Best River Cruise Ever

Viking Herja Cruise Review to River Cruises - Europe

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 81

Overall rating:

4.8 out of 5
Viking Herja

11 Night The Swiss Alps To Paris (Zurich To Paris)

Sail date: November 13, 2021

Ship: Viking Herja

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 3 years ago

Review summary

Although we have been on many enjoyable ocean cruises over the past 30 years, they just don't compare with the intimacy and relaxed environment of a Viking river cruise. It was a wonderful experience for us and we can't wait to go on another Viking river cruise.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Flawless

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
The food was great; one night the chief prepared Chateaubriand and it was the best I have ever tasted.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
I did not miss not having a gym onboard as excursions offered plenty of walking exercise.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
Music was just right for the lounge. We had a fun time at 'game night' winning two bottles of champagne.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Viking service has always been excellent and this trip was no exception.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Everything was immaculate, each morning I would take an early walk on the walking track where the staff would be cleaning the glass surfaces to ensure clear views of the fall colors and castles along the Rhine.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Always cleaned while we were at a meal or touring. Beds were very comfortable providing a great nights rest.

Ports of call

MOTORCOACH TRANSFER ZURICH TO BASEL

5 out of 5
Motorcoach trip included a cog wheel train ride to the Alps with breathtaking scenery along the way and a view of the fall colors.

Basel, Switzerland

5 out of 5
Pleasant walking tour through old town.

Strasbourg, France

5 out of 5
The guided tour of the old city was enjoyable with stops for hot chocolate and shopping along the way.

Speyer, Germany

5 out of 5
After the guided walking tour, I decided to walk to the Technological Museum, a short walk from where the ship docked. If you are an aerospace fan, you will be surprised at their collection of Russian and America space relics. There is also an excellent collection of vintage cars, fire trucks, and planes.

Mainz, Germany

5 out of 5
Another excellent guided walking tour through the historical old town and church.

Koblenz, Germany

5 out of 5
Great walking tour, however, the gondola ride over the river was not yet open and I was not able to enjoy the view from above.

Cochem, Germany

5 out of 5
A short walk from the ship into the old town where we had time to just enjoy the architecture while eating German pastries from the bakery in the old town square.

Bernkastel, Germany

5 out of 5
I was most impressed with the tour of the castle and the views of the old city below.

Trier, Germany

5 out of 5
An enjoyable stop in Trier before spending most of the day in Reims where the Roman ruins were spectacular as was the Cathedral of Reims. Time on our own provided us with the opportunity to enjoy a lunch of wine, cheese, and escargot at a local café.

End Of Vacation

5 out of 5
This was the best part of the trip. Paris is my favorite city, having visited on numerous occasions, however, never having the time to visit Chateau de Versailles. So, this time we took the tour and our French guide commented that she has never seen Versailles so empty (due to COVID). It was almost as if we had the palace to ourselves.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Viking did an outstanding job having our COVID PCR test results ready for us and helping us check in at the airport.
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5 Comments

izrgreen    3 years ago

Thank you for taking the time to write a review

cruising2004    3 years ago

Thank you for sharing your experience

AuntPinkie    3 years ago

Appreciate your detailed review. Glad you your cruise.

javawoody    3 years ago

Glad you enjoyed your experience

Curt34    3 years ago

Glad you had a great cruise. Haven’t tried a river cruise yet but your review makes me more interested in one. Thanks for sharing.