This was our first river cruise, and Viking certainly lived up to it;s reputation of being one of the finest. We were very happy with the ship, staff, itinerary and side trips. From the time we were picked up at the airport by the Viking staff until our departure, we were well cared for both on and off the ship. The cruise director, captain and crew, waiters, room stewards, and the entire staff did everything possible to make sure that we were enjoying our trip.
Our visit to the Lazar Horse Farm outside Budapest was the perfect end to a wonderful vacation. This was my new best friend, it was love at first sight.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food quality was excellent with many diversified selections at each meal. We especially enjoyed the local food and drinks which were offered on many occasions.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The onboard activities were not for those who are looking for the excitement of a large cruise ship. River cruising is meant to be relaxing and our cruise allowed us to enjoy each other's company each night in the lounge with occasional local talent brought in to entertain. An better area, suitable for playing cards would have been appreciated, but with such an active daily schedule, we were happy to have the laid back atmosphere. The wonderful 24 hour specialty coffee/beverage brewer and homemade cookies and muffins were much appreciated.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Our on board entertainer was an amazing talent, providing us with everything from lovely background music, to lively pop music to enjoy or dance to. We also enjoyed the special local talent which came on board in several ports to entertain us.
Children's Programs
NA
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The entire staff was wonderful! They went out of their way to provide prompt cheerful service in every phase of the cruise.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The beautiful Vikeng Embla was a sleek, modern ship. Our veranda cabin was lovely with every space designed to be useful. We had plenty of closet and drawer space, and the shower was actually large enough to be able to bend over and retrieve dropped soap. Our cabin steward, Corina, was one of the best we've ever had. Nothing was too much trouble, and she was great at working around our schedule.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The Veranda Stateroom was lovely as I stated above.
Ship tip
The Viking Embla was a newer, modern ship. We loved he idea of the veranda, but we didn't really use it much because of the locks and cool weather. I feel that a French Balcony would have been fine also because you still have the large sliding glass doors which open to the outside.
We were all determined to get off and enjoy the windmills at Kinderdijk, so we took our large Viking umbrellas and started out. Unfortunately, it was cold, windy, and pouring rain, so many of us tried but decided it wasn't worth getting soaked. If it's raining and cold, I would pass because quite a few of us got colds.
Lovely, but I would advise against the castle tour and ride the cable car to the fortress instead. The ground was wet in the castle and the walk was slippery and treacherous. Several people fell because there was nothing to hold on to once you started down the walk to return. We felt that our tour guide should have let people know about those conditions before we were in that situation.
This is a great stop because it's easy to leave the ship and travel by subway into the city to visit the various sites. We went to the big art museum, and although it had a wonderful Egyptian exhibit, and a lot of art, we were told that there was a nearby art museum with lots of Impressionist paintings which would have been more to our liking.
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