Board your overnight flight to Europe (not included).

Arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, where you will be transferred to the ship.

Monet often painted the little riverside town of Vernon, your port of call, so you are likely to recognize scenes the master rendered in oils on your way to his home in Giverny. You have a choice as to how you wish to journey to his home where he lived and worked for more than 40 years—via a short bus ride or by bike. Once there, you’ll discover how Monet immortalized his home and gardens in his paintings. Later, cruise along the peaceful Seine to Les Andelys, where you may wish to hike up to Château Gaillard, Richard the Lionheart’s 12th-century stronghold, offering inspiring views of the Seine. Cap the day off at the festive Captain’s Welcome Reception and Gala dinner. Note: Giverny will be closed during the October 29 and November 5 cruise departure dates. Instead of Giverny, guests will visit the gardens of Versailles.

Victor Hugo called Rouen the city with a hundred bell towers—and easily the most famous is the one rising above Notre Dame Cathedral, which you’ll visit. You will also see the Renaissance clock tower and the bronze cross marking the site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Your tour includes stops to sample some delicacies of Normandy, including white cider and Camembert. For a more active experience, you have a choice to go golfing at Rouen’s Mont-Saint- Aignan, just minutes from the city. This 18-hole course offers both veterans and beginners the chance to play in a beautiful setting surrounded by woods.

Travel through bucolic Calvados countryside to Honfleur, an enchanting seaside town. You’ll soon discover why impressionist painters came to paint its inspiring scenery. For those who want to continue their French golf experience, you’ll want to go play at Golf d’Étretat, perched on the clifftops more than 150 ft. above the sea, making playing golf here both a memorable experience and visual feast.

Normandy has been the setting for many battles over the centuries, including the D-Day invasion of WWII. You decide how you wish to experience it. For those wishing to visit the American airborne forces’ landing beaches, you’ll want to go to the historic Utah and Omaha beaches, along with Pointe du Hoc, one of the strategic strong points between the two beaches. You’ll also visit Sainte-Mère-Église, which became the first town in France to be liberated, and its airborne museum. If you prefer to go to the Canadian landing beaches, journey to Juno Beach, where the 3rd Canadian infantry division came ashore; you’ll see the exhibit at the Canadian Centre. And for those who wish to see an astonishing millennium-old textile listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, you’ll wish to travel to Bayeux to view the famous 11th-century tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings. All groups will meet later in the day at the American Cemetery and Memorial honoring US soldiers. While here, you are welcome to participate in a special remembrance ceremony that includes a wreath laying, the American national anthem and a moment of silence.

Dock in Mantes-la-Jolie, gateway to either an excursion to Versailles or Château de Malmaison. Versailles set the standard for opulence, not just in the 17th century but for the succeeding centuries as well. Tour the royal apartments, which still look much as they did when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette fled in 1789. Marvel at the magnificent Hall of Mirrors and walk through some of the fountain-filled gardens. Château de Malmaison, once home to Napoleon’s first empress, Josephine, is filled with Empire-style furnishings, thanks to the keen eye of young Josephine. Here the empress entertained in elegance and created gardens that were world famous in her day. Cap your royal day off with the festive Captain’s Farewell Reception and Gala Dinner.

Hemingway called Paris a moveable feast: Once you’ve experienced it, you will take it with you wherever you go. You have three choices for how you wish to experience the city. If you are experiencing Paris for the first time, you may wish to take a cruise along the Seine for an unforgettable look at the heart of Paris from the water and continue on a panoramic tour to see the City of Light’s most famous sights, with a stop at the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens. For those who wish to experience Paris as a true Parisian, join the “Do as the Locals Do” tour. Take the Métro to the Île de la Cité, the historic center of Paris, and the great cathedral of Notre Dame. An expert in the history and architecture of this magnificent cathedral is your guide as you explore both inside and out. After you’ve admired Notre Dame’s stained glass, flying buttresses and idiosyncratic gargoyles, cross the Archbishop’s Bridge to the Left Bank and the Latin Quarter. Wander through the narrow streets where for centuries artists, writers, philosophers and the Sorbonne’s students have lived and worked, argued politics, painted, sipped absinthe and lived the bohemian lifestyle for which the district is famous. And for those who prefer a more active exploration of the city, hop on a bicycle for a guided ride along the Seine.

Disembark the ship and transfer to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for your flight home.