Very comfortable well run ship with an excellent crew. All but four of the cabins on the Ra are suites, with a separate living room and bedroom, and a balcony. The décor is clean Scandinavian, similar to the European long ships. Dining is at set hours. There is a good variety of foods, including Viking standards (salmon, steak, burger) and middle eastern foods. The fresh made pita bread and hummus was especially delicious. Meals are usually a combination of buffet and menu. There is no room service. There was a pianist/DJ playing pleasant lounge music each evening. There also were special performances by local entertainers. The Ra has a small swimming pool and jacuzzi. The temperature was over 100 F each day of our cruise, so not much traffic in the jacuzzi. The crew of this ship was excellent. Our room steward was most efficient. The bartenders and dining room crew were fun and engaged. A special note about the two tour directors, Ahmed and Ihan. Incredibly knowledgable and outgoing. They made this cruise so much richer. I don't think there is any place in the world that can out shine Egypt for shore excursions. The Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza, Valley of Kings and Queens, Temples at Karnak, Luxor, Dendara, Kom Ombo - every one was more than we expected. Notes: Our suite had two very nice TVs, but no programming except soccer. Not even BBC. Children are not allowed on this cruise. The shore excursions require more physical exertion than you might expect if you have been on other river cruises. Sadly, many of our fellow cruisers spent most of the cruise on the ship because they couldn't manage the long walks with steps and very uneven footing. Read Less

After having a great experience with Viking in Russia, my wife and I again chose Viking for our tour of Egypt. We were met at Cairo airport at the arrival gate (before immigration) by Viking's airport representative, Amr, who guided us effortlessly through all required formalities and delivered us to our transport. From Cairo airport we were delivered to the Nile Ritz Carlton hotel (fabulous), in which we stayed for three nights while we toured the sights with Viking (pyramids, Citadel, museum and markets). On the fourth day we were flown to the Viking Ra in Luxor. This is a great little ship with all suite cabins, a great lounge and two exterior sun decks. The staff which consisted of both international and local personnel, were fantastic. The restaurant was very comfortable and the food very good. The cruise down the Nile was fantastic and all excursions were well organised and very engaging thanks to our program directors, Amr and Ahmed. We highly recommend the optional excursion to Abu Simbel and also the optional balloon ride over Luxor. Disembarking and returning to Cairo was also very well organised. And the accommodation and food at the Intercontinental CityStars was first rate. Transport back to Cairo airport also went smoothly. The only minor irritation was that some of our luggage was left at Luxor and we had to wait until just before we flew out of Cairo before we recovered it. Overall, a fantastic holiday with a great company. Read Less

Viking River Cruise, Egypt and Egyptologist Amr Shaheen are the perfect combination for a trip of a Life Time! From the time my sister and I landed at the Cairo airport until twelve days later when we left Cairo, Viking was there " twenty-four seven." The Viking Representative met us at the baggage claim area and took our luggage to the motor-coach, escorted us the the beautiful Hotel Sofitel El Gezirah and made sure we were checked in properly. Our room's balcony overlooked the Nile River with a wonderful view of Cairo. We had dinner on the patio facing the Nile at one of the hotel's many restaurants. The next morning we met our Egyptologist and Program Director Amr Shaheen. Little did we know he was going to give us the best and most enjoyable tour of Egypt imaginable. His passion for and knowledge of Ancient Egypt was incredible. He made every site we visited come alive and his humor was priceless. Everyone simply could not stop talking about what a wonderful guide he was. The Egyptians and hotel staff were very friendly and welcomed us back after a decline in tourism for a long period of time. Egypt felt very safe, but Viking always had escorts and security for us at every site. Especially in Cairo, where our first two security guards were especially vigilant. This made for a very relaxed and enjoyable visit. American dollars are widely accepted and actually preferred. Be sure to bring plenty of one dollar bills for tipping. We brought $100.00 in ones and should have brought more. We tipped ship crews, hotel staff and bus drivers with American Dollars. Hotel and Ship Charges were put on a credit card. The ship crew must be in cash only, either American Dollars or Egyptian Pounds. Viking River Cruise is the only way to truly see Egypt.   Read Less

My partner and I flew from Edinburgh to Munich via Amsterdam on Sunday 4th May 2012. Right from the start the arrangements made by Viking River Cruise clicked into place. KLM fights were comfortable, only slight hitch was the timing of the change on onward outward flight at Amsterdam - it was a bit too tight changing aircraft due to size and distance from arrival to onward flight. We were met at Munich and taken by coach to Viking Legend, our temporary home for the next 9 nights. First impression of the ship was good. It looked smart, neat and clean. Crew appeared to be very professional and friendly. Whilst we enjoyed a late buffet style lunch the crew were busy getting our baggage to our cabins and ensuring all was ready to hand over to us. Our holiday had started. We stayed overnight at Passau and on Monday we had walking tour of the City of three Rivers. Local guide was excellent and set the standard for local guides on such city tours. Our cruise started om Monday afternoon as we set sail from Passau down the Danube. This would be the norm, on this cruise most of the sailing would be at night, I will admit I was a tad disappointed at this, I came to understand the reasoning -but I would have liked to have a cruise in the day. Our stops on the cruise were from Passau, Linz, Melk, Durnstein, Vienna, Bratislava then Budapest. Each stop had an inclusive walking tour plus extras. We took the extra tours in Vienna which consisted of a visit to Schnbrunn Palace and an Evening Concert. Whilst I enjoyed the Schnbrunn Palace tour, with the benefit of hindsight I would either suggest it is done in the morning rather than the afternoon giving the option to explore the gardens and have lunch there instead of returning to the ship. My big disappointment was the Concert - not the concert itself which was superb, never has 2 hours flown by so quickly. My disappointment was being told no photography allowed, yet on getting there I saw videoing and photography. Still I have the memories of a great concert. If Vienna was the cultural highlight, then Budapest was the photographers highlight. The sailing into Budapest was at night but was a sight to see. The city and bridges were all lit up and the "Blue Danube" had turned to black and gold with the reflections, again a wonderful memory that will last me as long as I live. To summarise and cut short an otherwise long feedback review. Ship: Viking Legend. Condition: excellent, clean, smart and comfortable. Bar/Lounge was comfortable with good view from windows. Cabin - Standard class e was great, comfortable,clean and the shower was superb. The plumbing (vacuum) did make a bit of noise in use, but we soon got acclimatised to that. Crew: very professional - in fact we hardly saw the sailing crew. Hospitality Team. Bar staff/Waiting staff - excellent and friendly. The team that arranged the guided walks etc were great. The Tour Director and team were attentive and had arranged a good itinerary of visits and entertainment at night. All local guides were knowledgeable of their city and sites, providing good background and historical details. Cruise. These cruises only give on a taste of the cities they stop at, but they also provide relaxation. Whilst the sailing was mostly at night, the day or afternoon cruising was relaxing. Overall. I feel that this was value for money - especially the drinks package It allowed me to keep to a sensible budget re shipboard spending. A great atmosphere on board, you were made to feel welcome, it was your holiday and nothing was too much for the crew. Oh yes - the food, no I had not forgotten the food and still not forgotten the food. Superb does not do justice to the presentation and service nor to the taste. Conclusion - would I go again? Yes, would I travel with Viking again? Yes In fact the day after I got home I booked fro a different river cruise with Viking next year. Read Less