Viking River Cruises

Hi boltface, we’ve done Rhine Getaway (Basel-Amsterdam) and Christmas on the Seine. Love Viking. What type of info are you looking for?

We went on a Viking cruise Budapest to Regensburg last year. Would highly recommend Viking. Definitely would recommend staying in Budapest extra days. The cruise does not give you enough time there.

We did it going the other direction- Budapest to Amsterdam in 2018. We’re doing their Bordeaux tour in about a week. Did you have questions?

Thanks for the quick responses.
I was looking for how you liked Viking, which I think you've done and in a positive manner.
I was considering staying in Budapest for a couple of days but when I noticed it was $499 EACH when the hotel was only $208 a night that changed my mind.
Any specific Viking tips will be appreciated.
I gather there is no complimentary wine/beer hour in the afternoon before dinner.
Also, I'm planning to use Viking Air. Any problems there?
Thanks

I was considering staying in Budapest for a couple of days but when I noticed it was $499 EACH when the hotel was only $208 a night that changed my mind.

Curious, is that what Viking is charging and are they providing the airfare? You could look at the cost of providing your own air and your own hotel.

Viking River Cruises are very deluxe, and they're also priced deluxe. And there are other river cruise lines that are comparable in luxury and price. Viking Ocean Cruises are also very luxurious cruises.

But I'm not into spending so much money on my European trips. For what I would spend on any river cruise, I could take 3 separate trips over there. I've spent time in most of the larger cities along rivers anyway.

I too suggest anyone spend a few days at the end of a trip ending in Budapest. You don't have to spend $200 a night for perfectly decent accommodations there.

Yep, I'm not into spending this much money either. We usually rent a house in Italy, France, Ireland, England for a month at a time, much more enjoyable but 3 years ago I was diagnosed with brain & lung cancer. Treatment for that caused other problems, the most recent being heart failure. All seems ok for now. My docs encourage the trip, of course they aren't paying for the trip. :)
So this will be my last European trip and certainly the most expensive.
Thanks

We did the Budapest to Praque cruise and very much enjoyed it,though with a different company. I would also suggest you stay some extra as in Budapest. As others have said,there are more reasonably priced hotels you can chose and then just join them later. Or just splurge and make this trip easy on yourself.

Id certainly shop the competition before committing to Viking. Most people are happy with them, but the fact is that they pack more people on their boats and are less inclusive than lines that compete on price.

Pre and post cruise packages from the river cruise lines are always crazy prices. Booking hotels yourself will save a lot, even if you have to pay for you own transfers.

I usually plan my own trips to Europe, but took a couple of Viking cruises with larger family groups for ease of planning. We added extra nights before/after on our own as two of us could stay for less than their cost for one. I strongly recommend this for the arrival and departure cities, as you spend little to no time there while on the cruise. If you are used to doing your own planning, this will be easy! You can always ask for hotel recommendations in this Forum.

I used the Viking Air program; their flights were less expensive than anything I could find on my own. We had great flights with minimum connections; most connections were in Europe which is what I prefer-especially on the way to Europe. If you want to spend time on your own before and/or after the cruise you will want to request a "flight deviation". It's been a few years, but the last time I did this it was $100. That allows you to choose your own arrival/departure dates.

We really enjoyed our cruises-the service is outstanding, your "hotel" follows you so you only have to unpack once, and you have access to a concierge to help you arrange any independent activities along the way (tickets/admissions, taxis, etc). Right now I can still plan trips (and enjoy it!). If I ever tire of planning, though, I wouldn't hesitate to travel with Viking. As others have said, there are other cruise lines you can check out. Whatever you decide, enjoy your travels!

Boltface (there's got to be a story there), we did one Viking River Cruise (not the one you're looking at) and enjoyed it. It's just a quick taste of Europe as you dont spend much real time at any of the stops, and that was OK with most of the people on board. Check out the website cruisecritic.com and look for the section on river cruises and you can find a lot of info and reviews. It's not an easy site to navigate but still worth a look. And you have found the important point of how expensive their extensions are. We stayed on our own fro a few days at a much lower cost. \

We had no issues working with them on the air itinerary. We did have to pay an extra $75 pp for "deviating" from the basic tour, by requesting the return flight out of a different city.

To stay in Budapest for a few days, you don't have to buy the Viking package. Actually, because they use the Hilton in Buda so often, I wouldn't do it. A really nice hotel in the right part of Pest will cost you $125 to $200, depending on your taste. And there are a couple of nice ones near the Viking dock if that makes you more comfortable.

River cruising is a good choice but not with Viking. We had a terrible experience with them in many ways.
Look at other companies such as AMAWaterways or Uniworld. .Spend extra days in Amsterdam and Budapest. We returned to Vienna for more time there. Took a train from Budapest.

Sorry for bad experiences for some. We have done 3 Viking and love them all! We stay in lesser/under/no balcony staterooms. Better pricing! We agree their airfare pricing helps make it more affordable also. One needs to book early and watch for specials. Food and wine/beer with meals make it a treat. Good and specialty coffees are complimentary also. Staff is great! Now I want to go!?

I would respectfully disagree with the comment that Viking "packs people on their boats." On a river cruise, the max passengers is 195 passengers in 90 cabins, all of which are outward-facing. That's really not too many people at all; we never felt like the ship was crowded, and meals were always easy and well-served.

We've done the Viking Grand European cruise (Amsterdam to Budapest) and are doing the same cruise in the opposite direction in October. The fact that we're doing it again should indicate how much we enjoyed the first cruise--both the experience onboard and the sights that we'll enjoy on the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers.

Our last trip was in late October to mid-November and was a bit rainy and cold; this time we're going a month earlier, which should be much nicer.

Yes, it's more expensive than going on one's own, but each day includes an included excursion, with other optional ones offered, plus all meals and wine or beer during lunch and dinner. We're doing the RSE Best of Tuscany in less than 2 weeks and will enjoy it as well--it's a totally different experience, and we like both.

Judging from what I've read about river cruise companies, Viking is easily the most popular among the many companies that offer river cruises on the Rhine, and for good reason. Service was always excellent and personal, and we can't wait to go again.

Thank you very much for all your comments. I have been planning my own trips to Europe and the USA for almost 25 years so am very experienced with that but with the conditions I've mentioned my wife and I have decided I should throttle down so to speak.
I have looked at several other cruise lines but decided on Viking because a very picky friend used them and was happy.
I was considering arriving at Amsterdam early to look at the city. I thought doing the Buda extension with Viking Air would be a pain but will follow up on that idea. One thing is for sure I'm not paying $500 each for two days. Looks like the trip has two days in Vienna so that should be good.
My favorite place in the world is a tiny spec on the map in France. My wife and I had rather be there than any other place. We've always liked to go somewhere and stay for a month and get to know the area and people rather than travel around.

I think my only problem will be stamina but I've got a year to work on that.

We've done the this trip with Viking and loved it. I would definitely recommend Viking air, but do the air+, this allows you to upgrade seats and pick airlines and times for your flights. (usually $50-100 more per person depending on the itinerary). Air plus even allowed us to to to Cyprus for a week after a cruise without any penalties or rate change and then we left from were the cruise ended after our trip to Cyprus...you do not have to go only before and after the cruise dates when using air+.

We have done 2 river and 3 ocean with Viking and have been very happy with all of them.

We also have done the pre-trips with them as well. They are pricey, but we have found them to be worth it when they include tours...one of the best tours we have ever had was in Switzerland on a Viking cruise extension tour.

Just be careful of when you go; water levels can affect the trip if too high in the Spring or too low in Summer.

Thanks very much for the tips on Air+. I will definitely follow up on that. We have friends in Paris that we might visit.
All of your comments have been so helpful!

Prior to the pandemic we have done two Viking cruises -- one in the south of France around Lyon and the Amsterdam to Budapest run. Both were excellent and thought that we received good value for the trips. It was mid-Sep to mid Oct. As is our normal pattern we flew into Amsterdam about three days early to adjust to jet lag on our own and stayed about a week in Budapest. We came home from Vienna because we had difficult getting a return flight from Budapest. (That was caused by our normal practice of not booking a return flight until about week or so before we plan to come home.) We stayed in Pest at K&K Hotel Opera, obviously next to the Opera house. It was convenient and reasonably priced. We loved Budapest because the prices were so reasonable.

There are plenty of hotels in Budapest that are under $100/night. For instance, I just looked at Hotel Ibis Heroes Square for September - $67/night. Not real charming, but 1 blk from Heroes Square, close to the baths, 4-5 museums. There may be a surcharge for the breakfast, which was pretty extensive. We stayed there in 2019, and enjoyed it. We also stayed on Boat Hotel Grand Jules, which was fun - we reserved 6 M in advance, so had the best room on the boat. $87/night. We didn't do the breakfast on the boat.

Please see my post in the COVID 19 board of this forum.

Another couple here who have done the Viking Amsterdam-Budapest cruise. It's the only cruise we have done. There were less than 200 on-board. Yes, the price for a river cruise is expensive, but it can be "all-inclusive." All your meals are included, wine is complimentary with dinner, and an included shore excursion at each dock. It was also great to unpack once!

We flew into Amsterdam a few days early and extended our stay in Budapest a few days on our own.
In Budapest, while touring the Opera House, we saw several people who had been on the cruise and had Viking extend their stay. So Viking's "extended stay in Budapest" might include a few excursions.

Best wishes for complete healing from brain and lung cancer. Life is short...Book that cruise now....and then fly to France to your "happy place!"

I wont talk bad about Viking Air, becuase I dont know anything about it. But with resellers in general there can be issues with who is resposible for what. Flying Lufthansa and have a problem? You probably havecall Viking Air to get resolution even if you are standing in front of Lufthansa's ticket counter. But sure, check the flights on your own first and see if or by how much Viking Air will save you. I hope its better then their hotel deals. If you decide to spend a few extra days in Budapest, post it in the Budapest forum and i suspect you get some good reasonably priced hotel recommendations. If you do not avail yourself of Viking's free airport transfer, know that it will cost you about $30 in a taxi and I suspect faster.

Paul-of-the-Frozen-North, I know of the hotel. Its the one with the haunted house metal sculputure running up the wall near the entry. Looks a little like a woman hung herself from a tree. But hotel gets good reviews. If after the bath house you walk to the House of Music (worth the visit and check the schedule for free concerts ..... very casula, walk in and leave when you want ... most free) and then continue past it you come out of the park near Paprika Vendéglő; good hungarian restaurant.

Yes. We did amsterdam to budapest last April. Fly into amsterdam a couple days early to get over jet lag and see sights that viking doesn’t cover- museums and anne frank house. We stayed at doubletree hotel which is walking distance from cruise dock.
In budapest, stay an extra two days at a hotel in Pest. You can do vikings 2 day budapest extension, but it’s expensive, but viking will get you to the airport with a driver if you have booked air with them.
We did the viking Szchenyi thermal bath excursion with viking and viking was wonderful! They gave robes, slippers, towels and bag, which was ours to keep, plus a guide and transport. Sure, you could do it yourself for cheaper. So just saying…
Book airfare through viking and pay the extra fee to choose flights and fly in early and fly out later.
We liked the cruise and met compatible people who we had dinner with each evening.
The only negative was that we met many “ugly” Americans on the cruise who didn’t do any research or planning. They complained about not being able to use US dollars. (They didn’t get Euros in advance.). they were upset when the locals didn’t speak English. It was embarrassing.
Don’t be one of them. But if you are like them, then this cruise will be perfect.

Well we are booked for next May. We took our grandson and one of his friends to Italy and France a few years ago and the first thing I did was give them a lecture about not being an ugly American. They did fine.
On the anniversary of D Day I awakened to a text from our landlord that said "Thank you America for saving us......".Andre is a wonderful person. His wife was diagnosed with the same disease as I have while we were there. Andre was crying when he told us.
Unfortunately she has passed.
We are looking forward to our cruise. It won't be perfect but most things aren't. Just know what you are getting and you likely won't be disappointed.

It’s those special moments that make travel so memorable Boltface! Unfortunately we always seem to experience a few ugly Americans on trips that just show up uninterested in knowing anything other than their US way of living. I don’t get that!? Out of our control…but hard to watch! How sweet to have someone to relate to when in another country! Continue on with your hopes and dreams and feel well while traveling! We loved our Viking cruises!

With your health issues, I recommend NOT booking a less expensive room on the lower level. My mom and I did a river cruise on short notice. I called travel agent and there was one room left during the week I could get away, on the Rhine. The room was on the lower level. Great, we didn't care we didn't have a big window and in review of the deck plans it sure looked like there was an elevator. Well we got there with my 88 year old mother with two total knees and some mobility issues and discovered the elevator only goes between the top two floors. If you have any shortness of breath or difficulty with stairs, don't book on the lower level.

I'm on the lower floor like you with no elevator but I climb to our house's second floor numerous times each day. When I first had my heart problem late last year sometimes I would get out of breath but since my heart has improved, almost back to normal, I don't have that problem any more. Exercise is good for me but thanks for the warning. We all need to help each other!

@bob "I would respectfully disagree with the comment that Viking "packs people on their boats." On a river cruise, the max passengers is 195 passengers in 90 cabins, all of which are outward-facing. That's really not too many people at all; we never felt like the ship was crowded, and meals were always easy and well-served."

I'm guessing the "packs people" comment is based on Viking having more passengers on their boats than other companies. UniWorld, Scenic and AMA typically have 148 - 162 passengers on their Euro river cruises, with a higher staff-to-passenger ratio. That may be noticeable, or not, to a particular guest. With respect, I think it's a bit subjective to state it's "not too many people". Wouldn't that also be the individual perception of the guest? You felt fine with it, I would sail on a smaller cruise boat. Simple differences of reference.

Nothing wrong with Viking, they have a lot of sailings and get very good reviews. I would not classify them as "luxury", but again, my definition of the term is relative to how I travel. YMMY.

UniWorld, Scenic and AMA typically have 148 - 162 passengers on their Euro river cruises, with a higher staff-to-passenger ratio.

We're loyal fans of Viking, based on our many cruises with them--both river and ocean. Viking is easily the highest-rated river cruise line going through the Rhine-Danube area, and I have to believe that is for good reason. We never felt less than pampered on any of our cruises, which is why we're doing another Grand European river cruise in October, and a British Isles ocean cruise next summer.

Of course it's all subjective, as is any tour or cruise; what some people find to be a minor inconvenience is called unacceptable by others--we've seen that on RSE tours as well.

As I write this I'm in the middle of Tuscany, near Pienza, on the 12-day RSE tour of Tuscany. It's been a great trip!

Thanks Bob. It's always good to hear a good report. We are already looking forward to our trip. We have decided not to stay extra days in Amsterdam. Will decide later about Budapest. We may decide to visit a friend in France.