Viking European River Cruises - 6 Key Must-Knows Before You Go
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 มิ.ย. 2024
- Viking River Cruises is probably the best known European river cruising company, and has a wide range of river cruise options in Europe. Before you decide to go on a European river cruise with Viking River Cruises, I share with you 6 important watch outs and things I think you need to know. All things I would like to have known in detail before I did a river cruise with them. I explore things like what they offer, the on board facilities and experience, what the Viking river cruise fare covers, which they are best suited for ( and who your likely passengers will be) and the dress code.
Note: I did travel as a guest of Viking River Cruises before making this video. They covered my fare in a 7-night Danube cruise on the Viking Vilhjalm. The fare for the standard cabin would have been £2,645 (US $3,000) including flights and transfers from London Heathrow to and from the ship.
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I went on a Viking river cruise last year. I pillaged 3 villages and a monastery.
Wow...lol
And you felt it necessary to add this comment because....?
ha ha
@@maryjanezimmerman7953 take a chill pill Mary jane
@@maryjanezimmerman7953 bruh
Ironically I am on a Viking river cruise right now and Gary is on our ship!
I watched your video and being a veteran of only one Viking River Cruise (the Grand European from Amsterdam to Budapest) I can say that I agree with all that you said. I would add that Viking does a great job of the before and after. What I mean is, they made it simple to arrange flights and transport to get to the ship and they have options to extend your vacation to other places. I was very impressed with the Viking serving staff. Absolutely top notch in my experience. I would recommend to watching your video to anyone contemplating a Viking river cruise.
I have scheduled our first Viking river cruise for’24 . We have been sailing river cruises since the Covid seasons with Amawaterway and America Queen River Cruise lines already. Hubby does not enjoy the small boats. He likes the large ships. I hope Viking will entice him.
We just returned from a Viking cruise. It was fabulous. We did find that people dressed up for dinner the first night but after that it progressively became jeans, shorts, and whatever they had on for the tour that day. People were tired from their travels and not wanting to get dressed up. We overpacked as far as nice clothes were concerned. There was a 15% gratuity included in our plan, but we still struggled with gratuities because I believe that 15% covered the more 'hidden' employees such as in the kitchen and those who cared for the rooms. It was suggested to tip tour guides 2 euro per person and the bus driver 1 euro per person, but it was difficult to come up with the euro coins. The smallest paper denomination is 5 Euro. We bought gum just to get euro coins so we could tip properly. It would be nice if Viking would make change at the front desk. Sometimes we didn't have enough coins and were scrambling.
I agree about the Euros! However, when buying sovereigns we gave large bills and usually got some coins back. However, many passengers tipped in USD and it was happily accepted.
I would add that on our GE no one wore jeans ever.
Also the servers and cabin stewards don't get a large portion of the pre paid gratuity, so we definitely tipped them extra and again they were happy to take USD. The service is way way above and beyond, so PLEASE tip them!!
Did a Viking cruise last year and my family loved every second of it! 78 to 24 years old and we can’t stop talking about it even now! It was a perfect family/50th anniversary trip.
This video absolutely hit what it was like to travel with Viking. Well done 🫡
You definitely helped us be properly informed and prepared for are trip. Thank you, thank you and thank you!!!!
I absolutely loved my experience with Viking. If you like walking, trying new foods, and cultural events, you will enjoy it. The open dining arrangement is a big plus. I met a lot of interesting people, many from the UK.
Great timing. Was just watching several of your other videos. Keep up the good work. Thanks
You forgot to mention that the airfares and transfers are also included. Although they do give a choice to book these yourself. These are great relaxing breaks and I would highly recommend Viking Cruises after being on 3.
Transfers are included, but airfare is not. That is an extra cost. I just looked today and saw "from $799," which doesn't seem too bad.
By far the best cruise I have been on. Looking forward to cruising again on Viking.
I really enjoy watching your content. I have cruised in the past never on a river cruise only Caribbean. You have a wealth of knowledge thank you for sharing your best practices and experiences!
We loved out Viking cruise. Highly recommened. already booked for next year.
Truly a terrific video! Thanks!
Fantastic tips, very similar to what we found on Avalon river cruises. Thanks for sharing.
Very good information. I've taken 4 cruises with Viking and have two more scheduled. Something to add is there are bottles of water in your cabins, and every time you exit the ship they hand you one. They also have two ships, the Legend and Prestige that operate on the Danube currently, that have single cabins available. Thank you again for such excellent information. 😊
Thank you for the tips... much appreciated
Having just completed our first river cruise (Viking Delling) your tips and comments are spot on. Would only add that in addition to all day coffee/tea, they also have cookies available (the oatmeal raisin ones were especially tasty). Most of the staff was genuinely friendly, some you could tell had to dig deep (no doubt they work long shifts and taking care of 200 passengers week in and week out can be tiring).
Well done. A very informative video. Thank you
We did Viking Danube last November... It rained one day, snowed another... and yet we have nothing but wonderful memories and pictures! They took care of us from the moment we stepped off the plane to the moment we checked our bags at the ticketing counter to fly back home. We could not have asked for more! Next year we're taking their China river cruise!
One correction, we were on a Viking river cruise between Amsterdam and Basel last year. There was no age restriction. My daughter of 16 was with us. There were a couple of other kids younger. But the average age was around 50-60. But she was bored most of the time. The WiFi on our ship sucked, no way to say it better. And the other Viking ships we docked next to had similar issues. This made it extremely difficult to send emails (almost impossible) not to mention trying to download your daily videos. Forget it. Bring lots of memory so you won’t have to rely on the WiFi. The only real beef was the gratuity push, especially towards the end of the cruise. While we took care of the girl who cleaned our rooms, they gave us two envelopes, one for the staff and one for the managers. Personally I gave some to the staff above and beyond the direct tips to our girl, but I refused to give moneys to the management for doing their job. I have to assume they got paid pretty well as compared to the actual workers. So no tip for them.
Overall we loved the trip, nice to not unpack at each hotel and no crowds like those huge super ocean liners with thousands of people. We stayed in the cheapest cabins, at water level. If I did it again I’d spring for the next level up where we could see more scenery as we traveled. Just a heads up, most of the actual traveling is done at night, so while I thought we would see more as we traveled, we did not. But still a nicer cabin would be better. They are small, pack with small suitcases. Easier to store under your bed. Breakfasts are the best. Lunch is pretty good. Dinners in my opinion were hit or miss.
it's new and just went into effect within the last year. If you bought tickets prior to the new rule you may have been grandfathered in.
under 18 are no longer allowed
I've been researching river cruises. I'm 51 and wondering if I'd be bored. I can't imagine a teenager enjoying it. The next room up that you are referring to is the French balcony. That's the one I think I'd pick if we were to do one, but I'm still only browsing. It's so expensive, but they look really nice. For my husband and I it would be roughly $10,000 (Romantic Danube - Budapest to Regensburg/8 Days). It just seems like we could fly direct to London and do a nice 2 week vacation traveling from London and throughout France for that cost, maybe even less.
@@penelopepitstop762 yea I understand about the cost. We were four of us and I think it was around $14,000. But they included airfair for all of us. We booked kinda late and I guess they were trying to fill up the boat. So incentives were used to get us in. The lower deck rooms were the only ones available. Not a deal breaker, considering the savings we got. They had some variability too on arrival and departure flights. Some of us left earlier and my dad stayed longer. I think the limit was 30 days if memory serves me. While my daughter was kinda bored, we made it part of a larger vacation as we have family near Basil the end point. We are actually thinking of doing another one in the coming years, this time to Budapest. Go for it…
The sites are awesome. We came from Germany but we saw stuff we never saw before.
@@hammer-r yes, that is a lot of money! Think of what all you could do with that on a regular land vacation. I have two different European trips planned (in my head still, not booked lol) - Budapest/Vienna and London/France. I’m in the US and I think once things get back to normal, we can fly direct for about $600. At least we could before the pandemic. Thanks for all the info. I appreciated your review.
Useful review
This upload is so so good. Looking to go in 2 years. Bucket list!!!
Did a 14 day Amsterdam to Budapest with Viking, took the Silver Spirits and gratuities packages so no surprises at the end . . great tours, fantastic service from staff (probably the best cruise staff we've ever dealt with) and excellent food. Ship and numbers seemed perfect. We will certainly cruise with Viking again.
My husband and I are looking at taking a European river cruise next year so I very much appreciate your high quality videos. Thank you. Jeannine
Thanks so much. Great to hear this helped ! Appreciate you watching 😀
Very helpful tips. Thanks for sharing!
Your video is spot on -- agree with everything you mentioned. We cruised Viking River in September 2018 and had an awesome experience. Viking really has their act together. Even though we had to "switch ships" mid-cruise due to low river levels, Viking made it all seamless and easy for us, despite the huge logistical issues "behind the scenes." We heartily recommend Viking River and we will be looking to try their ocean product soon.
Took my first river cruise with Viking this past September on the Danube. Very much enjoyed it! Well worth every penny. I went with friends. The folks who got the balcony rooms were very disappointed because we parked next to other boats a lot so their use of the balcony was limited. Also, the big suites at the end of the ship (the Explorer Suite) is right where the motor is so the room shakes and it's loud when the boat is underway. The Viking crew apologized but there was obviously nothing they could do about it. Just another warning. The crew were fantastic and I would not hesitate to take another cruise with Viking!
One traveller
We've decided to give our business to Viking River moving forward, since they were the first to pausing cruising during the coronavirus pandemic. Also with their footprint, future into the Mississippi, they'll have our preference. The included excursions really starts to help justify the price.
We just returned from the Danube waltz n loved it
WOW...Hollywood Style & Video...You really know how to push the limits of your Drone!
Very informative. You answered all of my questions. Thank you.
Our first river cruise was with Viking where we went on the Danube Christmas Market cruise from Nuremburg to Budapest. It was a fantastic cruise and we thoroughly enjoyed the excellent service, great dining, excellent excursions and touring through the historic region. The Christmas markets in every city were magical. We were so impressed that we're taking our second trip on Viking Ocean cruises this fall to Greece, Turkey and Italy.
when one does a Christmas market river cruise, are there typically less excusions/walking/activities? Or can you still see other historic sites, get in lots of steps, etc? Thanks
Gratuaties dependent on package, They were included in my package. The drinks package was worth it, unless you have 2 drinks or less a day. Only wore long trousers for the Capt's farewell party. Was impressed going for another one next year.
At 50, we were the second youngest couple on the cruise, but we had a blast! Service was fantastic, and they make it easy to communicate. They provide a wealth of information on the stops.
Perfect video for those like me who want to know what to expect on the river cruises. No gym? No kids? Would never book the underwater rooms, would be first to flood if hull is ruptured.
Excellent video. Informative, clear, concise, to the point. Love that you worked yourself into the scenes, a la Alfred Hitchcock. Actually helpful, as we can judge the height of various areas, as you are quite tall. Very helpful point about "dress code" so that those considering do not overpack. Thank you again. Keep up the great work. Interested in your thoughts about the ports you actually visited on this trip - highs and lows, etc.
We had a wonderful time on the Grand European cruise with Viking. We had to take a bus part middle of the trip way due to a blockage.
Five years ago I took our youngest son on Viking from Budapest to Amsterdam-he was 25 then-the youngest passenger by far. He enjoyed it as much as I. We also did two nights pre in Budapest. It’s a beautiful city. Two years ago my husband, brother-in-law and I did Viking Moscow to St. Petersburg. This December, husband and I, two brothers-in-law (both widowers) are sailing Viking in the West Indies. It will be our first Viking ocean cruise. I’m thoroughly impressed with Viking.
Your vids are really exceptional! Thanks!
Love Vikings river cruise, been a while, last one was 5 yrs ago out of Bordeaux.
Excellent, practical, information. Thanks.
Thanks! This was very informative and makes me even more excited about our upcoming cruise
Great tips. A Viking River cruise is on my bucket list. Keep cruising. 🚢
It was great! Good to have on the list 😀
We prepaid gratuities when we sailed with Viking 4 years ago. The whole experience was amazing, and the best vacation we ever had! Worth every penny. Going on one of their ocean cruises next.
I JUST LOVE YOUR CHANNEL !!!!!!!!!!! :)
Excellent presentation~!
Excellent video Gary. It is such a nice service you provide as you share your knowledge, experiences and opinions regarding traveling on a cruise ship. I don’t know of any other resource to find the content/information you provide, and your presentation style is superb; always straightforward, objective and to the point. I’m sure that when you cruise and film/edit your videos documenting your onboard experience that the time and effort approaches that of a full time job. Again, many thanks for all your effort and fine productions!
Thanks so much. Great to hear. Appreciate you watching 😀 It is a lot of work and kind comments like this make it worthwhile !
Excellent information, thank you!
My husband and I are booking the Paris and Normandy Viking cruise for our honeymoon! Thanks so much for the advice. :)
We've just booked our third cruise worth Viking. Can't praise then enough. Our previous two cruises (The Grand European tour and the Douro) were two of our best holidays ever. One point to add...most of the European cruises now have the gratuities included.
Thanks for a very useful guide!
Great vid. We’re going in may Can’t wait looks great.
You got lucky Michael when your trip was cancelled.
Thank you for this! I am an Expedia Cruise ship agent in Chilliwack BC and I have clients currently interested in Viking. I will send them the link to this. Yes Canadians go cruising too, surprise !
Awesome, thanks. Great to hear you found it helpful enough to recommend 😀
We have been with Viking on the Rhine, the Rhône, the Douro, in Bourdeaux, the Danube, ocean cruises in the Baltics, Southeast Asia, South America, and Mediterranean scheduled for this summer. First class all the way, every time. In warmer seasons, do spring for a real balcony on the riverboats. Try to avoid a stateroom in the very back (stern) , since the engines are back there. But do go, and do enjoy.
Thanks, very timely for us as we'll be booking our cruise in the next few months.
Great! Good to hear. 😀
Don't tarry! They are already taking bookings for 2022.
I watched your river cruising video before my sister and I took the Paris-Normandy cruise in March. I do recommend it- both the video and the cruise. We had a wonderful trip on the Viking Kadlin. EDITED TO ADD: I'm a disabled veteran with middling mobility issues and had little difficulty on the trip, none in the cabin with it's walk-in shower. Another passenger was in a wheelchair and she and her family received extra assistance from the staff. However as this video points out, European castles and old cities aren't ADA-friendly. The shore excursions are rated by difficulty which is helpful.
Love that itinerary!!
I just came back from that itinerary on the Rolf, which I did with my mother. I'm 50 and was on the younger end of the passengers, maybe a handful of others under 50. Mom is an active 80 yo, but wasn't the oldest by any means.
The shower was great, almost painful water pressure! The food was very good and most of the staff were excellent, although there were a restaurant server or two that could use some more professional training.
What I enjoyed about the river cruise vs ocean was the smaller contingent of passengers and the high staff to passenger ratio. You really got to know people, and my mom even made some friends who live in her same town! We met them for the first time at the airport in Miami. They even gave her a ride home at the end (saved me the slight inconvenience of getting Mom home).
I am booked on that same cruise in July of 2024. I have some mobility issues too. Thank you for sharing.
Glad I watched this since we’re going on a Viking cruise this summer.
Thanks! Next week I do a video of the longships in more detail and hope that helps too
UPDATE: We recently got back from the Prague to Paris tour. Viking is top notch. They met us at the airport in Frankfurt and Paris when we left. The staff was wonderful, I was sick the first 3 days. The restaurant manager came to our room with a menu to bring dinner to me and one of the servers made a special drink with ginger, honey and lemon when I finally emerged. I do have 2 complaints, when I was sick they told us we could take our chances to get a taxi to go to the hospital emergency room and hopefully make it back before the ship left. I opted to stay in bed thinking I had a sinus infection. I felt they could have offered to send someone who spoke German to translate at the hospital if we went. My husband found a pharmacy and communicated by demonstrating my symptoms and brought back meds. The other thing is, I’m the vegetarian in our group and found the dinners not to be very appetizing, they have a heavy meat menu and gave me mushroom dinners too many times so I ate breakfast and a good lunch. I’m glad we did the river cruise but probably wouldn’t go on one again.
I'm jealous, that's something I wanted to do forever.
I’ve really enjoyed your channel over the past two years and have only recently subscribed as I tend to be very selective in managing my subscriptions. I find each of your videos extremely informative and appreciate your efforts to demystify the travel experience for this line of river cruises. On a whim, I ended up booking one of these to tack on to my itinerary following an ocean cruise with another line. Thanks to you, I’ve gained the confidence to be able to create a once-in-a-lifetime travel itinerary that Im looking forward to.
I've wanted to go on a Viking river cruise, for a while. I discovered them while watching Downton Abbey on television in the US. One day, I'll get the courage to hop the pond, I loathe long flights. Great video as always.
A trans Atlantic flight is only about 8 hours; its not like you are flying from New York to Tokyo.
very informative. thanks for posting.
We took the Danube River Cruise in 2019 (late fall) and we can tell you that we did not miss a balcony. It was really too chilly to enjoy one, but we got the same view and experienced the open door with the Juliette balcony. So, if it's fall or winter, you might not need to splurge on a balcony. When on the trip, we were informed that Viking was in the process of building several new ships dedicated to the Chinese tourist because of the huge influx of Chinese on the rivers. We LOVED our trip and felt nothing but pampered the entire trip.
I've been on 2 (Russia and Bucharest to Budapest) and they were marvelous.
We did the cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. Viking does everything first class. My only issue was the allotted time allocated for shore excursions. Other than that we had a great time and are planning our next vacation with them.
Did the Paris to Zurich on Mosel & Rhine cruise spending 2 days in Paris with added trip to The foot of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps with a stop at Interlaken Switzerland with 2 days in Zurich. Excellent trip.
Awesome video! Thanks from Indiana
Good job Gary. Sounds like a interesting way to cruise Europe .
Thanks so much. Great to hear. Appreciate you watching this one! It is great way to see Europe
Great video!!! My wife and I have already made reservations for next July with Viking. Can't wait.
Jim you got lucky and your cruise was cancelled.
@@richardargst157 what is it exactly about Viking you dislike? I've seen several negative remarks, but with no facts or comments for follow up?
@@kellyturner9743 Are you kidding? Read my comments again. My comments are very specific and my observations are mine.
As always, a great video with very useful information just like all your previous videos on river cruising. I'll probably transition to river cruising once I've done most or all of the ocean routes. The only downside I think is no sea days... I do love lazy sea days. Still, I suspect river cruising is on the whole a lot more peaceful and less chaotic than a 4,000 passenger ship. Thanks, Gary!
Thanks! Appreciate you watching. If you are like me then you have a lot of ocean routes to do as I keep adding to the list ! A good problem to have though 😀
Excellently presented and informative which has made my mind up on which company to use. Thank you
Thanks! Great to hear this helped
Excellent review. The facts rather an advertorial. Many thanks
Great to hear! I try and offer a balanced view. It’s what I like to watch so make them that way. Thanks
@@tipsfortravellers Will you answer Robert's question?
My husband and I have been on 3 Viking river cruises -Danube, Yankze and Douro and all were absolutely wonderful. Would only ever cruise with Viking
Great video. Love Viking. Went on the Christmas markets cruise on the Danube last year and had an amazing time. Going to go again this year, as well as Paris-to-Normandy. Can't wait!!! But yes, I can't say enough about Viking. Excellent service, great experience, great time.
Great to hear you like Viking. I had a great time. I’d really like to do Christmas markets cruise
Husband and I are also doing the Christmas markets Danube cruise Nov. 24 -Dec 1. He's looking forward to the optional Beerfest & Microbreweries tours, too! Maybe we'll run into you!
Perhaps. Hope you guys have an amazing time!
Thanks for the tips
Super informative video! This helps us plan for our 2022 river cruise. Question: Did you use Viking Air? I see their offers with lower fares but wonder what that experience is like. I'm concerned about diffcult schedule times like 5 AM flights, extremely long layovers, having to pay extra fees for all kinds of stuff like seat assignments, carry on or checked bags, being the last to board, or having seats assigned where we don't sit together. If you have used that and can share your experience with Viking Air we would appreciate it. We would be coming from the USA East coast. Thanks again for this great video!
He is spot on about Viking! Such a great experience! We did the Grand Tour and it was fabulous.
He is spot on? Run, don't walk away from Viking!
Douglas how much were you paid to shill for Viking??
william hamilton not a cent. We had a great trip. We will go again in the future.
Great video.
Thanks so much. Great to hear. Appreciate you watching 😀
Our last Viking Cruise was on the Elbe we were notified 7 days before leaving that the boats would not be sailing. We decided to go anyway as they offered us 50% off if we elected not to cancel. When we boarded the boat the crew said the boats were sitting on the bottom of the Elbe and have not moved for 2 months. Disappointed that Viking only gave us 7 days prior to sailing to decide if we wanted to cancel. First bus trip we have ever been on.
Thank you for showing that river cruise ships dock next to each other, thus blocking any view from your cabin. Note that to get to shore, you may have to pass thru other ships!
In addition, beware of river levels. The ships can not travel if the water level is too high, or too low. You may be bused from town to town.
They have the most thought out bathrooms and room arrangements.
Loved the crew. Took excellent care to make your criuse experience enjoyable. Loved the river cruise better than an ocean. If you take a Viking criuse you will not be sorry.
They are very well respected and received wherever you tour on land.
Greetings, Gary, from another Canadian viewer. Your vlogs are wonderfully informative and to the point! My husband and I will be taking out first Viking River cruise (St Petersburg to Moscow) in September. This past fall, we sailed on the Viking Sky and had a fabulous time. Many thanks for your great tips!
We went on a cruise from regenburg to Budapest last year it was awsome nothing was 2 much trouble for the staff on board.
Would love to go again .
Thanks, good information.
Can always count on your vlogs to give a plethora of useful knowledge wrapped into a short, enjoyable, watchable time frame. Thank you sir for being my new go-to. This has sparked an interest for me in European River Cruising
Thanks so much. Great to hear. Appreciate you watching 😀 Good to hear it helping you think more about a river cruise
I did the Viking Cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. What you fail to mention is that , at least on my cruise
Smiled when I saw you coming down the stairs wearing an O'Neill shirt as I'm wearing a different O'Neill shirt watching this, kind of an inside joke thing as that's my last name.. This is timely as we were to take our second Viking Ocean cruise recently but our ship, Viking Sky, encountered a bit of a "problem" off the coast of Norway which has been well documented. Our cruise a few days later was cancelled. Viking refunded our fare and gave us a significant credit towards any future cruise so we're considering our first river cruise in addition to another sea cruise. I've been very impressed with them.
Hello fellow O’Neill t-shirter! Thanks for watching. Good to hear how Viking handled your missed cruise. Hope you enjoy a European river cruise if you do decide on that!
Cool Breeze Plumbing
Bathroom water fixtures
Too bad you couldn't use the credit with another cruise line.
Did the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise. What they don’t tell you is that whenever you go through a lock (there were 68 of them on our journey!) or under a low bridge, they close off the topmost (“sun”) deck to passengers. Going through a lock takes anywhere from 30-40 min. So you are restricted to only 2 decks for a good portion of your on board time.
Really good video
Thanks! Great to hear. Appreciate you watching 😀
Great info, thank you
My family and I are considering a river cruise with Viking this year. We have done two river cruises with UniWorld and were quite impressed. We did face a water issue on our Danube trip with them. Unfortunately, we spent a good deal of traveling time on a tour bus in lieu of traveling on the Danube. We also had to change ships on our final night in Budapest. Quite a major disappointment for us. Based on what I am reading, I want to give Viking a try. I believe the gratuities were included with UniWorld but their prices are also higher.
ty
wonderful info and presentation
Great info thks 🚔
This is an excellent presentation on Viking. I've gone on several Viking cruises, and on their river competitors, who are also quite fine. I'd go back on a Viking cruise in a heartbeat. I greatly prefer a river cruise over cruise lines with over 1,000 passengers. River cruises get into the heart of a small town, and it's easy to walk about on shore. It's an intimate adventure, and I've mad good friends when there's only 100-150 passengers aboard.
I wouldn't strongly recommend going if you are not a decent walker, until you have checked out each town in advance of signing on. Sure one quite adept and strong with a wheelchair can "do it" in any town, however some of the old towns visited are a definite physical challenge with cobble stone streets, steeply rising streets, narrow store entrances (stores may be 300 years old) , inadequate restroom access, etc., if you are not otherwise quite fit and good with balance on cobblestones with your wheelchair or walker, so your experience on land could be quite limited in some towns, and may not be at all limited in others.
That's the feedback I gotten from those who have used walkers or wheelchairs for assistance on river cruises.
Best to ask specifically about the situation in each town on a trip's itinerary relative to you abilities and needs, before booking it.
We did a fabulous cruise with Viking along the Douro but I wouldn’t do one again. We paid for a balcony but 6 nights out of 7 we were parked against another ship and had to keep the curtains closed and light on to get ready for dinner and breakfast which spoilt it quite a bit. The ship and the staff were excellent though.
As always, a brilliant presentation Gary 👍🏻. Your thoughts on Tauck River Cruises vs. Viking vs. AmaWaterways. 🧐
Thanks! Great to hear. I’ve not cruised on Tauck yet (only toured one of their ships). Viking and AmaWaterways are fairly similar in terms of level of service, food, tours. If you looking for more focus on active and wellness then AMA may appeal as they have a dedicated wellness and fitness person on the ship who runs classes and they have bikes and a bike tour in most ports as well as hiking ones
I am about to go on my 5th Viking Cruise. They are wonderful. My only wish they had a better single person fee. I have no wish to go on a huge ocean cruise. Too many people for me and I don’t need or want all those extras. That being said I am going on a Viking Ocean Cruise Norway-British Isles this fall. I know that I will be well taken care of. I really love that they treat you as you are intelligent
We loved our first Viking River Cruise. We have postponed due to Covid twice. Trying again in 2022
Us too! My husband and I are doing the Paris-Normandy trip and the first time we were supposed to go in 2020; then again in 2021, now we are scheduled for 2022 and I am praying that it will not be postponed again! It always breaks my heart when I get the news.
Having river cruise experiences; One of my goals
Just do it! Life is short. Besides, just as in the 1930s, people who delayed their European travel found it off limits to them for 15 years, till WW 2 ended. With the crazy way things are going internationally, it could happen again. And if anything breaks out while you ARE abroad, you are far safer with Viking than you would be on your own, or with another tour.
Yes! Do it, but not with Viking!
Concise advice; Thanks...! 😃🙃👣
Thank you!!
Dear Mr Bembridge, thanks for your videos they have confirmed my suspicion that all types of cruising is not for my wife and I. Too many people too close, lying in the sun is a definite no where I come from. I prefer to fly into a city, stay in 5 star self catering, use local transport. Live like a local for a week. For the next two weeks I hire a car , we find a village between two cities and travel to both by car , then move on to another area for the last week and do the same. Thanks for saving me from cruising. Think I would go crazy
Love your videos👍👋😊
I was looking at Viking so this was really helpful. Plus, I like the guy's voice. Sometimes folks on these videos have very annoying voices or accents that are hard to listen to. His is nice and moderated, plus with his British accent, easy to understand!
Thanks 😊
Mary Carla Yea Gary is very good, and so is Visit With Us, he also has a pleasant British voice.
If you want a Great European River cruise IN MY OPINION look at Scenic or Evergreen
I did Amsterdam to Budapest