pontac

Why do you all travel with Viking?

We went because our friends wanted to do so and they chose the cruise and company.

We all loved it so we agreed to do another together, and we've done two on our own.

Loved Viking, offered everything we wanted and more. After one trip you're enrolled into their 'Explorers Club' so we now get extra discount on booking, no credit charge fees, invitation to members on board cocktail party* and they mail a free gift after tours...

* Last trip there were so many of us that had been on previous trips that I felt really sorry for the few on board who were excluded. Quite different to our first trip where the majority, including us, were outside.

Hi all,

 

is it possible in Saint-Emilion to fit in the included walking tour AND the optional Chateau Siaurac visit? Same with Blaye, can we do both the Blaye Walking Tour and the optional Taste of Cognac. Or, do they overlap and one has to choose one or the other.

 

The Ch Siaurac tour includes the walking tour of St Emilion , so you do both. You go to St Emilion after you have lunch at Siaurac

You can do both the Blaye walking tour, which is in the morning and the optional Cognac tour which starts after lunch.

I did the Siaurac tour (see my comments above) but I didn't do the Cognac tour as I'd been to Cognac before and we don't drink brandy anymore but those who did go on it thought highly of it and they were thrilled with making their own blend of Cognac and then bottling it and taking it home.

Note there is a wine shop (run by the producers) in Blaye facing the castle which you visit that sells bottles of every wine from the Blay appellation.

Thanks for the info, RLE.

I got my weekly mailing from Viking yesterday which just featured France and the 2016 cruise hasn't changed its name.

Having two names for same cruise will be confusing for when they sell spare cabins to customers in another territory

@Not Georgia Peach - very interesting. Is Frances Finest the same cruise or something different? (I can't get to any site except the UK site because it sees my IP address and I get automatically switched to UK)**

@Allison - as per my sig lines, I'll be doing it in July

**Later edit - I've found the itinery on the cruiseweb site here http://cruiseweb.com/vikingrivercruises/europe/france/. Two river cruises combined linked by a 215 mile coach ride from Paris toChalon-sur-Saône.

Hmm, pleasure of a river cruise for me is unpacking one at start and packing once at end, not doing it also in the middle. But I suppose if you're flying transatlantic or trans-hemisphere then doing both in one trip might be attractive

Portraits of Southern is showing on the UK website -- but you have to select 2016 itinery from the pull down as the default is 2015

For first day it says

Fly to Lyon. Transfer from the airport to your ship.* After boarding, take free time to explore this vibrant city, or join our “welcome walk” to stretch your legs and get oriented. Head upriver along the Saône around dinnertime.

and it appears the return cruise is after dinner on Day two as for day 3 it says Wake up in Lyon this morning

Saône is where the 2015 boat starts from

We did the Viking Douro last year and had a veranda cabin. We barely used its balcony. While cruising we sat outside at the bow on armchairs where glass panels shield you from the breeze and watched the fantastic scenery come towards us on both sides of the river.

Re daytime cruising -- the navigable part of the Douro is quite short, there's not a great distance to travel of your 10 days, 2 will be spent in Lisbon, one on the coach from Lisbon to Porto. One full day moored on the border while you coach to Salamanca

Not hours of cruising to get to places, but what cruising there is has dramaric, stunning scenery.

The river north of Lyon seems to be more problematic, so Viking may be reacting to this year's navigational problems. The new itinerary is likely to be delivered as advertised more consistently.

But the with the new itinerary there's double the cruising north of Lyon.

I could understand your first sentence. If north of Lyon is a problem they could just head south from Lyon instead of now where the boat starts north of Lyon, Maybe I'm thick but I therefore don't understand your second second.

Cd's are independent contractors, not employees of the cruise line. At one time the CD's were employees of Viking and still are in China. Don't know if they still are in Europe and Russia.

When I'm in Europe on a Viking European owned and operated ship until I see some evidence that the CD is not a Viking employee then I'll take what the Viking brochures and website tells me that those wearing Viking uniforms on a Viking ship are Viking employees and I'll tip approprietly.

I completely agree, and posted similar here http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2183324

Going on first Viking river cruise-in addition to tipping on ship and tours, what are other costs we have to plan for on and off the ship?

In the Information booklet Viking send you beforehand will be the recommended tips and the currency for coach drivers and tour guides, if you want to tip them.

Unlimited wine and soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner. Food in the form of cookies, cakes, croissants are available all day, coffee & teas are available 24 hours, fruit juices in the morning, bottled water in your rooms, bottled water handed out when you go on tours....

If you don't drink spirits or cocktails I can't think what extra you'd pay for on board.

Off ship, maybe you want drink in a coffee shop, buy some souvenirs (tho' here they'll take plastic for all but the smallest items)

Also, how much do you tip on ship and on tours and on the ship, when and how do you tip.

In the Information booklet Viking send you beforehand will be the recommended tips. The Tour Manager will also restate them at the welcome party because a passenger always, it appears, has implored her/him to tell everyone, even tho' they're embarrassed to do so :D

Two lots for on board staff, one for the tour manager, one for rest of staff. A couple of tip envelopes will appear in your room on the last day for you to use if you want to pay cash, and you post the envelopes in a box at reception. Or you can pay with plastic.

You don't need to tip on board during the cruise, no cash is exchanged during the cruise, you sign for extra drinks if you have them.

At the end of the cruise you get a bill for any extras and optional tours and you can pay with plastic and they'll ask if you want to add on the recommended tips.

How early are passengers permitted to check-in?

If you mean when can you occupy your room, 3pm is the stated time, to allow rooms to be cleaned and serviced and beds put in requested configuration, but in practise it will be as soon as the room is ready.

But you can board the boat before hand and leave your luggage there if you want to explore the city. A hot and cold buffet lunch is served in the lounge where you can spend the time till they take you to your room. Check in, such as it is, will be done at your lounge armchair

Not all of Europe .... UK has no smoking in enclosed public places, including pubs. Much nicer. France has tough no-smoking rules, you can enjoy a meal and a drink indoors now.

We were going to go to Las Vegas with our friends till they found that smoking was allowed in casinos.

I've just noticed that there are some changes on this cruise in 2016.

2016 the cruise starts at Lyon and head north to visit and taste Beajolais

2015 the cruise starts Chalon-sur-Saône and you're bussed from Lyon airport north to board it, the visit and tasting is of Burgundy in Beaune with a visit to the Hospice.

So more cruising, less coach travel in 2016 but lacking avisit to the world famous and iconic historic Hospice de Beaune

jimbob2 was very unlucky and it must have spoiled an otherwise enjoyable holiday.

I loath being in the company of smokers and on the Viking cruises I have been on there have been no issues. Very few smoked, you might get the odd one who lit up off the boat in town on a guided walk but as we all had the Quiet Vox we could move away.

I wasn't discomforted on the upper deck anytime either.

Smoking wasn't an issue for me.

But I'm tempting fate maybe as perhaps jimbob2's smoking party have booked on my next cruise ....

"Of their huge fleet, only the Viking Danube and Viking Sky have elevators."

May be out of dat einfo, but that is not true. I was on Viking Forsetti this year and a passenger was using a wheelchair which was stored folded next to the elevator. Since Forsetti is one of Vikings new fleet I would assume all the longships are the same, I don't use on-board elevators so they haven't made much impact on me but I have been on another Viking boat which also did have an elevator.

There was a recent thread here about wheelchairs on river cruises -- see http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2194359

Suggest you look for a river you fancy and then contact the companies that cruise them to quiz on specific of wheelchair access.

The tags , pouch and booklet etc all came later in the post

Dinner soon after at Chateau Kirwan. This was probably the most enjoyable day of the cruise. The day at Chateau d'Arche was a close second. I wish Viking had done more wine tastings like these for those of us who are really into great wine. .

I agree 100% with you.

I was surprised how few people had much interest in wine and amazed at the number of people drinking coca cola (urghhh) at meals instead of wine.

The onboard sommelier added little.

If you're not interested in wine this is not really the river cruise for you as the scenery from the boat is the least interestin of any I've been on.

There are also wine tastings on board, including a serving of cheeses and Sauternes on return from dinner at Ch Kirwan.but that was all the wineries we visited.

The Programme Director will tell you which four wineries will be visited in the Medoc before all have lunch at Ch Kirwan and if you have a particular favourite you could put ina request for it: they're supposed to be random.

Alos, if you ask, you will get a list of all the local wines they'll be serving with meals each day - all decent basic ones from different appellations visited - and if you like one in particular you cab ask for that on days they're serving other wines.

The tour itinery says the conierge can arrange private visits to premium wineries on the last free afternoon in Bordeaux, but in practice they phone the tourist office who book places on a 10 seater minibus to visit several wineries, non classed growth, and it's pricey.

You'd be better off making such arrangements at the tourist office, few minutes walk from ship moorings, on your first day.

Also, as it seems you are into wine, the Silver Package (pay in advance for spirits etc) excludes the top wines from the on board limited wine list which cost in the region of €86 a bottle, about the same as Bordeaux restuarant. If you'd rather drink premium wines suggest you buy them on first afternoon from wine shops that cluster around the the Tourist Office andConseil des Vins du Médoc1 Cours du 30 Juillet, - latter also has free maps and information and many wines to taste singly or by flight. The wineshops around have a great selection inclusing mature wines. (turn left from the boat, 10-minutes walk)

Alos, if you're into wine you may know this so apologies - most of the classed growth and other famous wineries don't accept visitors, don't offer tastings and do not have any wines to sell (because they sell all their production while in barrel via the en primeur system. Others that do accept visitors require appointments made in advance.

So which wineries are available to you to visit privately will depend on whether your driver takes you just to the ones open to the public or if they have an entree into top wineries.

I did a private tour a few years ago with a driver with contacts in the business and a highlight was a visit to Mouton Rothschild with a private tasting from the barrel of the faboulous 2010 vintage.

Also, on first afternoon moored in Bordeaux there is a farmers market on the waterfront from the boat towards the Stone Birdge (pont du Pierre) which there are some wineries represented where you can taste and talk to the owners/winemakers. I bought from a couple of them and particularly liked Ch Grand Brun, a cru artisan Haut-Medoc appellation. Nice people, speak English.

let me know if there's anything else you want to know.

If you get them posted, you get one copy on paper

If you get them electronically you can print as many copies as you want, you can also copy them onto a tablet, ebook reader and notepad computer and carry them with you.

Also with electronically you get them straightaway and can check that all is OK. On my latest booking the booking form didn't include something which I'd agreed on the phone so I was able to call them straight and because it was the day after I made the booking it was easy to fix as the same staff member and their manager were in the office and the issue was fresh in their minds so I didn't need to go over the issue again so I got a new confirmation generated.

. If anyone has just completed the cruise in early 2015 and has any info, it would be greatly appreciated!

just about to go out, more to follow

Yes, we did

Chateau d’Arche Sauternes Grand Cru Classe, very informative visit and tasting

A drive through the appellations of Haut Medoc and photo-opportunity at some of the world famous Chateaux, brief stop at the small wine village shops at Ch Lynch Bages, Pauillac. The four coaches then each go to a different ‘Classed Growth’ winery for a tour and tutored tasting. The coach I was on went to Ch Giscours –3rd Growth Margaux - and tasted three wines of their wines including 1971 Ch Giscours. Other coaches visited Ch Lynch Bages (5th Growth)and Ch Tertre and one I have forgotten.

Ch Kirwan –3rd Growth Margaux – included dinner served with three Kirwan wines, one white, then the second label ‘Charmes des Kirwan’ made from younger vines and then the Grand Vin. Owner Nathalie Schÿler greets us and introduces each wine. Food is cooked and served by Viking team.

Optional wine trip to Chateau Siaurac, where we are greeted by owner Paul Goldschmidt who is an amusing host who walks us through his vineyards and gardens and in his living rooms in the chateau. We have a tasting of several wines and then have a decent lunch with more wines. However, this optional tour cost €87 a head and I think it was well-overpriced. Yes we had lunch, but we’d already paid for lunch and wine on board. Assuming that wine enthusiasts would be the ones booking this trip, I thought it didn’t offer enough, there wasn’t enough detailed info (although Paul was delightfully indiscrete on occasions).

I've posted here about the Douro with Viking recently in another thread, so briefly

I'd suggest you decide what you're looking for. The scenery is superb but that'll be the same whoever you go with.

Look for details of tours offered, tho' there are only a limited number of places of interest on the short navigable river.

Note the length of time on the boat, Viking's first 2 nights were in Lisbon with an all day coach trip from there to Porto to meet the boat.

As stated, the boat and all the crew are all from the same Portuguese company, on Viking only the Tour Manager was from Viking.

The food on the boat was to Vikings standard, I am assuming whichever company you choose will design the menus and budget for food, but there were several included meals off the boat some I thought were poor to very poor.

OTOH the local Portuguese wines served with meals were very enjoyable.

I can't compare about the other companies experience because I only travelled with one of them, but I did speak with a member of the crew who also worked on the other companies cruises in their uniforms and he was of the opinion that there wasn't much difference with the on board experience.

Must repeat - the Douro scenery is amazing.

Hi. I would like to do the Paris/Normandy cruise on a Viking longship. Difficulty getting dates I want.

Suggest you phone Viking. There are more itineries than are shown to you in the brochure/website and you mightget what you want.

This is more common with last minute bookings as they release cabins from other markets.

Why they don't go to better wineries on this trip is a mystery to all.

Wine is of great interest to me and I will be on this tour in July.

Do you have the name of the winery on the optional Chateauneuf du Pape tour?

And the name of the wine cave in Beaune?

And what specifically did you dislike about them? As your handle is Pinotlover I'd assuem you'd be in Pinot heaven in Beaune.

We did the Bordeaux cruise last month and the included wineries we visited were great, classified growth Ch D'Arche in Sauternes, 3rd growth Ch Giscours and Ch Kirwan in Margaux.

The on-board wines changed every day and although not in classed growth territory they were good and enjoyable.

what time we leave ship on last day

There are mulitiple departures from sailings, on the Bordeaux trip last month there were 8 different departure times.

It all depends on your travle arrangements and if you're flying, then the flight departure time - of those 8 different times above, 6 were to the airport, first at 04:00 last at 14:30 (2.30pm).

Viking will try to get you to the airport not less than 2 hours before flight departure. Our flight departed 10:15, our bags had to be outside our room by 06:45 and departure time was 07:45. (Viking will load you bags onto the coach.

As the airport was just 15 minutes away and everyone was on the coach by 07:40 we arrived at airport checkin by 10:00.

But whatever your departure time from the boat, your room must be vacated by 09:00

Two suggestions:

1)If you don't fancy a very early departure try to book a later flight.

2) If you do have a start where your bags have to be packed and outside your room before breakfast take disposible toothbrushes/toothpastes with you -- we save them from longhaul flight amenity kits.

If you need more hangers just ask at reception.

Weather will be 'changeable'. These are the low countries, Amsterdam is on the sea and can have a chill sea breeze. OTOH the sun can shine and you'll be in shirtsleeves. Think layers, pack for heat, wind and rain and you should have all the bases covered.

Enjoy, I know you will.

If you've not seen the movie 'A Bridge Too Far', I suggest you do so before you leave, then you'll get more out of a stroll across the bridge at Arnhem (which was the one too far), and optional wartime museum trip.