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Viking River Cruises

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Lisbon

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Portugal

Douro River

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Fantastic 

Paris

We've done many Viking cruises; this was one we hadn't yet done so Post-COVID, we were ready to get back to cruising. We had the misfortune to have our cruise start at the same time as the imminent arrival of Pope Francis in Lisbon for World Youth Day celebration. Viking notified us only a couple weeks before the cruise, but they had to have known this months in advance. The panoramic city bus tour was canceled; the included Cosmopolitan Lisbon and Jeronimos Monastery excursion on August 1 was canceled. We saw basically nothing of Lisbon - a disappointing start to a not-inexpensive trip. The company did offer train transit passes for folks willing to explore on their own amid thousands of people in the city center for the World Youth events. Viking did substitute a bus excursion to Obidos, a tiny village. Lengthy bus rides throughout to see villages...described as quaint, unique, charming. We were used to stepping off the boat with the town of interest close at hand. Douro River navigation requires docking at night, offloading passengers onto buses during the day and then moving the ship during the day. Being a small ship, it has no fitness center. Those were negatives.

The positives: This was absolutely the best crew overall that we've ever had the pleasure of sailing with. The Program Director Raquel, a native of Portugal, was amazing. The Executive Chef Andrea came into the dining room and visited with people, making sure their dietary needs were being met. Captain Diogo Martins kept us entertained with his stories of navigating the river and locks, much skill and knowledge needed. From the room stewards to the waiters to the tour guides, everyone was genuinely friendly and giving his/her best effort. Since the locations visited were hilly and usually paved with cobblestones, the crew worked hard to offer modified tours for those with mobility issues. The dams, especially Carrapaleto, were very interesting to lock through, the hillsides with their terraced rows of vineyards as far as the eye could see were stunning, and the river itself was like sailing on glass. The best excursion was staying on the boat, relaxing, and just enjoying the river ride, feeling like you had a yacht to yourself as most people were out, riding up into the hills on the buses.

Compared to other Viking cruises, the Douro River of Gold comes up short on the "Wow" factor.

Enjoying the Douro River

It was pretty obvious that this ship had a very cohesive staff. They seemed to work well together and actually like each other. This helped make our experience great. When my husband became sick for a few days, they went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and cared for.

The entertainment was delightful, the meals outstanding, rooms clean and comfortable and the excursions interesting and educational. I had never visited Portugal and was surprised to see such a prosperous and beautiful country. I was amazed to see vineyards planted on terraces everywhere, no matter how high the mountain! I enjoyed sipping some Port on one of the excursions. When we returned to the ship we watched the process of removing a cork from a vintage Port using special tongs. And we got to try it! 

A woman came aboard to tell us about how cork is removed from the trees, then processed and fashioned into purses, belts, hats, clothing, and even flooring!

Stellar Staff and Accommodations

It was a wonderful trip!  We were surrounded by people quality from leadership to staff to guides to fellow Vikings, fabulous food & drink, unique opportunities to immerse in the culture while enjoying beautiful scenery everywhere we went. 

It wasn’t a relaxing trip - there was a lot to do & see & learn. I loved that most of the excursions were included so we got to experience a lot of different aspects of the culture - wineries, villages, cathedrals, shops, an authentic bakery and more.

In addition to the scenery & the friendliness of the people, Portugal is a very safe place to be. That enhanced the experience. There was never a moment that we didn’t feel safe and we didn’t have to worry about our belongings. We were warned about potential pick pockets in Porto, but we never encountered any issues. Porto was fun to explore.

Most excursions required a bus ride, which was a fair trade for the cultural enrichment we experienced. The scenery was always beautiful everywhere we went. We missed one winery excursion in the middle of the trip and thoroughly enjoyed a quiet day sailing through the locks. It felt like we had our own yacht (not that I’d know what that is actually like).

It is important to know that punctuality is expected (not my strong suit, but I learned quickly). Best to show up a bit early for everything. If you’re late, they won’t wait. Some schedules changed from the original itinerary, so it’s helpful to pay close attention to the daily sheets they leave in your room the night before. It’s helpful to take a picture to have for a reference throughout the day.

This was my first Viking cruise. The ship is much smaller than ships I’ve been on before. No glitz or glam, it was more about experiencing the people and the culture. I liked that a lot. My only critique would be to provide a quiet indoor room to use for private calls. I had a roommate who was an early bird, so it was challenging to call home late at night to check on family. I ended up sitting in a lobby chair to make calls which was okay, but staff kept stopping to offer help as they passed by (no joke - a guide, the program director, a few other staff & even the chef passed by & offered help. It was charming that they were all so eager to be helpful even that late at night, I’m not sure if they ever sleep.)

The pre trip in Lisbon was worth it. It was comforting to get there early to ease into the trip & adjust to the time zone. It was fun to explore the area.  We rented a car one day and went on our own winery tour. It was a great experience. (Note that all the wineries there expect you to make reservations in advance.). Our Viking Coastal Treasures Tour was cancelled due closures because of a visiting diplomat so we hired a local tour guide to see castles, Sintra & Cascais. Definitely worth it.

It is helpful to join the Viking tour when you arrive to learn about the area and pick up tips. The guides provided helpful advice about good places to eat, what cash machines to use, etc. it was a better experience to eat out vs in the hotel.

Graham’s Port Dinner was worth the $$$. The port & food were so good & the experience facilitated bonding with fellow Vikings the first night on board which made the whole trip extra fun! And the view - wow!  (Great photo opp with Porto background at sunset between tasting and dinner.)

We did the Santiago de Compostela extension at the end & had a fabulous time. It was really nice that our trip wasn’t  ending on the last day of the cruise. It made the last two cruise days more fun. The religious significance of Santiago was fascinating & we had fun exploring and shopping. We did one evening tour on our own that was fun and encountered live music in the square late at night with locals singing along and dancing which was a delightful experience.

In Portugal most people we encountered spoke English. Everyone on the ship spoke English. In Santiago, very few people spoke English so knowing some Spanish was helpful.

The people were all amazing and the food was divine. It was an expensive trip, but well worth it!  The whole trip was amazing. I would absolutely do it again. The overall experience far exceeded my expectations!

Wonderful Experience - Exceeded Expectations

It was our third Viking River cruise and we have been more than pleased at the overall quality of every aspect of cruising with Viking, including overall value. This destination, the Douro, was recommended to us by travelers we met on our previous cruises. The Ships are great. The Staff is friendly and helpful. And the guides they choose, local and from the ships, are off the charts outstanding. Viking service is outstanding and comprehensive. From the moment you exit the plane at your arrival to the check-in at departure, you are taken care of. When traveling in an area that you don’t speak the language, this is especially reassuring. They truly do it right. Our cruise director gave us her cellphone number at the welcome briefing and was accessible 24/7. From the cruise director to the captain, chef, staff, and again, the guides, excellent is all I can say. 

We are looking to plan an ocean cruise with them. We’ve heard equally outstanding reviews from fellow travelers that have been on their ocean cruises.

Outstanding destination and service 

Viking had been recommended to me by a friend who has been on 3 Viking river and ocean cruises.  My son was in Portugal last year, and loved it, so that's why we decided on the Duoro River cruise.  This is was an adult cruise, with only about 140 passengers.  I went with 3 friends and we spent 2 nights in Lisbon in a 5 star hotel as part of the package, then headed north to Porto to board the ship. We had a lovely cabin with a small veranda and plenty of space for me and my friend.  The boat was a baby river cruise ship but never felt overcrowded and it gave us a great opportunity to meet other travelers.  While on the ship, we went on all the free excursions they offered. We traveled by bus to many of the locations and had wonderful guides. Many of the excursions were 4 -6 hours and we also had free time on a couple of them.  As far as the food, service, and crew, they were excellent!  The entertainment was both fun-filled and educational.  Also, if you like wine, this is the cruise to take.  I think we had the best Program Director, Patricia, in the business.  I would definitely go on another Viking river cruise.

Wonderful cruise on the Duoro River

The crew and the service were excellent. The food was above expectations.

Ship was very well maintained for its age etc. 

Significant number of bus trips to reach excursions. Expected more in the excursions albeit the guides were very good.

Open seating does not mean you can go to eat during the hours of operations. They want you to arrive when dining starts. 

Expected more variety of wines since we were in the Douro Valley and without the silver pkg the wines were the same every night. Expected much more for the pricing of this cruise and our first Viking river cruise. Another note very difficult to get Viking air to communicate on our flights being direct and non stop so we had to book our own. The return to Lisbon was not easy since we had to navigate such on our own. Lisbon is a beautiful city and Porto is the real deal for us. Enjoyed the trip to Salamanca, Spain as well.

Excursions disappointing

We went on a Douro river cruise with Viking in early April with another couple.  The service was amazing, the program manager and guides were fabulous. It was nice being able to cruise during daytime hours. You will get to go through several locks. Once you go through one, you will understand why Viking built these particular vessels the way they did. 

We went mostly on the included excursions and one paid excursion and enjoyed all of them. We felt the optional excursions were too expensive for the most part.

The only thing we were disappointed about was that for several nights, our vessel (Osfrid) was docked alongside other boats for the night, leaving us only a view of the other boat instead of the river. Perhaps that can’t be helped but it would be nice to know in advance before booking a very expensive room.

Viking now books passengers at a hotel in Lisbon called the Corinthian for the first couple of nights. The hotel is very nice, but is not close to downtown Lisbon. A shuttle is provided to take guests downtown. You are on your own for meals other than breakfast for those two days. The breakfast, however, has a huge assortment of items to chose from. It was most excellent! One other note about the hotel is that sometimes the elevators take a long time to get up or down. You should know that you can only get out of the stairwell on floor zero (the main entry floor) You can enter from any stairwell, but they are locked from the inside to get out until you reach floor 0.

This was our first Viking cruise, but we’ve already booked our next trip!

Great trip on the Douro River

We have been traveled on Viking 4 times before and they never disappoint.

From the ship, food, side excursions and crew one can not ask for a better vacation.  The scenery, was so beautiful that I could not believe it was real. Meeting the captain daily and the rest of the crew made for a very pleasant, caring time.

Our cabin was on the middle deck and suited our needs.  Most of the time when not on board is spent in the lounge with the large windows.  Going through the locks were very interesting.

All on board were very accommodating, and with only 106 guests you get to know everyone.  The dining staff went out of there way to make sure that each meal was better than the next.  The side excursions were fun, beautiful and educational.

Upon returning home we booked 2 additional trips for future sailing.  After sailing on Viking I could not sail with any other cruise line whether it is river or ocean.

River of Gold and golden cruise

One of the top rated cruises we have ever been on.  I can not say enough about Viking.

The crew, the food, the trip each day were superior.

We so enjoy both Lisbon and the river of Gold.  Exploring each day was an adventure and the people on board were so wonderful.

I recommend this cruise to all that I speak with.  We fell in love with Lisbon and the Douro valley.  The wineries, the walking tours each day were not to be missed.

We loved the culture talks and demonstrations.  

The staff could not be nicer.  The waiters in the dining room could not be more accommodating.  The ship had all we needed and was a lovely home to come back at the end of each tour. Beautiful country side, most beautiful tilework all around and a guide that made sure everyone was enjoying themselves.

I can not wait until November for our next Viking trip/

Best Cruise Ever - Portugal is a beautiful country

We chose this cruise because of interest in Portugal.

From our arrival in Lisbon to our departure from the ship in Porto, Viking handled everything perfectly. Transfers were on time, Patricia ( our cruise director) was on top of everything.

The hotel in Lisbon was excellent , the transportation team was the best.

Once we were greeted on board the Osfrid by the ship’s crew, we felt we were in good hands.

The stateroom was perfect and the stewards kept it so.

The galley crew performed to a very high standard. The food was excellent and service outstanding. I must compliment the waiter, Nicola. We liked him so much we sat in his area whenever we could.

The shore trips were fun and well thought out.

There was plenty of free time to shop, explore or whatever we felt like doing.

I can’t say enough about the Viking experience. People really do make a company and Patricia, Nicola and Hugo our most of the time tour guide really came through and made this a vacation to remember.

Splendid experience from beginning to end.

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