Viking Var Review

4.0 / 5.0
212 reviews

Christmas Markets of Germany

Review for Europe River Cruise on Viking Var
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erochlin
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Dec 2016
Cabin: French Balcony

My daughter and I just returned from a wonderful week visiting the Christmas Markets in Germany on the Viking Long ship, Var. After a little blip in air travel plans with Air Canada connections delayed to Toronto, we enjoyed what I would say was a perfect experience. A call to the Viking hotline when we realized we were going to miss our transatlantic connection in Canada, resulted in a very quick response and rebooking to United to include a cab ride from Washington National to Dulles International. The rest of the flight was uneventful and we were happy to see the friendly Viking Cruise representative who met us in Nuremburg and encouraged us to relax after our long flight and to let Viking take care of everything from this point forward. She was right, Viking is extremely organized, we were able to settle in and not worry about another thing for the entire week.

The Var is a beautiful ship, accommodating 180 passengers. We had a stateroom with balcony that felt roomy. The bathroom included heated floors and a strong shower (important to me). The complimentary shampoo, conditioner, lotion and body wash were of good quality so it’s not necessary to bring your own. A blow dryer was provided as well. Dress on the boat is relatively casual, even at night. I probably over packed. It’s winter in Germany so comfortable walking boots are essential for the cobblestone sidewalks as well as a warm coat, hat and gloves. Bring Euros for the markets and for tipping the guides, other larger stores and restaurants will accept credit cards.

Each day we were in a different port that included a morning tour and then free time to explore the town and markets. We always had time to eat a good breakfast on the ship, either the standard American buffet with made to order eggs or a more European breakfast on the Aquavit deck that my daughter and I enjoyed. Most days we had lunch at the markets, sampling the different wursts and local treats. Every market provided a warm drink for about 3 Euros with a 3 Euro deposit if you wanted to keep the commemorative mug that was unique to each town and fun to collect. Stops included: Nuremburg-the largest market and famous for their wurst on a fresh roll and local mustard (to die for). The Christmas crafts were amazing! We bought little wooden ornaments. We were told that vendors are required to let buyers know if the items are not made in Germany so customers can feel confident that they are buying locally made products. The morning tour included a bus ride through the town with stops at the Nazi rally points and the Nuremburg castle.

Cabin Review

French Balcony

Cabin D
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