gift shop onboard Viking

Hi,

We are on a river cruise in two weeks and had a question about what exactly is offered in the onboard shop. We are trying to travel very light, and I know we can probably find things at each port but was just curious. Looking forward to our first Danube Waltz cruise.

the gift 'shop' is more of a 'shelf', with a small clothing rack (maybe 3 feet long .... probably less.)!

Some 'Viking logo' merchandise like shirts and jackets, a few trinkets, some tourist guide books. I picked up a nice 'route map' of our trip. I don't recall anything in the way of toiletries .. bag of gummie bears maybe .... no snacks and no duty free booze. but what we didn't pack, or wasn't already in the bath we were able to get in town even b4 we boarded (arrived a few days early to explore on our own)

If there is anything you are fussy about, don't rely on buying it when you arrive. I caught a bad cold in France and we were unable to find anything like the cold remedies we use in the US: no Zicam lozenges or zinc supplements of any kind; no OTC-strength decongestants [they sold me something that turned out to be for Cystic Fibrosis patients]. I was able to find Vitamin C lozenges and anesthetic throat lozenges, but it was a wake-up call to pack a supply of Zicam on all future trips.

If there is anything you are fussy about, don't rely on buying it when you arrive. I caught a bad cold in France and we were unable to find anything like the cold remedies we use in the US: no Zicam lozenges or zinc supplements of any kind; no OTC-strength decongestants [they sold me something that turned out to be for Cystic Fibrosis patients]. I was able to find Vitamin C lozenges and anesthetic throat lozenges, but it was a wake-up call to pack a supply of Zicam on all future trips.

good point, dw decided sunscreen was a top priority and it was harder to find then we expected and then $$

wrt your question .. we had to search for this in a town tho ... nothing on the ship/boat. Also note that unlike a typical "cruise ship" a river cruise does not have an onboard doctor or medical facility (because they are typically close to shore with emergency services ....). If you have a need they will typically make arrangements for you at the next stop ....

If there is anything you are fussy about, don't rely on buying it when you arrive. I caught a bad cold in France and we were unable to find anything like the cold remedies we use in the US: no Zicam lozenges or zinc supplements of any kind;

You can get zinc supplements in health food stores but you won't find them marketed as 'cold remedies' due mostly to different EU regulations and a lack of any real proof that they are indeed effective against colds :)

It is good advice though to pack specific brands that you know and trust as you generally won't find them outside the USA.

Are there any problems bring over the counter drugs into European countries... I need to bring Lactaid and DH would probably want to bring Pepcid just in case.

I agree with everyone. Bring what you might need from home. I always have enough zicam for both of us if we get colds. Decongestant, advil, allergy stuff, cough drops, antibiotic ointment etc. I just don't want to waste time looking for stuff in the towns. Would rather be shopping for souvenirs. I've never had a problem bringing in anything.

Thanks Mimi, hopefully if we have sealed packages we should be ok.