The cruises compared here
The good news is that this choice costs nothing. The one-hour Bateaux Parisiens cruise is sold as a single product for daytime and night-time departures, with the same boat, route and audio guide. You pick a time slot when you book.
What changes is the light, the crowd and which other cruises are available. Here is how to decide.
1What stays the same
The route runs from the pier below the Eiffel Tower up to the Île Saint-Louis and back, passing Les Invalides, the Musée d'Orsay, Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Grand Palais. It takes an hour and does not stop.
The boat is a glass-roofed trimaran with an outside walkway, so you can stay under cover or stand in the open air at any hour. The audio guide comes in English and 13 other languages on every departure. The price starts from €18 either way.
2The case for a daytime cruise
Queues are the main argument. The listing says the wait to board can reach one hour in high season and recommends choosing a morning slot for a smoother experience. If you have a timed ticket for the Eiffel Tower or a museum afterwards, a morning departure is the safer plan.
The operator also advises passengers with reduced mobility to take the first departure of the morning, when crew have more time to help with boarding. Families with young children will find a morning hour on the boat easier than a late one.
Daylight is better for seeing the buildings the audio guide is describing, and for photos from the outside walkway.
3The case for a night cruise
After dark the monuments along the banks are illuminated, which is why the dinner cruises all sell themselves on it. With the one-hour boat you get that for the price of a daytime ticket.
Bear in mind what night means in Paris. In June and July it stays light late, so only the last departures of the evening are properly dark. In winter an early evening slot will already do. The operator's own FAQ lists departures from about 10 am until 10 pm or later depending on the season, and the listing links the current timetable. Check it before you choose a slot.
4Which cruises do not run at night
Batobus is a daytime service. The timetable in its listing ends between 5 pm and 8 pm depending on the season, so it cannot stand in for a night cruise.
The two lunch cruises are fixed at midday. If you want a meal in daylight, the one from the Eiffel Tower (from €79, drinks included) is the stronger choice.
5If you want night and dinner together
Two dinner cruises cover the evening. The Bateaux Parisiens one from the Eiffel Tower starts from €115 for 2.5 hours with drinks. The Paris Seine one from the Musée d'Orsay starts from €87, and its 6:45 pm sitting will be in daylight for much of the year.
Neither is needed to see Paris lit up. An evening slot on the one-hour cruise followed by dinner on land gives you the same river for a fraction of the cost.