This trip was to start and end in Paris. Join the boat on Monday, stay in Paris Tuesday and return for a full day at the dock in Paris on Sunday to disembark on Monday. The dock was pictured on the Seine not far from the Eiffel Tower. The booklet from Viking showed the dock (p. 29) near the Pont de Grenelle. The online docking information showed it at Quai Maurice Berteaux, Le Pecq. The map said PARIS in the corner. LePecq ? A different section of Paris? Not sure what to tell our cab I called Viking before leaving and was told go to Pont de Grennelle.

On arriving near Pont de Grennelle, the Rinda was not to be seen. I called Viking and was told the river was high and they could not dock there. Go to the Pont de Grennelle and a shuttle would take you to the ship. It turned out to be a 45 minute ride to the boat. It was out beyond the suburbs - beyond the Metro. Not the easy stroll to see the sights we had pictured. No relaxing on the deck in view of the lights of Paris. Two and a half days of Paris only reached by long bus rides.

The rest of the itinerary was very nice, but a quarter of the trip was to be docked in Paris. We later learned that the water was not "high", but that they had not gotten a permit to dock in Paris - perhaps because this new boat is bigger than the older Viking boats. No matter the reason, I felt deceived. I would not have gone on this cruise. Most likely, I would have done another Viking trip. Read more