Viking Kari Review

-- / 5.0
Editor Rating
36 reviews

Very Underwhelming

Review for Europe Cruise on Viking Kari
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SummerBreeze76
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Jun 2022
Cabin: Veranda Suite with Veranda and French Balcony

Never again. My husband and I are seasoned cruisers who have done about 40 different ocean cruises. This river cruise left us totally underwhelmed. The ship was clean and the crew was somewhat friendly, but there were so many things lacking. First, we had one of only nine suites on the ship. We paid considerably more than the smaller cabins however, upon boarding the ship we discovered, that we were double parked and that our balconies or butted right up against another ship that was double parked next to us. In other words, we had no usable balcony for our first day on the ship. We had to keep our curtains closed for privacy. The same double parking also occurred when we re-docked in Paris on the last day of our voyage. In other words , for two days we had no access to our balcony or to a view. As soon as we arrived on the ship, we attempted to connect to Wi-Fi for our phones and our iPads, however this was not possible. We were able to hook up our phones, but at no time during the cruise were we able to hook up our iPads. The guest services Director didn’t seem to know what he was doing and claimed to have contacted the main office but no one responded. As far as entertainment on the ship, they’re basically was none. We had a piano player at lunch and during dinner hour, but after dinner, there was nothing to do. There were only four TV channels and a very limited variety of movies. There is also no workout room and the walking path on the top deck is closed most of the time because it can’t be opened when they are going under bridges. Consequently, there was very little opportunity to get any exercise. If you are taking this cruise to visit Normandy, there are better alternatives. We docked in Rouen and had to take a bus 2 1/2 hours each way to reach the Normandy area. That meant five hours on a bus. The tour itself of the beaches and the area was adequate, but not as thorough as another one I took when I was on a cruise ship a few years back. Anyone wanting to visit Normandy should either book a land tour or take an ocean cruise that stops at Le Havre or Cherbourg. The food on the ship was mediocre. There is only one main dining room and a small area in the lounge where you can have dinner. Be entrée choices were nothing to write home about and my husband and I found ourselves ordering salmon which is available every night, at least three evenings. Overall, we have decided that we are not river cruisers. We are not wild party people, but we do like alternatives in the evening to the main dining room, more than one bar on the ship, and a little more for money than you get on these river cruises. We felt like Vikings or Spartans based on the accommodations and the services or lack thereof offered.

Response from VikingS, Community Team

While we're glad to hear the cleanliness and friendliness of our crew were enjoyable aspects of your sailing, SummerBreeze76, it's disappointing to learn that other aspects of your trip did...

Cabin Review

Veranda Suite with Veranda and French Balcony

Port Reviews

This was a cute little town with friendly shopkeepers.

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