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It's a nice choice if you've had a long day touring and only need a small nosh. It's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with tables for six and eight. Breakfast and lunch are buffets that are served during set times, although you can also order cooked-to-order items off the menu. Emerge rejuvenated from the nourishing mineral springs of Budapest, Hungary. Enjoy this relaxing tradition, revered since the times of the ancient Romans. The most popular baths can be found at Széchenyi, the largest spa complex in Europe, with a daffodil-yellow outdoor section.
How to Choose the Perfect Stateroom on a Viking Ocean Cruise
We biked across the Rhine River with several stops along the way to hear about the history and take pictures, including outside of the cathedral and the store where eau de cologne was invented. Our guide, a trained opera singer, even shared her talents with us at one stop. While that can’t be guaranteed on every Cologne bicycle tour, it was magical. The tour also included a stop to relax and grab a coffee or tea, which was included.
Theaters, lounges and shows
Note that Viking river ships do not have fitness centers, which is relatively unusual for river ships. Viking has long argued that few of its customers use fitness centers and the space that would be devoted to one is better used for other things. However, if you're fitness-obsessed, Viking river ships may not be the best choice for your river trip. There's also live music at night in the Explorers' Lounge, a two-deck-high observation lounge and bar area at the very top of the ship. The Explorers' Lounge also is home to Mamsen's, the food counter serving tastes of Norway mentioned above. Each of the line's ocean ships has a theater at its front that is home to production shows, movie showings (with fresh popcorn available) and enrichment lecturers.
European and worldwide river cruises
This is one area where the line strives to provide regional offerings. Having a step-out balcony on a European river ship is not a given. Viking has designed its Longships so there are 39 cabins with full step-out balconies, where you can sit with your coffee in the morning and enjoy watching the river.
Viking offered a walking, barge, and bicycle tour of the windmills. After having such a great time on the Cologne bicycle tour, I decided to join this one as well. The tour took us through Grande-Île, UNESCO World Heritage Site in Strasbourg, France. This charming historic district is filled with darling small shops, restaurants, and food merchants. We went to a bakery for eclairs, a shop for cheese, and even one for gingerbread.
BEST Viking Ocean Cruises to Australia & New Zealand (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
BEST Viking Ocean Cruises to Australia & New Zealand (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 02:39:25 GMT [source]
In this review, I will share various aspects of the Viking experience, specifically a Viking Sea cruise ship review, to provide insights into what you can expect on this ship. I hope sharing this Viking Ocean cruises review will help you decide on your next adventure. Each expedition cruise sails with 36 experts, including research scientists, mountain and kayak guides, and submarine pilots. Viking’s design and architectural hallmarks are beefed-up by bespoke features designed for expedition cruising aboard Viking Octantis and Polaris (378 passengers). The two ships each carry kayaks, a submarine and two military-grade, 12-seater Special Operations Boats. Fares are inclusive of flights, WiFi, a tour in each port, spa access and beer and wine with lunch and dinner.
7 Best Luxury Cruises - Cruise Critic
7 Best Luxury Cruises.
Posted: Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The Explorers’ Lounge and Torshavn are the focus for evening cocktails, music, and conversation. There are outside terraces for watching the world go by and a sports deck for shuffleboard enthusiasts. Last but a far cry from least is a Viking Ocean Cruise highlight – the extraordinary spa with traditional Nordic elements like sauna, vitality pool, cold plunge tubs, and a Snow Grotto.
All of the line's vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets in rooms as well as European-style, 220-volt outlets and USB ports in cabins. Viking adds an automatic service gratuity (which it calls a "hotel and dining charge") of $17 per person per day to final bills, depending on your cabin category. If you are unhappy with the service you receive, you can adjust this amount before disembarking at the Explorers' Desk. (You can also increase the tip amount if so desired.) Also, a 15% gratuity is added to bills at bars and for drinks at restaurants.
Suites on Viking cruise ships
Viking's two expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, also have three categories of balcony cabins with a similar array of amenities and services. They also have a different type of balcony that makes them feel more spacious than their square footage suggests. The Alto Douro, a World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s most beautiful wine regions. Viking Longships drift through this lush valley, past terraced vineyards, charming villages and eye-catching rock formations. At a centuries-old wine-growing estate, guests can cut grapes from the vine before stomping them by foot in a traditional stone trough. Portugal’s River of Gold cruise-tour offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy the local food and wine, including its famous Port.
Then, we made our way along the Rhine for several miles before heading back to the ship. In addition to stops for food sampling, the tour included a stop at a Winstube where we enjoyed a wine tasting of Alsace wines and nibbled on local cheese and charcuterie. We also learned about and ate Flamkuchen, a local Alsace specialty.
The aerobic fitness area had many treadmills, several cycles, and a few elliptical machines. It’s a subdued quiet space to relax and rejuvenate after a day touring. A secondary pool area with an infinity pool is at the back of each of the ships. What they are is eminently functional, with storage in all the right places, lots of outlets for charging your devices and lighting right where you need it.
I would also suggest that the same effort is necessary with air travel. So far I've never found a provided fare is both less expensive and of equal time to the one I come up with myself. Indeed, I met a retired pilot on my Viking cruise (Basel/Amsterdam) who lived in Jacksonville Florida -- you would think that they would fly out of the country at Atlanta? But they first flew into Minneapolis (as Viking obviously uses the least expensive seats they can find). One such trip is this 12-night itinerary from Celebrity Cruises, which includes a visit to both Visby and Tallinn. Other highlights include a visit to Stockholm and Copenhagen, including an overnight stop in the latter.
Viking has more ships than any other major cruise brand in the world, more than 90 in all. It also has both ocean ships and river ships — something that is unusual among major lines. One of the benefits of a Viking River Cruise is that a shore excursion is included in each port. Peggy is one who tends to explore on her own because, frankly, most tours she’s taken in the past have been pretty boring. The included Viking excursions typically took place in the morning and lasted about 3 hours. “Guests sailing the rivers in December can experience the traditional European Christmas markets and see the cities in a new way while enjoying local holiday treats and hot mulled wine,” our source notes.
However, unlike nearly every other cruise brand, what you won't find are families with young kids. As noted above, Viking doesn't allow passengers under the age of 18 on its ships — a key differentiator for the brand as compared to other cruise lines. The line's ocean ships can be found in nearly every ocean and sea around the world, from North America to Europe and Asia. As noted above, almost all of Viking's river ships are of the same basic design and are known as the Longships — a reference to the historic vessels used by Vikings in the Middle Ages. Viking's two expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, are smaller than the above vessels, as is typical for expedition ships, and carry 378 passengers at maximum occupancy. Viking is a newcomer to cruises to Antarctica, but the destination is a big growth area for the line.
During Romantic Danube, soak in breathtaking scenery along the Danube, Europe’s second-longest river, with daily stops in Hungary and Austria. Indulge in the beloved annual Austrian tradition of Heurigen dinners, boisterous affairs celebrating the year’s new wine at an area tavern. Don’t miss the Gottweig Abbey With Apricot Dumpling Demonstration, where you’ll learn firsthand how Austrian apricot dumplings (Marillenknödel) are made in the Benedictine monastery’s kitchen. Whether you’re gliding down the Nile River or navigating the Arctic’s uncharted waters, below are some exceptional experiences you can savor aboard Viking’s river, ocean, and expedition cruises. In addition, each of the complexes has a boardroom with a long table that seats 12 people for meetings and catered dinner parties.
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