Table Of Content
Sadly, one man had to see a doctor in the nearest town so he and his wife had to stay in Linz. I was working under deadline to file a story, so a 9-hour day in motion put me into panic. Tonight was the official “Welcome Aboard” toast by Captain Marcin and Hotel Manager Eve. One sparkling wine down and just before dinner, we had our next day’s briefing.
Day 3: Strasbourg, France
There’s nothing you can do when there’s a flood or a drought except board a bus and change ships. Thus, each ship would swap passengers and bus everyone to the other ship. Then the ships do a U-turn and continue on the route of the original river ship. Viking had this ship exchange experience down to a science. Today’s complimentary morning tour was your basic European city overview; historic places, medieval churches, political hotspots of yore. In the scope of four hours, we would either drive by, stop to view or exit the motor coach to stretch and take photos.
Cruise Reviews
River cruises are highly dependent on local water levels, and abnormally low water can negatively impact your trip by forcing the boat to re-route. If you want more relaxed, casual food with perhaps a table for just 2, the Aquavit upstairs is a great alternative. We had lunch a couple times there and it’s quite nice to see the river views and sit outside. Having sailed on a couple other river cruises, I loved how distinctively luxurious the Viking ship and rooms were. I wouldn’t say there’s a “best” European cruise per se, but there are a couple main rivers in Europe that offer river cruise experiences. The most popular are the Rhine River, the Elba and the Danube.
Grand European Tour
We enjoyed all the elements organized by the company. The St. Petersburg guides were most competent and informative. The ship’s crew was very warm, especially at the restaurant. We have just returned from Elegant Elbe, Berlin to Prague.
Viking Hild Cruise: Expert Review (2023) - Cruise Critic
Viking Hild Cruise: Expert Review ( .
Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:14:49 GMT [source]
A hair dryer is provided, along with travel size toiletries (e.g., shampoo, lotion). The next step in our Viking River Cruise review is embarkment on the ship. However, Viking did great with this issue and retrieved my bag for me when it was available at the airport. My outgoing and return flights were both canceled, but no one told me, not the travel agency, airline, Viking, or anyone else. We provide many photos and a description below to give a sense of what it was like on the Viking Delling cruise. Yet, this cross-over introduces RVers to the charms of cruising Europe’s rivers, blending the thrill of discovery with the luxury of having every detail managed.
In this first part, I’ll discuss the booking experience, embarkation / disembarkation, ship (layout and cabin), and dining. Part Two will include the shore excursions, on-board activities, staff service, and overall impressions. We have just returned from a wonderful cruise on Viking Sea from Athens to Venice. Our cabin stewards, Angel and Rhuel went beyond the call of duty to help us out with a few other missing item. The food was very good, the cleanliness was excellent and most importantly, the Staff were lovely.
Day 1: Viking Lif Embarkation
They have a handy map to show the journey along the Rhine River and make it easy to see what your options are each day. If you happen to pick an optional that conflicts with an included tour or a different optional tour, the website lets you know immediately. There’s generally an opportunity to sight see in the morning and afternoon, with one included tour and one optional tour. Since we arranged our own logistics, our Viking experience began as we stepped on board the ship.
The docking location was included in our pre-departure documents that were mailed to our house, so it was easy to find. Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted and quickly checked in. They brought our luggage to our stateroom and one of the staff gave us a thorough introduction to our room and the ship. One additional tip I discovered – Viking accepts credit cards but offers a small discount if you pay by check/e-check. Overall, Viking’s customer service and their booking experience was terrific. We are cancelling our river cruise due to viking's heavy handed covid vaccine requirement.
He mentioned there would be some sort of special touch (bottle of champagne, etc), but we never actually received anything on the cruise. It goes against our guidelines to offer incentives for reviews. We also ensure all reviews are published without moderation. By 11 AM we were back on the bus leaving Walhalla, heading to our next ship. Back onboard with time to freshen up before the daily briefing. The Program Director proceeded with an (un)expected announcement.
There are other cruise lines that travel up and down European rivers, similar to Viking. Some were great; others complained about France’s tax system the entire time, which was humorous. This seemed to be a theme among the tour guides, according to other passengers we spoke with. Most of the Viking staff were Eastern European on our ship. They were all (with the exception of one!) incredibly nice and friendly.
My favorite feature was the regionally inspired menu available each night during dinner. One appetizer, main course, and dessert was inspired by whichever city/country we visited. It was such a thoughtful touch and a great way to try new and unfamiliar dishes.
After my friend’s doctor appointment, the three of us met for lunch and a walk through town. Linz is one of the most non-touristic larger cities I’ve visited in Europe. And I’ll bet it’s even lovelier during the holiday/Christmas market season. It’s a pleasant stroll over a little bridge back to the river ship, or take the motor coach again. The town is lovely with cafés and small boutique shops.
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