Great cruise! Wonderful crew!

Item: Viking Kara
Rating: 4.7
Author: Pitufo1955

Viking Kara Cruise Review to River Cruises - Europe

Pitufo1955

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 49

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

7 Night Christmas On The Rhine (Amsterdam To Basel)

Sail date: November 26, 2023

Ship: Viking Kara

Cabin number: 111

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 11 months ago

Review summary

We started this cruise with Viking's pre-extension in Brussels/Bruges and that was a phenomenal way to begin our trip. Had the best Director at the hotel, Eve, who made our stay the best it could be. From Brussels to the ship, we were well taken care of. Cruise was great, we were one of the few ships for Xmas cruising on the Rhine that managed to go from A to B without any delays, ship swaps or bussing to daily excursions. CREW WAS GREAT, from the captain on down to those we barely saw as they were doing their duties. Food was good, our favorite servers were great to see each day, and the overall mood of the passengers was upbeat and fun. Great visiting all the markets, although they do tend to kind of have a lot of the same to offer, but each had its own identity. Would do this cruise again.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Entertainment

I do not stay up late enough to do anything after dinner is over!

Children's Programs

No children allowed on these ships.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Captain Hans Van De Kop was out and about daily, interacting with passengers, always out helping crew when we docked. His wife was his first mate and we talked to her often and she, too, was warm and friendly like her husband. James our Program Director was fun and fantastic! We very much appreciated our servers Nelly and Tidex - we sat in their section for every meal. Everyone else on board was great.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

These ships are easy to navigate and areas were spotless the entire trip

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

If you are one who wants to save money by getting a lower-priced stateroom, this will do the trick! Midway along the hall, easy to get to main deck. Yes, these cabins do not have elevator access. Yes, these cabins have windows that are about 5' from the floor, so seeing out requires standing on the bed for short people. BUT for a Christmas or winter cruise, it gets dark early so it really doesn't matter.

Ship tip

Make sure you bring adequate winter gear for any winter trip. There were several passengers who dressed for warmer weather and they were not comfortable.

Thumbs up