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Viking River Cruises

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Viking Emerald

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Viking MS Antares

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Viking Freya

A Fantastic Cruise

Puerto Montt

From buying the trip, to working with Viking on excursions, extensions, and airfare, the whole process was smooth as silk.  It was to be my first cruise and I didn’t care too much where we went, but it was on my friend’s bucket list to visit Normandy, so Paris to Normandy was a perfect fit for the group of us.  I now love river cruises as they take all the hard work of planning off your shoulders.  The daily stops were great.  Giverny and Monet’s Gardens were beautiful and we got it on an off-weather kind of day so not that crowded.  Rouen had so much to offer, Napoleon’s Chateau, Chateau de Gaillard, so many good included things to do.  The food was excellent and there were so many choices.  Really hard to not overeat on these cruises but you can eat healthy for sure.  The drink package was so worth it and the bartender was great at recommending wines for what we were going to have for dinner that night, as well as, introducing us to a lot of fun drinks.  The onboard entertainment, well, the piano player couldn’t sing although he kept trying, but otherwise was okay.  WIth cooking demo’s, talks, games, painting, etc. it seemed like there was always something to do.  The personnel across the board were attentive.  You could always tell when a waiter was new, but for the most part they had super personalities and a sincere desire to help.  The cabin, while small, worked just fine. The bathroom layout was better than anticipated.  We did not upgrade our cabins and so did not have a balcony.  I heard some that had upgraded complaining because in busy ports, we would dock next to another Viking boat and so people would sit on their balcony and look into another balcony on the other boat.  So I’m glad we didn’t pay for the upgrade.  Besides, we weren’t in the room much.  We also extended in Paris and the hotel was great; service great; location great and value for the money, great. Overall a fantastic experience and one I would highly recommend.  I am rating Family a 5 although there were no kids (likely due to an older crowd more interested in Normandy.). I am also rating fitness & rec a 5, although river boats don’t have gyms.

Viking is known as the best and now I know why

As a member of the hospitality industry, I was blown away by the attention to detail that the entire Viking crew displayed throughout out journey.  This was a family trip celebrating the life of our grandfather who passed pre-Covid.  There were six of us and we ranged in age from 36-76 and every single one of us commented afterwards just how much fun this cruise was.

Upon boarding, I made a request for an IPA from Dorel at the bar.  They had a grand total of one on board....not one brand, one bottle.  Without any prompting from me, Dorel was sure to have their supply of IPA restocked at the first port by heading in to town himself to make the purchase.  Absolutely above and beyond.

But as the week went on, I started to better understand the culture of the boat.  I routinely saw the first mate in a t-shirt marked 'Crew' wiping down tables, resetting deck chairs and umbrellas.  The leadership of the ship was not above any job on the ship and it showed in the service levels of every member of the crew.

We also were lucky enough to travel to Roen during the Tall Ships Festival.  Normally, the ship docs at the south side of the town but because of the festival, the captain obtained permission to sail the entire length of the town and back so we could see all of the tall ships from the comfort of the ship before docking.  Above and beyond.

Part of our crew changed excursions last minute - full refund without hesitation.

Part of our crew had an issue with their drink package - handled same day by the rooms manager.

The guides were absolutely fantastic and patient.

Top notch all around and would not hesitate to recommend Viking and we will definitely be back on board.

Attention to detail like none other.....

Five years ago we took a different Viking River Cruise and knew we would be taking another.

Everything was so enjoyable.  Beautiful ship and professional crew.

Wonderful service from all of the staff.

Interesting and informative tours and guides.

On our first cruise we boarded in Basel Switzerland and the ship began the cruise that day.  When we arrived in Amsterdam we had to leave the ship that morning.  Not enough time in either city.

This Paris to Normandy to Paris cruise stayed in Paris the first night and had tours the next day before cruising.  Then when we returned we had tours in the Paris area and spent the last night on the ship before leaving the next morning.  We enjoyed that time much more.

The highlight for us was the day spent going to the American Military Cemetery and Omaha Beach.  Every American and European as well should make this trip to pay their respects.  Very impactful.

One tiny little issue.  I always have trouble adjusting the room temperature when traveling.  It seems to be a European thing as it was the same in 2 hotels that they do not use a top sheet.  The comforter is just too hot for me.  Another traveler told me to ask our cabin attendant for a sheet.  Had it that night.  So simple.  The moral of the story, just ask.  They are so accommodating.

Hope to do another Viking River cruise soon.

Fabulous experience

The itinerary on this cruise was outstanding, and the Radgrid's docking berth at Grenelle was extremely convenient, within walking distance of shopping and the Eiffel Tower!  The daily included tours were, for the most part, both charming and interesting; we would suggest smaller groups so that the guides could keep us together and answer questions.  Our tour of Giverny was disappointing; the ship sent four buses out to the gardens all at the same time, resulting in overcrowding and logjams.  But our trip to the Normandy Beaches was extraordinary, one of the highlights of the entire trip.

The food was very good, and the dining room service was nicely paced.  There was a nice variety of hot and cold dishes at lunchtime.  The dinner menu tended to be meat-centric, although there was always a vegetarian option and a fish dish; the appetizers were more creative than the mains.  Many of the dishes had protein cooked in sauces and the protein was too often overcooked; but the sauces were lovely, well seasoned and smooth.  The kitchen was very accommodating of dietary restrictions for those who had indicated in advance.  The desserts were delicious!  Particularly since we were in France, we would have liked better quality and more variety in the table wines.  The bartender in the lounge was very good at his craft.

The afternoon talks and programs were very interesting and engaging.  We did not attend many of the evening entertainments.  We thought the program director, Jerome, was outstanding - personable, funny, and informative - and we enjoyed his daily briefings very much.

Laundry service was very expensive

Ooh la la!

I am interested in WWll history.  We chose this cruise as it checked my boxes.  A pre cruise package in Paris, my favorite city,  and a trip through Normandy to learn more about D-Day.  We missed our connecting flight and were rerouted through Heathrow (ugh).  We arrived in Paris many hours later to find our luggage decided to stay in London.  Viking was there to meet us and transport us to the hotel. We finally received our luggage the night before boarding the ship.  ( yuck-wearing the same jeans for 5 days).  We boarded the bus at the hotel to take us to the ship--out in BeauGranell, a newer district of Paris but with a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower.  After that, the cruise was smooth sailing.  We stopped in small towns and villages that I never would have thought to go to.  I have been to Giverny before, but this time it was so hot and crowded that I did not enjoy it as much as before. We were docked in Vernon and did not realize that we were there overnight or I would have explored the city.  Rouen was a much bigger city than I expected and there was a festival of old wooden sailing ships there-happens every 4 yrs so we lucked out in seeing them.  The tour in Rouen was interesting-an emphasis on Joan of Arc. The next day we traveled to Caen and Omaha Beach-a total of a 5 hr bus ride.  My biggest complaint is the lack of time in the D-Day museum in Caen.  So much to see in so little time.  The lunch served there was so so.  Onto Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery.  The cemetery was very moving and a ceremony at the beach by Viking honoring the Vets on the cruise was touching.  Traveled back to Paris with a couple of more stops in a village and a suburb of Paris. Disembarking was much nicer than on big ships (need to be off early AM).  We had a 3:40pm flight and were able to stay on ship until our ride arrived at 11:30.  Again, a Viking rep was at the airport to greet us.  She was trying to multitask with 6 of us-wasn't working.  One couple definitely needed help.  I finally told her to point us to the Delta counter-we know how to check in internationally. 

Pros: Viking did a fantastic job-had a great housekeeper, Mina and server Ciprian. The meals were very good and the staff was attentive for the most part. 

Cons:  Skip the French buffet on the ship in Vernon-it was lousy.  Go into Vernon for dinner.

            I would like a definite itinerary of arrival times and departures of towns.  What the cruise director said did not always      match what the newsletter said.  It was confusing.

Finally:  We brought home a French souvenir: Covid and a nasty Bronchitis.  We tried very hard to stay safe and healthy.  Luckily, we did not have symptoms until we arrived home, but the day of infection would put us on the ship or tour.  It isn't over yet, folks.  Just be aware.

Loved the D-Day Museum and Omaha Beach

Viking France's Finest was my first Viking cruise; first River Cruise; and first time at every one of the ports.  The week on the Radgrid was followed by 7 nights on the Viking Heimdal from Lyon to Avignon.  My friend and I did the pre and post extensions as well.  3 weeks total for the trip.

Viking is very well organized and is a class act.  There were Viking reps at the hotels to answer questions as well as assist us with directions and suggestions.

My friend and I are both widows and live in different states.  I arrived at the Paris hotel several hours prior to my friend.  Viking hosted a casual walking tour in the area of the hotel so that we can find restaurants and some shops.  

Our room was ready when I arrived (most rooms were ready).  Breakfast buffet at the hotel was included.  

We were sent the luggage tags for the Radgrid prior to leaving the U.S.A.  We were instructed to place the tags on our luggage and told what time to place them outside our hotel room.  Viking reps ensured that they had our luggage prior to our departure from the hotel.  Our luggage was placed in our cabins on the Viking Ship.  We had a balcony on both ships.

Every day in every port, there was an included shore excursion.  Some were strictly walking; others, we were bussed to.  There were also some optional excursions for additional money.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner were served everyday on the ship.  We all ate at the same time.  Cookies, coffee, lattes, water and bubble water were available anytime.  The food was excellent.  I can't eat certain foods and the maitre'd showed me the days' menus at breakfast so that my choices could be modified to my needs.  

Every evening in the lounge before dinner, we had a port talk for the next day (not a shopping talk - information about the area we were going to visit).   After dinner there was some entertainment in the lounge.  Some nights, it was the ship's singer/piano player.  Other nights, a local band or group came on board to entertain us.  

The Radgrid and Heimdal are almost identical.  The Heimdal is a longboat and holds a few more people.  We had the same cabin on both ships and were perfectly located.

After the week on the Radgrid (r/t Paris on the Seine), we took a train to Lyon and embarked on the Heimdal.  Again, well organized from collecting our luggage on the Radgrid to the bus to the train and from the train to the boat.

There is an elevator between decks 2 and 3.  People in cabins on Deck 1 do need to walk at least up/down one flight of steps.  The elevator also doesn't go to Deck 4 (the Sun Deck).  

These ships are small - less than 200 passengers on the Longboats.  The crew and the passengers all get to know each other.  No formal/elegant evenings.  Very informal although very few people wore jeans to dinner.  

The Program Director aka cruise director was on all of the shore excursions.  He, as well as members of the crew, assisted passengers who had difficulties getting on or off the boat or getting to the busses for excursions.  

When we disembarked in Avignon, we were bussed to our hotel in Nice.  We had included tours in Nice and some optional tours.  Again, a Viking rep was at the hotel and ensured we were where we needed to be as well as helping us choose restaurants near the hotel (so many to choose from).

This trip was awesome.  I would recommend Viking River Cruises to everyone.

France's Finest

Our family was interested in honoring the fallen soldiers at Normandie in addition to visiting the various villages and towns along the Seine River.  We also joined good friends who were members of an honorary class of West Point graduates to celebrate and participate in their class reunion. The service and professionalism and friendliness of the entire Viking staff made this trip an absolutely phenomenal and delightful trip.  On top of that the chef and his staff was exquisite! The tour guides were knowledgeable and well informed and the Program Director made sure guests were always well informed plus he was a delightful and entertaining speaker which added to the Aviance. No matter what you requested or required the staff was always there to assist you. We would highly recommend a Viking cruise to anyone looking for a enjoyable and relaxing vacation without the excesses of casinos and distractions that can be incorporated into other cruise lines.

Superior Service

Always wanted to see Paris. Traveled all over the globe but very little time in France.had to get it off the bucket list.. We started using Viking because we are both in our 80's. We don't need roller coasters on board ships, casinos, spas or 6000 fellow guests any more. The business model of Viking suits us fine. We have 2 more river cruises and one ocean cruise booked. Viking is my go to travel mode from now on. The staff was great. They all look like they want to be there. All of the included tours are fantastic. The included beer and wine with meals was a great feature. The dining experience was excellent. The meeting us on arrival and getting us to the hotel was great. The return to the airport and getting us off to home could not have been better. Everyone who wore the red jacket were helpful and great service given. Thank you so much. See you on the Nile in Egypt in three months.

Second Viking river cruise. Loved everything about it.

We love this cruise getting to experience France! We stopped in a few small towns that were so charming and picturesque! The local food and on the cruise were phenomenal. The service was outstanding! Everyone was so friendly and helpful! I loved the daily itineraries with little articles about the area we were in. The tour guides were so knowledgeable and made the tours so impactful by putting the places we saw into historical context. 

I’m sorry to say everyone in my party caught Covid on this cruise and it seemed like at least one person in everyone party on board had the same cough that we did so they likely caught it as well. Maybe Viking could offer testing? Not sure what the solution is for this. This had only a small impact on our trip, we had an amazing time and we would travel with Viking again in the future.

Lovey cruise!

Sister was already taking this cruise. Always wanted to visit Normandy beaches.Food quality and diversity were outstanding. Excursions and guides were high quality. Really liked chef’s recommendations. Would have preferred an extra day at Rouen and 2 days at Normandy beaches. Would have liked to see U.S. beaches, Commonwealth beaches, and Bayeux. Three day extension in Paris after cruise was very useful. Would recommend two day Paris museum pass. Was sorry to miss some optional excursions, but it was important to have free time. Service was outstanding. Housekeeping was consistently great. Meal service complemented the high quality of food. Desk service was equally superlative. They assisted me in handling a couple of complicated problems. The pre-cruise communication was very good. Reminders were timely, information shared was extensive, and the tire process was very professional. I was uncomfortable with not having a room assignment until the last minute, but my GTY status resulted in an upgrade to a balcony room.

Paris 50 years later. 

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