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France/United States

Art History: A Transatlantic Voyage on Queen Mary 2

Program No. 24970RJ
Say “ahoy” to an immersive art history adventure — experience the Louvre, Giverny and more before setting sail across the Atlantic on Queen Mary 2!
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  • A tour boat cruises down the Seine River in Paris, France, with the Eiffel Tower visible against a colorful sunset sky.
  • Map showing the route from Paris, Rouen, and Le Havre in France to New York in the United States.
  • The Queen Mary 2 luxury ocean liner sails across the Atlantic Ocean on a voyage between France and the United States.
  • The grand, arched interior of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France, is filled with art and visitors under a vaulted glass ceiling.
  • The Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France, is seen from the Seine river at sunset with tour boats in the foreground.
  • A large, ornate golden clock hangs beneath the glass-paneled, arched ceiling of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France.
  • The glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, is pictured at sunset under a dramatic, cloudy sky and reflected in a pool.
  • A wide shot of the ornate, classical facade of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, with visitors walking in the courtyard.
  • A person walks down the modern, spiral staircase under the iconic glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
  • A gravel path leads through rows of colorful flowers and lush green plants in the Gardens of Giverny in France, with a pink house visible.
  • Purple wisteria blossoms hang over a bright green bridge crossing a pond in the Gardens of Giverny, France.
  • A green, vine-covered trellis arches over a vibrant garden filled with colorful tulips and other flowers in Giverny, France.
  • The ornate, Gothic facade of the Rouen Cathedral in France is viewed from below against a bright blue sky with wispy clouds.
  • Colorful buildings and boats are reflected in the calm water of Honfleur Harbor in France at dusk.
Art History & MuseumsOcean VoyagesAdventures Afloat Study Cruise
Length
14 days
Rating (4.8)
Activity Level
Starts at
6,999
Flights start at
FREE
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
All itineraries and excursions are subject to change. Weather and water conditions may affect the progress of the ship, and we may miss ports if it is not safe to dock. The operators reserve the right to change the content and duration of excursions without prior notice and so the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. Whenever possible, Road Scholar’s published daily schedule will indicate port arrival and departure times. Prior to departure, if there is a major change, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
14 days
13 nights
What's Included
33 meals ( 12B, 9L, 12D )
7 expert-led lectures
6 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
12 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
After checking in to the hotel we’ll have some time to relax and settle in before our Orientation meeting. Orientation: The Instructor will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Our program is staffed with both an Instructor who will lecture, conduct field trips, and serve as an information resource on program-related topics, and a Group Leader who will accompany us throughout the program and deal primarily with logistics. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
Welcome Dinner at Hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach with 4-5 steps up/down. Walking of about 2 miles; standing up to 2 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Introductory Lecture - War, Politics, Haussmann, and Japan: Historical Factors that Shaped Impressionism
Lunch:
Lunch Included.
Afternoon:
We will visit Picasso Museum which celebrates the life and art of Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Located in the elegant Hôtel Salé, a historic 17th-century mansion in the Marais district, it’s a must-see for lovers of modern art and Picasso’s work.
Dinner:
Dinner included.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach with 4-5 steps up/down. Walking of about 2 miles; standing up to 2 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will visit the unforgettable l’Orangerie art museum in Paris, tucked into the Jardin des Tuileries, right between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. It’s intimate, calm, and deliberately designed for slow looking. What it’s most famous for is Claude Monet’s Water Lilies. Two oval rooms were built specifically to house eight enormous panels of the paintings, arranged so they wrap around you in soft, natural light. Monet called it a place for “the illusion of an endless whole”—and it really feels like stepping inside a floating, meditative landscape. No frames, no hard edges, just color, water, and light.
Lunch:
On your own.
Afternoon:
We will vist the Musée d’Orsay, one of Paris’s most striking museums—both for what it holds and the building that holds it. Housed in a former Beaux-Arts railway station on the Left Bank, the museum keeps its grand sense of scale: soaring ceilings, iron arches, and enormous clock windows that flood the galleries with light. You feel the space before you even start looking at the art.
Dinner:
We will enjoy a Seine River Cruise, discover the City of Light from its legendary river where we will see some of the iconic monuments of Paris. This is Paris at its most cinematic—slow, glowing, and gently indulgent.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach with 4-5 steps up/down. Walking of about 2 miles; standing up to 2 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of our hotel in Paris, board our motorcoach and ride to Giverny. Upon arrival in Giverny, we will visit Monet's Gardens where the Impressionist master painted his most famous works.
Lunch:
Lunch Included.
Afternoon:
We will board our motorcoach and ride to Rouen where we will check into our hotel.
Dinner:
Dinner at Local Restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach with 4-5 steps up/down. Walking of about 2 miles; standing up to 2 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will visit the Rouen Museum of Fine Arts featuring paintings, sculptures, drawings and objets d'art ranging from the 15th century to present day.
Lunch:
On your own.
Afternoon:
At leisure.
Dinner:
Enjoy the next lecture in the series focusing on Monet & Pisarro before enjoying a special ‘Farewell to France’ dinner in a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach with 4-5 steps up/down. Walking of about 2 miles; standing up to 2 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of our hotel in Rouen, board our motorcoach and ride to Honfleur where will will have a walking discovery with our Instructor and Group Leader. Honfleur is known for it's distinctive tall, narrow, timber-framed, and slate-clad townhouses built from the 16th to 18th century. It was also popular with Impressionist painters like Monet and Boudin.
Lunch:
Lunch at Local Restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will board our motorcoach and ride to Le Havre where will complete embarkation procedures, and board the Queen Mary 2. This is a Road Scholar Adventures Afloat program. Port stops are subject to change as weather and ocean conditions could affect the progress of the vessel. The cruise itinerary should therefore be regarded as provisional. The time in each port is set by the cruise line. The cruise line reserves the right to change the itinerary without prior notice. Aboard the Queen Mary 2, breakfast and lunch are in the venue of your choosing. Afternoon tea is served in the Queens Room. Road Scholars are invited to have dinner together in the Britannia Restaurant. Snacks, juice, tea, coffee, water are available 24 hours a day in the buffet restaurants and there is 24-hour room service.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. The Queen Mary 2 is a floating city. The options for activities and entertainment are many and varied. You might like to see a show in the ballroom, go dancing, listen to music, watch a movie in the theatre, have a beverage and a chat with new Road Scholar friends in one of the bars, or wander through the library — one of the best shipboard libraries anywhere — to find a book and curl up in that perfect reading chair.
Activity Note
Full day at sea
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
Our Instructor will present the first of a series of dynamic and informative lectures.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free time. The ship offers a variety of enrichment activities. You might attend a presentation by a guest speaker, attend a class such as watercolor painting or ballroom dancing, take a dip in one of the swimming pools, or any of the many other choices.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. Choose from a variety of activities on board, from movies to shows or simply enjoying the ambience of the different themed bars.
Activity Note
Full day at sea
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
We will learn more about art and artists with our Instructor.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free Time. Weather permitting, you might like to take a leisurely stroll around the Promenade Deck and take in the fresh sea air.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. You may choose to enjoy a show in the ship’s theatre, practice your dance steps in the ballroom, or simply return to your stateroom and enjoy one of the movies screened on the ship’s TV.
Activity Note
Full day at sea
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
We’ll settle in with our Instructor for another illuminating lecture about art.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free Time. Take advantage of the many educational, social, and physical activities available, or simply relax in a deck chair with a view of the glistening Atlantic.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. You might like to visit the Queen Mary 2’s beautiful theatre, home to nightly productions with stars of stage and screen alike.
Activity Note
Full day at sea
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
We will learn more about the fascinating aspects of art history with our Instructor.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free time. A perfect opportunity to visit the spellbinding planetarium show, polish your bridge skills during a tournament, or perhaps retreat to the spa for a massage.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. The Golden Lion, a traditional English pub aboard the QM2, runs a competitive pub quiz — perfect for showing off your newly gained knowledge.
Activity Note
Full day at sea
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
We will continue learning about art history with our Instructor.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free time. You might like to explore the history of the Cunard Line at a unique exhibition running through the halls of the ship.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. The Queen Mary 2 travels with expert sommeliers, who host nightly wine tasting and appreciation events.
Activity Note
Full day at sea
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
Our Instructor will deliver the final on-board lecture.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free Time. Take advantage of the many educational, social, and physical activities available, or simply relax in a deck chair.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for disembarkation in the morning.
Activity Note
Since the ship is scheduled to arrive in New York in the morning, we recommend not booking any departure flights until 1:00 p.m. or later.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!