Viking River Cruise, Viking Heimdal, Lyon to Avignon, May 4-11, 2016
Viking River Cruises presents an attractive, even seductive, face. From the alluring advertising to the handsome “long boats” decked out in understated Scandinavian hues to the exception people who staff their ships to the fine cuisine and excellent local guides who make each destination come alive, Viking does it right. It is only when something goes wrong, whether due to Mother Nature or mechanical trouble, that Viking's failings come to the fore, and the promised excellence falters.
We were a group of four booked on the Viking cruise from Lyon to Avignon, starting May 4, 2016. Arrival at the ship was largely uneventful, even though the arrangements for clients arriving on their own was not ideal. Finding the ship required a last minute phone call; fortunately we had a global phone at our disposal and we able to get the necessary information and get close to the ship to offload luggage. Personnel aboard the beautiful Viking Heimdal were unfailingly helpful, courteous and a pleasure to work with.
On competitors' lowest deck cabins, in our experience, the window is directly in the outer wall of the room, albeit at water level. In this cabin, the window was at least two feet outside the outer wall (a bulkhead of some sort i presume) making it much less attractive. Otherwise, the room was well organized and the bathroom was a model of efficiency.