My sister selected this 10-day river cruise for us because of the size of the ship (about 170 passengers) and the destinations and excursions (Amsterdam, Hoorn, Arnhem, Kinderdijk, Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels, Keukenhof, Haarlem, and back to Amsterdam). We have family connections to the Netherlands and were very excited to see so many cities and enjoy so many activities (biking, walking, eating [eating!], sight seeing, beer tasting, meeting new people, etc.). We were able to do all these things on this cruise. The excursions were interesting and the local guides were very knowledgable and skilled. The busy touring and dining schedules were maintained by the crew's use of printed daily guides, a daily announcements session before dinner, and overhead PA announcements. The ship's sailing, hotel and dining crews were efficient, friendly, helpful, and put the passengers' safety and pleasure first. The staff were particularly helpful to passengers on this cruise who had mobility or sight limitations or dietary concerns. We had first-hand experience with the crew's and Viking's ability to maintain safety and manage logistics because of an accident we experienced on the river. Shortly after midnight on the seventh day of our cruise our ship and a tanker collided. Thankfully, a very few passengers and crew sustained minor injuries only. On the other hand, the ship was did not come out as well. The bow and kitchen were heavily damaged and there was lots of broken glassware, dishes and serving dishes, and glass tables and some shower doors were also shattered. The crew in all departments handled this emergency quickly, efficiently and professionally. We were kept informed of events and crew members checked on passenger safety several times in the minutes and few hours after the collision. We were towed to a nearby port (Terneuzen). The crew and land-side Viking staff worked overnight to arrange for us to be bussed to a hotel for a lovely breakfast and then on to Bruges for the scheduled walking tour. That evening we stayed on board and the crew again worked all day and night so that the passengers could enjoy breakfast together in the ship's dining room. I have no idea how they did it. After breakfast we continued with scheduled events: a tour of the Delta Works and stops at Veere and the Watersnood Museum. At the end of the day we were delivered to a fabulous hotel in Amsterdam because the ship had to be put in dry dock for repairs. Our excursions from Amsterdam (where we would have been in the ship if the accident hadn't occurred) were held as scheduled. Despite the collision, the only excursion that was cancelled was the Flanders Field visit; everything else was accomplished as originally planned. The Viking Idun crew and Viking corporate staff were available to passengers throughout the rest of our time together. All of them remained calm and kind throughout what must have been a very stressful time for them. Viking extended very generous compensation to passengers. Almost all the passengers completed the tour rather than fly back home early. I have to mention several crew by name because they truly extended themselves pre-, and especially, post-collision: Guest Services Sandra Slankandenac who, with her peers, always remembered our room number, greeted us kindly and answered all our questions. Bartenders Gilbert, George and Yvanna. They were gracious and made a great lemontini! Hospitality Manager Stefka Koleva supported her staff who kept our staterooms lovely. Housekeeper Lillya was always ready with a happy greeting and kept us supplied with everything we needed. Executive Chef Ronald Waarsdrop. I did not really appreciate the quality of his food preparation and presentation, and the skill of his kitchen staff and servers, until we had a typical hotel breakfast on Day 7 of the cruise. Hotel Manager Harry Berislavic and Maitre D' Nenad Dukanovik. Both men have such a great sense of humor and were always in action. Servers Istvan, Daniel, Tihomer, Kin were attentive, friendly, helpful and always wanted us to be happy. Program Director "Joey" Schuijt. I do not know where to begin to list all that Joey did for the passengers and our experience on the Viking Idun. Before the collision he was efficient, funny, professional. After the collision he was those things as well as sensitive, responsive and deeply concerned that our experience be as positive as possible. Captain Zoran Lukic. My sister and I enjoyed a conversation with the Captain one afternoon and found him to be kind and considerate. We learned about his family and his many years of experience as a Captain. We could plainly see his commitment to his profession and, most of all, to our safety. After the collision Captain Zoran, and Joey Schujit, worked without sleep to take care of us, our needs and the ship. Overall, despite the accident, I had a wonderful experience on the Viking Idun and will take another cruise with Viking. Maybe Russia! I wish the Captain and the crew well and hope they are together again on the Idun soon. Read Less

We had done Viking previously and found them to be exceptional with cruise, sites, room, cleanliness, friendliness, food, service to and from airport, hotel accommodations in departure cities for extensions, and concierge service in extensions. Already booked next trip for next year. This will be my fifth cruise. Everything done with Viking seems to go smoothly. They are great with handicapped people and we even had children on one tour that was great. The extensions include a city tour and a number of other specialty tours are available through the concierge. Their optionals are well planned and reasonably priced. I like that each tour is different even though some towns ( on Rhine, for example )are duplicated, the sites seen and the spiel is different enough that you don't feel you are replaying a video. I will repeat some of these cruises because once is not enough. The food is great and the selection is varied, but you can always get something you like. They were very accommodating for vegetarians and gluten free diets. Read Less

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We spent several days in Paris before boarding our ship and a day in Prague afterwards. We wished we'd opted for the extra days in Prague as well. Nice hotels...very modern. The seven day cruise was along the Moselle and Rhine Rivers. I would caution people to call ahead of time to get approximate travel times before booking. Our trip was advertised as two days in Paris before, two days in Prague after the cruise. Nobody offers any information regarding the ten hours of travel time before reaching Prague. We actually had little more than a day in Prague...not two. While the optional daily excursions were enjoyable, I wish I'd known all but one involved a 60-90 minute bus trip...that's 2-3 hours on a bus each day. Too much bussing and too little dissemination of information. That being said, this was overall, a very enjoyable cruise and the Viking personnel, as always, did their utmost to keep everybody happy, well fed, watered and comfortable. The cities and scenery were the most beautiful we'd seen so far. If there had been better communication about travel time v tour time, we'd have enjoyed visiting Prague for a couple of extra days. It was hard saying goodbye. My advice...ask lots of questions before booking. Read Less

This was our fourth Viking cruise, and we chose it because it took us to cities we had not previously visited, even though it started in Paris, where we have been. Overland coach travel was fine; buses were comfortable, and all pre-and post cruise accommodations were very good. I would recommend this trip to anyone who has traveled with Viking! Included shore excursions were excellent, as were optional extra activities. Meals were very good - up to the standards we have come to expect with Viking, as were some of the lectures and demonstrations on board. Although some of the weather was a bit cold, the ship was always comfortable, and the ship's staff was more than willing to help with anything we asked. This trip, the Captain was very involved in getting to know all the passengers. Overall, our whole experience on this cruise was excellent. We will travel on Viking again! Read Less

We have cruised on Viking previously and this cruise popped up with a great price, we had our own free air, so we booked onto this deal Ship and service were excellent, all arrangements were well done, food good, not excellent, but satisfactory. My husband I travel as a solo couple and as always we met other people easily. The entertainment brought onboard was great. This cruise had a fantastic cruise director who helped make it special. Really enjoyed the evening tour of Trier. The beginning and end cities, Paris and Prague were our favorite locations. The one complaint for this cruise is there was too much time spent in buses and too little free time to enjoy the towns/areas on our own. We would have enjoyed more time to visit towns on our own, especially in the evening. This time was more limited on this cruise. That is a factor of river cruises that appeals to us. Read Less

Being a runner who has logged over 35,000 miles, many years ago recognized that I had damaged my inner ear which causes me to easily experience vertigo. Never thought I would take a cruise for this reason. Then my wife talked me into trying a river cruise. So glad she did but so sad we waited so long to experience the Viking Experience. Never felt any vertigo on the ship regardless of it being docked, moving or going through a lock. We opted for a veranda suite and loved the extra space and location of the room. Very functional, plenty of storage and hanger space. The twice daily room service was a plus and our cabin staffer did a great job anytime we had a different or special request. Internet was spotty in the room but who cares when on vacation. Laundry service was easy and always 1-day service (no charge if in a suite on this boat). The food was always tasty and plentiful and our servers did a great job learning our names and likes/dislikes almost instantly. Same with the bar tenders - Crown Royal on the rock please. The concierge learned quickly I liked to run and she would give me advance notice when the ship would be docked overnight so I could get up early and get in a run before breakfast. The only downside to this particular Viking cruise (Cities of Light) was the first 2 and last 2 days were spent in hotels. The hotels were OK but traveling from the hotel to the boat and vice-versa was tiresome. We extended both sides of the cruise and did each outside of Viking as we are very experienced travelers and made arrangements on more favorable terms than Viking provided. We loved our first Viking Experience enough that we are planning a Russian river cruise in 2018. Cannot wait to experience the Viking Experience again. Read Less

Our cruise on Viking River Cruise was absolutely perfect in every way. Food was fabulous. Drink package was quite satisfying. Service was outstanding. Entertainment was classy. Excursions were well done. The ship housekeeping was impeccable. The staff was excellent. Susie, our program director was amazing. We met a lot of very nice people. This was our first cruise and I can't imagine a better experience. Viking took care of all the details and made it easy for us to sit back and enjoy it. I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone who isn't familiar with Europe or cruising. Viking gave us so many tips that we didn't have to think through many issues and we didn't have any hiccups. We purchased vouchers for our next cruise. We can't wait to take our next cruise. The difficult part is choosing which one to go on next! Trip of a lifetime! Read Less

A great cruise, an excellent river cruise company, we have taken six cruises with Viking, all in Europe since 2010. The food on the cruise was very good, breakfasts and lunches were buffets or you may order off the menu which changes daily. Dinners were had a gourmet flavor and themes from the cruising regions were presented daily. Lots of choices, the wine flows freely at lunch and dinner with no extra charge. The two night pre-extension stay was at the Paris Pullman hotel, good food with an excellent location and view of the Eiffel Tower. The post extension stay was two nights at the Prague Hilton, an excellent location and very nice facility. Both Paris and Prague are wonderful European cities with lots to see and do. The shore tour are very nice and well managed. You have an opportunity to see and experience local culture, history, food, and the way of life in Europe both past and present. Go and enjoy it all, take this opportunity and make it a most memorable journey of a life time. Bon Voyage !!! Read Less

Cities of Light cruise starts in Prague for a few days. Stayed at the Hilton which is an easy walk to Old Town. Did the Lobkowicz Castle extra tour was lovely with lunch and a 3 piece musical concert. Info makes it look like the Prince will greet you, not the case. Only thing that could be improved is with tighter security into the Prague Castle grounds that Viking add time to itinerary so you can have more time on the grounds. We had no time to see other parts of Prague Castle had to get to lunch. Bus ride to Nuremburg for free time and then board ship in Bamberg. There is not a lot of time in Nuremburg just enough for lunch. Did get to Zeppelin Field only, able to drive by Palace of Justice. Bamberg on Sunday morning was nice but nothing open. Had to be on boat by noon to sail. So saw the sights and a cup of coffee. We got a table on the outside deck for lunch while sailing away, fantastic. Great weather. Food service exceptional and well supervised. A travel companion was gluten free and the maître d really sought her out first day and gave her special menu selections daily. Got her special croissants. Tour director was strong on ship and excursions. Front desk staff was pleasant but didn't go out of their way to problem solve. Another traveler left a coat on a bus and desk clerk said she would have to wait til the bus returned from another trip. We saw the bus was still out front and asked could the driver be getting a snack in back and sure enough he was and she was able to get her coat. Drive from Trier to Paris is an all day affair leaving ship at 8am and getting to Paris at 6 pm. stop at American Cemetery and Luxembourg was nice. Our tour guide suggested a restaurant for lunch and the other guides did too and place was overwhelmed and no place to sit. Should have several places to recommend. Also it was just ok not great. The last guide on the bus to Paris was young and enthusiastic but several people noted she talked too much and was too loud. She also did not have a grasp on her audience. Hotel Pullman in Paris is great location with really great breakfast buffet included. Main restaurant on lobby level had a quirky menu that was supposed to be a California menu but wasn't. Really good cafes nearby for dinner. The Versailles extra tour was expensive and a disappointment. It was really crowded and not worth it. Stops along the cruise were good, not enough time in Rothenburg to shop. In Mainz we skipped the city tour because the boat docked right in the city. We were able to get to some great stores and a coffee house. Stop in Rudesheim was nice but Not a place for all the extra time we we're given. Cochem or Berkastel would have more pleasant for a longer stay. We stayed extra time in Trier because we were told ship would be 10 minutes away it was more like 30 minutes walk. Probably the biggest criticism was the bus to the airport in Paris. We were not dropped of at terminal 2E rather across the airport and had to drag our luggage to the terminal that included stairs and limited elevators. This trip had many older folks and it seemed like a really bad mixup on Vikings part. Having to drag luggage so far was time consuming and tough. There was still luggage check lines, customs and security to go through, it would have saved 30 minutes to be dropped off in the right spot. I shared the cruise with a friend, and she opted not to stay extra two days in Paris. Viking would not book me a separate room, even though two other people I was traveling with had singles. My travel agent booked separately. Additionally Viking would not provide transportation to airport initially even though my air was through Viking. Last be careful if they book your air. We were booked from Philly to JFK which going over was fine. Coming back they did not book enough time between JFK and Philly for us to go through customs and re check bags and we missed our flight. Got no help from airline rebooking to Philly. Said they could not get us to Philly til next day. Travel agent said Viking feels 45 minutes between flights is ample to connect. Clearly wrong! Heidelberg excursion and lunch was good. Included tour of Rechsburg Castle was good also but transport to and from is tricky due to road closing to traffic during day in town, so lots of walking in rain and on slippery cobble stones. Prague is a cobblestone city, sturdy shoes are a must. Breakfast and lunch have small menu to order from plus large well stocked buffet. Breakfast has oatmeal and cream of wheat with fruit and but bar with hot steamed milk really nice. Lots of breads, meats, cheese, fruit, cereals, eggs and sides. Lunch had excellent salad bar offerings, pasta to order, desserts and fruit. Dinner had lots of choices, no buffet. Not hard to find something you like. No room service or food off hours. Exception is some cookies at the expresso machines. They provide bottled water on bus trips and have umbrellas available to use. Bar drinks priced well. Wine and beer are available with lunch and dinner included. They will also open wine you purchase in town. Read Less