We looked at many options before booking our first river cruise, the Rhine Getaway with Viking, and for the price & airfare with a suite upgrade, we were amazed at the quality of the overall experience. The longships are the nicest ones we looked at, and age of a ship is important- who wants to spend a week+ in a shabby floating hotel! The upgraded suite with private balcony and living area was more than we expected- beautiful finishes, color schemes, and so well laid out. We liked having the separate areas and the large flat screen TVs if one person wanted to read or watch a movie, you could simply slide the door between the two rooms. The bath and large spa shower were quite large by most standards, and also well thought out.

If you are looking for gourmet dress-up meals, this is not what Viking is about. We loved the casual dining atmosphere, and the food was outstanding, but not overly rich or fancy, which allowed you to just come in after a long day off the ship, freshen up, and enjoy a good meal with good company. The service is slick and accommodating, as your waiter types your menu choices into a hand-held device, and voila...your meal appears perfectly prepared. Of course, you can upgrade your beverage package, but we found the local wine and beer selections to be quite good.

This cruise is so great, because you cruise at night with the exception of the one day you are cruising the mid-Rhine and blown away by seeing castle after castle- something like a fairy tale. The top deck is a great vantage point for this day, and there are comfortable deck chairs and lounges. We never felt the ship move- that's how stable the longships are. The only time we ever noticed a slight bump was moving through some of the locks at night. Read more