How exciting! . And about general seating at meals in the dining room, theres a choice of large and small tables and theres no assigned seating, so if youre one of the early ones at meal time, youll have a great chance of finding a setting that suits you best. (Its not uncommon for someone to forget to scan their card when returning to the ship.). When we cruised, the classics included Caesar salad as a starter; steak, salmon, and chicken as entrees, and Creme Brle, a selection of cheeses, a fruit plate, and ice cream for dessert. queen-size beds that can be split to make two twin beds. 2. On our cruise, this was done in the Lounge just after the evening port talk by the program director. You mention that from 5:15-7 there will be drinks & live music or a port talk. Laundry Facility Included in Fare: On the Queen of the Mississippi, there are wash and dryer units are available. Good luck! We werent near them then, but it was nice to be notified of them.) Housekeeping Provide friendly and twice daily housekeeping services to all guests staterooms, and cleans public and crew areas. Serious question..how to get coffee in the morning without getting dressed??? Its not a deal breaker for us, but its something every river cruise guest should be forewarned about. Viking offers complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks during lunch and dinner. We always made sure we were back to the ship on time! Members of VantagesPresidents Club (achieved after three Vantage Vacations trips not necessarily river cruises) also receive a 20 laundry credit. Once youve booked a Viking cruise, take the next steps, like creating an online account with Viking, to ensure a wonderful adventure. Viking assigns different colored luggage tags to guests depending on what their next travel destination is (a post-excursion through Viking, a trip independent of Viking, or a flight home). Were planning on a dinner in a town, tour of some beer gardens and lunch in Heidelberg, and just walking around. Tipping is the universal way to thank someone for providing excellent service and you will find excellent service on Viking. Naturally, safety is a primary concern of travelers and the crew. The letter indicates which excursion group youre on. Hi Theo, you shouldnt have any problems meeting up with your friends in either Bamburg or Wurzburg while on the cruise. We always enjoyed the variety of food from the local areas we were visiting. Laundry is folded and returned on the same day if you have it ready in the morning. Hi Anne, booking an independent excursion shouldnt be a problem. Just found your sitelots of great info! a flat-screen TV with infotainment options. A few weeks prior to your departure, Viking will send stickers for you to wear at the airport when you land, so they can identify you as a Viking guest. Do they charge for use? Hi Robin, you pose a great question, but it isnt easy to answer! Id suggest you ask about picking up excursion cards and other details like that once youre on the ship, as some procedures like this may vary a bit. The guests on the other ship, the Modi, got off the ship at Regensburg, on the other side of the damaged lock. We are planning to take the Grand European Tour in July of 2023. As much as Viking tries to stick to its anticipated docking times, some things like other ships waiting in line to go through locks, weather issues, and river levels are beyond its control. Regardless of their next destinations, all guests had to place their luggage outside their rooms no later than 9:00 am. Hi Karen, you will have the freedom to wander on your own in the evenings in some locations. This was true in Passau, a city of over 50,000, and especially, There are times when river cruise ships have to have guests disembark a ship and then board a sister ship. Plus you can expect some special cooking and craft demonstrations, wine tastings, and presentations about a destinations special features. The general experience on all Viking river cruise ships is the same, no matter what ship youre on. We leave Saturday for Prague followed by the Budapest to Amsterdam Viking river cruise. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. Thanks for your kind words, Triana. Also, we had booked an English-speaking tour of the Hungarian Parliament which ended up being fascinating; if you plan to do this, make sure to make reservations online ahead of your visit. In some destinations,laundry can be sent out for cleaning fee while the boat is docked. That gives my husband and me plenty of money for tipping the local guides and bus drivers as well as Viking staff before we leave. Sometimes theres a lot of river cruise ship traffic in popular cities. We sent some clothing to be laundered, and we were happy with that choice. Hi Tanya, Sounds like you have a great cruise coming up! Enjoy! Ocean Cruises. Doing the Grand European Trip for our 50th in May of 2023. With a higher proportion of full balcony cabins than most river cruise lines, Viking Egil is one of the many ships in the Viking "Longship" fleet. The daily planner for Vienna was the best.one of the stranger transitions from Ocean to River cruising is not having your port times right there on the schedule. We enjoyed sitting with different people; it gave us a chance to learn about their travel experiences and lives a bit. There are times when the sun deck is closed to guests. The crew communicates with each other quite well. The price list is located in each stateroom. I hope you thoroughly enjoy your Viking cruise next year! All guests left the ship for excursions (the times of the excursions were modified that day so they would all be timed for the same number of hours). The best thing to do is to talk with a Viking staff member as soon as you board to find out details for your specific cruise. As for Tours by Locals, Ive used them, as well, and was pleased. Soap is provided and the machines are free to use. ? Weve had no regrets. private bathrooms that are separate from the living Plus, Viking offers several excursions each day that the ship is in port. Haha, I got a kick out of being tempted with just one little pastry! If you have dietary restrictions, let Viking know when you book. The total time on these outings could be 1.5 to 3 hours. Youll receive an excursion card with a number and a letter. us, and our new room keys were on the dresser. However, short answer: There is a free laundry room (4 washers/4 dryers) on every VIking Ocean ship roughly midships on Port Side of decks 3, 4, 5, 6. We are traveling with 8 other people. Doing so will help you remember months and years later where all your amazing pictures are from! Frankly, I dont think you can go wrong either way, but theyre two very different experiences. Laundry services may be arranged through your Suite Attendant or your Butler. There are also daily announcements with information on docking and reminders about impending excursion departures. Walking could be on unpaved or uneven surfaces and may involve many steps or steep inclines. When the cruise ends, you settle your account in cash (U.S. dollars or Euros) or by credit card. Our luggage awaited us, and our new room keys were on the dresser. Hope you have been able to enjoy more Viking cruises since your original one. Thank you! Theres an elevator onboard so its easy to travel from floor to floor if you dont want to use the stairs. Thank you for making me less anxious! Your descriptions of the change of ship due to the broken lock and of docking side by side with other ships were reassuring. The letter indicates which excursion group youre on. Have a wonderful cruise, Thomas! Deciding on cash is a personal choice, of course. Youll see all your options on the online My Viking Journey portal when the tours open up prior to your trip. They are also one of the most affordable river cruise options. We liked exploring on our own after getting the lay of the land from the morning tour guide. Theres always iced tea often with different flavors every day. Its also where youll find freshly baked goodies throughout the day. I hope you two have a fabulous time on your cruise! Thank you! Before we descended, we were able to step outside and soak in panoramic views of the city. We haven't used Viking's laundry service so can't comment on that but in the FAQ they do have the price list so at least you'll have an idea of what to expect. This will be first river cruise for us. After logging on to My Viking Journey, go to the Shore Excursions section and initiate a conversation with a Viking Cruise rep. You should see a red Live Chat box along the margin of the screen. Examples were creamy potato soup, Wiener Schnitzel, and Sacher cake when in Vienna; while in Budapest, the menu featured Hungarian Farmer Salad, Fogas Karpathy (perch and shrimp in white wine sauce), and Zserbo (a layered walnut and chocolate cake). Good luck! Sinks are usually large enough to hand-wash items and There are also bright red full-size Viking umbrellas to take along on excursions if its raining. Thank you for all the information. As you know, Viking offers an included excursion in each port. Great article. It sounds like you have a wonderful journey coming up this summer, Rosetta! Ive hand washed some things in the sink and hung them up to dry on the line, and it worked fine. Cheers! Im glad you found the article helpful. Viking is only offering us a morning excursion the second day in Prague so we are looking to do some exploring on our own. Once youre on the ship, youll learn the times that the ship will be docked in a city, so you can plan your day. One thing we learned is that although some excursions will guide you through a large city, if it is inland a bit, you may be spending a significant amount of time traveling from the ship to the city and comparatively modest amounts of time actually in the city itself. There are no laundry services or facilities offered onboard any of CroisiEuropes ships. (The price of the package varies, but it comes to about $20 or so a day per person.) Many thanks ! Very informative. Congrats on your 50th! In Asia these services range from $2 per item to $5 per item; however, the list of what can be laundered or pressed is more limited on river cruises in Asia. Wondering how much american cash we should bring and do we need to get euros prior to arrival (if so how much). To burn off some of the calories ingested by the delicious food onboard, I walked in the morning around the sun deck track. The recommended tipping (for each guest) on excursions is 2 Euros for local guides and 1 Euro for bus drivers. Have fun! Having said this, there are often opportunities to book optional excursions once you board the ship. There are large windows on the port and starboard sides so views are available while cruising the river at mealtime. Have a wonderful cruise next year! I am sure i will have more later but your thread is wonderful. Do you travel overnight for most of the time or is there day travel as well? The Silver Spirits package is complimentary for guests in an Explorer Suite. Trying to guess the weather so we can narrow down what to pack. WebUse down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link Other times, we were still sailing, so he could not. WebYou also can do your laundry for free in the ship's self-service laundry rooms (detergent is even provided for you). You know is it a venus and mars question. means extensive walking, hiking, or biking. One of those steps is to create an online account with Viking. All the best. Onboard youll have port talks to prepare you for each new day along with musical entertainment in the lounge. Was our first Viking cruise, so we used your article as a guide. Our US-based cell phone service does not work outside of the US. Sound like you have a great cruise coming up! On both boats we used the laundry service. Remember to notify your bank of your travel dates and destinations before leaving home! The sun deck does not have enclosed spaces. However, the information in this article is from our, The staterooms and bathrooms are efficiently designed to maximize usable space. Viking then allowed us to purchase a no-expiry date voucher towards another cruise an amount they matched. Our next Viking cruise is coming up soon, and I cant wait. Hi Cynthia, I bet youre so excited about your upcoming trip! Plus, some travel agents provide onboard credit to cruising clients. The tags have the time the luggage must be outside the staterooms as well as the time that guests are expected to depart the ship. Really, just looking for your opinion on longer trips off-ship. Staterooms are guaranteed to be ready at 3:00 pm. If you have taken a Viking river cruise and want to share your experiences, please do so in the comment area below. Are there computers, or Dinner begins at 7:00 pm in the dining room. Price lists are available in each stateroom. We were very happy with laundry service on Viking and prices were reasonable. Pieces were back in a few hours. Before leaving a dock, there may be announcements asking for guests in certain rooms to let the staff know they are on the ship. We have taken two Viking River Cruises, Bucharest to Amsterdam (21 days in 2019) and Basel to Amsterdam (7 days in 2021). Having the veranda offers you another personal space plus a nice perch (with chairs) from which to view the passing scenery during the time that the ship is sailing in daylight hours. Plenty of covered space protects guests from the harsh summer sun. Hi Stephanie, Thanks for your kind words. Price lists are available on the Viking website in the FAQ. Please hare your opinion with me. You will receive your final travel documents and Viking luggage tags within three weeks of your trip. Just thinking of the best options for meeting friends for a short visit. Their itineraries are made specifically for a younger audience and include fun theme nights in stylish lounges, active day excursions like hiking and biking, and nightly pub crawls in Europes hottest bars. Otherwise, we had a brand new crew. Many folks do tend to change from the clothes they wore for daily excursions to something a little dressier for dinner, but I wouldnt call dinner attire dressy. Life vests were under the beds, but prior to the drill, they were placed on our beds while we were at lunch. My husband and I took the Top of Cologne excursion, and it was one of the best. No kids. The total time on these outings could be longer than 3 hours. For handwashed garments, there is a clothesline in the shower. It would be more like smart casual (so no worn jeans and flip-flops, for example). I liked the posted copy of the daily news and we had already decided from our ocean experiences to take the drinks package. There are several things you wont find on a Viking river cruise, and they are often some of the prime reasons so many people choose Viking. In addition, there are quite a few optional excursions available at an extra cost. Laundry is folded and returned on the same day if you have it ready in the morning. We actually enjoyed sitting outside in the dark before bed, too, cruising by small towns.) River cruises are designed for the mature traveler as Viking guests must be 18 years old. Just make sure you are aware of the times the ship will leave the port so you dont miss its departure. Its a nice place to relax on warm days and enjoy a lunch buffet while taking in the views. After the excursions, we all met at a restaurant in Nuremberg for lunch, had a little free time, and then were bussed to the new ship in the late afternoon. On the other side of the menu are regional specialties or options that are focused on our destinations. Oh, Im so happy youre able to enjoy traveling safely during the pandemic. Just sayin'. The Silver Spirits package offers unlimited drinks including cocktails, premium wine, and beer. Aside from the new safety protocols Viking has put in place your Complete Guide to a Viking River cruise was thoroughly informative, enjoyed the photos and took many notes while reading.
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