We had a great time and we look forward to doing another European river cruise in the future. We spent most of our time either on an excursion, exploring the town where we were docked, or on the sundeck enjoying a glass of wine. There are a few items that remain standard every day, like hamburgers, hot dogs and sandwiches.
Take Advantage of Docking Right in the City and Go Exploring
Lying at the confluence of three rivers, Passau often experiences flooding, and one of the sights is where previous floods have left their mark. At the end of the cruise, Viking provides transportation from the ship the Porto airport. Viking helped organize the taxi to our next hotel.
Danube Christmas Delights
Alternately, you may join an optional tour to Schönbrunn Palace, the “Versailles of Vienna,” or enjoy a Viennese waltz lesson as well as visiting the palace during a full-day optional excursion. A cup of coffee or tea and a slice of exquisite Sachertorte are a must for any afternoon in Vienna. Another incredible experience in this region is to cruise across the Arctic Circle where sunlight shines 24 hours a day during Norway’s summer. At midnight, locals embrace the everlasting sunset by going to the beach or kayaking under a golden sky. Viking’s 15-day Into the Midnight Sun ocean voyage includes an overnight stay in Bergen and visits to Edinburgh and the Orkney and Shetland islands in Scotland.
Basel to Germany Viking Hervor Cruise Reviews (2023 UPDATED): Cruise Ratings on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
Basel to Germany Viking Hervor Cruise Reviews (2023 UPDATED): Cruise Ratings on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Wed, 17 Jan 2024 09:42:27 GMT [source]
Day 13 – Cologne, Germany
Others, including ourselves, prefer to stay in town and buy their own noontime meal. In our opinion, few things can match ordering local food in a local restaurant with local patrons. To us, it adds another layer to the experience of being in another culture. Cruise days are full, so I kept a daily river cruise journal along the way. Our 15-day cruise became a series of stories that will tell you what you can expect every day and what you can do in each cruise port.
They also have champagne and orange juice to enjoy breakfast mimosas. Every day is different, so there are plenty of options. River ships are not very big and they have width limits, so they can squeeze through those tight river locks. Because of this, balconies on river vessels are quite small. They are wide enough to fit one chair facing sideways (see photo above). Discovering Europe on an intimate river cruise was on our travel wish list for many years.
Today’s announcement follows a year of accolades for Viking. In October, Viking made history when it was voted #1 for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. The company was also voted to the top of its categories for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure in the 2023 World’s Best Awards.
In many ways, it's a combination of the best Viking river cruises in Europe as it takes in the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers and Dutch waterways. Your first full day in Budapest begins with a morning tour. From Pest’s National Opera House and historic Heroes’ Square, we crossed over the Danube to the Buda side of the river. Oour tour took us along Castle Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. We also had some free time to explore before returning to the ship for lunch.
Those produce about 700 million bottles of wine a year, so expect sips of Saint-Emilion, Medoc and Sauternes on a Viking Bordeaux river cruise. For return visitors there are voyages along the lesser-explored Lower Danube to discover the Iron Gates gorge and culture-rich capitals of Bucharest and Belgrade. No Amsterdam tour is included on the itinerary (even though its canals are yet another UNESCO site), and I assume that’s because most people have planes to catch. If you wish, you are welcome to join the next round of passengers on the afternoon walkabout.
Therefore, Viking has a small fleet of ships built specifically for these Portugal cruises. In the Caribbean (read here), Mexico (read here) and Alaska (read here). We knew this European river cruise would be a very different experience, and that’s exactly what we hoped for.
It’s actually a fun way to check out the layout and design of the other river cruise ships. It docked every evening, so there was no travel at night. Our first night on the ship was spent docked in Porto and we also spend two nights docked at Barca d’Alva. The longest amount of time spent sailing on the river was about 4 hours. You should know – if you purchase wine or alcohol during your excursions, you are allowed to bring it back on the ship and consume it on-board.
We enjoyed a final dinner on board and our last evening together as we cruised on to Amsterdam. The afternoon options included a walking tour of the Old Town area. Highlights were the Albrecht Dürer House and Main Market Square. We drove by Zeppelin Field (the Nazi parade grounds of the 1930s) and the Palace of Justice, site of the infamous Nuremberg Trials. Passau is a town that lies where the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers meet. Our guided walk along the town’s narrow streets took us through Old Town and past many traditional patrician houses.
Tour so we could experience Brauhaus culture and drink Cologne’s famous Kölsch beer. We’d done it on our Rhine cruise and it was just as fun this time. Time to relax on the sun deck with other passengers and watch the scenic vineyards of Franconia sail by. Rothenburg is a medieval town with charming half-timbered houses, a turreted city wall and impressive Gothic and baroque architecture. It ranks among one of the most picturesque in all of Germany. If you have a camera, you should really consider taking this tour.
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