ChesapeakeSailor

Just read Chesapeake Sailors note - and we were on the April 12th sailing and none of the optional tours were given away or reduced. But we only missed the Cadillac port, so maybe this was the case on a different sailing.

Oops! Still not over jet lag...meant April 5. We are thinking of doing Southern France next.

Maybe Viking needs to tweek their advertising and marketing on this particular itinerary given the challenges of the Bordeaux bridge and the tidal waters which will not change over time.

 

Instead of highlighting the word CRUISE they should say 'Bordeaux TOUR' since it would offer a very nice alternative to doing it by bus in that you only unpack once.The ship becomes your floating hotel.

 

Cost wise, bus tours don't come cheap either and while I cannot find one that does this region as intensely as the Viking 'cruise', a France bus tour from a mid range company that would include the Loire valley chateaux pre-cruise and Bordeaux is around $3500 pp and you still need to buy several meals. Viking's prices which includes all meals therefore becomes a bargain.

 

And bus tours :eek: have a different feeling than a ship tour. It's all in the marketing I think. ;)

This is a summary of the post I wrote prior to signing in and it disappeared.

I chose to respond specially to this earlier post because the comparison can be made to a "floating hotel" although a lovely all inclusive one that also provides transportation to the French countryside. As was previously mentioned, we were unable to dock at two ports (this will fluctuate from week to week) and most of the cruising is done during the night. Everyone will have to decide if that will work for them. If I were asked if I would I do it again, the answer would be YES!

In fairness, this being my first River Cruise, I have no comparison. What I do know is having been a Hotel Manager and now a Travel Director, I enjoyed being able to just relax and be the recipient of fine service while being transported from port to port.

As for the tours, I was convinced to join my table mates after they asked me when I would be likely to go "Truffle Hunting" again. The ride is 2hr15min each way but after being very active earlier in the week, I welcomed time to nap. We traveled past some picturesque villages including one known for having several prehistoric caves. The farm is located in a tiny village having a population of 14, mostly the farmer's relatives and an American couple. Lunch was rustic, plentiful and flavored with you guessed it, truffles. I am not sure if this was a recent add but there was a tour of St Emilion for "Truffle Hunters" the next morning. I also heard rave reviews about the Chateaux which took place on the same day. I did not go to Arcachon as I did not want to give up the last day in Bordeaux.

Friday while the ship temporarily relocated was an opportunity to go into the city and pick up some wine (you can bring on board and no corkage fee), chocolates, and pate. There are options to stay onboard the ship, return at 12:30 or stay in Bordeaux and return on own at 2:15 when it is back. We chose the latter and had lunch at Bistrot Gabriel (same kitchen as the more expensive Restaurant) located in the middle of Place de Bourse. It is best to arrive before 1:00 for a window table facing the "Mirror"

We found out at the nightly briefing (highly suggest) the evening prior that we would be crusing during dinner and did not want to miss that. It was a fitting finale. Speaking of dinner, follow the Chef's lead. That evening it was shrimp in garlic and olive oil, perfectly cooked rack of lamb and decadent creme caramel.

So what would I add, subtract or change? The itinerary has obviously evolved in an an effort to improve (the fake French village has been eliminated). This is a good thing. However, it seems some consideration could be given to those that had trips during the development stage in the first few weeks. Hotels call it a "soft opening" and offer a discount. Optional tours could be reduced or one offered complimentary if unable to dock at more than one port.This was the case for the April 12 but not on the one last week.

Again, as this deserves to be repeated, if I had the chance to do it again, I would in a heartbeat. Each person will have their own personal experience.

I had a wonderful time and I hope you do too.

We are probably walking side by side on tours. We also did Lynch Bage and the evening tour in Bordeaux. Are doing The Chateau lunch today.. Just docking now in Libourne.

Still no complaints except the weather...but it is April, so showers are inevitable.

Another note for all...this is a beautiful ship! And the staff are incredible!

I am going on the Market Tour tomorrow morning. Please look for a redhead and say hello. There is usually just one or two. :)

I will do a recap when back home.

This may be my last post as I am in the midst of the cruise, having a great time, and no longer on search of information.

First let me say that we are veteran discriminating cruisers. Viking is our third River cruse line, with multiple river cruises, and we have been on at least one ocean cruise annually for more years than I choose to share.

While I was not happy with Viking Customer service and their earlier denial of issues on this itinerary, I am now convinced that was a problem with that call center that was resolved once Viking was aware of our roll call comments. (Hurrah for the power of social media.) It is clear to me that this is a challenging itinerary for Viking and any other line and Viking is building their ability to respond to these challenges. The biggest issues relate to docking which are greatly influenced by the tides and weather coming in off the Atlantic.Viking must remain flexible, but has no choice but to follow directives as to their moves down the Rivers. We have learned they are sailing under maritime regulations and required to have a local pilot onboard at all times, so there is no issue of lack of ability to handle the ship in these waters.

Our Program Director Meika has let us know that we will have a daily detailed itinerary,updated based on directives as needed. Viking has provided many additional small activities to keep up happy and entertained.

In response to some comments from others from my perspective, the food and wine have been quite good, the tour guides have been delightful (they are a combo of French plus long term British residents with excellent French language skill), and the included tours have met and exceeded our expectations.

Regarding optional tours we chose two of the less expensive tours and found those to be priced much the same as if we had booked them at the Bordeaux Tourist Office. There is plenty to do even if you don't take the optional tours and lots of resources for doing things on your own.

I encourage anyone who loves River cruising, wine, and food as we do to join the party.

Hey Tipsygirl! I am glad to hear you are also having a wonderful time. Yes, there have been changes but overall, the most disconcerting has been the weather which is always unpredictable. I agree with what you have to say, the tours have been wonderful. We were fortunate to have had our Chateaux tasting at Lynch Bage. The tour and museum were impressive. Being Sunday though, the little shops there were closed. Bordeaux itself is a pleasant surprise. We especially enjoyed the evening walking tour. Enchanting. Back to my vacation...

My wife and I just returned from the 12 April cruise and thought I would make a few additional comments to what others have offered.

 

Regarding the "bridge issue" which prevents sailing to Cadillac, the Captain told me that they need government authorization to sail under the Pont de Pierre in Bordeaux since it's a World Heritage site. He said they had requested authorization some time ago and continue to check with the govt. every week.

 

Overall, although we enjoyed the cruise, I liked my other four Viking cruises better. I thought the food was OK but not as good as the other cruises (especially the Southern France cruise - oo-la-la). In general, the upper management was not top notch. Regarding local guides, all but one of our guides were primarily English speakers who have settled in the Bordeaux area. One guide told us that Viking especially looks for such guides. One other issue which has not been brought up is that on our last full day in Bordeaux, the ship left the dock from 9:30 to 2:30 to refuel. They did offer a free shuttle into Bordeaux but since we left the ship before 9:30 so didn't need to use it, but it seems to me that Viking should somehow arrange this so that it doesn't impact our free time.

 

By the way, I thought Bordeaux was the highlight of the cruise. The included tour was excellent and we enjoyed the next day on our own. A lot of good stuff to see.

 

Finally, we took the Loire Valley pre-cruise extension and thought that was very good (except for the terrible dinner Viking arranged at our hotel in Tours). The chateaux were great, the several medium sized towns we stopped at were very nice, and our (French) guide was very good. We had dinner at l'Arome in Tours and it was excellent.

 

Paul

Thanks Paul,

Did you use the ship's computers? I have heard they can be very slow if they work at all. How about cell phone reception? Merci.

This reply might make me seem "stuffy" or priggish but that is not my intention at all. As a young at heart and VERY active 64 year old, no one would ever consider me even remotely stuffy! Instead, I am trying to help the average Viking traveler better fit with their new surroundings by dressing with the respect that European and Asian destinations and their people absolutely deserve.

Why Americans feel that they can dress in such a casual manner when out in public has always bewildered really me. I lived in Europe for 6 years n the 1970's and have vacationed there untold times since then, including one Viking cruise and a booking on another to come in October. What I have found is that people in other parts of the world, and especially those in the Viking age groups, pride themselves on a neat and polished appearance. That does not include jeans at dinner or really at any time except the most casual. They are only commonly worn by teens and University students. Men wear nice pants (no shorts except at the beach), collared or polo shirts and sweaters. Women wear nice skirts, slacks (no capris or shorts except at the beach), blouses, sweaters and scarves as accessories. Often a blazer is casually tossed on as a jacket. Workout wear is for the gym or jogging ONLY.

In addition, jeans are the heaviest pants there are, and in these days of careful weighing of luggage and easily charged overage fees, why take heavy pants when Dockers type slacks are so much lighter and far more suitable? Jeans don't keep anyone warm when it is cold or cool when it is hot, either.

My final note concerns something that happened on my Viking cruise last year. Please, please, please don't come to the coffee/tea station in the morning or at any time without a shirt and wearing pants (in his case jeans) drooping below the belly. A man on our cruise in May did that EVERY morning, and it was so incredibly offensive. A Viking ship is not a place to wander about shirtless, unless you have abs like Matthew McConaghey!!

It is really all a matter of respect for yourselves and for your fellow man/woman. Dress with pride and respect, and you will be treated the same.

Thanks for reading, and if you are interested, I would be delighted to share my packing list. My husband and I were able to get everything needed for our cruise in a 21" rolling carry-on bag each. A large purse for me and a backpack for him completed our luggage. We looked neat and fashionable all week, too, with nary a pair of jeans in sight.

I am packing NOW and would appreciate receiving your packing list. Thank you for offering. Are you able to post here as to maintain privacy? It would also spare you from having to respond to individual e-mails.

ChesapeakeSailor,

I have been doing some more checking on Arcachon by train. Round trip is $34 Economy and $50 first class. The train station is in the center of town with a bus to the dunes nearby and the ferry to Cap Ferrat a short walk away. We were a little put of by the tour guide for Arcachon not including the oyster and wine tastings. Seemed rather petty since the tour cost is not small. We think we will take our euros and have a great lunch on our own in Arcachon or Cap Ferrat and taste the oysters at lunch. Probably will go on May 1 since we will already have toured Bordeaux for 3 days before the cruise.

 

This is a link that shows a map of Arcachon with the train station location noted, plus info on the ferry and bus mentioned above.

http://www.raildude.com/en/arcachon-railway-station/arcachon/station/12368/319

 

This is a link to the train schedule.

http://www.raileurope.com/us/point_to_point/ptp_results.htm?execution=e1s21&resultId=86788131

Trains go to and from almost every hour. Time is a little over 50 minutes.

Tipsygirl,

Thanks for the info. I am also checking on a tour to the lighthouse on the Ile de Patiras which includes a gourmet lunch with regional food. Uniworld offers this as an optional tour.

Let's make sure we find each other on board and swap notes.

Bon Voyage!

Chesapeake Sailor,

RE Archachon, take a look at the Arcachon tour provided by this company http://www.rendezvousauchateau.com/index.php/en/our-itineraries-wine-tour-bordeaux/arcachon-margaux-chateaux#.U0_X9sZiHFI

Price does not include lunch, but itinerary sounds great, and fairly priced especially if we could get another couple to join us. The restaurant that is identified for the lunch stop has very nice ratings on Trip Advisor. Found their menu online also and looks good.

 

Check it over and see what you think.

It is getting close now...we depart a week from tomorrow! When are you leaving? Thanks for the link. The trip to Archacon does sound wonderful.

What day were you thinking of going? Hopefully, we can go together.

Stay in touch...I am getting excited again.

Thank you to id4elizabeth for the latest report.

We are on our way at 7:00 am to Libourne . Blaye was great. The couple we met last evening said the cognac optional trip was well worth the expense. So far this trip is everything I expected. No problems. The food and wine at meals very good. The weather is great. In summation all my fears and concerns were for naught.

Thank you so much for taking to the time to update us. That is very kind of you. I just received the same message yesterday that you did about the itinerary being subject to change so this is welcome news (it may be standard now).

I know change is still possible on our cruise but this is definitely encouraging. Enjoy!

Haven't been to Arcachon myself, but have read that it is beautiful. The oysters and other seafood are part of its attraction. I believe you can take a train from Bordeaux to Arcachon and do your own thing inexpensively. Looks like line C of the city trolley system runs along the river from a stop near our dock to the train station. Should be able to find some more specific information online about times of travel. If you go to the Bordeaux Tourist Office website you can find a map with the trolley lines marked, and probably more info on Arcachon.

As foodies we are planning on going on the market tour the same day as the Arcachon trip. Checked the price against local guides in Bordeaux and it is in line with their costs.

Yea...another foodie. Yes, let's try to connect. We are not extending. Do you see an opportunity for us to take the train to Arcachon during "a day at leisure'? I would like to compare French oysters to Chesapeake oysters. ;)

If given the opportunity to ask during your talk with Steffie today, would you please inquire if the tour to the truffle farm was always going to be 3 hours each way? Merci.

Have to admit, we are thinking the same thing. Having visited the area last year, we were looking forward to returning and seeing places we did not get to, with the convenience of being on Viking for the transfers and transport (we traveled indy last year). We are meeting friends from GB - that we met on a Viking cruise several years ago - in Paris for a brief reunion prior to the cruise, so our options are many. As has been pointed out on this thread, we knew and understood the limited cruising range of this itinerary; but we have no desire to sit on buses for hours.

Should be a good think-over this week.

I notice that you have been on a couple of other Viking Cruises. How were those? I am wondering if the issues are with the cruise line or the itinerary. Thank you.

Just received our cruise documents yesterday for our April 26th departure.

I also emailed Viking earlier this week through the link included in the Viking posting on the roll call. I had a voice mail message Friday from a Customer Relations rep who stated she would call me back on Monday. Let's compare notes on what we hear.

My biggest concern at this point is getting reliable information from Viking and finding out what their plans are for alterations in the itinerary,and what would cause them to invoke these changes.

I am as unhappy as anyone regarding the possible/probably changes in my upcoming cruise. However, while it was not wise for Viking to operate as though this new itinerary had no potential problems, we need to keep in mind that it is still legally their right and responsibility to alter the itinerary as needed for the safety of the ship, crew, and passengers.

After not receiving a reply to an e-mail, I called Viking"s Customer Service. They now have a special extension set aside for questions about this trip. The phone is 1 (877) 668-4546 extension 4525.

I learned that the recent problem at Blaye was that an ocean going ship unexpectedly had a delayed departure and therefore there was no room in the port, and that there had also been an accident on the water that prevented the boat from using the alternative landing nearby at Bourg. They expect to be able to cruise to and from Blaye now, and even if that's not possible for some reason Bourg is a nearby alternative.

They also mentioned that there is indeed a problem with the water being too high and the bridge too low on the way to Cadillac. This will prevent them from docking there until about mid-May. They mentioned, however, that the bus ride from Bordeaux to Cadillac is only about 45 minutes, and so apparently it would not have been a long cruise there anyway. They may be giving optional tours for free depending on the situation to compensate for changes in scheduling.

So it appears we would wind up being in Bordeaux for 4 nights instead of 3, but should be able to do everything at Blaye including the Citadel, and everything as expected at Cadillac.

It will be interesting to hear what you are told and the feedback from GoPack.

You have done some great research on touring independently!

Hi TipsyGirl,

It looks like we are in the same boat, literally. I hope the trip will still live up to everyone's expectations.

I just joined and appreciate everyone's contributions, even though the current news is discouraging, it is helpful to have a "heads up". If Viking hears from enough of us, they may be motivated to do something to correct an obvious lack of foresight. Word of mouth is still the best marketing. Please add me to the roll call. I am scheduled to depart on April 26.

I just joined and appreciate everyone's contributions, even though the current news is discouraging, it is helpful to have a "heads up". If Viking hears from enough of us, they may be motivated to do something to correct an obvious lack of foresight. Word of mouth is still the best marketing. Please add me to the roll call. I am scheduled to depart on April 26.