of Eure in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It lies on the banks of the Seine River, about midway between Paris and Rouen. The city is well known for its production of engines by the SNECMA group.

Visitors to Vernon will enjoy viewing the medieval streets and half timbered houses. Other attractions include Archives Tower, the ruins of Phillipe Auguste Castle and Tourelles Castle, the City Museum and the Collegiate Church.