What an eight-day Christmas river cruise in France is really like

As our longship glides silently through the glittering Seine, the magic of Christmas surrounds us: lights twinkling on the water, carollers echoing from the cobbled streets of Paris, the scent of mulled wine lingering in the frosty air.

Forget prawns on the barbecue and afternoon naps by the pool - a festive cruise in Europe is pure joy. Christmas in Europe is something everyone should experience at least once in their lives.

Every shopfront is decorated with gasp-inducing window displays, the streets heave with colour and lights, high-energy carollers dominate cobblestone streets.

Last year, we met family in Rome, indulging in a wonderful long Christmas Italian lunch and joining thousands of others for moving carols at the Vatican.

This year, we've gone all in with a Viking Christmas cruise along the Seine, exploring Christmas markets in Paris and Rouen, taking a Christmas lights bus tour and jumping from big to little ship for an intimate look at sparkling nighttime Paris from the river.

Parisians are known as hedonists, famous for celebrations, so where better to celebrate Christmas? The City of Light is simply magical at this time of year: walking the streets feels like stepping into a Christmas picture book.

From the top deck of the Toot Toot bus at night, Paris dazzles at every turn. La Madeleine church glows softly. The Arc de Triomphe looms like a jewel.

And the Eiffel Tower? A shimmering beacon of Christmas wonder.

Hundreds of huge trees - lit by 1000 lights - line the famous Champs Elysées, where window displays range from bright laser shows to compelling Christmas stories told with lights.

Louis Vuitton's gigantic monogrammed trunk (covering the construction of their first Louis Vuitton-branded hotel, an area of nearly 6000 metres) is a standout.

In The Galeries Lafayette, every floor oozes OTT but of course chic Christmas cheer. On the top floor, under that iconic dome, I come across vintage designer buys that seem like pretty good value and local Parisian artisans selling their jewels.

But the best part of Christmas in Europe is the markets. Found in most cities across the continent, often alongside their most special cathedrals and monuments, they're where locals and tourists alike gather and gossip, shop, eat and drink.

In Rouen, they are in the courtyard of that historic town's famous Notre Dame cathedral and a very big deal.

In Paris, we visit three (of their up to 30) markets - in the slightly out-of-town La Defense district beside the huge Westfield malls, by the Louvre under the Ferris wheel and back to the Seine in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

There's ice skating, puppet shows, Santa stands, carollers, dodgem cars and rides and hundreds of stalls selling arts and crafts, such as jewellery, Christmas decorations, candles, ceramics, woodwork, handmade dolls and fashion including berets and chic scarves.

But it's the food I'll most remember.

The dripping, decadent raclette and creamy tartiflette pasta both come in a sandwich for the ultimate cheesy carb fest; there's also paella, pizza, french onion soup, German sausages, churros, crepes, so many chestnuts, oysters, escargots, potatoes, even chips on a stick.

To take away - cheeses from the fromagerie, salami, honey, candies, pate and pastes, macarons, huge slabs of chocolate and chocolate-dipped fruits, pastries, nougat.

It's such a pleasure strolling the alleyways sipping mulled wine, watching giggling children ice-skate and laughing as the guys stirring huge vats of cheesy goodness call for our attention. "Venez Ici!"

Back on the Viking Radgrid (the longship was purpose-built specifically to navigate the Seine River and is docked - exclusively - right in the centre of Paris), guests are energetically making gingerbread houses and downing sickly sweet eggnog, participating in Christmas trivia and decorating baubles for the big tree, with affirmations including "HEALTH" and "LAUGHTER".

Almost everyone has packed a swathe of jaunty Christmas jumpers and the crew don flashing bow ties and antlers. Christmas carols pump through the speakers around the clock.

Many of the port visits focus on Christmas, though we also spend a long and moving day at Normandy, with a visit to the cemetery of 9000 graves and the $30 million Visitor's Centre, and explore other towns.

We also gorge on the fine ship food - there are two restaurants, the main and Aquavit, under a glass ceiling - and watch the river go by - the quaint French country homes and fisher people, hunters in red jackets, birds skimming the water.

This is Christmas-cruising light - frequent Christmas cruisers wax lyrical about the Danube and Rhine cruises, where places such as Reims, Vienna and Koblenz transform into charming Christmas cities and the festive lights from the water are blinding.

Viking has eight enticing Christmas cruise offerings in market, most booked out more than a year in advance. As we glide up the Seine, there's another similarly decorated Viking ship doing the exact same Christmas itinerary, just a day later.

There are plenty of intergenerational families who have travelled from various corners of the globe to reconnect, and it's clear they value the quality time. On the cruise - her 24th for Viking - is solo traveller Marcia, aged 92, wearing a Santa hat for much of the time.

Here the travel feels as much about the new friends they're making over communal dinner tables and shared experiences as it does about the famous sights. It's cheesy - and I don't just mean the raclette - but it's happy, hopeful and meaningful.

Viking Radgrid was launched in 2020, is 125 metres long and has capacity for 168 guests in nine suites and 75 staterooms.

Viking has eight Christmas cruising options, including the Rhine and Moselle, the Danube and along the Elbe.

Christmas on the Seine is an eight-day cruise starting at $5595 per person.

The writer was a guest of Viking.