Viking Dock Location in Paris?

[mlbcruiser]

We will soon be doing a Viking cruise departing and returning to Paris. Since we are not using their air or pre-/post cruise package, we will need to get to wherever our ship is docked on our own.

We’ve only been to Paris once and that was nearly 40 years ago. Hoping it will be easy to find our ship.
 

Three years ago we did a Rhine river cruise on another line. We were told to call a number the morning of our cruise to find out where our ship would be located. This proved to be a very mixed up issue. We finally made it, with some difficulty and several phone calls made by both us and our taxi driver before we finally ended up at the correct dock. We are hoping to avoid such a situation this time.
 

Wondering if the dock for the major river cruise ships is located on the outskirts of Paris or more towards central Paris?

 

Any info regarding the area where Viking’s river cruise ships dock will be appreciated!

[gnome12]

The first question is are you departing from Paris, or from Paris (Le Pecq)? If you are on a longship, you are departing from Le Pecq. Viking has one or more new ships that are shorter and are allowed to dock in Paris proper. You should know this, because there are only a few ships that dock in Paris proper, and they charge more for them (or at least they did in the beginning).

 

Beyond that, I will let others discuss details.

[sharkster77]

I thought Viking was calling their modified ships something like "Seine longships", or something like that.  The "longship" designation may not necessarily relegate the ship to Le Pecq.  Viking has built more than one 125 m ship specifically for the Seine.  Whether  or not they plan to sail them all this year is another matter.

 

I would check the itinerary carefully.  I thought I read that Viking is now docking in Paris proper, except for the last night, which they spent in Le Pecq.

[notamermaid]

Up until last year when Viking first wanted to use the new ships specifically built for Paris city docking the rule was maximum 125m length for all ships. The new ships of Viking are 125m. The older ships that have been shifted over from the other rivers are 135m, I call them the LePecq ones. This set-up will only have changed if the Paris authorities have changed the rules, which I doubt. The city ships are Fjorgyn, Radgrid, Kari, Skarga. Dock is supposed to be Quai de Grenelle, but I am not up to date with that plan.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

I think you will find that the ship length is more to do with the lock lengths at the far end of the Seine. Although the French authorities are notoriously slow in sorting out necessary signatures. I’m not knocking the French here just ask them the wheels of government turn exceeding slow. CA

[CPT Trips]

15 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

I think you will find that the ship length is more to do with the lock lengths at the far end of the Seine. Although the French authorities are notoriously slow in sorting out necessary signatures. I’m not knocking the French here just ask them the wheels of government turn exceeding slow. CA

I thought the length limits were due to the turning basin size.

[notamermaid]

10 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

I thought the length limits were due to the turning basin size.

It is normally due to lock size, but as regards the Paris city problem, you are correct, it is something to do with the basin, the busy river and turning the ship. I do not want to brag or anything but I did read the French authorities report (a bit pained as my French is a bit rusty and it is an official paper) which is available online.

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

Thanks

[sharkster77]

I remember a couple of years ago Viking announced with great fanfare that they had set up a demonstration for French authorities to show that their 135 m longships could turn themselves around in the Seine.  It must not have gone well, as I do not recall Viking announcing any results of the demo!

 

Instead, they went and built a longship with all the same features as the existing one, but 10 m shorter.

[Host Jazzbeau]

That was a clear case of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object.  Viking acts first and asks permission later.  France doesn't bend.  😉

[notamermaid]

And Uniworld was not exactly the laughing third, but looked at this and must have said to themselves: "cannot be bothered trying this out with the authorities" and just went ahead and built a new ship. The result was the Joie de Vivre, back in 2016/17: https://www.cruiseandferry.net/articles/uniworld-to-debut-ss-joie-de-vivre-on-the-seine-next-year

 

I remember people here on CC who looked at the new city docking Viking ships and their itineraries when they became bookable in 2019, said that they were more expensive than the ones from LePecq.

 

notamermaid

 

[sharkster77]

IIRC, Viking was offering some cruises docking in Le Pecq and others docking in Paris while they were building and launching the 125 m ships.  Now that they have all their mini-longships built, I would imagine they are all docking in Paris now?  I would expect they moved the 135 m ships to other rivers.

[Canal archive]

Scenic Gem was built and fitted out in Holland, it was then marinised and sailed across the English Channel, followed the English coast until opposite the entry to the Seine then across the Channel and up the Seine to Rouen. Here she was de-marinised and sailed on to Paris. It was very interesting following it on Marine Traffic. CA That was 2014.

Edited June 27, 2021 by Canal archive

[notamermaid]

Good point, Coronavirus obviously completely upended their plans for 2020, so for this year or next they may have the LePecq longships running for a last time. Who knows. Website giving clues?

 

notamermaid

 

[gnome12]

As far as I can tell all the 2021 sailings seem to be the 4 Seine ships. I can’t seem to get to 2022 and 2023 departures on the mobile site on my phone. 

[mlbcruiser]

Thank you so much for the great info! Our ship is the Radgrid, apparently built in 2021.

 

 The  name Grenelle is quite familiar! Though it was many years ago, Boulevard de Grenelle is one of the few streets other than Champs Elysee, of course,  that I can easily recall the name of from that trip so long ago. (The Ave. Kleber is another because we stayed at a hotel there on the advice of a Spanish businessman we met on the train from Calais. Our room was cheap yet so charming! )

 I found Quay de Grenelle on an online map.  Hope that will be our dock because it looked as if it’s in a fairly easy to reach location. I do believe on the return we will dock at LePecq. I get that impression by something mentioned on the itinerary. I just booked the trip yesterday and am sure I will get more information soon.

 

I really appreciate the replies! Thanks again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gnome12]

If you are correct that you return to Le Pecq, that means that, unless you are on the ship’s first sailing, it will arrive in Le Pecq to disembark passengers, and then at some point continue to Paris for your embarkation. This means that you likely can neither drop your luggage early, nor hang around the ship at the end of your cruise, both things that are usually possible on river cruise ships. 

[rcaruso]

The Rolf and Rinda (the two 135 meter longships) were on the Seine 2018 and maybe 2019, but this year they are on the Danube and maybe Rhine, but  the Rolf is listed with the Embla on the Danube Waltz and is sold out till the end of the season, which in most likelihood will not sail this year. I am probably the only one who liked the docking at le Pecq.  Good store right by the dock to buy anything, a post office and up the hill, easy walk nice town.

[mlbcruiser]

I just carefully re-read the itinerary. It appears that we stop at Le Pecq on the morning on day 7. In the afternoon, there is an optional tour to Versailles that and it mentions the option of attending a cabaret that evening in Paris and overnighting docked in Paris before disembarking there the morning of day eight.  That sounds like a plus for those of us who will spend another night or more in Paris after our cruise. It seems like that will be a lot more convenient.

[mlbcruiser]

By the way, I just checked and that will not be the first sailing this year for this itinerary for this ship.

[gnome12]

24 minutes ago, mlbcruiser said:

I just carefully re-read the itinerary. It appears that we stop at Le Pecq on the morning on day 7. In the afternoon, there is an optional tour to Versailles that and it mentions the option of attending a cabaret that evening in Paris and overnighting docked in Paris before disembarking there the morning of day eight.  That sounds like a plus for those of us who will spend another night or more in Paris after our cruise. It seems like that will be a lot more convenient.

I assume that the optional tour to Versailles is easier to run from Le Pecq. But if you end up in Paris itself, my comments about being not being able to drop luggage or stay late don't apply, since you are both starting and ending in Paris itself.

[gnome12]

40 minutes ago, rcaruso said:

The Rolf and Rinda (the two 135 meter longships) were on the Seine 2018 and maybe 2019, but this year they are on the Danube and maybe Rhine, but  the Rolf is listed with the Embla on the Danube Waltz and is sold out till the end of the season, which in most likelihood will not sail this year. I am probably the only one who liked the docking at le Pecq.  Good store right by the dock to buy anything, a post office and up the hill, easy walk nice town.

That might be just for this year, or not. Considering how many longships Viking has, and only 4 Seine class ships, more longships might be put onto Le Pecq departures in the future, but I didn't see that when I looked at some 2022 dates, which all seem to be using the 4 Seine class ships. The Le Pecq and Paris departures might only have been until they got all 4 ships completed.

[mlbcruiser]

I saw a post where someone mentioned that doing Versailles on a ship’s tour is pretty expensive but lots easier then doing one from Paris. I have no idea. No need to make any decisions right now.
 

I’m sure glad some of you know so much about the docking areas. Puts my mind at ease.

[notamermaid]

Found the dock description on the CroisiEurope website: https://www.croisieurope.travel/en/information/seine-river-cruise-docking-embarkation-debarkation

 

I expect that something similar will be on the Viking website somewhere, if not now, then soon.

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

10 hours ago, mlbcruiser said:

I saw a post where someone mentioned that doing Versailles on a ship’s tour is pretty expensive but lots easier then doing one from Paris. I have no idea. No need to make any decisions right now.
 

I’m sure glad some of you know so much about the docking areas. Puts my mind at ease.

 

My S & B-in-law took the Grand France tour, and were docked in Le Peque. They had their cruise director book them a taxi to Versailles, but were only really able to see the gardens as they didn't want to wait in the long line up for tickets.  One advantage to buying the excursions is transport & entrance is included, as well as the fact that you usually don't have to wait in the line up.