This was a very good cruise. The staff and crew were great! The excursions are very good. The ship was very nice although some of the rooms are really small. The public spaces are very nice and well appointed. We would certainly sail with Viking again, but I'd probably book a larger stateroom.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We were met as soon as we got out of our taxi and our bags were carried onboard. The Program Director met us and introduced himself. We were led onto the ship and taken to our room with a minimum of red tape.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
On this ship there is one main dining room and a second potion for outdoor dining. Both are comfortable and attractive. The food was good; it was not excellent. The chef doesn't understand that some people like certain foods cooked all the way through (fish, pork, duck), but this is a common issue in France and in Europe. Some of the dishes were marvelous. The wines poured with meals were also good, or very good. If you want high end alcohol you should buy the premium alcohol package.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
This is a riverboat, not an ocean liner. There is no pool or fitness center. There is a walking track on the top deck, and there are the cities that you visit and where you dock overnight. You can get off the ship and walk or run if you want to. There were cocktails in the late afternoon and port talks each evening before dinner. They were interesting and prepared us for the tours the next day, most of which were included in the cruise fare. There were no guest lecturers and no time for them to talk to us. There was one talk selling future cruises, which you fine on every ship.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
There was a musician who played the piano and sometimes sang during the cocktail hour. It was pleasant, but there is not real entertainment. You are in a city or town overnight every night. You can go find entertainment if you want to.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
This question is not applicable because no children are permitted on this ship. I consider that a benefit.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I gave this 5 stars because everyone makes a real effort. Some of the waiters needed a bit more training, but that may simply have been a language issue. The ship is very clean and attractive, the staff really cares about the passengers, they go our of their way to help when asked.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was well designed and provides everything that is needed, with the exception of an elevator that goes to the lower deck. The rooms are small but well laid out. I will say that the shower in our room, a balcony stateroom, we pretty small. It was fine for my sister and me but if I travel on one of these ships again, but this time with my husband who is a big man, I'll have to book a balcony suite, which has a larger shower.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We upgraded from the French Balcony Stateroom, which was really small, to a Veranda Stateroom, # 207. We asked to do so as soon as we saw the first room and, once all passengers were checked in, we were told that we could upgrade for a small increase in cost - much less than if we had booked the room in advance. It had much more storage space and felt larger. There was a dresser with six drawers and a small refrigerator, and a desk/dressing table. There was also a closet with space to hang clothes as well as shelves for storage. There was still only room for one chair in the room and a stool in front of the desk. The bed was a queen, which was separated into two beds for us. This beds were very narrow, but were comfortable. The stateroom was clean and well-maintained. There were several electrical outlets (both 220 and 110) which allowed us to charge several devices at one time. The lighting options were excellent. The bathroom was small but workable.
Ship tip
There are two self-serve coffee stations which also offer cookies all day long. Sometimes there are chocolate madeleines.
The historical center of Bordeaux is beautiful. The walking tour the first night was very informative. There was another tour that was a combination of a bus tour and a walking tour. They are a good introduction to the city and you have time to explore further. You return to Bordeaux on the last day of the cruise and can take optional tours but there are no included tours. That gives you time to explore on your own.
This was a stop to let the people doing the Cognac tour get off the ship. After that we sailed to a refueling station and then to Blaye. The town looked medieval but I didn't get off the ship.
The citadel and the tour of it were interesting but the city had little to offer. I wish that we had been given a better description of the morning walking tour of Blaye the next day. The people who took it said it was great!
We had to be out of the rooms at 8:00 AM but there was no pressure to get off the ship. We had a relaxed breakfast and then had our final covid tests to provide a document that would allow us to return home to the US. We could have stayed on the ship till lunch but didn't.
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