An opportunity to spend time with #3 son and his wife celebrating 30 years of marriage and the graduation of their two sons from university. After two trans-Atlantic voyages (not cruises) in the 1960s, I have avoided all options to cruise. However, the river cruise was appealing in that each day afforded an opportunity to visit a different city/attraction and with <200 passengers, the size, ...
Chose this cruise because of all the excellent reviews. Also, was available in my timeframe. Started at Amsterdam to Basel. Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland were all great! Decided on the Lucerne extension after Basel. Awesome part of the world! Swiss Alps are amazing! Snow capped mountains, great views! End of May is the best time to go, in my opinion. Did not disappoint with ...
My wife and I had booked this trip pre pandemic then waited until the cruises were reinstated. We have never been pampered as much as we were by the Viking staff and crew. From the cruise director, Sharon, to our table servers, Clif and Almira, even the cabin steward, Kris, they were all amazing! The meals on board were really fine dining, beautifully presented and the taste was exceptional. We ...
We chose this cruise on recommendation of friends, and very glad we did. It was great experience. Small ship may seem space confined at first but it really isn't. The cabins are what you would expect onboard any ship, everything you need is there just a bit compact. One thing I must say is that the cabin was very clean and nothing looked worn out or dated. The cabin appeared to be fresh and tidy. ...
We chose this cruise to visit the European Christmas Markets. It was delayed twice due to Covid. From the moment you step off the plane Viking consultants take care of everything! There is no guesswork about getting to the ship. You immediately are welcomed aboard and your room is ready shortly after. There is always complimentary cookies, and lite beverages all day. Every tour is given by local ...
We were interested in trying a river cruise, had heard good things about Viking and the cost was within our budget. Our boat was changed at the last minute so we were on the Alruna, not the Tialfi, but I believe they are identical. The boat is attractive and generally comfortable, aside from the mattress in our cabin which was terribly hard. The staff was friendly and helpful. The food on the ship ...
My husband and I learned about Viking during the pandemic as we watched a lot of PBS and Viking seems to be the network's primary advertiser. We liked their message and the aesthetics of the ships, and the cost was reasonable to us. Our previous cruising experience (4 ocean cruises) had been on small, high-end luxury lines (Regent, Crystal, Seaborn) and we were looking for a simpler style of ...
This was our second Christmas Market cruise with Viking. The previous one was in 2017 on the Danube River (Nuremberg to Budapest). We love the German Christmas Markets and wanted to see what the Rhine River cities had to offer. We were emailed at the last minute that our ship, the Tialfi, was no longer going to be our ship and that we would be sailing on her sister ship, the Alruna. We ...
We're are cruise veterans, but this was our first river cruise with Viking. We loved the intimate feel of cruising with only a couple hundred guest. It gave us the opportunity to meet several couples who we are now planning to meet for future cruises. We found the included and add-on excursions excellent with very knowledgeable local guides. The difficulty rating and explanation of the type of ...
Enjoyed the cruise as a whole. We arrived and departed the various destinations in a timely manner. Several comments - Dining: (1) red meat was not this chef's specialty. The steaks and prime rib were cooked way too long and were overdone/dry; (2) lunch offered a variety of choices but only two salads - Caesar and tuna. Would have like a small salad bar or more of a salad variety. FYI - the ...