marked: the bus has a placard with the same number and letter to let you know you need to board that bus; the tour guide has a red and white sign on a paddle to indicate that group, as well. Also can you remember if those two cities is where the boat docked. Enjoy your cruise! Was our first Viking cruise, so we used your article as a guide. Since there are often different excursions leaving simultaneously, this is an efficient way to find which tour guide to meet as you disembark the ship. We cant say enough about how well-run and maintained the ships are. After morning housekeeping, we had some fresh fruit and baked treats waiting for us in our room. Hi Tanya, Sounds like you have a great cruise coming up! Not used it before (indeed didn't think there were onboard facilities) but its mentioned in the info for our upcoming GET. Thank you. Some other Viking guests enjoyed their visits to the thermal baths, but we opted to do our own thing with the parliament tour and walks to areas recommended by our local tour guide (from the walking tour). The price list is located in each stateroom. For instance, how much is the Top of Cologne in Cologne Germany and is it worth it? NOTE: This article was completely updated in January 2023 from the original article, written in 2019. Did you use local guides? On our cruise, this was done in the Lounge just after the evening port talk by the program director. Cons: Viking is adults only; passengers must be over the age of 18. private bathrooms that are separate from the living Concerning safety, you can sign up for STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program), a free program run by the U.S. Department of State. The dining room has a variety of tables that can seat 6, 8, or 10 people. U River Cruises by Uniworld offers week-long cruises for young adults along Europes riverways. The tags have the time the luggage must be outside the staterooms as well as the time that guests are expected to depart the ship. As you probably know, Viking offers nice quality wine, beer, and soft drinks free of charge at lunch and dinner. Its important to note that when the ship docks somewhere in the morning and you go on an excursion, you sometimes will be brought back to the ship in a different location like another city further down the river. Regardless of their next destinations, all guests had to place their luggage outside their rooms no later than 9:00 am. On both boats we used the laundry They may be familiar enough with Vikings schedule to easily accommodate you. That gives my husband and me plenty of money for tipping the local guides and bus drivers as well as Viking staff before we leave. We are on the Aug Rhine cruise and our 1st river cruise. We were sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest. Thanks!! 1. Any idea if the Terrace will be open for meals in the chill of November? Examples were creamy potato soup, Wiener Schnitzel, and Sacher cake when in Vienna; while in Budapest, the menu featured Hungarian Farmer Salad, Fogas Karpathy (perch and shrimp in white wine sauce), and Zserbo (a layered walnut and chocolate cake). There are three activity levels for excursions: About 15 minutes before each excursion, there is an announcement to remind guests that it is almost time to leave and to remember the listening devices. For a walking tour (directly from the ship), some passengers go on the tour to learn about the destination and then spend the rest of the day shopping, enjoying a meal, or just wandering around. Having to look for the shoe on the last day will remind you to open the safe so you dont forget your valuables. WebCrew members typically work a 6-weeks-on, 2-weeks-off rotation, with up to 13 weeks off annually. My question is about size of our luggage (or size limitation due room size). . How All-Inclusives Redefine Luxury Vacations: Travel Weekly Hi Robin, you pose a great question, but it isnt easy to answer! Is there a retractable clothes line in the shower to accommodate hanging clothes. Trying to guess the weather so we can narrow down what to pack. The staterooms and bathrooms are efficiently designed to maximize usable space, and there are many things to appreciate in the staterooms. Doing the Grand European Trip for our 50th in May of 2023. We always made sure we were back to the ship on time! Attire on a river cruise is casual. Hi Karen, A few things could happen when river levels are too low for cruise ships. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and that things work out for your planned day trips! In-room irons are a huge no-no for the fire hazard they present. Go to the guest service desk and inquire about the excursions you want and if theyre fully booked, ask to be placed on a waitlist. Having said this, there are often opportunities to book optional excursions once you board the ship. The best description and information about Viking River Cruise, thank you for taking the time to write this information, were very appreciate. Laundry That way, youll learn exactly how things will work with getting to and from that specific hotel. We actually enjoyed sitting outside in the dark before bed, too, cruising by small towns.) Since it will be winter with colder temps, I am wondering about the indoor lounging space/common areas on the longboats. We are thinking we would might rather be wandering through the town and trying local cuisine. Their crew is well-trained and genuinely appears to want to make you happy. Is there plenty of space for passengers indoors in the common areas, if the outdoors are too cold or rainy? I just have one clarification about dressing for dinner mentioned in the article you read. Their itineraries are made specifically for a younger audience and include fun theme nights in stylish lounges, active day excursions like hiking and biking, and nightly pub crawls in Europes hottest bars. Sound like you have a great cruise coming up! In my experience, the laundry service on Viking has been excellent. All guests left the ship for excursions (the times of the excursions were modified that day so they would all be timed for the same number of hours). (If you are booked in one of the suites, youll have access to your stateroom at 12:00.) Ever consider a Viking European river cruise? Onboard youll have port talks to prepare you for each new day along with musical entertainment in the lounge. The crew communicates with each other quite well. This was true in Passau, a city of over 50,000, and especially, There are times when river cruise ships have to have guests disembark a ship and then board a sister ship. What to Expect on a Viking River Cruises Ship While each of Vikings 73 river vessels is unique, all offer spacious staterooms and suites with full-size verandas, French balconies or half-height picture windows, and amenities comparable to those found in Concerning laundry, yes, there is a retractable clothesline in the shower. That way, Viking could clean the staterooms and ready the ship for the passengers boarding later that day for the next cruise. We enjoyed relaxing there and enjoying the sights and sounds of being on the ship. (Viking asks that luggage not be placed outside the staterooms when going to bed the previous night due to safety concerns should there be an emergency, having bags in the narrow corridors would pose a safety risk.). What are the chances of excursions still being available when we are on board? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Hi Catherine, Im glad the article was helpful. Yes - best answer is to do your homework first and read the FAQ's about Viking Ocean ships. means extensive walking, hiking, or biking. Is there any laundry facility available on the Viking Mars? Thank you! Powered by Invision Community. Its been a seamless process for us, and it functions well although we do incur additional international charges. Were planning on a dinner in a town, tour of some beer gardens and lunch in Heidelberg, and just walking around. I understand drinks are provided with meals but I enjoy a few drinks before dinner. Your advice about avoiding the far inland tours is wise, I think. has a variety of tables that can seat 6, 8, or 10 people. Tauck offers a paid laundry service on all of its ships. You can store your luggage under the bed(s). Your descriptions of the change of ship due to the broken lock and of docking side by side with other ships were reassuring. We also took along some thank you cards and put in some extra cash to give to those we felt went above and beyond during our cruise. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Viking river cruise, which transported us in great comfort to some amazing European destinations. Going from A to B with two extra days in Amsterdam and Budapest. We were docked next to other ships several times on our 15-day cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. The friends we cruise with have used it and say it is good and turnaround is quick. (European river cruise ships are limited in size due to the rivers they cruise on, so they have the same overall dimensions. (Another idea is to get Euros at one of the airport currency exchange kiosks, but the exchange rates will probably not be favorable.). So for 200 dollars, we got a 400 value good for tickets, flights, an excursion, or even the beverage package. This is by far THE BEST description and information on Viking River Cruises that I have ever read! With over 50 riverboats, there are many cruises ships, dates, and itineraries to consider. A good idea if youre a runner is to check with the reception desk to map out when there will be time in the morning to leave the ship for a jog or run before excursions begin. When this happens, the cruise ship parks parallel to another cruise ship. If you arrive before your guaranteed time of 3:00 pm, you can spend time in the Lounge or leave your luggage on the ship and begin to explore the city on your own. We opted to book through our travel agent with whom we could meet face-to-face, ask questions, and learn from her knowledge of cruising and different cruise companies. You can choose to pre-pay gratuities which we did. Other times, we were still sailing, so he could not. There was a broken lock near Regensburg, about halfway between the two big cities. People are relaxed aboard Viking river cruises (no dressy occasions), and thats one thing people tend to enjoy about the experience. We do the red eye and get into Amsterdam early morning. Im glad you found the article helpful. There are also bright red full-size Viking umbrellas to take along on excursions if its raining. Soap is provided and the machines are free to use. Its relaxed and has an abundant food buffet with soup, a variety of salads, meats, warm sandwiches (like paninis and Cuban sandwiches), fruit, and dessert. In Asia these services range from $2 per item to $5 per item; however, the list of what can be laundered or pressed is more limited on river cruises in Asia. Thank you for your time. An easy way to begin a conversation is to ask where people are from, about their past travel experiences, and what excursions interest them the most. The water levels are extremely low right now. Our US-based cell phone service does not work outside of the US. The number indicates which ship youre on. We went on the Viking excursions (with local guides) and did not book any local guides directly. Dinner begins at 7:00 pm in the dining room. We are planning to take the Grand European Tour in July of 2023. There is a light buffet available in the Lounge around midday, so youll be able to recharge a bit before the cruise begins a nice treat if you just got off a long flight. Once youre on the ship, youll learn the times that the ship will be docked in a city, so you can plan your day. The ships are very clean. Thanks for your kind words, Triana. For handwashed garments, there is a clothesline in the shower. Viking is only offering us a morning excursion the second day in Prague so we are looking to do some exploring on our own. Thank you for all the information. Thank you! Our preferred day at a town where we were docked included a morning walking tour (an included excursion) to get the lay of the land. My husband and I are doing the Grand Tour B > A in early October 2023. Im so glad you found the article helpful, Rich! Is there Internet access on board the ship? We thoroughly enjoyed our Viking river cruise. Thanks so much for the kind words, Laura! However, the information in this article is from our Grand European Tour cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest aboard the Skirnir and Modi (more on the two ships later). Aside from the new safety protocols Viking has put in place your Complete Guide to a Viking River cruise was thoroughly informative, enjoyed the photos and took many notes while reading. Although lunch is available in the dining room, we favored the Aquavit Terrace (at the front of the ship) for our midday meal. A few guests scheduled independent sightseeing tours, and it seemed to work out well for them. Also, you can get Euros from bank ATMs after you land; there are probably some ATMS near your cruise embarkation site. Also located off the main corridor are a couple of, Naturally, safety is a primary concern of travelers and the crew. To conserve resources, you could easily fill a reusable water bottle from home with water in the rooms. Thanks. WebDo you have laundry and dry cleaning facilities? Viking River Cruises laundry - River Cruising - Cruise Critic We had to have our luggage packed and placed outside our stateroom door by 7:00 am on the day of the switch. Please hare your opinion with me. So glad that you had a great cruise! All the best. In my experience, the laundry service on Viking has been excellent. We loved our trip and would recommend it to others. Each time you enter the dining room, you find a table that you want to sit at. Just make sure you are aware of the times the ship will leave the port so you dont miss its departure. Sinks are usually large enough to hand-wash items and My husband had been to a number of these cities on business and wanted me to visit them too, and this makes it sound easy. If you request hangers, things like shirts and jeans come back on hangers instead of folded. Otherwise, we had a brand new crew. We also took along some thank you cards and put in some extra cash to give to those we felt went above and beyond during our cruise. when we traveled) to your shipboard account. No kids. Theres an elevator onboard so its easy to travel from floor to floor if you dont want to use the stairs. We travel light, as well, but the ship will take care of delivering your luggage to your room; we just kept our small carry ons (the ones that fit under the airplane seats) with us. With a higher proportion of full balcony cabins than most river cruise lines, Viking Egil is one of the many ships in the Viking "Longship" fleet. WebThere is no charge for the laundry facilities and laundry soap is included in all washers. If youre interested in figuring out the details, you may want to ask Viking for a bar menu with pricing before making up your mind. The good thing is there are always tomorrows treats to look forward to! Its relatively easy to dress up a pair of jeans a bit, so the overall look is elegant casual. Enjoy your cruise! That way, youll have current informationand be able to talk to people in the know to see if your plans will work. And whichever stateroom you choose, you will find it beautifully designed in the understated elegance for which Viking is known. I have seem videos of rooms but cannot perceive where we can place our 2 luggages + backpacks and not having to hop over them inside our room. Youll find Viking river cruises all through Europe as well as in Egypt and Southeast Asia. Our stateroom steward kept the room immaculate. Good Job!! After clearing customs and immigration and getting our luggage, how do we find Viking to take us to our hotel or how does Viking find us? We received great overviews of a place with the large group tours, but what we remember most were the unique experiences that came from the optional experiences. (When we were in Europe a few years ago, we received texts of some demonstrations in town and were given their locations and advised to stay away. Another option, if the river levels are too low overall, would be for passengers to be bussed from destination to destination, staying in hotels, throughout the cruise. Its a nice place to relax on warm days and enjoy a lunch buffet while taking in the views. Hi Linda, youre facing a big decision: to go with Silver Spirits or not! Self-service laundry on a cruise ship is often free, but there may be a charge of up to $3.50 to use the machines and $2 for detergent, depending on the ship. Well do the Grand European from B to A in October this year.
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