Some other Viking guests enjoyed their visits to the thermal baths, but we opted to do our own thing with the parliament tour and walks to areas recommended by our local tour guide (from the walking tour). My husband and I took the Top of Cologne excursion, and it was one of the best. As for shore excursions, my husband and I enjoyed the walking tour (through Viking) that included the funicular up to Castle Hill. So for 200 dollars, we got a 400 value good for tickets, flights, an excursion, or even the beverage package. I am going on a Christmas Market cruise with Viking in 2024. Laundry services may be arranged through your Suite Attendant or your Butler. Since it will be winter with colder temps, I am wondering about the indoor lounging space/common areas on the longboats. Another consideration, of course, is how often you might order specialty drinks from the bar: at lunch, throughout the day, before and/or after dinner? Just found your sitelots of great info! You said you enjoy a few drinks before dinner, and if you add in some premium wine at dinner, the total you spend each day might add up pretty quickly. Grand Circle offers a paid laundry service on all of its vessels. The excursions provide guests with an array of experiences including peeks into how locals live, how and where they work, and also some privileged access options just for Viking guests. By the way, Viking does build in a set amount of gratuities for ship staff (or you can arrange for this on your account before sailing), but you may also want to give a personal cash tip to staff members who are particularly helpful. Viking is an industry leader for a variety of reasons including their choices of fascinating destinations, varied excursion options, attention to detail in designing the private and common spaces, and a welcoming and hard-working staff. Check with your Viking agent or your travelagent (or your MyVikingJourney online portal if youre already booked on a cruise) to learn the latest protocols aboard the ship and in the countries that youll be visiting. O. met interesting people; visited fascinating places; sampled new foods, wines, and beer; and appreciated the convenience and gracious hospitality offered by Viking. had some shirts done same day return no complaints You know is it a venus and mars question. Is there a retractable clothes line in the shower to accommodate hanging clothes. One of many questions we have is how much currency (and what kind) to bring with us. The optional excursions have smaller groups and are more focused on cultural, recreational, and even culinary experiences. We are on the Aug Rhine cruise and our 1st river cruise. on your bed. How will payments on board be handled? Their itineraries are made specifically for a younger audience and include fun theme nights in stylish lounges, active day excursions like hiking and biking, and nightly pub crawls in Europes hottest bars. Likewise, when the ship is ready to leave, it leaves as long as all the guests are accounted for. We cant say enough about how well-run and maintained the ships are. You mentioned laundry, and although theres no laundromat on Vikings European river cruise ships, there is a laundry service that you can use. The Aquavit Terrace is a great place to have a meal. Suffice it to say that Viking has this all figured out and has contingency plans firmly in place. In spite of some tweaks, this article will definitely prepare you for your Viking river cruise. Are they like $20 per person or more like $200? Concerning safety, you can sign up for STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program), a free program run by the U.S. Department of State. AmaWaterways haslaundry services available onboard for a fee. Congrats on your 50th! Our US-based cell phone service does not work outside of the US. Viking collected the luggage (with different colored tags for the three different floors of the ship) and trucked it to where the Modi, our new ship, was docked. My husband prefers to jog each morning, and he was able to when we were docked in the early morning before excursions began. The Complete Guide to a Viking River Cruise - Travel with Although lunch is available in the dining room, we favored the Aquavit Terrace (at the front of the ship) for our midday meal. Your best bet is to ask about availability, location, and cost at Guest Services once onboard. Hi. Essentially, each ship then turned around and went back to the city from which it originated. I borrowed some books from the ships library and left them on a table in our room. That way, youll have current informationand be able to talk to people in the know to see if your plans will work. I hope you have a fabulous anniversary cruise! These are typically large-group bus or walking tours of a city that provide a nice overview of a place. My husband and I are booked on the Grand European cruise with an extension in Prague at the end of June. A good idea if youre a runner is to check with the reception desk to map out when there will be time in the morning to leave the ship for a jog or run before excursions begin. For a walking tour (directly from the ship), some passengers go on the tour to learn about the destination and then spend the rest of the day shopping, enjoying a meal, or just wandering around. We had grown to like the crew on the Skirnir, but we quickly came to like the new ones as well. We were docked next to other ships several times on our 15-day cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. Viking is happy to celebrate your birthdays and anniversaries while onboard. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Viking river cruise, which transported us in great comfort to some amazing European destinations. Knowing you can do your laundry onboard allows you to Hi Carol, Although ride-share companies, like Uber, are in many cities worldwide, theyre not everywhere, so it depends on what cities youre considering. You should also alert the Maitre d once on board. Just inside is the Lounge where we ate one rainy lunchtime. Is the ship nonsmoking? Scheduled for Grand European in September 2023. This happens when bridges are too low to safely pass under with guests on the sun deck. Just make sure you are aware of the times the ship will leave the port so you dont miss its departure. Hi Tanya, Sounds like you have a great cruise coming up! Prepaid gratuities came to 18 Euros per guest per day. The letter indicates which excursion group youre on. Hi Daisy, you have the choice of going on the included or an optional excursion or exploring on your own. Viking Housekeeping Provide friendly and twice daily housekeeping services to all guests staterooms, and cleans public and crew areas. (Im trying to save you room in your luggage!) WebCrew members typically work a 6-weeks-on, 2-weeks-off rotation, with up to 13 weeks off annually. For a complete list of action steps. On our cruise, some guests had to put their luggage outside their staterooms as early as 2:45 am and leave the ship at 3:30 am to go to the airport. WebThere is no charge for the laundry facilities and laundry soap is included in all washers. Have a fabulous cruise! . free wi-fi (though connection speeds vary depending upon location). I am sure i will have more later but your thread is wonderful. There was a, . I dont want to waste any precious time in Amsterdam because this may be the last time we see it. Its just the nature of this type of travel. As you probably know, the package includes unlimited beverages when the bars are open. Thank you! Great service sounds like Viking! There is paid laundry service but no dry cleaning. Youll be glad you did! (If you are booked in one of the suites, youll have access to your stateroom at 12:00.) During lunch, prior to and after dinner, theres usually live music in the Lounge. Hi Pat, Theres a good chance that some optional excursions will be available once you board the ship even if theyre listed on MyVikingJourney as being sold out. This is a great venue for enjoying the passing landscape on travel days and relaxed dining every day. WebFree Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary) Laundry service. Viking River Cruises If you send your clothes away to be professionally cleaned, the fees range from $1 for small items to be washed and pressed up to $20 or more for a three-piece suit to be dry cleaned. Wishing you good luck and a fantastic cruise! Its also where youll find freshly baked goodies throughout the day. I hope you two have a fabulous time on your cruise! Since there are often different excursions leaving simultaneously. We noticed that the crew was cleaning the common areas early in the morning, as soon as we left for excursions, and in our rooms while guests were enjoying dinner. We actually enjoyed sitting outside in the dark before bed, too, cruising by small towns.) A few guests scheduled independent sightseeing tours, and it seemed to work out well for them. Low river levels today might be just fine for cruising in a few days. The dining room has a variety of tables that can seat 6, 8, or 10 people. Better be aboard, cuz they wont wait! Im glad you found the article helpful. Walking could be on unpaved or uneven surfaces and may involve many steps or steep inclines. Was our first Viking cruise, so we used your article as a guide. (Viking offers complimentary house wine and beer at lunch and dinner.) There are lots of smiles and offers of help. with a German Schuko 2-pin plug that matches the 2-prong outlet in the bathroom. On all river cruises, guests are offered one complimentary shore excursion at every destination. I do my own underwear in the sink, but jeans, shirts and heavy socks go to the laundry. These devices are attached to lanyards with earpieces. For example, sometimes two sister ships sail on the same one-way voyage starting at the same time just at opposite ends of the itinerary. This is because some guests may have canceled their planned optional excursions prior to the cruise; so its a good practice to check on this and any other concerns once youre on board. Naturally, safety is a primary concern of travelers and the crew. Prior to dinner, the chef usually introduces the options including his/her recommendations. As much as Viking tries to stick to its anticipated docking times, some things like other ships waiting in line to go through locks, weather issues, and river levels are beyond its control. That way, youll learn exactly how things will work with getting to and from that specific hotel. We are taking the Grand European cruise, B-A, in late September 2022. There are so many choices of destinations and lengths of the trip. All Viking river cruise ship staterooms have: The different types of staterooms range in size, available outdoor space, the time for guaranteed stateroom access, and amenities. And about general seating at meals in the dining room, theres a choice of large and small tables and theres no assigned seating, so if youre one of the early ones at meal time, youll have a great chance of finding a setting that suits you best. Is there Thank you! Laundry charges will be billed to your shipboard account. Haha, I got a kick out of being tempted with just one little pastry! Some companies may take space from common areas to put into spas and fitness centers; others, like Viking, use all that available space for staterooms and common areas.). We were sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest. We've had excellent experiences with Viking's laundry service. If you request hangers, things like shirts and jeans come back on hangers instead of Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. My first question is, without using the laundry service on board , do you have suggestions on washing items in your cabin? Thank you for your article and your help! There are also daily announcements with information on docking and reminders about impending excursion departures. This is one way the crew can account for all guests. Have a wonderful cruise, Thomas! We found the car rentals and made reservations, but we cant find any daily schedule of when the ship docks and departs at each port. When I returned, I noticed two Viking bookmarks resting on top of the books. Were planning on a dinner in a town, tour of some beer gardens and lunch in Heidelberg, and just walking around. If we were sailing during the day, the program director narrated scenic highlights along the river as we continued our journey. If you have dietary restrictions, let Viking know when you book. 2. Also can you remember if those two cities is where the boat docked. We are planning to take the Grand European Tour in July of 2023. Bon voyage! There is a fee for this service. How early are they available to avoid the rush? You can choose to pre-pay gratuities which we did. Laundry Services or Facilities: Which River Cruise Companies It is a quick way to catch up on national and international news as well as to get financial market and sports updates. Weve had no regrets. Cruises Many thanks ! By the way, the excursions included in the trip are typically large group experiences, while the optional excursions (available at an extra cost) are usually much smaller groups as they are more focused on specific areas of interest. We also like to explore on our own, so there were times when we just joined a tour for a while and then told the guide we were going to branch out on our own. Viking Egil Cruise: Expert Review (2023) - Cruise Critic Some people book two cruises back-to-back to extend their vacation. Were doing the Rhine Getaway, Amsterdam to Basel in early Oct, but havent actually booked yet! We dont even know if it is The Sound of Music heavy, and that is kindof why we are doing it. Pros: Viking is, by far, the largest river cruise company. As you know, Viking offers an included excursion in each port. Your husband doesnt need to pack a blazer if he wouldnt normally wear one for dinner. I didnt read through all the comments, so I hope Im not being repetitive. We are in a veranda A stateroom and doing business class flights as a bucket wish. As for the specifics about checking in to hotels and then embarkation timing, Id suggest you contact Viking directly (or your travel agent if you used one to book the trip). What it meant for guests was a minor inconvenience. Three meals are included each day at the following times: Soda, beer, and house wine are available at lunch and dinner at no charge. Viking had a sister ship sailing the same journey in the opposite direction from Budapest to Amsterdam so we switched ships. Hi, Considering the Silver Spirits package. Have fun! Everything was as you said food, service, boat, amenities, all topnotch. After that, we went to an assigned group on the upper deck (groups are determined by what floor the staterooms are on), and we had to give our stateroom number to the staff at the assigned location (for roll call). U River Cruises by Uniworld offers week-long cruises for young adults along Europes riverways. There is precise timing to docking and excursions. If you want wine at that time is there a charge? Do you travel overnight for most of the time or is there day travel as well? We are heading out on our first river cruise, the Kara from Basel to Amsterdam in late September this year. Its important to note that when the ship docks somewhere in the morning and you go on an excursion, you sometimes will be brought back to the ship in a different location like another city further down the river. This publication outlines the schedule for the next day, with all included and optional excursions as well as suggestions on where to visit and eat during your free time the next day. This taught me to take pictures when I first see a scenic sight just in case I wouldnt have the opportunity again. Furthermore, this means that you may have to walk through another ship to get to shore or people are walking through your ship to get to and from theirs. A tie and jacket are optional.. And the small umbrellas! We are not interested in spending a lot of time on buses. The cruise is great for adults of any age. Does Viking get us into our room early or do we have to check our luggage with the hotel and wait until 3:00 PM? Hi Linda, youre facing a big decision: to go with Silver Spirits or not! I am very intrigued by the Salzberg excursion but see that it is a 2 plus hour bus ride each way. You can store your luggage under the bed(s). Your email address will not be published. Good luck with your planning, and have a great cruise! There are also bright red full-size Viking umbrellas to take along on excursions if its raining. Hi Lolly, thank you for the great article and this really prepared us for our trip next week. Viking ships are specially designed to navigate the worlds great rivers and provide convenient daily access to a plethora of destinations and experiences. Weve found there are a lot of commonalities as well as interesting folks to meet. 1. This includes the Viking Daily which provides information for each new day and the evening updates by the program director in the Lounge before dinner. Sometimes theres a lot of river cruise ship traffic in popular cities. We thoroughly enjoyed our Viking river cruise. The 190-passenger Viking Egil In addition to cocktails, there were some very nice premium wine options aboard Viking, and we had fun trying ones that were new to us. What are your thoughts on the Silver Spirits package? The friends we cruise with have used it and say it is good and turnaround is quick. Becki Viking ships all sport calming Scandinavian decor and are designed efficiently. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Viking River Cruises: Laundry service is available on board; unfortunately clothes cannot be dry cleaned. We do the red eye and get into Amsterdam early morning.
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