Beware if you have dietary restrictions...YOU WILL STARVE!!

Viking Forseti Cruise Review to Europe

mustangmaddi

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 99

Overall rating:

2 out of 5

7 Night Rhine Getaway Southbound (Amsterdam To Basel)

Sail date: December 21, 2013

Ship: Viking Forseti

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 10 years ago

Review summary

This had to be the most disappointing vacation I've ever been on. We booked this cruise 7 months earlier, and repeated asked if Viking could accomodate our vegetarian gluten free diets. We were assured we would be well-fed and the food would be delicious. Not so!! It appears all that was done in preparation for our visit was to buy gluten free bread and pasta. The head chef obviously had no idea what a vegetarian ate, so we rarely got any protein other than the eggs on the buffet at breakfast. Night after night we suffered through plates of vegetables, and they weren't even great..just carrots, brocolli and cauliflower steamed on a plate! You could tell the poor waiters, who were very nice, were very embarassed at what they were serving us. On top of that, nowhere in the brochure did it mention that there would be almost no open stores to shop in during the week we were going at Christmas! I almost jumped overboard!! And besides this, our shower tiny shower leaked under the curb so our bathroom flooded with water every time we showered. Also our pillows would flatten to an inch high. After three stacked pillows, I managed to get a three inch lift on my head.

When I contacted someone on my return, I was offered 2 $500 credits for my husband and myself 'if we were willing to give Viking another try'. Are they kidding???????

The reason for two stars and not one is that the waiters, room cleaning person, and most of the staff were very nice and the cruise director was a sweetheart of a man who was overworked to the point of exhaustion.

If you are considering a European River Cruise, I would go elsewhere. Consider yourself warned...

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

mediocre. We got grilled cheese for Christmas Dinner dessert.

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

nonexistant

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Tours get an A. Onboard entertainment gets a C.

Children's Programs

none

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Nice group of folks.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

1 out of 5

Our tiny shower leaked.

Ship tip

YEAH..Don't get on it!!

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Amsterdam, Netherlands Did not visit port

I slept thru this. Exhausted from the plane ride.

Thumbs Up 0

Kinderdijk, Netherlands

3 out of 5

Cologne, Germany

5 out of 5

Don't go at Christmas...no shopping.

Thumbs Up 0

Koblenz, Germany

5 out of 5

No shopping at Christmas.

Thumbs Up 0

Rudesheim, Germany

5 out of 5

No shopping at Christmas.

Thumbs Up 0

Mannheim (Heidelberg), Germany

5 out of 5

No shopping at Christmas

Thumbs Up 0

Speyer, Germany

5 out of 5

Strasbourg, France

5 out of 5

Breisach Am Rhine, Germany

5 out of 5

Finally a shop is open!!!

Thumbs Up 0

Basel, Switzerland

3 out of 5

Didn't do anything here.

Thumbs Up 0

3 Comments

glomarrone 9 years ago

I am so sorry to read that Viking could not accommodate your diet restrictions. My husband called Vantage before our cruise. They assured us that they could accommodate his diet of low sodium, loe protein. They have bent over backwards each day helping him. At the end of the meal, they ask him if everything is satisfactory for him. He knows the chef by name. He even makes special meals for him. I can't thank Vantage enough for all that they have done. We are enjoying our cruise throughout France as I write. I hope that your next cruise goes smoother. Try Vantage.

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mustangmaddi 10 years ago

Wrong wrong wrong. We definitely asked them FIRST if they could accommodate our diets. If they couldn't , we definitely would have gone elsewhere. They LIED to get our money...period. I can't just 'go with it' as you suggested. I would be sick and probably would be hospitalized. We no longer have the enzymes to digest meat or fish. Your total ignorance is showing. Or....are you a Viking employee? Even Viking admitted they screwed up. Thanks so much for your compassion. This was my 'last big trip' and your lovely comment was just icing. I only hope if or when you become old and frail, you never run into a nice person like yourself. Have a wonderful life...

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Sandier 10 years ago

This type of "cruse" is not like a huge ocean liner if you had checked the size of the ship first you would have know that there is no room for all sorts of activities this type of cruse is for "relaxing"! If you want excitement go elsewhere! Also ...what did you expect at Christmas time? Other countries take that holiday a lot more seriously than the US does! They spend their time at home with family. You also need to realize that your eating habits are your responsibility...you could have eaten what was served but you chose not to. It' s a strange country...if you had just "gone with it" you may have had a great time! But you chose to be malcontents! You could have gone right back to you way of eating as soon as you returned home! It's not the cruse lines problem that you choose a way of eating that is not the norm where they are from. When visiting a different country their cultures are different than ours you should be respectful of them but it seems that way to many Americans are not, that's why they don't care much for Americans! And if your eating habits are for strictly medical reasons, maybe you should bring your own food or stay home and stop complaining! Your diet and any other habits you may have are your problems and no one else should have to be annoyed by you or your habits! Be a little more considerate and just go with it! Really if you are in that bad of ill health that you will get so ill or die from going off your preferred diet, then you need to stay home!

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