What a lovely cruise for the Christmas season! I did the Rhine Viking adventure last March, and they were worried about the water being high enough - now it’s the opposite way! Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventure. It was beautiful! ❤
Thanks for this review. We are booked on Viking to travel Nov 21 for 14 days from Budapest to Amsterdam and hoping for Christmas markets to be open. Our only other Viking river cruise was in China in 2006 and they took wonderful care of us.
Thank you for taking us along with your family! My wife and I had been to Prague, Budapest, and Vienna by land, and we saw more of those cities than you did. I think that you have talked me out of a Christmas Cruise, but encouraged me to take a river cruise. It would be nice to do a river cruise when the weather is nicer. Excellent video!!!!
So fun to watch, especially because we were on the Atla the week before you! Following our cruise, we hired a driver to take us to Bratislava, Slovakia and then onto Prague for 3 days. Highly recommend adding more time, if possible. I would have loved more time in Munich before our cruise began.
Thanks! Enjoyed your video. Nice little comments about the places you went. The Christmas Markets always held temptation for me, but after this, thinking exploring the wee shops in various places might be just as much fun! Good comments about the food. That was disappointing - I admit it is one of the big draw cards when I’m researching, so very much appreciate your ratings on that! Currently looking at doing the Danube next autumn and have looked at AmaWaterways, Uniworld and a German cruise line, Riverside. Will look for more of your videos!
Great & Beautiful family, these two sisters are very professional in their presentation ,camera images are evenly focus to the food, scenery to them selves to inside of the ship and their activities, their narrations & observations are exceptional and fantastic, I feel I was with them, now I am looking forward to book for Viking river cruise, I am an Ocean Cruisers all the time.
Enjoyed your video! We have cruised from Budapest to Amsterdam and I loved seeing the Christmas markets with your trip video. That's on my bucket list! I would need to do an earlier time in December though....hate bad weather and traveling in the snow.....fingers crossed when we go, we won't get the snow until we get back home! Safe travels!
Interesting about the food. How disappointing. Friends just returned from a Viking cruise for the Christmas Markets from Amsterdam to Lucerne. They said they ran out of a lot of food items. I would try your destination.
I loved this video! We've booked the Danube Christmas Cruise for 2025. A friend said it would be cheaper and you can still see all the Christmas Markets if you go at the end of November. What do you think? What would be the difference? You have an adorable family!
Great video! I want to plan a river cruise for our 20 year anniversary. It looks like it would be more enjoyable if you have a family/friend group to go with you. Thanks for all the information! - Michell
Thanks Michell! It’s definitely a very social boat so you don’t need a group with you! The dining tables are for larger groups so you will most likely share with other groups if you are just a party of 2.
Really good review on the Viking Christmas Market river cruise. Little disappointing to hear the food was bland on the cruise. Thank you for sharing your experience.
We went on a Christmas Market Viking River Cruise in December as well. We had to deal with high water levels on the Rhine, which I didn’t expect in the Winter.
@@heatheriviney4091 it didn’t, but be prepared for unexpected changes. We did get to Strasbourg, but not long enough to shop at the Christmas Markets, which was disappointing. I would have traded Strasbourg for Cologne, if I had the choice (for the Christmas Markets). We were not up for massive hikes, so Strasbourg would have been better for us. At least it wasn’t very cold while we were there. If you get to Basel, spend a couple of days to see their markets. It was one of the high points of our trip.
Thank you for your video! We are going this winter! Which cities would you recommend doing the included tours and which would you recommend that we explore on our own?
Hi Melissa - I recommend doing the included tours for all the cities. Most of the time the big cities really only have "half" a day worth of a tour, leaving the remainder of the time for free. If you're interested in spending more time shopping at Christmas markets - then I think you could skip the tour in Passau. Regensberg was also a big city where I wish we had more time to shop - so if that's a priority, I think you can skip the tour there.
thank you for sharing your video. It was interesting because this was on my bucket list. There is a however by showing the food on the Viking cruise I don’t think I would be very happy. I’m a chef and I have to be honest and I hope this falls within guidelines. The food on the actual cruise looks incredibly an appetizing, and that unfortunately would stop me from taking a Viking or any type of boat of that sort as dining is a big part of my holidays
Thanks for your note Connie! I would say the food was enjoyable, but not comparable to larger ocean liners. The beauty of being so close to the cities is that you can also eat on land for the local cuisine!
Thank you for sharing your experience! My family is going on a similar cruise this year and we're from Singapore so very excited about winter.. Could you share a bit more on what happened between passau and regensburg as you moved by bus?
Hi there! River cruises tend to be more sensitive to the changing water levels of the rivier. Since it had been raining so much, the water levels got too high for our boat to safely cross under the bridges between Passau and Regensburg. So they docked back in a small town in Austria and drove us to Regensburg.
@Obsessionchick oh I see. Did you have to take your bags with you? Sorry for all the questions, we understand that plans may change due to weather but since we're not familiar just want to be prepared .
@@Divroyaltyno, Viking took care of everything. If plans do change, Viking will make sure everything is accommodated for. This is why I think it’s a good idea to book your travel with Viking since they will handle it for you.
Well done. We have already watched this video 4 times. We will be going on the same cruise in late November. The Christmas Markets will be open when we go. Love watching your family together. Quick question. What camera or phone did you do your filming with. It did a great job. Keep the adventures going. D and J
I think depending on the scale $100 in total is enough if you’re just looking for trinkets and snacks (maybe 20-40 per market). Most larger stalls take credit cards!
Hi, I'm planning a Christmas market cruise for December 2024 and would like to ask how you booked your cruise. Any suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. 😊
Hi Sue, I believe it’s about the price point you are willing to pay and the route you want to go on. I don’t suggest picking cities due to Christmas markets (they are available at all the European cities and are fairly similar between cities). Instead, I would prioritize by price point and route preference of where you want to go (typically between Danube and Rhine for Christmas markets). Viking was fantastic service, but pricier compared to some of the other companies in the ports, like Viva. Other ships we saw were Tauck and Ama. Good luck!
Hi! No one takes USD so I recommend bringing enough Euros for whatever goodies you like from the markets. If you want to buy things more than just food, I would bring more to spend! Most places did not take credit card.
"Piles of dirt"??? It's winter...they are replanting. You're putting them down for preparing for the Spring. Flowers don't grow year round. And then you say, "...what should be the picturesque Wachau Valley...", so because it's winter it can't be picturesque. I thought it looked amazing. Good job on the rest? lol
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
great info!
thanks =)
Ahh, this sort of Christmas cruise is on my bucket list - I'm SO SO SO jealous of this. Everything about it just looks so beautifully festive!
Thanks Fraser! Definitely recommend :)
You did a great job with the voiceovers and covering everything on this trip. On the bucket list for sure!
Thank you so much!
What a lovely cruise for the Christmas season! I did the Rhine Viking adventure last March, and they were worried about the water being high enough - now it’s the opposite way! Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventure. It was beautiful! ❤
I would love to go on the Rhine adventure next time! Thank you so much for your comment!
It was joyous to watch you two upbeat smiling ladies show us your fun time on this Viking river cruise!
Thanks for this review. We are booked on Viking to travel Nov 21 for 14 days from Budapest to Amsterdam and hoping for Christmas markets to be open. Our only other Viking river cruise was in China in 2006 and they took wonderful care of us.
Enjoy your cruise! You might catch the markets at the tail end of your cruise
Really nice video. Love the look around festive Danube sights. Thanks for sharing this from a new subscriber 👍❤️🙏
Thank you for your kind words!
Thank you for taking us along with your family! My wife and I had been to Prague, Budapest, and Vienna by land, and we saw more of those cities than you did. I think that you have talked me out of a Christmas Cruise, but encouraged me to take a river cruise. It would be nice to do a river cruise when the weather is nicer. Excellent video!!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words!
So fun to watch, especially because we were on the Atla the week before you! Following our cruise, we hired a driver to take us to Bratislava, Slovakia and then onto Prague for 3 days. Highly recommend adding more time, if possible. I would have loved more time in Munich before our cruise began.
Amazing!! Hope you had a fantastic trip. The crew was fantastic.
Loved this video! We are doing the same trip over Thanksgiving. Is there anything that we should not miss?
Thanks! Enjoyed your video. Nice little comments about the places you went. The Christmas Markets always held temptation for me, but after this, thinking exploring the wee shops in various places might be just as much fun! Good comments about the food. That was disappointing - I admit it is one of the big draw cards when I’m researching, so very much appreciate your ratings on that! Currently looking at doing the Danube next autumn and have looked at AmaWaterways, Uniworld and a German cruise line, Riverside. Will look for more of your videos!
Thank you for your support!
Great & Beautiful family, these two sisters are very professional in their presentation ,camera images are evenly focus to the food, scenery to them selves to inside of the ship and their activities, their narrations & observations are exceptional and fantastic, I feel I was with them, now I am looking forward to book for Viking river cruise, I am an Ocean Cruisers all the time.
Thank you so much for the kind comment!!!
keep posting, new viewer.....good luck
Thanks for being here!
Great video! What a fun trip! Those Christmas mugs are too cute omg
Thank you! We took a few mugs home as collectors items.
Looks good trip, thank you for sharing your vacation
Thank you for your comment!
Enjoyed your video! We have cruised from Budapest to Amsterdam and I loved seeing the Christmas markets with your trip video. That's on my bucket list! I would need to do an earlier time in December though....hate bad weather and traveling in the snow.....fingers crossed when we go, we won't get the snow until we get back home! Safe travels!
Interesting about the food. How disappointing. Friends just returned from a Viking cruise for the Christmas Markets from Amsterdam to Lucerne. They said they ran out of a lot of food items. I would try your destination.
It was a great route! Thanks for watching
We just did this cruise November-December. We had a fabulous time
It was, the perfect time to get in the festive spirit!
Great video! Currently in the process of narrowing down to which Viking cruise route to take for the Christmas Markets.
Great video!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
I loved this video! We've booked the Danube Christmas Cruise for 2025. A friend said it would be cheaper and you can still see all the Christmas Markets if you go at the end of November. What do you think? What would be the difference? You have an adorable family!
I think the markets will be up end of November! I hope you have a great time :)
I was on the Atla in July loved it!!
The crew were great!
Looks like fun! Would love to go someday
Thanks for your comment!
Great video! I want to plan a river cruise for our 20 year anniversary. It looks like it would be more enjoyable if you have a family/friend group to go with you. Thanks for all the information! - Michell
Thanks Michell! It’s definitely a very social boat so you don’t need a group with you! The dining tables are for larger groups so you will most likely share with other groups if you are just a party of 2.
Really good review on the Viking Christmas Market river cruise. Little disappointing to hear the food was bland on the cruise. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Thank you so much for the kind comment!!
We went on a Christmas Market Viking River Cruise in December as well. We had to deal with high water levels on the Rhine, which I didn’t expect in the Winter.
Did it ruin your Rhine your trip? I'm thinking of booking a cruise on the Rhine in December
@@heatheriviney4091 it didn’t, but be prepared for unexpected changes. We did get to Strasbourg, but not long enough to shop at the Christmas Markets, which was disappointing. I would have traded Strasbourg for Cologne, if I had the choice (for the Christmas Markets). We were not up for massive hikes, so Strasbourg would have been better for us. At least it wasn’t very cold while we were there. If you get to Basel, spend a couple of days to see their markets. It was one of the high points of our trip.
Very informative! Looked so fun. What was your favorite city or Christmas market?
Thanks Yoyo! We enjoyed the smaller cities like Passau and Regensburg because they were cuter and more intimate.
Thank you for your video! We are going this winter! Which cities would you recommend doing the included tours and which would you recommend that we explore on our own?
Hi Melissa - I recommend doing the included tours for all the cities. Most of the time the big cities really only have "half" a day worth of a tour, leaving the remainder of the time for free. If you're interested in spending more time shopping at Christmas markets - then I think you could skip the tour in Passau. Regensberg was also a big city where I wish we had more time to shop - so if that's a priority, I think you can skip the tour there.
Great vlog, so informative especially when you gave prices for some of the food you ate. Can I ask dates you did this cruise?
Hi Sue! We went the week before Christmas, and it happened to be the last Viking trip before they also close for the winter.
thank you for sharing your video. It was interesting because this was on my bucket list. There is a however by showing the food on the Viking cruise I don’t think I would be very happy. I’m a chef and I have to be honest and I hope this falls within guidelines. The food on the actual cruise looks incredibly an appetizing, and that unfortunately would stop me from taking a Viking or any type of boat of that sort as dining is a big part of my holidays
Thanks for your note Connie! I would say the food was enjoyable, but not comparable to larger ocean liners. The beauty of being so close to the cities is that you can also eat on land for the local cuisine!
Thank you for sharing your experience! My family is going on a similar cruise this year and we're from Singapore so very excited about winter.. Could you share a bit more on what happened between passau and regensburg as you moved by bus?
Hi there! River cruises tend to be more sensitive to the changing water levels of the rivier. Since it had been raining so much, the water levels got too high for our boat to safely cross under the bridges between Passau and Regensburg. So they docked back in a small town in Austria and drove us to Regensburg.
@Obsessionchick oh I see. Did you have to take your bags with you? Sorry for all the questions, we understand that plans may change due to weather but since we're not familiar just want to be prepared .
@@Divroyaltyno, Viking took care of everything. If plans do change, Viking will make sure everything is accommodated for. This is why I think it’s a good idea to book your travel with Viking since they will handle it for you.
Beautiful area…thinking about a river cruise for a while now. Could you use VISA in most places?
Yes, VISA was the preferred credit card but for some of the smaller stores / markets cash was still king!
Hi there, I’m curious what month you went on the cruise for Christmas river cruise? Was it 2023?
I went in December 2023!
Didn’t you do a Viking Alaska video? I thought I saw one, but can’t find it now.
No, I haven't done one in Alaska! Maybe soon though!
My husband and I are doing Viking Alaska in May - we are super excited.
BYW - you have a beautiful family. I love your enthusiasm for food!🤣
Great vlog. What dates did you goon this river cruise? 😊 Thanks!
We embarked on 12/17 and disembarked 12/24! I believe it is the last cruise of the season, and the last days of Christmas markets.
Well done. We have already watched this video 4 times. We will be going on the same cruise in late November. The Christmas Markets will be open when we go. Love watching your family together. Quick question. What camera or phone did you do your filming with. It did a great job. Keep the adventures going. D and J
Hi Joanne! I was just using the IPhone 14! Thank you so much for your comment
How much cash would you recommend (just for snacks and a few small souvenirs)? Do they take credit cards at the larger markets?
I think depending on the scale $100 in total is enough if you’re just looking for trinkets and snacks (maybe 20-40 per market). Most larger stalls take credit cards!
Hi,
I'm planning a Christmas market cruise for December 2024 and would like to ask how you booked your cruise. Any suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. 😊
Hi Sue, I believe it’s about the price point you are willing to pay and the route you want to go on. I don’t suggest picking cities due to Christmas markets (they are available at all the European cities and are fairly similar between cities). Instead, I would prioritize by price point and route preference of where you want to go (typically between Danube and Rhine for Christmas markets).
Viking was fantastic service, but pricier compared to some of the other companies in the ports, like Viva. Other ships we saw were Tauck and Ama. Good luck!
@@Obsessionchick thank you for your reply. 😊
Did you have to have a double bed or could you have chosen two twins?
We went in June and if I remember correctly the bed could be split on request, just let the front desk know
We had a double bed :)
How much cash do you need? Do they take US dollars or only Euros?
Hi! No one takes USD so I recommend bringing enough Euros for whatever goodies you like from the markets. If you want to buy things more than just food, I would bring more to spend! Most places did not take credit card.
Greetings. that is superb !catch ya later, Obsessionchick! ;)
Thank you!
How much cash (in Euros) would you recommend taking for two people?
Hi Earnest - I think if most of your purchases are on your card, I think $100-$150 is more than enough for two people of just casual spending!
We took a Christmas cruise once and there was a 128 children on board running the halls
Well it is a holiday after all. Viking doesn't permit children so there's that
"Piles of dirt"??? It's winter...they are replanting. You're putting them down for preparing for the Spring. Flowers don't grow year round. And then you say, "...what should be the picturesque Wachau Valley...", so because it's winter it can't be picturesque. I thought it looked amazing. Good job on the rest? lol
The Viking crew magic can only go so far to keep winter away! Thanks for enjoying the video.
The German food was probably really good but that's how it is in Europe everything's more bland than in America.😊