jrkstl

First off, I do know we would like to go when the weather is comfortable (light jacket or no jacket, but not too hot). I had been thinking May would be a nice time, and that April (best prices) might be a bit too cool and rainy

Hi mlbcruiser (and fellow St. Louisan!)

We leave Wednesday of this week for Amsterdam, and our cruise down the Rhine begins Saturday April 1st. I plan to post updates regarding the trip, so you might want to follow the "Viking Rhine Getaway 2017" thread over in the River Cruise Roll Call forum. We specifically chose April as our first river cruise was in July/August of 2015, and it was really REALLY hot. Looking at the weather forecast for the next few days looks like we'll see mostly 50's and 60's, which sounds perfect to me :D

Jeff

I'm not new to Viking, but I am new to the concept of shipboard credit on Viking. We don't drink and I know there are no Bingo games to buy into! Am I able to use shipboard credit for the crew tips at the end of the cruise?

Hello!

I'm fairly certain that shipboard credit can only be used for drinks, optional excursions and for items in the small shop onboard.

Jeff

mhb1757

Agreed! From our experience with Viking Air - the bargain price is well worth the minor issues that you might need to deal with. Well worth the price, and it's easy to be flexible with the airfare deals that make the trip possible.

Jeff

Hi Judy,

You should plan to book your Rhine cruise as soon as possible. It's a very popular itinerary and it seems to sell out many months in advance. For example, we booked our upcoming April Rhine Getaway last June, and it was nearly sold out then.

Pricing stays fairly consistent for the actual cruise fare ("2 for 1" is the norm) but you can save some money by looking for the deals on Viking air. When we booked last year, we were able to take advantage of a $100 RT per person deal.

Be advised that it's the norm with Viking to have your final payment due many months out. Depending when you book, it could be up to a year out.

This will be our third Viking cruise, and if the last two were any indication, we're looking forward to a wonderful trip :D

Feel free to ask any questions that you might have!

Jeff

Just re-read the Viking offer. It says airfare FROM $295. I wonder if that means most flights will be more. As I'm comparing different cruise lines, whether I could truly get air for $295 would make a big difference in my decision. I'm looking for a Rhine cruise mid April 2018.

Hello there.

In our experience with Viking Air - the "from $295" means from major airports. Sometimes there is an additional cost when travelling from say St. Louis, or Kansas City, etc. In the past, this upcharge was around $100 or so.

Of course, if you obtain a quote, you'll know for sure :)

Due to the popularity of the Rhine cruise, you should book sooner than later. We booked our upcoming (April 1st) Rhine Getaway last June, and it was nearly sold out when we did.

Jeff

We are headed there in a couple of weeks and made reservations for a dinner cruise on Amsterdam Jewel Cruises. Heard about it via Cruise Critic, then did some research via TripAdvisor, etc. FYI, it's a small vintage boat that seats under 20, I believe. Looks lovely, and we cannot wait 😃

https://www.amsterdamjewelcruises.com/index.html

Jeff

I have been reading reviews on CC and have seen lunch and dinner menus. As a non meat eater dinner looks fine as I can always get salmon. What about lunch? What is on the lunch buffet if the menu items are something I do not eat?

Let me also add to the conversation that you won't have any issues finding meatless options for any meal with Viking. We are both vegetarian and Viking did a great job with all meals on our two cruises so far. Just make sure that you mention it both at time of booking and to the restaurant staff.

Enjoy!

Jeff

Thanks for providing your review! Were the tours on-shore worth doing? We are traveling in May with a young group (28-30 years old) and debating about doing our own thing (or even hiring a tour-guide on-shore).

Anything we can't miss in Nuremburg or Budapest while the boat is docked for some extra time? Thanks

Greetings! We did the Viking Romantic Danube in August of 2015, which was our first cruise of any sort. We thought it was a really great time, and all of the shore tours were very well done and interesting. I would simply go with the flow, take part in the included excursions and then enjoy your free time doing whatever you'd like. There were a few occasions where we had ample time to go it on our own (for example - the day spent in Vienna - we took the Viking tour, came back to the ship for lunch, and then spent the afternoon riding great, scary rides at The Prater (which was on my bucket list, btw). We were late 40s early 50s at the time too.

As mentioned before, be cautious about planning your own guides, etc. and understand that due to river conditions, etc. that the schedule can change. We had a ship swap that was only a minor inconvenience, and brought about a great time that included a wonderful lunch at a beer garden in Passau. Definitely among our favorite times of the trip!

Jeff

Wait. Lots of cruisers book while on board. The cruise director talks it up. When more people book, they add another bus.

This is true most of the time, but not always. Case in point-on our Bordeaux cruise last year, we really wanted to do the Cognac blending at the Camus distillery so we booked in advance. Because this excursion is limited in size (30 people, I think?) it sold out in advance of the cruise. Those waiting until the cruise to book were out of luck.

On our upcoming Rhine cruise, I researched the optional excursions and found out that the "Top of Cologne" tour on the roof of the cathedral was limited in size as well, so I stalked the MyVikingJourney.com page until I was able to book.

If it's simply a side bus trip to a different location, you're probably safe to wait. My advice would be to research any optional excursion that you feel you must do, then book in advance to be safe.

Jeff

The brand of tea used on our previous Viking cruises was Ronnefeldt. There was a large variety (rose hip, green, camomile, etc) and we found them to be very good!

http://www.ronnefeldt.com

Enjoy your cruise!

Jeff

Thank you everyone. We will book our Bordeaux cruise on Ama. We are just trying to decide on which month. We thought September or October, but now looking weather, it may be a little chilly then. So maybe August won't be too hot afterall.

We did the Viking Bordeaux cruise in June of 2016. The weather was mostly good, but it did get rather hot on a few days of the week. I would guess that August could get really hot. October is probably safer, if you're concerned about the heat. Whenever you choose to go, it will be a wonderful time! I'm ready to go back :)

Jeff

Hi Budamom,

I'm fairly certain that as long as you're booked and you pay the final balance by the date given to you by Viking, your airfare should not go up.

At least that has been our experience with now 3 Viking cruises.

Jeff

While our Romantic Danube cruise with Viking included many hours of scenic daylight cruising, we really enjoyed time cruising at night as well. One of my very favorite memories happened during the first night of cruising. We had just gone through the first lock at night on our way from Budapest to Vienna, and after a quick shower, I decided that I wasn't yet ready to call it a night. I went up to the top deck only to find myself completely alone (other than the ship pilot, of course) and while up there, the lights were turned off. It was just myself and a beautiful full moon :)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jrkstl/20781154541/in/album-72157657170498160/

*I attempted to embed the image, but I'm doing something wrong apparently.

Jeff

Looks like you'll be in Libourne for the market on Tuesday. Wonderful stuff! Then, if your itinerary was like ours, it's off to Saint Emilion which was our favorite stop of the trip. Just magical there!

If you have any interest in purchasing wine to have shipped home, we had a wonderful experience shopping/purchasing from Ets Martin in St. Emilion on Rue Guadet. Nice people, good prices and great service!

So wish that I was back there :(

Jeff

Greetings! We did the Viking Bordeaux cruise in June of this year and *loved* it. Yes, I could actually see myself doing this one again :)

Looking forward to following along.

Enjoy!!

Jeff

Look at my signature--they've got our number!!!

LOL! Very envious!

I'm certain that you'll have a wonderful time! Enjoy the Explorer Suite as well!

Jeff

Really enjoyed following along, as well as seeing familiar stops from our Viking cruise last year. Thanks so much for the post!

Oh, and hello fellow St. Louisan ;)

Jeff

My partner and I are also interested in a Viking Ocean Cruise, and from our two Viking River Cruises, we are confident that it would be a great time! From most of the reviews I've read, they are off to a great start. From the look of the ships, I could live permanently on one :D

For those interested, the Danube and the Bordeaux cruises were both outstanding, and we were treated very well by Viking. We've met some wonderful people, and other guests were a fun, smart and active group.

Looking forward to cruise #3 in 2017!

Jeff

Thanks for the review! This is one of several Viking itineraries that we've looked at, so good to know :)

We too have always been impressed with Viking, and I don't really get the amount of criticism they receive regarding the cruise experience. I can certainly understand the complaints with customer service (at times) but we have found the staff, ships, food, excursions, etc. to be top notch.

We have booked our third Viking cruise for next year, so they obviously work for us.

Thanks again!

Jeff

I know many European hotels don't have washcloths, do Viking boats have them?

TIA

Yes, they do.

Jeff

While on a Viking river cruise -- When do they offer to sell cruise certificates, or future cruise discounts? Is this something new they have added?

 

We have not seen that on our past cruises with them, but it is certainly something we would be interested in.

 

Can you use certificates purchased on Viking river cruise towards Viking ocean cruise?

 

Thanks for assist.

I'm not certain how long Viking has offered Onboard Cruise Certificates, but the Program Director on both of our Viking cruises mentioned them during a daily briefing.

How it works:

Each certificate cost $100.00 Euro, but the value is $200.00 USD. You may purchase up to 10 certificates, but you can only use two per cruise, which would give you credit of $400.00 USD. There is no expiration date.

Yes, you may use them for river or ocean cruises.

Jeff

Can you provide a link to ordering it?

Here you go!

https://subscribe.smithsonianmag.com/danube?utm_source=journeysdanube&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=JourneysDanube

Jeff

I think it depends on the "DEAL" of the day when you have to pay.

Yes, you are correct. For our Bordeaux cruise this year and our 2017 Rhine cruise, we had to pay in full significantly ahead of time. The airfare deal we got for both, however, made us okay with this.

Before we took our first Viking cruise on the Danube last year, I researched all of the major lines, but kept coming back to Viking mainly due to the ship décor. Getting ready for Viking cruise # 3 next year, so obviously it works for us :)

Jeff

We will be on a Viking tour in Oct. Can you please tell me what hotel you stayed at and how easy it was to get around?

We stayed at the Prague Sheraton Charles Square in New Town, which was arranged by Viking. It was a very nice property, and our room was really fantastic - not to mention *huge*. Restaurant on property was very good as well. It was in a great location and only a few easy blocks to Wenceslas Square.

I would absolutely stay there again, BTW.

Should also add that Prague is a very walkable city, and it's quite easy to get around on foot.

Jeff

Krillsister,

We did the Viking Prague tour during our post-cruise (Romantic Danube) trip last August. The Castle part of the tour included a inside look at St. Vitus, and a general tour of the castle grounds. Some of our group has signed up for the Lobkowicz Palace tour, but this was not part of the regular city tour. As you're probably aware, the Prague Castle area is rather sizable, so if you have the time you should plan to see it on your own as well. I did feel, however, that the Prague city portion of the tour (which included a detailed walk through the Jewish Quarter) was quite extensive. As a bonus, our tour guide was hilarious, and she should have a stand-up act :)

Feel free to ask any other questions! By the way, we loved Prague, and hope to return some day.

Jeff