This was a very interesting and informative trip. One of the best features of Grand Circle cruises is that the travellers are divided into four groups, each with it's own program director. This provides a degree of relationship that is not found on other cruises. All program directors on this cruise came from the eastern European countries we visited and thus were very well informed. There were also a number of special lectures. Food was generally very good. The ship was comfortable but the beds are not good, one of the few negatives. Everyone on the staff was friendly and helpful. The cruise went very smoothly with no problems. We also enjoyed many nice relationships with other guests on the ship. There was a nice sense of commaraderie and fun.

Great trip with an expert crew and ship hospitality. The food and service were some of the best we've ever experienced. Unlike other cruises we had our own Program director that made the port experiences in depth and exciting. Much to do off the ship as well as on. Highly recommend Grand Circle.

This particular river journey on the Seine river was touted as a trip from Paris to Normandy. That is what it turned out to be, only in reverse. That is not the problem. Everyone I talked to on the boat, The Bizet, was on the trip because they were enthralled with the fact that they were going to Normandy and experience D Day at Normandy. That is not what happened. The boat was docked at Honfluer and was a 2 hour drive by bus to Normandy. We then spent short and quick 1.5 hours at the American cemetery, a standing 1.5 hours on Omaha Beach and a quick 1.5 hours at Points du Hoc. The tide was in, therefore we were unable to see the beach as the American boys came ashore on D Day. It then took us 2 hours by bus to travel back to the boat. There are many things that were missing from this experience. At Normandy there are several museums with films and memorabilia about the D Day experience. Have a review where the parachutes landed and boys were drowned and why, Why was there flooding where the gliders landed? How about looking where the parachutist landed on the church. I would like to have a "cricket" experience at a hedge to see exactly what it was like. There are other beaches that were involved that could be experienced. At du Hoc the cliffs were so far away that they seemed to be insignificant. The trip to the cemetery was so quick that we were not able to review anything except the flag being flown. We rushed through the museum and was not able to review any of the information that was there nor were we able to take a walk through the many crosses. .
What I would suggest is that GCT make a 3 day Normandy pre trip or post trip. Also show the movies "The Band of Brothers" one evening on the boat. They need to give their travelers a real experience of D Day.

The remainder of the boat ride was OK but 40 people in a group does not lend itself to learning and discovery. Lulu did as good a job as possible but with that many people it is difficult.