Great information!!! Thank you! :)

Included tours on AMA has me sold. The total cost of your vacation is important. Sounds like food is similar. I did not see art, architecture etc featured on Viking walking tours.

NONE! Have you looked at the commercials? Everyone in the AD’s is in their 80’s or higher. I’m not looking for a raging party but it would be nice if there was a pulse on board.

Helpful!

We just returned two weeks ago from the grand European tour river cruise on Viking. I can’t say enough positive things about our entire trip. It was absolutely amazing!

Avalon is very bad towards the crew in general especially after covid.

Just finished a river cruise 15 days. Loved having the balcony. We got drinks and sat out and watched castles go by, gorgeous sunsets, and the locks.

Wow! The background music was so loud that i had a hard time hearing you speaking.

Im going on my first river cruise solo in late August. I will be cruising the upper Danube on Emerald waterways. I chose a "Duck view" cabin so i could afford extra inclusions like a concert in Vienna and a visit to the mineral baths in Budapest. I also figured since I'm traveling solo, i would be taking advantage of the socializing on the lounge and upper decks. I have a small travel fan to combat the feeling of claustrophobia in the closed room.😊 I can't wait!

I sailed from Vienna to Passou on my Eurail Pass in the 80s and it was great!

Viking offers numerous shore excursions in each port. Generally, only one is included for no additional fee. The included tour is not always just a walking tour, as some of them are a panoramic bus tour, such as in Paris.

which of these cruises have gyms, pools/hot tubs? I regularly work out and want that option. We also really enjoy a good soak.

We love VIKING SO MUCH!

What is the tipping culture on these river cruises? Great comparisons. Tips for tour guides, etc. Thanks.

Everything you said is right on. We “dressed up” for two evenings. By dressed up I mean I wore a nice top and slacks and my husband wore a buttoned shirt and slacks. Most evenings I wore my jeans with a not-so-casual top but would have felt fine with the clothes I had worn during the day. Several couples dressed up more often but it’s all good. Enjoy your trip as you are not by anyone else’s choice.😊

Hi Melissa, as I've mentioned in another one of your post, we're cruising with Emerald for this reason of tips being included. My question is are the tour guides included or do we tip separetly?

We're doing a river cruise next July on Emerald and we picked one with a balcony. Thought we'd spoil ourselves since we're probably not going to be able to afford to do this again

I have done the Rhine + Oberammergau with Viking in 2022, then France's Finest (2 cruises on one trip) also with Viking, this April. Viking checks all my boxes, looking to book another soon. If there are *more* luxurious choices, I don't need that much luxury! Food and service, decor and amenities on Viking are perfect. And they find activities which I could not hope to replicate on my own, like lunch with a truffle farmer with him demonstrating how his dog finds the truffles after lunch. Charming!

Agree!

This is so so helpful! Thank you!!

I did the Rhine cruise with Viking a few years ago and enjoyed it. I just returned from the Danube cruise with Emerald and would book with Emerald again. Gratuities were included, along with pool, movie nights and bikes. The rooms and ship layout were similar with both. The extras with Emerald and different excursions options, we will definitely book with them again.

I really like Viking. I have been on 2 Viking cruises and I have another cruise booked for July 2025Again with Viking.

We did the 15 day Viking Grand European river cruise and a Viking ocean cruise. We’ve booked another Viking river cruise for next spring. We have been totally pleased with Viking.

We did a river cruise with Grand Circle Travel from Vienna to Amsterdam. Loved the people. Our tour director introduced us to a butcher, a carriage driver, and a German family. We visited the home of the German family and talked and snacked for hours. Onboard, the food was delicious and each plate was a work of art Free house beer & wine all day. The rooms are about the same size on all the river cruise lines. Grand Circle cabins have two single beds that fold up into benches during the day. In the day configuration, there is more open space to walk around. My wife and I never got into each other's way. We will go again next year.

Ive booked my fifth river cruise from PAris to Normandy in October, ive been cruising on Uniworld ships for of my river cruises

First cruise

Love your content. Going on my fist class. Love the cooking class

There are other cruise lines other than Viking. Also, what about water levels?

I definitely prefer a full balcony on ocean cruises, since we spend several days at sea and I love to sit out and watch the water. I'm thinking about my first river cruise, and it seems it's not as important. A French balcony seems fine. I'm interested in what others have to say.

So far we’ve been on two river boat cruises, both on Viking, Rhine River Amsterdam to Basel and the Christmas Market on the Danube from Hungary to Passau. We only have positive things to say. It is a fabulous learning experience and we’ve planned another river boat cruise for this summer in Portugal and an ocean cruise with Viking as well, this fall.

I took a Danube cruise on Uniworld. Great food, nice room and I didn't have to pay for extra for a liquor package. It was accessible any time of the day.

Any time is a great time!!! Believe me - I live in Europe!

My wife and I had a french balsony on our Rhine Christmas cruise. It was enjoyable watching the barges go by in the evening and seeing their Christmas decorations. Sleeping and showering took up up mosat of cabin time.

Im looking into May 2025 for our 40th wedding anniversary on the Rhine River. What river cruise line is better to go on? Thank you!

Melissa is 100% correct about the outstanding food selections and the chef and staff catering to those with dietary restrictions. We were always quite pleased with the food choices and quality. Selections included Chateaubriand, lamb, Tuna, Salmon, beef & pork ribs, duck, steak, seafood, popular local foods, etc. plus lots of dessert choices and free wine with every meal. We are taking our 3rd Viking cruise next Spring.

We did the Viking Grand European in July-August, which worked out great. There were only 70 guests on our ship (which holds 190)! We received fantastic personal service and attention as it had a full crew. Low river levels can be a big problem that time of year, however. The Rhine was closed during our cruise and we were transferred to buses and hotels, which still worked out fine as Viking handled all luggage transfers and paid for everything anytime we stopped. Before our trip ended, both the Rhine and Danube were closed due to low water. I assume some August trips were either cancelled or became land-based.

Did a Rhine River cruise back in March from Amsterdam to Basel Switzerland on AMA Waterways. Overall it was a good experience, however the food for me was a tad disappointing. They seem to try make it a gourmet experience, but the tastes were generally on the bland slide. With that being said, the service was impeccable. River cruises are a great way to see a lot of Europe in a short time.

May is great for the Rhine. ( besides weather….it’s important to watch river heights…..snow melt causing high water levels….)

I did a Danube cruise on Amawaterways on the AmaSonata at Easter. It was so good I have booked another one with them on the Rhone in August

We’ve had great experiences with Amadeus/Luftner

Amadeus/Luftner also have a few solo cabins across their fleet

We’ve typically spent in the range of $200-$300 per person per night, excluding flights

We’ve done both. Since most of the time is spent outside the cabin, it’s not worth it for us.

Our first river cruise (out of 4 to date, and counting) was on the Douro. We’d recommend it to any first timer.

Another question: In 2017 I had a travel agent book a Seine River cruise that coincided with the 75th anniversary of the D-Day seaborne invasion of Normandy. I had to handle certain parts of the trip planning, air travel being one. Do you present a complete package to your clients? I understand that I must know which excursions I want in order to assist the agent, but I won’t do their job. Lastly, what fees do you charge for services rendered?

Taking Viking Ocean Italy Sojourn in August. I went online to book excursions 6 hours after booking opened and several “INCLUDED” excursions were “SOLD OUT.” How can this happen? If you had handled this for me could it have happened to you? This did not happen on the Rhine Cruise.

I asked this very question on another of your Shorts. Some 55-59 year old posted on a KZbin channel about being disappointed that Viking river cruisers are older and mostly over 70. Another claustrophobic youngster posted that he was put off by the absence of 2 person seating options for meals. These people belong on the floating clown, I mean town ships, where passengers jump lines, save deck and venue chairs, assault the elevators, and are just generally looking for a backyard deck away from home. I am a retired Army officer combat veteran and a retired law professor with 40 years of teaching and practice experience. With six college degrees I am seeking a cultural, historical, enjoyable, and sociable experience. This is why Viking appeals to me. Your Short video actually got me thinking about the different types of people I have met on river vs. ocean cruises. My wife and I are taking the Viking Ocean Italy Sojourn trip in August, and are hoping that the passengers are more like river cruisers than ocean counterparts.

My wife and I have taken the Rhine River (8 day) Viking cruise and we are in our 70s but still active and mobile. We also are scheduled to take Viking Ocean Italy this August. On another KZbin channel that tracks Viking a traveler commented on disappointed that Viking travelers were in their 70s, the commenter who was also speaking for co-travelers, said they were “disappointed” on a Viking cruise because of the older 70s passengers. You seem to be marketing to all age groups so I put the question to you: Have you experienced age bias when booking Viking? The referenced commenter mentioned Tauck as a better river cruise choice. So I noted the price differences and asked if perhaps the disappointments might be based on socio-economic biases. I know, it’s a dig, but the guy pi….. me off. I like your style and although I prefer Instagram over Tik Tok I plan to see if I can access your account and subscribe. Have difficulty navigating Tik Tok, but then I am a 70s disappointment so being social media illiterate is expected. Right!

Do you have an Instagram account? Will watch if you do.

I have done 2 Viking River Cruises with a third scheduled for next year. My wife has food allergies and Viking lives up to their staement about preparing food for people with food allegies. I highly recommend Viking.