Here’s What it is REALLY Like Onboard Viking River Cruises

While Heidi and I have been on over 80 ocean cruises, we just took our first river cruise with @VikingCruises which was not what we expected. So, to help you decide if one of these longships is right for you, we have our honest Viking River cruise review up next.

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What it is Really Like on Viking River Cruises
0:00 Introduction
0:58 Why We Decided to Take a Viking River Cruise
2:00 Exceptional Service
2:38 No Need for a Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay
3:35 Streamlined Embarkation
3: 45 What is Included in the Cruise Fare (and What’s Not)
4:55 How Dining Works on the Ship
8:10 What You Will Find Onboard
9:12 Getting Around the Ship
9:54 Onboard Activities and Enrichment
11:15 Staterooms
13:50 What Really Thought of the Cruise
14:40 The Itinerary

OUR FIRST VIKING RIVER CRUISE
Viking is synonymous with river cruising, so when the opportunity came to sail the Seine River on the 8-day Paris and the Heart of Normandy itinerary, we jumped at the chance.
We have sailed on Viking Ocean cruises, so we are used to the line’s level of service. The cruise line makes sure that all guests are well taken care of from the moment they arrive at the airport. From transfers to time ashore, the crew and staff offer exceptional and tailored service to everyone onboard.

The cruise line offers plenty of included amenities that make travel abroad seamless and efficient. Embarkation is a breeze, and getting on and off the ship at each port is casual and simple, with no lines or security hassles.

Along with transfers, the cruise line includes a tour of each port, WiFi, onboard specialty coffees and teas, bottled water, and soft drinks, and all onboard meals. Beer and wine are also included at meals. While the inclusions are great, the ships do have few onboard amenities. There is no fitness center, pool, or spa, although there is a small library.

We were also surprised at the limited onboard enrichment offered during our trip. Besides a local artist giving a lecture on impressionism, the program director gave all of the lectures. Mia was great, fun, and personable, but we expect more in-depth offerings regarding the itinerary and France.

The tours, too, were a mixed bag. We thought all of the tour guides were fantastic. They were knowledgeable and engaging. While we enjoyed many of the included tours, we were disappointed in our bus tour of Paris.

When evaluating the food for this Viking River cruise review, we would say the food quality was better overall than most mainstream cruise lines. Menus were quite limited, but they offered more upscale offerings tailored to the region. Also, we were surprised that both onboard eateries served the same menu.

Each day, the dining times are on a set schedule, with open seating for all meals. So, you will get to know the roughly 160 other guests on the ship quite well.

Our cozy veranda stateroom offered all of the typical features of a larger ship’s room in a tighter space. The bathroom had luxury bath products and heated tile floors. We have plenty of clothes space and additional storage for our gear. There was a small table and chair I was able to use as my office on Viking Radgrid, and having the veranda was a nice touch to watch the banks of the river roll by from the comforts of our room.

The 8-day itinerary included two days in Paris, a morning of self-exploration in La Roche Guyon, a walking tour of the historic city of Rouen, retracing the steps of allied heroes at the beaches of Normandy, and a warm and sunny full day at the quaint village of Les Andelys. Along with included tours, we also opted for optional additional tours of Versailles and the Louvre. Our Seine river cruise also included a tour of Napoleon’s chateau and time sailing along this river’s historic banks.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VIKING RIVER CRUISES BACK ON THE BLOG

We Just Returned From Our First Viking River Cruise And Here’s What It Was Really Like

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#VikingRiverCruises #Viking #cruise

Viking is perhaps the most famous river cruise brand out there and while we’ve been on over 75 ocean cruises we just recently took our first Viking river cruise so if you’re thinking of taking a Viking river cruise we put together this honest look of what it’s really like selling on a viking longship up [Applause] next welcome board Cruisers I’m Don B from eat sleep Cruise where we help you see the world one port at a time and of course our goal on this channel is to give you all the tips tricks news and reviews you need to ensure your next cruise is smooth sailing up till now we’ve only focused on Ocean cruising and we’ve sailed on all types of vessels including the largest cruise ships in the world like icon of the Seas to small vessels in like Windstar Cruises Fleet as well as oceans ships from Viking and honestly we’re a little hesitant to try River cruising because we know it’s considerably different than going on an ocean cruise but given our experience on Vikings other oceans ships and its Expedition ship plus this itinerary and the opportunity to visit Paris we figured we would try our first ever river cruise and now we’re back and we want to share everything with you from the onboard experiences to time spent to Shore and you can decide whether a Viking river cruise is right for your next trip for this cruise we sell on Viking ragd which is one of the Viking long ships created for the s River but Viking long ships for other more popular River say the danu or the Rind are very similar they’re all about the same size have the same amenities and similar layout as well as cabin designs so a lot of what we talk about regarding our experiences on the ship and what we liked and we didn’t like should apply to Viking River Cruises on other rivers we’ll also talk about the itinerary itself to let you know what we thought of the sen river cruise for this 8-day Paris in the heart of Normandy itinerary one thing we appreciated on our Viking river cruise which was similar to our prev trip to the cruise line is the level of service Viking takes very good care of its guests in fact this level of service starts the moment you arrive at the airport with Vikings all-inclusive offerings flights booked with the cruise line include free transfers from the airport to the ship and from the ship back to the airport at the end of the cruise now for those of you who don’t travel often internationally this extra handholding is super helpful and even for us who travel quite often it was still nice to know that you had a viking representative at the airport waiting for you to ensure you got to the ship safely we usually flying a day before any cruise and for this Paris in the heart of Normy itinerary the actual itinerary includes an extra day at the embarcation point thus there’s no need for a pre- cruise hotel stay unless of course you want to extend your stay again this is another benefit of Viking it’s a very thoughtfully laid out itinerary just in case there’s any flight delays or any issues you don’t have to worry about missing the ship because the ship’s actually going to stay there for the entire first day of the cruise which gives you plenty of time to arrive get situated and then go explore on your own if you want luckily we had a direct overnight flight from Boston to Paris and arriving around 9:30 a.m. we were quickly greeted by a viking representative in a bright red coat and we were on a bus heading to the ship with about 30 minutes of getting our luggage unfortunately Viking can’t help traffic though as it did take nearly 2 hours to get from the Charles deal airport to the docking location in Paris however upon arrival at the ship the embarcation process was a breeze we were checked in escorted to our state room with our luggage and ready to get our adventure started if you’re new to cruising with Viking you should know what’s included in the cruise fair and what’s not included on all Viking River Cruises are all meals on the ship beer and wine at lunch and dinner one Excursion at each Port of Call one device worth of Wi-Fi per passenger specialty coffee tea soda and bottled water unfortunately though there’s no room service on any Viking River Cruises there’s also no pool fitness center spa or Casino further Beyond beer and wine at meals all other alcoholic beverages will cost extra biking does offer the silver Spirits package which is very reasonably priced at $25 per person per day however the the drinks on Viking are also relatively inexpensive so it would take about three to four cocktails each day to hit that $25 per day cost and given the long days of shore Heidi and I never had more than two or three drinks in an evening perhaps we’d have one cocktail at the Port talk and then another drink afterwards during the evening entertainment now of course if you don’t like beer and wine and you like Spirits then the silver Spirits package is a no-brainer now one staple of any crew is dining and Viking River Cruises are no different on Viking rrid there were two main dining areas the restaurant and the aqua Terrace the restaurant on Deck 6 is a formal restaurant that resembles a typical main dining room with panoramic Windows lining both sides of the venue there are constant Scenic views the restaurant serves breakfast lunch and dinner with a variety of options and local Specialties though you’ll need to make friends as there are mostly large tables and and no tables just for two in the dining room all the meals on Viking River Cruises are open seating Food Service each day also follows a pretty typical routine the restaurant usually opens for breakfast around 7:00 a.m. and it’s a hybrid dining experience includes a small Buffet of breakfast items like scrambled eggs bacon and breakfast potatoes but guests can also order off a menu with made to order items like pancakes and French toast lunch is served promptly from noon to about 2: p.m. each day day which means all Cruisers need to die during these hours if they want something to eat the lunch menu consists of always available options like the signature salad and a hamburger there are also a few rotational selections That Vary daily like short ribs and an energy Bowl each evening dinner followed that night’s Port talk and dinner usually started around 7:00 p.m. again Cruisers cannot for an always available selection or pick one of the regional Specialties with Chef recommendations that include is like Brie poo Mori or beef burgundy one evening Viking also features a signature Regional buffet for dinner which for this Cruise was the taste of Normy while the menus are smaller than the main dining rooms on most ocean ships the quality and presentation were topnotch the second dining option is the aqua Terrace up on Deck three offering tables for two and four as well as El Fresco dining this venue serves the same menu as the restaurant for lunch and dinner the only difference is a more casual setup and Ambiance unfortunately the patio was closed for most of the crews given the mostly unfavorable weather conditions so each night it became a competition to NAB one of the handful of tables available inside the aqua Terrace in addition cookies as well as Continental items in the morning and 24hour Specialty coffees and teas are available at two self-service stations on Deck 3 along with the selection of espresso beverages they also offer syrups and skim milk thus we had all the essential ingredients for Heidi’s twice daily nonfat caramel latte while we enjoyed the dining we did Miss more casual grab and go options that are Staples of any Ocean Cruise while the aqua Terrace did have continental breakfast selections it did not offer the same setup for lunch or dinner would have liked the ability to grab a sandwich or maybe a personal pizza or a salad and bring it back to our room on some occasions especially because there’s no room service thus after a long day in Port the only option is a sit down meal in contrast to the larger ocean ships on which we typically sail Viking ragd only has four decks and hence few public areas deck two is home to a small Guest Services desk and a small shop with Viking logo items and children’s book by Vikings Executive Vice President Karen Hagen deck 3 features a small library with books in games and an internet cafe which is really just two computers forward on Deck 3 is the lounge the lounge is the main bar and entertainment space on the ship deck four is a fulllength sunnd deck with plenty of seating to enjoy the outdoors as the weather allows it includes a smoking section and a walking Track with one mile taking nearly 16 laps around the track which is considerably different than ships like icon of the Seas that take just over four lap to equal one mile further anyone interested can sign up at Guest Services to visit the Wheelhouse which is essentially the ship’s bridge but unlike a bridge on an ocean ship this top deck wheelhouse is hydraulic and lowers automatically when encountering low bridges while River cruising isn’t necessarily the most accommodating with those who have limited Mobility there is one small elevator on Viking River Cruises to help those who need some assistance getting around the ship with each each new day consisting of at least one New Port of Call there was little downtime during our Viking s River Cruise as one of the benefits of river cruising guests get to explore off the beaten path destinations and quaint towns and Villages that cannot be accessed by larger cruise ships there’s also more time in Port sometimes even two different ports in one day and plenty of Scenic cruising in between stops subsequently the Viking DA’s list of onboard activities is more sparse when compared ocean cruising even such we did expect a little bit more enrichment on this Cruise one morning a local artist did come on board to offer a lecture on impressionism but that was really it besides the port talks given by Mia the program director each evening once more cruises are back on board in the evenings there’s usually some kind of activity taking place in the lounge following dinner we enjoyed live local musicians as well as a cultural activity like opera singers and a string Trio now I mentioned those daily Port talks these occurred every day usually between 6:30 and 6:45 these talks included an introduction to next day’s ports tour options and any procedural information that we needed to know during our sailing Mia also hosted a french lesson one night and a game show that was actually a lot of fun the game show was also well attended so we know other Viking Cruisers enjoyed it as well having more game shows and group activities like this throughout the week would have been nice besides being a great host Mia did an outstanding job organizing the excursions she always had a smile was talkative and was present throughout the ship at all hours of the day given that she was essentially the entire activity staff she managed her many duties well during our cruise we stayed in stateroom 219 a veranda B stateroom on Deck 2 all the cabins on the starboard side of the deck are balcony cabins while those on the port side offer French balcony cab cabins deck one of our ship consisted of standard State rooms which feature R reviews through a half height picture window deck three of the ship consisted of additional veranda and French balcony State rooms along with a few Suites we’ve stayed in all types of cabinets from inside cabins to Ocean View Cabins balcony cabins many sweet sweets you name it so we do know that cruise ship cabins are small however the 205 ft cabin we stayed in on Viking rag felt even Cozier than the typical balcony cabins found on Ocean ships immediately upon entering the room the bathroom was on the AFT wall the tiled shower had just enough room thanks to double-sided glass doors with two sword shelves and upgraded features like the premium bath products and heated floors the bathroom was comfortable and functional for the week and certainly an upgrade from your traditional bathroom on larger ships across from the bathroom is the closet it featured deep shelves with a safe on one side with a closed bar with Hangers On The Other Side the forward wall was a longtable desk combo which include four desk drawers which we ended up using for additional clothing storage and a mini fridge here you’ll also find cars of water that are refilled daily and the quiet Vox deves which are utilized at most short excursions further the cruise line allows guests to bring local products back on the ship like food or alcoholic beverages bking allows you to bring as many of these back as you want and there’s no corkage fees so we think this is a really nice prod the queensize Viking Explorer bed was on the a wall facing forward across from the desk each side of the bed had a 110 volt Outlet a European outlet and two USB there’s also a nice standand on one side and a small kind of console table on the other side with one lone chair this seating area was a bit tight but the Nook became my workstation for the week the table was large enough to house my computer and charge various devices getting from the door past the bed to the balcony is a tight squeeze but considering only 35 cabins on the ship have a veranda we’re not complaining we appreciate having the balcony with two chairs and a table to enjoy the scenic cruising over the 7 days we traveled back in time through several centuries we explored historic chat sample French cuisine and marveled at the heroism of the Allied troops at the very Beaches they stormed 80 years ago the 55 crew members of Viking ragd ensured we were wellfed and well taken care of along the way Cruisers that have sailed on smaller ships will fill right at home with the friendliness and quaint surroundings of this long ship with upscale dining cozy accommodations and twice daily service Viking wraps Cruisers in comfort and handles every little detail of the trip ocean cruises and River Cruises are two different options to see the world one point at a time get it that’s our tagline but if you enjoy the Comforts of a cruise ship and want to explore new destinations we encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone and try a river cruise but we’re not done there our Paris in the heart of Normandy 8-day itinerary consisted of seven ports of call along with Paris and the beaches of Normandy the stops range from quaint villages to bustling cities each Port along the way offered an opportunity to experience something new and just to warn you my French is awful with six included tours and two additional optional excursions there was never a dull moment we wanted to make sure we experienced as much as possible for our first visit to this region and if you follow our channel that probably doesn’t surprise you cuz you know we’re over planners we will admit that the quality of the tours Viking provided did vary although we would say all the guides themselves were fantastic in fact we had several of the same guides at the different stops as many of these ports are not that far away from each other our cruise began and ended in Paris unfortunately the weather was rainy and chilly so we didn’t get to explore much of the city on our own this was true all three days we were in Paris given the weather and the crowds at the Lou we did not get to experience as much of the city as we hoped but to be fair with the 2024 Summer Olympics happening in Paris the city is quite hectic right now on day two of the cruise we did the panoramic Paris tour which is included with Viking and honestly it’s a glorified bus tour that included a little bit of walking we also had a quick selfie stop in front of the Eiffel Tower and a bus ride down sh with not one but two circles around the AR Triumph for photos we did get off the bus for about an hour near the notredam cathedral and the Latin quarter so the 3 and 1/2 hour tour was a decent overview but of course we would like to get back to Paris to see more of the city and actually experience some of these neighborhoods and attractions in the afternoon we opted for one of those optional tours a tour of the Palace of Versa this 4-Hour tour included a transfer to the 17th century Palace now in museum we had a pretty standard tour that took several large groups through two WIS of this massive building it actually reminded me a lot of the tour we took of the Hermitage and as well as a tour we’ve taken of the Vatican our tour guy did a great job weaving through the crowds and she never stopped her narration as we dodged other tourists or members of our party stopped to take pictures and videos unfortunately we had limited time to explore the gardens independently afterwards as we got caught in a rainstorm later on the cruise we would do another optional tour in Paris to Lou our tour guide here was the same one we actually had for the panoramic Paris tour she was a wealth of knowledge and made sure we saw some of the Museum’s most prized possessions including the vena Milo and of course the Mona Lisa while Viking does offer some great guided tours perhaps one of our favorite stops was the village of L Ro Goan we strolled the picturesque streets of the small community situated along the banks of the sen River on our own we then opted for a self-guided tour with the Viking discount of the village of Chateau using the downloadable audio guide we we actually spent about 90 minutes exploring the Chateau on our own which for us is pretty impressive if you can handle the 250 steps a walk up to the Castle’s Bell Tower is worth it for the panoramic views of the village we had a similar experience on day six in lend delay this time we opted for the walking tour provided by Viking we spent 2 hours strolling the streets of this quaint village with our energetic and enthusiastic tour guide the most impressive site is the 12th century shat gillad built by Richard the lionhardt although perhaps our least favorite tour occurred in the afternoon of day three in O SAS this little known local is the final home of the impressionist painter Vince Van go this tour included stops in the town associated with the 70 days the painters spent here before the tragic end of his life including the famous churchy pained with the ship pulling to p on day four we had the most traditional tour of the trip a walking tour of on for about 90 minutes our guide weaved in and out of a few blocks showcasing the 16th century architecture from the half timbered buildings intertwined with modern day shops and cafes historic churches and the town clock in belfrey Rowan was much different than any of the places we had visited up to that point in the trip besides Paris for many the other highlight of this trip was the full day Excursion to The Landing beaches of Normandy this dayong excursion included approximately 2 and 1 half hour drive to cane one of the major holdouts after the landing this city is home to a thoughtfully laid out and curated Museum from here our tour headed to the American national cemetery about 45 minutes away we had about 90 minutes at the cemetery which included brief ceremony at the memorial in time to roam the grounds where over 9,400 American soldiers are buried the final stop was Omaha Beach itself the 30 minutes here let guests walk along the beach and reflect on the D-Day Landing back on the bus it was close to 3 hours back to the ship and while it was a lot of time spent in the bus it was well worth it on day six during the disembarkation day talk the captain announced that the ship would be docking in leek for the last two days due to high river levels this has not dramatically changed our plans although it did mean we were not going to get to walk around Paris at all for the last day of the cruise the included Tor was of Napoleon’s Chateau we had about two was here to tour the early 19th century seat of Napoleon’s government while not as impressive as some of the other French castles we visited during the cruise it was relatively empty which was a nice reprieve this gave the Viking groups plenty of time and space to enjoy this Hidden Gem on most of our trips the ships themselves are the destinations while on a river cruise the itinerary is the focus with Viking rad grid blending into the background we were able to absorb the scenery culture and history honestly we can’t think of a better way to explore this region than buy a river cruise ship Viking offers several sailings throughout Europe Asia and even on the Mississippi and Nile Rivers so we suspect you’ll find a region of the world worth exploring on your first River Cruise now that you know what it’s really like on a Viking river cruise we suspect you want to book your next trip but before you do you want to check out our Viking river cruise tips video right here on YouTube in that video we share what we wish we knew before taking our Viking river Crews from the onboard experiences how the tours work as well as some Insider tips for making the most of your trip that way your Viking river cruise is smooth sailing