Viking Bragi Review
19th century Internet access, officious hotel manager, repetitive excursions.
Rating by category
Additional details
This is our second cruise with Viking. The first was in Russia, and was superb. Well thought out, great crew, significant learning while being entertained. This cruise was the antithesis of the Russia experience.
I'll begin with a discussion of the Internet access on the ship. This is critical to me, and was particularly so this time since we had a grandson-in-law undergoing delicate cancer-related surgery and wanted to be in constant communication with our granddaughter. The Wi-Fi signal on the ship could only be received in one's stateroom while sitting on the toilet, and often that didn't work either. Wi-Fi in the reception area and the lounge was O.K. but, of course, inconvenient. The ship router to wide area connections were spotty and congested. I am an Electrical Engineer, and spent my career in data communications. The problems alluded to above are easily remediated, but Viking is apparently rooted in the 19th (o.k., maybe 20th) century and just doesn't care about this vital service. The Wi-Fi capability (or lack thereof) absolutely ruined the cruise for me, and I will never use Viking again.
I wrote to the hotel director, an officious pompous ass, about the Wi-Fi problem, and he never gave me the courtesy of a response. If he worked for me, he'd be gone for that contempt for the passengers alone.
Cabin Review
Veranda Stateroom
The cabin was smallish, but perfectly adequate. The housekeeping was superb; room always spotless, and the cabin attendant (Marija) was wonderful. Of course we didn't spend as much time in the cabin as we normally would, because of the frightful Internet service available there.
Port Reviews
Regensburg
The tour of Regensburg was another in the line of church/castle/palace, no time to really see the town stupidity until the guide began to discuss her involvement with the stumbling stones project and the fate of the jews in Regensburg and elsewhere in Germany. She was so eloquent and caring that she made a very deep impression on all of us, and prompted us to donate to the project before we even left the town. This was a highlight of the cruise.
Nuremberg
Mad dash around the city by bus, church/palace/castle redundancy. Some discussion of the Nazi influence, and some scary photographs of the celebrations held by the party in the late 30's and early 40's. Should have taken the WW2 tour instead.
Wurzburg
This tour was memorable since we actually got to have lunch in town and meet some local people. The actual tour was not memorable; I've given it an average score because it was mercifully short and allowed us to actually see a town.
Koblenz
Good day because I didn't take the Viking excursion to yet another castle. Cable car to the old fortress, walking around the "corner of Germany," visit to the Berlin wall memorial, local food, meeting a number of locals and learning about their lives, etc. If only I had done this at every city!!!