My wife and I had never taken any type of cruise before embarking on the Viking Var for our 7 night adventure down the Rhein River for 7 beautiful June days. We were a bit cautious as we were "not cruise people" before stepping aboard a Viking Long Ship. We have always planned our own vacations and taken care of ourselves for the most part while traveling around the world, including a Christmas Market trip to Europe in 2012. We were convinced to experience a cruise by my wife's parents and togetherness we decided to give Viking a try.
From the time we stepped aboard to the time we departed we were treated like royalty. We have never had a better vacation! Leaving everything to Viking turned out to be the best decision we ever could have made. From the spacious and comfortable cabin to the delicious and abundant food life on board was amazing. No packing and unpacking as we travelled from city to city was a treat. And Viking provided well thought out, entertaining, and nicely managed tours at each stop. There was also a nice selection of optional afternoon and evening tours that weren't budget busters, we told advantage of a few and had the same level of comfort and service as the included experiences. With the exception of the optional tours and cocktails at the fully stocked bar, beer and wine are included at lunch and dinner (and plenty of it), there isn't anything else to spend money on while board. There is even a self-service coffee bar, with pastries in the morning and afternoon cookies, for your pleasure, and several surprises like ice cream sundaes on the top deck while viewing the castles on the Rhein. You never go hungry on a Viking Cruise!
Every evening an informative lecture is given detailing the next day's events. And on most nights some for of entertainment, from local musicians to cooking lessons, there was even a glass blowing demonstration on our ship. And there is always piano music in the lounge or just sitting on the deck watching the world glide by as you cruise in style on the best floating resort in the world.