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Viking River Cruises

r/b Viking Pride

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Steven Champion
# previous cruises: 10 to 20
Date of Trip: April 4, 2004
Itinerary: European Rivers

River Cruising is a whole different world from ocean cruising and most find it a pleasant surprise. These are small, intimate ships with about 150 passengers, excellent service and the best way to see Europe. Visiting a city or town has never been easier as the ship usually docks right in downtown and you simply walk right off the ship to the heart of everything and local sites. Overall, Viking River Cruises provides an excellent cruise and the Viking Pride was a comfortable ship.

You are immediately aware of the fact that windows are all around you, everywhere. You see the change of scenery no matter where you are and it's fascinating. Public areas are bright and modern and relaxing. The main lounge can seat all passengers, has nice furnishings and windows on three sides. An excellent bar is in the heart of the lounge. There is a small dance floor. A domed skylight adds even more light. The library adjoins the lounge and main entrance hall. It is small but seats maybe a dozen people and has games, books and local newspapers. The entrance hall has the main reception area and another sitting area at the top of the stairs. On the outside, surrounding the lounge inside, is the promenade and a great place to sit and watch the world go by. The sundeck is huge and has more than enough lounge chairs and, weather permitting, the place to spend the day when cruising. At the stern is the dining room. There is one sitting for all passengers and it's wonderful to have dinner looking out at the passing towns and villages.

Overall, service is excellent. The ship is small enough that the crew really gets to know you and it is reflected in the high level of service everywhere. The food is ample, well prepared and presented and actually tasted fresh and more like a restaurant than the mass, banquet food of the big cruise ships. Breakfast and lunch are buffets but also allow orders from the menu. There is an afternoon tea and evening snacks in the lounge later.

A big surprise are the cabins. The deluxe cabins are large, with excellent furnishings and more storage room that seen on almost any ship. The huge picture window allows plenty of light and many of the cabins have opening windows as well. There is television, a safe, and the usual hotel amenities. The bathroom is large, bright and not at all cramped. The standard cabins on the lower deck are indeed small, but the lower price reflects that.

There is an entertainer on board that plays keyboard in the afternoon and evenings. The crew does a good job keeping some activities going with bingo, a crew show and the like. But, this is low key entertainment and the itinerary and cruise are the show here, not a broadway revue.

Typically, the ship stops at two ports each day. Shore excursions are included in the price making these cruises an even better value. There is no health club or spa aboard, but if you need that, you are in towns often enough to find a gym ashore or go for a run. You can even leave the ship if you wish to visit a town longer and simply catch up with it at the next port. Sitting on the sundeck on a sunny day watching the world go by is a real treat.

The majority are older though the passenger range is from the twenties up. Most seem to be experienced travelers that have done a bit of everything. The atmosphere is casual but you get the sense this is an upscale crowd. Most of all, everyone seems happy, friendly and outgoing.