Traveling by river on a longship is a much more intimate experience than ocean cruising. We highly recommend it. Viking does an excellent job of coordinating this type of cruising and offering their passengers a high quality onboard and onshore experience.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Flawless . . . the crew welcomed us and took care of our luggage onshore. Within a few minutes, we boarded the ship and accessed our cabin.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food was excellent consisting of special offerings each day for dinner--including local regional specialties--as well as a standard menu with a variety of options. The daily lunch offerings were varied and very good. Breakfast was served buffet-style with plenty of options. There was only one main dining room and one seating for dinner. The staff was efficient and friendly. But the dining room was extremely noisy so it was difficult to have a conversation with others nearby, which diminished the dining experience. The bar staff was excellent and choice of beverages was very good. The lounge was spacious and comfortable.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Onboard activities are limited aboard river longships. But the outdoor walking track was adequate and there was plenty of outdoor seating for when the weather cooperated. There is a library with diverse reading options and a small seating area. A desk with two computers was available nearby.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
There are no stage shows on river longships. Beside the pianist who provided pleasant background music on a regular basis, opera singers were invited to perform onboard one evening. There were several informative lectures about our destinations along the way.
Children's Programs
Children are not allowed on Viking longship journeys.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
From guest services, to the restaurant wait staff, to the bartenders, to the program director, and captain and crew, everyone made us feel welcome and valued.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The layout of the longship is very efficient to deal with a variety of water levels and conditions. With floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, there is plenty of light and opportunities to enjoy the river views. The outdoor seating area on the top deck is spacious. Cleanliness was excellent everywhere aboard the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin and bathroom were small but adequate and well-designed to maximize space and storage. Having a balcony definitely made the cabin feel more spacious. Our cabin was serviced twice a day, which was quite adequate. The cleanliness was excellent.
Ship tip
Be prepared for your ship docking next to other Viking ships. This may eliminate your view, decrease privacy, and reduce daylight dramatically. This tends to occur mostly in popular ports. In our case, this happened both in Vienna and Budapest. It is not specific to the Viking Var. All Viking longships as well as other river boat companies operate in the same manner since docking is limited in many places. This does not diminish your view from the top deck of the ship or your ability to get on and off the ship, which is very easy.lines
Taking a walking tour of this charming city should not be missed--so much history from Roman times to the present. The architecture is beautiful so it is a pleasure to walk along the narrow streets and window shop. Don't miss walking across the Stone Bridge.
The walking tour of Passau was excellent. This city is a delight to visit. Walking along the entire waterfront along the Danube and Inn Rivers is very pleasant with beautiful views.
We visited Gottweig Abbey, which was an excellent experience. It was the only excursion offered beside an E-bike tour at this port. Our ship left after we boarded the bus to the Abbey and met us further down the river. If any passengers were not taking either of those excursions, they would not have been able to disembark to walk into Krems on their own. We were not aware of all this until we had docked in Krems. It did not affect us since we had signed up for the Abbey excursion.
The bus tour followed by a walking tour of Vienna were very informative. Definitely, the walking tour gave us a better sense of the city and its beautiful buildings. We decided to stay in the city after the tour so we could explore on our own. Viking did an excellent job with easy instructions on taking the subway back to the ship, which we really appreciated.
The panoramic bus tour was a little disappointing because it did not show much of Buda and focused on Pest. Later, we had the opportunity to visit that side of the river on our own and noticed that the narrow winding streets there limit travel by coach. If you are intent on visiting Buda--which should not be missed--make your own arrangements or choose a ship's excursion that focuses on it. The walking tour of Pest which followed the panoramic bus tour was excellent and gave us our bearings for further exploration on our own later in the day.
Quick and easy . . . Viking had asked passengers in advance to vacate their cabins by 9 a.m. on the morning of disembarkation. The night before, we had asked Viking to arrange for a taxi to take us to our hotel. At the appointed time, the driver came onboard, picked up our luggage, and escorted us to his taxi for the trip to our hotel.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
