Theresa RussellMy recent Viking Rhine River cruise was my first Viking river cruise. In fact, it was also my first European river cruise. My previous river cruises might be considered more exotic – The Yangtze and Amazon Rivers don’t exactly compare to a European river cruise. My other river cruise history includes a barge cruise with the now defunct River Barge Cruise Company on the Mississippi and a short cruise from Pittsburgh to Marietta, Ohio, on a paddle wheeler with accommodations off the boat.
The multiple riverboats lining the banks when I visited Amsterdam and Rotterdam, which were ports on my ocean cruises, piqued my interest in learning more about European river cruising. And I was eager to see how a Viking river cruise compared to my previous experiences. So, onward to Basel we went!
Viking River Cruise Considerations
Payment Policies and Planning
One crucial difference for travelers accustomed to mainstream ocean cruises is Viking’s unique payment structure. Viking operates on significantly different deposit requirements and final payment timelines compared to traditional cruise lines, so it’s essential to review these policies carefully when booking. Given the advance planning required and potential for itinerary changes due to river conditions, comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended for any Viking river cruise.
Viking excels at guest communication throughout the planning process. From the moment you book, they provide timely updates about shore excursion selection deadlines, packing recommendations, and transfer logistics. We appreciated this attention to pre-cruise details as it helps ensure a smooth embarkation experience.
What’s Included in Your Fare
Understanding Viking’s inclusive pricing model is important for budgeting purposes. Your river cruise fare covers:
- All onboard meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Complimentary beer and wine served with lunch and dinner
- One guided shore excursion per port of call
- Complimentary WiFi throughout the vessel
- Specialty beverages including premium coffee, tea, soft drinks, and bottled water
What’s Not Included
Several amenities commonly found on ocean cruises are not available on Viking’s river vessels:
- Room service
- Fitness facilities, spa services, or swimming pools
- Casino or extensive entertainment venues
- Alcoholic beverages beyond the included wine and beer at meals
For guests who prefer premium spirits and cocktails, Viking offers the Silver Spirits beverage package, which provides access to a wider selection of wines, cocktails, and top-shelf liquors throughout the cruise.
Ship Specifications
Viking’s European longships, including the Idun, are purpose-built for river navigation. These vessels accommodate approximately 190 guests across just four passenger decks, creating an intimate atmosphere that encourages mingling and personalized service. The size ensures they can navigate Europe’s historic river locks and low bridges.
A Pre-Cruise Stay in Switzerland
Since we were traveling all the way to Europe, we decided to go a few days early and explore castles in Switzerland. Armed with a Swiss Travel Pass, we were able to travel via train, bus, and boat without worrying about buying individual tickets. With the Swiss Travel Pass, we also got free admission to many of the castles we visited and reduced admission to other attractions.
We found the ease of travel to be very convenient for us. The Swiss trains were very efficient and timely.
Arriving fairly early in Basel, we hopped on a train and ventured to Bellinzona, which has three castles listed on the UNESCO world heritage list. Despite our jet lag and our early arrival to our accommodation right across from the train station, we dumped our bags and found the bus to the first castle. We explored and headed to the next castle but after we were finished, we noticed that the bus to the third castle wouldn’t arrive for an hour, so we just walked back to town instead. Once situated in our hotel, my husband actually decided to walk back to the third castle.
The next day, we explored some of Interlaken, which just like our town is between two lakes. We then visited several castles on the way to our next destination, Lausanne. Before finally catching a train back to Basel to board Viking Idun, we stopped at Chillon Castle, set on Lake Geneva, which was definitely worth the early morning wake-up call.
We were glad that we had flown in earlier and admit it was a whirlwind tour, but life is short and we often travel this way. FOMO is strong for us. It should be noted that Viking does offer pre- and post-cruise tours. However, we had our own agenda that did not make group travel an option for us.
Boarding the Viking Idun
Fortunately, Viking Idun did not depart until 7 pm. But we learned early that flexibility is essential. Just like on expedition cruises, ports can vary given everything is dependent on the river conditions and weather. Viking was so good at keeping us abreast of the departure time and the boarding port as it did change from what was first indicated.
Armed with the new details, we decided to board as early as possible. We were met at the boarding spot by several crew members who grabbed our luggage, took us to our stateroom, and told us where we could grab lunch. We did just that and then joined our included tour of Basel. Given our pre-cruise castle explorations, the only part of Basel that we had seen was the stretch from the airport (in France) to the train station.
Following our tour, we enjoyed our first dinner in The Restaurant. By this time, the darkness overtook the river, but we could see the lights of another Viking longship ahead. We felt lucky that we had arrived a few days early, eliminating most effects of jet lag from our first day of cruising.
Our Viking River Cruise Stateroom
When we returned to our Veranda stateroom, #315, we finally had a few moments to look around more thoroughly. At 205 square feet, it seemed spacious compared to the size of many of the hotel rooms that we stayed in while in Europe. Clean and efficiently laid out, the cabin suited our needs.
We enjoyed the balcony a few times when we weren’t tied up to another Viking vessel. Although we knew that river ships rafted up, we hadn’t thought about how awkward it might be. Even so, we didn’t worry so much as we rarely stayed in our room.
Lighting in the room was good, and we had plenty of storage space for everything. We did only have carry-on though because we used the trains and dealing with large bags on trains didn’t appeal to us.
The small bathroom with heated flooring worked perfectly for us. Though, we never took advantage of the warm floors as we enjoyed very pleasant weather throughout our voyage.
We did pride ourselves on packing an extra long USB cable, which ended up being very useful, as ports were absent on one side of the bed. We did find plenty of electrical outlets for our needs and had also carried a couple of 220 plug adapters for extra power outlets.
Dining on Our Viking Rhine River Cruise
It’s so hard to describe the dining experience across the fleet especially when chefs come and go, but our wonderful chef never failed us with his menu. On Viking Idun, there are two main dining areas, The Restaurant and the Aquavit Terrace. The Restaurant resembles a typical main dining room, while the Aquavit Terrace is a more casual setup with al fresco seating.
Additionally, the Aquavit Lounge transforms into a lunch and dinner spot with a limited number of tables to complement the few tables that are in the adjoining Aquavit Terrace. We didnt’ realize until a few days into our cruise how popular this optional dining area is. On further visits, we realized that chair hogs exist even on vessels without a pool.
Of course, fish was always on the menu, as were certain other dishes that never changed throughout the cruise. The chef prepared everything á la minute, so food served at the proper temperature and with the proper spices improves any dining experience.
Breakfast consisted of a buffet with some made to order foods, like omelettes. Lunch had enough options to make it difficult to decide what to try. The same could be said for dinner. We even had a buffet spread one evening featuring local German specialties.
At lunch and dinner, complimentary selections of wine and beer are served.
Between meals, we often went to the drink station where we always found a choice of cookies and a variety of teas, coffee, and hot chocolate. This proved popular throughout the cruise since there is no food service outside of the designated dining times.
Onboard Amenities and Activities
Unlike expansive ocean vessels, the intimate Idun features just four passenger levels with a thoughtfully curated selection of amenities. The second deck houses Guest Services along with a boutique carrying Viking-branded merchandise, along with The Restaurant.
The third level offers guests a small library stocked with reading materials and board games. This deck’s centerpiece is the Lounge, which serves as the primary gathering spot for drinks and evening entertainment.
The uppermost deck provides an open-air space spanning the ship’s full length, complete with seating for scenic sailing. Additional highlights include an herb garden and a promenade track where guests can take a stroll since there is no onboard gym.
The itinerary on Viking Idun often included opportunities for two shore excursions per day or free time for independent exploration of the ports. Somehow though, the activity director left no free time empty. There were games and trivia, daily port talks, and live music in the evenings.
Learning about the modern Germans and Germany, from a German with a dry wit, needed no explanation. He engaged us throughout. When his presentation time was up, we bombarded him with questions.
Daily, we listened to the piano player during cocktail hour and again after dinner. On a few days, we enjoyed performances by special guests which included a Pop duo and also a chamber orchestra.
When in Rudesheim- trying the local coffee is a must. Even better, the staff delighted us with a sample cup. They demonstrated how to make it; mix the special coffee with Asbach Uralt brandy, dark chocolate and top it with whipped cream. A perfect end after a long day of cruising the Rhine.
The Rhine Getaway Itinerary
Our Viking Idun river cruise started in Basel and ended in Amsterdam, where the vessel turns around and heads back to Basel. We passed a variety of riverscapes, some natural and others manmade. The Rhine is a working river, so we did see industrial areas along the way, something that drew comments from some of the passengers.
Breisach, Germany
At this port, we opted for the included tour and hopped on a bus to reach the Black Forest.
I expected something quite different, but did learn about Cuckoo clocks, blown glass, and Black Forest cake, one of my favorites.
All of this takes place in a small touristy area. Although we did enjoy the cuckoo clock demonstration and the life-size cuckoo clock, the best part involved the cake. We enjoyed the demonstration, but honestly expected a sample taste of the finished product. Who wouldn’t want a taste of a dessert with five cups of heavy whipped cream, chocolate, cherries, and cherry liqueur? Slices of the cake were available for sale with a beverage. At least, I did receive the recipe to try at home.
Strasbourg, France
Strasbourg always calls to me. Its timber frame buildings, multiple canals, and cobblestone streets define this French town with a German influence. Our tour today was the included tour, which gave a nice overview of Strasbourg.
We shuttled to and from Strasbourg by bus. Our competent guide shared the history of Strasbourg. We knew that an interesting kind of flatbread pizza called Tarte Flambée could be found here and asked where we might find some. We enjoyed our free time after the guided tour and strolled to the city gates, along the river making our way to the recommended restaurant.
Seeing no foreigners there, we took a seat outside and awaited our Strasbourg special. It wasn’t just the pizza, but the following apple tart that completed the meal. Both quite delicious and worth seeking out Mama Bubbele. After our local lunch, we headed to the bus to return to Idun.
Speyer, Germany
Our guide with his red lollipop sign met us as we left the ship. For the first time, we were docked close enough to the town that we could walk. On this day, Idun then sailed ahead to meet us at the next port where we would arrive by bus.
Speyer boasts a huge cathedral. This cathedral was the focus of the tour, with free time afterwards to explore the town, which was a quite pleasant surprise. We had been told to watch for pretzel vendors, since Speyer was the birthplace of the pretzel. Although we only saw a few pretzel images, we did find that the multiple gelato stores were worth it.
After our independent discovery of Speyer, we returned to the church to visit the optional vault of this grand cathedral. Seeing a bunch of sarcophagi felt strange and since most were alike, I wasn’t sure if it was worth the extra euros. We left the cathedral and found our designated waiting spot from which our guide led us to a bus, which took us to the small town of Rudesheim, where we reboarded Idun.
Lucky for us, many of the other guests booked a group dinner in town – one of the non-included options. So, we headed to the Aquavit Terrace and found that some of the usual suspects were absent as they had gone ashore.
After engaging in yet another great meal, we left to explore Rudesheim ourselves. Rudesheim didn’t appear to be a busy town, like many places we had visited, shops closed very early – or relatively early for Americans.
We spotted a castle tower, found a path near the impressively busy train tracks and returned back to Idun for a restful evening.
Speaking of Idun, Idun is a goddess in Norse mythology. She is responsible for the magic apples of immortality. She also is associated with youth and rejuvenation, something that cruising down the River with Viking on her namesake vessel gives a sense of.
Rhine River Cruising and Koblenz, Germany
We now floated along the most scenic area of the middle Rhine. We headed up to the Sun Deck, which on this cruise should have been called the Wind Deck. It’s true we had a balcony, but castles and cathedrals skirt both sides of the Rhine most of which were on the port side. I grabbed a chair and made a windbreak with a blanket. My husband does not sit still, so he moved around the deck capturing the castles.
Viking provides a brochure of all of the sites we were seeing that matched with kilometer markers posted all along the Rhine. In addition, our delightful Cruise Director provided commentary touching on history and trivia about the castles and cathedrals as we passed.
Today, I had signed up for an optional shore excursion rated moderate. I would be without my husband, so I grabbed my cane to help with navigation. We first took a gondola over the Rhine to a spot overlooking the river and the countryside.
Our guide had met us at the base of the gondola. An actor at the local theater, this gentleman took on the persona of a spy to tell the story of the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein. Unfortunately, we did not tour the inside of this fortress.
With storm clouds brewing, I headed back to the gondala with the guide while some others chose to remain and explore independently. By the time we returned to the bottom, the rain was starting and the gangway awaited its guests.
This excursion seemed quite popular, but certainly not as exciting as what my husband did. He had opted for a challenging tour of a castle.
When back from his adventure, he relayed that I would never have been able to complete it. The bus parking was at the bottom of a steep winding road up to the castle. Some people made it only part of the way up the steep slope and returned to the bus. Others who made it to the top opted not to venture inside, which required walking on very uneven stone paths and carved stairways.
Cologne, Germany
Our cruise seemed to have just started, but we were nearing the last few days.
Cologne, famous for its grand cathedral, is also where the Eau de Cologne appeared in 1709.
Again the rain appeared, but we fortunately were inside. As we exited the cathedral, our guide pointed out interesting spots for us if we wished to explore on our own.
Plenty of historic beer halls dot the street, and several cruisers enjoyed the brews. The beers are Kölsch style, and the city seemed to take a certain pride in its beer. Pointing to a Bavarian beer hall, our guide jokingly told us to avoid it -it was Bavarian-style beer!
Along the way, our guide directed our attention to the ground where brass plates embedded in the cobblestones memorialized those forcibly removed from their homes and business. Germans seem to be very cognizant of past atrocities of the Nazis, keeping reminders like the plates so that Germans never forget this time in history.
Kinderdijk, Netherlands
Our last full day on the river, we stopped at the village of Kinderdijk, a spot with many windmills from various time periods. Some of them are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guide even wore authentic Dutch wooden shoes, lovingly painted by his wife.
He shared stories of life in this community – some people do live in these windmills. The village looked remarkably like a Van Gogh painting.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Leaving our home for the past week caused mixed feelings. We now had to take care of ourselves. On the other hand, stopping in Amsterdam led to new adventures and time to explore more of the Netherlands.
Finally, after countless cruises across the world’s oceans and rivers, we completed our first European river cruise. Viking provided us with an unforgettable experience. The slower pace was perfect for us, and the nature of the river cruise was calming. The excellent staff and crew made our cruise memorable. In fact, our Viking Rhine River cruise has inspired us to return and explore another river.
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