Viking Rinda Review

4.0 / 5.0
215 reviews
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Editor Rating
4.0
Very Good
Overall
Jamey Bergman
Contributor

As with the other "Longships," German-built Viking Rinda represents a new take on river hospitality, one in which a sleek, Scandinavian ambience is the antithesis of river's traditionally fusty vessels.

What first strikes you as you step onboard? Sunlight. Streaming in through the glass-enclosed, two-story atrium is enough light to allow real flowers to grow. With backlit marble panels rising above a terrazzo floor and wood-and-glass staircase, and pale, earth-toned decor, the space has energy and natural appeal. If the ambience reminds some of Seabourn's Odyssey class, that's not a coincidence -- the vessels share the same lead designer, Norwegian firm Yran & Storbraaten.

But beyond the airy vibe of its public spaces, Viking Rinda floats a whole raft of features new to river cruising in Europe.

Fittingly for a line named after Scandinavian conquerors, there is a sense of minimalism on Rinda. You can perhaps best see the efficiency and maximization of available area onboard in the surprising new signature spaces that have been conjured: the Aquavit Terrace, the two largest true suites on a riverboat in Europe (each with separate living room and bedroom), not to mention seven slightly smaller true suites with separate living and sleeping rooms, and an increased number of cabins with full and French balconies.

Don't be fooled, though; creating those spaces was more hard work than magic. The designers' creation of such new spaces required a lot of rethinking about the basic structure of river ships. To fit under the bridges and through the locks of Europe's inland waterways, riverboats have to meet specific size requirements. If length or depth is extended past those limits, the ship won't sail.

As a workaround, designers blunted the traditional pointy-nosed bow of Viking's ships to provide more space. The result was Aquavit Terrace. A lovely open-air cafe on the ship's bow, the venue provides something of a river rarity: an alternative casual eatery with indoor/outdoor seating.

It also positioned interior corridors off-center to accommodate cabins -- full balconies on one side and narrower cabins, some elevated to suites with separate sleeping and living areas, placed sideways on the other side.

Less visible, but no less cutting-edge, are the ship's "green" advances, including hybrid diesel-electric engines which burn less fuel and produce 20 percent fewer emissions, making longships cleaner and quieter than their competitors. There are even solar panels on the sun deck that help to fuel the engines. And the ship's chef maintains an organic garden on Rinda's upper deck during growing season.

The ride onboard is slow and smooth as you pass by scenery that includes the Rhine Gorge -- or Upper Middle Rhine Valley -- a UNESCO World Heritage site littered with history-rich vistas of castles and medieval towns.

About

Passengers: 190
Crew: 50
Passenger to Crew: 3.8:1
Launched: 2013
Shore Excursions: 18

Sails To

Sails From

Fellow Passengers

The general age for river cruise passengers is 60 and older, but Rinda and other Longships, with their contemporary design, were built with an eye toward attracting a slightly younger traveler. Regardless of age, passengers tend to be well-traveled (though many are visiting Europe for the first time).

Viking Rinda Dress Code

Casual, comfortable attire is encouraged for both ship and shore on Viking Longships. The must-pack item is, without question, a comfortable pair of walking shoes for shore tours. As the ship sails in Europe, with its lovely and historic landscapes, tours frequently involve cobblestones and other uneven surfaces. Both the staff and the daily program provide ample notice when this is the case.

Generally, passengers "dress up" to varying degrees in the evenings, but never to the level of a big-ship formal night. Most don the kind of attire worn at a country club dinner, but others don't bother to change from their sensible shore excursion gear. Save your best outfits (maybe casual dresses for women and collared shirts and blazers for men) for events like the Captain's Welcome and Farewell Dinners.

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More about Viking Rinda

Where does Viking Rinda sail from?

Viking Rinda departs from Vienna

Where does Viking Rinda sail to?

How much does it cost to go on Viking Rinda?

Cruises on Viking Rinda start from $5,299 per person.

Is Viking Rinda a good ship to cruise on?

Viking Rinda won 1 award over the years.
Viking Rinda Cruiser Reviews

Not up to Expectations

Once we boarded the Rinda, thinks began to go downhill. Let me emphasize that the issues were not with the staff, they were all outstanding.Read More
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ciniferlou

many10+ Cruises

Age 60s

An incredible voyage with an incredible cruise director

Viking Rinda it was not a very new ship and of course needed a maintenance soon as us and couple of other passengers we had problems with smelly toilets, internet and temperature in our cabin.Read More
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donnabentravelling

many10+ Cruises

Age 60s

Danube Waltz - Recommended!

Viking is a class act! After a two-year delay due to the pandemic, my daughter and I were overjoyed to sail on the Viking Rinda.Read More
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Austen Fan

many10+ Cruises

Age 60s

a mixed bag made excellent by one single individual

sometimes as we like to explore ourself the places we visit), the RINDA ship was old with a lot of technical problems (a constant smell of swage in the bathroom, toilets not flushing couple of times),Read More
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dtcruises1958

many10+ Cruises

Age 60s

Viking River Cruises Fleet
Viking Truvor

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