Choose the bank first
The ships moor on the Left Bank, so start there. Three of these six sit on the ship's side of the Seine; the other three are Forbes Five-Star names, and worth the taxi.
How we chose
We started with the published ratings. Forbes gives Five Stars to Cheval Blanc, Shangri-La and the Plaza Athénée, and Michelin gives the Plaza three Keys.
Then position. Le Narcisse Blanc, the Lutetia and the Pullman are here for the bank they're on — the same one as the berths.
None publishes a walking time to a cruise quay. Plan a taxi to the ship whichever you choose, and don't read the order as a ranking by rate.
The hotels
Quick picks
| Hotel | Style | Rating | Position | Pick it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheval Blanc Paris | Grand | Forbes Five-Star | Budget a taxi to the 15th | Forbes Five-Star with a mosaic pool |
| Shangri-La Paris | Quiet | Forbes Five-Star | — | Five-Star calm, our quiet pick |
| Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel | Quiet | — | Same bank as Grenelle and Javel | Ship's bank, gentler rate |
| Hôtel Plaza Athénée – Dorchester Collection | Spa | Forbes Five-Star | Right Bank; cross by taxi | Avenue Montaigne and a Dior Spa |
| Le Narcisse Blanc Hôtel & Spa | Design | 5-star | Left Bank, short walk to the Seine | Tower-view suites, a 13-metre pool |
| Hôtel Lutetia (Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris) | Historic | Forbes 'Soon to be Rated', as Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris | — | The Left Bank's only Palace |
GrandForbes Five-Star with a mosaic pool
A 100-foot mosaic-lined infinity pool.
A Forbes Five-Star night before you board, with a pool that earns the afternoon. Budget a taxi to the 15th — the hotel gives no distance to the berths.
See rates on Booking.comQuietFive-Star calm, our quiet pick
One of three Forbes Five-Stars on this list, and our quiet-luxury pick. Ask for the drive time to your quay when you reserve.
See rates on Booking.comQuietShip's bank, gentler rate
Beside the Eiffel Tower, on the same bank as the Grenelle and Javel quays, at a gentler rate than the palaces. It carries no rating we can cite — the address does the work.
See rates on Booking.comSpaAvenue Montaigne and a Dior Spa
208 rooms at 25 avenue Montaigne, and a Dior Spa, opened in 2023, with what Michelin calls Europe's first phototherapy room.
Avenue Montaigne on the Right Bank, where the fixed CDG taxi is the lower €56. Cross the river by taxi on boarding day.
See rates on Booking.comDesignTower-view suites, a 13-metre pool
A short walk to the Seine, on the Left Bank
30 bedrooms, some with private terraces, seven suites with fireplaces and some Eiffel Tower views, and a 13-metre pool with hydrotherapy jets, at 19 boulevard de la Tour-Maubourg.
The boutique pick, between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides on the ship's bank. Ask for a tower-view suite and spend the afternoon in the pool.
See rates on Booking.comHistoricThe Left Bank's only Palace
Billed as the only Palace on the Left Bank, on the corner of boulevard Raspail.
Saint-Germain's grand hotel, now joining Mandarin Oriental. Some booking sites still list it as Hotel Lutetia, so check the name on your confirmation.
See rates on Booking.comHotel links go to Booking.com; Seabound Journeys may earn a commission at no cost to you, and the rate you see is Booking.com’s. Affiliate disclosure. Ratings are Forbes Travel Guide and Michelin Guide listings as of October 21, 2026, or the hotel’s own classification where no guide rates it.
Embarkation day
Uniworld boards Paris departures at 6:00 pm, so check-out comes first. Leave the bags with the concierge and keep the afternoon light.
A taxi can set you down beside the ship, and crew usually help with luggage there. On a crowded quay you may cross another ship to reach yours. Allow a few minutes.
Fixed taxi fares depend on the bank: CDG is €65 to the Left and €56 to the Right, Orly €36 and €45. The ship's bank matters only on the second taxi.
Why trust this page
Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 21, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.
No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.
A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.
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We book the night before with the sailing, so the transfer, the all-aboard time and the flight all line up. Tell us the dates and which of these you liked.
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Quick answers
None publishes a walking time to the berths. The Pullman, by the Eiffel Tower, and Le Narcisse Blanc in the 7th are on the same Left Bank as the Javel and Grenelle quays. Both make for a short taxi.
Not at all. The airport taxi to the Right Bank costs less, and boarding day is one taxi across the river. Choose the Plaza Athénée for Avenue Montaigne and accept the crossing.
Cheval Blanc Paris, with its 100-foot mosaic-lined infinity pool, and Le Narcisse Blanc, with a 13-metre pool and hydrotherapy jets. Either turns a long wait for all-aboard into a slow afternoon.
It's becoming Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris, which Forbes lists as 'Soon to be Rated'. Match the name on your confirmation to the one you booked.
Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 21, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
