{"id":2733,"date":"2018-02-17T20:57:52","date_gmt":"2018-02-17T20:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/?page_id=2733"},"modified":"2018-03-16T18:07:51","modified_gmt":"2018-03-16T18:07:51","slug":"day-by-day-itinerary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/2019-moaa-signature-cruise\/day-by-day-itinerary\/","title":{"rendered":"Day by Day Itinerary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Overview<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

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Pricing<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

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Day-by-Day Itinerary<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

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Ship Details<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

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Terms & Conditions<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

day by day itinerary<\/strong><\/p>\n

DAY 1:\u00a0Paris (Embark)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. If your cruise package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship.<\/p>\n

DAY 2:\u00a0La Roche-Guyon, Vernon (Giverny)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today is a celebration of Northern France\u2019s natural beauty, with an excursion to a splendid chateau and gardens situated in an equally grand setting, plus a chance to immerse yourself in the very landscapes that inspired Impressionist master Claude Monet. \u00a0 Visit the hilltop Ch\u00e2teau de La Roche-Guyon, surrounded by beautiful gardens and offering sweeping views over the Seine. Later, you can visit the home and gardens of Impressionist master Claude Monet\u2014the inspiration for many of his most beloved works. Or, take in the beautiful French countryside in a more invigorating way, with a guided bike ride from Vernon to Giverny.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Featured Excursion:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ch\u00e2teau de La Roche-Guyon<\/p>\n

PLUS Choice of\u00a0Monet\u2019s gardens at Giverny\u00a0or\u00a0Exclusive guided \u201cLet’s Go\u201d bicycle ride to Giverny<\/p>\n

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Monet\u2019s gardens at Giverny<\/strong><\/p>\n

Monet often painted the little riverside town of Vernon, so you are likely to recognize scenes the master rendered in oils on your way to his home in the village of Giverny, where he lived and worked for more than 40 years. When Monet bought the property, most of it was an orchard; he transformed it over the years into the enchanting visions immortalized in his paintings, essentially creating each work of art twice: once as a living garden and again as a painting. As you stroll through the grounds, you\u2019ll see the famed Japanese bridge and water garden shaded by weeping willows. Monet\u2019s house, which you will also visit, remains furnished as it was when the leader of the Impressionist school lived here, complete with his precious collection of Japanese engravings. \u00a0Note: Giverny will be closed during the March and November cruise departure dates.<\/p>\n

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Exclusive guided \u201cLet’s Go\u201d bicycle ride to Giverny<\/strong><\/p>\n

The country roads between Vernon and Giverny offer easy\u2014and pretty\u2014biking. Hop aboard your bike and pedal about three miles to the village where the artist lived for decades. You\u2019ll pass the church and cemetery where Monet is buried and the Hotel Baudy, where his painter friends often stayed, and arrive at the artist\u2019s home and garden for a tour.<\/p>\n

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Ch\u00e2teau de La Roche-Guyon<\/strong><\/p>\n

From cave dwelling to fortress to castle to palace: This is the history of Ch\u00e2teau de La Roche- Guyon, which takes its name from its medieval lords and its location, a limestone outcropping\u2014a rock\u2014above the Seine. Medieval knights kept watch for marauding Vikings from the tower high atop the hill and later defended the double wall around a 13th-century manor house; successive lords added to the buildings over the centuries, so you can see not just troglodyte chapels but Renaissance rooms where kings Francis I and Henry II were entertained (and, legend says, Henry IV pursued a lovely chatelaine without success) and handsome 18th-century state apartments. Enlightenment thinkers met with the Duchess d\u2019Enville, who owned the ch\u00e2teau before the revolution and who had the huge kitchen garden laid out according to Enlightenment principles. You might think, as you walk through the elegantly designed garden and beautifully paneled rooms (mostly without furniture these days, so you can appreciate the Gobelins tapestries without distraction) that the residence\u2019s military function was in the far distant past, but Rommel made his headquarters here during World War II, precisely because the ancient fortifications and caves were so secure.<\/p>\n

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This evening, a special Captain\u2019s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.<\/p>\n

DAY 3:\u00a0Rouen\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Walk in the footsteps of greatness in Normandy\u2019s medieval capital, a city with a historic quarter that remains amazingly intact. From the cathedral Monet painted dozens of times to the cross marking the spot where Joan of Arc was martyred, Rouen is a treasure trove for the culturally curious. \u00a0 The medieval capital of Normandy, Rouen has managed to preserve much of its historic core, despite being turned into a battlefield numerous times. The roll call of famous people who lived or died in Rouen is long and varied\u2014Richard the Lionheart, Joan of Arc, Gustave Flaubert and Claude Monet are among them.<\/p>\n

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Featured Excursion:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rouen gourmet walking discovery tour<\/p>\n

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Rouen gourmet walking discovery tour<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rouen\u2019s most famous landmark, the cathedral\u2014celebrated in 30 paintings by Monet\u2014was begun some 800 years ago, acquiring a multitude of spires and styles as it was expanded and renovated in different eras. Ramble from the cathedral square, with its ornate Renaissance clock, and begin your exploration of the Old Town. The cobblestone alleyways are lined with tall half-timbered houses, often with shops on the first floor and apartments above; it may be a historic district, but it is also a living one. Step into a couple of these shops and patisseries for tastes of regional specialties\u2014delicious cider, for instance, and the chocolate confection unique to Rouen known as the \u201ctears of Joan of Arc\u201d\u2014as you make your way toward the Old Market Square. Reminders of life and death are common here: Note the carved skulls and other symbols of death on the buildings near Saint-Maclou, a spectacular late-Flamboyant Gothic church, and the adjacent A\u00eetre Saint-Maclou, once a cemetery for plague victims and now a garden. As you enter the Old Market Square, you\u2019ll spot a bronze cross marking the most famous death in the city\u2014the place where the English burned Joan of Arc at the stake. The Church of St. Joan, on the square, may seem incongruous in its modernity; it was built on the site of Saint-Sauveur church, which was destroyed during World War II\u2014the stained-glass windows in the new church were salvaged from the ruins.<\/p>\n

DAY 4:\u00a0Caudebec-en-Caux (Honfleur or \u00c9tretat)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Golfing? On a river cruise? This delightfully unexpected excursion\u2014a Uniworld exclusive\u2014features a dramatic links course set atop Normandy\u2019s Alabaster Coast. In a word, magnifique. Not into golf? Stroll through seaside Honfleur, captured on canvas by generations of artists. \u00a0 Caudebec, a lovely little town on a serene loop of the Seine, is your base for one of two very different excursions. You could drive through the beautiful Calvados countryside to Honfleur, a delightful seaside harbor and city of painters, or head to the windy cliffs of \u00c9tretat for a game of golf.<\/p>\n

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Featured Excursion:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Choice of\u00a0Honfleur walking discovery tour\u00a0or\u00a0exclusive guided \u201cLet’s Go\u201d golfing in \u00c9tretat<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Honfleur walking discovery tour<\/strong><\/p>\n

A walking tour of the fishing village begins at the former smugglers\u2019 harbor of Vieux Bassin\u2014the most frequently painted scene in Honfleur\u2014which looks much as it did a century ago, though now the boats in the harbor are more likely to be pleasure craft than fishing vessels. Your local guide will take you down tiny lanes, where houses stand shoulder to shoulder in a jumble of styles: narrow 19th-century slate-roofed townhouses, 15th-century fishermen\u2019s cottages, and tall and elegant mansions\u2014 many adorned with figures of chimeras or saints. You\u2019ll also see St. Catherine\u2019s Church, built in the 15th century by shipwrights who gave it an oak ceiling that looks like the hull of a boat.<\/p>\n

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Exclusive guided \u201cLet’s Go\u201d golfing in \u00c9tretat<\/strong><\/p>\n

It would be hard to find a more spectacular location than \u00c9tretat\u2019s clifftop course, which is ranked as one of the best in France. Originally laid out in 1908 and substantially redesigned in the 1990s, it offers a multitude of challenges: Two nine-hole loops take players right to the cliff\u2019s edge, the wind can be a serious challenge in and of itself, and the 10th through 14th holes offer formidable tests of a golfer\u2019s skill. Spend the morning on the course, lunch on your own in charming \u00c9tretat and explore the seaside village that so many artists, including Monet, rendered in paint, or return to the ship for lunch and a leisurely afternoon onboard.\u00a0Note: Golf excursion is open to a limited number of golfers.<\/p>\n

DAY 5:\u00a0Rouen (Normandy Beaches)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Normandy coast will forever be associated with the Allies\u2019 D-Day invasion, a day that comes vividly to life today on an excursion to the beaches of 1944. Or travel even further into the past with an up-close look at the thousand-year-old Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the Norman conquest. \u00a0 Immerse yourself in the tactics, desperate courage and horrendous human cost of the 1944 Allied invasion of France, the first step in the ultimately victorious land campaign against the Third Reich. It began here, on these Norman beaches, each of which was assigned a code name by the Allies as they planned their attack.<\/p>\n

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Featured Excursion:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arromanches and the American Cemetery<\/p>\n

Are-oh-mash<\/p>\n

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PLUS Choice of\u00a0Utah and Omaha beaches and Sainte-M\u00e8re-\u00c9glise\u00a0or\u00a0Juno Beach\u00a0or\u00a0Bayeux<\/p>\n

Sant-mare-ee-gleese (geese with an l)<\/p>\n

Ba-you<\/p>\n

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Utah and Omaha beaches and Sainte-M\u00e8re-\u00c9glise<\/strong><\/p>\n

This tour encompasses the major areas of the American assault: Utah Beach, where the first American infantry units came ashore; Sainte-M\u00e8re-\u00c9glise, the first village freed from the Germans and home to a museum dedicated to the Airborne divisions that suffered 2,500 casualties in the battle; Pointe du Hoc, a strategic high point controlled by the Germans and captured by a Ranger unit; and Omaha Beach, the second landing site, where the Americans encountered much stiffer resistance than they did at Utah. At each location, you can see the actual equipment used for the invasion\u2014tanks, landing craft, bombers, gliders\u2014and get a feel for what these young men experienced.<\/p>\n

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Juno Beach<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the Allies prepared to invade Normandy, they assigned a six-mile stretch of beach to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division under the command of Major-General Rodney Keller. The Canadians trained for their assault in Scotland and were generally regarded as the best-prepared of any of the invading forces. Unfortunately, preliminary bombing had failed to eliminate German battlements, so Canadian troops were met with well-prepared German resistance, and several companies suffered heavy casualties. Walk the shoreline where so many died, and visit Juno Beach Center, dedicated to the Canadian war effort. One million Canadians served during World War II, and 14,000 participated in the landing. Exhibits describe both life at home during the war and the service of\u2014and sacrifices made by\u2014the men who fought.<\/p>\n

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Bayeux<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bayeux, the first French town to be liberated in 1944, is home to the Bayeux Tapestry, an astonishing millennium-old textile listed on UNESCO\u2019s Memory of the World Register. The tapestry tells the story of the Norman conquest of England; it was probably embroidered by monks in the south of England in October 1066, a few months after William I\u2019s troops overwhelmed the island\u2019s Saxon defenders. Take a guided audio tour of this remarkable textile, which details the story of the conquest in 58 distinct scenes with Latin annotations.\u00a0Note: Because the Tapestry Museum is a popular attraction in summer, the order of events may change to accommodate scheduling issues.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Arromanches and the American Cemetery<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whichever excursion you select, you\u2019ll join your fellow passengers in a journey to the American cemetery, where almost 10,000 U.S. soldiers are buried, most of whom lost their lives during the D-Day invasion. Pay your respects at the end of the day with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Normandy American cemetery.<\/p>\n

DAY 6:\u00a0Mantes-la-Jolie (Versailles)<\/strong><\/p>\n

How did France\u2019s rulers live over the centuries? Step into the private rooms of either the Palace of Versailles, the lavish palace built by the Sun King, or Ch\u00e2teau de Malmaison, home to Napoleon Bonaparte\u2019s Empress Josephine, to find out.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Featured Excursion:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Choice of\u00a0Palace of Versailles\u00a0or\u00a0Ch\u00e2teau de Malmaison<\/p>\n

Mal-may-son<\/p>\n

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Palace of Versailles<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was the official residence of the country\u2019s kings and queens from 1682 until the revolution, and though the monarchy possessed other palaces, Versailles stood alone in magnificence. Tour the royal apartments, which still look much as they did when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette fled in 1789. In these rooms, you\u2019ll find lush silk draperies, exquisite marquetry tables, gilded beds, Aubusson carpets and porcelain ornaments that reveal the elegance of the 18th-century royalty\u2019s lifestyle, as well as the extravagance that helped fuel the rage leading to the revolution. Climb the great staircase and enter the jaw-dropping Hall of Mirrors, where the absolute ruler of France held court for the ambassadors of Siam, Persia and the Ottoman Empire, along with all the great seigneurs of France. Ladies intrigued behind their fans, plots were hatched, and careers were made and destroyed beneath the sparkling chandeliers here.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ch\u00e2teau de Malmaison<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part great romance, part scandal, part politics\u2014this is the story of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine, the fascinating (and notorious) widow he married in 1796 and divorced 14 years later in order to marry Marie-Louise of Austria (who gave him the son Josephine could not bear him). Despite the divorce, Napoleon remained devoted to Josephine: Malmaison is a testament to that devotion. The jewel-box palace was redesigned under Josephine\u2019s direction in the 1790s, with every facet intended to reflect both the \u201cLittle Corporal\u2019s\u201d glory and Josephine\u2019s own exquisite Directoire tastes. Though the palace fell on hard times in the 19th century, it has been beautifully restored. The Consulate Chamber, where Napoleon met with his staff, resembles a military tent; the library is furnished with the emperor\u2019s desk from his apartments in the Tuileries. Josephine\u2019s bedroom retains the elegant tented Jacob-Desmalter bed in which the empress slept. Among the many gems on display here are David\u2019s original Napoleon Crossing the Alps and the Austerlitz table inlaid with S\u00e8vres plaques commemorating Napoleon\u2019s victory at Austerlitz.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A special Captain\u2019s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.<\/p>\n

DAY 7:\u00a0Paris<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Whether you\u2019re a first-time visitor to the \u201cCity of Light\u201d or you\u2019ve been here many times before, there\u2019s something for everyone today in Paris. Enjoy a panoramic overview of the city, join a local expert for a walk through two much-loved neighborhoods, or pedal your way along the Left Bank, a fresh and fun way to take in the sights.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Featured Excursion:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Choice of\u00a0Paris city tour\u00a0or\u00a0exclusive \u201cDo as the Locals Do\u201d \u00cele de la Cit\u00e9 and Latin Quarter walking tour\u00a0or\u00a0Exclusive guided \u201cLet’s Go\u201d Left Bank bicycle ride<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Paris city tour<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hemingway called Paris a moveable feast: Once you\u2019ve experienced it, you will take it with you wherever you go. If you are experiencing Paris for the first time, this tour will introduce you to the City of Light\u2019s most cherished landmarks. You\u2019ll head via motorcoach from the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon to celebrate his Grand Arm\u00e9e\u2019s 128 victories, down the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es to the Place de la Concorde. These broad 19th-century avenues and stately buildings were created by Baron Haussmann in a great urban development that eliminated the cramped, crazy-quilt medieval city and gave Paris its modern form. You\u2019ll pass the magnificent Op\u00e9ra Garnier, the Place Vend\u00f4me (home to designer salons), the legendary Louvre and, on the Left Bank, the Sorbonne University and the Panth\u00e9on. Stretch your legs at the Luxembourg Gardens, then take in the \u00c9cole Militaire before arriving at the manicured grounds of the Champs de Mars, the perfect vantage point from which to see Paris\u2019s most iconic structure\u2014the Eiffel Tower. Cross the Seine via the most stunning single-arch bridge in Paris, Pont Alexandre III; it displays elegantly sculpted nymphs, winged horses and graceful art nouveau lamps. Once on the other side of the river, you\u2019ll be sure to spot the largest glass ceilings in France, which shelter the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais. As you continue along the Seine\u2019s banks you\u2019ll see many striking contemporary bridges too. Your city tour will finish at your ship\u2019s dock.<\/p>\n

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Exclusive \u201cDo as the Locals Do\u201d \u00cele de la Cit\u00e9 and Latin Quarter walking tour<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a true Parisian would, take the M\u00e9tro to the \u00cele de la Cit\u00e9 and the great cathedral of Notre Dame. Henry IV said that Paris was worth a Mass when he converted to Catholicism\u2014and he made that conversion official here, in the center of Paris. In fact, Notre Dame is officially the center of France; facing its main entrance is Kilometer Zero, the location from which distances in France (including those of the French national highways) are traditionally measured. An expert in the history and architecture of this magnificent cathedral is your guide as you explore both inside and out. Begun in the 12th century and finished about 200 years later, Notre Dame is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in Europe. \u00a0After you\u2019ve admired Notre Dame\u2019s stained glass, flying buttresses and idiosyncratic gargoyles, cross the Archbishop\u2019s Bridge to the Left Bank and the Latin Quarter. Wander through the narrow streets where for centuries artists, writers, philosophers and the Sorbonne\u2019s students have lived and worked, argued politics, painted, sipped absinthe and lived the bohemian lifestyle for which the district is famous. Matisse, Picasso, Rimbaud and Sartre, as well as American expatriate writers Hemingway and Fitzgerald, are just a few of the notables who made this district home. Take some time to meander through the area\u2019s little squares, perusing the shop windows and perhaps relaxing with a drink at a classic caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Exclusive guided \u201cLet’s Go\u201d Left Bank bicycle ride<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Seine\u2019s quays may be protected by UNESCO for their cultural importance and significance in the development of Paris, but they are also the scene of a host of fun outdoor activities: games for kids and grown-ups, a climbing wall, a running track, yoga classes, even a beach in August\u2014and an inviting bike path. Join a guide to pedal along the Left Bank, crossing the bridges that link historic \u00cele de la Cit\u00e9 and \u00cele Saint-Louis and getting a close look at the heart of the city\u2019s origins. Bike to the Esplanade des Invalides (Napoleon\u2019s tomb is one of the monuments here) and along the Quay d\u2019Orsay to the Champs de Mars, one of Paris\u2019s largest green spaces . . . which just happens to have one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower in the city. It\u2019s a fun way to take part in the life of the city while also getting some exercise.<\/p>\n

DAY 8:\u00a0Paris (Disembark)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Disembark the ship. If your cruise package includes a group departure transfer or if you have purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for your flight home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

Overview<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Pricing<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Day-by-Day Itinerary<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Ship Details<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Terms & Conditions<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Overview Pricing Day-by-Day Itinerary Ship Details Terms & Conditions day by day itinerary DAY 1:\u00a0Paris (Embark) Arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. If your cruise package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship. DAY 2:\u00a0La […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":2716,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2733","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2733"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2733\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2870,"href":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2733\/revisions\/2870"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brennco.com\/MOAAVACATIONS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}