Two things I forgot to mention: they give you 2 huge glass bottles of water in your room each day (and more on request) and there is also a mini fridge in the room. A couple of you asked in the comments so thought I'd pin that here!
Yes! Viking thinks of everything. Can’t go wrong cruising with them. Jen, you should inquire about booking a cruise and inviting your subscribers. We would have a great time 🤗
Regarding the off-hours food issue: You need to grab a few cookies and pastries when they are present and bring them back to your room. It works and is free! That's how we solved the problem.
Viking was a dream for my wife and I last year. We did the Rhine RIver cruise through the Middle Rhine aboard the Viking Idun and it exceeded our already high expectations. We were shockingly upgraded to an Explorer Suite a week before we landed in Amsterdam! The suite is one of only two such suites per long boat and we were so appreciative of the free upgrade! From airport transfers to hotel bookings, Viking made it all seamless. The entire crew, from house keeping to Captain were wonderful! We enjoyed it so much that we booked this coming trip the day after we returned home. We are now booked for this very cruise in June of '25 and we are counting the days. Thank you for the wonderful review! It only makes the anticipation that much greater.
We took the Viking Grand European cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam and “magical” is the word I used as well. We booked our own “pre and post” stays for a few days in both Budapest and Amsterdam and highly recommend that. Arriving a day or two early at the departure location meant we didn’t have to worry about flight changes and had some time to get over jet lag. At the time, we were 60 yrs old. We met couples we are still friends with. Highly recommend a Viking cruise!
We’ve done numerous Viking river cruises…Bordeaux, Rhine, Rhône, Douro, Danube all the way to the Black Sea. First class, great service, comfortable accommodations, very good food.
We did this cruise in 2022 and had a great time. Viking takes care of you for sure. Normandy was one of the most emotional experiences I have ever had.
We have done four Viking river cruises and never found ourselves hungry! Full breakfast, lunch, dinner every day, supplemented with chocolate cookies and wonderful mini croissants and pastries resulted in about a 5 lb weight increase each cruise!
Totally spot on with your review. As a travel advisor who specializes in Europe, I think river cruising is a wonderful way to travel. I too feel it’s magical walking off the ship into town. So happy you were able to enjoy with your son.
dearest jen, i’ve been recently disappointed by the attitudes and behaviour of another travel creator i had previously enjoyed, so i cannot tell you how much it means to me to watch videos from someone with as much honesty and integrity as you. so happy you had such a wonderful time away with will xx
Please, please try AMAwaterways for your next cruise. Incredible service. Snacks several times a day in the lounge. 95% of excursions included. No need for beverage package. Amazing people. Will do our fifth cruise in May.
Avalon and tauck are the two river cruises I have done. Love love love river cruises. I’ve been ocean cruising my whole life but river cruises are just so special. We loved tauck so much we did a land tour with them to Hawaii and it was fabulous. I’m in my 30’s and the older age demographic didn’t bother me because I get along better with old people than my own age lol
My husband has never been to Europe, while I lived in the Netherlands for 3 years 3 decades ago and traveled extensively. A river cruise sounds like a great choice for our first European vacation together in a couple of years. Thank you for this review!
In 2012, we did a Viking River Cruise in China. It was a slightly different experience. First, there was meals were offered at a certain time on the ship, we had the same coffee/ cookie snack bar. Second was we were broken up into groups of about 30 and during the 12 days you stayed with the same group touring each day. There were no choice of excursions, but we went down the Yangtze River, going to the Three Gorges Dam, seeing Pandas, also flying to Xian to see Terracotta Warriors to Beijing to see Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, the Great Wall. While some may have enjoyed travel like overall we had a great time. Within the group you tend to make a group of your own that might be in the similar stage of life as you. Also with that group in general you know which ones needed help, which ones that you needed to keep tabs on when wandering (my husband😬) we always had the same tour guide throughout the trip. There were only a couple of extras offered that was additional cost, a show and Peking Duck dinner. We did expect there was going to be additional flights involved. It was very well thought out during the whole trip. Sadly they do not offer this anymore. (Could it be because you boarded the Wuhan? )😬🤤😷
Went on the Viking Cruise on the Rhine in April . Outstanding, wonderful, exciting, excellent. Loved, loved, loved it. Going on another for Thanksgiving. It’s called the Danube Waltz. The service was incredible.
My husband I went on our first river cruise on the Viking RA in Egypt. It is was specifically built to navigate the Nile, It was amazing! It Accommodating just 52 guests. You knew everyone by the end of the cruise. The room was large and beautiful and the food was great. We are booked on a Tauck river cruise The Blue Danube on the Ms. Savor long ship with 130 guest from Prague to Budapest. looking forward to seeing the difference between the two!
Nice video! My husband and I are in our late 30s and have LOVED Viking. We've done 2 river cruises and are about to take our second ocean cruise with them; We've had nothing but wonderful experiences ❤️
My husband and I have been on two Viking River cruises and loved them. We most loved the Grand European, Amsterdam to Budapest with extra days in Prague. So wonderful. You’ll love it. Thank you for your video today. Saw the unpacked video and found it helpful. When we cruised from Switzerland to France we stayed in Paris for a week and took a shopping tour. So cool to see a different part of the city and the shopping was awesome.
I have been in several Viking River cruises and absolutely loved every single one. They do service right. The excursions are well planned and the guides were all well-informed.
We just finished a river cruise on the Danube. It was fantastic in every respect. I must say, that I was never hungry or looking for a snack like you mention. You have a full buffet breakfast, as much lunch as you want, and then finish with a 3 course evening meal. We took an apple and a banana from the breakfast buffet each morning, if we wanted a snack.
My wife wants to see the next eclipse in Spain 2026. Unlikely that we could pair it with a Holland America cruise efficiently in the med, so I just booked our first Viking River cruise this very morning, Germany to Hungary. Great info, we'll buy German snacks before we set sail! Looking forward to trying Viking Ocean occasionally too, when the price makes sense.
Having been on 2 Viking River cruises before (with a third one scheduled for July), I thought you did a good job at covering the bases. The fact that it only has one restaurant is no big deal for us as there are so many choices of food. The space also gives a very intimate experience making it easy to make new friends, if you’re feeling social. 😊. We are hoping to do this cruise next year!
My husband and I have been to 3 river cruises through Uniworld. All inclusive and service is impeccable. The laundry service is free if you’re a returning customer and you get other perks. We’re active so we are glad that there are many hiking and biking activities offered. Food choices are excellent, also.
Hi Jen, We used Orlando Transportation by Mike for our last trip to Disney World. Everyone was amazing. We had Stella going and Justin coming back. So easy and comfortable. Thank you for mentioning them.
My friend and I took the Paris to Normandy trip in 2019 and it was wonderful. It was our first Viking cruise and we felt as you did it was magical!!!!! So much fun to see the places we saw. The food and service is first class. ❤
Hi Jen!! I'm so happy you had a wonderful trip on Viking River Cruises! I was a travel agent for many years and every client I booked on a Viking River Cruise itinerary returned to report that it was "MAGICAL"! So it came as no surprise to me that you described it the exact same way. River cruising is definitely on my bucket list. I haven't yet tried one.
River cruising is my favorite! I suffer from motion sickness so I avoid ocean cruising. Never been disappointed with my trips. I agree with you, get off the ship every day and enjoy the towns and the excursions.
Thank you for doing such an excellent job describing river cruising. We've done 14 and we want to point out that there are a number of river cruise lines. We especially like Avalon and Ama Waterways. Avalon has more excursion choices, many of which are geared to more active travelers. Ama Waterways is more luxurious. As you said, your true balcony stateroom was small but very nice. Again, be aware that the other almost 50% of staterooms are French Balcony which are much smaller. Happy cruising to everyone!
Thanks for this wonderful review! I will be going on a Danube one next year and you actually answered a lot of the questions I had! Indeed it seems a lot more relaxed than ocean cruise!
Monique I honestly cannot express how chill it was. For me, trips to Europe have always meant STRESS (fun and culture but stress) and this completely eliminated all of that!
Jen. We recommend the Danube Waltze Itin in Viking. Just got back (added Budapest on the front end and Prague on the back end). Had a super time. Viking Aegir.
Went on a Viking river cruise in 2017 and had the best time. I do not drink much alcohol so people should know that you get free soda at lunch and dinner.
Hi from Switzerland! We have done 3 river cruises (we are in our mid 60s) with a swiss ship company: one from Porto, Spain on the Duoro river, one from Passau,Germany to Budapest on the Danube and a 4 day one for the Christmas markets on the Rhine. LOVE river cruising for all the reasons you gave. Cruising the Duoro is incredible with the scenery and we always spent 1/2 day cruising and 1/2 sightseeing. This trip included going through 10 or so locks, all during daylight, so that was a fun experience. The Danube also had locks but we passed in the night while sleeping. The rolling hills of vineyards, olive groves and cork trees during sooo many days in Spain was magnificent!
Loved your review and that you traveled with your son. I will travel with mine too, and think is a great gift to give that kind of memory to see beautiful places together. I look forward to your other videos as I subscribed. Thank you.
We did this very cruise over Labor Day in 2023 on the Viking Kari. It was the best trip I’ve had so far. We loved everything about it. My favorite part was the excursion to Honfleur.
FYI- We just got back from the Viking Danube Waltz cruise and they also had fruit such as apples in different places on the ship each day. The meals were so extensive that we did not need to snack!
Really appreciated this honest review! My husband and I are considering doing a Viking river cruise for our 10 yr wedding anniversary 😊 but it’s nice to know what your getting into as we do enjoy the convenience and accessibility of cruising ❤
Nice you got hosted for a cruise. We did Viking Christmas Market cruise and enjoyed it. Not sure if I'd do a Christmas cruise again but would do a river cruise. Most of our ports you either walked to the Christmas Market or shuttled in. We noticed almost immediately they put the younger people on the bus furthest way. I thought it was very thoughtful of them to think of that detail. So, the passengers with walkers, etc.. were on the very first shuttle off the ship. Luckily, we didn't have that food issue since we ate and ate at all the Christmas markets, but I can see how that would be different. We met some wonderful people on our cruise and we are friends with them on Facebook. Everyone was very nice. Your cruise looked very nice. Thanks for sharing.
So happy to see your review. We are going on a Viking river cruise for the first time next month in France. Really looking forward to it! Your input was so helpful. We definitely plan to spend time on our own exploring and just having lunch or dinner off the boat. We do not want to be booked with excursions all day. We will also have snacks handy in our cabin 😊
Hello Jen! I am booked on a Viking River cruise to visit the Christmas markets this December. I will be traveling with my 22 year old son. I already told him he would most likely be the youngest person on board and he is fine with that. The Christmas markets are on our bucket list and I thought this would be the most hassle free way to visit numerous markets. We leave from Amsterdam and finish in Basel. We have been on many ocean cruises and this is our first river cruise. A few observations so far are that once you make your reservation with a mere $50.00, you only have 30 days to pay the full fare! Since the Christmas Market sailings book up very early, we had to pay the full fare over a year in advance! Also, since it is a one way trip it appears we will have to buy one way airfare tickets which are considerably more expensive. We are working on that and figure this once in a lifetime trip will be worth it. One last observation is that the cabin you had wasn't the smallest one! The cabins below you have a window that is at the water line. They refer to them as the Swan cabins as you see swans swim by your window! As a lover of balcony cabins, I opted for a balcony cabin, even though it will be winter. The "swan" cabins are so small that you cannot even fit a small chair in them, there is only a stool that tucks into the vanity. I really need a chair to sit on as I am not comfortable sitting on the bed to watch tv, read, etc. Just a few observations, I know we are going to have a FANTASTIC time. Thanks for the tip on snacks. We will be sure to pick some up in Amsterdam!
We did the Christmas cruise and you don't have to worry about being hungry. You'll eat a lot at the Christmas markets if you want to. We would buy cookies to bring back and roast nuts, etc.. We had a balcony too and it was fun to step out and see the locks up close. If you are a foodie, bring a checked bag. We bought home a ton of liquor (apricot--- so good and they give samples out) and vinegars.
Also, contact Viking regarding your air arrangements. Many trips have airfare included and are round trip flying into your starting city and returning from your final destination. Airport transfers are also included and arranged for you. I have done 2 Viking River cruises and a 3rd coming up June 1.
We have taken two river cruises so far. Our third is in October. We just completed a Rhine River cruise. Love this mode of travel. We especially love, as you did, the villages we had access to. Keep travelling and sharing!
We have river cruised the past few years in Europe. It truly is magical! It was so relaxed and planned out. That is how we like our tours. We are getting ready to do 2 big ship cruises this summer. There is so much more pre-planning that go into those cruises. I look forward to the end of the summer to decide what type of cruise I like better. But then again, they are 2 different species!😊
That looks like a lovely trip. We did a bike river cruise a few years ago and loved it. Perhaps because we were cycling, they feed us at every turn 😂 afternoon charcuterie, evening snacks on top of the main meals. The best thing about cruises (I've only been on two) is the floating hotel aspect. Not having to pack and unpack while you move between cities is ideal. We cycled by day, then the ship would sail in the evening and overnight or sometimes it would relocate while we cycled.
@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge it was. And ours was a tiny boat, and almost all of us knew each other. An amazing experience I got to share with my best friend who was overtaken by cancer only a few years later. I cherish the memories.
I loved this Viking cruise! The only time there isn’t food laid out is between maybe 10pm and 6am, and even during those hours they would have brought to your cabin a snack if you had asked. I used to take a cookie or pastry from the snack area every evening right after dinner, and I was never hungry during the cruise!!
Thanks for this terrific review, Jen! My husband & I are traveling to Prague (pre-cruise), cruise through Germany then end in Paris next month. This will be our first Viking cruise so appreciate your timely review. ~Melissa
Great review! Hubby and I are doing the Rhine Getaway in August and as a new traveler to Europe I can’t be more excited to see it from this type of accommodation. Loved that you enjoyed it so much and that you and your son got such a special vacation together. Kudos to Viking for hosting such an astute traveler like you. Love all your videos and I always look forward to watching them.
First time to your channel. I have never been on any type of cruise, but this video has me interested. I had a chuckle at the thought your cabin was small. If you had been in some of the dormitories and military ship accommodations that I have experienced, you would have thought your cabin as spacious. It is all relative, right? LOL I like your presentation and the balance of information. If I ever take one of these trips, it will be because of you and the effort you put into your communication. I wish you a long and happy life!
Another great video. Thanks so much for your honest reviews done with tact and grace. So glad you got to spend time with your son. He's a lucky boy to have such an awesome Mom. Really enjoyed it. ❤
Hello My partner & myself have booked a river cruise, Strasbourg, Germany ending up in Amsterdam with Great Railways. We've never been on any type of cruise before but have travelled with Great Railways & had a fantastic holiday. However we are both feeling anxious about it. We're worrying about ,will there be too much walking for us, we are in our 60s & 70s, will there be huge groups all trailing after the same guide, whether or not to go off by ourselves or not, its just the unknown. We have booked a nicer cabin. Anyway fingers crossed 😎
My husband and I have taken two luxury barge cruises in France on the C’est La Vie barge and loved them. Only 8 passengers and top quality everything! Privately owned and operated by a family who is on board to ensure everything is top notch.
This post just showed up on my feed….I really wonder sometimes if the internet has bugs planted in our houses…I haven’t mentioned out plans to many people…we’re doing the Viking Budapest to Amsterdam cruise in November. This heightened my anticipation! Thanks!
So very excited for this video. My husband and I have been considering a river cruise for years. I appreciate all of your advice, observations, and input.
This was our first Viking cruise and I loved it and agree about the river cruising. I loved going to the farm and tasting the calvados. Le Peq is a nice docking location.
I really enjoyed your video. My friend and I enjoyed a trip to Paris several years ago, staying in a VRBO for 2 weeks. Now, as I am 80, that did not appeal so much, and we have discussed river (and ocean) cruises. I just shared your Viking review with her as we further our contemplating. Thanks for your insights.
I’m so glad Viking hosted you! We have a Viking sea cruise booked for next year and I feel like it’s not a company that most people consider when thinking of booking a cruise in our age range (40s). I feel like they’re such a great company.
Thanks so much for your review. We had a river cruise in the planning stages when COVID hit. We are now looking into going. We've heard mostly positive things about river cruising and I really feel I can trust your opinion. Since we're both in our 70's, this type of travel sometimes can be challenging but, we've wanted to do it for so long. Thanks again.
DAWN THIS EXACTLY. What I didn't love about my DCL mediterranean cruise is we were all (all 2800 of us) arriving at the same port at the same time. The much smaller ships (168 people small) means very little impact and you can just kind of hang out. I LOVED that.
we were in Paris at the same time! How fun! Thanks for documenting your trip. I've been hesitant to do a river cruise, but I'm thinking I might try one having watched this video.
I think a perfect trip would be a few days in Paris and then board the cruise for a week of the more scenic side of things. It was so relaxing and lovely!
Love Viking. Yes the cabin is small, but the light Scandinavian design…and visually seeing a balcony…thur large windows, makes it feel “airy”. Even the bathroom, with the swivel shower door…opens up the space. Very good design throughout the ship.
I booked the Rhine getaway on the Kara, excited but hesitant at the same time. I mostly cruise Royal Caribbean, they have so much to do, boredom is my worry. This was very helpful, I feel better about my decision.
We just came home from a Viking cruise on the Danube - lack of any kind of snack, and few evening activities were my biggest issues (which wasn't much, and yes, we stopped and got some snacks in some of the towns. Aldi (Hofer) is everywhere in Germany and Austria.).
Jen, I didn’t notice and I didn’t hear you mention but do the cabins have refrigerators in them? You had advised to get snacks in town in case you get peckish but I am wondering if there’s a way to refrigerate the food you bring back.
This was great! You answered questions that I didn't even know I had! We are big cruisers and recently, while in Amsterdam, we walked by a river cruise ship. It caused both of us to think that maybe this would be in our near future! Thanks in advance!
I’ve been on two Viking River cruises recently. Rhine River with a friend and Danube River solo. Agree that you have to really review the excursions for length of excursion as well as walking difficulty. Good walking shoes are a must given the cobblestone streets in small villages. Cabin size is fine-true balcony on Rhine but warm weather bugs didn’t allow us to use it much and sometimes sun was too hot for sitting longer. The ship offers many public viewing areas that are very nice and comfortable. Danube I chose a “swan’ room with a nice size window. It was November so I wouldn’t be on balcony too much. Room size and bathroom were same size for both balcony and window room. Food is very good, not gourmet. Complementary wine at lunch and dinner are local varieties that were just fine. Acceptable to have more than one glass. Water levels can be a problem which means docking locations may change due to so many bridges across rivers. Totally enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere vs a large cruise ship with thousands of guests.
We completed the Rhine cruise 2 summers ago. It was incredible. It was our first European adventure. We went early to Amsterdam for a pre excursion. We regret not doing a post excursion in Basal. We will be doing the Danube cruise this summer. We are doing the pre and post excursions this time. We are looking forward to these adventures.
I really enjoyed your video! We have cruised on Emerald Waterways and did their 15 day Grand Eurorpean cruise....Budapest to Amsterdam. We had normally just taken bus tours but river cruising has become my favorite way to see Europe. We have and will still do that mode of travel but we have two river cruises booked for this year. One with Emerald and one with Avalon. Maybe we will try Viking after that. Loved hearing of your trip. We will be doing the Avalon Paris to Normandy in early fall. We have already been to Normandy so we are opting to see Monet's home and VanGogh's last place of residency instead. I'm so happy that you are informing people about how relaxing this mode of travel is. I just love it! Thank you for sharing!
Honestly, I had no idea how relaxing it would be! All of my previous trips to Europe have been lovely but somewhat stressful and this just felt completely different. Loved it and hope to do it again in the not so distant future!Thanks for watching!
You should give Amawaterway a try. Their excursions are not divided by large or small groups, but they offer multiple excursions at every port of call based on level of difficulty. So most every port offered a hiking/biking excursion, and a moderately paced excursion as well as an easy pace one. Each one has a score of level of difficulty to help in making a best decision. I like that they accommodate all levels of ability regardless of group size.
Traci YES there were a few older folks who were making their first big Europe trip and it was perfect - no worries about the language barrier or not being able to find food they liked or concern about transportation, etc., so great for them and great for their grown kids traveling with them. Fabulous choice in my opinion.
I'm so glad you did this review! I was on the fence about these river cruises and am totally up for one now. We leave for Normandy, France this Sunday and are doing a tour of the region via bus/ walking.....I now am excited to taste the Calvados! Thanks for the great review of Viking River cruises.
We took this cruise in 2021 the first Welcome Back after COVID. First passengers on a new ship, the Forgyn. So nice to revisit this itinerary! Great review & lots of great information!
We always go through a travel agent as I refuse to make connections in the US, especially on the way home; absolute nightmare. Viking doesn’t always have good flights, unless you leave from an airport on the Eastern Seaboard. I’m in Denver which makes flight connections a bit more complicated. We had one of the two suites in the aft, which was wonderful, and quite expensive. We did the Danube Waltz, from Passau, Germany to Budapest. Viking is really one of the best! Ocean cruise next, Athens to Rome, and I can’t wait.
We did several European river cruises with AMA WATERWAYS, an upgrade from Viking, Way more luxurious than Viking. And yes, High Tea and Happy Hour in the afternoon.
I mean this most respectfully, all Viking River vessels are boats, not ships. You can fit a boat in a ship, but not a ship in a boat. BTW. I LOVE your video. This is probably the 100th one I have seen and it is amazing!!! So much, that we booked. a Viking Cruise on the Rhine next month! Thank you.
Hello and thank you for your review. I was going to take my Son and daughter in law on a river cruise but after many months of research and my talk with a travel advisor, they said getting off and on the ships was difficult. By that I mean there were stairs and sometimes you had to walk over another ship to the shore. I can walk some and do a few stairs but not a lot at one time. I’m wondering if you could provide your opinion on this ship as far as getting off for each port and to the top level for sightseeing. Thank you for saying the beds were comfortable! So many do not mention it.
Great review! I agree with everything you said. Recently took Viking 15-day Grand European cruise with extensions in Amsterdam and Prague and would highly recommend doing so to others. We also paid for several smaller excursions that were well worth the expense. Snack issue was identified early on in the cruise and rectified by shopping in the open air markets for wonderful fruit, bread and pastries. Such a treat! We have 15 Disney cruises under our belt but my husband and I have already booked a Viking Ocean cruise for 2025. Looking forward to the Viking ocean experience!
Jen, So glad you enjoyed your river cruise! Weve been on several and love them, as well as ocean cruising. Our favorite was Vietnam and Cambodia, a combo of land and river. What an experience!! The 14 day Grand from Budapest to Amsterdam was also fantastic!
![Kodak Black - Versatile 4 [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VcP_1Ua__vY/mqdefault.jpg)
Two things I forgot to mention: they give you 2 huge glass bottles of water in your room each day (and more on request) and there is also a mini fridge in the room. A couple of you asked in the comments so thought I'd pin that here!
Yes! Viking thinks of everything. Can’t go wrong cruising with them. Jen, you should inquire about booking a cruise and inviting your subscribers. We would have a great time 🤗
No snacking between meals ! That’s how the French stay so slim 🤩
Regarding the off-hours food issue: You need to grab a few cookies and pastries when they are present and bring them back to your room. It works and is free! That's how we solved the problem.
We already have snacks packed to fill the late night munchies!
Viking was a dream for my wife and I last year. We did the Rhine RIver cruise through the Middle Rhine aboard the Viking Idun and it exceeded our already high expectations. We were shockingly upgraded to an Explorer Suite a week before we landed in Amsterdam! The suite is one of only two such suites per long boat and we were so appreciative of the free upgrade! From airport transfers to hotel bookings, Viking made it all seamless. The entire crew, from house keeping to Captain were wonderful! We enjoyed it so much that we booked this coming trip the day after we returned home. We are now booked for this very cruise in June of '25 and we are counting the days. Thank you for the wonderful review! It only makes the anticipation that much greater.
I love to hear it! Have fun planning for your next adventure!
We took the Viking Grand European cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam and “magical” is the word I used as well. We booked our own “pre and post” stays for a few days in both Budapest and Amsterdam and highly recommend that. Arriving a day or two early at the departure location meant we didn’t have to worry about flight changes and had some time to get over jet lag. At the time, we were 60 yrs old. We met couples we are still friends with. Highly recommend a Viking cruise!
Oh I love hearing that!
Ahh ~! That sounds so- good !! 👍👍😍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶💞
Deb here. We did the exact same trip and agree it was magical.
We’ve done numerous Viking river cruises…Bordeaux, Rhine, Rhône, Douro, Danube all the way to the Black Sea. First class, great service, comfortable accommodations, very good food.
We did this cruise in 2022 and had a great time. Viking takes care of you for sure. Normandy was one of the most emotional experiences I have ever had.
We have done four Viking river cruises and never found ourselves hungry! Full breakfast, lunch, dinner every day, supplemented with chocolate cookies and wonderful mini croissants and pastries resulted in about a 5 lb weight increase each cruise!
Totally spot on with your review. As a travel advisor who specializes in Europe, I think river cruising is a wonderful way to travel. I too feel it’s magical walking off the ship into town. So happy you were able to enjoy with your son.
Memories that will last a lifetime!
dearest jen, i’ve been recently disappointed by the attitudes and behaviour of another travel creator i had previously enjoyed, so i cannot tell you how much it means to me to watch videos from someone with as much honesty and integrity as you. so happy you had such a wonderful time away with will xx
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Please, please try AMAwaterways for your next cruise. Incredible service. Snacks several times a day in the lounge. 95% of excursions included. No need for beverage package. Amazing people. Will do our fifth cruise in May.
We have booked 2 & 3 cruises for this year, Emerald & Avalon, but would love to try Amawaterways as well as Viking. Glad to hear a recommendation!
@@pamelawooden6012 And try our favorite, Uniworld.
I have done 2 AMA European river cruises. Couldn't agree more.
Jen, I’m so delighted you were hosted! I know you will always tell the truth, hosted or not! What a great memory for you and your son!
It truly was such an amazing experience and THANK YOU!
Avalon and tauck are the two river cruises I have done. Love love love river cruises. I’ve been ocean cruising my whole life but river cruises are just so special. We loved tauck so much we did a land tour with them to Hawaii and it was fabulous. I’m in my 30’s and the older age demographic didn’t bother me because I get along better with old people than my own age lol
I'm glad you mentioned Tauck! I'm now looking at their Japan tour packages.
Love Love Love Tauck Tours done their River cruises and land tours. Going again this summer
Tauck is awesome ! We love them but they are pricey.
@@lei1474 As another commenter noted, Tauck is pricey, but it is first class all the way. They do an excellent job of curating a trip/tour.
My husband has never been to Europe, while I lived in the Netherlands for 3 years 3 decades ago and traveled extensively. A river cruise sounds like a great choice for our first European vacation together in a couple of years. Thank you for this review!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
I think that'll be a wonderful, memorable travel !! 👍👍😍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶💞
In 2012, we did a Viking River Cruise in China. It was a slightly different experience. First, there was meals were offered at a certain time on the ship, we had the same coffee/ cookie snack bar. Second was we were broken up into groups of about 30 and during the 12 days you stayed with the same group touring each day. There were no choice of excursions, but we went down the Yangtze River, going to the Three Gorges Dam, seeing Pandas, also flying to Xian to see Terracotta Warriors to Beijing to see Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, the Great Wall. While some may have enjoyed travel like overall we had a great time. Within the group you tend to make a group of your own that might be in the similar stage of life as you. Also with that group in general you know which ones needed help, which ones that you needed to keep tabs on when wandering (my husband😬) we always had the same tour guide throughout the trip. There were only a couple of extras offered that was additional cost, a show and Peking Duck dinner. We did expect there was going to be additional flights involved. It was very well thought out during the whole trip. Sadly they do not offer this anymore. (Could it be because you boarded the Wuhan? )😬🤤😷
Went on the Viking Cruise on the Rhine in April . Outstanding, wonderful, exciting, excellent. Loved, loved, loved it. Going on another for Thanksgiving. It’s called the Danube Waltz. The service was incredible.
My husband I went on our first river cruise on the Viking RA in Egypt. It is was specifically built to navigate the Nile, It was amazing! It Accommodating just 52 guests. You knew everyone by the end of the cruise. The room was large and beautiful and the food was great. We are booked on a Tauck river cruise The Blue Danube on the Ms. Savor long ship with 130 guest from Prague to Budapest. looking forward to seeing the difference between the two!
The Nile is absolutely on our bucket list!!!
Nice video! My husband and I are in our late 30s and have LOVED Viking. We've done 2 river cruises and are about to take our second ocean cruise with them; We've had nothing but wonderful experiences ❤️
My husband and I have been on two Viking River cruises and loved them. We most loved the Grand European, Amsterdam to Budapest with extra days in Prague. So wonderful. You’ll love it. Thank you for your video today. Saw the unpacked video and found it helpful. When we cruised from Switzerland to France we stayed in Paris for a week and took a shopping tour. So cool to see a different part of the city and the shopping was awesome.
I have been in several Viking River cruises and absolutely loved every single one. They do service right. The excursions are well planned and the guides were all well-informed.
We just finished a river cruise on the Danube. It was fantastic in every respect. I must say, that I was never hungry or looking for a snack like you mention. You have a full buffet breakfast, as much lunch as you want, and then finish with a 3 course evening meal. We took an apple and a banana from the breakfast buffet each morning, if we wanted a snack.
Good for you Frank!
Oh,yeah -! Danube !! Danube river or Rhine river are the ones I want to go on river cruises !!! I am so jealous if you ~!! Lol. 😍👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶⛴️💞
@@spark_6710 the cruise was an absolute highlight of our holidays. Beg, borrow or steal, but do one.
@frankdenison5819 😍😍👍👍I get excited by reading this !!Thank you so much for your reply !! 💜
My wife wants to see the next eclipse in Spain 2026. Unlikely that we could pair it with a Holland America cruise efficiently in the med, so I just booked our first Viking River cruise this very morning, Germany to Hungary. Great info, we'll buy German snacks before we set sail! Looking forward to trying Viking Ocean occasionally too, when the price makes sense.
Now I want German snacks . . . .Thanks for the kind comment! I hope you have a wonderful trip!
Having been on 2 Viking River cruises before (with a third one scheduled for July), I thought you did a good job at covering the bases. The fact that it only has one restaurant is no big deal for us as there are so many choices of food. The space also gives a very intimate experience making it easy to make new friends, if you’re feeling social. 😊. We are hoping to do this cruise next year!
My husband and I have been to 3 river cruises through Uniworld. All inclusive and service is impeccable. The laundry service is free if you’re a returning customer and you get other perks. We’re active so we are glad that there are many hiking and biking activities offered. Food choices are excellent, also.
Hi Jen, We used Orlando Transportation by Mike for our last trip to Disney World. Everyone was amazing. We had Stella going and Justin coming back. So easy and comfortable. Thank you for mentioning them.
Oh I love hearing that! Using them in a few weeks!
What a lovely review! Your commentary made it seem even more magical! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience.
We just finished our 12 th Viking cruise. Love everything about them. Going on the Egypt cruise in September. Glad you enjoyed it. God bless.
What a great way to explore France. Really appealing arriving at small villages and being able to take in the local life ! What a trip !
I found places I will DEFINITELY return to (like Rouen) that I had never even heard of! Amazing trip.
@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge ❤️
My friend and I took the Paris to Normandy trip in 2019 and it was wonderful. It was our first Viking cruise and we felt as you did it was magical!!!!! So much fun to see the places we saw. The food and service is first class. ❤
YES and I didn't even really get into the customer service but it was impeccable! Can't wait to sail with them again.
Love, love river cruising. Never getting on a big boat again. Thanks for the tips.
Hi Jen!! I'm so happy you had a wonderful trip on Viking River Cruises! I was a travel agent for many years and every client I booked on a Viking River Cruise itinerary returned to report that it was "MAGICAL"! So it came as no surprise to me that you described it the exact same way. River cruising is definitely on my bucket list. I haven't yet tried one.
People told me but I don't think I really got it? Now I do! Can't wait to do it again!
River cruising is my favorite! I suffer from motion sickness so I avoid ocean cruising. Never been disappointed with my trips. I agree with you, get off the ship every day and enjoy the towns and the excursions.
I’ve never felt so relaxed in Europe ❤
Thank you for doing such an excellent job describing river cruising. We've done 14 and we want to point out that there are a number of river cruise lines. We especially like Avalon and Ama Waterways. Avalon has more excursion choices, many of which are geared to more active travelers. Ama Waterways is more luxurious. As you said, your true balcony stateroom was small but very nice. Again, be aware that the other almost 50% of staterooms are French Balcony which are much smaller. Happy cruising to everyone!
Thanks for this wonderful review! I will be going on a Danube one next year and you actually answered a lot of the questions I had! Indeed it seems a lot more relaxed than ocean cruise!
Monique I honestly cannot express how chill it was. For me, trips to Europe have always meant STRESS (fun and culture but stress) and this completely eliminated all of that!
Jen. We recommend the Danube Waltze Itin in Viking. Just got back (added Budapest on the front end and Prague on the back end). Had a super time. Viking Aegir.
Oh I love to hear it!!! Adding it to the list!
Went on a Viking river cruise in 2017 and had the best time. I do not drink much alcohol so people should know that you get free soda at lunch and dinner.
Hi from Switzerland! We have done 3 river cruises (we are in our mid 60s) with a swiss ship company: one from Porto, Spain on the Duoro river, one from Passau,Germany to Budapest on the Danube and a 4 day one for the Christmas markets on the Rhine. LOVE river cruising for all the reasons you gave. Cruising the Duoro is incredible with the scenery and we always spent 1/2 day cruising and 1/2 sightseeing. This trip included going through 10 or so locks, all during daylight, so that was a fun experience. The Danube also had locks but we passed in the night while sleeping. The rolling hills of vineyards, olive groves and cork trees during sooo many days in Spain was magnificent!
Loved your review and that you traveled with your son. I will travel with mine too, and think is a great gift to give that kind of memory to see beautiful places together. I look forward to your other videos as I subscribed. Thank you.
Welcome and thank you!! Lifetime memories for sure!
We did this very cruise over Labor Day in 2023 on the Viking Kari. It was the best trip I’ve had so far. We loved everything about it. My favorite part was the excursion to Honfleur.
I’m so glad you had fun!
FYI- We just got back from the Viking Danube Waltz cruise and they also had fruit such as apples in different places on the ship each day. The meals were so extensive that we did not need to snack!
Keep in mind I was traveling with a 25 year old young man. So YES food totally sufficient but we noticed the lack of snacks;).
We just made reservations to take this trip based on your two videos! Can’t wait!!
It’s truly a wonderful itinerary - I’m so happy for you!!
Really appreciated this honest review! My husband and I are considering doing a Viking river cruise for our 10 yr wedding anniversary 😊 but it’s nice to know what your getting into as we do enjoy the convenience and accessibility of cruising ❤
Nice you got hosted for a cruise. We did Viking Christmas Market cruise and enjoyed it. Not sure if I'd do a Christmas cruise again but would do a river cruise. Most of our ports you either walked to the Christmas Market or shuttled in. We noticed almost immediately they put the younger people on the bus furthest way. I thought it was very thoughtful of them to think of that detail. So, the passengers with walkers, etc.. were on the very first shuttle off the ship. Luckily, we didn't have that food issue since we ate and ate at all the Christmas markets, but I can see how that would be different. We met some wonderful people on our cruise and we are friends with them on Facebook. Everyone was very nice. Your cruise looked very nice. Thanks for sharing.
Oh wow, such a great point. For the Christmas Markets cruise additional snacks would NOT be necessary. I've never been but I've heard . . .LOL
So happy to see your review. We are going on a Viking river cruise for the first time next month in France. Really looking forward to it! Your input was so helpful. We definitely plan to spend time on our own exploring and just having lunch or dinner off the boat. We do not want to be booked with excursions all day. We will also have snacks handy in our cabin 😊
It’s really a smart way to do it!
Hello Jen! I am booked on a Viking River cruise to visit the Christmas markets this December. I will be traveling with my 22 year old son. I already told him he would most likely be the youngest person on board and he is fine with that. The Christmas markets are on our bucket list and I thought this would be the most hassle free way to visit numerous markets. We leave from Amsterdam and finish in Basel. We have been on many ocean cruises and this is our first river cruise. A few observations so far are that once you make your reservation with a mere $50.00, you only have 30 days to pay the full fare! Since the Christmas Market sailings book up very early, we had to pay the full fare over a year in advance! Also, since it is a one way trip it appears we will have to buy one way airfare tickets which are considerably more expensive. We are working on that and figure this once in a lifetime trip will be worth it. One last observation is that the cabin you had wasn't the smallest one! The cabins below you have a window that is at the water line. They refer to them as the Swan cabins as you see swans swim by your window! As a lover of balcony cabins, I opted for a balcony cabin, even though it will be winter. The "swan" cabins are so small that you cannot even fit a small chair in them, there is only a stool that tucks into the vanity. I really need a chair to sit on as I am not comfortable sitting on the bed to watch tv, read, etc. Just a few observations, I know we are going to have a FANTASTIC time. Thanks for the tip on snacks. We will be sure to pick some up in Amsterdam!
I will tell you our cruise director, Mia, did an amazing job of making Will feel at home and he really did have a good time!
We did the Christmas cruise and you don't have to worry about being hungry. You'll eat a lot at the Christmas markets if you want to. We would buy cookies to bring back and roast nuts, etc.. We had a balcony too and it was fun to step out and see the locks up close. If you are a foodie, bring a checked bag. We bought home a ton of liquor (apricot--- so good and they give samples out) and vinegars.
Also, contact Viking regarding your air arrangements. Many trips have airfare included and are round trip flying into your starting city and returning from your final destination. Airport transfers are also included and arranged for you. I have done 2 Viking River cruises and a 3rd coming up June 1.
We have taken two river cruises so far. Our third is in October. We just completed a Rhine River cruise. Love this mode of travel. We especially love, as you did, the villages we had access to. Keep travelling and sharing!
Thank you so much, Pamela!
We have river cruised the past few years in Europe. It truly is magical! It was so relaxed and planned out. That is how we like our tours. We are getting ready to do 2 big ship cruises this summer. There is so much more pre-planning that go into those cruises. I look forward to the end of the summer to decide what type of cruise I like better. But then again, they are 2 different species!😊
Awesome video. Thanks for sharing. I am going on a river cruise for the first time next year. I am so excited. Love all the tips.
That looks like a lovely trip. We did a bike river cruise a few years ago and loved it. Perhaps because we were cycling, they feed us at every turn 😂 afternoon charcuterie, evening snacks on top of the main meals. The best thing about cruises (I've only been on two) is the floating hotel aspect. Not having to pack and unpack while you move between cities is ideal. We cycled by day, then the ship would sail in the evening and overnight or sometimes it would relocate while we cycled.
Oh my goodness that sounds lovely!!!!
@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge it was. And ours was a tiny boat, and almost all of us knew each other. An amazing experience I got to share with my best friend who was overtaken by cancer only a few years later. I cherish the memories.
I loved this Viking cruise! The only time there isn’t food laid out is between maybe 10pm and 6am, and even during those hours they would have brought to your cabin a snack if you had asked. I used to take a cookie or pastry from the snack area every evening right after dinner, and I was never hungry during the cruise!!
Thanks for this terrific review, Jen! My husband & I are traveling to Prague (pre-cruise), cruise through Germany then end in Paris next month. This will be our first Viking cruise so appreciate your timely review.
~Melissa
I know you will have a wonderful time!!
Great review! Hubby and I are doing the Rhine Getaway in August and as a new traveler to Europe I can’t be more excited to see it from this type of accommodation. Loved that you enjoyed it so much and that you and your son got such a special vacation together. Kudos to Viking for hosting such an astute traveler like you. Love all your videos and I always look forward to watching them.
What a kind comment! Thank you! And I hope you have a beautiful vacation.
Thanks for this video. I am one of those people who were on the fence about a Viking river cruise. Definitely going to go now!
Oh hurray!!
First time to your channel. I have never been on any type of cruise, but this video has me interested. I had a chuckle at the thought your cabin was small. If you had been in some of the dormitories and military ship accommodations that I have experienced, you would have thought your cabin as spacious. It is all relative, right? LOL
I like your presentation and the balance of information. If I ever take one of these trips, it will be because of you and the effort you put into your communication. I wish you a long and happy life!
Another great video. Thanks so much for your honest reviews done with tact and grace. So glad you got to spend time with your son. He's a lucky boy to have such an awesome Mom. Really enjoyed it. ❤
You're so kind - I'm very lucky to have him as my kid!
Hello My partner & myself have booked a river cruise, Strasbourg, Germany ending up in Amsterdam with Great Railways. We've never been on any type of cruise before but have travelled with Great Railways & had a fantastic holiday. However we are both feeling anxious about it. We're worrying about ,will there be too much walking for us, we are in our 60s & 70s, will there be huge groups all trailing after the same guide, whether or not to go off by ourselves or not, its just the unknown. We have booked a nicer cabin. Anyway fingers crossed 😎
My husband and I have taken two luxury barge cruises in France on the C’est La Vie barge and loved them. Only 8 passengers and top quality everything! Privately owned and operated by a family who is on board to ensure everything is top notch.
Wow that sounds amazing!
A Viking river cruise is going to be my first trip when kiddos are in college! It looks so relaxing and perfect.
Ashlee you will love it! It’s just lovely and cozy and yet look we are in France!
This post just showed up on my feed….I really wonder sometimes if the internet has bugs planted in our houses…I haven’t mentioned out plans to many people…we’re doing the Viking Budapest to Amsterdam cruise in November. This heightened my anticipation! Thanks!
So very excited for this video. My husband and I have been considering a river cruise for years. I appreciate all of your advice, observations, and input.
I'm so glad you found it helpful! Thanks for the kind words, Robin!
Love love love Viking Cruise ❤ I have been on both the ocean and river cruises - and I love them both ❤
This was our first Viking cruise and I loved it and agree about the river cruising. I loved going to the farm and tasting the calvados. Le Peq is a nice docking location.
I really enjoyed your video. My friend and I enjoyed a trip to Paris several years ago, staying in a VRBO for 2 weeks. Now, as I am 80, that did not appeal so much, and we have discussed river (and ocean) cruises. I just shared your Viking review with her as we further our contemplating. Thanks for your insights.
Oh I love that, Celine! Happy planning!
I’m so glad Viking hosted you! We have a Viking sea cruise booked for next year and I feel like it’s not a company that most people consider when thinking of booking a cruise in our age range (40s). I feel like they’re such a great company.
They were wonderful to work with on the PR side, too. I knew I liked them when I sailed the first time and this confirmed it! Great company.
Thanks so much for your review. We had a river cruise in the planning stages when COVID hit. We are now looking into going. We've heard mostly positive things about river cruising and I really feel I can trust your opinion. Since we're both in our 70's, this type of travel sometimes can be challenging but, we've wanted to do it for so long. Thanks again.
I predict you will love it!!
So it gives you more of a real experience of the different areas as opposed to a tourist trap at port and I love that.
DAWN THIS EXACTLY. What I didn't love about my DCL mediterranean cruise is we were all (all 2800 of us) arriving at the same port at the same time. The much smaller ships (168 people small) means very little impact and you can just kind of hang out. I LOVED that.
Jen, this looks fabulous! Now I have to put a river cruise on my list! Seems like it would be a good/safe way to travel as a single woman, too.
I didn't mention that but I thought it many times, Marisa. TOTALLY great for a single traveller!
We’ve had great river cruise experiences with Amadeus/Lueftner too
I love Viking River cruises and can't wait to go on my next one! I have never felt so well cared for and the food was fabulous!
They really do an excellent job. This was my second time sailing with them (my other sailing was Viking Sea) and definitely won't be my last!
This was my very first cruise of three river cruises with Viking and my very favorite!
Thanks for info. For us beer drinkers you can include some details on beer versus just wines as well.
we were in Paris at the same time! How fun! Thanks for documenting your trip. I've been hesitant to do a river cruise, but I'm thinking I might try one having watched this video.
I think a perfect trip would be a few days in Paris and then board the cruise for a week of the more scenic side of things. It was so relaxing and lovely!
Love Viking. Yes the cabin is small, but the light Scandinavian design…and visually seeing a balcony…thur large windows, makes it feel “airy”. Even the bathroom, with the swivel shower door…opens up the space. Very good design throughout the ship.
Totally agree!
We took this same trip last September……agree completely with your comments!
I booked the Rhine getaway on the Kara, excited but hesitant at the same time. I mostly cruise Royal Caribbean, they have so much to do, boredom is my worry. This was very helpful, I feel better about my decision.
You are going to LOVE. IT. I'm so excited FOR you!
We just came home from a Viking cruise on the Danube - lack of any kind of snack, and few evening activities were my biggest issues (which wasn't much, and yes, we stopped and got some snacks in some of the towns. Aldi (Hofer) is everywhere in Germany and Austria.).
Jen, I didn’t notice and I didn’t hear you mention but do the cabins have refrigerators in them? You had advised to get snacks in town in case you get peckish but I am wondering if there’s a way to refrigerate the food you bring back.
They DO have refrigerators! Can't believe I forgot to mention that!
This was great! You answered questions that I didn't even know I had! We are big cruisers and recently, while in Amsterdam, we walked by a river cruise ship. It caused both of us to think that maybe this would be in our near future! Thanks in advance!
I’ve been on two Viking River cruises recently. Rhine River with a friend and Danube River solo. Agree that you have to really review the excursions for length of excursion as well as walking difficulty. Good walking shoes are a must given the cobblestone streets in small villages. Cabin size is fine-true balcony on Rhine but warm weather bugs didn’t allow us to use it much and sometimes sun was too hot for sitting longer. The ship offers many public viewing areas that are very nice and comfortable. Danube I chose a “swan’ room with a nice size window. It was November so I wouldn’t be on balcony too much. Room size and bathroom were same size for both balcony and window room. Food is very good, not gourmet. Complementary wine at lunch and dinner are local varieties that were just fine. Acceptable to have more than one glass. Water levels can be a problem which means docking locations may change due to so many bridges across rivers. Totally enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere vs a large cruise ship with thousands of guests.
We completed the Rhine cruise 2 summers ago. It was incredible. It was our first European adventure. We went early to Amsterdam for a pre excursion. We regret not doing a post excursion in Basal. We will be doing the Danube cruise this summer. We are doing the pre and post excursions this time. We are looking forward to these adventures.
Sounds incredible! Cannot wait for my next river cruise!
I really enjoyed your video! We have cruised on Emerald Waterways and did their 15 day Grand Eurorpean cruise....Budapest to Amsterdam. We had normally just taken bus tours but river cruising has become my favorite way to see Europe. We have and will still do that mode of travel but we have two river cruises booked for this year. One with Emerald and one with Avalon. Maybe we will try Viking after that. Loved hearing of your trip. We will be doing the Avalon Paris to Normandy in early fall. We have already been to Normandy so we are opting to see Monet's home and VanGogh's last place of residency instead. I'm so happy that you are informing people about how relaxing this mode of travel is. I just love it! Thank you for sharing!
Honestly, I had no idea how relaxing it would be! All of my previous trips to Europe have been lovely but somewhat stressful and this just felt completely different. Loved it and hope to do it again in the not so distant future!Thanks for watching!
Yes, I have to go. 🙏for your answer!
You should give Amawaterway a try. Their excursions are not divided by large or small groups, but they offer multiple excursions at every port of call based on level of difficulty. So most every port offered a hiking/biking excursion, and a moderately paced excursion as well as an easy pace one. Each one has a score of level of difficulty to help in making a best decision. I like that they accommodate all levels of ability regardless of group size.
We did a lovely one with Viking last year in Portugal up the Doro taking in 4 days in Lisbon. Thoroughly recommend it.
That sounds heavenly. Scott has been wanting for me to see Portugal for years (he's been with work but I've never visited).
Thank you for this informative and thoughtful review. A river cruise sounds like a great option for taking my father on his first trip to Europe.
Traci YES there were a few older folks who were making their first big Europe trip and it was perfect - no worries about the language barrier or not being able to find food they liked or concern about transportation, etc., so great for them and great for their grown kids traveling with them. Fabulous choice in my opinion.
Viking Rhine Getaway June 2024! Can’t wait! So glad you had this opportunity and thank you for your honest/candid review!
Of course and in June you will definitely have better weather then we did!
I'm so glad you did this review! I was on the fence about these river cruises and am totally up for one now. We leave for Normandy, France this Sunday and are doing a tour of the region via bus/ walking.....I now am excited to taste the Calvados! Thanks for the great review of Viking River cruises.
Just be careful - it's VERY strong and after a couple of sips I was feeling it! Have an amazing time!
You will love it, we just got back. Hope the weather holds up. Omaha Beach incredible.
This was helpful bcs we currently use Tauck which we love but have wondered about Viking.
Oh I'm so glad I could help! Thank you for your kind comment!
We took this cruise in 2021 the first Welcome Back after COVID. First passengers on a new ship, the Forgyn. So nice to revisit this itinerary! Great review & lots of great information!
Excellent video. We are considering this cruise, and our video helped fill in gaps not addressed in Viking or travel agent videos.
We always go through a travel agent as I refuse to make connections in the US, especially on the way home; absolute nightmare. Viking doesn’t always have good flights, unless you leave from an airport on the Eastern Seaboard. I’m in Denver which makes flight connections a bit more complicated. We had one of the two suites in the aft, which was wonderful, and quite expensive. We did the Danube Waltz, from Passau, Germany to Budapest. Viking is really one of the best! Ocean cruise next, Athens to Rome, and I can’t wait.
Thank you so much for your insight! I'm going to share this with my significant other and I think this may be our next big trip!
I love river cruises and thought you did an excellent job describing your trip. Thanks as always!
Oh thank you so much!
We did several European river cruises with AMA WATERWAYS, an upgrade from Viking, Way more luxurious than Viking. And yes, High Tea and Happy Hour in the afternoon.
I mean this most respectfully, all Viking River vessels are boats, not ships. You can fit a boat in a ship, but not a ship in a boat. BTW. I LOVE your video. This is probably the 100th one I have seen and it is amazing!!! So much, that we booked. a Viking Cruise on the Rhine next month! Thank you.
Well Viking themselves refer to them as LONGSHIPS? So that’s why I did. And thank you for the compliment!!
Also.. loved the self serve coffee machines! So much better than Nespresso or Kuerig machines.
I was so interested in the Viking River cruises and this clog answered so many questions I had. It’s now on my bucket list! Great review.
Oh I’m so glad you found it helpful!
Hello and thank you for your review. I was going to take my Son and daughter in law on a river cruise but after many months of research and my talk with a travel advisor, they said getting off and on the ships was difficult. By that I mean there were stairs and sometimes you had to walk over another ship to the shore. I can walk some and do a few stairs but not a lot at one time. I’m wondering if you could provide your opinion on this ship as far as getting off for each port and to the top level for sightseeing. Thank you for saying the beds were comfortable! So many do not mention it.
Great review! I agree with everything you said. Recently took Viking 15-day Grand European cruise with extensions in Amsterdam and Prague and would highly recommend doing so to others. We also paid for several smaller excursions that were well worth the expense. Snack issue was identified early on in the cruise and rectified by shopping in the open air markets for wonderful fruit, bread and pastries. Such a treat! We have 15 Disney cruises under our belt but my husband and I have already booked a Viking Ocean cruise for 2025. Looking forward to the Viking ocean experience!
YES as long as you know the snack situation going in . . it's delightfully rectified! LOL
Jen,
So glad you enjoyed your river cruise! Weve been on several and love them, as well as ocean cruising. Our favorite was Vietnam and Cambodia, a combo of land and river. What an experience!! The 14 day Grand from Budapest to Amsterdam was also fantastic!