Every other time I've sailed it's been on a very large ship, but many of our acquaintances had already gone on a river cruise and they all raved about the experience. I can now add myself to the list of satisfied sailors.
- Instead of being large, the Hervor (our Viking ship) was intimate. The ship could hold a maximum of 190 guests. There was no casino, gift shop, photographers, or formal dinner night. Children under 21 were prohibited.
- Our cabin had a French balcony, with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that opened to a protective railing to let in fresh air. The bathroom was compact, but not cramped. Tony and I appreciated the twice-daily attention from our room steward.
- There was free wi-fi throughout the ship. It was adequate and appreciated.
- Each port included a free excursion or guided tour with a local guide.
- There was only one seating for meals, and we weren't tied to any particular table. Lunch and dinner included complimentary house wine, beer, and soft drinks. Two coffee machines on the third floor offered basic and specialty drinks at the touch of a button, or hot water for tea. Next to the coffee machines baskets held sweet and savory baked goods.
- The third floor also had a large window-lined lounge and an observation lounge. The top deck had a sun deck and walking track that wound around a small herb garden and a two-hole putting green.
Sounds nice. My in laws did a Viking Cruise last year and enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThe vast majority of cruisers were in the 'old enough to have adult children' demographic :-)
DeleteWe did our first river cruise in April on American Cruise Lines for the lower Mississippi. It was a wonderful experience for most of the same reasons you had on your Viking river cruise. We are doing another US river cruise this fall and plan to go on European one next fall.
ReplyDeleteAnd I read that post with interest, knowing we had a similar one coming up.
DeleteWonderful choice on a Viking river cruise!-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com.
ReplyDeleteWe took a Viking Ocean Western European cruise Oct 24 it was much enjoyed-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
DeleteI have never talked to someone who didn't enjoy the experience.
DeleteHow cool that there was a herb garden as well. And no one under 21, wow. That's pretty cool too, Kathy. Looks like a good time.
ReplyDeleteSome of the herbs looked like they had been snipped-maybe they showed up in that night's dinner?
DeleteI e been interested in doing a Viking tour and now with your post, I'm even more interested. sounds fun and relaxing
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to have been of service.
DeleteThose European river tours have longed piqued my interest. Your #1 was mostly a welcome surprise ... yet, I'd greatly miss the opportunity to don formal wear.
ReplyDeleteThere was nothing that said you *couldn't* dress for dinner. I saw several nice dresses and a few sports coats; more like church wear than evening wear.
DeleteThat sounds fabulous and relaxing.
ReplyDeleteIt was. We had decided that last year's tour was a little more packed with activities than we liked.
DeleteOh that sounds so nice. I hesitate going on those huge cruise ships with all those people. 190 is more like it. Glad you enjoyed it and being with friends makes it more so.
ReplyDeleteI will never say never, but right now the huge ships are a real turn-off for me. Although we became friendly with quite a few people it was nice to always have someone to socialize with.
DeleteI've heard from other people how pleased they were with river cruises, except for my husband's sister-in-law, whose ship ran out of water to sail in! Things seem to happen to her.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of water happened to one of our friends also! Although the river was low for our trip the problem seems to be more common in the heat of the summer.
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