Are Viking River Cruises crowded?
You can take a virtual tour of a Longship here to see for yourself. The Longships only have 95 staterooms, so the number of passengers is limited to less than 200 people. Since there are so few passengers, the ship never seems crowded. You can always find a place to relax and enjoy some solitude.
Sails From
Sailing on Viking Sea feels a bit like you've been invited into a friend's home. The decoration is personal and elegant without being stuffy, and you really feel like you could flop just about anywhere to relax and be comfortable.
Though there are no formal nights on-board Viking River cruises, evening dress is elegant casual across all dining venues, performances and special events. This includes: Women – Dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse. Men – Trousers and collared shirt with a tie and jacket being optional.
Increasing in popularity with new ships added each year, river cruising is ideal for seniors. Ports are usually close to cities, sailing is smooth, ships are small (with usually no more than 200 passengers), and most shore excursions offer several levels of walking intensity.
Viking Cruises has cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The line said it was also evaluating 2022 itineraries that call in Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary.
Face masks are optional while moving about the ship. Please note: Viking's Medical Team continually monitors conditions and may deem face masks to be necessary while moving about the ship, based on conditions at the time of travel.
Average age ( on all of the Viking cruises which we have done - 5) is from mid 50s to late 70s.
So comfortable, casual wear will make up the majority of your wardrobe. Comfortable trousers or jeans are best, or if the weather calls for it, shorts or skirts are also appropriate. Lightweight, breathable tops.
While serving times can vary depending upon excursions and cruise schedules, they are generally: Breakfast: 7:00 AM–9:30 AM. Lunch: 12:00 PM–2:00 PM. Dinner: 7:00 PM.
- No casinos.
- No children under 18.
- No umbrella drinks.
- No photography sales.
- No art auctions.
- No charge for beer & wine with lunch & dinner.
- No charge for alternative restaurants.
- No charge for Wi-Fi.
Which cruise line is least crowded?
...
5 small-ship cruise lines for people who hate crowds
- Azamara Club Cruises. (Azamara) ...
- SeaDream Yacht Club. (SeaDream) ...
- Star Clippers. (Star Clippers) ...
- Windstar Cruises. (Windstar) ...
- Silversea.
You will not get motion discomfort, as river cruises are slow paced with little to none rough water. Remember, every cabin has a view—there are no inside cabins like on an ocean cruise vessel. Castles on view while we were sailing—impressive!
- Viking Cruises. Viking Cruises offers river, ocean and expedition sailings. ...
- Holland America Line. ...
- Silversea Cruises. ...
- Cunard. ...
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises. ...
- Tauck River Cruises. ...
- American Queen Voyages. ...
- American Cruise Lines.
Your dream can become a reality with the Grand European Tour, the most popular river cruise offered by Viking Cruises. The 15-day voyage gives you highlights of the Danube, Main and Rhine Rivers.
Viking highly recommends, but does not require, a pre-departure COVID-19 test—unless one is required by the destination. As of June 10, 2022, select ocean voyages on the Viking Orion and expedition voyages on the Viking Octantis in the United States and Canada will continue to require a pre-departure COVID-19 test.
What happens if a guest tests positive for COVID-19 while on their Viking cruise? Guests with a positive COVID-19 test may be isolated on board or ashore—depending on local guidelines and symptoms, if any.
If you or your travel companions have COVID-19 symptoms or test positive at embarkation, the cruise ship may deny you from boarding. If you are allowed to board, you may be required to isolate or quarantine, depending on your symptoms and test results.
When is embarkation? Embarkation generally begins at 11:00 AM and access to staterooms is guaranteed by 3:00 PM. Should you arrive before your stateroom is available and wish to explore your port of call, you can leave your luggage on the ship where we will gladly look after it.
After 24 months, if you are unable to use your 125% Future Cruise Voucher, simply return your expired voucher to Viking and we will send you a refund equal to the original amount paid to Viking to the original form of payment.
Fellow Passengers: As you'll find on most river cruises, the demographic tends to be older, 55 years and up, well-traveled and retired. There's the occasional younger honeymoon couple and solo guests. Most passengers hail from the United States with some Brits, Aussies and New Zealanders.
How many guests are on a Viking River cruise?
Each Longship measures 135m in length and carries 190 passengers in 95 outside-facing cabins.
On average a river cruise by Viking may cost you somewhere around $2000 to $8000 per person. These prices are for a European tour that takes you on a cruise for almost 8 to 21 days.
LINE | TIPPING GUIDELINES |
---|---|
Viking River Cruises | Europe Onboard Staff: €12 per person, per day. €2 per person, per day, Program Director. Egypt, Russia, Southeast Asia: $15 per person, per day, crew. $10 per person, per day, Viking tour escort. |
Will you feel “seasick” on a river cruise? It's highly unlikely, but if you suffer from motion sickness, install yourself in the lounge and read a good book while transiting the locks, or sit out on the Sun Deck if weather allows and you'll do just fine!
How much should I tip? Most cruise lines suggest tipping $10 to $12 per day per passenger (not per couple), regardless of age. For a seven-day cruise, this means each cruiser should budget at least $70 for gratuities, or $140 per cabin for two people.
Windstar's AmphorA restaurant is the luxury line's main dining room, which was redesigned in 2012. You'll find gourmet meals that highlight regional specialties for wherever you cruise. Take the expert sommelier's advice and pair a terrific wine with your delicious dinners and decadent desserts.
Dining onboard Viking Sea is a true treat. All meals are complimentary, including specialty restaurants. (In fact, the only "fee" dining experience is The Kitchen Table, which is a hybrid: part dinner, part shore excursion.)
For those who would like to upgrade and enjoy unlimited beverages, Viking offers a Silver Spirits beverage package, which covers any drinks (excluding champagne) up to $15.00 USD, including premium wines by the glass, co*cktails, all house pouring wines, beers, liquors, well drinks, mixers/long drinks and soft drinks ...
Viking Rhine River Cruise Part 1 |Tips & Money saving Tricks - YouTube
During the day, cruisers dress casually and comfortably. At dinner, most women wear tops and slacks (or dresses); men opt for casual (or collared) shirts with long trousers. River cruises have no “formal nights” although some people dress up (evening casual) for a farewell or Captain's dinner.
Which airline do Viking cruises use?
Viking Air Travel Services
At Viking, we never compromise with our choice of airlines and use only quality, scheduled airlines, including British Airways, KLM, Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa.
The Road to 100% Capacity
"We have ships now sailing at 100% and we've had ships sailing at 100% now for several weeks out of the Caribbean, into the Caribbean market and a short product." The Royal Caribbean Executive added that the cruise line's Oasis Class ships have been sailing at 80% capacity or soon.
- SeaDream Yacht Club. ...
- Windstar Cruises. ...
- Scenic Eclipse. ...
- Silversea Expeditions. ...
- Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. ...
- Ponant. ...
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
- Don't think you're going to have a lot of downtime. ...
- Don't try to pack too much in. ...
- Don't feel the need to schedule extra excursions. ...
- Don't skip trying the food and drink in local ports. ...
- Don't ignore when the ship sails -- and from where. ...
- Don't underpack.
The European River cruising season runs from March through December, though the best time to take a river cruise in Europe is during the late spring (April-May) or early fall (September-October).
- Tulip Cruises. A Tulip Time cruise is one of the most iconic (and picturesque!) river cruises you can take. ...
- Douro Cruises. Scenic Azure on the Douro. ...
- Moselle Cruises. Crystal Bach on the Moselle. ...
- Main Cruises. ...
- Christmas Markets Cruises. ...
- Elbe Cruises. ...
- Danube Cruises. ...
- Rhine Cruises.
The sights that are seen whilst on board, and the towns and cities that can be visited, are simply amazing. For the elderly, cruises are much more relaxing and stress-free compared to regular holidays. Everything you need is in one place and you can visit loads of countries on one trip.
Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC)
Currently, seniors can find discounts for cruise lines including Carnival, Crystal, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean International. To learn more or to book a discount cruise, visit TravelPerks.com/AMAC.
Certain cruise lines have rooms designed for full-time living with six month and yearly lease options. Others simply allow you to book out a room for a specified period of time. Certain cruise lines have special programs for retirees.
Speaking of independents, that only leaves those lines that may be owned by a larger corporation but are not affiliated with any other cruise brands. These include Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Star Clippers, Viking Cruises and Windstar Cruises, which was formerly owned by Carnival Corp.
What are 2 major reasons you can identify as to why Viking is the leading cruise line in the industry?
- Viking Never Tries To Be All Things to Everyone. ...
- Viking Promises You The Thinking Person's Cruise. ...
- Viking Gives You Elegance. ...
- Viking Offers a Refined Atmosphere. ...
- Viking Does Not Have Hidden Charges.
Luxury Travel Advisor
In 2019, Viking was recognized for the third consecutive year as the first and only cruise line to win both rivers and oceans categories in the prestigious luxury trade awards: Best Luxury Ocean Cruise Company (for the third time) and Best Luxury River Cruise Company (for the sixth time).
- No casinos.
- No children under 18.
- No umbrella drinks.
- No photography sales.
- No art auctions.
- No charge for beer & wine with lunch & dinner.
- No charge for alternative restaurants.
- No charge for Wi-Fi.
The Minibar is Included on Viking Cruises
Onboard Viking the mini bar is included. How often it is replenished depends on your cabin grade. The standard balcony cabin is only filled at the start of your cruise but the other categories are filled whenever they are empty.
Bottom Line: Cruising with Viking Ocean Cruises is a bit different. There aren't any casinos, art auctions, photography sales, or children. You won't pay extra for Wi-Fi or to use the launderettes. There are no formal nights and smoking isn't allowed anywhere onboard.
LINE | TIPPING GUIDELINES |
---|---|
Viking River Cruises | Europe Onboard Staff: €12 per person, per day. €2 per person, per day, Program Director. Egypt, Russia, Southeast Asia: $15 per person, per day, crew. $10 per person, per day, Viking tour escort. |