This was my first river cruise and won’t be my last. Had a wonderful experience on the Scenic Crystal. Wonderful staff, great excursions, food was outstanding. We came with a group of 18. Couldn’t have been a better way to travel with this many people. We had 160 people on our boat but never felt crowded. Plenty of space to accommodate our group.They had such a nice variety of excursions. Always something for all interests. The staff saw to our every need. They all seemed to work together as a team . The food was very good. Loved that we had 2 nights with different dining experience’s outside of the normal dining room. Nice variety of entertainment . Also very happy with the way they timed everything. Never felt rushed or over scheduled but yet we saw and did so much. Very well organized and run operation. Loved that everything was included. No upgrades required. Thank You Scenic Crystal for a wonderful first River Cruise. Read Less

Our travel agent recommended Scenic. The all inclusive feature made it attractive and a great choice. The ship was top of it's class, clean and well kept. The staff could not be beat, friendly, professional and always pleasant, remembered everyone's names and you never lacked for refreshments. The shore excursions were great but often exhausting and challenging for those with mobility issues. The dining area was large enough but an improvement would be to have reserved tables for dinner. We found the food was often not hot, small portions and lacked that "wow" factor. The "TailorMade", the excursion communication system, needs improvement. It's heavily promoted but has lots of flaws. It's not friendly for the age group Scenic promotes, seniors. The concept is good but goes mute in the castles, range is limited, constantly needs charging and too many choices in the menu. Even the tour guides don't like it. But it was still an amazing time. Read Less

We had a wonderful cruise with an excellent cabin on the lower deck. Plenty of space and a well stocked bathroom. All meals were delicious and well presented food and there was plenty of first class wine at each meal. The staff were all excellent and happy and appeared happy to look after us. Our cabin steward, Ivo, could not have been nicer or more efficient. a Boris, the programme manager, was excellent and very knowledgeable and worked tirelessly to make sure everything worked to plan. Ivana, the Hotel Manager, was quite outstanding and went out of her way to help passengers with any problems. She is an excellent representative of Viking Cruises. The included free excursions were very interesting and informative and we thoroughly enjoyed them all. The whole experience, from start to finish was exceptional. Having done a large number of ocean cruises we would thoroughly recommend Viking River Cruises. Read Less

Scenic came highly recommended by our travel agent and she was spot on. From the pickup at our hotel in Amsterdam to our departure in Budapest, Scenic provided a first class experience. Our Cruise director made the trip exceptional with his knowledge of the ports we visited and his daily port talk. Our balcony cabin was spacious and well maintained throughout our cruise. The food was Michelin star quality, with quality rather than quantity being the rule of the day. His dinners echoed the regions we were passing through and there was a good variety of options on the menu to choose from. Unlike shows provided on large ocean going ships, the daily entertainment usually highlighted talent from the port we had just visited and there was an awesome pianist who provided entertainment throughout the trip. Would I recommend Scenic for those seeking a River cruise, without a moments hesitation. Although Scenic may be a bit expensive, I always believe you get what you pay for and I feel we got more than our monies worth on this trip. Kudos to Scenic for providing a memorable trip. Read Less

The scenery everyday is awesome. Going through the locks was very interesting. Butlers and bartenders were friendly knowledgeable and attentive. Food was delicious and varied. I am allergic to shellfish and felt they could have done a better job of ensuring that there was options when shellfish was on the menu. Portobellos the Portuguese restaurant was excellent with magnificent service. The evening Crystal dining room had a varied menu. We found the service very slow on the nights that the speciality service/restaurants were open. Loved the butler service for morning coffee! Relaxed before breakfast and enjoyed the scenery. The Portugese bar b que up on the sun deck was very good. Ribs were amazing! The musician was entertaining and engaged the crowd. One night there was local entertainment which was also very good and engaging! Cabins were efficient but small. Bathrooms were well appointed. The tours were good but some required too long a bus ride. A few were sick and not enough was done to find out why. Probably the heat as it was very hot Throughly enjoyed the trip though. Cruise directors were very knowledgeable. We took the three days in Lisbon prior which very worth the extra days. Porto was beautiful with great tours. Enjoyed the cooking class tour of the galley and being able to interact with the chef Very efficient boarding. A little confusion on the embarking as they moved us to a hotel. The lunch at the hotel was not very good compared to the ship Read Less

My husband and I celebrated our 40th Wedding Anniversary in August, 2019. Taking a look at our bucket list in 2018 it was decided to take a River Cruise and booked Emerald, mainly due to comments from reviews and chatting to others that have taken this type of a cruise. We absolutely loved it. Check in was incredibly stress free. We arrived several hours before departure, absolutely not a problem, checked in, our room was ready, went to the lounge area where they had food and beverages available. As other guests arrived, you felt really comfortable chatting and getting to know each other as we were going to be together for 7 days. The staff on our cruise we’re amazing. Always a hello, can I help you with something. Chatted with you for a few moments. If there was anything you required you just had to ask and they did there best to make you happy. The meals were delicious. Buffet for breakfast and lunch. Different choices everyday. Dinner, generally several options to choose from. If the items of the day were not something you desired, there were more choices on the menu to choose from. My husband and I received an awesome anniversary cake. Our room was beautiful. #307. Quiet, comfortable bed, lots of storage area to remove your clothes from the suitcase. We had a lovely balcony. Everyday there was a different excursion possibly two. Very well organized. Mostly mid morning. The river was very calm and quiet. Stunning views, castles, small towns. Michael, the cruise director, explained everything thoroughly the day before. We were so fortunate, no water level issues. Absolutely loved going through all the Locke’s. Thank you to the staff on the Emerald Sky for such a wonderful experience. It was sad to leave on the last day as you meet so many wonderful people. Read Less

Wow! I have never been so spoiled! It was amazing, I truly believe that every staff member wants you to have the absolute best time are there to make sure it happens. From the initial greeting when we got to the boat to the time we left. One of the highlights was When the chef would come out after each port talk and let you know the culinary masterpiece that he had prepared for you that evening. We were never hungry... The wait staff were always very attentive and polite and never left you wanting for anything (my husband may have had a couple of 2 dessert nights). The wine glasses were never empty. The excursions were top notch with really great guides. The cruise director JJ did such a great job of explaining all the possible excursions the first night that we actually ended up changing a couple of our choices and were not disappointed. The room and ship were luxurious and tastefully decorated. It was worth every dollar spent and I would definitely go on another scenic cruise. Read Less

This is a very hard review to write, because the ship has been designed to be to many things that are so different, which is difficult to achieve. The design has certainly tried to incorporate a high degree of luxury and speciality gourmet dinning venues in an expedition vessel with many unique features. So from my point of view, I really have to review it on the basis that it is an expedition ship or discovery yacht (as Scenic like to call it) with the ability to view the landscape and nature from the ship as well as from the air and below the surface of the water. It was for these features and the region it was to travel that I chose this cruise, even long before building of the ship had even started. The ship certainly looks the part from the outside with modern lines and a purposeful structure. However on in the inside the design deficiencies of trying to be too many things, become much more apparent. It seems as though there has been too much effort put into making it modern and futuristic with little or no thought into making it practical or functional. The Eclipse is a paperless ship, so there is an overuse of electronics which as we all know do not always work as they should and in many instances are confusing or complicated to operate. And when they go wrong, no manual or conventional system is able to take it place. From a safety point of view the hand rails which are square in profile have sharp edges and corners as do many handles, taps and tables. These may be in fashion at the moment and look good, but can catch you or your clothing which may be dangerous on a moving ship. The dark colours which prevail throughout the ship together with mirrored surfaces everywhere are not conducive to an older generation of passengers, which I would assume will be a large part of the Eclipse future income. Most modern expedition ships have forward and aft lifts or stairs, the Eclipse only has only has one set which are situated more towards the stern of the ship. This means easy access to the outer decks is very limiting and certainly can take a lot longer. It is important on a true expedition cruise, to have quick and easy access to outer decks and indoor observation areas to view nature and wildlife as soon as possible after sighting. Unfortunately the observation lounge has very limited forward vision but at least allows good access to the large outer bow deck. Also this lounge only has self-serve tea and coffee and no bar, while the restrooms are along way a way at the stern. The outside observation deck is good for viewing nature and wild life but deck 10 which is all outside, is a really good area for viewing as it give a 360 degree view. Mind you a part of this deck is set aside for smoking. This deck like most deck has a very large protruding roof structure which is a benefit in raining conditions but can be a hindrance to viewing birds and mountains from certain areas such as the observation lounge. The main lounge is very open with the reception at one end and the main bar at the other which makes it very open and probably less personal. The seating layout and design does not help in making the area as friendly as other expedition ships. Dinning venues are generally good but all with limited seating. There is no buffet option for dinner which is not ideal for a true expedition ship either. Some passengers just want a quick meal and get to bed early after a long days adventure. The main theatre is round and has very comfortable seating, unfortunately a couple of large pillars block vision from some of the seats. With a full complement of passengers the theatre would be very hard pressed to fit them all in, which will be a problem sometimes. The use of plain dark carpet in areas of the ship was probably not a good decision, as it almost always looked dirty as did some of the dark glass tables. Suites are generally dark and bland with reflective surfaces everywhere. Almost no warmth has been added. Our suite had one blueish toned painting, which only made the room feel even colder. Although the TV is very modern, it was set behind glass which meant you could not view it from any reasonable angle, even in bed, because of reflections. If you sat directly in front of the TV for viewing, you had the pleasure of seeing yourself reflected in the glass. As well the TV menu and remote control was more confusing than normal, and very slow to respond to button control, quite frustrating in fact. The cabin itself has a very thin curtain to the balcony and an electronic blind which lowers to darken the room at night. The problem with this setup is that, not only was it noisy to operate but also if you wanted to look out at night while your partner slept, the noise and possible additional night would wake them up anyway. The suite we were in was a deluxe verandah which was good in size but had limited drawer and wardrobe space. The wardrobe doors block access in and out of the bathroom when opened and there are no additional hooks in the suite to hang expedition clothing such as hats or jackets. Suite bathrooms do not have a conventional hand basin. Instead they have a sloping flat surface to take water away, so there is no plug. This not only means it cannot be used for washing personal clothing but the design also tend to splash much more water everywhere, including over oneself. As mentioned before, handles are square and on the shower door they are really sharp, certainly an accident waiting to happen. The bed was very comfortable and the air conditioning, which covers a good temperature range, is effective and easy to adjust. The internet throughout the ship is generally very good and seems to have a higher capacity with less dropouts than other ships we have travelled on. Staff to passenger ratio is very favourable, however it is my understanding that staff quarters have been built to the very minimum standard, which is small. Only time will tell if that is the case, and that will be through staff turnover. I know a number of staff left the ship in Quebec. The ship itself is very smooth and relative quite. It certainly handles rougher conditions better than most other expedition ships and its dynamic positioning system is brilliant. This system means it does not have to drop anchor but can stay in the one position with almost no movement. However the side thrusters, which keep the ship in position, do create some problems for zodiac drivers as they approach the ship. The idea of having helicopters and a submarine to enhance the experience is certainly very appealing and the experience is certainly worth while. Unfortunately there will be many instances where they will be unable to be used due to local restrictions or weather conditions. With passenger expectations high for these experiences, the Eclipse could have some very unhappy customers at times. Local restrictions may become a bigger issue in certain regions in the future for both the helicopters and submarine. In summary the ship itself is very good but it certainly could have been better, in fact world class, had there been much more functionality designed into its main purpose, which I assume is a discovery yacht. Although I did not chose to sail on a maiden voyage, unfortunately that is the way it turned out. So how did this inaugural voyage from Reykjavik to Quebec, on the Scenic Eclipse go. It certainly did not start well. Three days prior departure we were advised that boarding the time would be delayed by three hours from midday. Instead a room at a local hotel near the port was made available for meeting, and a light lunch was provided. We all waited until around 3pm the revised boarding time, when we were advised that boarding would not take place for another 24 hours. Scenic staff then spent several hours arranging accommodation at various hotels all around Reykjavik. The whole process was handled so badly that passengers became extremely unhappy. Scenic also offered us to board the ship for drinks that evening. Many passengers took up the opportunity to view the ship, which may have been a mistake as we were able to see just how unready the ship really was for the cruise. To fill in the following day Scenic offered a full day, which turned out to be very good. After the tour we did board the ship, and saw just how tired and wore out the staff really were from preparing the ship for us to board. They must have worked day and night without much sleep, never-the-less to their credit they still had a smile for some very unhappy passengers. Realistically the ship was several weeks from being ready for sailing with passengers. To highlight how unprepared they were for passengers at the safety drill there was no check list to make sure everyone attended and when they did try to do a roll call too many were not present so they gave up and said it was all over. During the first few days there were many issues, certainly far to many to mention here, but overtime everything started to improve and by the time we reached Canada things were running quite smoothly and everyone seemed to be enjoy the cruise even with issues remaining. Food quality varied from average all the way up to exceptional. Hotel staff were friendly and generally good to excellent while the expedition staff were very competent and did a great job in making the experience more enjoyable. Over time I’m sure the ship will become a top quality product, but its design issues will remain, which is ashame. Read Less

Wanted to visit Amsterdam and Germany and it was the perfect way to do it. We chose the Scenic Ruby as the ship and decor was very modern. We had the room at the rear of the ship. The rear window was wide that we didn’t have to leave our room to see the beautiful river scenery especially the castles. The food and service was five star, all our needs were met by our wonderful butler with early morning coffee and breakfast in our room. There was a also a full buffet breakfast in the dining room with a great selection of cold and hot food. Evening meals were five star. The daily soups are to die for. As you cruise through the towns and past the vineyards you get to try the lovely wines and beers in that area with you meals. It seemed happy hour all day. The bar staff would were very attentive and ready to mix your favourite cocktails. The musical entertainment on board was excellent. There was a good selection of shore excursions. Our Cruise Director was informative advising us of the next days’ tours and departure times. Comfortable coaches and guides were ready each day to take us on our guided tours. This was certainly a five star cruise. Read Less

We chose this cruise to see and learn about the British isles, as we have never been to Ireland, Scotland, nor other isles in the U.K. The cruise was fantastic, first time on Viking ocean. We loved that it was a smaller ship compared to the other behemoths. We enjoyed the great food, the choice of restaurants, and their flexible hours. The wait people were always attentive and courteous. We liked that wine and other beverages were always available at every meal, at no extra charge. Specialty coffees, or other soft beverages were always available at the bars, free. The cabins are spacious, clean, and adequate for most people, and serviced regularly. Entertainment at the theater was fabulous, with the ship’s performers, and guest entertainers. The shore excursions, included at every port, in addition to the optional tours, were for the most part very educational. They covered the highlights of the area, as much as one could see and absorb in a few hours. Overall, the cruise was wonderful, we’ll go again with Viking. Read Less

Several of the included tours ended up being on a bus for 90% or more of the time without stops that would have allowed a chance for photos or viewing sites we were passing. While about a third of the evening shows were excellent. Others were duds. Choreography appropriate to the Lawrence Welk Show that was inappropriate for the music being performed. An Evening with the Beatles was a good example and the music from the 50s,60s and 70s was another example of contrived choreography. Another problem with evening shows was the avoidable. We had to leave one performance because a person or persons near us were wearing heavy perfume that made breathing difficult. It's past time that some type of "no scents" policy should be implemented. On the positive side, the cabin was excellent as was the steward. The dining room experience was outstanding. The food was great and the attention to my wife's dietary needs was superb. Read Less

Scenic were recommended to us by friends that had previously done the Jewels of Europe Cruise. It truly meets their promise of all inclusive cruising. We have hardly put our hand in our wallet for the past two weeks. The onboard dining and bar service was fabulous along with all the entertainment provided. Huge range of foods available for different tastes and dietary requirements. Scenic spare no expense when organising the land tours providing several choices at each port. We had private bus transfer and usually had priority netrance to most attractions, saving the frustration of queuing. Even provide water bottles for us to take on excursions. Our cruise director, Patrik, was very knowledgeable and was always available if you required extra information or assistance. We Will definitely choose Scenic again in the future when planning our next holiday. The 'all inclusive' nature of the Scenic Cruise makes it good value as we haven't had to purchase any drinks or extra land tours. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was where we wanted to go and had the best ratings. The cabins were beautiful, the service excellent, and the food and drink fantastic. We were offered a variety of excursion options, and each one we chose was excellent. The staff were very friendly, accommodating, and proficient. The cities we visited were wonderful and the people who took us on the excursions were knowledgeable and often very humorous. When we encountered a broken river lock that prevented further travel by boat, our cruise Director, J.J., managed to arrange travel by bus and 5 star hotel accommodations that ensured we went to the cities listed and had available the same excursion options. In fact, the hotel stays allowed us to walk out the front doors into the heart of the cities, so that was a minor inconvenience. It was an amazing trip that we have recommended to every who asks. And we will do another cruise as soon as we are able. Read Less

For several years now I had wanted to cruise the Danube, maybe from watching all the Viking ads on PBS’ Masterpiece programs. So I began researching river cruises around the time Crystal first entered this market, and the reviews immediately pegged it as the top of the line for luxury cruises. By the time we were able to actually book a cruise, Crystal’s river fleet had expanded and we wound up on a 10-day expedition on the newest addition, the Crystal Ravel. We were not disappointed: In fact, it was one of the rare experiences that totally exceeded expectations. First, the ship itself was smallish (four decks), with about a hundred passengers. I loved that it felt intimate—I have a horror of the 10-deck behemoths that cruise oceans. At the same time it was also stylish and modern. Our cabin wasn’t huge, but it had a small walk-in closet, a bathroom with two sinks and an excellent shower, and a very comfortable king sized bed. It also had a large flat screen TV, and we enjoyed watching a movie on it one night. Overall it was a very comfortable refuge. Then there was the food. We live in San Francisco, a foodie Mecca, but the cuisine on the Ravel was nothing short of marvelous, especially the sit-down dinners (they only had a buffet one night). Almost every meal was like eating at a five-star restaurant, with service to match. Wines on the all-inclusive menu were good to great (you can opt to pay extra for premium wines but we never felt the need). Two special meal options are worth mentioning: The bistro dinner in the smallish cafe (it’s free but you must reserve a seat since they can’t accommodate more than a couple of dozen diners), and the gourmet experience in the Vintage Room, a pricey but amazing 8-course meal with awesome wines (you must also reserve this ahead of time—we ate with four other people). Even if you don’t splurge on the Vintage Room, definitely try the bistro meal, which is sort of tapas-like—a lot of small plates with everything from steak tartare and gravlax to prime beef, shrimp, and caviar. It was outstanding. Breakfast buffets were great, and you could opt for ordered specialties (e.g. eggs Benedict); I rarely even ate lunch but people I spoke with also enjoyed casual bistro and served options. Crystal’s all-inclusive shore excursions covered all the basics, and we also opted for a couple of esoteric extra-cost outings (for example, Vienna’s Jewish history). Guides were generally excellent, especially the one who escorted us through the infamous Mauthausen death camp. I liked that he didn’t sugar coat his comments on the complicity of the Austrian people. Finally, the service. Every single crew member, from housekeepers and wait staff to tour organizers, the couple who provided musical and games entertainment at night, and the butler who twice a day refreshed the ice in our ice bucket, seemed truly dedicated to pampering and otherwise seeing to our comfort and satisfaction. By the end of the 10 days they seemed to know all of us by name, and always greeted us as we walked by. This cruise was a splurge for my husband and I, but we both felt it was well worth it. Crystal In our view lived up to its reputation as the best European river cruise line out there. Read Less

This was our first cruise ever. We had very high expectations based on what we heard about Scenic cruises and we can say that Scenic far exceeded these already high expectations. The food was excellent, the attention to even the smallest detail was outstanding, the staff was excellent, friendly, always smiling and ready to help. We especially appreciated our cruise director, Yvonne! Here enthusiasm was contagious, and her port talks each day were very helpful. The tours were extremely well organized, not too long and had wonderful, knowledgeable tour guides. We especially enjoyed the Heidelberg tour and the Amsterdam canal tour. Even though there was a slight hiccup due to a malfunctioning lock (out of Scenic's control), the Scenic team worked through it seamlessly. We were impressed. We highly recommend Scenic to anyone. We will definitely cruise with them again! Thinking of either the Prague to Budapest or a France cruise. Read Less

We chose Scenic as we were looking for a cruise that was 100% all inclusive. It turned out to be the right decision as we never once had to pull out our wallet. The only additional cost was a massage! Scenic lived up to everything we expected. Rooms were excellent and the addition of a small balcony was great on mornings when we wanted room service rather than eating at the restaurant. Food was very good with incredible selection. Tours had enough variety that it appeared there was something for everyone. For people considering a river cruise for the first time here are some pointers that I was not aware of and had I known it would have made the experience even better: 1. Don't take the top deck for a room if you are travelling in the summer. Air Conditioning works better on the lower level. Rooms closer to the back of the boat are louder due to the engine. If you like white noise then they are great. Rooms closer to the front you hear everyone passing your room. 2. Do your research on destinations along the river you are cruising on along with tours. Some of our tours were two hours bus ride before you got to your destination. My assumption was destinations would be a virtual walk off the boat. (I understand the Rhone is more like this). When it was it was a walk off the boat such as Durnstein it was fantastic! 3. Compare docking stops. On the Danube we sailed by Passau. It looked fantastic but Scenic does not stop there...… Viking does. 4. Understand how often you can be up on the sun deck on the river cruise. Depending on low bridges or locks you are limited to just the lounge area below. This is when you really want a balcony ….. or pick a different river. The channel between the Danube and Nuremburg there are many locks. Although interesting we loved being up top so that is a disappointment. 5. On Scenic you would do a tour and the boat would continue down the Danube and you would pick it up later in the day. One day we passed on the tours and enjoyed just cruising. Again look at the schedule..... this may have been my favourite day! Ultimately identify how much you want to be busy or relax and choose the right cruise based on this. 6. Beware that the success of a cruise can be very dependent not only on the staff but also who you have the luck of cruising with. With a minimum of less than 200 people if the group is fun..... you will have fun. We met many ships along our cruise and it became obvious we were very lucky with the group we had. 7. Cruise success is also dependent on whether the water is at the right height. Check months and get some statistics from your travel agents to try and ensure that you will be on the water for 100% of your trip...… or book last minute like we did. Read Less

Selected this cruise because of promotional brochure indicating interesting ports of call. Promotional material didn't properly identify that many ports on this cruise were for a limited time, less than day, which made the cruise much less enjoyable and disappointing. Wouldn't have taken it if had known this fact. Scheduled for two days in Barcelona and left after first evening. Afternoon or morning on five other destinations. Also not clear on personal touring transportation option which were limited. If you promote a stop/city then don't have transportation for sell guided tours readily available very disappointing. Most excursions were good but a few tried to pack too much activity into too short a time in port. We have done numerous river cruises with Viking and self guided is a big plus. Ship was nice and having taken an Amazon cruise in December we were familiar with the ship offering. Staff was always pleasant and accommodating. New ship so facilities were good. Enjoyed the Restaurant and the World Cafe'. World Cafe' staff was solicitous to passengers compensating for self service format. Had two occasions in Resturant that staff wasn't good and reflected staff either overworked or focused on certain passengers Selection of items was good in the World Cafe'.. We were not fans of the Chiefs Table due to the presentation and selection of menu but that is just a personal choice. Heard lot's of compliments about Chiefs Table from others. Manfradi's was pleasant but often portions were too large. Also some staff more pleasant than others. Again just a personal choice and observation. Service was good so would recommend this to other travelers. Enjoyed Mamsens and Explorer Lounge. Staff was great and environment was great place to meet other travelers. Sorry that this cruise wasn't what we had hoped for. Compared to our Amazon Cruise with Viking, our first Viking Ocean Cruise, this was a disappointment. Undecided on future Ocean cruising with Viking but would recognize that they do a good job on board. Will always consider Viking River Cruising. Read Less

Celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. River cruise was on our bucket list. This cruise hit all the ports we wanted plus the pre and post extensions (Lake Como And Amsterdam) added to our trip. Turned out to be so much more than we expected. The Viking reputation was upheld by the entire crew. From our captain to our Hotel Manager, to our breakfast server. Every person was amazing. They knew our names by day 2! The long ship was spotless. The food was outstanding. Even our nightly entertainment was great for the 30 of us who stayed up past 9:30 pm. We even made life long friends with some our shipmates. Seriously, it was so nice to be on a ship that concentrates on making relationships and truly providing service, rather than just purely entertaining you to make money. The crew of the Loft loves what they do. They have so much pride in taking care of their guests it shows every day. I am in the Hospitality Business, so trust me, I understand how hard it is and how special this group of people are. TAKE THIS CRUISE! That is my recommendation. Read Less

We chose this cruise as we only wanted to unpack once. We heard from numerous people that they take care of you & every detail of your trip. We had 181 guests & 41 crew members so we never felt crowded or rushed. There are many options, depending on what you would like to do. Daily included off-shore trips & numerous additional trips each day. Much detail given before each trip so you know where to be extra cautious & what places that you must see. Consideration for your style of touring, leisurely perusing or jam-packed itinerary with small groups, each with it's own tour guide. Not much time for shopping, but this made my husband very happy. On board, there are various cultural activities each day. Plenty of places to sit & enjoy the scenery as you sail. The food is fabulous & so much of it! Consideration given to everyone's special dietary needs. Snacks & beverages available 24/7. We had a veranda room with loads of space to store our belongings. All personnel treated us like family with the utmost consideration & assistance. They want you to be happy & have everything that you need. We were able to take care of the financial parts before we left so we didn't have to use our credit cards in Europe. We look forward to our next trip with Viking! Read Less

This was our second Viking Ocean cruise and we had our first cruise with Viking on the Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise in 2014. Needless to say we love Viking! The crew is always outstanding and the food is great. There are always interesting tours and excursions available to suit everyone. The embarkation and disembarkation went flawlessly and as always the crew was ever helpful. We had the same level of cabin on both ocean cruises, the deluxe veranda and it is perfect for us. Our steward was fantastic and our room was spotless. We would travel with Viking any time and hope to do so again in the future. We especially love that there are no children and no casinos or water slides on Viking ships and the size of the ship is really great. We also love the free laundry on the ocean vessels. There isn't anything we would change. Please continue the wonderful service. Read Less

All in all we enjoyed the cruise although some of the port stays were too short to fully experience the places. We mainly wanted to see what each place had to offer and decide if we wished to return to spend more time and explore. Some of the shore excursions were already booked so we did miss out on a few that we had really wanted. The ports using tenders were a bit cumbersome and time consuming. The ship was wonderful, cabin large and inviting and the dining was excellent with more than enough choices. We most enjoyed the Explorers lounge with the entertainment of guitar player Valentino. The pool and sauna area is also a wonderful feature along with the spa and gym. The service as always was excellent with all crew members being friendly, efficient at their jobs and going the extra mile. We thoroughly enjoy the Viking line and have already booked our next cruise. Read Less

Trip of a lifetime. And it was made possible by the world class service of Scenic From the moment we were greeted by our chauffer at the airport in Zurich and driven by Mercedes to our hotel. To our butler service and comfortable cabin. To the unlimited beverages available 24 hrs between the lounge service and our mini bar. To the evening entertainment. To the white linen table service in the dining room as well as the snacks in the cafe. To the wide variety and choices of daily tours. To the tour device available on the ship and land for site discoveries. To the farewell dinner of lobster and the serenade by all the staff in the lounge. To the bus trip to the airport going home and being escorted to the proper airline desk. And it really was all inclusive!!! Kudos to Scenic. A wonderful memory to cherish. Read Less

I have had an interest in Russia for over 50 years starting with history classes and have read numerous books and literature about the country through the years. The Viking River Cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow ( although I would start in Moscow) was absolutely fabulous in every aspect from the cruise itself through Lake Ladoga, Onega and the Russian rivers to all the cities and towns visited. The ship and crew were fantastic and so accommodating. The menus were varied at every meal. The shipboard presentations were quite informative and the guides handled bus excursions so professionally. The country side and river banks were all so beauriful. Would recommend this trip to everyone. I would caution about traveling during early May as I did because of their national holiday events which made it hard to maneuver through traffic, children were out of school thus very crowded visiting museums and other sites. Read Less

This was our second Viking cruise and we enjoyed ourselves the entire time, as was the case on our prior cruise. We cruised from Budapest to Nuremberg, and took a Prague Extension for 4 days. The crew was professional, courteous and thorough in all they did. The food was plentiful and delicious. The crew kept us on schedule the whole trip. We enjoyed all the excursions in the various towns and cities. The excursion guides were very knowledgeable and courteous. The various ports were conveniently located and the ship was always at the rendezvous waiting for us. The transfers to and from airports, hotels and excursions were on clean modern buses with courteous drivers and guides. Baggage was handled efficiently and timely. The hotel accommodations were excellent . Our last cruise was Southern France with extensions in Nice and Paris, and everything was on a similar level of quality, we have already booked two additional Viking River Cruises. Next the Northern France Chateaux, Rivers and Wines. After that we will sailing Viking from Paris to Zurich. In both cases we will have extensions before and after the cruises. Read Less

Viking is a Premier company. The ship, staff, cuisine, side trips were all amazing. The wait staff was absolutely amazing. After only one day they were aware of your personal preferences of beverage coffee, tea, soft drink, white or red wine) My travelling companion had many dietary restrictions and our Maitre de was at our table every evening to help her making choices and adjustments that the kitchen would be able to make. The ship in general was totally clean...no dust, no stains. We participated in most of the included tours and did take 3 or 4 of the additional add on choices. I was so impressed that I have already booked a second cruise for next year. My only complaint was with the hotel in Amsterdam for our post cruise stay. Our last night we were subjected to 'neighbors' who were fighting, screaming, banging on the wall and making attempts to enter our room. This went on well into the night. I called the front desk at about 1:30 a.m. and was promised it would be addressed. It stopped briefly and then started up again and I called about 2:30 am...this time I finally did stop. Although this is certainly not any fault of Viking, it was a awful experience. I can not believe that the hotel did not in any way apologize or offer some type of compensation. As we were two senior women, it was quite a frightful experience. Read Less