Standard room on Viking??

Considering my first river cruise and confused about the window in the standard room. Viking's website says it has a half window, but the photograph makes it appear to be only about two feet tall- it would provide light but you probably couldn't see out of it.

Also, is there any disadvantage to being at water level?

Thanks for your help!

it would be helpful if you said what ship you were talking about as the new longships are quite different from the older ships.

We haven't decided for certain, but are considering a romantic Danube cruise in late December on the longship Freya. (Probably not the best time for a cruise but my husband is a professor, so we travel when we can.)

Well hockeyfan..i think i can offer a somewhat knowledgeable opinion then.

We did the Romantic Danube (or was it the Danube Waltz?) on a new Viking longship the Njord likely looking the same as the one you are considering, leaving Passau Dec 28 in 2012. You are right...not the best weather BUT also pretty cheap. The xmas decorations were still up but the markets were not.

Now back to the room. We always cruise on the ocean with a balcony even in Alaska as I like the fresh air and the added space. So on our Danube cruise we paid extra for the 'balcony'. Other than being able to open the sliding door, it was not worth it.

A. It was too darn cold

B. Every second nite we were piggybacked to another ship so we had to close the drapes,and the door for privacy or else we would be peering into another room and having them looking at us. Complete waste of money.

Cruising the Danube is not like the cruising the Rhine; you don't have hours of daylight cruising where you could, weather permitting, sit on your balcony in Dec and sip a glass of wine watching the landscape go by. It seemed most of the cruising was done at nite and you awoke to either looking at pier one moring or another ship the next.

This piggybacking mooring of 2 or 3 or more ships is reality as the number of ships increases but the piers to moor do not. Fact of life.

Save your money, get the lower 'standard' room and you will be none the wiser. We have booked the lowest category for our upcoming April cruise for all the reasons I stated above. I shall report back here and maybe I will have to eat crow but I hope not.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. We cruise fairly often and usually get one of the cheapest rooms unless there's a really great deal on something better.

Do you know if the windows truly are 1/2 or if they are only good for letting in the light?

Once again, I appreciate your help. Enjoy your upcoming cruise.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. We cruise fairly often and usually get one of the cheapest rooms unless there's a really great deal on something better.

Do you know if the windows truly are 1/2 or if they are only good for letting in the light?

Once again, I appreciate your help. Enjoy your upcoming cruise.

sorry no i don't know but hopefully someone who has already had one of those rooms can comment. But at least there will be light and given the amount of time we had the drapes pulled on our $$$ balcony room, it might actually be an improvement!

here is a pic I found on line on another post...looks pretty basic but at least there is light.

this is the description of the room:

Stateroom size: 150 sq. ft.

Hotel-style beds 79 inches x 63 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration)

Half-height picture window

Private bathroom with shower and premium bath products

Telephone, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer & bottled water replenished daily

Bathrobe and slippers available upon request

Individual climate control

Space under bed for storing suitcases

Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers

Voltage: 220V and 115V in stateroom

Sony 26-inch flat-panel TV

Do you know if the windows truly are 1/2 or if they are only good for letting in the light?

Based on the photos it looks to be accurate to describe it as a 1/2 window, and yes, at that height above the water outside and the floor inside, it is more about light than seeing what is outside.

It is after all half a window not half a wall they are referring to with the description.

As long as you don't have any issues with enclosed spaces I can see the appeal of these cabins since as remydiva points out, if the cruising is mostly at night there really is nothing much to see anyway.

hockeyfan5 ~ while we've never stayed in a longship's standard room - DH wants air - but the size is the same as a balcony room -150sq ft. The French Balcony rooms are only 135sq Ft and you really feel the difference!!

On our last cruise - Viking's Bordeaux area - we met a young woman and her aunt who booked late and had to take a standard room - they were more than happy with it since you really do spend so little time in it.

On our OCs we always booked a balcony - last few even a large aft one! But I'd be more than happy with a standard Viking room - especially in December where they'll be the least light from outside!

Hope you have a great trip!!!!

I've not been on a longship yet but have cruised on an older Viking ship in one of those rooms. The layout was different than the posted picture but I (5'4") could stand by the window and look out to the water. The water is maybe a foot or two below the window. It's perfectly fine in those rooms. The only noises I heard, other than the normal noise while going through locks, was on one night, there were some waves slapping against the window. It happened a couple of times but once I figured out what it was (I got up to check), I had no issues going to sleep.

We've booked the same type of room for our Nov/15 B2B cruise.

We cruised on the Freya 9 months ago. We had a French balcony cbin which we found just fine. The cruises are so port intensive I wasn't interested in paying extra for a proper balcony I could sit out on, but there was no way I could be happy in a standard room, any more than I would be happy with an inside room on an ocean cruise. I like to see what is outside and you feel so much more connected to the passing scenery when you can hear fish splash, feel the air on your face etc.

I had a standard "aquarium class" room on Viking Odin in September. It was similar to the photo above. I'm 5'4 and could see out the window - just above the water line. I've usually had a balcony on ocean cruises, but didn't mind the smaller, non-opening window. Where we docked usually wasn't that scenic - and often we were rafted up against another ship. When we were on scenic parts of the rivers, we were on deck so that we could see both sides of the river. As we checked in, one woman did complain that the cabin was claustrophobic and she wanted to change. As the ship was fully sold out, I don't think that was possible. Of course, if you can afford the suites at the stern of the ship, then you have the full advantage of having a balcony - views on both sides and no one will raft up next to you.

The only downside I see to the lower level - on this particular class of ship - is that you have to take stairs to get to the dining level - the elevator doesn't go to the lower level. Not a problem for me, but could be for others.

I won't be doing another river cruise for a year or two, but when I do, I'll probably do the standard room again and spend the money I've saved on premium economy or business class airfare.

If you use the search feature (upper right side above), you will find several threads on the aquarium rooms. I think most people are very happy with them.

We traveled on the Viking Tor in December and stayed in room 120. This was on the lower level , and it was a nice room. There was a shelf that ran the whole length of the room below the window and we were able to use it as extra storage space.

Save your money, get the lower 'standard' room and you will be none the wiser. We have booked the lowest category for our upcoming April cruise for all the reasons I stated above. I shall report back here and maybe I will have to eat crow but I hope not.

Remydiva, I am definitely interested in your feedback after you cruise in the lowest category! We've booked a balcony (over my objections!) on a longship for a 15 day European Jewels cruise in October 2015. We, too, always book balconies on ocean cruises. I was perfectly happy with a window that opened on the older Viking Spirit.

I was on the Jarl last July, in 'aquarium' class. No problems with the window, my wife is 5'4" like Peggy and she could just see out. The money saved is worth it.

The nice part was that you could use the ledge under it as a shelf, and when the curtain is closed, it hides your clutter. You'll see the crew's cabin are like yours, from the outside you can see they have all their stuff crammed on the window ledge

My daughter was in the cabin next door, she crawled up there and was reading. No idea why. She's 22.

Hopefully there is a good picture of the Braggi attached, and one of their aquarium rooms, same setup as on the Jarl.

A good collection of Longboat pictures:

http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/experience/cruise/2014/01/09/photo-tour-viking-river-cruises-new-viking-bragi/2068211/

Lucky you. Standard cabins are quickly booked. I used to be a must have a balcony snob. I sailed on a ship that did not have any available. I did not miss the balcony. The extra money to be in a balcony cabin is outrageous. You will not miss the balcony. Relax and enjoy.

Maybe this will show up. Still can't figure out how to post pics... This was on the Seine Viking Paris/Normandy. We were only in the cabin to change & sleep.

Remydiva, I am definitely interested in your feedback after you cruise in the lowest category! We've booked a balcony (over my objections!) on a longship for a 15 day European Jewels cruise in October 2015. We, too, always book balconies on ocean cruises. I was perfectly happy with a window that opened on the older Viking Spirit.

Will do.

It will be my first non balcony cruise :eek: in decades but the tandem docking we experienced last time really made me reconsider the " value" of a balcony on a river cruise.

Nope... any advice on how to post pics????

Thank you all so much! I think an aquarium room will suit us just fine!

Nope... any advice on how to post pics????

To post directly into Cruise Critic, the file size limit is very small so the picture will be impossible to see with the human eye (which is what I am equipped with...)

The best approach is to upload your pictures (in any size) to a free sharing website like Shutterfly, and then link to there from the CC posting.

Here's a brief tutorial on the two techniques:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=25174746&postcount=2

Husband and I are planning on taking a Viking River Cruise, probably the first week in November, in Southern France. I too question the value of paying so much extra when it will be too cold to sit out on a balcony. One of my concerns is what is below the standard rooms on the ship. Is there a lot of engine noise? Anyone have any idea if we are apt to run into high or low water in November which would make the cruise impossible?

We had a standard cabin since we got a great deal two weeks prior to sailing. Our price was terrific so I was unconcerned about the location. The cabin is small but as someone previously said the standard cabin is larger than the French balcony. On the French balcony you can open the screen door for fresh air which would be nice.

We heard water whooshing sounds when the ship was in a lock, we got used to it. I didn't hear engine noise, the riverboats are fairly quiet. We typically spend very little time in our cabin and this river cruise was no different. The standard cabin window will let some light in unless the boats are tied up side by side.

We book Aquarium class by choice. Only once in our 8 cruises have we booked a French balcony, and decided that (for us) it isn't worth the extra expense.

We like the sound of the water sloshing against the window... sort of a "white noise".... soothing for us. We have not noticed any particular engine noise (except on our cruise in Russia.... and that is a totally different boat....)

We cruised on the Viking Aegir in Aquarium class. One thing both DH and I noticed on the Longships is that the staircase to the lowest level is the best designed of any river boat we have been on. Straight down (many boats have a curve) with a safe, easy to hang on to hand rail.

If you are travelling in December, the days are short - so not sure how much enjoyment people get out of a balcony (French or otherwise...)

Hope this helps.

Fran