Viking Embla Review

4.0 / 5.0
167 reviews

Great Experience

Review for Europe River Cruise on Viking Embla
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Belle Star
2-5 Cruises • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Jul 2013

The crew was great, very accommodating in all aspects. Cabins are smaller than ocean cruise ships, but very efficient with all needed amenities including refrigerator. Veranda added additional room, but upper deck verandahs not necessary as you are often rafted to a ship next to you in port. On the river, views are the same on either deck. There are many many towns you pass while cruising, and a verandah is well worth the additional expense. Included tours are similar in each town, visiting the main church and a few other sights. Guides are sometimes hard to understand due to listening device and accents. Sufficient time to explore towns after included tours (usually about 90 minutes). We participated in only two optional tours, opting instead to wonder through the town ourselves. Dinning was very nice (all casual) usually with two options, the dinning room or the indoor/outdoor terrace. Meals were very well prepared with appropriate size portions. Note the sun deck is closed while on the Main Canal (about 4 days) due to low bridges. Entertainment is limited to a piano, but numerous talks on the canal and other subjects added to the voyage. Expect to learn the names of most of the 190 passengers aboard as the ship is relatively small and you are almost always dinning with more than 2 people.

The captain and crew reacted very well to lock strikes and other challenges to reschedule excursions to ensue we had the full experience.

If departing from Budapest, consider several days on your own prior to starting the cruise. Great city with lots to offer. Hotels can easily get you to the ship at minimal cost. Departing we used the ships transportation which made the final leg of the trip easy.

Cabin Review

Cabin VB

Cabin 211, verandah B accommodation. Nice cabin not too far a walk to the dinning room and front of the ship, We felt the additional cost for a Verandah A cabin (same cabin on the deck above) was not worth the money. The ship was often rafted to another ship with no view (except the people in the cabin next to you which was often comical). Additionally, the verandah A cabins received noise from joggers on the sun deck early in the AM. Either side of the ship is fine as the ship often docked on both sides depending on the port. The verandah provides additional space inside, as well as outside on the verandah, compared to the french verandah. People in the lower staterooms with only a small window at the very top of the room (the remainder may have been underwater) reported noise from the engines, etc. and most wished they had a view from their cabin. We heard no noise nor engine vibration what-so-ever. I would chose the exact cabin again.

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