We've done 6 cruises, and many travels on land, and we're trying out what else is there with the river cruises, and watching PBS - TV, we were tempted to try out the Rhine River Viking Cruises, since they're having a 25th Anniversary, Free Air Fare deals. The first year, and it continues to temp us during their 2nd year. We're also having birthdays, husband and I, and we decided to give ourselves birthday presents, by taking a cruise, with 2 days extended Amsterdam, and 2 days extended Switzerland tours. Two countries we visited, along with Cologne, Germany on our honeymoon. The River Cruise, to me, is downgrading ourselves. I was bored during the Black Forest tour, it was like a drive to the Columbia River Gorge. First day, I smell very strong odor of restrooms (maybe they're emptying them, since a group just left the ship and new groups started their journey). We have friendly customer service from beginning to the end, but somewhere in the middle (let's say - the front desk) hardly say anything to people passing by, unless her boss is there! Our Viking River well organized from start to finish. We were met at the airport and taken to our pre-cruise location in the Hague. There were Viking Rep. at the hotel to help us. The next day, we have a nice walking tour. Our trip back to the boat was scenic. We had a nice tour of the Amsterdam canals. Our luggage was in our cabin to greet us. The river boat was spotless. Our room was well organized. The food on the cruise, was very good, for the most part. There weren't too many passengers, unlike a large cruise ship. There were only two flights of stairs to walk up. There was a nice walking area, on the upper deck outside. We met interesting people from other cities/countries. The shore excursions were very well organized. Our post cruise trip to Lucerne went well. We were greeted at the hotel and had a nice tour of the city. There was always someone at the hotel from Viking, for questions, if we have any. Our trip back to the airport was smooth. Reason for 1 less star: The included tour was basically walking tours of the town. The weather was very cold, very windy, somewhat raining, with very little sun, specially worst during our tour in Kinderjik. Since the stores are closed, other than seeing the cathedral in Cologne, there's really not much to do, but visit the Lindt Chocolate Factory. Again, it was cold & rainy. I learned some new cities, that I've only heard about, during our Viking River Cruise, so that was something positive during this trip. The best part was to be able to attend a couple cathedrals, during Lent, and I would have given a bonus, if our city tour guide was knowingly prepare to answer, if there was mass or not, and to my disappointment, I was told 'No Service' by the doorman, when we were going back in, as we were told there was. read more

Viking Cruises - One of the many castles, along the Rhine. - Travel Services Near Me - Basel, BS

After sailing on many Viking River Cruises, we took our first cruise on Viking's Ocean Cruise with their beautiful ship, Jupiter. Our eight day cruise (Iconic Western Mediterranean) included the itinerary of Rome, Italy, Livorno, Italy (Florence & Pisa), Monte Carlo, Monaco, Marseille, France, Sete, France, and Barcelona, Spain. All these ports were on the southern coast of Italy and France, on the Mediterranean. The ship was pristine and lovely. The service everywhere on the ship was the finest. The restaurants served high quality food at every meal. Musicians performed several times per day in the living rooms. There was a gorgeous spa, a winter garden room, and beautiful decks with swimming pools. One of my favorite things on some cruise ships is the Promenade Deck. There were multiple restaurants including The Restaurant, Chef's Table, World Cafe (buffet), and Manfredi's. Viking offered a large array of excursion options at every port. They also provided one excursion in every port that was included in the fare. The food in all the restaurants was excellent, with several courses. My favorite was The Restaurant, which was the main restaurant, where full table service was given with white tablecloths and china. Wine and beverages are included at lunch and dinner. The ship is impeccable. I felt like it was brand new. They limit to under 900 people, which I greatly prefer over the megaships with thousands of guests. If you are considering a cruise, be sure to study about Viking Cruises...they are always rated at the top! read more