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There are 80 river ships in Viking's fleet — an astounding number. None of its main competitors among river lines catering to North Americans, which include Avalon Waterways, Uniworld and AmaWaterways, have anywhere near that number of vessels. Have travelled with Viking Ocean and able to get a good discount with my TA but she now states as of May 11, 2017 Viking will not allow discounts with travel agents. TA's may be able to give ship board credit but unless you have the desire to take Viking's optional tours don't need too much OBC.
Are There Luggage Restrictions On Board Viking Cruise Ships?
You'll always be able to find staples such as prime rib, chicken and salmon. There are some exceptions to this in Viking's fleet, primarily on Portugal's Douro River, Germany's Elbe River and the Seine River in France. On those rivers, Viking uses smaller ships to navigate locks and have access to buzzing city centers, like Paris. While these "baby Longships," as the company calls them, may be smaller, they have similar amenities, restaurants and cabin choices. Celebrate the holiday season at the Christmas Market of Nations in Germany. Rüdesheimer Weihnachtsmarkt has more than 120 vendor stalls representing the yuletide foods and traditions of 20 different countries.
The Best of Ocean Cruises
Dr. Philip Price included a lot of depth to his talks (bringing back much of my long-forgotten biology knowledge) but he seasoned his talk with humor so everyone could enjoy. Viking.TV offers itinerary-related podcasts, playlists, daily livestreams, destination insight and live Q&As. Floated out in Louisiana in 2022, the five-deck Viking Mississippi (386 passengers) has an infinity plunge pool and wraparound private verandas. Unique to this ship are the River Café and a reimagined Aquavit Terrace for relaxed, barbecue-style dining. An impressive assortment of excursions will suit those looking to get under the skin of a place. In its homeland of Norway, for example, passengers visit a working farm on Jordal Lake or attend a mini-concert in the living room of accomplished musicians Anne-Catherine and Erlend Tvinnereim.
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During the summer in the Arctic Circle, the midnight sun doesn’t set — resulting in 24 continuous hours of golden skies. Immerse yourself in activities unique to the area, such as catching king crabs from a deep-sea raft in Sarnesfjorden’s pristine waters with King Crab Safari. Reserve Make Your Own Crai Gin to learn how to distill and bottle your own gin creation under the guidance of one of Kirkjuvagr Orkney Gin’s master distillers.
Many, notably, use the relatively small but famously scenic Norwegian city of Bergen (population 286,000) as a gateway, something no other line is doing. That allows for unusual variations on the typical Baltic Sea or Norwegian fjords cruise. When picking out cruise itineraries, finding places near and dear to your heart and spending your money toward that goal is essential. Our cruise started in Paris, with an overnight and 2 days of sightseeing. This tour allowed our group to see a lot of the city in less time, and with just six of us taking part, created great opportunities for getting to know one another, even while biking along the Rhine. We became fast friends and it made the entire experience so much more enjoyable.
When Viking redeployed our boat and therefore canceled our cruise, I was very concerned that we wouldn't get much service out of the TA....boy was I wrong. They went to bat for us and got us not just the one category upgrade on the revised cruise (we lost one land day pre-cruise but gained one on the other end)but a two category since I didn't want a french balcony. They had suggestions for companies they deal with, and I talked to a couple in our area. Once I found someone I was comfortable with who had been on a couple of different companies cruises, we settled with her. We are inexperienced travelers and we purchased everything through Viking, including Travel Insurance. British line P&O Cruises operates its relatively new megaship Iona in the fjords region for much of that period, with regular departures from Southampton on a popular 7-day itinerary.
River Cruises Plan a River Cruise - Cruise Critic
River Cruises Plan a River Cruise.
Posted: Mon, 06 Nov 2023 21:36:09 GMT [source]
Purchasing the Silver Spirits beverage package for $25 per person per night affords the guest upgraded wines, beers, and unlimited cocktails and spirits. As this was our first Viking cruise, we decided to test the value of the package. We enjoyed the included wine and beer, but also ordered cocktails or an evening aperitif as we desired. In the end our bill was $174.50, far less than the $600 the Silver Spirits package would have cost. We’re moderate drinkers on vacation but I think the liberal pours over dinner kept our costs low.
Visit the Krka Waterfalls
You'll also get a dash of history in medieval Rouen and the quaint fishing village of Honfleur. If you're looking for the best Viking River Cruises in Europe, you have a lot to consider. Viking's itineraries on Europe's most famous rivers -- like the Rhine, Danube and Seine -- are some of the best river cruise options in Europe for almost every kind of traveler.
Ships
The laundry room does gets crowded so plan on doing your wash in the off hours – during morning excursions, late at night or during dinner hours. Throughout the ship there are unique spaces where you can get away for a quiet read. Even the main dining room, the Restaurant, is designed with partial wall breaks to simulate small dining areas.
Ocean cruises have similar options, though exact room sizes and features will vary. If you’re a savvy traveler, you probably know about Viking Cruises. On Portugal’s River of Gold, visit Lisbon and other historic towns like Coimbra while cruising the Douro River Valley. Dive even deeper into the country’s storied port tradition by booking Graham’s Port Dinner.
Most Viking Longships are 443 feet long, the perfect length to fit into the locks on many of Europe's rivers. The 410-foot-long versions of the vessels, for instance, were specifically built to be able to sail into the heart of Paris on the Seine River. At 47,800 tons, these ocean ships are less than a fourth the size of the giant megaships being built by the likes of Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises, in keeping with Viking's focus on intimate, upscale voyages.
There's an adjacent pantry that can be used by staff serving room service or catering hosted events. Among other personal touches related to Hagen, the company founder, are book, wine and music collections that he curated for the rooms. Including the French balcony cabins, nearly 75% of the cabins on Viking's Longships have balconies. We opted to use Viking’s air program and were pleased when offered a charter flight from Manaus to Miami and a hotel night in Miami before transiting home. And doubly pleased when we learned they organized a late (11 pm- 2 am!) dinner for us in Miami. Very professional of them to make these arrangements at their own expense after our cruise days had ended.
When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Among the line's voyages, there's everything from eight-day cruises in the Mediterranean to 138-day around-the-world voyages.
Keep in mind that if you order from the right side of the menu, your entire table will need to wait to be served until your special order is ready. As we mentioned earlier, Viking Ocean cruises aren’t cheap, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t travel frugally. Other little touches in Viking cabins that show the line's attention to functionality include the large and clear lettering on the Freyja toiletries that you'll find in every Viking cabin bathroom. Read Amy’s story to see how she used her education, and a lifetime of work skills, to develop strategies for sustainable travel. As I don’t have the ability to precisely measure the environmental impact of the cruise line, I base my comments on what I encountered on the ship. Yum! Dave gives a shout out to the gelato which he sampled daily for this complete review.
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