Viking Kara Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The daily excursions to the Christmas markets and the towns were delightful.  The quiet vox headsets are the best!   Plenty of free time in each port before dinner is served at 7:00 pm most nights.  One night it was served at 7:30 pm.   A barge stranded on the day we sailed the Middle Rhine. It delayed our leaving Mannheim for 8 hours, but it was foggy that morning, so no real concern.  The fog mostly lifted for our afternoon sailing to Koblenz, (see picture), but we arrived just before dinner and many passengers did not leave the ship for that city despite the excellent docking in town.   There were a couple of times that we had to dock away from the city, as in Strasbourg and Freiburg, and take a bus, but I enjoyed seeing the countryside, or a 15-20 minute walk to the city center like in Cologne where we were docked across the river.  Rudesheim was my favorite town, and the ship was docked so you could walk back easily after a long evening in the Christmas Market.   The most surprising and delightful town was Dordrecht.  We skipped the excursion. I enjoyed walking the streets, visiting the museum, and enjoying a local pub.   Very compact and easy to get around on your own, and the ship was conveniently docked in town. 

Overall the cruise was ok for us- not exceptional. But we had been to most of the ports previously. Service very good. Food ok but not exceptional. Cabin smaller than expected.

we had to wait 3 years to finally go on our cruise because of covid and it was even better than we imagined. The staff from housekeeping to managers were wonderful. The servers were wonderful, and the Chef did an amazing job with the food. We were only a few days in and already thinking of booking our next Viking Cruise.

We had a wonderful experience on our Christmas on the Rhine cruise! If you're interested in seeing the Christmas markets in Europe, this is the best cruise for it.

Usually love the big ships, but really love this Viking cruise and will do it again. Very relaxing.

The ship's staff was very conscious of protecting everyone from COVID. We had to wear a mask when traveling about the ship removing only when eating and drinking. The staff is very helpful in all aspects and our room steward was so quick in cleaning our room. There were included guided tours and paid guided excursions in each port. Most of the guides were very knowledgeable and helpful.

Great stops and guides but poor customer service. Not worth the money spent. Will probably use a different river line in the future.

The cruise was very nice and the service incredible. We won't be taking another Viking cruise because of how they handle expenses and credits on board. Your credits are converted to US dollars but the expenses aren't converted and only relabeled as euros so you wind up with paying more for what would have been an even exchange. That's Viking's policy. Example - $300 on board credit is reduced to 264 euros. $300 cost for excursion becomes 300 euros instead of being converted to actual euros, it's just relabeled. You wind up paying $36 US additional due to the way they handle the onboard invoice. In the future we will go with another cruise line.

This was our first cruise and Viking lived up to its hype. The ship, the crew, and the meals were totally first rate.

Nice Viking River cruise with some great side trips! United Luxury Cruise services were Totally Useless....wouldn't return phone calls or answer emails. Would Never use them again! Better to go directly through Viking. They were very responsive.

we will definitely look into booking another trip with Viking. The cruise director was fabulous, she was able to accommodate everyone and made each day one to look forward too with her meeting of what to expect at each stop. The Captain and crew were also available for questions and participated in on board events. The wait staff makes the meals. They remembered our names and were so polite. I could go on and on. ...

We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on the Rhine Getaway and it was wonderful.  The ship, the tours, the crew, our fellow guests were all we expected and more.  Thank you Viking.  We hope to cruise again in the near future. 

My first time on a Viking Cruise was more than I expected. Room was great and amenities were fantastic.  Meal service was excellent great menu with excellent choices. Daily excursions provided adventure and were educational. Service staff were exceptional. would like to thank everyone on board for a wonder experience.

Getting to the boat was a disaster and I was so upset, but once we got on the boat, it was wonderful. Viking air has always been a big disappointment for me and I would not have made it if I had not fought to get out of town a day before since there was a hurricane coming to my area. American Airline even contacted me to change in my flight, but then Viking would not do their part, but the cruise itself was amazing. The destinations were awesome and the food on this one was first class, the best we've had on a Viking cruise. I as surprised with the limited selection of cheaper wines, but I did appreciate the reasonable price of the silver package. I do feel like Viking does not nickel and dime their travelers and it is great to have everything included! The staff was exceptional on this one and I would recommend, but I am doing my own airfare on my next cruise to Greece!

The 14-night Lyon, Provence & the Rhineland Viking River cruise was an absolute delight. From the attentive staff to the carefully curated itinerary, every moment was a joy. Exploring Lyon, Provence, and the Rhineland was a dream come true, with each destination offering its own unique charm. The ship itself was luxurious and comfortable, providing the perfect setting for unforgettable experiences and lasting friendships. Highly recommended for an unforgettable journey.

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.

This Rhine trip packs a lot into a short amount of time, so it’s good for those with little vacation time. Another great thing is that Viking takes care of essentially all of the logistics and planning for you. They have things running smoothly. Just be prepared to walk quite a bit.