Le Havre

      On leaving the port, part one of your excursion will take you on a panoramic tour of Le Havre, which was rebuilt in classic style with large avenues and open spaces to offset the sea front. The second part of your tour will then see you visit the town of Étretat, which is considered to be a major French national site. Whatever the season, the grandeur of the high cliffs and crashing waves is certainly unforgettable. Look forward to viewing the three natural arches and the formation known as "The Needle". Furthermore, Étretat has inspired writers and artists alike, with the painters Monet and Courbet being just two examples. You will have time to explore this natural beauty spot on your own. The tour will also take you past timber-framed houses, the town's medieval church and the covered marketplace. You will have enough time to discover the town at your own pace before returning to Le Havre and your ship.

Price per person $61.00 Adults $43.00 Children

   

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      On leaving the port, part one of your excursion will take you on a panoramic tour of Le Havre, which was rebuilt in classic style with large avenues and open spaces to offset the sea front. The second part of your tour will then take you to Honfleur, a tiny town known for its picturesque harbour and beautifully preserved old buildings with slate-covered frontages. A favourite motif of many a painter, Honfleur is known to have particularly inspired Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet, Eugène Boudin and Johan Jongkind, collectively referred to as the Honfleur school. You will have enough time to spend in this delightful village on your own. Enjoy the olde-worlde feel of the narrow streets lined with timber-framed houses and be sure to visit Sainte-Catherine Church, France's largest church made entirely of wood. The church also features bell tower that is separate from the main building. The tour concludes with your return to the ship.

Price per person $61.00 Adults $43.00 Children

   

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    Considered to be the historical capital of Normandy, Rouen is located on the north bank of the river Seine, some 1.5 hours from the sea port of Le Havre. Your guide will introduce you to the old part of the town and take you on a walk down the city's narrow streets, which are lined with more than 700 timber-framed houses. Enjoy the special atmosphere of Rue St. Romain and the Church of Saint-Maclou, which dates back to the 15^th century. Another important call on the tour is the so-called Gros Horloge - an astronomical clock from the 16^th century - located in the aptly named Rue du Gros Horloge. The tour then continues on to the Roman Catholic Rouen Cathedral with its Gothic architecture and its so-called "Butter Tower", which was built in the early 16^th century with money appropriated from the local population for the indulgence of eating butter. It has also featured as the famous subject of a series of paintings by Claude Monet. Before returning you to the ship, the last stop on the tour is the "Place du Vieux Marché", the site where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake, at the centre of which stands the modern Church of Saint Joan of Arc.

Price per person $88.00 Adults $62.00 Children

   

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    An enjoyable drive will take you to the tiny town of Honfleur, a sleepy settlement known for its picturesque harbour and beautifully preserved old buildings with slate-covered frontages. A favourite motif of many a painter, Honfleur is known to have particularly inspired Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet, Eugène Boudin and Johan Jongkind, collectively referred to as the Honfleur school. You will have enough time to spend in this delightful village on your own. Enjoy the old-fashioned feel of the narrow streets lined with timber-framed houses and be sure to visit Sainte-Catherine Church, France's largest church made entirely of wood. The church also features bell tower that is separate from the main building. Choose one of the many harbour-front restaurants for a delicious and scenic lunchtime experience. The afternoon leg of the tour will take you to the stylish resort of Deauville, which is famed as the venue of an annual international film festival to promote American cinematography and is generally regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches". It is certainly one of the most prestigious seaside destinations in the whole of France and you will have plenty of time to explore the old-fashioned streets of this lovely place and savour its special ambience at your leisure. Apart from a racecourse, harbour, marina and grand casino, Deauville also has sandy beaches for you to enjoy. The tour concludes with your return to the ship.
Please note: this tour is not foreseen for following calls : 18.09.2012 (MSC Magnifica) and 11.09.2012 (MSC Poesia)
 

Price per person $107.00 Adults $75.00 Children

   

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    This all-day excursion will give you an opportunity to see some of the major sights of France's magnificent capital city and find out why Paris is known worldwide for its elegance and grandeur. On leaving the port of Le Havre, a leisurely three-hour drive will take you to Paris for a chance to discover this eternally romantic city and its boundless culture. The special splendour of the Champs-Élysées - proudly referred to as "the most beautiful avenue in the world" by the French - awaits you just as the modernity of the Eiffel Tower, which was considered to be a marvel of modern engineering when it was built in 1889. At a height of 324 metres, it is the tallest building in Paris and the second-tallest in the whole of France. No tour of Paris would be complete without a chance to view the Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, and a two-hour stop near this famous Paris landmark will give you time to have lunch on your own and/or visit this outstanding Gothic landmark on your own. With the cornerstone laid in 1163 and the building finally completed in 1345, the cathedral took a staggering 182 years to build. This nearly two-hundred year period saw a number of historically important events, such as the signing of the Magna Carta in England in 1215, the election of Rudolph I of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor in 1273, the publication of Marco Polo's tales of China in 1297, the great famine of 1311 to 1315 as well as the outbreak of the Hundred Years War between England and France in 1337 - just a few years ahead of the cathedral's completion. A mere two years after the cathedral was completed, the Black Death was to descend on Europe and decimate its population, with up to 40% of the population perishing within the first year. Before returning to Le Havre, your tour will take you through other lovely parts of Paris, with a short photo stop at the Eiffel Tower.
Please note: all the sites will be visited from outside. Guests will be met by guides in Paris. Transfers to and from the port will be unguided. This tour is foreseen only for the call by MSC Lirica on 18 October 2012.

Price per person $130.00 Adults $91.00 Children

   

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