While Heidi and I have been on over 80 ocean cruises, we just took our first river cruise with @VikingCruises which was not what we expected. So, to help you decide if one of these longships is right for you, we have our honest Viking River cruise review up next.
What it is Really Like on Viking River Cruises 0:00 Introduction 0:58 Why We Decided to Take a Viking River Cruise 2:00 Exceptional Service 2:38 No Need for a Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay 3:35 Streamlined Embarkation 3: 45 What is Included in the Cruise Fare (and What’s Not) 4:55 How Dining Works on the Ship 8:10 What You Will Find Onboard 9:12 Getting Around the Ship 9:54 Onboard Activities and Enrichment 11:15 Staterooms 13:50 What Really Thought of the Cruise 14:40 The Itinerary
OUR FIRST VIKING RIVER CRUISE Viking is synonymous with river cruising, so when the opportunity came to sail the Seine River on the 8-day Paris and the Heart of Normandy itinerary, we jumped at the chance. We have sailed on Viking Ocean cruises, so we are used to the line's level of service. The cruise line makes sure that all guests are well taken care of from the moment they arrive at the airport. From transfers to time ashore, the crew and staff offer exceptional and tailored service to everyone onboard.
The cruise line offers plenty of included amenities that make travel abroad seamless and efficient. Embarkation is a breeze, and getting on and off the ship at each port is casual and simple, with no lines or security hassles.
Along with transfers, the cruise line includes a tour of each port, WiFi, onboard specialty coffees and teas, bottled water, and soft drinks, and all onboard meals. Beer and wine are also included at meals. While the inclusions are great, the ships do have few onboard amenities. There is no fitness center, pool, or spa, although there is a small library.
We were also surprised at the limited onboard enrichment offered during our trip. Besides a local artist giving a lecture on impressionism, the program director gave all of the lectures. Mia was great, fun, and personable, but we expect more in-depth offerings regarding the itinerary and France.
The tours, too, were a mixed bag. We thought all of the tour guides were fantastic. They were knowledgeable and engaging. While we enjoyed many of the included tours, we were disappointed in our bus tour of Paris.
When evaluating the food for this Viking River cruise review, we would say the food quality was better overall than most mainstream cruise lines. Menus were quite limited, but they offered more upscale offerings tailored to the region. Also, we were surprised that both onboard eateries served the same menu.
Each day, the dining times are on a set schedule, with open seating for all meals. So, you will get to know the roughly 160 other guests on the ship quite well.
Our cozy veranda stateroom offered all of the typical features of a larger ship’s room in a tighter space. The bathroom had luxury bath products and heated tile floors. We have plenty of clothes space and additional storage for our gear. There was a small table and chair I was able to use as my office on Viking Radgrid, and having the veranda was a nice touch to watch the banks of the river roll by from the comforts of our room.
The 8-day itinerary included two days in Paris, a morning of self-exploration in La Roche Guyon, a walking tour of the historic city of Rouen, retracing the steps of allied heroes at the beaches of Normandy, and a warm and sunny full day at the quaint village of Les Andelys. Along with included tours, we also opted for optional additional tours of Versailles and the Louvre. Our Seine river cruise also included a tour of Napoleon's chateau and time sailing along this river's historic banks.
