We chose the cruise on the advice of friends. We were told that it is the best time to take this trip because of all the winterfest activities that we would encounter along the way. Our friends were correct. We had a memorable trip. We immersed ourselves in every activity and tour that we could fit into the schedule. We had one exception --- we had to take a slight detour and change boats along the way because of the low water level in the river. But, all things in stride, the cruise director and staff made sure that we were taken care of and provided us with a fabulous bus ride/ tour that made the day the most pleasant and enjoyable experience that it could be. That said, I was very ill with a flu virus that actually turned out to be pneumonia. I was on antibiotics during the whole trip and the crew made sure that I always had a box of tissues handy. Someone gave me a packet of cough drops like I have never had before; they worked like magic. During the trip we were able to find a pharmacy to restock. Even the pharmacy was a unique experience. There was a doctor in house. You tell them the symptoms and the doctor gives you the right thing to use. Fabulous. At the end of our trip we stayed a couple of days extra and explored Amsterdam on our own. There were four of us in our group, and we all had a very good time. We ate well every day, we drank loads of hot wine, we laughed a lot and walked our feet off while having a good time. What more can you ask for? Read Less

We had great time on our cruise. I travel with several mature gal friends. A little disappointed in the tour of Amsterdam, I would suggest paying for a canal boat tour over the free walking tour. In addition to the great tours in each city, we enjoyed kicking up our heals in the lounge in the evening, dancing and singing along with the piano man. The water levels were up so we had smooth sailing. The ship was clean, the cabins were nice, the lounge was great fun. The service staff was attentive. We had excellent waiters and waitresses. The food was very good. ( I wish we could have a dining table assigned.) The long, uphill walk to one of the castles almost did me in, but I'm overweight and under fit. We've also done the Danube with Viking and loved it. We will probably be looking for our next river destination in 2020. Read Less

This was our first cruise ever, my wife and I did not like the idea that we may not have enough free choices on cruise and have to follow their schedule rather than yours. But this cruise changed all that perception, it was very well organized, with varieties of activities we could choose from and it appeared that Viking has a great local connections whereever we visited. From airport transportations to local hotel choices, all the concerns we had evaporated, meticulous and courteous services. The cruise staff, I have to say that almost perfect, great smiles, very attentive, always around available. We met a lot of people from all over the world, wish we had more time to get to know them. We are still in touch with another couple from New Jersey, we had so much of fun together. We had pre & post cruise in Lucerne and Amsterdam, even that was arranged very well. For over 12 days travelling through many places and 4 different countries, there was no single issue or mishap, on excursions, transportations, hotels, I would say that is rare. We are looking forward to get on board with Viking hopefully soon. Read Less

The cruise was the greatest! I was with 3 other people and we all had a good time. The ship was very nice. We could go up to the top and watch the scenery. No problems getting there from the airport. The cabin was a little small but we made due. The food was excellent. The servers were very friendly and always pleasant. By the end of the cruise they knew my order! I liked that a lot! Entertainment was very good. The games were fun and the classical concert was super. The included excursions were so much fun and very informative. They were so well organized and run. We added 2 other excursion, too. Those lollypops are a great idea! Enjoyed staying for lunch a couple of days that shuttles were provided after the included tour. We stayed an extra 2 days in Amsterdam. The hotel and service from the Viking people made the change from ship to hotel seamless. Kudos to Claudia and her crew. They were so much fun. All service people were excellent. I would definitely do another Viking river cruise! Read Less

Hadn't planned on a cruise at this time, but the combination of price, ports of call, and opportunity caused us to jump at the chance to see parts of Italy, Switzerland, France and Germany that we had not visited. We opted for the pre-cruise trip to Lake Como, which was excellent. Even though we were two plus hours late on our arrival at Milan, we were met by a Viking Representative and whisked to Lake Como in a very nice Mercedes sedan. Our guide was both knowledgeable and delightful. There were only 10 of us, which made our tours around the lake and town more enjoyable. Our coach trip through Switzerland was beautiful. When we arrived in Basel, we immediately boarded our boat, our bags were delivered to our stateroom and we attended the welcome aboard meeting prior to dinner. On the river cruise, the shore excursions were well run and informative, and service was outstanding. Our Program Director aboard the Mani was personable and very well informed about the history and customs of the places we visited. Food was very good, selections for each meal were many, and again, service was outstanding. At the end of the cruise we (on our own), stayed a few days in Amsterdam, then flew to Prague for a few days, and Viking, included in our "free air" flew us back to Kansas City. I was very impressed with the entire experience from the time we landed in Milan until we left the Mani in Amsterdam. Read Less

I basically chose this cruise because of the special promotion that was offered in early 2018. We arrived in Amsterdam early on the day of our departure and took a canal tour, followed by a 4-hour walking tour. I'm so glad we had this time to see this beautiful and unique city. Once onboard our ship, we were able to relax and meet fellow passengers before starting a week of non-stop sightseeing. We usually took 2 different excursions at most ports, which allowed us to see and experience so much. But, I will have to say that I enjoyed the time we spent on the river cruising thru the area where there were so many beautiful castles and little towns. I only wished that we could have spent more time doing this because it was just magical. We also enjoyed our time onboard ship. The crew was especially helpful, as well as funny and entertaining, and our tour director, Claudia, was fantastic! Following the cruise, we extended our visit and enjoyed seeing Basel & Lucerne. Can't wait to go back!! Read Less

Even with the first night and first day not as planned because of a boat/propeller issue, the cruise was awesome. The crew did an incredible job trying to make us feel special even though we had to start off at a hotel and a bus instead of the river boat. Once on the longboat, everything was stellar. After several ocean cruises with 3000 guests onboard and being able to get lost in the crowd, we were concerned that we would be conformable with only 190 guests. It was never an issue! Never had to get dressed up for dinner; in fact, wore nice jeans every evening. Even made new friends that we shared most meals with; and made a point to get scheduled on the same bus for the excursions. The included excursions were great. They were lead by very knowledgable locals, and would have cost on any other cruise line. They also included a lot of walking! Wear comfortable shoes! We would go again, and in fact, will, summer of 19! Read Less

My husband and I won this trip at a local fundraising event in late 2017. We had never been on a cruise before and wanted to see what it was like. An ocean cruise was out of the question - we aren't interested in being in a huge floating hotel with thousands of guests. This trip from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam for a week, with a total of 97 rooms seemed more our speed. We flew into Basel the day before the cruise began. Probably the most important experience on any cruise is with your interactions with the crew and guests. Viking must have a great customer experience interview process because their people are fantastic! Everyone from the Captain to the waiters were really interested in giving each guest a great experience. This was especially important because unfortunately, two days before the end of the cruise, our propellers were damaged by some river debris and we had to transfer to buses for the final overnight to a hotel outside of Amsterdam. It really helped us all get over this unfortunate problem because the Viking crew really responded well to the situation and did everything they could to make us feel special. The ship and our cabin were first rate - everything worked well and even though I'm very tall, I didn't feel cramped. That's important to me. The food was great and it was fun to have our chef explain the evening's specials to us beforehand. We had ample time to talk with the other guests who were mostly similar to us in background (probably would have been more interesting if some of the guests were of different ethnicities but that's the way it was). For many of the guests, this was their first cruise ever, just like us. Some had taken a number of trips with Viking before. All of our day trips were great - Viking really wants their guests to enjoy where they are, which means getting off the ship and experiencing the sites. Great tour guides, transportation, etc. No complaints. This cruise is not for the faint of heart - we did a lot of walking and to keep to a schedule meant that things had to progress to a carefully watched schedule. This was new to us, as we usually plan our own days as we like. Overall, the experience was great - I rated the overall as "Very Good" due to the ship problems and that the hotel stay was not as nice as being on the ship. But the Viking staff did their utmost to deliver on their promises. Read Less

Looked for a highly rated cruise line, and we wanted a cruise that would include Germany. Every person I talked with that had gone with Viking raved about the cruise so we decided to take the chance. Pre-trip: friendly booking people that were very helpful and answered all our questions. Helped us with flight upgrades and got us the exact staterooms we wanted, Planning the extra excursions was easy online and we were tickled with the packet of info that came a few weeks prior, that confirmed all the details. Arriving, we were met and smoothly transferred to the ship. Our stateroom was amazingly well designed and so comfy! Loved the full-length windows— great views from our room day and night. The service onboard was spectacular. Kind, thoughtful, personable—just a delightful crew. From the captain Helmut to Claus the hotel manager to Radim the program manager, all were very friendly. We enjoyed meeting other staff too and getting to know them a little: Roy, Norm, Jana, Isabella, Josh, Natalia—so amazing! The excursions and guides were insightful and fun. Loved learning a little about the history of each place we stopped. The food was excellent—well prepared and presented with flair—we took photos since they looked too good to eat! (But we did!) The total experience was fabulous and we are already planning when we can go on another Viking cruise! Read Less

My wife has wanted to visit Germany since she was a little girl. This cruise fulfilled her wish. The cabin, the staff, the food, everything was terrific and we couldn't have asked for better weather. We enjoyed the cruise so much that we are booked on a cruise from Prague to Berlin in March of 2019. We were on our 34th anniversary trip. Each of the shore excursions were well planned, interesting and worthwhile. It was very meaningful for me, personally, as I had been stationed in West Germany during the Cold War while on active duty in the US Army. My wife was particularly thrilled with the visit to Heidelberg. We extended our stay after disembarkation in Switzerland, returning to Germany for another 6 days. We visited Wurzburg, my old duty station, and the spent a few nights in Oberammergau, the site of the Passionspiele coming up in 2020. Completed our visit in Munich before flying home. Read Less