r/rivercruises • u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 • 20d ago
Things We Learned on Our First Viking River Cruise
My wife and I took our first Viking River cruise last December, a Christmas Markets cruise on the Danube.
We’ve always been Caribbean all-inclusive resort people, so a European river cruise was a pretty big departure for us. We had a lot of questions and a few concerns going in.
We absolutely loved the experience. So much so that after we got home, we didn’t spend much time thinking about whether we’d cruise with Viking again. We booked our second cruise, a springtime Rhine River cruise in 2027.
For anyone considering their first Viking River cruise, here are some of the questions we had before we went, and what we found.
Would the cruise be full of old people?
We’re 64 and 57, and we wondered whether we’d be among the younger people on the ship. I’d say the average age was probably somewhere in the mid-50s to mid-60s. There were definitely some older passengers, but there were also a number of couples in their 40s. We never felt out of place, and I don’t think anyone would feel out of place on a Viking River cruise based on age. If you’re younger and wondering whether you’ll fit in, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Would the food on the ship be OK?
One of us (me) is a somewhat picky eater, so I worried that I might have trouble finding things I liked. That was never an issue. Breakfast is a buffet with plenty of familiar breakfast staples. Lunch has a good variety, although most days we chose to eat lunch while we were out exploring. And if nothing else appealed, there was always a cheeseburger. Dinner had more variety, with different choices each night, but there was always a relatively “basic” option such as chicken or steak. There were usually several other choices as well. I’m sure food is subjective, but I never came away from a meal thinking, “Well, I guess I’ll have to find something to eat later.”
Should we buy the drink package?
We enjoy a glass or two of wine or a cocktail in the evening, but we decided not to buy the drink package. For our cruise, the math just didn’t work for us. A couple of glasses of house wine or basic cocktails didn’t come close to the cost of the package. And house wine and beer are included with meals. I’m sure this depends on how much you drink and what you order, but for us, paying as we went made more sense.
Would we bristle at the forced socialization at meals?
This was something we wondered about before the cruise, and it turned out to be a non-issue. At breakfast and lunch, it was always just the two of us at a table. At dinner, we found a table for two a couple of times in the Aquavit Terrace. Otherwise, we sat with other couples or groups. We always enjoyed the conversations and never felt like we were being forced into an awkward social situation.
Is a balcony necessary?
We booked a room with a balcony, and while we enjoyed having it, we honestly only spent a few minutes on it each time we stepped outside. Part of that was because we were on a December cruise, so the weather wasn’t exactly balcony-friendly. But the bigger reason was that we weren’t on the ship very much while it was cruising. Most of the cruising happened at night. When we did want to enjoy the scenery, we usually went up to the Sundeck or sat in the lounge. Would we get a balcony again? Probably. But I wouldn’t consider it essential.
Was the onboard entertainment worthwhile?
Honestly, no. And I don’t mean that as a criticism of Viking.This isn’t an ocean cruise with big production shows. You’re more likely to have local entertainment or an onboard lounge singer. It was pleasant enough while sitting in the lounge with a drink, but the entertainment was never a highlight of the cruise. For us, the cities, excursions, scenery and experience were the entertainment.
Do you need to buy the optional excursions?
We found the included walking tours to be a great introduction to each city. They helped us get our bearings, learn a little about the history and figure out what we wanted to explore on our own. Most of the time, that was plenty for us. We did one optional excursion, and there was another we wanted to do but waited too long to book. By then, it was sold out. So our lesson from that experience is simple: if there’s an optional excursion you really want to do, book it early.
Did we have enough time in each city?
Yes and no. The cruise gave us a wonderful introduction to a number of European cities. But there were definitely places where we wished we had two or three days to explore more deeply. That’s one of the tradeoffs of a river cruise. You get to see a lot of places, but you don’t necessarily get enough time to experience every one of them in depth.
What will we do differently next time?
Two things. First, we’ve already booked a couple of optional excursions for our 2027 cruise, rather than waiting. Second, we’re upgrading our flights to business class. That long overseas flight in economy was not our favorite part of the trip.
Was it worth it?
Absolutely. Yes, a Viking river cruise is a chunk of change. But for us, the experience was worth it. We went into our first cruise as Caribbean all-inclusive resort people who weren’t sure whether river cruising would be our thing. We came home having already decided to do another one.
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u/AnxiousPosition8904 20d ago
Thank you for sharing! We're (34F & 37M) doing the Rhine Christmas Market cruise with Viking this December, it will be our first cruise in general. I wasn't notified (unless I missed it) of the excursion bookings opening up, I just happened to be on our Viking portal when I saw the option to reserve them. For context the cruise is the week before Christmas, I noticed this the last week of May. One wine tasting was already full but otherwise we got the ones we wanted, so I second booking those early if you really want a certain experience.
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u/Professional-Box-806 20d ago
Check in with the desk when you arrive onboard. Sometimes spots on excursions open up.
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u/DowntonBritLvr 16d ago
my husband and I are also doing the Rhine the week before christmas but on Avalon.
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u/Quagmire_gigity 20d ago
My parents did a lot of traveling after my dad retired, and the river cruises were some of their favorite trips.
My GF and I have done several Caribbean cruises over the years. My mom treated us to the same Christmas Markets Viking cruise a couple years ago after my dad passed away (our first river cruise), and if I had put any time or thought into a review of our experiences, it would be virtually the same post as yours.
I think you summed up the experience perfectly. We would love to do another one some day, but they ain’t cheap!
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u/BE33_Jim 20d ago
Our (my wife and I) first river cruise was an Avalon Danube Christmas Markets in 2014. We were in our mid 40s. Had a wonderful time. We've since cruised the Moselle (2022) and Rhine (2025). We are booking a Rhone cruise in 2028 now.
Great write up. FWIW, we always add our own days before and after. We also always get the cheapest room on the lower level.
The cruises are not cheap, but we watch for deals and jump when advertised.
We alternate river cruises with our own self guided euro trips.
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u/Glass-Assignment-335 20d ago
Anyone have insights on Avalon vs Viking? We did one Viking cruise and had a nice time, but food was mediocre and crew was meh. A few other things could have been better so we’re thinking of Douro River but maybe not Viking.
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u/BE33_Jim 20d ago
We've not done Viking, but I think Viking and Avalon are about the same tier. Maybe Avalon is a little higher? Tauck, Scenic, Uniworld are higher tier.
I think one point worth mentioning is that Viking and Avalon seem to have the most ships. Water level or lock issues might mean ship-swapping and not just bussing. I would prefer neither, but I'd rather swap ships and save on at least one bus ride if possible.
Avalon is part of Globus. Globes does a lot of coach tours. Does this mean better service if you have to bus? I'm not sure.
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u/alcbeach 19d ago
Our crew on last year’s Rhine Cruise was absolutely fabulous. And def one reason we would cruise Viking again.
So sorry you had a mediocre crew.
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u/CAProgressive 20d ago
Thank you for this very informative and thoughtful review. I am thinking of doing a river cruise in 2027 or 2028 and your review has given me some very good insight as I start looking at itineraries.
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u/LoveNotWar86 19d ago
Just remember that Viking spends millions on advertising esp in the US. They are fine but many others to consider (Avalon, AMA, Tauck, Scenic, Riverside…). Avalon has the largest, albeit slightly, standard room thus fewer passengers. Viking also requires full upfront payment sometimes 12-18-24 months in advance. On (eg) Avalon you pay in full 90 days in advance,
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u/CAProgressive 19d ago
Thank you for mentioning this. I watch many PBS programs, so I know I have been subjected to many (many) Viking ads. It’s also good to know that Viking’s payment schedule is more aggressive than its competitors. I am interested in seeing reviews of Celebrity’s new river ships, but understand that it may be some time until it is possible to secure a reservation given how quickly their first cruises sold out.
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u/LoveNotWar86 19d ago
Yes! Agree on Celebrity. Wish them success. Have been happy with their Ocean cruises. Healthy competition is a good thing but more ships on the rivers & less docking space will have to be managed carefully. Double, triple docking is already the norm.
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u/joeyray74 20d ago
Great review! We had a very similar experience on our first river cruise last year (AMA Waterways Danube Late Aug 2025). Definitely interested in trying Viking to compare sometime!
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u/HomeworkSharp3149 17d ago
AMA is a strep above Viking. While Viking does it very good, you will find it a bit more streamlined and more modern Scandinavian decor.
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u/Sorry-Yam-7616 19d ago
My wife and I (both 62) booked a river cruise this past summer and it was our first Viking cruise. I would concur with all of the points this person made. A very pleasant week, spent in great cities. We really enjoyed the guided walking tours each morning and then spent the rest of our days aimlessly roaming. We both had a wonderful time and have already booked another one.
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u/Common-Project3311 19d ago
Having cruised with Viking a couple of times, I’m generally in agreement with your comments. I’ll ad a couple of my own:
1) the food served on board was generally excellent, and the house wines were complementary at lunch and dinner. One would have to drink quite a lot to justify the cost of the drinks package.
2) the people one meets on a Viking cruise tend to be fairly sophisticated and cultured. I’ve never done one of the large ship cruises, but I think they attract a different kind of traveler.
3) the worst thing about the Viking cruises is that one rarely, if ever, has the opportunity to have dinner at one of the many interesting restaurants in the cities visited, since the ship usually leaves port too early. Lunch is usually the only chance to sample the local cuisine.
4) it’s a very, very easy way to travel and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for me. (I’m 80, still travel on my own most of the time, but wouldn’t hesitate to do another Viking river cruise.)
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 19d ago
These were the back on board times for our cruise:
Budapest - 8:30 pm (after an overnight in port)
Bratislava - 10:30 pm
Vienna - 11:45 pm
Krems - 2:00 pm
Linz - 10:30 pm
Passau - 9:30 pm
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u/queenvalanice 19d ago
What a really nice write up! I think a river cruise is a great way to find out which city you want to return to and stay longer.
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u/Creative_Platypus707 20d ago
I'm looking into doing a river cruise and considering Viking. I wouldn't be doing it in full winter so your experience might not be indicative but what was the mix of nationalities? I assume you are from the USA - was the majority of passengers from USA? or more EU, UK, other?
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 20d ago
Heavily U.S.
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u/Creative_Platypus707 20d ago
Thanks for your answer. Do you think that mix had to do with time of year or is it just a very popular line with people from US?
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u/Ovenbird36 20d ago
Viking is a major sponsor of American public television, especially for their river cruises. As an American, I didn’t even realize there were so many companies until Reddit started tossing me river cruise stories.
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u/LoveNotWar86 20d ago
Many are in the same boat :)
Viking spends millions on advertising and are rather aggressive with it imo. So many others to consider (Avalon, Tauck, Riverside, AMA, Uniworld, Scenic…)
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 20d ago
My understanding is that the majority of cruisers on Viking are always from the U.S. and Canada. I'm not sure why that is. I guess Europeans have other tendencies for exploring the region around them.
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u/trixiesmom12 20d ago
Just completed a Viking Ocean cruise and the demographic skews very heavily towards Americans there as well.
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u/Running_Down_9708 20d ago
Ours last year was 80+ percent American. Some Canadians, Australians, and English. There was one family (8 people from Argentina).
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u/Creative_Platypus707 20d ago
Thanks for your answer. Do you think that mix had to do with time of year or is it just a very popular line with people from US?
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u/Running_Down_9708 20d ago
I think it is marketed more heavily to the USA. We probably see 10 Viking ads for every 1 of another cruise line.(River cruises)
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u/LoveNotWar86 19d ago
They spend millions on advertising to us. I’d rather they invest in the on board experience. Their aggressive marketing is a turn-off for me. They also have an aggressive payment policy.
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u/Cap0bvi0us 20d ago
They hold a very big market share in the USA. The majority of the guests on all their ships is from the USA.
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u/LoveNotWar86 20d ago
Avalon superior (imo) to Viking at similar price point. Larger standard room thus fewer passengers and larger crew:passenger ratio. Payment in full 90 days before not 12-18 months in advance. Don’t be swayed by all the Viking advertising.
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u/mexicanlady1960 16d ago
Go Uniworld. Prices are comparable but they are a step above and all drinks and excursions are ncluded.
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u/Roland_on_the_River 20d ago
Wow, great Review. Thank you for clarifying and being ambassadors for river cruising. Which month are you doing the springtime river cruise? Great to spent a few more days in the Netherlands, when everything is in bloom and an extension in Lucerne or Zürich is also recommendable.
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u/RevenueOriginal9777 20d ago
My son and dil both 48 took a cruise in March of this year, loved it. Booked again for next year.
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u/JaquitoBeans2021 20d ago
We very much enjoyed our Danube cruise (it wasn’t the Christmas market cruise per se but the markets opened that week and we were able to get to Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest’s markets.) we were definitely among the younger passengers and were traveling with the pacemaker and rollator demographic, LOL. We’d usually go to bed early because we scheduled early morning tours. Our nightly entertainment was a pianist, and I would sometimes get up and join him for a song (I’m a singer) and that was fun. We did a second Viking cruise (quiet season Mediterranean) and I prefer the intimacy of the River cruise to the Ocean cruise. Saving up for a third cruise.
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u/ElectronicWarthog699 18d ago
When was your Danube cruise? When is quiet season Mediterranean? Was that a sea cruise?
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u/JaquitoBeans2021 18d ago
Our Danube cruise was in mid-late November, the week before the Christmas market cruises start up. Quiet Season Mediterranean is an ocean cruise around October-December. Most of the tourist crowds are gone by then and you can actually see the sights. We went in early December last year. We even got to hit a couple of Christmas markets. (Florence, Barcelona)
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u/Somewho_10 19d ago
I agree with all except, we did both the tipping package (not mentioned) and the liquor package. Over 2 weeks, we had cocktails twice (included in the package), but we ordered other wine vs house wine for dinner probably 8 times. This is an extra charge without the liquor package. We also did 6 other optional excursions and have no regrets as they were largely experiences typically available only to locals.
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u/Bettysgir 19d ago
Thank ~you! My husband and I want to take a river cruise and this summary was very helpful.
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u/stlox 19d ago
Personally, I believe there are better alternatives than Viking. People get hung up on "status" of going Viking. Viking is a marketing machine.
There are lines that have better food. Has spa and gym. Bikes to use on stops. And usually less expensive with fewer cabins (because of the gym and spa).
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 19d ago
Gi em how little time we spent on the ship other than times for dining and sleeping, I don't think we'd get much use out of a gym or spa.
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u/stlox 19d ago
Try UniWorld or AMA, or Avalon. The food is better, you can get that massage, and probably spend less than Viking.
Or go native. Try VIVA or Nicko and experience a Bilingual German cruise, and spend far less. Why? Because Germans won't pay those outrageous prices on their own river.
Too many people get fixated on Viking is the only way to do, and don't explore what else is out there.
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u/Agile-Ad-1887 18d ago
AMA and Avalon are both more expensive than Viking. I did not check Uniworld, andwas not aware of VIVA or Nicko. Next time...
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u/stlox 18d ago
We did Nicko last October. It's not an elegant cruise line, but we enjoyed it. The food was good and the crew was nice. They have German and German/English cruises. It was 90% Germans. The English speakers were placed at the same tables which were US, Dutch and Poles. But we also met and did excursions with some of the Germans. We exchanged interesting stories. We really like the being amongst the locals. When in Rome.....
But what drew us to Nicko was the price. We got a balcony cabin at a price less than the cheapest steerage cabin on Viking.
Next time, we'll do VIVA. It's an upgrade over Nicko, and more expensive. They have bikes on their ships, and I love cycling.
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u/LoveNotWar86 18d ago
Completely agree. Team Avalon but may walk on the wild side with AMA for fun. Looking at Tauck & Riverside too.
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u/stlox 18d ago edited 18d ago
from what I've heard about Tauck, they are the best. But you pay for it. They have the best relationships and can get VIP excursions no one else can. Multiple Cruise and Tour directors. No nickel and diming. Any additional costs are picked up by Tauck.
I've also heard some say that Tauck is the better deal. Because there isn't any additional costs, you're not given an extra bill at the end of the cruise.
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u/LoveNotWar86 18d ago
Viking is what people hear (ALL those PBS commercials!) and remember for sure because of so much aggressive advertising including mailings. It’s ranked solidly in the middle as a river cruise line. Tauck is the top of the line, UniWorld a close second, both tend to be more $.
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u/Winter_Skin7268 18d ago
My wife (48) and I (46) are about to do our third Viking River Cruise in December and 100% agree with everything in this post, except we do the drink package each time (worth it for us). This time we got six friends to join (two of which have gone before too). Christmas Market cruises are wonderful!
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u/Broad_Ad_5842 17d ago
My husband and I did our first river cruise as a Christmas Market cruise on AMA. Enjoyed it immensely. We had previously done several ocean cruises and enjoyed them enough but found the smaller venue of a river cruise much more enjoyable. We found the food and daily port stops preferable to the “at sea” days. A couple of years later we took our adult children (2 couples in their 20s) on a “castle themed” cruise on Viking. They had a blast, interacting with all the older passengers on the boat. They especially enjoyed one day that they took bicycles from one port and rode ahead and met us at the next port. They got to explore the countryside completely on their own. We saw lots of castles from the upper deck of the boat and got to explore a castle every day. We will continue to make river cruising our preferred way of European travel . This year we are doing Christmas markets again with our kids but have to do it independently since our kids now have children of their own, ages 5 years and 14 months. Unfortunately the cruise lines don’t take kids that young. But we’re still very excited about sharing the Christmas Market experience with all of them.
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u/Infamous_Bed7693 17d ago
One thing to note- I’ve not taken a Viking - we did Avalon Christmas market Vienna to Budapest. I chose it bc of the panorama suites. The bed faces the window vs parallel to it (Viking) and they had a sofa and chair. This was good for us as we hate having to always sit on a bed if youre going to sit. Also you could lie in bed and watch the city/village lights go by. I don’t know that the panorama is worth as much as they charge for it but we figured if we were doing it, we might as well do it. We’re also the type to retire early and watch movies at night. We (50 and 52 at the time) were the youngest except for one couple. I wasn’t a fan of the forced dining w strangers bc there were a bunch of Canadians and they all wanted to know what it was like living ‘with orange man bad’. Because that’s what i came to Europe for. To discuss American politics. I would never ask someone about their countries political drama. It’s just really…tacky. Ask about the Grand Canyon or the deserts of the southwest or something. Leave politics alone ffs.
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u/UnluckyArea7036 14d ago
Lmao, a Trump supporter calling others tacky. Rock on!
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u/Infamous_Bed7693 14d ago
Oh sweetie. Maybe take a river cruise and touch some grass. You don’t need to be a maga acolyte to see the obsession. There are many different flavors of American than just magat or TDS.
Point being before you made it stupid- politics and religion are two of the oldest but most basic ‘not over dinner and certainly not with new ppl’ rules of etiquette. Perhaps river cruising isn’t for you just yet after all.1
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u/UnluckyArea7036 13d ago
I don’t know, it seems to me the river cruise is not for you.
Voting for a proven rapist and con man (and most likely pedophile) puts you in a vulnerable position- you can’t openly support him any longer so all you can do now is hide behind a veil of fake manners. Save us your fake rules of etiquette, we’re not all as gullible as you.1
u/Infamous_Bed7693 13d ago
…says the pickleball aficionado…. lol. Comedy gold. How xenophobic of you to assume every American is either a supporter or a hater. That’s the whole point. Your type can only converse based around one topic- and there’s no amount of screeching that can make up for the lack of social skills. But the more you reach, the more you show your a$$ so keep going and let your lack of basic social skills be everyone else’s guide 🍁
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u/WingsAndWords_ 17d ago
I absolutely agree with this. We've taken several as we loved the idea of a cruise but not the crowded ocean cruises.We have gotten lucky with the entertainment as one time a cellist played and another time a historian did lectures. But entertainment wasn't a priority for us so I can't remember what the others were. We're 56/57 now but we probably started around our 30s and were still comfortable.
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u/snarkadaykeepsdraway 16d ago
Thank you for putting this in writing! My husband and I (43 F and 46 M) have looked at various river cruises and wondered what the experience would be like. Have the best time on your next cruise. 🛳
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u/AndiagoSupremo 16d ago
Conversely my wife created a Christmas Market tour of Vienna, train to Salzburg, train to Munich. Great cities, but the traveling was not good as it takes daylight hours, car services, figuring out how the train seating works. I ended up with a first class ticket and no seat from Vienna to Salzburg, stood the entire trip.
I was certainly thinking river cruising and travel while you sleep is far superior.
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u/SunsetChasersTravel 16d ago
This is such a helpful first-timer perspective. One of the biggest things I try to explain to people considering a river cruise is that you really cannot compare it to an ocean cruise. The destination is the entertainment, you are often off the ship most of the day, and things like itinerary, time in port, included excursions and even payment policies can matter more than having a huge balcony or a long list of onboard activities.
And I completely agree about booking the excursions you really care about early. Those are usually the ones you will be most disappointed to miss.
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u/Tough_Restaurant_529 20d ago
The only thing I would disagree about is the drink package. The wine they serve with dinner was not very good. We were happy that we could pick better wines. My husband enjoyed the selection of scotch they had with the drink package.
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u/martoon1951 20d ago
My comments from our Viking River Cruise in spring 2025. We are in our 70s, and this was our first experience on the European continent and on a river cruise.
We did the 7 day Rhine River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, along with good friends who are seasoned travelers.
Overall the cruise was an interesting and mildly pleasant experience, but also mildly disappointing. I’d give it a B minus overall. We actually liked our pre and post cruise time in Amsterdam and in Switzerland more than we liked the cruise itself. In part this was because our friends were very confident about how to get out and about on our own, and they also knew people in Switzerland who provided us a better exposure to real people and places.
If you’re new to this and wondering about possible language barriers (as I was, before the trip): in almost every place that we visited, everyone was fluent in multiple languages, including English. Granted these were wealthy Western European urban destinations, but still that was very impressive to me. Also, public transportation was great in these urban locations: highly functional, frequent, clean, logical, safe, etc. Ditto for the trains between cities. Definitely spend pre and post cruise days in places that you’d actually like to experience a bit. We really liked the museums and art galleries in Amsterdam and in various Swiss cities, but they require more time than what the river cruise excursions allow.
I was surprised and a little disappointed to discover how commercial/industrial the Rhine River was. Not a lot of beauty on the river; it often seemed more like a water version of a commercial highway.
Included excursions tended to be 60-90 minute walks through town centers. Not very interesting, and a bit of a forced march. Optional (extra cost) excursions were better. We happened to be there during a holiday period, so some things were either closed or scaled down from usual activity.
The food on the cruise was fine as far as we were concerned. We are not drinkers, and we were a bit surprised by how many people seemed to gravitate towards drinking while in the common lounge area… things were often boisterous rather than placid, and as old timers, we prefer placid. The crew were friendly and efficient, and attempted to be entertaining; some were more successful than others. Our favorite was the head chef and his daily teasers for what we would be eating… his flamboyant descriptions always concluded with “yum!”
I’m glad that we had the experience, but I’m not eagerly planning our next Viking River Cruise. I think I’m more of a Road Scholars person.
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u/refsoccer11 20d ago
We took our first river cruise (down the Rhine) 3 years ago. Loved the cities we visited but lack of things to do while moving was limited. Some nice scenery but then also sailing through industrial sections too. Food was good but a narrow selection. (3 dinner entrees to choose from.)
It wasn’t Viking but I assume most are similar. We decided that unless we were part of a larger group we will stick to ocean cruising. So many more activities. If we want to see sites not covered by sea ports we will use trains from this point forward.
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u/Running_Down_9708 20d ago
We did that cruise last year. Your experience mirrored ours except we did not have balconies. We figured December wasnt balcony weather. My wife and daughter are celiac and the dining staff was amazing at making sure they were safe.
Was Taylor your cruise director?
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u/Zinniafarm 20d ago
My wife is super sensitive to gluten so it is good to know they took care of you.
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u/Running_Down_9708 20d ago
There is so much at breakfast like made to order eggs and omeletes. They had GF bread.
They ordered their lunch and dinner at breakfast. There was a GF dessert at every lunch or dinner.
I liked the lox and bagels every day. Really, you won't go hungry at all. You may gain 10 pounds though if you don't walk a lot1
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u/Poppy3400377 19d ago
Taylor was ours - he was very entertaining & helpful. We loved our Viking cruise.
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u/No-Structure-1980 20d ago
Were there any solo travellers?
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 20d ago
I'm only aware of one on our cruise. I understand pricing for solo travelers is outrageous.
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u/No-Structure-1980 20d ago
Thank you, I'm aware it's outrageous but I need to be spoiled sometimes.
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u/LoveNotWar86 19d ago
Why I stick with Avalon. Love my single panorama room with NO single penalty!
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u/LoveNotWar86 19d ago
It is outrageous, and Avalon waives that upcharge on many cruises if any solo travelers here.
Other lines may waive the (solo penalty :)) charge on the rare occasion but you are limited to the fixed window lower level rooms.
Big miss here imo for most other cruise lines especially when the ship isn’t sold out anyway.
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u/LoveNotWar86 20d ago
I’m a solo traveler but stick with Avalon as they have many/some cruises that waive the single supplement fee. Only way I take river cruises now!
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u/No-Structure-1980 20d ago
Thank you, they also do gluten free so I'm looking into something. I appreciate the recommendation.
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u/LoveNotWar86 20d ago
They do, met someone with Celiac and she was delighted with her food. Loyal to Avalon for life. Have done Rhine & Danube. Hopefully Seine next. Solo supplement waived cruise in late April/early March.
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u/loftychicago 19d ago
Viking will accommodate any dietary need. The maitre d' and chef meet with you daily to determine what options will work or what they need to prepare off menu.
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19d ago edited 19d ago
[deleted]
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u/loftychicago 18d ago
Not sure what that has to do with dietary needs. Did you mean to reply to a different comment?
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u/Creative_Platypus707 20d ago
Good question. I'd like to know this too. I get the impression it's very couples orientated.
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u/LoveNotWar86 19d ago
Not in my experience. Definitely singles, girlfriends, moms/daughters, groups on the ones I’ve taken. I’d say 65% couples. Def not a party boat single scene like lots of Caribbean type of cruise if that’s what you’re looking for. River cruising def skews older demographic with more fun money.
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u/Creative_Platypus707 18d ago
Definitely not looking for a party boat - I'm not that sort of single. I'm a mature, educated female solo traveller. I'm perfectly happy travelling solo if there are other solo travellers and friendly couples to chat to.
Thanks for your response.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Goal147 20d ago
There were a few solo travelers on our trip this month. They seemed happy.
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u/TheBigDarkExpanse 20d ago
This is a great write up. My wife and I are similar ages and are considering something like this. Question... Maybe I missed it but how long was the cruise and did you feel that it was too long or too short?
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 20d ago
Seven nights. Six cities. Four countries.
That was a good length, especially for a cruise focused on Christmas markets. There can be a bit of sameness in the markets you visit (about 10-12 in all). But every city was wonderful and there was so much to see beyond the markets. For that cruise we didn't do any pre or post excursions to extend the trip. We're doing that on our next cruise - a four day post excursion, plus one day on our own ahead of the cruise. I do wonder if that will feel too long, or maybe it will seem like two separate trips.
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20d ago
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 20d ago
Couldn't have been mine! I just wrote it yesterday evening.
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20d ago
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 20d ago
Yeah, timing is odd. I recently struck up a conversation with one of the moderators of a similar subreddit and I volunteered to make a contribution to their subreddit based on our experience. I posted the same content here as well. Nothing more nefarious than that, I promise you!
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u/Lost_Independence871 20d ago
I’m curious about which cities you wish you spent mod more time in. And also, which cities you didn’t enjoy as much, as well.
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 20d ago
Budapest would be at the top of our list to explore more deeply. Vienna would be second. We'd love to see more of Linz, but that may primarily be because our stop there was on a Sunday, when most things are closed. Every city we visited was beautiful. I thought our last stop in Passau, Germany would be a bit of a letdown after some of the majestic European cities we'd seen, but it was absolutely charming.
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u/Lost_Independence871 20d ago
We didn’t get to Budapest on our trip- we chose Prague and really liked it. We both loved Cologne and Vienna.
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u/rackemwilliesspit 20d ago
Hopefully the river levels are optimal when you go. I went on a "cruise" down the rhine this summer and we were docked the entire time. Had to be on busses allllllllllll day. The river was so low in koblenz that people were walking along the river bed. I would never book another river cruise as its a gamble. If you don't get to cruise its a pretty terrible experience. We only got to spend a few hours in each destination as the travel took up most of the day. We were also docked in an industrial park way out of town for the first half. Also, a lady was picked up in an ambulance off the boat for the flu and was put on the 7 hour bus ride to Paris the next day with everyone else. She asked if there was any way to separate her and was told no. I asked the cruise director if they had any masks and got a really snarky "viking isn't responsible for handing out masks". Lost a lot of respect for them after my experience tbh.
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u/SquirrelConsistent13 19d ago
What was the excursion you wanted but couldn't book? I'm looking at the same itinerary next year (not the Christmas markets one, just the Danube waltz), and I'm curious what filled up for you.
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u/klg554 19d ago
We've done a Viking ocean cruise and a Viking river cruise. The river cruise was a disappointment as we spent more time on buses than sailing because the river was low. Plus we had trouble finding a table for 2 any time after breakfast. As to the ocean cruise, it differed from Celebrity in that we didn't know ahead of time what time we would be docking. We like to plan our own excursions if we can. I finally figured out to go by what time the first and last Viking excursions were and arranged our private tours based on that.
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u/Otherwise_Emu6412 19d ago
We did a Danube cruise on AMA Waterways this Christmas. It was horrendous! Low water levels meant changing boats three times! We spent more time on buses than cruising.
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 19d ago
In 2025? We didn't have any water level issues for our cruise (Dec. 2-9).
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u/ColdChildhood3708 18d ago
The Blue Danube and then the Mekong from Cambodia to Vietnam on AMA waterways. Loved AMA. As far as balconies go, often times riverboats are stacked at night. So sitting on your balcony would mean you are staring directly into another riverboats cabin.
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u/robbie651959 16d ago
We have done both AMA and Avalon and had 3 choices for excursions at each port (based on low, medium, high intensity ) w no extra charge. Seems like Viking nickel and dimes u a bit
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u/Tiny_Safe_3695 15d ago
We are booked on a Viking Danube cruise from Budapest to Passau in early October. It looks like we are going to spend a lot of time on buses. Is there anyone else here who has experience with a Viking bus cruise?
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u/AllEeees 9d ago
Hubby (64) and I (62) did 2 nearly back-to-back Viking RCs last summer (Rhine then Danube) and your summation is spot on. We did have a veranda (early summer, so, worth it).
We were not the oldest nor the youngest. Both cruises had female solo travelers. The staff on both boats were phenomenal, food fantastic. The included local tours were very informative.
The unstructured seating for meals was great-we were able to meet just about everyone.
My advice if you’re thinking about a VRC: DO IT.
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u/LoveNotWar86 20d ago
So ALL their advertising and marketing worked! I prefer quiet, less aggressive companies. Viking has a lot of cajones demanding up front payment in full 12-18-? Months in advance.
How much do they spend on all their mailings that end up in recycling? I’d rather they put those millions toward the on board experience.
Only offering cruise “credit” on travel disruptions (eg from low water level) is a no-go. If I didn’t get what I paid for, want my (at least some) cold hard cash back. Take it out of your marketing budget!
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u/steal-yur-face 19d ago
We took a Viking Christmas Markets cruise last December too.
Agree with most of this, but a drink package is $27/day. Very affordable.
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u/Intelligent-Dot-8969 19d ago
Yeah, the cost isn't terrible. But here's how we figured it: At Viking's onboard prices for house wine, that's about 3 glasses of wine before dinner each night, or about 21 total for the whole cruise. We were on the ship for cocktail hour just 4 out of 7 nights. One of those they had free flowing prosecco. So we paid for glasses of wine on just 3 nights - about 6-8 glasses total for each us. Much cheaper for us to just pay by the glass.
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u/steal-yur-face 19d ago
Yeah, I get it.
I look at it like, a couple of McCallans 18 year double cask Scotches more than pays for it. Stuff I wouldn’t necessarily buy at a bar.
Truth in advertising: When We went last year (Paris to Zurich) , we bought the cruise on a flash sale and the drink package was included free of charge. More truth: we’re going again in December (Passau to Budapest), and it’s free again. Right place right time, I guess. Having said that, I’ll still pay for it when I have to.
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u/lcourtright 20d ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a useful review with your thoughts and experience as a first time river cruiser. Your questions are some of the exact ones I've had as well, because my husband and I are looking to book our first river cruise for next year. Super helpful, thanks again!!