Although lunch is available in the dining room, we favored the Aquavit Terrace (at the front of the ship) for our midday meal. It’s relaxed and has an abundant food buffet with soup, a variety of salads, meats, warm sandwiches (like paninis and Cuban sandwiches), fruit, and dessert. There’s always iced tea — often with different flavors every day. Servers take your drink orders (sodas, beer, wine) and freshen up your glass when it is empty.
Restaurants and dining
We learned this the hard way one day, and we realized that we actually prefer exploring the little towns that we dock at more. Our preferred day at a town where we were docked included a morning walking tour (an included excursion) to get the lay of the land. In the afternoon, we followed up on some of the suggestions the local guide from the morning had regarding how to spend the remainder of the day. That worked well as we enjoyed some nice non-touristy lunches and other walks and tours on our own. On Viking river cruises, wines are included at lunch and dinner and are poured liberally.
Viking River Cruises deals
An elevator runs between the ship's Main Deck and upper deck only; passengers with mobility issues should avoid cabins on the lower deck and may miss out on activities up on the Sun Deck. When the weather's nice, the sundeck on Viking Longships is also a central part of their layout. The line puts out loungers, some in the sun and some under cover, so you can enjoy drinks and river views.
How to book
We’ve found there are a lot of commonalities as well as interesting folks to meet. Let's dive into what you'll find on a Viking river cruise ship. They don't require nearly as many extra fees and add-ons that you'd see with a traditional ocean cruise. Here are some places to find the hidden value on a river cruise... Finally, Viking’s two River and Ocean Voyages consist of a journey through Norway’s breathtaking fjords and into the rivers of Western Europe. The 15-day Rhine and Viking Shores and Fjords tour starts at $7500 for 15 days, while the 22-day Grand European and Viking Fjords tour costs at least $10,300.
What are Optional Excursions on Viking River Cruises?
A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. An agent can also help you if something goes wrong before, during or after your voyage. Unlike many lines, Viking allows you to bring your own wine, Champagne, beer and liquor onto ships at embarkation with no limits. Viking adds an automatic service gratuity (which it calls a "hotel and dining charge") of $17 per person per day to final bills, depending on your cabin category. If you are unhappy with the service you receive, you can adjust this amount before disembarking at the Explorers' Desk.
Gate 1 Travel vs. Viking River Cruises - Cruise Critic
Gate 1 Travel vs. Viking River Cruises.
Posted: Tue, 18 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
On the line's river ships, you'll also find onboard lectures, usually related to the destinations the ships are visiting, as well as destination-related demonstrations and tastings. (On a Seine River voyage, you might have a tasting of local French cheeses or French wines, for instance). Viking has more ships than any other major cruise brand in the world, more than 90 in all. It also has both ocean ships and river ships — something that is unusual among major lines. Despite this, it has one of the easiest-to-understand fleets. On our trip, we met interesting people; visited fascinating places; sampled new foods, wines, and beer; and appreciated Viking’s convenience and gracious hospitality.
Asia itineraries especially tend toward pastoral ports, and this would be a good way to include some urban explorations. Some cruise lines like Abercrombie & Kent include hotels before or after the cruise in their departure price; others like Viking and Avalon all have hotel discount partnerships as well as guided extensions on offer. If this sounds like your kind of travel, you're certainly not alone – which is a large part of why river cruises, popularized in the 1990s, have been making a remarkable comeback in the past two years.
Tulip Season
Viking River Cruise vs. Viking Ocean Cruise - Cruise Critic
Viking River Cruise vs. Viking Ocean Cruise.
Posted: Thu, 06 Feb 2020 08:00:00 GMT [source]
That's because when water levels are either too high or too low for ships to sail on a particular river, Viking (and other lines) can move passengers from one vessel to another easily. Always expanding and improving, Viking Ocean Cruises is the opposite of what many people consider ocean cruises to be like. There aren’t any casinos on board, no white-gloved butlers or formal nights outs. If Viking stands for anything, it’s “experience and exploration”. What sets all of this apart even more is that it takes place on small, intimate and elegant ships. As part of Viking's "no nickel-and-diming" philosophy, the line offers free Wi-Fi service to passengers on all its ships throughout sailings.
Asia
This article highlights the European river cruises aboard the Viking Longboats. The sizes of the ships are designed specifically for the rivers they ply (e.g., they need to navigate the sometimes narrow waterways and any locks along the way). Viking ships all sport calming Scandinavian decor and are designed efficiently.
Plus, some travel agents provide onboard credit to cruising clients. Since we booked through our travel agent, Viking sent her the final travel documents, and she checked them before passing them on to us. Viking river cruise ship layouts center on the glass-enclosed Aquavit Terrace. Part dining area, part sunny hangout, the Aquavit Terrace sits at the front of the ship and provides a perfect vantage point for scenic sailing. It’s the advertised rate divided by the number of nights on board.
You'll find everything from eight-day cruises in the Mediterranean to 138-day around-the-world voyages among the line's voyages. Viking also recently began sailings on the Mississippi River with a new ship specifically designed for the river and its tributaries. That's because the vast majority of Viking's ocean vessels are carbon copies of each other.
Some river cruise companies advertise their itineraries by the number of nights on board. The majority, however, advertise itineraries by the number of days on board. There’s a difference, particularly when you are calculating the cost of your river cruise. A seven-night river cruise spans eight days, but the eighth day is disembarkation day. The vast Yangtze and Mekong are two of Asia's wonderful river cruise destinations, but there are other cost-adding factors you'll need to consider here that aren't the case in Europe or the U.S. The most affordable time to cruise the rivers of Asia is between June and August, which is low season.
