Viking River Cruise Amsterdam - Basel

Will be taking a Viking River Cruise from Amsterdam to Basel in mid-August. We fly to Amsterdam on a Saturday and board the river boat on Sunday. They can't tell us yet when we land in Amsterdam because they won't finalize flights until late May/early June, but that might be too late to decide whether to add a day earlier in Amsterdam because a) we'll be exhausted from the flight and/or b) there's stuff to see in Amsterdam before we get on the boat.

Has anyone taken the Viking River Cruise from Amsterdam TO Basel? When did your flight land (and where did you fly from - we're leaving from Chicago)? Did you plan an extra day before the cruise started on Sunday? If you did take the cruise, what was worth seeing along the way that is NOT included in the Viking pre-packaged onshore tours?

We're traveling with some relatives who have never been to Europe so we want to make this as pleasant for them as possible (e.g., give them some time to regain energy after the flight)

Appreciate any input!

Ron

We are taking our first river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel in October. We booked the 2 day pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam so that we would have time to recover from the overseas flights and see some of Amsterdam. We leave 3 days before the cruise and arrive in Amsterdam 2 days before the cruise. I would have a hard time seeing much of the city if I were jet lagged. From what I've read you can also do this on your own and not through the cruise line, which would be cheaper I'm sure!

We also opted to pay the extra $50.00 per person so we could pick our own flights through Viking Air. So we already know which flights and seats we have, as long as the airline doesn't change them. After travelling overnight from Pittsburgh, PA, we arrive in Amsterdam about 6:00 AM. We have one connection; it is not a nonstop flight. We plan to have a slower day as we recover from the flight, and a more active second day.

Since it's your relatives first trip to Europe, I would allow an extra day or two to see some of Amsterdam before you depart on the actual river cruise. My philosophy is to see what I can while in a new place since I never know if I will have another opportunity to visit there. (I should add that we are in our early 60's and not as spry as we used to be. If you are younger, the overseas flights may not slow you down as much.)

If you are going on the Viking Rhine river cruise, come join us on the 2018 roll call. There's lots of great info there. Here's the link: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2525038

Ron,

Chances are you will be leaving late afternoon / evening from Chicago and landing early in the morning in Amsterdam. You can board the ship anytime, but can only get into your cabin after 3 ish. You will feel jetlagged, for sure.

My suggestion is to fly in a few days earlier to aclimate and see the sights not included in the cruise itinerary. There is so much to see and do.

Have a wonderful trip.

RB

In August 2016, we flew in non-stop from Atlanta on day of departure as had been to Amsterdam previously and decided that our extra time would be spent on extension to Lucerne. After transfer from airport and boarding, Viking provided a 2 hour walking tour as we were docked right at Central Station in the heart of the city. Several people wanted to go to Anne Frank house but were told it was next to impossible unless you had pre-reserved ticket time. As optionals, we did the “Dine in Rudesheim” and trip to Colmar and enjoyed both.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2398901

Our flight left Pittsburgh in the evening. We landed in Amsterdam about 830 and arrived at the ship about 10. Rooms weren't ready until after 3 but we had a light snack on board before we struck out on our own. We had been to Amsterdam before so our list of things to do was short. We pre-ordered tickets to the Ann Frank Haus (a couple of months in advance is a must), went to a pre-ordered wine and gouda cheese tasting at Reypenaer Cheese Tasting Room (great), and a canal cruise. We conked out early that night and almost fell asleep on the canal cruise. If this is your first trip to Amsterdam, then I would go a few days early. The museums, tulip markets, Heineken Brewery, Amstel Brewery, Rice table restaurants, canal cruise, Anne Frank Haus, and general sightseeings are worth the time and effort.

Flew to Amsterdam overnight from Boston. Arrived 7:30AM. At the ship before 9AM. Viking invited us to breakfast as many departing guests were eating. Surprisingly, our room was ready before we finished eating.

The helpful concierge Svetlana printed us tickets for the Van Gogh museum so we could avoid the lines and told us how to find the nearby correct trolley. The museum was excellent but I was falling asleep standing up. Made it to dinner and an early bedtime.

Next day, after the Viking included morning activities we hopped back on the trolley again in the afternoon visiting the world renowned Rijksmuseum.

We did this trip in December with AMA, but booked our own flights. I have new a travel agent because of this though as my agent at the time gave me no help booking our flights. I didn't plan enough layover time at JFK and due to flight traffic and deicing we missed our flight to Amsterdam as our flight from our home airport was delayed several times. Delta took care of us though and we arrived on Friday morning instead of Thursday. We took the shuttle from the airport to the hotel for $17 per person...the desk is past the shops and easy to book...I haven't had such good customer service in a while (https://www.schipholhotelshuttle.nl/) as the company really takes care of you. I booked our Anne Frank tickets two months in advance for the Friday so we were still able to make it; however we were very tired so we did very little that first day. Luckily the river cruise had a walking and boat tour planned for the day after we boarded so we didn't feel like we missed much in Amsterdam even though we lost a day. Enjoy your trip!

There are direct flights from Chicago to Amsterdam. I think it would be well worth paying the Choice Air fee to insure you can choose a direct flight.

Amsterdam is a fun place to explore leisurely. You can just walk around and see a lot, even without prebookings if you think you’ll be too tired for an agenda. It’s well worth spending a little extra time. If you get Choice Air, I think you can also fly in earlier without doing the Viking pre-cruise, which might save you some $ on the hotel if you book independently.

If you can’t swing an earlier arrival, the first cruise day A—>B is a light one. Kinderdijk tour in the AM, which shouldn’t be missed, but the afternoon free for resting and an early night.

If you have any interest in WWII, the optional Colmar tour is not to be missed.

All great info so far! Bless you all for helping us out!

You will be scheduled on a flight arriving early morning so there will be enough time for boarding Most likely you will get to the ship way to early to settle into y our cabin.. After flying numerous times to Europe I know that one FADES on the first day ! Trying to sight-see etc is difficult. Bottomline: If you can - go a day or 2 early to rest up for a busy, fun cruise. I've slept thru many a 1st port just plain not being able to wake up.

We are actually flying to Paris, staying three nights. Then a train to Amsterdam for two night and then onto the boat.

In Basel, we are training to Lucern for two nights and then to Milan for two more nights. Arranging to see The Last Supper.

Viking Air is great.

Yet another vote for flying in early if at all possible. Many river cruisers (myself included) are retired, so a few extra days time wise is not critical. The extra cost is a relatively small fraction of what you have already committed to, and being rested for the start of the river cruise will add greatly to its enjoyability. On top of that Amsterdam is a great city with wonderful museums and just a nice city to stroll around. Amsterdam ranks high on personal safety with one exception - the bike paths are for bikes and you will be run over if you don't stay out of those paths. I would suggest at least 3 extra days in Amsterdam - one (or more) for recovery from travel and adjustment to the new time zone and then time to see the city. ENJOY! Thom

We flew Delta One from NY/JFK in the early evening and landed in Amsterdam around 7am. We did an extension through Viking in Lucerne post cruise, but we did Amsterdam on our own for 3 days pre-cruise. It’s a great city - so much to do and see.

We didn’t do a lot of the standard things because we’d been there before. I will mention that we hit the deck running to combat jet lag. Walking around in the sun is the best. I also took these homeopathic jet lag pills https://www.amazon.com/JetZone-Prevention-Homeopathic-Medicine-Chewable/dp/B001LNN17O

And I used rosemary or peppermint oil - just a drop under my nose to help me stay awake. We dropped our luggage off at the hotel and walked around until our room was ready. We even visited the Canal House Museum (Het Grachtenhuis) which was nearby. It’s a small museum so it was quick.

We went back to the hotel to rest up a bit and shower, but we didn’t nap because that won’t help acclimate you to the new time zone.

We were bold [emoji16]. We had tickets for a concert at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam’s well-respected concert hall. We ate a light dinner before the concert at a nearby restaurant. We caught a cab back to the hotel and had a great nights sleep.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Amsterdam is a fantastic city - worth spending a few days in.

Your flight there will be overnight, and will land early in the morning. I never sleep well on planes, so arrive both jet lagged and dog tired from no sleep. I typically stash my bags at the hotel, wander around in a daze or find a hop-on-hop-off tour, and try to stay awake until evening. The next day, I can actually function.

The Rijksmuseum is worth most of a day all by itself. Just window shopping and wandering around is excellent - stay out of the bike lanes! A few years ago, I found a Segway tour that felt death defying (bike lanes!!!) but was a lot of fun. Canal tours are excellent. I haven't had a bad meal anywhere in the city.

As far as optional tours, the beer tour in Cologne was a lot of fun. Get to Strasbourg -- fantastic city and astronomical clock! Colmar is worth while, and so is Heidelberg. If you don't care for the tour guide, or have your own list of must-see items, you can always do your own thing. Just make sure you're back at the bus on time.

Basel is a lovely city, and is close to Lucerne. I'd spend a leisurely day in Basel, then take the 1 hour train to beautiful Lucerne for a few days before heading home.

I book my own airfare (I don't like having an intermediary), so my airline tickets are usually the most expensive part of the trip. I want to enjoy the destination as much as possible before having to climb onto the plane again.

We have booked the Rhine River cruise leaving from Amsterdam in June. We also booked the pre-cruise through Viking, since we've never been there and were unsure of doing it all on our own. A couple of questions for those who have done this before: What are the absolutely "do not miss" things to do in Amsterdam? I'm trying to book tickets for the Anne Frank house, and we would like to do a canal cruise and the Van Gogh museum. We don't want it to be too fast-paced, because we want to allow the time to recover from jet lag, but at the same time, who knows if we will ever get to Amsterdam again? Restaurants and cafe suggestions? Anything would be helpful! Also, does anyone know what time the transfer will take place to the boat on the day of departure? We would love to have that day to explore the city as well, since the boat won't sail until later in the day, but apparently we have to transfer with our luggage? Also, did anyone do an optional excursion that was really worth it, or do people mostly explore on their own after the included excursion? Thanks in advance!

Also, we are wondering how to pack - planning on jeans, casual pants, shirts and the like for daytime, but what kinds of clothing do we need for the evenings? And is there anything that you wish someone had told you before your first river cruise? Thanks!

I would not wear jeans in June. (In fact, I never travel with them.) They are heavy, take up a lot of room in your suitcase, are hard to wash and take forever to dry. Stick to things like chinos.

I would not wear jeans in June. (In fact, I never travel with them.) They are heavy, take up a lot of room in your suitcase, are hard to wash and take forever to dry. Stick to things like chinos.

I’m with you! I don’t understand the fascination with jeans. They are heavy, take forever to dry when they are wet, and not all that comfortable. I take good quality knit pants - always black [emoji12]. And lots of basic tops in bright colors. I take a few scarves as a few nice necklaces to dress up the tops a bit for dinner.

I wear each top, once for dinner and then again another day for an excursion.

We both wear jeans most of the time. These days 'jeans' can come in various colours, weights and fabric blends. Got to love a bit of spandex! Unless you get close enough you probably have no idea we are wearing denim.

I do not carry a handbag, so pants with pockets are a must and very few ladies pants have any or are deep enough for me.

Wear what you are comfortable with and don't worry or care about what others think...you will never see them again!

RB

We have booked the Rhine River cruise leaving from Amsterdam in June. We also booked the pre-cruise through Viking, since we've never been there and were unsure of doing it all on our own. A couple of questions for those who have done this before: What are the absolutely "do not miss" things to do in Amsterdam? I'm trying to book tickets for the Anne Frank house, and we would like to do a canal cruise and the Van Gogh museum. We don't want it to be too fast-paced, because we want to allow the time to recover from jet lag, but at the same time, who knows if we will ever get to Amsterdam again? Restaurants and cafe suggestions? Anything would be helpful! Also, does anyone know what time the transfer will take place to the boat on the day of departure? We would love to have that day to explore the city as well, since the boat won't sail until later in the day, but apparently we have to transfer with our luggage? Also, did anyone do an optional excursion that was really worth it, or do people mostly explore on their own after the included excursion? Thanks in advance!

 

Also, we are wondering how to pack - planning on jeans, casual pants, shirts and the like for daytime, but what kinds of clothing do we need for the evenings? And is there anything that you wish someone had told you before your first river cruise? Thanks!

We're doing this same cruise in April 2019 - including the pre-cruise extension (though we may ditch the Viking package and DIY it). With the extension, you'll have the balance of that travel day, a full non-travel day and then day 1 of the cruise. My understanding is that the boat doesn't leave until late that first night so you effectively have the whole day. As you point out, though, you're spending time checking out of the hotel and into the boat on that last day and there's going to be a daily briefing at or about 6:30pm. If Viking is putting you up in the Movenpick, it should be easy enough to check out of the hotel and drop your bags off at the boat. That leaves you that entire afternoon to do as you please.

Day 1 of the cruise includes a 2hr walking tour of Amsterdam. I believe this is the same tour Viking offers on the full non-travel day of the pre-cruise extension. The list of excursions they sent me did not include other excursions in Amsterdam.

I think that's a fair amount of time to see a lot of Amsterdam. The Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum and a canal cruise could be done in one day, really. Depends mostly on much you want to push yourself. Most canal cruises only take an hour.

I would also make a point to see the Oude Kirk as well as the Church in the Attic (aka Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder). The other two art museums on the Museumplein are worthwhile. You may want to invest in an IAmsterdam card that gets you free access to loads of museums. That way, if you only have 30 minutes to spare, you can pop in and pop out withing feeling obliged to make the most of the entrance fee (I know that the fees are baked into the cost of the card anyway but the convenience of skipping the lines for the most part is valuable, too).

When I was last in Amsterdam, I had brunch at Bakers & Roasters (http://www.bakersandroasters.com/). They have two locations and one is pretty close to the Movenpick. Other restaurants would largely depend on your budget and taste preferences.

Did you book airfare with Viking? I'm curious what time you would be departing from Basel. I know it's early to look at airfare for April 2019 but I'm a little concerned that most flights to the US start at 7am or so. Do I want to spend my eighth day getting up at 3am so that Viking will get me to the Basel airport by 4am? We may take an extra day in Basel. We would be doing Basel > ORD. I can see a 1:10 Lufthansa flight that connects via Munich but I don't think Viking partners with them for their fares. Otherwise my best option appears to be a 7:40am AF flight via CDG. Anywho, any feedback would be appreciated!

We're doing this same cruise in April 2019 - including the pre-cruise extension (though we may ditch the Viking package and DIY it). With the extension, you'll have the balance of that travel day, a full non-travel day and then day 1 of the cruise. My understanding is that the boat doesn't leave until late that first night so you effectively have the whole day. As you point out, though, you're spending time checking out of the hotel and into the boat on that last day and there's going to be a daily briefing at or about 6:30pm. If Viking is putting you up in the Movenpick, it should be easy enough to check out of the hotel and drop your bags off at the boat. That leaves you that entire afternoon to do as you please.

 

 

 

Day 1 of the cruise includes a 2hr walking tour of Amsterdam. I believe this is the same tour Viking offers on the full non-travel day of the pre-cruise extension. The list of excursions they sent me did not include other excursions in Amsterdam.

 

 

 

I think that's a fair amount of time to see a lot of Amsterdam. The Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum and a canal cruise could be done in one day, really. Depends mostly on much you want to push yourself. Most canal cruises only take an hour.

 

 

 

I would also make a point to see the Oude Kirk as well as the Church in the Attic (aka Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder). The other two art museums on the Museumplein are worthwhile. You may want to invest in an IAmsterdam card that gets you free access to loads of museums. That way, if you only have 30 minutes to spare, you can pop in and pop out withing feeling obliged to make the most of the entrance fee (I know that the fees are baked into the cost of the card anyway but the convenience of skipping the lines for the most part is valuable, too).

 

 

 

When I was last in Amsterdam, I had brunch at Bakers & Roasters (http://www.bakersandroasters.com/). They have two locations and one is pretty close to the Movenpick. Other restaurants would largely depend on your budget and taste preferences.

 

 

 

Did you book airfare with Viking? I'm curious what time you would be departing from Basel. I know it's early to look at airfare for April 2019 but I'm a little concerned that most flights to the US start at 7am or so. Do I want to spend my eighth day getting up at 3am so that Viking will get me to the Basel airport by 4am? We may take an extra day in Basel. We would be doing Basel > ORD. I can see a 1:10 Lufthansa flight that connects via Munich but I don't think Viking partners with them for their fares. Otherwise my best option appears to be a 7:40am AF flight via CDG. Anywho, any feedback would be appreciated!

Our flight from Zurich was 1:00pm after our 2016 river cruise. Our return flight from Amsterdam after our Budapest to Amsterdam cruise is also around 1:00 pm. It a nice civilized time to fly [emoji41]

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Hi all! We're on the cruise from Amsterdam to Basel right now. We always arrive two nights early for any transatlantic travel. Otherwise you will be a zombie for the first couple of days (we come from the west coast of the U.S., so lots of time zones to cross). Another group on this cruise planned to arrive on the day of the cruise. Had their flight cancelled because of mechanical problems on a brand new plane. Took two days to finally get to Amsterdam - had no time at all in the city and had to be bussed to the second day of the cruise. Bummer! Don't the take the chance - always give yourself extra days. So much to see in Amsterdam - do pre-book tours for Amsterdam way ahead online. We booked ourselves into Mövenpick. Easy access to the ship with a 6 or 7 minute walk from our hotel. We're on Embla. Love this cruise and so impressed by Viking! We have cruised many times, but our first river cruise. Definitely not our last! Also extended our stay, sleeping in and getting off the ship about 9:00 a.m.- then an easy hour train ride from Basel to Zurich and an overnight there before we fly back to the U.S. at a reasonable time the following day. Otherwise some have to leave the ship at 4:15 a.m. to fly back the day our boat reaches Basel.

We did Amsterdam post-cruise with Viking, but did not take any of the Viking tours, so we DIY'd it. I recommend purchasing the IAmsterdam card, which we bought from the concierge at the Movenpick hotel. It includes transportation on the trams, a canal cruise, and admission to several museums, including the Van Gogh where we were able to jump the line as pass holders. We didn't go to the Ann Frank house because I have some mobility issues and I understand that some areas of the house are difficult to access. For dinner one night we went to Indrapura on Rembrandtplein and had a nice rijstaffel, highly recommended, plus you can see the Rembrandt statue and sculpture re-creation of The Night Watch.

Hi all! We're on the cruise from Amsterdam to Basel right now. We always arrive two nights early for any transatlantic travel. Otherwise you will be a zombie for the first couple of days (we come from the west coast of the U.S., so lots of time zones to cross). Another group on this cruise planned to arrive on the day of the cruise. Had their flight cancelled because of mechanical problems on a brand new plane. Took two days to finally get to Amsterdam - had no time at all in the city and had to be bussed to the second day of the cruise. Bummer! Don't the take the chance - always give yourself extra days. So much to see in Amsterdam - do pre-book tours for Amsterdam way ahead online. We booked ourselves into Mövenpick. Easy access to the ship with a 6 or 7 minute walk from our hotel. We're on Embla. Love this cruise and so impressed by Viking! We have cruised many times, but our first river cruise. Definitely not our last! Also extended our stay, sleeping in and getting off the ship about 9:00 a.m.- then an easy hour train ride from Basel to Zurich and an overnight there before we fly back to the U.S. at a reasonable time the following day. Otherwise some have to leave the ship at 4:15 a.m. to fly back the day our boat reaches Basel.

We are doing the same cruise next week with almost the same plan. Two days early in Amsterdam and two days post in Lucerne. Would be curious to hear what the current conditions are like and any advice on must do's or things to look out for based on your experience. This will be out first time doing this so we are clueless. Thanks

We both wear jeans most of the time. These days 'jeans' can come in various colours, weights and fabric blends. Got to love a bit of spandex! Unless you get close enough you probably have no idea we are wearing denim.

I do not carry a handbag, so pants with pockets are a must and very few ladies pants have any or are deep enough for me.

Wear what you are comfortable with and don't worry or care about what others think...you will never see them again!

RB

Thank you! You are so right about the jeans - dark jeans can go anywhere these days, and given the right fabric blend, they are lightweight, as well - and you can wear them many more days than knit pants because they don't stretch out as much! And my thoughts exactly on "wear what you want." It's not like people won't know we are tourists! Really just wanting to make sure it's not too dressy at night - I will be taking black knit pants and a variety of tops for that. AND - I will be wearing my black sneakers most days because of a foot problem. Just can't walk any distance in anything but my sneakers with my heavy-duty orthotics that only fit in one type of shoe!

We did Amsterdam post-cruise with Viking, but did not take any of the Viking tours, so we DIY'd it. I recommend purchasing the IAmsterdam card, which we bought from the concierge at the Movenpick hotel. It includes transportation on the trams, a canal cruise, and admission to several museums, including the Van Gogh where we were able to jump the line as pass holders. We didn't go to the Ann Frank house because I have some mobility issues and I understand that some areas of the house are difficult to access. For dinner one night we went to Indrapura on Rembrandtplein and had a nice rijstaffel, highly recommended, plus you can see the Rembrandt statue and sculpture re-creation of The Night Watch.

Thank you! Great information on the pass! And the restaurant!