This was Patti Michlin and me our first Cruise with Viking. We choose to take part with the journey called “ City of Lights “ from Prague to Paris. My Points of concern : There where too many Bus transportations , especially in Towns and Villages that where noted on the Program such as Heidelberg where we where transported by Bus from Doc to the City of Heidelberg quite a long Distance to and again a long Distance back to the Boat. This happened in many Destination. By Bussing your Customers we lost valuable Time , disembark , loading the Bus , driving the Distance , Little Time for Sightseeing and shopping , loading of the Bus again , driving back to the Boat , unloading the Bus and embarking the Boat. Hours and hours was spend Driving where if we Parked at the actual Destinations listed on the Program we would had more Time for actual visiting the charming Destinations. Points of Applause : The Staff all across the Boat was outgoing , professional , friendly and accommodating in all aspects of the Journey. The Cuisine , especially the Daily Features where well chosen and certainly well prepared and presented. Ochsenmaul Salat , Oslo Bucco just to name a couple where among all great choicest and out of the mainstream norm. The selection of Wine available was very thoughtful selected particularly Macon Villages by Louis Jadot. The Dinning Room needs to know the difference from Champagne versus Sparkling Wine. “ Not all Sparkling Wine is Champagne “ Overall our experience on the IDI Longboat is and was very memorable. We will be back for more. Ciao Beat Kotoun and Patti Michlin Read Less

We had thought about a Viking Cruise for several years and when A brochure came in the mail and we decided it was time. Our cruise was from Basel Switzerland to Amsterdam. The crew of the Idi was absolutely wonderful. In a day, most staff had learned our names. The service was superb, as was the food. The included shore excursions were all very well run and interesting. The activities director as well as the hotel manager of the ship were exceedingly professional helpful welcoming and more than willing to help a first time traveler. The ship was absolutely modern and extremely clean. The wines and beer served with meals was excellent. We met several other couples with whom we have continued to correspond. This vacation ranks as one of the top two of our lives! We have booked for the Nuremberg to Budapest Danube Cruise this Fall and can’t wait. Read Less

My husband had never been to Paris and I had never been to Prague so Cities of Light was a great choice for us. We had taken a Danube trip on Viking with my parents for their 50th anniversary and were very impressed with the company, the ship, the tours and the food. In comparison, this trip as a bit disappointing. The food was okay, not remarkable. The views, bus drivers and tours were wonderful and most of the staff was amazing. The last night on board, they docked in a literal garbage dump. We were told were taking on fresh water and would be moving. Well, we did, about 50 meters away in the same place. But at least in this new spot the drivers could maneuver the buses along side. When I contacted Viking afterward, they responded once, 2 weeks later when I was in a meeting and never returned a subsequent call or email. I have enthusiastically recommended Viking to people many times before this trip, but now less so. When I talk with people that have sailed Viking before, they are surprised by this tale, so I am hoping it was just a one off and the company has not grown too fast to keep up their excellent service. I love having an alternative to those massive floatels that I tried once and will never board again. Read Less

During October 1-13, my husband and I went on Viking's 13 day (two days traveling) City of Lights tour/cruise. We liked the fact that this seven-day cruise, from Trier Germany on the Moselle river, along the Rhine river to Bamberg Germany on the Main river, included a pre-extension in Paris and a post-extension in Prague. The tour included two nights in Paris and two nights in Prague. Keep in mind that with only two nights somewhere, one really gets only one full day in the city plus hopefully upon arrival an afternoon or evening in the pre-extension city. After the second night, Viking usually rushes you off to your next location or to the airport to go home. Therefore, I am suggesting that if one wants more than this short time between two hotel nights, one should book an extra day or two. We had been to Paris before, so one day was enough for us there. Viking offers a half day bus tour of Paris where you drive by, and sometimes briefly stop at, major sites, but there is no time to visit anyplace such as the Louvre or Eiffel Tower. Same thing for Prague. Prague is a very beautiful and interesting city, so an extra day would have been wonderful, but our one day was satisfactory. We have learned over the past five years during our five previous Viking cruises, that Pre and Post excursions are necessary and desirable. Once you go to all the trouble of flying to Europe, and the expense of a seven-day cruise, we highly suggest you spend a bit more money and take a few more days, to experience your starting and final locations. Viking usually takes a day or so departing from your starting location, so you will probably have a chance for a short visit of initial city, but understand that when your ship pulls into your last port, you will be rushed off to a waiting bus for a trip to the airport and home. Viking does a real good job of transporting you on busses. For example, their bus trip from Paris to Trier stops along the way in Luxembourg for a great tour, and their bus trip from Bamberg to Prague stops in Nuremberg for another great tour. The seven days on the Idi was great, just like our previous four cruises. We always book October/November cruises since they have lower off-season prices, but in so doing we usually run into some rain sometimes lots of rain. Viking has great umbrellas for all to borrow, and except during walking tours, or when you are walking around a site that their bus took you to, you are inside anyway. Take rain gear, but the rain has not been a problem for us. You will not be sunbathing on your ship's top deck, but their lounges are great. This last time we paid $300 for their drink package. I think it was worthwhile since free drinks of house wine/beer are only available during lunch and dinner. If you think you might want a drink between lunch and dinner, and after dinner, when you are in the lounge, that could amount to four drinks per couple per day for seven days, or 28 drinks for which one would have to pay before departing. We like wine, so we ordered better wines off the bar menu at every occasion rather than drink their complementary house wine. Viking does offer free corkage, so I think during our 2020 Portugal cruise, we will buy local wines each day during our walking tours to drink on the ship. These should not cost too much, and we will be able to sample more local wines since Viking does not offer many, any, on their bar menu, and their complementary wine unfortunately remains the same wine throughout the trip and is typically not local. My last suggestion is to pay Viking the extra charge to get their AirPlus reservation option where you can pick your flights with a human rather than have Viking's computer select them. We had to learn the hard way; their computer can be very unreasonable! Every trip that we have made, we have noticed some guests having to get up in the middle of their last night, either on the boat or in a post-extension hotel, to go to the airport very early to catch a very early flight home. This is particularly distressing when on post-extension since you will have paid good money for the hotel night only to ruin your night there by getting up at 3:00am or 4:00am, in order to leave the hotel early for the airport. Because we now always use their Air-Plus service, we get up a reasonable time, eat our complimentary breakfast, and leave our ship/hotel at a reasonable time because our flights did not leave until late morning, noon or early afternoon. One last thing, when you depart your ship the last time, you each can buy one voucher for $100 that will discount a future trip by $200, so spending $200 for two vouchers will save you an extra $200 on a future trip. This we always do. However, these vouchers can only be used on future unbooked trips, so if you have already booked your future cruise before buying the vouchers, they cannot be used for the future already-booked trip. I think their restriction is stupid and unfair, but that is the way it is. Read Less

Paris to The Swiss Alps - this was my first river cruise. Chose Viking on its fine reputation and it didn't disappoint. Everything from airport arrival pick up, embarkation, disembarkation, and return to airport went smoothly. The hotels were excellent. Everything about the ship was excellent:, staff, service, amenities, food - couldn't be better. The tour guides on the excursions were particularly good - so well informed, enthusiastic, and personable. Every detail is taken care of - a truly memorable experience. Our cruise director was very enthusiastic, so well informed, and accommodating. Loved the on board presentations. The only reason I rated it as 4 star instead of 5 is the billing process. We had an excellent Viking representative. However, it appears that Viking has a very cumbersome billing process if 2 people who are not family or related are traveling together. I went on the cruise with a friend who lives in another state than I do. We needed our invoices separated as we were each paying separately with our separate credit cards. Things were very complicated and confusing in this regard, and it really took away from the total experience. Like I said, our Viking representative bent over backwards trying to accommodate us, but the Viking systems do not appear to be set up to accommodate 2 separate people traveling together and sharing a cabin. I would hope that Viking would be looking to improve this in the future. Read Less

My husband and I loved many things about our Viking river cruise. Having under 200 passengers onboard was so much better than 2000! We sat with different folks at meals, so we met many wonderful people. The food, service, cabins, and public areas were exceptional! The evening activities were fun and varied. We loved the cities we visited and the pace of activities was just right.... No being herded like cattle, plenty of free time, etc. My husband even liked standing on our balcony watching as the Idi passed through locks on the Rhine! The excursions at the ports were great. Our favorite was an all-day tour of Strasbourg, France with a guide named Audry. There were 18 of us and we shopped at bread stores, pastry shops, cheese stores, chocolate shops, and wine shops for items we later ate. We toured the Petite France section of Strasbourg which is beyond beautiful. We plan to travel the Danube next... Read Less

Chose cruise since destination, Ukraine, was of interest and itinerary looked interesting. Big mistake. The cruise tried to make a lot out of very little. Balance was wrong, started with 3 days in Odessa,very little to see and ended with only a day and a half in Kiev, a much more interesting city. Very poor and over exaggerated included tours. Day ! Panoramic Odessa. only two buildings of note, lots of statues to people never heard of. Afternoon Odessa Catacombs, interesting tour to site of W W 2 resistance fighters H Q Day 2 Akkerman Fortress Did not go since it entailed 4 hours driving for 40 minute visit. not worth effort, As it happened, rain caused 5 hour journey and only 20 mins at fort Day 3 odessa Art museum -hot stuffy and not very interesting Day 4 Kherson, Cradle of Black Sea Fleet Tour consisted of 3 statues, 1 church and a market of 4 stalls selling tourist tat Day 5 Zaporozhe Higlights Another dull town Drove over a Hydro Electric Dam Visit to Cossack fort, very Interesting. Afternoon Cossack horse show .typical tourist show but quite entertaining Day 6 Dnipro Highlights Museum and church Afternoon visit to art centre. Long drive for very little Day 7Kremenchug Prospectves and Home Hosted Visit .Obligatory statue stop, Drove via power station and oil refinery to visit village. Brochure promised " Ukranian Dumplings, Vaenkyk , home baked bread and local fruit and vegetables .Stood in garden for 40 minutes, given weak fruit juice and sugar pastry! Day 8 Panoramic Kiev and Monastery. Rushed through main cathedral, hardly time to see anything Visit to caves even less time after tiring walk Day 8 Most interesting day . Visit to Pirogovo Folk architecture museum If you want to see dull towns numerous statues and hear endless stories of Nazi/Russian/Roumanian atrocities this is th trip for you' On the plus side, the cabins are spacious and comfortable, the service is excellent. Food is average and below the standard of other cruises we have been on. Entertainment is very poor. A resident pianist and synthesiser. Outside entertainment was only shown on one night. We felt this cruise was not over enthusiasticlly described Read Less

We received a mailer sent to someone else at our address that we have lived at for 40 years and we have always said that we wanted to return to Europe for a river cruise so it was a God thing. The ship and staff were great. The food was also great and they catered to my wife's gluten free needs always. The Shore excursions were vary informative and well planned. We added two extra excursions ( Cheese Making and My personnel favorite the WWII outing). We are talking about taking a Alaska Cruise with my brothers and their wives for our next trip. The ship, staff, dining and entertainment were great with the staff wanting to take care of our needs and desires. We have told many friends about our trip and how much fun we had and some are looking into booking a similar trip. Thank you for a wonderful time. Read Less

This was our first river cruise. We were on the Viking Idi sailing June 27, 2018 from Amsterdam to Basel. Since this was our first river cruise after many ocean cruises on other lines, we did not know what to expect as to the food. Breakfast was super....many choices and all were tasty and served quickly. As to lunch and dinner....another story. We are not "foodies" and not very particular, but the lack of selection was surprising. Only 2 daily menu selections for main course and several nights there was nothing we liked! Beef stew was one night....really? Another surprise was the lack of German dishes (except for one night at the end of the cruise). Then you had a myriad of yummy German dishes. Wish they would have spread them out and have at least one each evening. We were on the Rhine for goodness sake. One night shrimp curry was the feature! Bland at best. Wait staff attentive, pouring house wines and beer liberally. Apparently this ship was beef challenged...rib eye, sirloin and burgers were tough or over cooked. When a chef came to our table and asked about the meal one evening, I told him about the steak. Several people at out table agreed that it was barely edible. He turned on his heel and walked off! The included tours were good but when the cruise director had her briefing on the next port, it was hard for us ( having never been on a ship that had included tours) to know if what she was describing was "included" or "optional". I suggested making that clearer, but it never changed during the 8 days. Eventually we figured that every morning tour (but one) was "included". They never changed our bed linens the whole week. That was a surprise as well. We used Viking air and came in one day prior to the cruise and stayed in a hotel of our choosing so we did not get a transfer to the ship. We could stow our luggage as early as 8 am and we boarded easily at 9:30am. Then we walked on our own to a canal tour boat very close to the dock. Transfer from the ship to the airport in Basel was great. We had a private cab due to our flight departure time I guess and were met at the airport by a Viking rep who took us to the correct check in spot! That was a nice touch. The actual voyage was very interesting....sailing down the Rhine and viewing people at small beaches, cows and horses at other beach areas....houses, castles, locks and a variety of river traffic made for enjoyable sights. Returning from the daily tours, staff greeted us with a small glass of something refreshing. Another nice touch! We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but agreed that a river cruise was just not for us. We are booked on a Viking ocean cruise in the Med in March of 2019 and hope that Viking has the same level of service on board, but better food selections! Read Less

This was our first Viking Cruise and my first trip abroad! As we began researching cruises, we always came back to Viking because of what they offered. Needless to say, Viking exceeded our expectations! From the minute we landed in Amsterdam until our departure in Lucerne, we were taken care of and all we did was enjoy EVERYTHING! The ship Idi was perfect! The size was perfect and not overwhelming. The staff, and I mean everyone onboard was friendly and made sure you were taken care of. The food was always wonderful and the selection of what and where to eat was great! Making new friends and enjoying good conversations was so enjoyable around meal time! Our favorite night was when we were going through the locks and eating outside. And of course the sunsets were absolutely beautiful! Our cabin was perfect and we loved the balcony outside our room. We would come back to the room and enjoy a glass of wine and talk about our day as we continued to watch the sunset which was well after 9pm! Our cabin was always stocked and prepared to our liking by our steward. The ports and shore excursions are why we chose this cruise. We loved every excursion we did. The guides are what made it special for us! They drew you in to their country and made you feel so welcome. The history they gave to us was amazing and their passion for what they did and where they live was incredible! We sure had a lot of laughs along the way with our fellow cruisers! Amsterdam and Basel we wonderful extensions and would recommend adding to this cruise! We have already booked another cruise for 2020!! Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the sampling of Europe for our first European trip and from the advertising and reviews we had researched. The marketing is outstanding.The service, detailed organization and over all quality was amazing.we were pleased with the excursions offered and especially with the knowledge, expertise and humor of the guides that were contracted. We learned a great deal of history and laughed a lot! We were extremely pleased with the staff and their attention to detail. They went above and beyond to see that we were well taken care of. The food was delicious and a variety of options were made available to us at each meal. We enjoyed the casual elegant style of this atmosphere. We were not required to dress formally yet all were on a casual but tasteful manner. We can’t wait until our next trip! We will always cruise with Viking after this fabulous experience. Read Less

We chose this cruise because both my husband and I have German ancestors. My father actually left Germany when he was in his teens. We wanted to do something special for our 50th wedding anniversary, and we thought this cruise would be perfect! We thoroughly enjoyed our time aboard the ship with its laid-back atmosphere. Since it is much smaller than the cruise ships we had been on before, we got to meet many nice people. The food was exceptional, each day having a choice of local cuisine or more Americanized entrees, such as salmon and chicken. The crew was very pleasant and helpful. The program director went out of her way to make arrangements for us to meet up with my cousin and her husband who live in Augsburg, Germany. The only negative comment we have is that it was a lot of walking for older people. Most of the shore tours were walking tours of the different towns. We learned a great deal from our guides; but after the tour, all we wanted to do was get back to the ship and rest. This is a great tour for anyone who is in good shape and can walk long distances. Some of the tours required walking up very steep hills. Our 70+ year-old legs and feet were not prepared for such strenuous walking. We spent an extra day in Amsterdam prior to the cruise and two extra days in Lucerne at the end of the cruise. Both cities, although very different, offered us a variety of things to explore. Read Less

This was our second river cruise with Viking and it was a last minutes deal that our travel agent sent our way and we took it. Our flight arrangements were great. Los Angeles to Amsterdam round trip nonstop flights on KLM Airlines. We added a pre-cruise two nights trip to Lucerne. And it was a surprise that Viking had some one picked up the two of us from Zurich airport and drove us to our hotel in Lucerne in a black Mercedes E class sedan. The river cruise is nice with so many point of interests within walking distance from the docking locations. We explored Breisach, Kehl, and Rudesheim on our own. The crew member were courteous and helpful. The food and wine were delicious. That included Riesling was just great so we took an optional Moselle Wine Tasting trip to experience more. We made friends with two other couples. They were our dining mates and we had a great time. We booked Viking Mediterranean Odyssey for 2019 and looking forward to it. Read Less

We had never seen these countries before and this was our 2nd Viking cruise. Spent two days at beautiful Lake Lucerne before the cruise. A beautiful city, in which, we took many amazing photos. We enjoyed the relaxation of a river cruise and the extra special service of the staff. The cabin was extremely clean and the bed was very comfortable. The staff really went out of their way to keep us enjoying every minute of our trip. The chef also deserves credit for preparing exceptional dinners and buffets. It's very easy to put on more weight. This trip we traveled with 4 of our friends (first time they had gone on a river cruise), had great adventures and so much fun. We went on several shore excursions, even danced at the restaurant in Rudesheim am Rhein. We took many photos of the 20 castles we passed along the Rhine. We would love to take another Viking cruise. Read Less

We choose this tour because we wanted to get a introduction into Germany. This was a great way to do it. The Rhine river is wonderful to cruise and there are so many awesome sights to see and to experience. The crew welcomed us in Amsterdam and they very quickly made us feel like family. We looked forward to seeing them every day. The meals served on ship were very good with a great variety. The time went so fast. I was disappointed when, after I toured the wheelhouse, where the captain showed me how the ship operated, that he would not let me pilot the ship. The tours were great.Every stop, made me realize that I could go back and spend more time and that there was more to see. Even before the tour was over, we were thinking of going on another cruise next year. My special request to Viking is to let the crew of the Idi take me to where I go. Read Less

Choose cruise on a whim and reputation. We opted for a veranda suite and were very pleased we did; beautiful accommodations, view, cleaning service service, even laundry. Fridge was restocked daily with beer wine and soft drinks. Crew was excellent; friendly, fun and available for any assistance. Several crew members went out of their way to be helpful and responsive to our needs, Food was high quality and delicious with lots of variety. Met lots of new friends from all over the world. Dinners were really fun and 24/7 coffee/cookie station well used. The destinations and excursions were well planned, organized, interesting and very impressive. Guides were very skilled. Of note is just how clean the European places we visited are kept. The ship size was perfect with just about 200 guests allowing for plenty of space and no waiting in lines. We could easily enjoy a longer cruise we discovered, and are hopeful to soon (a year or two) go on another; perhaps the Danube for 15 days. Read Less

This cruise was a wonderful opportunity to visit some special, smaller areas of Germany and France in a relaxed, easy and comfortable manner. We thoroughly enjoyed Colmar and Strasbourg with the colorful buildings and winding streets. It was so nice to be able to get off the boat and just walk around the river port areas and towns, and we always felt very safe. The boat itself was extremely compact, clean and comfortable with everything we needed and the staff were friendly and very accommodating. The dining room menu had a good variety of options at all meals, with plenty of simple and quick items also available on the small buffet at breakfast and lunch. Having just one dining seating time and not the huge overabundance of food (as on the large ocean ships) was perfect. It was nice to get everyone together in the lounge for our nightly overviews, hear about everyone's day and then proceed to dinner. The musical entertainment was mellow and not overpowering and the game nights were fun. This is our style, as was the casual attire and general atmosphere, although the dining room was top notch as far as service, tableware, etc. The included wine and beer was very, very nice and made things so easy. We could have a single glass of wine and not feel like we were wasting the rest of the bottle. There was always a nice view while dining. We enjoyed time on deck when sailing to see the scenery -- the cute little towns, the locks and bridges, houses and churches, churches everywhere! The day we were viewing the Rhine castles, it POURED rain!!! The nice, large canopy on the top deck gave us brave souls a place to view and photograph and still stay relatively dry. Others enjoyed the view from the lounge or their balconies. The dining staff even came up on deck and braved the storm with welcome cups of hot cocoa!!! On another warmer day they appeared with glasses of iced water. The bottles of water as we went off on tours each day were a nice touch, as were the little treats we'd get as we were welcomed back on board each day. The coffee stations with the pastry and cookie items were way too tempting. We enjoyed all our excursions, but did feel just a bit rushed at the Black Forest and in Heidelberg. We would definitely have liked more time in Heidelberg. Rudesheim was simply adorable, and it would have been nice to arrive there earlier in the day to be able to take the ferry across the river and the gondola up to the monument. On the other hand, we felt we had too much time in Cologne. The walking tour was brief and we had things we were able to see and do on our own, but as we were not interested in beer hall hopping, the day turned out to be more "relaxing" than we planned. Of course, I guess we were there in Cologne on some sort of holiday, so a lot of museums and things were closed down. Overall it was a spectacular trip. Our Lake Como precruise extension was fantastic, and we had a wonderful tour director there and enjoyed our excursions and free time. It was a great way to get acclimated and in to the whole vacation mindset, plus become acquainted with the smaller group of people before boarding the ship a few days later. Our stop in Lucerne on the drive to Basel was an unexpected and very pleasant surprise. I would have liked to have known about it when we booked the Como extension, but Viking could only tell me that we'd stop "somewhere" for lunch between Como and Basel. We stayed on in Amsterdam on our own for several days, and then flew on to Munich for a few days before heading home. Viking made those flight arrangements for us. Although we had to manage getting to hotels and the airports and other transportation on our own, it was a lot of fun, too. It might have been nice to be able to add on the walking tour in Amsterdam the day we disembarked there, but we were told that was not possible. We had planned to do this Rhine cruise last year, and we're so happy we followed through and went on it this year. We'd definitely consider doing another Viking cruise itinerary, and the Egypt tour sounds very, very tempting! Read Less

We picked this cruise because it gave us a chance to experience Europe with the convenience of not having to change hotel rooms every day. Wow, were we ever pleased! We spent a few days in Amsterdam, giving us a chance to explore the city. The seven days aboard the ship were fantastic. The ship and crew were top notch. The cabins clean and well maintained. The food was very good on board and it was delightful to enjoy local establishments on some of our evening excursions. The daily excursions were great with wonderful local guides providing history and giving us some local insight. We also extended our trip through Switzerland (via the Glacier Express) to Zermatt and the Matterhorn before ending in Geneva. A great addition, if you have a chance to experience this adventure. Above all, I must say that Viking pays close attention to detail and the needs of their customers. We will book again with Viking. Read Less

We had wanted to cruise the Rhine River for years and decided not to put it off any longer. Wise decision. The cruise, the staff and the sites were wonderful. Once we boarded, the Idi lived up to our expectations. The staff and cruise director were wonderful. Someone was always at your fingertips if you needed something. The talks on board were extremely informative and the game nights were fun. We especially enjoyed the shore excursions. I have problems with my knees (two knee replacements) and on almost every excursion, there was a tour for those of us who had trouble keeping up with the other groups. We were able to walk at a slower pace, enjoying the views along the way, and if we needed a break, all we had to do was ask! Extremely appreciated! I cannot say enough about the food onboard. It was beautifully and tastefully prepared and we ate way too much food! Our post-cruise stay in Lucerne, Switzerland was beautiful. I will definitely go back to Switzerland and include Lucerne in my itinerary! We absolutely loved this cruise and wouldn't mind taking it again. My only negative aspect about this cruise was that we were booked into the Radisson Blu in Amsterdam. They have a 2-3 inch high marble lip going into the bathroom with no warning signs or anything to highlight this tripping hazard. It is the same color as the bathroom floor and is not easily seen. I, like many of my fellow travelers, stumped their toes on this lip with resulting bruises, broken nails, etc. My fall resulted in a split forehead just above the eye and a trip to the emergency room. Either the Radisson should fix this problem or Viking should change hotels in Amsterdam. Read Less

My husband and I periodically travel with a group of British car enthusiasts. This year we boarded the Viking Idi for a cruise up the Rhine River. There were excursions to Strasbourg, France, Germany (Cologne, Heidelberg, Koblenz, and Breisach) and the Netherlands. The rooms were clean and updated; service was good; and the food very tasty. I have 2 issues. My husband and I are traveling with 42 other people from the States. We arrived at Zurich Airport at different times. We were to be met by Viking reps and escorted to the hotel in Lucerne, Switzerland. When my husband and I approached the shuttle bus driver, he rudely reproached us; advised us that it was not his problem we didn't have a ride to the hotel; and told us to catch a cab! He closed the door and would not let us board the shuttle. The second issue is the poor wi-fi service. Viking has made a business decision not to make a capital investment in high speed internet to the detriment of its guests. Here are my comments on that: The wifi is so slow dial-up called and wanted to know what was keeping it. The wifi is so slow, a google search for Viking cruise returned no results because the term Viking doesn’t yet exist. The wi fi is so bad it should be called why bother. I complained about the service and was offered 2 vouchers toward a future cruise. The vouchers were sent as an attachment to an email. When I advised the Viking rep that I could not open the attachment, his response was that Viking could not re-send the vouchers in another format. If you want to be connected during your cruise, don't sail the Viking Idi. Read Less

First class all the way. Fair priced. Cabin clean and comfortable. Food was excellent. Off ship tours exciting and informative. Service was excellent. Ship was clean comfortable well-laid laid out and had all the appointments you could ask for. Great views from cabin and lounge. staff was outstanding and sociable and paid attention to the smallest detail and very helpful. Well there was no workout room the upper deck did allow for walking. Enjoyed the visit to the bridge with the caption explaining how the ship operated. Maybe a pool or jacuzzi would be a good addition. like the fact that the ship moved at night so we had maximum time in ports four places we wanted to see. The in Port tours we're very well laid out and the tour guides were very knowledgeable. Like the fact that some days we were able to walk to the tour and other days we took a first class bus. Read Less

This was my first Viking and river cruise! It was amazing! We loved so many things about this cruise, the service, dining, cabin and the shore excursions were all fantastic! The staff - super friendly from the minute we arrived, they treated us like Queens! From day one they knew the cocktails we liked... The pace of the activities were just right... Shore Excursions were top class, the guides were great and you could tell they knew what they were talking about. We had free time to explore on our own. Getting on and off the ship was easy and fast... No long waits, they held our luggage at the ship when arriving and departing with no issues. The great thing about this cruise was everything was included in the price (except the gratuity of course) ... Even though it was a year ago we went on this cruise I am still thinking about it and can't wait for our next Viking cruise! Read Less

Having been a veteran of Caribbean cruises on the large and mega ships, we had the opportunity to travel with a group of about 45 cabins on the Rhine River Cruise with Viking. It was an entirely different experience from what we were used to. It is much more intimate with approx 90 cabins. The check-in process was so quick, I didn't realize that it was complete. The interior was very sleek and clean. Light wood furniture and trim. Small areas to sit and relax. Lots of sunlight throughout the boat since there are no inside cabins. There was a nice bright dining room and an inside/outside dining area that was more casual. There was a partially covered sundeck on the entire top of the boat. The staff all got to know us on this voyage since there were so few people. No lines to wait in. No trouble finding seating for entertainment. The staff was 99% excellent or very good. Just one or two waiters that seemed a bit less experienced. They accommodated our large group with private receptions/parties very nicely. Having the wine and beer included with lunch and dinner was very nice! No big bar bills at the end of the cruise. The food was very nice. Varied choices, prepared well and served well. Included were excursions on every stop that were included in the prices of the cruise. They were generally more historical and educational overall. So if you just wanted to party 24/7, this is not the cruise for you. However, we did party quite a bit but in a more "mature" way! lol The scenery while cruising was gorgeous. The ports were all really fun and enjoyable. We were escorted to all tours. Overall, I would say most all the tours involved a moderate amount of walking on uneven surfaces. Not for the frail or physically limited. However, there were a couple of tours listed specifically for those that were mobility restriced in some way. The whole atmosphere was generally informal. Nicer casual outfits for dinner but no formal nights. Some of the entertainment on board was very fun, the pianist wasn't very versatile. We had a day and a half in Amerstam before sailing. That easily could have been longer and this was a wonderful city. Everyone bikes or walks. Bikes do have the right away so be very alert! We went to the Keukenhof Gardens which were amazing!!!!! Post cruise we went to Lucerne, Switzerland for 3 days. I fell in love with this city. Everyone walks. It's very old and historic. The river runs right thru the middle of town with covered bridges and restaurants lining each side of the water. Just outside the city is the rural farms and mountains with snow tops and beautiful waterfalls. We were there in late April and we have fantastic weather! People were friendly everywhere we went. Most everywhere was very clean and no overweight people. Everyone walks for bikes everywhere. What a great way to live.! Read Less

This was bucket list item we had talked about for years. It was the most wonderful cruise imaginable. We were treated very well by the staff and crew. There is nothing I can think of that wasn't readily available. The shore excursions were great, well thought out and well orchestrated. Buses were clean and very comfortable. Each port was better than advertised in the brochure. The ship showed no wear from over use and was also incredibly clean.The meals were fit for a gourmet. Breakfast offerings were too numerous to mention. Lunches were very good and usually of a lighter variety. Suppers were outstanding, a great deal of local food is offered. I actually loved some of the local cuisine. The bar met every drink requirement. We spent two days in Amsterdam before the cruise. It also was better than billed. The Hotel Okura, a five star rated hotel was convenient to all Amsterdam had to offer. We will definitely be back on another Viking Cruise. Read Less

I chose this trip because I had not cruised on the Rhine River. The countries we visited such as Switzerland, Germany, France, and The Netherlands were breath-taking. Some of the excursions included visiting castles, cathedrals, a cheese factory, and Windmills - all of which was the first time to experience these landmarks. The food on the river boat was rated a #10 by me - never ever a bad meal. The food was so fresh. The breads and pastries where simply delicious. Wine and beer were served at lunch and dinner, without any additional charge. We flew into Basel, Switzerland a couple of days before our departure so we could take in the sites of the area. We made a day trip to Lucerne, Switzerland. The golden Round Trip with Lake Cruise to Mount Pilatus. While there we rode a cogwheel train, which is the world's steepest cog railway between Alpnachstad and the summit of the Pilatus. We also rode a gondola which gave us panoramic view of the mountains. While in Lucerne we took a self-guided tour of the Musegg Wall which its nine towers which forms part of the Lucerne's historic fortifications. Once our cruise was completed in Amsterdam, we stayed an extra couple of days to visit some of the well known areas. Cruising through the canals on a canal cruise dinner boat was very refreshing and romantic. The Flower Market was quite enjoyable to walk through. Seeing the Ann Frank house is a must. The entire personnel on the river boat was there to meet every need for me. This is the second river cruise and both cruises were fantastic. I plan to go on another river cruise, maybe to Russia, in the near future. I love Viking Cruise Lines. Read Less