When I started planning my , I knew I wanted to find an activity that was romantic and really representative of what the city has to offer. Hands down, the most romantic activity to do in Paris is a dinner cruise on River Seine with La Marina by Paris Seine. This cruise combines famous sites of Paris and delicious French cuisine for a truly unforgettable experience.
You can use the code READYTOCRUISE to take 10% off a lunch or dinner cruise with .
La Marina by Paris Seine offers lunch or dinner cruises on River Seine ranging from one hour and 15 minutes to two hours. Because of our travel schedule, we opted on a dinner cruise. Plus, we couldn’t think of anything more romantic for our first evening in Paris.
We arrived in Paris as our second stop on our European honeymoon. Since we traveled during Paris Fashion Week, our car ride from the airport to our hotel was stressful to say the least. Once we finally made it to the hotel, they couldn’t find our reservation. The stress continued!
We quickly changed in a bathroom in the basement into our dinner cruise best. I wore a lust-worthy from Anthropologie. Much to our relief, the hotel found our reservation. We quickly dropped our bags off and headed to the marina to catch our dinner cruise on River Seine.
The Ambiance
After a stressful day, we were much in need of a relaxing evening. We got exactly that. We took an Uber to the Port of Solferino. This port is situated right at the foot of the famous Musée d’Orsay. Friendly servers greeted us as we stepped onto the boat.
The amicable staff led us to our table on the boat. All of the tables on the boat are next to windows so there’s really no bad seat in the house. The ceiling is lined with twinkle lights which adds to the romantic ambiance.
Our quaint two-person table was covered in red rose petals and had a sign that said, “Congratulations on your wedding!” A waiter quickly greeted us with champagne that continued to flow throughout the rest of the night.
When I tell you that our dinner cruise on River Seine was romantic, just take the company we were in as evidence. Gio and I were on our honeymoon. There was a couple behind us celebrating their 37th anniversary. And, the couple sitting right next to us got engaged ON THE BOAT! I almost starting crying when I saw him pull out the ring. I was so happy for them.
In addition to couples, there were also groups of friends celebrating birthdays and travelers taking in the sights. Each birthday on board was a big deal with sparklers and singing. But the staff truly made everyone feel special for whatever brought them on the cruise.
There was a photographer on board capturing it all with photos to buy. You were able to go home that evening with a print or opt to have the images sent to your email!
The Food
The table also featured the menu for the evening’s dinner: a tasting plate of starters or gazpacho; a choice of four main plates and an option for two desserts. Both Gio and I started with the tasting plate.
The appetizer was the perfect way to get a taste of French cuisine. Each tasting was delicious in its own way. My favorite was the cucumber and artichoke tartare with diced smoked salmon and lumpfish roe. I may have stolen taken Gio’s off his plate, too! I also really liked the pan-seared aubergines.
Next out was our main course. Dinner options included haddock loin, braised chicken leg, and medley of vegetables but Gio and I both ordered the beef with potatoes option. It was probably one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. It was super moist and oozing with flavor. The green pepper sauce complemented the caramelized onions just right.
Gio likes his meat more well done than anyone I’ve ever met so I was not surprised when Gio requested his steak to be a bit more well done. The servers quickly brought him a whole new steak.
Following our main course, we had a cheese plate. I should say, I had a cheese plate. I have a more adventurous palette when it comes to cheese so I had no problem eating most of it while Gio nibbled.
The presentation of the food was simple but elegant. That is until the dessert arrived. Dessert was heart-shaped chocolate cake drizzled in raspberry sauce. It tasted as good as it looked!
The Sights
You really haven’t seen Paris until you’ve seen Paris by boat. When I first posted about going to Paris on our honeymoon, a dinner cruise on River Seine came up a few times as a must-do activity. I can totally see why this was a recurring suggestion.
As soon as the boat departed the marina, we were taken aback by the gorgeous architecture of Paris. Although there’s no formal guide on the cruise, our server was happy to jump in and answer any questions we had about what was around us.
He knew I worked in fashion so he pointed out the largest fashion school in Paris as we passed by it. In addition to providing on-the-spot service with the food, our server really educated us about the city.
One of the things we learned is that Paris has their own mini State of Liberty. It sits in the middle of the River Seine so the best view is really by boat. Gio immediately started looking up more about this.
The absolute best moment of the cruise came when we passed the Eiffel Tower. The view from the water was breathtaking. Gio called our five-year-old niece on FaceTime. She loves the Eiffel Tower and dreams of going to Paris one day. Her eyes got so wide when she saw it and she even fake fainted out of excitement.
Final Thoughts
I am so glad that we booked a dinner cruise on River Seine during our honeymoon. The combination of the ambiance on the boat and the sights of Paris by night were totally romantic. The food was the best meal we had in Paris, hands down. The staff went above and beyond to make sure our night was memorable. I’ll never forget holding hands with Gio while looking out together at the Eiffel Tower.
Whether you’re on a trip with friends or celebrating with your partner, a dinner cruise on River Seine is a must while traveling to Paris!
Don’t forget you can use the code READYTOCRUISE to take 10% off a lunch or dinner cruise with
DISCLAIMER: Our cruise was gifted to us by La Marina by Paris Seine but all thoughts and opinions are our own.