Viking Gefjon Review
Incredible Cruise with Great Sightseeing...Super Relaxing
Rating by category
Additional details
Just finished the Grand European cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest for our 25th anniversary. Excellent, excellent, excellent! Viking does it up perfectly. They are so organized and all the shore excursions are planned out to include every detail and timed with precision. The excursions include local tour guides so you really get a feel for each locale that you are in. You can do as much or as little as you want to. Staff is super personable. Definitely do the optional excursions for beer tasting in Cologne, Germany, bus trip to Salzburg, Austria, and wine tasting in Krems, Austria.
Another great part of the Viking experience is that they let you bring your own wine on board. Buy local wine from each port you are in and then drink it that night in the lounge.
The trip itself is over 1,200 miles on various waterways and includes going thru 68 locks while on the Rhine River, Main River, Main-Danube canal (with aqueducts), and then onto the Danube River. They make sure that the very scenic parts of the rivers are cruised during the day for great photo opportunities with the many castles along the rivers.
Cabin Review
Veranda Stateroom
Very clean and well thought out. The bathroom and shower had heated floors! Super quiet (well isolated from adjacent cabins).
Port Reviews
Budapest
This was a bus tour, but we saw all of the Budapest highlights. Later walked to many of the same sights.
Budapest
You must do the Faust Winery wine tasting at the Budapest Hilton. Make reservations...try the tokaju.
Amsterdam
Flight got in a bit too late to see Amsterdam. Only bummer for the entire trip.
Cologne
Local guide was very knowledgeable. Great tour...especially at the Dom (we were there on Easter Sunday).
Miltenberg
Great little town. You must go to the St. Kilian wine shop!
Nuremberg
Did the included shore excursion in the AM and then the optional tour in the PM that traced how many pieces of art were hid beneath the city during WWII (like the movie, The Monument Men). Both tours were great.
Regensburg
Great college town. Lucked out with super nice weather.
Melk
Just beautiful!!! You must see it to believe it.
Melk
Took the optional excursion in Krems to a winery. Well worth it. Included many different wine tastings. Plus, the wine is really inexpensive...and good!
Vienna
Vienna is a great city. Find some free time to sample coffee from a street café.
Vienna
The palace grounds are impeccable. You must see this. Great lesson on history as well.