Any word on the new Viking Longboats?

[ingo_e]

That is next to the entrance and foyer (seen from the portside to the right of the entrance), unfortunately I deleted that picture, will complete the 'Viking Odin' series after the canal closure.

 

I think some public area, no rooms. Unfortunately viking uses IP geolocation so I need a proxy for their US website - can't link to their deck plan.. On the deck plan these two windows are next to the cabins 200 (middle deck) and 304 (uppeder deck). Biiiig mystery whats in there :D

[rjscott]

After the first couple of nights this has seemed to have rectified itself and was probably a function of newness of the service and our expectations. Some portions were larger than others the first night or two and the fellows did get small portions of some entrees but that doesn't seem to be a problem now. Idun is listening and they are learning -- so are we as passengers. The food is good and very nicely presented. The servers are learning and very willing and responsive. Thank you!

 

I am so glad you are posting live from the Idun. We will be on the next Idun cruise, so are very glad to get some inside info. :) I was a bit concerned with your first remarks about the portion sizes, not for me, but for my husband, as he enjoys a larger portion at dinner. Good to hear from both you and Viking rep that this issue can be handled. Also, good to hear about the wi-fi issues and how to obtain the best signal, as I am bringing my Nook tablet.

How do you find the temperature in your cabin and in the public rooms?

 

Thank you for posting!

[Riversanddale]

The room temps have not been bad. We've tended to find them a bit warm at night as we like to sleep in a cool room and don't like to use the air conditioner since it blows on us at night. We just crack the sliding door if we are too warm and that seems fine (no bugs). Each room does have an individual thermostat which can be adjusted easily up or down. You will love the heated floor in the bathroom and it has it's own control. The temps in the public rooms have been very comfortable. We even sat outside at lunch today for the first time. We had our first sunny day and we are on day 6 in Antwerp. Nothing Viking can do about the weather but it sure was nice today.

[Caroldoll]

June/July. I wanted to personally thank you for your posts. Any and all information is so valuable to me personally. We will be in one of the Explorer Suites and are looking forward to this trip. We are doing Amsterdam to Budapest and would also appreciate any advice you give. Also I am glad you posted about the food portions. Although I barely eat, my husband does. I think Viking responded to you and did something about it. That is a good thing! Thanks again.

[at_nyc]

Hopefully the tuilps will still be blooming. If not it will be a big disappointment.

I doubt it will be still in bloom by May.

 

A friend had gone in late April last year and it was gone already.

[at_nyc]

These new Viking ships carry 190 people and that's almost twice as many as a Tauck/Scylla boat.

It means it'll be dumping twice as many tourists on those charming small towns at the same time during shore excursions! Hope you enjoy mingling with fellow American tourist on forign soil more than the locals. ;)

[nordski]

It means it'll be dumping twice as many tourists on those charming small towns at the same time during shore excursions! Hope you enjoy mingling with fellow American tourist on forign soil more than the locals. ;)

Well, Tauk/Scylla would be on the low end in terms of passenger complement. Most ships are closer to 140-150.

 

Regardless, given the number of ships on the popular routes such as the Rhine and Danube, the number of "tourists", not just American, who are disembarked (my prefered word instead of "dumped") may be somewhat different each day based upon the number of ships in port.

 

Nevertheless, there is no question that a traveller often has to make a real effort to mingle with the natives. Interestingly, Rick Steves of "Europe through the Back Door" fame embarked on 2 Med cruises last summer and has written a book on how to still encounter foreign cultures even if visiting ports on large cruise ships. Perhaps he'll do the same for river cruising.

[Riversanddale]

Lovely cruising today - Easter - with skyline views of dikes and small villages. We have less of an industrial view which we've had previous days. It's a lovely soft, bright haze to the sky and very relaxing. We're onboard instead of out at the Delta Works to save up for an all day outing to Keukenhof tomorrow.

Cabin temps update -- we were still running hot so they "fixed" our temps yesterday. It was wonderful to have a cool 68 for sleeping last night and they are listening. Now our thermometer controls have locked themselves and they are checking on that. It's only little quirks of a new ship, I believe, but they are being responsive and the next folks should benefit full measure as they work them out.

Here's hoping that the flowers are wonderful tomorrow. We've seen very few tulips so far and mostly only daffodils which we get at home. We can't grow tulips where we live (too mild) so that's why we've come along with the windmills. Nice trip so far.

Happy Easter to all.

[Riversanddale]

In answer to someone's earlier question about the noise in public rooms - yes, it is a problem primarily in the dining room and in the big lounge. We all find ourselves having difficulty visiting at meals because of it and it is a topic at meals with someone different bringing up the topic each time. The noise bounces right back off the lovely, shiny white ceiling and the side posts. The drapes (which are pulled open so don't provide much square footage) and the carpeting are the only surfaces to absorb sound besides the seating. The lounge has the same problems. The other public areas such as seating in and above the lobby (including the internet desk and two chairs in the library) are fine. It's the two big rooms that are the problem.

Unfortunately, the two main problems we have with the ship -- sound in the dining room/lounge and the size of the French balcony rooms are things that are cast in stone for now. They are design flaws not quirks that can be fixed. The ship is beautiful and has many amenities which we do enjoy. The crew is very responsive and proud of their ship as they should be. It is (almost perfectly) up to Viking standards. Our trips and guides off the ship have been up to standard and good additions -- well thought out.

[rjscott]

In answer to someone's earlier question about the noise in public rooms - yes, it is a problem primarily in the dining room and in the big lounge. We all find ourselves having difficulty visiting at meals because of it and it is a topic at meals with someone different bringing up the topic each time. The noise bounces right back off the lovely, shiny white ceiling and the side posts. The drapes (which are pulled open so don't provide much square footage) and the carpeting are the only surfaces to absorb sound besides the seating. The lounge has the same problems. The other public areas such as seating in and above the lobby (including the internet desk and two chairs in the library) are fine. It's the two big rooms that are the problem.

Unfortunately, the two main problems we have with the ship -- sound in the dining room/lounge and the size of the French balcony rooms are things that are cast in stone for now. They are design flaws not quirks that can be fixed. The ship is beautiful and has many amenities which we do enjoy. The crew is very responsive and proud of their ship as they should be. It is (almost perfectly) up to Viking standards. Our trips and guides off the ship have been up to standard and good additions -- well thought out.

Oh my, that noise issue is one my husband will notice for sure. :rolleyes: He is an engineer and is unable to ignore things like that. Thanks for the warning. :D

[rjscott]

Lovely cruising today - Easter - with skyline views of dikes and small villages. We have less of an industrial view which we've had previous days. It's a lovely soft, bright haze to the sky and very relaxing. We're onboard instead of out at the Delta Works to save up for an all day outing to Keukenhof tomorrow.

Cabin temps update -- we were still running hot so they "fixed" our temps yesterday. It was wonderful to have a cool 68 for sleeping last night and they are listening. Now our thermometer controls have locked themselves and they are checking on that. It's only little quirks of a new ship, I believe, but they are being responsive and the next folks should benefit full measure as they work them out.

Here's hoping that the flowers are wonderful tomorrow. We've seen very few tulips so far and mostly only daffodils which we get at home. We can't grow tulips where we live (too mild) so that's why we've come along with the windmills. Nice trip so far.

Happy Easter to all.

 

My tulips here at home have already flowered due to our unseasonably warm March, but I only have a few so I am psyched for Keukenhof.

Thanks for the update on the cabin temps. Sounds like Viking is working hard to make things right when they're not.

[mikemartha]

For us wearing hearing instruments, the echo noise in the lounge will be a challenge. Hopefully they can install some noise absorbing material to help. We will be on the Odin April 28 out of Amsterdam. Thank you for your post. How has the outdoor temp. been? How have your shore excursions been. Have you ate at any great places off ship for lunch or dinner? Again thank you for the info.

[Riversanddale]

Another great day on the Idun. Today we had to pass on the trip to the Delta Works and Middleburg. Other party members did them and really enjoyed them. We rested up to be able to spend a long day at Keukenhof tomorrow. The morning on board was lovely (saw some sun) and lazy. What a treat. It was also a prettier day cruising.

We had a tulip talk today (fun history of tulips) and a tour of the galley. We had a choice of seeing the galley or the bridge. A terrific sea shanty group (17 or 18 of them) from Rotterdam sang tonight after dinner. They were great and a lot of fun. Lunch was late - 1:30 - to give time for the morning tours. So far the tours and guides have been very good and we would recommend them as they add a lot to time on the water. This is not a "scenic" cruise -- the Netherlands are very industrial but the land tours really add a lot and take you into the scenic parts of the Netherlands and Belgium.

I didn't expect much from Antwerp because it is a big city but it's very walkable and close to the ship's docking space. It has a wonderful "old town" with lots of character and atmosphere that we were not expecting.

We were already in love with Bruges because we visited 4 years ago. Four of us had lunch (again) at Cambrian, a bistro-pub, only a block or so off the main square. The entire party enjoyed the good food and the atmosphere. The garlic bread is killer and they have a large, varied menu.

Weather has been COLD. We've had two days with some sun but no warmth. Most days have been cloudy. We come from this weather so it hasn't slowed us down but the sun was sure nice to see and makes for much better photos. We'll see how we do tomorrow at Keukenhof because rain is predicted. We did sit out on the front sundeck at the front of the new terrace for one lunch. No one has been on the upper sundeck (except to look at what is there) on any of the many ships we've seen nor using their balcony seating. Bring warm clothes including scarves, hats and gloves. Of course, this will change some as the season gets underway -- but not yet.

[mikemartha]

Great post. Please give us more info as your trip goes long. Trying to stay with one bag per person if it stays this cool might be hard.

[burrma]

Another great day on the Idun. Today we had to pass on the trip to the Delta Works and Middleburg. Other party members did them and really enjoyed them. We rested up to be able to spend a long day at Keukenhof tomorrow. The morning on board was lovely (saw some sun) and lazy. What a treat. It was also a prettier day cruising.

We had a tulip talk today (fun history of tulips) and a tour of the galley. We had a choice of seeing the galley or the bridge. A terrific sea shanty group (17 or 18 of them) from Rotterdam sang tonight after dinner. They were great and a lot of fun. Lunch was late - 1:30 - to give time for the morning tours. So far the tours and guides have been very good and we would recommend them as they add a lot to time on the water. This is not a "scenic" cruise -- the Netherlands are very industrial but the land tours really add a lot and take you into the scenic parts of the Netherlands and Belgium.

I didn't expect much from Antwerp because it is a big city but it's very walkable and close to the ship's docking space. It has a wonderful "old town" with lots of character and atmosphere that we were not expecting.

We were already in love with Bruges because we visited 4 years ago. Four of us had lunch (again) at Cambrian, a bistro-pub, only a block or so off the main square. The entire party enjoyed the good food and the atmosphere. The garlic bread is killer and they have a large, varied menu.

Weather has been COLD. We've had two days with some sun but no warmth. Most days have been cloudy. We come from this weather so it hasn't slowed us down but the sun was sure nice to see and makes for much better photos. We'll see how we do tomorrow at Keukenhof because rain is predicted. We did sit out on the front sundeck at the front of the new terrace for one lunch. No one has been on the upper sundeck (except to look at what is there) on any of the many ships we've seen nor using their balcony seating. Bring warm clothes including scarves, hats and gloves. Of course, this will change some as the season gets underway -- but not yet.

 

We are booked on her so enjoy reading your posts.

Are the French balcony rooms smaller than most inside and outside cabins on ocean cruise liners?

[rjscott]

We are booked on her so enjoy reading your posts.

Are the French balcony rooms smaller than most inside and outside cabins on ocean cruise liners?

 

We are currently sailing the Idun, and have cruised many times on the ocean liners. I would definitely say that the cabins on the Idun are smaller than the cabins on any ocean liner I've sailed. There is just enough space to walk around the bed, and, although there is adequate drawer space, the closet space, at least the space for hanging garments, is very poorly designed. There is a nice-sized hanger rod and plenty of nice wooden hangers, but only useable space for half, as there is a bump-out in the closet that causes the other half of the hung garments/hangers to be forced sideways. So, this really does not allow for too many garments to go into what appears to be good closet space. There are, however, also some shelves for additional storage. Bathroom storage and shelf space is very minimal.

But, if you are an organized person and can make do with the storage space provided, the room itself is quite comfortable. A very nice bed, good shower and large flat screen TV.

[burrma]

We are currently sailing the Idun, and have cruised many times on the ocean liners. I would definitely say that the cabins on the Idun are smaller than the cabins on any ocean liner I've sailed. There is just enough space to walk around the bed, and, although there is adequate drawer space, the closet space, at least the space for hanging garments, is very poorly designed. There is a nice-sized hanger rod and plenty of nice wooden hangers, but only useable space for half, as there is a bump-out in the closet that causes the other half of the hung garments/hangers to be forced sideways. So, this really does not allow for too many garments to go into what appears to be good closet space. There are, however, also some shelves for additional storage. Bathroom storage and shelf space is very minimal.

But, if you are an organized person and can make do with the storage space provided, the room itself is quite comfortable. A very nice bed, good shower and large flat screen TV.

Thanks for taking the time to post.

Will look forward to hearing more and wondering if you took Viking air from Toledo (if so; good connections) or did you book your own?

Enjoy

[rjscott]

Thanks for taking the time to post.

Will look forward to hearing more and wondering if you took Viking air from Toledo (if so; good connections) or did you book your own?

Enjoy

 

We took Viking air, but paid a bit more to customize. We knew we wanted the n/s from Detroit to Amsterdam and also wanted to come home later in the day at the end of the cruise.

Today is a beautiful day. The windmills at Kinderdjyk in the morning and now cruising to Antwerp.

[burrma]

Sincere thanks; I can just imagine you sitting in cabin; free internet; with fabulous views. Wish I was there.

Custom air... one more question; most of the stop overs in Amsterdam are very long; was yours?

[rjscott]

Sincere thanks; I can just imagine you sitting in cabin; free internet; with fabulous views. Wish I was there.

Custom air... one more question; most of the stop overs in Amsterdam are very long; was yours?

 

We did not have a stopover, as Amsterdam was our destination. We are doing the "Tulips&Windmills" cruise which begins and ends in Amsterdam.

[Host Jazzbeau]

This is supposed to be a peak time for tulips -- is it as spectacular as the brochures show?

[rjscott]

This is supposed to be a peak time for tulips -- is it as spectacular as the brochures show?

 

We have not yet been to Keukenhof to see the tulips and other flowers there, but what we have seen along the way have been very beautiful and colorful. I am so psyched for Keukenhof!

[burrma]

We did not have a stopover, as Amsterdam was our destination. We are doing the "Tulips&Windmills" cruise which begins and ends in Amsterdam.

Sorry about that; we are doing the Danube. Anytime you have free time and want to share your thoughts on river cruising compared to ocean/Caribbean cruising; would lvoe to hear anything.

Enjoy! Wish was was with you... NOW!

[rjscott]

Sorry about that; we are doing the Danube. Anytime you have free time and want to share your thoughts on river cruising compared to ocean/Caribbean cruising; would lvoe to hear anything.

Enjoy! Wish was was with you... NOW!

 

Today was a perfect comparison for ocean cruising vs river cruising. We cruised most of the day, having visited the windmills in the morning. We walked right off the ship and were at the windmills in less than a 5 min. walk. Cruising during the day, we saw homes along the river, sheep grazing, and villages occasionally. It was so different from ocean cruising where all you see is water unless you are approaching port.

[burrma]

Sounds wonderful!