Viking River Cruise Reviews

Very well organised cruise with exceptional crew. We made many friends from Canada, Greece, South Africa and the U.S. Included excursions on the cruise were great. We didn’t sign up for any of the optional excursions as we wanted to enjoy the relaxation on the ship. The weather was hot so it was nice to come back to the air conditioning on the ship ...read more after a morning excursion. Meals on the ship were first class.

We have booked with Yvonne from Global Journeys for two European river cruises on Viking, very well organised, a wonderful experience, thank you for fantastic work Yvonne organising our flights etc.

Like any trip there are a lot of positives and an occasional grouch. Our last trip with Viking fell into that category. The trip was well organised, delivered excellent weather which made all the activities pleasant to complete and had a group of people with us of similar age and outlook.

Viking manage these trips very well and have a skilled team ...read more to ensure your outcome is as pleasant as possible. They employee local guides with good knowledge and generally coherent English language skills which is really important for those of us with hearing difficulties.

The only downside to the trip was food choices particularly at dinner were too much of the same and in some cases quality was not up to a previous high standard.

What was so enjoyable about the cruise was the relaxed pace and plenty of opportunities to get to know our friendly fellow passengers. All the staff were also very friendly and took a personal interest in us. We were the only two non US residents out of 180 passengers and it seemed as if they were out to make us feel at home- which we felt very much ...read more indeed. There was a lot of laughter and friendly teasing.

The excursions from the ship were exceptionally chosen for their cultural and educational value. We were very impressed with our tour to the world's largest agriport and learned about their green house technology. Holland is indeed a wonderful country to explore with so much variety and diversity to offer e.g. history from the Operation Market Garden, the ingenuity of the people in their water management, and of course the beautiful tulips in Keukenhof.

One complaint is the fact that nobody told us that we could book the optional tours months before beginning the cruise - as a result of which, even though we had booked 1 year ago, we missed out on the bicycle tour. Also, if making your own transfers, one can be dismayed by the uncertainty of the ship's docking positions. We ended up cancelling our private arrangements and opted for the more expensive option of using Viking's transfers. But all in all, it was a very enjoyable experience.

We had a wonderful time and were lucky to have excellent weather. The ship was so luxurious, and we were impressed by the fantastic staff and service. Everyone was welcoming and kind. The food was delicious. Shore excursions were well organised and informative - all the locations were beautiful. Would definitely go again!

We chose Viking for a higher end river cruise but value for money, including flights, and weren't disappointed! From the moment we booked with Global Journeys our travel plans and organisation was hassle free - all necessary documentation and arrangements were taken care of and anything we were required to do was well communicated and easy to complete. ...read more

Our Viking cruise was outstanding; quality food and drinks in abundance, wonderful sights and highly enjoyable included tours as well as additional ones to choose from. The crew on board were all amazing from the ship's captain to the room stewards, they function as a team and interact with all guests with a highly professional and friendly manner regardless of their position and role. This, along with the relaxed and casual atmosphere aboard, made for a quality cruise without any formalities.

Although we are in our early 50s and many of the passengers were retired, we did not feel out of place. Definitely not a party scene like larger cruise ships but plenty of opportunities for fun and relaxing. We had a lower deck cabin without a balcony or French window and it was fine as we enjoyed the views from both sides of the ship from the lounge or upper deck. The other options can be pretty one-sided and most cruising is done at night when not too much to see.

Viking provide a very hassle free itinerary to experience the highlights of China. Accommodation and the cruise down the Yangtze were of a very high standard. The 6 day cruise was very enjoyable and you experience travelling through the locks of the Three Gorges Dam, something that I don't think other groups all do. Extra time, especially in Xian, ...read more would be good and some rail travel rather than all air connections within China would improve the itinerary. There were no hidden extras, but the inevitable shopping stops! It was our first time travelling with Viking... The group was 95% American and most were return Viking travellers. I would have liked some more free time and options to do a little independent exploring of the cities we visited.

Four years ago we sailed with Viking on the Budapest to Amsterdam cruise and loved it so it was a no brainer for us to choose Viking again for this special cruise, France's Finest, to celebrate our Anniversary. It didn't disappoint! Viking thinks of everything and their guests are looked after from beginning to end. All the tour guides are amazingly ...read more knowledgeable and provide a wonderful commentary on the various stops along the way whether they are little hamlets or big cities, as well as including interesting little snippets of information about personalities and such..

We chose 7 optional tours in addition to the included ones because we didn't want to miss out on anything. This did make for a full on itinerary and we've returned home quite tired but that was our choice and we don't regret it at all.

We also decided to include the 3-day Loire Valley extension which was wonderful but again, very full on. The accommodation was absolutely beautiful and once again our guide was superb.

A slight disappointment for us was the cabin we chose. On our last cruise we chose a French Balcony stateroom. This time and in order to save a bit of money, we chose a room on the lowest level which didn't have an opening window. We wish we had paid the extra as we felt a bit claustrophobic. We know other people who have had no problem at all with this so this is just a personal thing.

Also impressive is the way Viking looks after everything regarding the transfer to the airport at the end of the holiday with a guide accompanying us literally to the check in counter at the airport!

Unfortunately one of us was unwell during our holiday which put a bit of a dampener on things and when the Maitre d' at the restaurant on the ship was told he was so accommodating, providing warm and comforting soup. Nothing was too much trouble.

Juliet, from Global Journeys was a gem! Attention to detail and customer service was absolutely top notch. Whenever we had a query it would be answered almost immediately and definitely the same day. We have recommended Global Journeys to our friends as being a company which really takes an interest in their customers. We wouldn't book with anyone else now that we have experienced the professionalism and friendliness that was shown to us.

Thanks so much for a great holiday.

Loved cruising the Rhine with Viking. They are very good at what they do and looked after us extremely well. Because of our busy pre-cruise coach tour through Europe we chose only to do the included options. This gave us time to enjoy the Rhine and the scenery that went with it while sipping on a glass of wine or beer from our balcony, lounge or top ...read more deck. Everyone from the captain to the room attendant were very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The food was amazing and it was great to have the choice of formal and casual dining.
Once again Georgie from Global Journeys found this cruise for us which slotted into our time frame and also liaised between Viking and ourselves for our flights.

This cruise completely lived up to our expectations. The comprehensive excursion-included nature of this Viking cruise was highly appreciated, as it carried the consequence that there was no need to book any optional tours. The food was delicious and the accompanying local wines were excellent. Although the cruising is limited to relatively short sections ...read more of the Gironde estuary, and the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, it covers many of the renowned wine producing regions of the Bordeaux region, through visits to quaint and historic towns and villages. All-in-all, we highly recommend this cruise.

A truly wonderful experience packed with beautiful scenery and interesting historical sites, all organised extremely well. The Oxford extension added a unique personal touch when we were given a guided tour of Highclere Castle by the Duchess herself.

Everything was very well organised, from the tours to the daily schedule of activities. The staff were both friendly and obliging, and the food was great. The facilities were first class and spotlessly maintained.

Viking endeavoured to make sure that the cruise was seamless and worry free. I liked the fact that the Viking staff made the effort to get to know you and called you by name. Shore trips were well organised but due to problems in respect of closures for Bastille Day, it meant that we had less leisurely time than we originally intended. Monet's Garden ...read more was definitely a highlight, satisfying the original aim of the trip. There was only one disappointment for me, and that was not spending enough time at the Canadian War Memorial in Normandy. It is an excellent, quite large display of Canada's role in the wars and far more time should have been devoted to it. I would have preferred to go without lunch, which was OK but nothing special. It was a long bus ride for little return. The issue seems to be that they tried to include all the Commonwealth countries, which just didn't do it justice. Other than the Canadian Memorial, we just drove around to cemeteries. Apparently, the American Memorial tour was far better. I did take photos of the naval display as my father was in the navy in the North Atlantic; that's all I had time for.

In respect of the pre-cruise stay in Paris, we had a nice hotel in a prime location but our Viking Host was hopeless. She didn't do her job and as a result 10 of us were left stranded in Paris and we had to find our own way to the Kadlin which was docked at Le Pecq. In the morning of the day we were to board the ship, the Host told us to be at a certain place at a specific time later in the afternoon to get the bus to the ship. The bus didn't show up because the location had been changed; the host gave us the wrong information. She didn't respond to Viking's emails or phone calls. I phoned the ship and was told we had to find our own way there. We finally found a taxi rank but it took some time to talk the driver into taking us there as it was a long distance and out of his zone. He didn't speak English and we didn't speak French, which made things doubly difficult. However, we finally got there and Viking paid the fares. It was a stressful start to the cruise, which shouldn't have occurred if the Viking host had done her job.

Viking were absolutely magnificent. Staff, food etc all of the highest quality. Had a wonderful 15 days and met a lot of very nice people, some we have continued a friendship with even though we are from different parts of the world. Hannah from Global Journeys was superb to deal with. I hope to have the pleasure of booking with Hannah again! Thank ...read more you.

It was a great trip. So well organized. We had a few internal flights, and it was so well organized that we did not have to worry about anything. Bags were picked up from the room and arrived (just like that) at our destination.

Our entire experience was without a hitch and more than what we could have imagined or expected. We knew we had a very high quality cruise ahead of us, but once we embarked on Viking Vidar at Amsterdam, we constantly exclaimed "Isn't this incredibly amazing". We felt we had really reached the pinnacle of exceptionally refined holiday living. Our suite ...read more was so well designed with every comfort considered. The overall style of the ship reflects quality in materials and design.

Going beyond the physical appearance and functionality of this superb craft, we were extremely impressed on a daily basis with our dining experience. The deliciousness and variety of meals we enjoyed were only improved and made even more enjoyable by the friendly and helpful staff and the company of our fellow cruisers. Our entire experience, including the initial reservation through to the hugely informative and exciting tours, included and optional, has left us with a great desire to relive it all in the future. It was seamless and pure enjoyment.

From start to finish, everything was very well organised by Viking and Global Journeys. The transfers were smooth throughout, however our arrival time in Amsterdam was so close to sailing that we were not there in time for the Amsterdam tour.

The vessel was very well set up, clean and welcoming and most of all the staff were the best we have ever ...read more encountered. Most excursions were interesting with some excellent guides, however we would question the high cost of the Munich and Salzburg trips.

We will be looking at another Viking Cruise but we would not wish to fly QATAR airways again. It is not that Qatar are not a reasonable airline, it is more to do with Doha Airport security. We were treated in a way that made us feel very unwelcome by inefficient, arrogant and rude security staff. At one check the staff member took Robyn's Boarding pass for some form of check and did not return it denying he had got it.

At Sydney airport Qatar did not have an Air Bridge and hence much time was wasted in shuttle buses (this also happened on the Budapest to Doha flight which was the equivalent to a Ryanair flight, old aircraft, seat reclining mechanism not working properly and the worst meals we have had in 40 years of travel).

Once again we were very pleased with the Viking cruise. Mathias the cruise director was excellent. The crew were all very friendly and helpful. The shore excursions were very well organised. They even catered for passengers who have mobility issues and Viking run a leisurely group on all of their shore excursions. For this group they try to walk at ...read more a slower pace, minimise the number of steps and slopes to make things easier. A great hotel location in Paris which was very close to the Eiffel Tower. Madeline from Global Journeys did a great job in organising our holiday for us.

If you want a very relaxing escape this would be the cruise for you. The average age would be 60+ and mostly Americans. If you want activity you are not going to get it, but meeting new people, seeing the sights, eating lovely food and drinking great French wine does! We were two days into the cruise when a fellow traveler reminded us that we have ...read more the silver wine package included in our price. This certainly made the wine experience interesting indeed. Although it would have been nice if they had reinforced this when we initially boarded the ship.

This was our sixth European River Cruise and whilst it met expectations in most areas it fell short in some areas and those were ones which we are important to us. In terms of the cabin, the catering, the friendliness of the crew, the on-board facilities and the routine on board, we found that Viking were on par with the other major operators we have ...read more cruised with.

The areas we were disappointed with were the on-board entertainment and the excursions. The on-board entertainment did not include a German folklore/music evening (the cruise was totally within Germany)until the last night of the cruise and many guests did not show up, presumably as they were preparing for departure the following day. There was also a glass blowing demonstration one evening which more of a souvenir/sales event than a cultural event.

The excursions contained too many hours of coach travel (particularly as it had extensions either end in Prague and Paris with several hours by road between ship and hotel). There was also no folklore night offered in advance by Viking in Prague and we booked our own only to find that on the day of our arrival in Prague a folklore evening was being offered by Viking. Also in Rudesheim the main attraction (for us) was the Musical Instrument Museum but not included in any tour offered by Viking, so we and several other passengers had to do our thing. On the other hand the tour to Heidelberg included a local lunch with a foreign student from the university (our student was from Sudan) which we found to be a pleasant change.