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Though the balconies, which Viking calls verandahs, are not as wide as you'll find on oceangoing ships, there is still room on each for two straight-backed mesh outdoor chairs and a tiny wooden table. Longship balconies add square footage to typically compact river cabins (205 square feet each), a notable bonus when most river ship staterooms offer, at best, the sliding glass door openings termed "French balconies." This article highlights the European river cruises aboard the Viking Longboats. The sizes of the ships are designed specifically for the rivers they ply (e.g., they need to navigate the sometimes narrow waterways and any locks along the way). Viking ships all sport calming Scandinavian decor and are designed efficiently.
Guests & Socializing
Since we booked through our travel agent, Viking sent her the final travel documents, and she checked them before passing them on to us. You can sign up for excursions from your account on MyVikingJourney.com prior to your trip. Sometimes optional excursions sell out, although there are usually some available once you’re on the ship. Please note that Viking requires at least 48 hours’ cancellation notice if you are on the ship and decide not to go on an optional excursion. River cruises are designed for the mature traveler as Viking guests must be 18 years old. Many of the guests are retired, but there were quite a few still working or recently retired.
Veranda Suites
They also have a different type of balcony that makes them feel more spacious than their square footage suggests. Sometimes there’s a lot of river cruise ship traffic in popular cities. This was true in Passau, a city of over 50,000, and especially in heavyweights like Vienna and Budapest.
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This practice continues through all the classes of staterooms, with the standard staterooms getting the last optional booking options. Having said this, there are often opportunities to book optional excursions once you board the ship. This is because some guests may have canceled their planned optional excursions prior to the cruise, so it’s a good practice to check on this and any other concerns once you’re on board. An impressive 39 cabins on Middle and Upper Decks have real balconies, a wonderful and highly touted addition that allows you to take in the views gliding past in virtual privacy.
Soothing, minimalist colors — think creams, grays and lighter blues — are the order of the day. The bottom line is that you'll be much less flummoxed when trying to choose the perfect cabin for you on a Viking ocean ship than when trying to choose a cabin on most other vessels. Viking Astrild and Viking Beyla were custom built for the Elbe River.
Expert Review of Viking Kari - Cruise Critic
Expert Review of Viking Kari.
Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:51:54 GMT [source]
EXPLORER SUITE - With only 2 on a ship, these exclusive suites are located at the aft of the Upper Deck, and at 445 square feet, they are some of the largest suites in the entire river cruise industry! The living room is perfectly situated in the corner, providing views out the back and side of the ship, and boast a large sofa, chairs, and a desk. The bedroom is separated from the living space and offers a queen size bed and flat screen tv. The bathroom features a large walk in shower, and the luxurious heated floors. Outside is an expansive wrap-around veranda with table and chairs, so you can enjoy your morning coffee while sailing past some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The generous space in this suite makes it the perfect place to relax with friends.
Viking 360° Ship Tours
VERANDA SUITE - An upgraded option, the Veranda Suite provides a much larger space than the traditional staterooms. The door opens to a living room with a couch, table, and a comfy chair right next to the step out balcony where you can enjoy your morning coffee while watching the world go by! There is a separate bedroom space that also boasts a French balcony, flat screen tv, and ample storage. The bathroom is much larger than those in the classic staterooms, with heated floors and a large shower.
River + Ocean Combination
When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Viking operates ships with a very easy-to-understand array of cabins, unlike some of its competitors. In a similar nod to functionality and ease of use, Viking had the remote controls for cabin televisions specially designed so they would only have a few buttons. As part of the Viking Health & Safety Program, we regularly train our local partners, including motor coach drivers and tour guides. While ashore, Viking’s measures will always meet or exceed local guidelines.
Having to dock the ship next to another cruise ship also means that the view from your stateroom could be blocked and your cabin could be a bit dark. We were docked next to other ships several times on our 15-day cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. It’s not a deal breaker for us, but it’s something every river cruise guest should be forewarned about. For more details on the areas designed for guest comfort, read the illustrated guide to the Viking River Cruise ship’s common areas. As noted above, though, you'll only find the latter two types of cabins on Viking ocean ships. Viking currently operates nine traditional ocean ships aimed at the English-speaking market and two oceangoing expedition ships.
Enjoy fresh air in your stateroom, knowing that all staterooms on Viking ocean, river and expedition ships feature independent air handling units that do not share air with other areas of the ship. Take comfort in knowing that the air in the public areas of your ship has also been purified with high-density filters, which kill 99% of all airborne viruses and bacteria. The exceptional Explorer Suites on board Viking Longships feature separate sleeping and sitting rooms, a wraparound veranda with 270° views, a French balcony and hotel-style amenities. Understated, elegant interiors feature our signature Scandinavian design that never upstages the destination, and thoughtful details throughout are chosen specifically with comfort in mind. This video provides a closer look at the design of our state-of-the-art Egypt vessels, which are built specifically to navigate the Nile River.
Our preferred day at a town where we were docked included a morning walking tour (an included excursion) to get the lay of the land. In the afternoon, we followed up on some of the suggestions the local guide from the morning had regarding how to spend the remainder of the day. That worked well as we enjoyed some nice non-touristy lunches and other walks and tours on our own.
And, despite a waterproof seal at the bottom of the glass door, the size of the facility makes it difficult to avoid puddles on the bathroom floor. Our elegant, award-winning Viking Longships are recognized for their innovative design allowing for river cruising’s first-ever true (two-room) suites. Complete with a full-size veranda, these Viking Suites offer more space and comfort, early check-in, a welcome bottle of champagne and more. We learned this the hard way one day, and we realized that we actually prefer exploring the little towns that we dock at more.
The general experience on all Viking River cruise ships is the same, no matter what ship you’re on. However, the information in this article is from our Grand European Tour cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest aboard the Skirnir and Modi (more on the two ships later). Once you’ve booked a Viking cruise, take the next steps, like creating an online account with Viking, to ensure a wonderful adventure. Inside, the rooms are impeccably designed and customized for convenience (with a couple exceptions, noted later).
Some guests preferred to stay in the Lounge and simply relax, read a book, or enjoy the view beyond the big plate glass window or take in the views from the sun deck. You’ll find Viking River cruises throughout Europe, Egypt, and Southeast Asia. Also, Viking offers options to add a few days in the first or last destination before and after a cruise. These questions are probably some of the ones rumbling around in your head. Keep reading and hopefully, the following information will help you understand the difference between the suites and staterooms on Viking River Cruise ships. Both of the first two categories of balcony cabins come with minibars stocked with complimentary soft drinks, water and snacks.
Once everyone was accounted for, we were able to leave, return our life vests to our stateroom, and resume what we were doing. On all river cruises, guests are offered one complimentary shore excursion at every destination. In addition, quite a few “optional” excursions are available at an extra cost.
Every single passenger room on all 11 of the vessels is either a balcony cabin or a suite with a balcony. As previously mentioned, that's highly unusual in the cruise business. There are times when river cruise ships have to have guests disembark a ship and then board a sister ship.
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