Viking Aegir first and last time!

Globehoppers: you are commenting on a thread from last November 2013, was your experience last summer or more recent?

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That wasn't true on our AMA cruise. Our party lingered in the dining room after everyone else, and we were never rushed.

 

On our Viking cruise, guests lingered as well. I felt sorry for the staff since they have to get up early to get the dining room ready for breakfast. Maybe the ones that want to linger could continue their conversation in the lounge.

After 9 Celebrity, Princess and NCL cruises, I am sooo happy I found the river cruises thread on CC before I spent twice the price of a wonderful mini or full suite for a bus trip sold as a "river cruise" Thank-you CC

Sounds like the Marx Brothers cruise in A Night at the Opera!

 

OMG, Jazz. That is a hilarious clip. You just can't beat the Marx Brothers. ;)

Dear Jazzbeau -- This is one of my favorite passages from Yeats. What a shock to see it here of all places! Perhaps CC needs a poetry section.

Dear Jazzbeau -- This is one of my favorite passages from Yeats. What a shock to see it here of all places! Perhaps CC needs a poetry section.

I am a man of many parts. You won't find too many people who quote Yeats and the Marx Brothers in the same thread. :D Whether the whole adds up to more or less ... that's another question ;)

Whenever possibly may mean and includes Aquavit lounge which serves meals especially dinner at any time

That wasn't true on our AMA cruise. Our party lingered in the dining room after everyone else, and we were never rushed.

 

AFAIK all river cruises have one set time for dinner (which varies depending on the days activities). The dining room is sized to fit the boat so everyone fits, and the kitchen is geared up for this schedule. We thought we would hate it, but it turned out to work very well.

I would prefer to be able to not line up with everyone at one time.

Could you arrive later and just stroll in, especially if you were at a small table?

I would prefer to be able to not line up with everyone at one time.

 

Could you arrive later and just stroll in, especially if you were at a small table?

I don't know the situation on every river ship, but from most reports tables can't be reserved. There may not be any small tables on your ship, and if there are they will likely be claimed first. Generally the dining room has only as many seats as there are berths in the cabins, and the ships generally sail full...so if you stroll in late, besides getting the evil eye from the maitre d' you will be squeezed in to whatever table has two places open. This is just one of the facts of life in river cruising. Just before dinner there is a meeting in the lounge where the CD gives a briefing on the next day's activities, then everybody gets up and heads down to the dining room. We had formed a group of six on the first evening, so we always had somebody jump up [the one with the best knees!] and run to grab a table. If you weren't raised at the Alexander's door-busters sales, this may not seem as natural to you as it was to us ;)

Then I hope tables are round, because I like elbow room and dislike having to eat at picnic-table tables.

So which lines should I avoid and which should I be looking at?

Somehow this 1.5+ year old thread got resurrected.

Despite Viking's 15 Nov 2013 comment that "we have read all of your posts and noted your points of disappointment and frustration" they still (over a year and a half later) say on their website http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/wh...s/cuisine.html "Viking’s pledge to bring you exceptional choice extends to your dining experience, with a variety of cuisine that you can enjoy where and when you like".

Come on Viking: clean up your website to be less misleading and there would be less disappointment and frustration on the part of your customers. It's not that difficult.