Seine River Cruise Pilgrimage with Michelle and Paul Tucker and Fr. Dean Wilhelm

We depart on an overnight flight from Austin to Paris. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flight. Quotes for add-on flights and Premium Economy or Business class are available upon request and will be quoted starting 120 days before departure. We work with group airfares, which do not permit seat selection. The group airfare will be available in September. If you wish to reserve specific seats on the flights, we recommend purchasing your own airline tickets or an upgraded seat.

Welcome to France. Upon arrival at the airport, we are greeted by the Select International Tours English-speaking French Guide, who assists us onto the deluxe motor coach. We celebrate Mass on Rue De Bac, in the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, where we see the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Laboure and visit the museum next door. Nearby is the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, which we visit. Following a panoramic bus tour of Paris, we board the ship in the afternoon and settle into our cabins. The beautiful Uniworld cruise vessel S.S. Joie de Vivre is our home for the next seven nights. Enjoy time on the ship to laugh, share, and make new friends, while we also experience a rich spiritual and cultural program. Tonight, let’s meet on the deck with our drinks to enjoy the “Paris by Night cruise” as we sail past beautifully lit-up monuments and watch the light show at the Eiffel Tower. Dinner and overnight on the ship. (D) The service on the day of arrival is provided as a Select private tour and can be offered only if the group is arriving at the same or similar times- individual arrivals cannot be accommodated in the day’s program. You may purchase individual transfers from Uniworld or take a taxi to the dock. Ship boarding is at 5PM.

After breakfast, we disembark in La Roche-Guyon and head to the lovely little town of Vernon. We visit the Claude Monet Estate, which includes the house where the famous artist lived, as well as his beloved gardens and ponds, from which he drew inspiration for his magnificent paintings of the water lilies. The famous Impressionist artist lived here for forty-three years, from 1883 to 1926. Walking through his house

Walk in the footsteps of greatness in the beautiful Norman medieval capital, a city with a historic quarter that remains amazingly intact. This morning, we arrive in the charming town of Rouen, which boasts a restored medieval quarter and the magnificent Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame, often depicted in Claude Monet’s paintings. Throughout its turbulent history, the city was devastated several times, including during the Middle Ages, when a fire and the plague ravaged it. The English occupied it during the Hundred Years’ War, when the French heroine Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) was tried for heresy and burned at the stake in the central square in 1431. During WWII, Allied bombing raids laid waste to large parts of the city, especially the area south of the Cathedral. Still, the town has been meticulously rebuilt over the last seven decades. We tour the city on foot. In the evening, we will attend a private concert at the Rouen Cathedral. You may choose to visit a Camembert Cheese Farm and have a taste of the Normandy cheese and apple cider instead of the walking tour of Rouen. Dinner and overnight on the ship.

Today, our ship docks in Caudebec-en-Caux, where we have a private excursion to Lisieux, the home of St. Therese the Little Flower, where we visit the places associated with the life of the beloved saint. We see the Carmel Convent, Les Buisonnets, the humble dwelling of the Saint, and the magnificent Basilica of St. Therese, along with its crypt, where we celebrate Mass. In the evening, you may choose to explore the lovely town of Honfleur, a former fishing village that looks now much like it did a century ago. Be sure to stop by St. Catherine’s Church, built in 15th century by shipwrights who gave it an oak ceiling that looks like the hull of a boat. Return to the ship for dinner.

After breakfast, we disembark and board our buses for a drive through the beautiful landscape of Normandy to the historic Normandy Beaches. The 54 miles of Atlantic stretching from Utah Beach in the west to Sword Beach in the east are littered with WWII museums, monuments, cemeteries, and battle remains left in tribute to the courage of the British, Canadian, and American armies that successfully carried out the largest military operation in history: D-Day. On these serene beaches, at dawn on June 6, 1944, the Allies finally gained a foothold in France. From that historic moment, Nazi Europe was destined to crumble. We visit the American Memorial and Cemetery. Nearby, we visit Omaha Beach and pay our respects to our brave, fallen soldiers with a prayer. Lunch is on your own today. We return to the ship for Dinner.

Our Seine River cruise sails this morning through the lovely French countryside. Enjoy having morning coffee on the ship’s deck as we sail past lovely homes dotting the river banks. Today, we explore the opulent Palace of Versailles, built by King Louis XIV, also known as the “Sun King,” and a favorite hunting place of Marie Antoinette. We see the manicured gardens of Versailles, then visit the palace. We will be divided into smaller groups and given private headphones to tour the palace. As a Uniworld Guest, you’ll also enjoy a guided tour through the King’s Apartments, an area not open to individual visitors. Return to the ship for dinner and a relaxing evening in the lounge. Overnight on the ship.

We wake up in Paris! Seeing the beautiful Eiffel Tower, Les Champs-Elysées, and other city highlights during a panoramic tour. We explore the newly renovated Notre Dame Cathedral, concluding our day in the Montmartre section, where we tour the magnificent Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart Basilica) in the city’s bohemian quarter. We celebrate Mass before returning to the ship. You will also have time to explore Paris on your own or take a walking tour with Uniworld through the Latin Quarter. Tonight, enjoy the gala farewell dinner followed by dancing in the lounge. Dinner and overnight on the ship.

Following breakfast, we disembark from our ship, saying goodbye to the fantastic crew who hosted us and to the many friends we made this week. One group transfer will be provided to the airport by Select International. Additional transfers may be purchased through Uniworld ship transfers or by a private taxi.

We are transferred by a private bus to the train station this morning, where we board the comfortable TGV train to Lourdes. Upon arrival in Lourdes, we settle into our hotel and visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes for Mass. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.

We have two full days in Lourdes, where our private guide will meet us and be with us until our departure at the airport. We join in the Mass, and have a walking tour of the Sanctuary, including the Grotto and the Basilica, and watch a video presentation that explains Lourdes’s story in detail. Our group will see a movie about Bernadette’s life, Boly Mill, Bernadette’s birthplace, and the Cachot, an abandoned prison where Bernadette’s impoverished family lived. We pray the Stations of the Cross and attend the Blessing of the Sick in the afternoon. During our two full days in Lourdes, we have time for private prayer and reflection. In the evening, we join the Candlelight Procession. Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.

Early this morning, we are transferred to Toulouse airport, where we board our flights back to the United States. (B) WELCOME HOME!