River Cruises - All Cruise Reviews

We wanted a nice relaxing cruise for the holiday, someplace where the temps were moderate for that time of year and somewhere in the US. We chose the American Cruise Line and were on the American Jazz out of New Orleans. The excursions we chose were informative and even entertaining due to the history guides and bus drivers. The best though was the Thanksgiving meal that was provided, of course turkey plus three other types of meat, various sides to numerous to mention and a table of deserts. And I did not have to prepare one thing! That was the table talk among the ladies at our table. We decided this was the best way to spend Thanksgiving. I did have a moment of pity for the chef who put out this spread-but he at least had an army of helpers to prepare AND clean up. I think next year I need to be aboard another ACL ship somewhere.

This cruise was a bit different even for Viking as the Rhine was closed to traffic due to low water levels midway through our cruise. But Viking had the wherewithal to create an alternate plan which enabled us to complete our voyage with only a loss of half day when they had to bus us from Strasbourg to Rudesheim. My hats off to Viking for coming up with a plan in a half day's time and executing it flawlessly.

All the staff were excellent. Helpful when you needed it. Our cabins were clean (a little small), food was excellent. Tours were very informative. Did not like to have to wear a mask while on ship, especially that everyone was vaccinated, so did not understand the mask mandate. Over-all everything was great

Black Forest stop took us to a commercial store beside a highway 👎 Views while cruising are nonexistent until Middle Rhine. 👎. Lots of walking needed at each port to get to the transportation. Too much $ for fine dining. We prefer land travel to be closer in towns. Next time we would take a local day ship in the Middle Rhine & travel by train in the region!!! Too much ship time, not enough local time without paying more for the optional trips 👎

Ship was clean and comfortable. Itinerary had many nice ports of call and sitting on the top deck to nice watch the countries go by. Service and food were very good. I have never had a disappointing Viking cruise.

This was one of the best vacations we've ever had. Enjoyed every moment.

My husband and I -- both frequent travelers with American Cruises Lines -- had a wonderful time cruising the Puget Sound and San Juan Islands. Since we are from the East Coast, these two weeks gave us the opportunity to visit a part of the country with which we were unfamiliar. And, because of the length of the journey, we got a chance to participate in lots of wonderful excursions. Getting a chance to take a jet boat adventure was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And the whale watching is not to be missed. Not even were the whales visible during the whale-watching excursions, they were visible on many occasions -- one of which it seemed that two of them decided to put on a performance for we travelers. Fun and exciting! While all of the excursions were worthwhile, highlights included Hurricane Ridge, the Lavender Farm and Deception Pass. Also, among the many positives with an ACL cruise is the spacious room and wonderful bath. We had plenty of room and storage space to accommodate all our needs. Finally, though, the most important plus we have found with every ACL cruise is the staff -- always helpful, courteous, and smiling. They are especially gracious and helpful to passengers that need a little extra help. All ACL passengers are blessed with such a fine group of people.

I wasn’t allowed to rate the ports of call…….all were great except for Salzburg. It should be known that we did not get the “Sound of music” tour that was expected. It was disappointing, I can say this because we did this cruise before with Salzburg. Had we known we would have done the tour to the Cesky Krumlov. We brought first timer friends on this cruise and bragged about the tour, embarrassed and disappointed.

This truly was the trip of a lifetime. The included free tours were very worthwhile. They locals they hire are knowledgeable and entertaining. We had several add-ons as well that turned out to be excellent too. We are bitterly disappointed that we only got 5 days on the ship, but we did find the German surgeons and aftercare to be high quality. We will find out how good the trip insurance is...

This was our first experience and far exceeded out expectations. It was wonderful. What we enjoyed the most was that we could set our own pace...and participate in the excursions if we felt up to it, or we could pass and just relax on the ship. Also, the coffee bar was so great! Thank you to all!!

The Columbia/Snake river on The American Pride was truly amazing. We had an incredible crew that took care of us. The speaker, David Miller not only delivered a great lecture on Lewis and Clark expedition, but enhanced our experience by displaying artifacts and foliage of the region. David gave us information about the many locks we went through. Lots of historical facts. Arts and crafts classes also enhanced the experience as the art instructor taught us watercolor paintings, and crafts related to the region. Diana, the hotel manager onboard taught yoga in the mornings. The food was excellent and services are superb. All these took place while cruising along spectacular sceneries. The ports we stopped along the way, were very interesting and historical. Two weeks wasn’t enough to capture all the beauty of this region. I couldn’t stop taking pictures. My friends were amazed at the incredible pictures I shared with them.

Outstanding staff, great ship, great food, great itinerary

My trip on the Vidar with Viking: My flight was changed three times due to the quarantine change with the Netherlands so I lost my flight on Icelandair. This made it difficult to get a PCR test on time for the flight as times kept changing; I had to reschedule four times! The flight I took had me going to Newark New Jersey one of the least vaccinated places for a long layover over six hours. The Air Canada flight there only had salmon as the meal or vegan quinoa neither I could eat. So I ate two pouches of pretzels and mineral water. United Airlines was not aware I had mobility issues so boarding was very stressful but a stewardess bought me a sandwich, drink and banana. After six hours on the bench I was a mess. The plane had maintenance issues so we deboarded then reboarded. Once I arrived in Amsterdam we waited two hours for the bus stuck in traffic then we were transported to the ship. My mattress was only four inches thick atop a metal platform with no box spring and was very lumpy. It was extremely uncomfortable, with no fitted sheets and just a duvet covering. Very hard to sleep and left me very stiff in the morning. Someone had mashed a lady bug in the bathroom and the smell lingered for the whole trip. There was constant noise of a generator night and day in suite 337 even when on shore power. The ventilation system ingested diesel fumes and cigarette smoke from the upper sun deck smoking area and pumped it into my room. I have breathing issues due to ALS so for me it was a serious issue. This happened whenever a ship docked next to my ship (started and reported sept 24 in Passau continued daily/nightly), also whenever buses idled on the dock. I brought this to the attention of the concierge and nothing was done about it. Apparently housekeeping checked the room and said it was now clear. I spoke to the manager about people constantly coming into my room without knocking when I was undressed. Even if I yelled “wait” or “coming in a second.” They even ignored do not disturb signs. She explained that they needed a covid sample. I had tried to send the sample with housekeeping to the office but they had refused to take it. I called the office after dinner and asked for a bathrobe to be delivered so I could send my sample to reception. I waited over an hour and no one showed up. I rang reception 30 rings and no pickup this was common whenever I called. It was now late and I was jetlagged. I was naked and getting into the shower when someone began opening the door! I shouldered it closed because he ignored me yelling not to. The person said they would return soon. I put clothes on and waited for the returning person. An hour goes by so I hop in the shower. Then I put a do not disturb sign on my door and go to bed with BIPAP machine running. Two hours later I get phone calls. I get up and provided the sample to someone from reception. The issues with people coming into the room continued with people walking in late at night despite the do not disturb sign. I had to write notes to housekeeping to open the glass water bottles provided as I was unable to open them. I also wrote notes asking for the mattress coversheet to be changed. It was changed once in weeks. A sign on the bathroom wall said towels will only be changed if put in the sink for environmental reasons. Despite leaving soiled towels in the sink they were often put back on the rack even if wet or soiled. Leaving signs on doors asking for room cleaning often were not cleaned. Leaving tips did not make a difference. My attendant A**x even left his pass key in my room for a full day so I could rummage through others rooms! Lucky for them I turned it in at reception they did not seem to care. The Russian manager of the hotel part of the ship just kept saying “what can I do for you?” She never fixed the issues reported. Calls to the reception desk often were ignored despite 30 rings. Many of the concierge people had very poor English skills and seemed confused by my requests and concerns. B********a was particularly bad his behaviors were confusing and rarely solved the problem. For example he could not book a restaurant for me and gave me a printout on the Sacher Hotel but not in English. You got different information from different people they mostly did not know what was going on. These problems persisted until I left the Vidar. Food was not consistent; one day it would be good the next day it would be awful. I had to send back burnt food and wrong orders. The maitre- d' did not supervise service and thus there were long wait times and tables ignored. Many dishes were weird combinations cooked sous vide with no seasoning. There was no consistency in service or team approach. Many issues were caused by poor language skills. The bartender who was Filipino was excellent and did far more then the others in the lounge. Dishes I had previously eaten at restaurants were prepared in unusual ways and lacked seasoning. Food in general was bland and not always hot. Service was inconsistent Dennis and Vladimir were excellent servers others fooled around and ignored guests. Language issues constantly resulted in strange orders and delivery of the wrong or no food. Servers constantly referred to guests as Sir or Madam then first name. So I was Sir Scott. This was kind of odd. Some appeared not to have been trained. French service is usually: serve from the right remove from the left. I saw drop down over my head, walk around us to window then drop food with both hands. Even reach in front of me with right arm elbow touching my nose to hand food to lady on my right. The Maitre-d' on the Liff watched and caught missed tables and directed meal pacing a few times. Some food just never showed up and we got it from the buffet ourselves. There was often food on chairs and floors from previous meals. Most of the tours were moderate or extreme for walking. I was very limited in what I could participate in because of this. The onboard glassblowing demonstration was excellent; the taste of Austria dinner was good. The presentation on coffee and Mozart was good. The Miltenburg walking tour met my expectations but I was abandoned on a public bench I could not get off of. It was too low; I was saved by a fellow passenger. The tour guide was good and slowed down after that. The Wurzburg Residence & Walk was boring and the guide did very little, there were no descriptions of the interior we just walked around on our own. Panoramic Vienna was also very boring we just walked from a park to another church. I only enjoyed what I did after I left the group and made my own way around Vienna. Many trips were cancelled without notice. Colognes beer culture and dinner was overpriced and the food was terrible. The guide (P***r) seemed to be running some scam with the bars he took us to, as the group did not drink much but what little they drank was not beer but the bars gave receipts for beers. The guide drank continually. The bars he took us to were empty and like museums. I was not allowed to go to Ehrenbreitstein fortress they said I booked too late. Surviving the war art in Nuremberg was a terrible tour of a dark, damp and smelly cellar. I left the group and had fun outside. I was charged for a soft drink during the complementary champagne meeting on the first night 3.80 euros. I was even charged for a glass of apple juice which was unfair since I do not drink alcohol do to my ALS. I paid €100 to the three servers who did a good job. Despite the issues that were occurring. There was a collision early in the morning while approaching a lock on the fourth day. I happened to be up and went to the reception desk they were running around trying to find out what had happened. There was no water for the sink or shower on the 18th, and the sink would not drain on the 19th. The furniture was low and uncomfortable and hard to get out of in the lounge and lobby. All guests mentioned this even with no mobility issues. The bathroom was far too small and the toilet was much too low. There was poor ventilation and the lock to the veranda was too stiff to use. The best guides I experienced were Moe in Cologne and the guide from Detroit in Miltenburg. The entertainment system had jagged lines, pauses and poor sound. The TV and movies were dated and the Internet was often offline. Laundry was overpriced and often came back unclean. There were spider webs and insects in the cabin for days see photos attached. There was a general lack of information even if you read the daily flyer religiously. They need to hire a special needs consultant for advice; those on the trip with health issues struggled with the setup. A consultant can address mobility issues regarding heights of chairs and toilets. There were no hand rails or lights in the Cologne dock. The stone stairs were a serious falling risk in pitch darkness. Bratislava: guests found out on social media that the lock between Bratislava and Budapest was broken due to a collision with a barge. We knew a week before we got to it but Viking played it down. We found out we would be bussed two hours to Budapest so we packed up got coloured slips put on our luggage based on who was flying out or heading to Bucharest. The bus stopped just after crossing the border three busloads of people lined up for two pay toilets. I used the bus toilet I just could not wait, it was dark and difficult to use. We were bused around Budapest doing rolling sight-seeing. Then we boarded a river boat for a buffet the Americans attacked it from both sides like children cleaning it out. The food was awful and they left it in piles on their plates. I got a slice of bread some cucumber salad, cheese and mineral water as the food was not restocked. The glass dining room was broiling hot without air conditioning and windows were dogged shut. Then back on the bus and back to Castle Hill Fortress in Buda. Four of us were sick of climbing the hill and asked if we could ride back to the Hotel. We were told no by the guide then we asked if we could cab it. Told “No cabs never come up here.” This was a lie there was a cab stand by the castle, also two dozen drove past us while we sat on benches. We would soon find out why they did not want us at the Hilton. When we got to the Hilton we had to walk a confusing route through the converted monastery. Had lots of stairs and corridors to climb while hauling a heavy backpack. Got to lobby hungry and exhausted it was clear the tour I had paid for wasn’t happening. Oops Viking had failed to book rooms for people continuing to Bucharest and a few of those flying out. A near riot occurred with twenty-five people yelling and screaming. I sat and watched and told Wez Westcock the entertainment coordinator I wanted off the ship and would be staying in Budapest it was now close to 7 pm. He said it was too late to get a flight that night and to sleep on it. I decided to have a shower and eat. The buffet had obviously sat out all day it was bad: dried out duck legs etc. There were no servers and not enough seats! They finally opened a third room and I ate with a couple from Kenora who were happy to be going home they were also sick of disappointing food and screw ups. The hotel room was beautiful with a stunning view of Budapest but it had two double beds so my feet stuck out a foot but so comfortable after the lumpy shelf. Complimentary breakfast in the Hilton was excellent and far better than anything Viking had provided. We had to have our luggage in the lobby by 8 am for some reason. We then sat in the lounge until twelve waiting for the Liff to dock or buses to arrive. I told Wes I was not continuing and would stay in Budapest. He convinced me to return to the ship and settle my bill and have lunch. I would get my travel info and find out if a refund was available for the rest of the trip. Sadly I foolishly agreed. We got on the bus went to the Liff and I spoke to D****n R********c the hotel manager about issues and my leaving. He moved my room to 305 to prevent a repeat of exhaust and noise. He offered two mattresses to make the bed comfortable and he provided a cleaner to unpack and put away my stuff. He said they were booking my flight and he was waiting for an email about my refund. They put three cartons of apple juice in my fridge and gave me a plate of strawberries and chocolates. I called reception and told them my phone charger was missing. My European Sim card did not work and the internet was down. They said they would call the Hilton about it. It was getting dark and the ship would soon sail I saw Wez and was told by him and D****n that there were no flights available and I would have to leave tomorrow! I was now stuck on board for the next three days with no internet and they had my passport for customs checks. I spoke to reception about needing to have a usb-c charger they did not have one. I spoke to D****n he said he would go ashore and buy one, he didn’t. I did not get the second mattress either. I did not get my booked trip to Szetendre but was still charged for it. Computers were screwed up and did not show correct location of the boat or my purchase balance on the TV. I tried to go on provided tour which was easy level was told by M*****l S***a (reception) Wez would speak to me because there was no leisure group. He didn’t they did not give me a ticket and left without me. Now only 30 people left on the boat only two or three couples from the Vidar. Food was better but the same meals from other ship. I got an excellent goulash and mushroom ragout the first night but I was starving. Service was more skilled but I was often ignored which was weird with so few people. D****n came to my table and said the flight from Belgrade would be free, I knew this was a lie because I had been told by the girl at reception it would cost $902. I asked him to put it in writing he provided a print off of Viking travel insurance flyer the next day which I was sure would not cover me. Flight was Belgrade to Munich Lufthansa economy, Munich to Toronto Air Canada business class. I had paid for business class round trip already. D****n promised the chef would go ashore and buy me a phone charger, he didn’t. The lies were piling up. I borrowed one from the reception girl who brought the flight details after three days of asking. I started Canfly which required a scan of my passport. They refused to give me my passport! When I explained the girl escorted me to my room gave me three minutes to scan it. I struggled with shaky hands. She knocked on the door, I got her to scan it and she left with my passport. Belgrade: I tried to take care of my bill they wanted my credit card number bad. I got a partial bill from the Vidar they charged 656 euro for trips laundry plus cost of flight 776.96 euro on top of this. When I totaled charges on list I got 347.80 euro. So I went down to complain to the person I had just paid in cash. I suspected I would be charged for the flight again at the airport so I wanted accurate receipts which I was just not getting. M*****l S***a blamed the Vidar and computer issues. I had been lied to so much and not given accurate itemized receipts despite having days to prepare them. I gave him 30 minutes to sort it out or I wanted the police called so I could file a report. He cobbled something together and we went over it. They had slipped 195 euro in gratuities into the bill but not the copy I was given (scan pages 1 and 2), 69 euro for Szentendre tour that never happened and the two drinks, he said he would refund those. He refunded 195 euro only. I had him sign and initial lists with paid in full zero balance. When cab arrived D****n, Chef and Maitre d headed up the gangway with my luggage through customs. I followed; they were half a soccer field away by the time I got up the ramps. They put my stuff in a cab and I was free of them. Viking refunded three trips, and laundry and two days of Amsterdam stuff. I got nothing for the charge for the flight or for the remaining trip to Bucharest. That was all lies. Also got a $500 dollar voucher I will never use since Viking is so slippery. It’s a shame I had planned to take the Barcelona to Istanbul cruise. The average age was 70 on the ship so surprised mobility issues not better addressed. Everything was half assed and rushed. Maybe better before covid. Poor experience for $25,000.

BACKGROUND: We have traveled on Viking River Cruises three times in total. The first trip was in 2014 (Romantic Danube, Veranda). The second was the Elegant Elbe in 2017 (Veranda Suite). This cruise we chose the Explorer Suite with both pre-and-both excursions. Notes on cruise of the Viking Ullur, 1-8 Sept 2021. Arrived 28 Aug 2021. Paperwork sent by Viking, regarding COVID vague and inaccurate. Implied threat that if we didn’t do what they said we would be delayed or denied the trip. Viking “Strongly Recommended” a COVID Test prior to departure. This was not “Mandatory” and if we had decided against it, we would have been denied boarding in Denver by Lufthansa. Romanian Entry Card supplied by Viking Medical Officer was not the correct form (see attachment). Nor was there any mention of COVID Screening at Bucharest Airport. The actual Romanian form is attached. The pre-excursion to Transylvania was not even close to the standards we had come to expect from Viking. The Viking Rep at the Marriott Bucharest was more interested in collecting test tubes, then facilitating guests. The first night we didn’t even receive our Welcome Letter with a plan for the coming days. The trip to Transylvania began with a stop near Ploesti, where we could visit a Romanian Mall (Carrefour), and actually change some money. The visit to the Peles Castle was abbreviated and they charged extra if you wished to film inside. The Brasov Visit was also abbreviated and further delayed by travelers who managed to get on the wrong bus and were thus unaccounted for. The following day at Bran Castle was supposed to last two hours. Instead, we were on site for 42 minutes, as travelers on our bus ran up a mini-bar bill and tried to run out on it. The whole bus paid for the delay while these people paid. Throughout this, our tour guide regaled us with stories of life under communism and how we should think about it when tipping. After Bran Castle came a lovely six-hour crawl by bus back to Bucharest. There we found that the Viking Rep. had told the Marriott to lock our Mini Bars. Very professional. The following day we opted out of a Monastery Tour (still haven’t received a refund) and spent a quiet day in the city. Following a city tour on the 1st of Sept, we bussed from Bucharest to the embarkation point for the boat. Somehow, we managed to arrive two hours late. We were met by the Hotel Manager, Eddy, and he apologized for issues we had in the pre-excursion. We also were introduced to Milana, our cabin steward. She was also the Head of Housekeeping. She was clearly not happy with her task and made it well known to us in a myriad of ways, including leaving cleaning materials in our suite and ensuring that her “cleaning” made the most of interrupting our mornings. My wife made short work of that. On the 2nd we moved from Russe, Bulgaria to our first stop, Veliko Tarnova. After breakfast we began a 2.5-hour trek to the town. This was interspersed with more tip begging by the tour guide. When the subject of currency transfer came up, the bus became animated as none of this had been facilitated. The Program Director, Sonya Bakalova, assured the guests that we would be able to change currency and all the Bulgarian shops accepted Dollars, Euros and Cards. That was the last we heard of changing currency in Bulgaria. The stop in Veliko Tarnova was nice, but it was clear that we were being steered where to shop, by the tour guide. The stop for lunch in Arbanasi proved this. I tried to purchased something at a shop “Not on the approved list” and was chased out by the owner for not using Bulgarian Currency. When I reported this to the tour guide, she actually chastised me for not visiting “her” stores. I later reported this to Program Director Sonya. She did nothing, and never did anything regarding currency issues on the ship. What Sonya did do was attach herself all day on the 2nd to a passenger who was feigning disability. She would go on to attach herself to that person for two more days (Belogradchick Rocks and Street Tour of Budapest). This was all at the expense of the other travelers on the ship. September 3rd was the tour to the Belogradchick Rocks, where the same thing with currency happened. Sonya was right there with the “Excuse of the Day”, but she did say that all of the garbage we saw along the road during the drive to the rocks she was going to address. Later in the day the passengers were called together in Vidin, where Sonya and Eddy (Hotel Manager) decided to tell us we had two positive COVID Cases. That day the two cases and four other passengers were evacuated from the ship. That evening we sailed and passed into Serbian Territory. On 4 Sept we were notified in the morning that Serbia had denied us entry into the country. Sonya decided to soften the blow by stating publicly “The trip takes you. You don’t take the trip”. At 1845 that night we were notified that Croatia had also denied us entry. Sonya and Eddy’s excuse for things was that they didn’t have any “pull” in either of these countries, but that things would be much better in Hungary, where Viking had lots of “pull”. And on we sailed, with no word whatsoever regarding what Viking was going to do to make things “right”. Throughout all of this debacle, I would have assumed some leadership from the captain. That was not to be. He was clearly a member of the NBC Club (Nothing But Crickets). And we sailed on. We reached the Hungarian Border on 5 Sept at 1845, where Eddy went forward to exercise his “pull”. We were told that the process at the border would take a couple of hours, followed perhaps by an Identity Parade (Passport photo to Face). At 2308 we were finally called from our stateroom to attend the “Parade”. Shortly thereafter, we were underway to Kalocsa, or so we thought. Apparently, a decision was made without our notification, that we would pass by Kalocsa (scheduled stop) and head straight for Budapest. We pulled in at Gate 7 in Budapest at around 1400 on the 6th. We were then subjected to a brief by Sonya of an impromptu walking tour of Budapest. Following this, we formed up into our groups and off we went. This was not before we had a great display of Viking’s Professionalism (see attachment). The security afforded by the company in Budapest was pathetic, and this included both day and night shifts. Sonya was with one group on the walk, personally attending to the needs of the gentleman previously mentioned. This was the third day on the trip where he was the sole focus of her attentions (see attachment), to the detriment of any other passenger. As a result of all the fawning attentions of Sonya, the gentleman later in the day had a “miraculous recovery” and was walking around without his cane or wheelchair, a true miracle (see attachment). The following day, 7 Sept, was spent on tours where Viking obligingly provided lunch. As my wife and I have been to Budapest before, we had been on all the tours and struck out alone. Viking couldn’t even get this right. They gave out cards that we could use with taxis, to facilitate getting back to the ship. They were wrong (see attachment)! At this point I was pleased that we hadn’t had a collision with another vessel, which Viking did in Budapest in 2019 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hable%C3%A1ny_disaster. That evening was the Captain’s Cocktail Party. Sonya pulled me aside and told me that she had made arrangements that we would have an early check in at the Intercontinental Hotel for our post-cruise excursion. When the time came, in true Viking Fashion, the taxi was late and we sat cooling out heals in the hotel lobby for two hours waiting for our room. One interesting fact was that during our time in the lobby, we observed the gentleman who was the focus of Sonya’s attention throughout the cruise. He was back in his wheelchair, obvious relapse, and was immediately escorted to his room. When I inquired of the Viking Rep in the hotel, she said that he and his wife needed to be immediately quarantined, as his wife had popped positive for COVID (4th case on the Ullur). The irony of this was infectious and makes one wonder how Sonya is fairing with her daily COVID Tests. Viking River Cruises has obvious gone through a paradigm change since our last cruise in 2017. It can be attributed to Torstein Hagen’s contentious divorce, or the selling of 23% of his holdings to a hedge fund, or the hiring of a retired USN Vice Admiral to his staff to handle Health Issues. Regardless, Viking’s Customer Service and operations have taken a fall. I personally don’t invest 20k + for an Explorer Suite and pre/post cruise options to receive this kind of treatment. Clearly, Mr. Hagen’s statement of his work ethic being based on Kindness, Honesty and Hard Work is not being practiced by his employees. We won’t be sailing with this company ever again!

Not only was the trip spectacular, but we felt completely safe with the Covid protocol on the ship and in the ports.

Overall I had a great experience. Since this was my first river cruise (used to ocean cruises), it took a little bit of time to unwind and appreciate the slower (not boring) pace. Being able to dock right in the city center was great (and convenient) too. Since we were one of the first cruises since starting back "after" Covid, we only had half capacity so we were able to get to know almost everyone on board, staff included. Made some lifelong friends and can't wait to get on the river again!

Viking really took precautions to protect us against COVID which we really appreciated. The testing was noninvasive and daily. Our program directors were great on both ships as were the ports of call, the shore excursions, and docking locations.

one excursion we took in Belgrade, best of Belgrade, included a wine tasting, while it was interesting, i would have preferred to see more of the city. i can taste wine anywhere. also because we are pescatarians, there was almost noting for us to eat at the tasting. I thought the tour was disappointing for that reason. it sounded better than it actually was.

We loved the cruise overall, but Given the price of the cruise, the activities should have been included - especially for those with the larger veranda suite. It felt as though the cost covered very little beyond food and basic drinks. The staff made the trip. We know that this was a 'first cruise' post-covid, but a little more training of service staff about the "premium alcohol" should have been given.

Great weather, mostly interesting ports, and food and wine were excellent!