We really didn’t know what to expect from this cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. We have sailed on the Nile in the past, but never on a European river, so although we had some idea of what was involved, we were in the dark a little with what to expect. However, Viking did look after us very well indeed right from start to finish. One thing that does however remain the same as the Nile boats, is that you can be moored up tight against another river boat, which is standard practice. Viking have their own mooring/docking points at each port of call. The ‘Viking Daily’ which gives your itinerary for the next day’s activities is delivered during the previous evening.

The Viking Gullveig is very new and the cabins are just wonderful, although really tight on space. Our cabin was No. 334 with a ‘French’ balcony. However, having said that, there is lots of storage space for luggage, clothes, etc. I’ve done a small separate cabin review that should be attached to this review here in Cruise Critic. One thing the boat doesn’t have though is a swimming pool. I don’t know why I thought it did, but perhaps I was thinking more of the Nile boats, as they do have pools on board. Life on board the Gullveig is very relaxing and there’s no ‘dressing up’ unless you really want to of course! The food on board is just excellent – we couldn’t fault a thing. The trips ashore are also very good but, like all package tours and trips, there’s never enough time in each place, however Viking seem to do their very best to give you some free time to do as you wish, which was appreciated.

Everything ran like clockwork aboard the boat and we were unaware of any problems that there might have been. Entertainment is limited and perhaps not to everyone’s taste, but on some nights there is an opportunity to leave the boat to go ashore, which we took advantage of. Read more