This was our fifth river cruise, fourth on Viking, the last was the Danube two years ago. We did not use Viking's pre-hotel stay as due to a committment we could only spend two nights in Paris pre-cruise. The hotel we stayed at (near Louvre) booked a cab take us to the dock to board Viking Pride (24 Euros) and we arrived around 12:30PM, our bags were taken and we went to the lounge area to meet our fellow travelers and relax until the cabins were available at 3PM. The Pride was docked alongside a nice park and a small town area was located within walking distance. A walking tour of the area was arranged for those wanting to stretch their legs.

We had a standard "C" cabin on mid-deck with a window just above water level. The cabin was comfortable and had both a European as well as American electrical outlet. There was a TV in the room and included CNN, Fox, Sky News, ESPN (yes, we got to see college and NFL games on Saturday/Sunday), National Geographic, Sky Cinema and itinerary and movie channels. Itinerary related movies included shows related to the Eiffel Tower, Musical Paris and Post Impressionist painting. Other movies included Rocky Horror Picture Show, Moulin Rouge, and Perfume, the story of a murderer. (Note: cabin 240 is situated by the ice machine. We were asked not to get ice after 10PM)

Most travelers were Americans with a few Canadians as well. Read more