We eagerly awaited our Tauck family trip as we had an extremely positive experience in the past. This was anything but positive- the boat was not able too maintain comfortable temperatures in the heat we experienced, the food was bland and even inedible at times- we ended up eating plain pasta and cucumbers off the kids salad bar, the nightly entertainment was nonexistent and disappointing. The service on the boat was fine, we just wished we had spent a week in a comfortable hotel room and missed an actual authentic and fun experience eating real French food and immersing in French culture. This was in No way a good value- we have deep regret trusting this company and we won't do it again. CAVEAT EMPTOR- this trip was the budget express. We are now looking to travel with reputable companies that stand by their name and product- it's not the cost, it's the quality of what is delivered. This was truly disappointing. Read Less

This cruise departed from Paris after three days there and visited several towns on the Seine River, including Pontoise, Vernon, Rouen and Honfleur. There were included tours to Monet's garden and the Normandy landing beaches. We visited the American Cemetery and the Caen museum as well. This was especially noteworthy as June 2019 marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Our days docked in Paris included a city tour and a walking tour of the artist neighborhood of Montmartre. There was ample free time in all places for independent activities. We have been on the Bizet before and it remains a lovely ship, holding just over 100 passengers. The food and crew are excellent, as has always been our experience on the many Grand Circle cruises we have been on. Our fellow travelers were good company and we enjoy the open seating in the dining room which allows for circulating to different tables and meeting more people than fixed seating allows. There were three Program Directors on board, each one served a group of less than 40 guests. They were all excellent and added greatly to the experience. I don't think most other river cruises have this feature. There were several special nights on board including a can-can show, a sun deck party evening and a strolling accordionist. The included activities list goes on and on, but you could just sit on the sun deck too if you wished. We had great weather and just missed the big heat wave in Paris that began on our departure day. GCT cruises are a very good value if you are somewhat flexible with your dates of travel. Their front office is a bit inflexible as they don't work with travel agents so you have to book directly with them. They also will not hold space so you have to book when you call for info, or else call back when you have finalized your plans. GCT can also be less than responsive to issues raised with them after booking, compared to other travel providers, in our experience. Read Less

Our friends that are wine connoisseurs wanted to tour region. We wanted to see Monaco but this trip did not end up there as the brochure stated when we booked. We enjoyed all the stops and seeing so many wonderful places., especially the small, quaint little towns and unusual things like "Garden of Eden," organ concert in cathedral, wine tasting in a chateau, etc..... We also liked the French Balcony with views of the towns and countryside, however, it seemed that half the time we were double and triple docked with NO view. Did not like that part 'Wish river portion was longer. The ship was nice, we had talks every evening, outlining activities, etc, - those could have been shorter. It would be nice if tips were just part of the price. It is such an hassle/ordeal to worry about that at end of trip. Some companies include tips in price - much better. Read Less

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Wanted to see Paris and Normandy, had cruised with Grand Circle in '16 and loved that trip. Wanted to dress casual and relax. This was a another great trip, spent extra time in Paris before embarking, worth doing, people and places great. The staff, the service, made you feel really special. The boat is just the right size,120 passengers, the rooms are adequate for their purpose, enough space for your stuff. This type cruise is the best, no vendors whenever you stop at a port. The guides are excellent, the sites are all worth seeing. The old world, middle ages, housing is really something to see as well as the cathedrals Grand Circle does a great job of getting you involved in the culture. We did the add on trip to London after the cruise, well worth while. Being docked at the Eiffel Tower was a special treat. You can reach all the highlight spots in Paris from dockside.. Also, the Impressionists painters were an important part of the trip. Monet's home and gardens was beautiful, everything was in bloom. Normandy is a must see for anyone, it gives you a much appreciated view of what our troops were facing and the courage it took to be there, When you're treated like someone special and you learn so much it's likely you'll come back,we will. Read Less

Let me begin by saying I chose this cruise for two reasons. One, it had a great itinerary to Normandy. Second, Vantage offers single fares without paying double the cruise price. I took advantage of a 3 day pre-cruise extension to St. Malo, France on the English Channel. The old walled city of St. Malo is surrounded by a lively beach resort with many restaurants, hotels, and a casino. We stayed at the Oceania Hotel which was ideally located just a 5 minute walk to the old city. We had a full day tour to Mont St. Michele which everyone should visit. From St. Malo, we traveled to Paris with a stop in Chartres to visit the cathedral and wander around the city. We arrived in Paris and boarded the River Venture. I was pleasantly surprised to find I had been up-graded to a French balcony cabin. My cabin was beautifully decorated with plenty of drawer space and a closet. The bathroom was small but well laid out. The shower was large with a glass door enclosure. The cabin came with bathrobes, slippers, a reusable water bottle (to take home), a large bottle of Evian water, a desk, and a small table with two chairs in front of the French balcony. I loved it! The River Venture carries 136 passengers. The dining room was on the main deck and the lounge was on the upper deck. There were areas forward and aft where you could go outside as well as topside. My last ocean cruise was on the NCL Breakaway with over 4000 passengers, so being on this river cruise was a nice change. Of course river cruises do not offer the activities that ocean liners offer, so keep that in mind. We had local entertainers at night and a French Cabaret show one night which was quite lively. There were guest lecturers and we were shown the movie "The Longest Day" the night before we toured the beaches of Normandy where the Allies landed on June 6, 1944. On river cruises, the shore excursions are all included and I enjoyed all of them. There were a few optional tours that you could purchase. Dining on the River Venture was an epicurean delight. We started our day with a buffet breakfast and omelet station. At lunch we could order off the menu or eat at the buffet. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fruit, and cookies were available throughout the day. Dinner was elegant and delicious. Each night we had 3 entrees to pick from as well as salmon or chicken which were offered every night. Everything was done perfectly. The service and the staff on this boat were the best! The cabin stewards, wait staff, front desk, and officers were always polite, helpful, and friendly. There was one stand out and it was Tessa, our Cruise Director. She did an excellent job of taking care of us during our cruise and she did it with a smile always. She is a credit to the Vantage organization. This cruise enabled me to cross two items off my Bucket List, Mont St. Michele (on the pre-trip extension) and the beaches of Normandy. Our visit to the American Cemetery was an emotional experience with veterans on our cruise placing a wreath at the statue while our National Anthem was playing. After our anthem, they played Taps while we were looking out at the 9387 white headstones of those who had fallen during the invasion of Normandy. Read Less

This cruise was recommended by friends with whom my wife and I we were traveling in France. After spending 4 days in Paris we cruised to Normandy and back over the course of a week. Embarkation and disembarkation were flawless and uneventful. The food was plentiful and excellent and the staff attentive without being intrusive. Being in France and knowing little French, I thought language might be a problem, but it wasn't. In fact, it appeared that most of the crew we encountered were not from France and speaking French was as big a problem for them as it was for me. The shore excursions were interesting, including a "must see" stop in Giverny to see Monet's garden. As an American, I found the excursion to the beaches at Normandy especially interesting and memorable. It was nice to see how well-maintained the cemetery was. We had a suite, and after getting a glimpse of the standard cabins while they were being cleaned, I don't think we would have taken this cruise in a standard cabin. They just appeared too small. We had a lot of stuff. This was our first river cruise, but probably not our last. Read Less

We chose this cruise specifically because it was advertised at Jukebox Saturday Night with Ken Sparks. The disappointing part of the trip was that we did not get to spend time with him as he was not well and stayed within a small group for the first week, then he had a heart attack and consequently died. The cruise itself was magnificent, the food, great, the entertainment that was provided by an on board entertainer,great, the tours each day were magnificent, the tour director, magnificent, the staff were fantastic. The tours were a lttle tiring for the people in their seventies, as I am in my fifties and definitely was worn out by the end. The cabin was excellent as we had a balcony and all the trimmings. Overall the cruise was magnificent and I would recommend anyone to go on a cruise with Scenic and I am sure when we can afford the next one we will be going again. Read Less

Cruise was faultless with staff being exceptional. We had a fantastic Cruise Director who ensured the trip went without any hassles. He was very friendly and went out of his way to meet people's needs. The cruise stopped at some ports for a couple of days to enable us to take tours to some areas further away. We went to the Somme area, for example, and also the D-Day landing sites. It meant some longish bus trips bit you got to see the countryside. Guides on all of our excursions whether they were the longer trips of just town/city visits were very good. Our guide to the Somme was exceptional and he helped bring the whole story to life. We dodn't do a lot of sailing during daylight hours but just enough to see some of the lovely houses on France along the Seine. Staff, as mentioned, were brilliant. Very friendly and they didn't know the meaning of the word 'no'. Top, top class. Food was also brilliant with lots of choice. Very difficult to fault. We've sailed with Scenic before and will go again in a couple of years. Read Less

This was the year of the great French roast, Paris at 35ºC and similar to that all the cruise long. The payback was clear blue skies, no rain and great photos.The ship was 100% full, hence the service levels in the public areas were stretched. This cruise is a mixture of great French wines and cheeses (approx 450 different cheeses to be tasted), as far as scenery goes the highlights are the cities. The visit to an old hospital and nearby wine tasting at Marche aux Vin was very interesting, as was our first tasting of French nougat which is based on egg white and honey, as was the truffle farm (with charming hosts & dog). The Sundowners excursion (a walk to a nearby fortress tower) for wine/beer/nibbles with live musicians in a cool afternoon breeze was very hard to take. The itinerary was exactly as published. Compliments have to be given to all the bus drivers - they were very professional, safe drivers who helped some of our fellow passengers with their walkers. Driving through the French countryside was most enjoyable. Read Less

Definitely a top-notch cruise ship and cruise line. The pros included friendliness of all staff, ports and scenery (the light presentation at Rouen cathedral at night is a must-see!). Aquavit Terrace for dining in the evening is apparently a well-kept secret. We actually dined there almost as many nights as in the formal dining room....a fabulous experience to enjoy gourmet food al fresco on the bow of the ship while cruising at dusk.....however less than a dozen fellow passengers partook in this option on the nights we dined outside. The cons included having a few tour guides that almost ruined our experience: one on Giverny excursion who liked to hear himself talk, dragged the group along and whose French-accented English was very difficult to understand (and I even speak French). We finally broke away from group and toured garden and house on our own. The second guide on the Normandy excursion was completely offensive as she opted to use the long bus ride to get on her soapbox and offer political opinions that were clearly inappropriate. It takes a lot to offend my husband and he was livid. As much as I would like to say that I would recommend a Viking Cruise to adults over 50 I really feel that if we ever have the opportunity to experience Viking again (and we hope to), it'll be at least ten years before we do so. We're both 56 and were often frustrated by older passengers for whom we had to wait, and slowed down our excursions. I love and enjoy senior travelers but we wanted to pack as much as we could in this once-in-a-lifetime trip, and felt we could have easily done more if we hadn't felt pulled back. Read Less

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The name of this cruise is "Spectacular South of France". This cruise spends most evenings in ports large and small. The first night is is in Paris, which is not on the river cruised; Saone and Rhone rivers. We gathered for a nights stay at the Scenic's host hotel in Paris. Nice 4 star hotel. The next morning our bags were collected from the hallway at the designated time and we were bussed to the train station for our day trip to Dijon. We were given a short tour. Then we boarded a bus and were transported to the ship that was docked in Chalon-sur-Saone. This is almost an all-inclusive cruise, All drinks, meals, tips, great internet service and shore excursions are included.We also had several special events off the ship that were also included. We visited Tournus, Cluney, Macon, Lyon, Tournon,Viviers, Ardeche National Park, Chateauneuf-du-pape, Avignon, Arles and Tarascon via bus or port. This cruise line obviously caters to Australians and Brits, most of whom were third,fourth or five time regulars with Scenic. We had a blast being one of two American couples. The Australians, in particular, were fascinated by our politics and gun rights. We found the "aussies" to be much more sociable than our American associates back home. We were invited to dine with several separate couples and made some great friends. I can not say enough about the quality of the river cruise experience. On this cruise, you sit where you want, lounge where you want in a wonderfully appointed river "Spaceship". Go on shore excursions where and when you want. The food was top notch, service was impeccable; these guys do not skimp. Our butler "concierge level room" made my wife feel like a queen which made my trip wonderful. Two things I particularly liked about this cruise was the ability tour on your own by foot or electric assisted bike with a "GPS like device" that would self guide you through the port towns. You can also use this device to give you facts about places you see from your balcony while cruising and it is also used for tour guided trips to help you hear better.. We will return to travel with Scenic. The rooms, and bathrooms were balconies were kept clean and the refrigerator was stocked twice a day. Read Less

We chose it through a recommendation of a friend who had done several Scenic cruises. the itinerary was of particular interest, with the WWI and WW2 sites, plus many opportunities to visit sites important for the Impressionist and post-Impressionist painters. We were very impressed by every aspect of the ship, and in particular the outstanding crew and the very tasteful decoration. The guides were mainly outstanding, with the exception of a wise-cracking Dutch guide on the visit to the WW! cemeteries--most inappropriate. In particular we loved the fact that the ship docked so close to the centre of interesting towns and villages, and that we could wander around independently. Our only reservation was that over 90% of the passengers were Australian--as are we--and we would have preferred a wider range of nationalities. Still, that is no criticism of Scenic. We are so impressed by Scenic that we are about to book a passage on the Azure in Portugal next year. Read Less

Uniworld came highly recommended by our travel agent. It did not disappoint! We sailed from Paris to Normandy. The tour guides were excellent. The ship's staff were superb and well beyond expectations. The food was excellent and they provided gluten free bread to our traveling companion who is intolerant. The wine selections were great and we learned about them each evening before dinner. We were in a suite and had the services of a butler and we learned not to say, "I wish" because it would happen. Housekeeping was perfect and never intrusive. We had the occasion to have one of the passages have a medical issue on a bus tour and were sent to a hospital. They sent a staff member to coordinate services and help get her back to the ship. They have three levels of ways to basically see the same sites. They had active, regular and relaxed pace so that guests with different capabilities could easily tour. This cruise had a young travelers program that appeared to be excellent. Read Less

The trip was great. The crew was great. Could not say enough about the food. Very well prepared and service was great. The tour that came with the cruise where set up well, and took you to interesting places. The extra tours where also well done. The tour guides did know a lot about what they where taking you and answered all the questions that they where asked, if they didn't know off the top of there head they found the answers. The crew that took care af the cabins took there job to heart and keeper the cabin clean and well stocked with towels and soap when needed. The tour director keeped you informed on what was going to happen the next day and made sure you enjoyed what happened that day.. The rest of the crew was helpful when you ask a question or had a problem. The experience was great. Read Less

It was our 44th Wedding Anniversary on the 18th December so my husband and I thought that the River Seine itinerary would be perfect for such a romantic occasion. As we had travelled with Viking on previous occasions, we knew that we would not be disappointed in any way. This turned out to be an accurate assumption. On arrival we were given an immediate stateroom upgrade, which was a lovely surprise. We also knew some of the staff from an earlier river cruise, so it was great to get reacquainted and hear of career successes and promotions. As expected the whole vacation went along beautifully, we were lucky to have some super weather for the month of December and our trips out to the Normandy Beaches and on another occasion to learn about Van Gogh's last days in Chalon sur Ouse was very moving. Making friends with like minded people is always easy on Viking cruises so we soon were able to find good company each evening. Our meals were scrumptious as usual with chef's suggestions always a hit so too the choices for accompanying wines. Finally, the staff, they have to be congratulated on their care and attention to every detail. They also were great fun and their attention to each individual holiymaker was something to behold. In short their contributions to our holiday made it very special. As for our anniversary evening on board, a cake was presented to our table with lots of singing and good cheer. It was really heartwarming. Thank you to Carlos and his team on Viking Rinda. Read Less

This was our third cruise with Viking, and once again we had a great time. We were met by a Viking representative and literally whisked through the Paris airport, We were met at the ship with smiles from the staff, offered drinks and given warm towels for our hands. The food was excellent and there was always a variety at breakfast and lunch. Dinners were wonderful with always an alternative to whatever was planned. Paris and the Eiffel Tower was spectacular at night! We were also there at the time of the Christmas markets in Paris where we found beautiful hand blown glass made by a local artist. The highlight of our trip was Normandy. It was the most emotional experience we've ever encountered. Seeing firsthand the remains of the German pillboxes above Omaha Beach and the guns gave us a glimpse of how they were able to kill so many of our servicemen. The American cemetery which is beautifully kept seemed to go on forever. It was hard to comprehend that so many of our military are buried there. A special service honoring our servicemen took place at the cemetery where relatives were acknowledged and every person was given a rose to place on a grave. We chose a Pennsylvania soldier since we live in that state. The museum was also very interesting and educational. Although it was December, we were fortunate that the weather was actually warm for the season. Our cabin's accommodations with the veranda was comfortable and very attractive. It was beautiful scenery as we glided down the river. Although it was a little too cool to totally take advantage of sitting out on the veranda most of the time, we still enjoyed the view. We couldn't ask for more in both quality and service throughout our trip. As in our other cruises,we have found that the staff has always been very helpful with any questions and courteous at all times. The evenings have always been very enjoyable - no matter what the entertainment might be. In every cruise, we met other couples who we could converse with about so many different travels we all have taken. Read Less

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip along the Seine up to Normandy--at least until the Norovirus started hitting the passengers. I estimate that 10-25% of the passengers got sick at some point and their was NOTHING on board to alleviate any symptoms. It was like we're all on our own. Infection rate could have been higher or lower because virtually nothing was said by the staff publicly and I would expect them to understate the problem. Do all river cruises experience Norovirus outbreaks? Other than that, I loved the cruise, particularly the casualness, friendliness of staff and passengers alike, and the food. I have no complaints about the cruise itself. The staff admitted that the Neptune was built in 2001 and this was the next to last cruise before it was sold to another company. I found it to be a worn but very comfortable ship Read Less

This was our second Viking River Cruise and we were excited at the beginning because our first cruise had been such a delight. We took the Portraits of Southern France cruise in late September/early October 2015. We were warmly welcomed when we boarded the Viking Buri in Chalon sur Saone. Within hours, the ship’s management informed us that passengers boarding from another Viking cruise had contracted and/or been exposed to Gastroenteritis. As a result, Viking suspended coffee station service and lunch buffet service, and passengers were not permitted to serve themselves anything at any meal. On day six of the cruise, the program director announced that GI illness was no longer a concern. Notwithstanding, Viking never resumed those services. Things went seriously awry on day 3 as a result of the failure of one of the ship’s engine generators. It took 36 hours for the program director to advise the passengers that there was an issue and how it would be resolved. As a result, the ship spent three days docked in Lyon while we waited for a part to arrive to effect the repair. Viking arranged for us to visit the other scheduled stops on the itinerary, which meant they put us on buses and bused us around France. For example, part of the appeal of this cruise’s itinerary was a full-day visit to Arles. Instead we spent almost 2-1/2 hours on a bus to Arles and almost two hours, again on a bus, to re-board the Buri. Because the ship was continually a day behind the schedule and not docked at the places we were visiting, passengers did not have access to the ship during most of the shore excursions. As a result, quite a few passengers elected not to take the shore excursions because the bused versions of the excursions were too physically demanding – not because of the sites visited but because of the extensive periods of time on the bus. In an effort to make up time after finally leaving Lyon, the Buri cruised at night, which meant we never got to enjoy sitting on deck and watching the river during the day. On the positive side, the Buri, like the other Viking long ship we traveled on, is comfortable, clean and well-organized. The staff is very professional, and everyone extended themselves to make us comfortable. The food was excellent as were the guides for shore excursions. Read Less

This was our first river trip and we picked the Seine trip so we could travel along the river and spend a little time in Paris. We made a small mistake with our flights. Boarding doesn't take place until around 4pm but we arrived in Paris much earlier. Avalon have a lounge in a hotel where passengers can wait until the ship is ready. Drinks were available and the area is pleasant to walk around but next time, I would organise a flight that arrived closer to the boarding time and also to the departure time on the last day. This ship was launched in March 2015 and so is quite new. The ship was in beautiful condition and it was a revelation to go on board and see our cabin and the rest of the ship. Our cabin was very comfortable and very well maintained by the cleaning staff. The food on the ship was excellent and we ate far too much but managed to walk it off during the daily excursions. It is possible that the choice of excursions might change but the ones we went on were all most enjoyable, fascinating and sometimes very moving. All the tour guides we had were knowledgeable, helpful, funny and a pleasure to listen to. The staff on board were without exception professional, organised, friendly, helpful and happy to go the extra mile for the passengers. For instance, some passengers asked for adjustments to some of their meals - items removed or added, meats cooked rarer, absolutely no seafood and so on - and the staff didn't hesitate in doing all they could to accommodate everyone. We had a wonderful time on the ship and I can't compliment all the staff enough for making our stay so comfortable. I would definitely go on another cruise. Read Less

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on the Seine. Although the Neptune is an older ship which has to show its age and without the "flash" of newer vessels -- we had traveled on a sister ship four years ago so we new what to expect. However, in some ways, I liked the smaller size of the Neptune. The public areas easily accommodated the passengers without crowding. There were more smaller, round dining tables that facilitated conversations compared with the long, rectangular tables on some of the newer, large ships. Some of the reviews complained about delays in dining service. I am amazed at those comments -- we had lovely meals with never a problem of delays, and we never noticed anyone else having difficulties. The tour itself was great. All the stops along the Seine were interesting, including Monet's house and garden at Giverny, Rouen and, of course, the day excursion to the D-Day beaches in Normandy. Of note, there were very few optional excursions at an additional cost -- the standard tours were all you needed. Of special note, we greatly enjoyed our program director Lionel. He was informative while being very entertaining by injecting his great sense of humor into a pleasurable trip. Read Less

We sailed on the Viking Spirit for a seven day cruise on the Seine. Before we sailed, we spent four days in Paris. The Viking Cruise team arranged for our hotel and some walking tours. I cannot say enough good things about the Viking team. We were met at the airport by one of their representatives, and were treated like royalty from the time we landed until the time we left for home. Every Viking employee, from the cruise director, Guillaume, to the the maintenance staff was wonderful. I never saw such a hard working, dedicated staff. The food was sensational, also. We have cruised on several different ships, but this was the best one. The boat is small, and we were able to meet some wonderful people. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, as well. While we were sailing on the boat, we were able to walk on the upper deck, tour the kitchen, and simply enjoy the beauty of the river and the French architecture and scenery. There was not the hustle and bustle that you find on the large cruise ships. The cruise itself was a wonderful experience. We traveled on the Seine and stopped at many historical places, including the Claude Monet house and Versailles. The best part of the trip, for me, was the day we spent at the Normandy Beaches and the American Cemetery. It was very emotional for everyone, and made me appreciate even more the sacrifices that our soldier heroes made. There is no doubt that we will again sail with Viking in the not too distant future. Read Less

I booked this trip as a RIVERBOAT CRUISE. The boat was only able to cruise for 1 1/2 days due crew error (crew on the boat informed us the boat was damaged the first night by backing into an object). Starting the fourth day of our trip the boat became a very expensive hotel room and then things got worse. On day five we were offered the opportunity spend an entire day on a bus for the included tour and on day 6 we were bused to Avignon to stay in a hotel that is on par with a Holiday Inn. The trip did not meet what was promised by Viking in the following areas: 1. We were not provided with the scheduled river cruising for the majority of the trip. 2. We did not stay on the ship for 2 of the 7 nights. The hotel accommodations were significantly inferior to the suite we had booked on the ship. The food at the hotel was completely unacceptable and this is something that has been commented on numerous times by previous travelers so Viking is well aware of this fact. 3. We lost a complete day of our vacation by being bused from Lyon to Avignon. We wanted to spend time on the boat and river cruising, we had no intention of participating in the Arles tour but were forced to spend the entire day on a bus. 4. Starting on day 3 of the cruise we were constantly worried about what was occurring and how things were being handled. Having a very junior crew member handle the situation was completely unacceptable and stressful for the guests on the boat. 5. After the captain announced that the boat was ‘having problems’ we never saw her again until we were leaving the boat to be bused to Avignon. When asked where the captain was crew members responded that they did not know. We thought she had left! Having her stand at the end of the ramp as we were disembarking was laughable, she doesn’t speak English, the vast majority of the guests were English speaking and no one was there to translate. So the only interaction the captain had with guests during this entire time was to tell us the boat was broken and good bye. 6. We were assured by crew members numerous times that Viking would fully compensate us for our losses and ‘take care of us’. 7. We were advised by crew members that the hotel accommodations in Avignon would be similar to our room on the boat. The hotel accommodations were completely unacceptable, the room rate was in the range of 150 euro per night. 8. The hotel room in Avignon had 2 twin beds that could not be made into a single bed. No other rooms were available. We were advised that this was an error Viking made when booking our room. When we booked this cruise we requested a single bed, upon arrival we found that our room had 2 twin beds and we asked our stateroom attendent and reception to have the beds made into a single. The staff could not explain why this error occurred and just continued to apologize and assure us that Viking would ‘make things right for us’. The trip and Viking’s handling of this situation has been extremely disappointing. What is going on with Viking. We travel extensively having cruised many times with Azamara, Wind Star, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania. We have always had wonderful experiences and expected the same from Viking. I know Viking is attempting to break into this cruising market, however, with this type of customer service, I doubt this will be successful. Read Less

Six of us booked the 14 days titled France's Finest. We got only as far as Lyon on day two of the second half of that trip on the Viking Hermod. As told by other people, the ship was rendered not able to continue because the ship hit something.. We all felt the jolt during the nite and even light in our bathroom went out. That was the end of our cruising. After two more nights aboard, we were bused to Avignon to different hotels. 1. There was obviously no set plan when an emergency occurs...it would seem that Viking would have a written Disaster Plan. It would have been helpful to crew and passengers! 2. The hotels and food offered were sub par and again not what we had experienced before. 3. The weather was very hot and many people had a really hard time as many of us are older! 4. We were told we would be compensated....and first we got a wrong email talking about water levels and offering 25 per cent off any Viking Cruise. Then we received an email saying first email was wrong and we would be receiving a voucher. We did receive a voucher for $663.88!!! We divided cost of this part of cruise and divided by seven and then multiplied by four and was $2800! We expected that compensation at least or a voucher for a future cruise...we spoke with another couple who experienced water level problem last year and they did not expect anything and received a 75 per cent voucher for another cruise.. 5. Not sure what has happened to Viking and their reputation. They have grown so much in last year and it seems quality of care of their passengers has really declined. Not sure about cause of accident, but what happened to us after that was not what we expected from Viking. 6. This was a special trip for us and we do not do a lot of trips and planning a year in advance is what we do. I do hope Viking reconsiders their small compensation. We were very disappointed Read Less