- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Winter Olympics
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
VIking River Cruise
Posted on 2/16/25 at 3:47 pm
Posted on 2/16/25 at 3:47 pm
Agreed to a wine and food trip to France with my wife's sisters and their husbands in August.
When we weren't looking the ladies changed this all up....3 days in Paris (will be 3rd trip to Paris) then we travel by train and hop on a Viking River Cruise ( Lyon to Avignon) and we finish up a with a few days in Nice.
I'm ok with Paris (again) and am looking forard to Nice - - but the River cruise looks boring as hell.
Anyone ever done one of these? I know even at late 50s/early 60s we will still be among the younger ones onboard....but anything else anyone can tell me?
When we weren't looking the ladies changed this all up....3 days in Paris (will be 3rd trip to Paris) then we travel by train and hop on a Viking River Cruise ( Lyon to Avignon) and we finish up a with a few days in Nice.
I'm ok with Paris (again) and am looking forard to Nice - - but the River cruise looks boring as hell.
Anyone ever done one of these? I know even at late 50s/early 60s we will still be among the younger ones onboard....but anything else anyone can tell me?
7
Posted on 2/16/25 at 3:57 pm to Barrister
My wife and I went on one for our honeymoon. We are both 30. We were not the youngest on the ship, but 80% of the passengers were 60+.
Impeccable service and food on the ship. The free walking tours they offer are outstanding. The paid excursions were all great too.
A Viking River Cruise is what you make it. If you are a boring person, it will be boring. If you are an adventurous person, it will be great!
Think of Carnival as a floating party club and Viking as a floating luxury hotel (where you can go do whatever you want off the ship).
Impeccable service and food on the ship. The free walking tours they offer are outstanding. The paid excursions were all great too.
A Viking River Cruise is what you make it. If you are a boring person, it will be boring. If you are an adventurous person, it will be great!
Think of Carnival as a floating party club and Viking as a floating luxury hotel (where you can go do whatever you want off the ship).
Posted on 2/16/25 at 4:11 pm to Roy Curado
quote:
Roy Curado
Thanks
That is helpful
Posted on 2/16/25 at 4:57 pm to Barrister
We took the Viking Bordeaux river cruise last April followed by a week in Paris.
We enjoyed the cruise so much we booked the Grand European cruise on the Rhine and the Danube for this April.
There were a lot of young people on the Bordeaux cruise, maybe because it catered to the wine crowd.
We enjoyed the cruise so much we booked the Grand European cruise on the Rhine and the Danube for this April.
There were a lot of young people on the Bordeaux cruise, maybe because it catered to the wine crowd.
Posted on 2/16/25 at 5:34 pm to Barrister
We've done 8 cruises with Viking (one was an ocean cruise). The last one was the Danube Waltz - November 2024. Haven't done that region. Did the Paris & The Heart Of Normandy Paris to Paris - November 2022, which we enjoyed. We enjoyed more renting a car in Paris and driving to Normandy for a week on our own more, but that's another topic.
Pluses: It's the "McDonald's of River Cruising". You know what you're going to get.
While Viking River Cruises does tend to attract a more mature crowd, it's by no means exclusive to older people. Expect an average age of mid 60's, with outliers in the mid 30's to upper 70's. Many younger travelers and families also enjoy Viking's itineraries, cultural excursions, and relaxed atmosphere. A big plus: Viking doesn't let anyone under 18 come on board for the trip.
And here's the thing..you'll be around people that likely worked their asses off their entire lives to enjoy experiences like this. They're living their best lives and having fun. Generally, we've always found it to be a great group of people, and we've made some lasting friendships along the way. Don't be an "Age - O Phobe". Give the old heads a chance. You'll be surprised! :
You'll enjoy the "unpack once" for the week. The service. Good dining options. It really depends on the cruise, the season, and the specific route.
Pro Tip: They offer nice wines and beer at dinner at lunch, but just break down and get the "Silver Spirits Package" so you can drink whatever you want whenever you want.
Pro Tip 2: Take some "American Swag" (i.e. I take Titans beanies) for the crew. You'll tip the attendants and servers later on (it's offered as a once time payment if you want want, but I've always added special things for ones I really liked).
Let's face it...If you go into it with a shitty attitude you're going to have a bad time. Be open to the experience and I guarantee you'll come back thinking it was amazing!
Pluses: It's the "McDonald's of River Cruising". You know what you're going to get.
While Viking River Cruises does tend to attract a more mature crowd, it's by no means exclusive to older people. Expect an average age of mid 60's, with outliers in the mid 30's to upper 70's. Many younger travelers and families also enjoy Viking's itineraries, cultural excursions, and relaxed atmosphere. A big plus: Viking doesn't let anyone under 18 come on board for the trip.
And here's the thing..you'll be around people that likely worked their asses off their entire lives to enjoy experiences like this. They're living their best lives and having fun. Generally, we've always found it to be a great group of people, and we've made some lasting friendships along the way. Don't be an "Age - O Phobe". Give the old heads a chance. You'll be surprised! :
You'll enjoy the "unpack once" for the week. The service. Good dining options. It really depends on the cruise, the season, and the specific route.
Pro Tip: They offer nice wines and beer at dinner at lunch, but just break down and get the "Silver Spirits Package" so you can drink whatever you want whenever you want.
Pro Tip 2: Take some "American Swag" (i.e. I take Titans beanies) for the crew. You'll tip the attendants and servers later on (it's offered as a once time payment if you want want, but I've always added special things for ones I really liked).
Let's face it...If you go into it with a shitty attitude you're going to have a bad time. Be open to the experience and I guarantee you'll come back thinking it was amazing!
This post was edited on 2/16/25 at 6:04 pm
Posted on 2/16/25 at 5:43 pm to Nole Man
OK...I feel much better about this, now. I appreciate the insight...and am kinda lookingforward to it now.
Posted on 2/16/25 at 5:47 pm to Nole Man
The McDonald’s of river cruising?
I haven’t taken any other river cruises, but I didn’t see anything on board that reminded me of McDonald’s. I found everything to be pretty upscale.
I haven’t taken any other river cruises, but I didn’t see anything on board that reminded me of McDonald’s. I found everything to be pretty upscale.
Posted on 2/16/25 at 6:02 pm to geauxpurple
LOL!
RE: consistency!
That’s the point. You know what to expect and it delivers every time.
Certainly isn’t cheap and you get good value for the money.
RE: consistency!
That’s the point. You know what to expect and it delivers every time.
Certainly isn’t cheap and you get good value for the money.
Posted on 2/16/25 at 6:06 pm to Barrister
Seriously…
I think you’ll have a great time. Unique experience. And if you have any questions, just ask away.
I think you’ll have a great time. Unique experience. And if you have any questions, just ask away.
Posted on 2/16/25 at 7:43 pm to Nole Man
How was the Danube Waltz?
That has a lot in common with the second half of the one we are getting ready to take.
Any advice?
That has a lot in common with the second half of the one we are getting ready to take.
Any advice?
Posted on 2/16/25 at 9:07 pm to Barrister
To all the experienced Viking River cruisers who have responded: I'm somewhat of a light sleeper. How bothersome was the typical rocking of the ship when docked at a river port at night due to other vessels passing by? Could you really sense the rocking or were some type of stabilizers designed into the ship features to minimize rocking? Sound wise was there noise involved from either the rocking motion or from the ships anchoriage against a port dock?
Posted on 2/16/25 at 9:36 pm to swampgrizzly
The ship doesn’t rock at all on the river. There are no waves like there are on the ocean. It is nice and calm.
Posted on 2/16/25 at 10:05 pm to Barrister
Posted on 2/16/25 at 11:54 pm to Barrister
I’ve done the Seine, Danube, and Venice on Uniworld cruises.
Yes, the overall crowd is 60+
I’ve always been with a travel group of 4 or 5 couples, so the rest of the passengers are of no importance to us
Food and service are top notch, staff and tour guides are extremely intelligent and at least bi-lingual.
We always do a pre or post stay associated the departing or arriving destination.
I will be on the Rhine in September. We love these trips and try to do them bi-annually.
Yes, the overall crowd is 60+
I’ve always been with a travel group of 4 or 5 couples, so the rest of the passengers are of no importance to us
Food and service are top notch, staff and tour guides are extremely intelligent and at least bi-lingual.
We always do a pre or post stay associated the departing or arriving destination.
I will be on the Rhine in September. We love these trips and try to do them bi-annually.
Posted on 2/17/25 at 9:09 am to swampgrizzly
quote:
To all the experienced Viking River cruisers who have responded: I'm somewhat of a light sleeper. How bothersome was the typical rocking of the ship when docked at a river port at night due to other vessels passing by? Could you really sense the rocking or were some type of stabilizers designed into the ship features to minimize rocking? Sound wise was there noise involved from either the rocking motion or from the ships anchorage against a port dock?
Here's what kind of noise you might expect to hear on a Viking River Cruise...
Viking ships typically cruise at night to the next port. You might hear them arriving early in the morning. Thrusters moving the ship in place. Staff securing the boat. Jostling back and forth.
You are sometimes moored next to another ship. You might hear the crew or other guests talking.
If you're going through a lock, you might hear the boat rising or water flowing in or out of the lock.
FYI..I've always used a "sound machine app" on my phone at night and it drowns out any kind of noise perfectly fine.
Posted on 2/17/25 at 9:09 am to Barrister
My wife and I have done three Viking Cruises - twice just the two of us and once with another couple. The pre-cruise and post-cruise extensions have been great (Budapest, Prague, Lucerne, Amsterdam, Florence and Athens), but we have enjoyed the cruise itself. We have met many great people, shared libations and fantastic foods, but the shore excursions were also great (some were expensive, but worth the money). We flew in a single-engine plane around Hitler's Eagle's Nest, toured the WWII Concentration Camp at Mauthausen, Austria, toured the Colmar Pocket Museum and Battlefield (where Audie Murphie won a MoH), did a great pub crawl through Cologne. I never got bored on the cruise!
Posted on 2/17/25 at 9:21 am to geauxpurple
quote:
How was the Danube Waltz?
That has a lot in common with the second half of the one we are getting ready to take.
Any advice?
Sure!
This route typically starts in Budapest and ends in Passau. I found this nice summary...
The Viking Danube Waltz cruise takes you through some of the most picturesque regions in central Europe. Here's a brief overview of the itinerary:
Vienna, Austria: Start your journey in the capital city known for its stunning architecture, classical music, and rich history.
Wachau Valley, Austria: Enjoy the scenic beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage site, with charming villages and vineyards along the Danube.
Budapest, Hungary: Explore the vibrant city split by the Danube River, with its historic Buda Castle, thermal baths, and lively nightlife.
Bratislava, Slovakia: Discover the charming capital of Slovakia, with its medieval old town and beautiful castle.
Dürnstein, Austria: Visit this picturesque village known for its ruined castle and excellent wine.
Passau, Germany: Experience the charm of this German town at the confluence of three rivers, including the Danube.
My $.02..
Spend at least 3 days pre/post cruise in Budapest. One of the most amazing cities in the world. So much to do. Visit the Jewish Synagogue. The "Hospital in the Rock". Go out to Memento Park to see where they stored all the Soviet era statues.
We hired a car after Passau to go to Munich and spent 5 days after the cruise. Took day trips to the amazing Neuschwanstein Castle and Rothenburg. Later went to spend 3 days in Salzburg to do my bucket list trip to see Krampus! Did a day trip to the beautiful city of Hallstatt.
So much to see and do in the region.
Posted on 2/17/25 at 10:04 am to Nole Man
Thanks. Can’t wait.
We end in Budapest and are taking the post cruise extension to Prague.
We end in Budapest and are taking the post cruise extension to Prague.
Posted on 2/17/25 at 11:47 am to geauxpurple
We took a pic with Ronald Reagan's statue not far from the Parliament building in Budapest. Caught us off guard.
Led to an interesting conversation about their currency not being stable enough to be accepted by the Euro. Our guide explained how many people there long for the days of Communism b/c their lives were better then.
This was post Covid in '21, Uniworld's first cruise after.
Led to an interesting conversation about their currency not being stable enough to be accepted by the Euro. Our guide explained how many people there long for the days of Communism b/c their lives were better then.
This was post Covid in '21, Uniworld's first cruise after.
Posted on 2/17/25 at 1:31 pm to geauxpurple
quote:
Thanks. Can’t wait.
We end in Budapest and are taking the post cruise extension to Prague.
Now, that's another topic! My FAVORITE city in the world.
If you can swing it, highly recommend going to Ceský Krumlov and spending a few nights.
Nice Video!
We hired a driver from Prague that took us there and came back for us.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News