Rhine River Cruise with Viking

[@wendyjohnson6683]

Fantastic video. We took this exact cruise with Viking in May 2023. Watching your video brings back so many great memories. It was our first Viking tour and we would definitely recommend Viking to anyone. We have booked our second Viking tour (Danube) this Fall

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

The Danube was our first Viking cruise, Bucharest to Budapest. Have fun!

[@wendyjohnson6683]

@@PrydeofTheVillages Thank you very much. Look forward to any of your future videos.

[@jobiquin]

This was one of the best videos i have seen about the Rhine River getaway! Love how informative it was and that you showed cost!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for watching. Costs have gone up some since our booking, but I still believe it is value for money.

[@adriannachen1391]

Thanks for the video! It was tough finding an informative river cruise video, but yours really hit the mark!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ireneparks7392]

We are cruising the Rhine in 2025. Your video was an informative peek into what we can expect from ship to land to dining. Thanks for sharing.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did.

[@jesusvalencia3450]

The best presentation, professional cinematography, music, camera, narration, thanks Pryde, Now I will cruise thru Vikings next year tired of Ocean cruise.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

River cruising is definitely different, no sea days. I think you will enjoy it.

[@jeethwalgampaya7590]

Wow! I feel I did the whole 7 day cruise on the viking ship! Very professionally done, so detailed, love how the music complimented each change of scenery, the narration was very informative, honestly, this is the BEST video of any river cruise that I have watched. I am sure Viking cruise company will buy this video from you 😄. Thank you for an amazing job so very well done. I am subscribing to your channel🙏🏼

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for watching, subscribing and the kind comments. Have not gotten any offers from Viking as of yet. 😊

[@derekdavid8665]

My wife and I were very impressed with your tour !! Your grasp of local historical facts were informative as well as colorful..I have entertained at the Villages several times with my group The Platters...Thank You ..Derek David

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Derek, thank you for the kind comments. We only touched the surface on the history of those towns on the Rhine. Hope you get a chance to entertain in The Villages again soon. Charlie

[@susanlarson4321]

Just booked this tour going in reverse and added two days on either end. Loved your video it solidified our decision. And gave great tips.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Two days in Amsterdam should be fun, it is a great city.

[@jturie]

I've been to Amsterdam on business at least 20 times. One of my favorite cities on Earth! Smart decision to add on. Free tip: if you visit Museumplein, have dinner at Cafe Loetje on Johannes Vermeerstraat.

[@slydog147]

Thanks your video was very informative.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

You are very welcome!

[@potdog1000]

i absolutely loved this post. well done I am English & was stationed in Germany in the 70s & this brought back some happy memories. Not sure if the railways still do it but when i was there you could board a train that went one way doen the Rhine & come back up the other side of the river, cheaper than a cruise but i'm guessing not as much fun

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thank you for the comment and glad you enjoyed the video. We were stationed in Germany from 85-89. It was happy memories for us as well.

[@dawnhuff5740]

Very well-done! One of the better river cruise videos I've seen. Wonderful footage. Thank you!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tracyg2623]

Great Video! Enjoyed all of the history you told us and the Viking overview- we are going on our first Viking Rhine River cruise this Jan 2024- it's the first year they are offering winter cruising.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Interesting that they are expanding the cruising schedule past the Christmas markets. Best advice having lived in Germany for four years: bundle up and drink lots of Glühwein to stay warm. Have fun!

[@pammckeown3287]

This was a great video with enough information for me to fill in my own Viking Daily that I had forgotten. Since I have just finished the same cruise I can't imagine another video being any better!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for the kind comment, we do our best to provide viewers enough details for them to make an informed decision on whether the cruise is right for them.

[@NealMccullough-yk3oo]

his was a great video that give information for the Rhine River cruise.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it was helpful!

[@annwelter6869]

What a wonderful vacation you had with Viking! I have this on my radar it would be a dream cruise for me! Looks like it would be a top notch cruise to take with all the tours and delicious food to experience! Thanks for taking the time to video and share with all of us as it is very informative!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Ann, thanks for watching and commenting.

[@twimama43]

We are booked for a Rhine for a Christmas Market cruise in 2024. Thank you for your video and giving me a glimpse at what we will be seeing. :)

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

We lived in Germany for four years and the Christmas markets were very special, enjoy your trip.

[@ashtonbulifant2786]

Superb! You made a really nice video. I’ve always wanted to on a river cruise. Thank you for sharing your lovely trip. Great music .

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for the nice comment.

[@Just_a_normal_guy11]

Very nice videography and narration. Thanks for sharing.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for watching!

[@TicklerDude]

Great video and awesome musical overtures. Makes me want to visit many places in Europe soon

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Hope you get a chance to visit there soon.

[@AudreyEvertoski]

Excellent video. Great information on what to expect. Will be taking this cruise in 2026

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Hope you enjoy it, we did!

[@shep64]

Great video! We are going on the same cruise in 2024. You certainly got a tremendous price! Thanks for the info.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

We got a good deal because we booked during the height of COVID, cruise lines were desperately trying to sell seats. Fortunate timing to sail two years later after all the travel restrictions were gone. Enjoy your cruise, the Galapagos Islands are a very special place.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

I apologize, thought you were referencing the Galapagos cruise video. Yes, great price for the same reason, we booked during Covid when prices were lower and Viking was trying to get customers back. However, even at today's prices I think the Rhine Getaway cruise is value for the money in comparison to other river itineraries.

[@yutubetom]

Awesome video! I'll have to persuade my wife into a trip like this!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

I wish you success.

[@mountaingirl6479]

We are considering planning a dream cruise and this was very help and informative! Thanks!!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stevedimattei321]

Nice job with the video! Very informative and helpful. Thank you.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Very welcome!

[@raddaddy02]

Beautiful video. Thank you very much for your fabulous work! So artistic.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

You are welcome, thanks for watching.

[@jimclark5037]

thank you, very enjoyable and helpful!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

You're very welcome!

[@New-bw4kz]

You make great videos, I did skip a second and didn’t get bored at all. Excellent and thank you for the information

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thank you for the kind comment.

[@CarolStJohn-ev9ry]

Very informative and some great architecture, thank you.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@pahick54]

Well done! Thanks for posting.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for watching!

[@Ahhposition]

Excellent! Loved the narration!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thank you kindly!

[@marilynleslie472]

Beautifully filmed and edited. Your musical choices are wonderful!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thank you so much!

[@noreenn6976]

I'm not a cruiser but this cruise is on my bucket list. I'll vicariously thru you for now. Thanks for sharing!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Wishing you the best on checking this off your bucket list.

[@jerryd5100]

Thank you! Informative, detailed and fun!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@marcoblanco9943]

Great informative video. Thanks for sharing.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for watching!

[@kaz1578]

Great video. A wonderful teaser for our own Viking Rhine River cruise in April.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Have a great cruise.

[@hutchjohnson3243]

Very good video, informative with great pics. We are doing the Danube cruise later this year and now would really like to do your Rhine trip. Thanks

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

You are welcome, enjoy your cruise.

[@matthewsallylockley4420]

Great review of the Rhine cruise and Viking longships.We are looking at the Viking company to cruise on the Rhine. Your video explains all we were unsure of. Thankyou. 1 question. What is the classical music you have used also part way through the review? Kind Regards Matt.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Matt, here are several of the songs I used, Kinderdijk - "Rennaissance Revelry" (Jon Presstone), Koln Cathedral - "German National Anthem" (Organ Played), Strausburg Cathedral - "French National Anthem" (Organ Played), Colmar - "Old Europe" (Patrick Smith).

[@johnconnery1939]

We have had three incredible cruises on Viking. Love to reminisce thru your video

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it brought back some good memories.

[@Dsuji245]

How far do you book the tickets? One year ahead?

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

I would only book a year out if there was a specific date required or if there was a specific cabin we had to have, which is never for us. I tend to look for the best price which will fluctuate based on whether they are filling the boat and sometimes they will include free air or reduced air fares. We are both retired and little family responsibilities, so lots of flexibility in scheduling and I look at value for the money.

[@Dsuji245]

@@PrydeofTheVillages We are retired too. Worry about cancellation because of health issues. Do you know what the cancellation policy is? Nobody talks about this. Appreciate it if you can inform me. Thanks!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

You would have to get that from the Viking website. It should be under the Booking and Sale Terms & Conditions.

[@Heather_T]

Very helpful thanks. We are looking to book the same cruise on Viking for May 2024.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Enjoy, it should be a good time of the year to do the cruise.

[@dorothyelizabethclark8803]

This was very informative and enjoyable. Thanks!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@melvinmcdougal6226]

Thank you for all the wonderful footage and information. I've never been on a cruise but European river cruising seems more enticing than ocean cruising.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

It is definitely different from ocean cruising and for us, very enjoyable.

[@albertosantamaria9426]

Amazing video,thanks!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Our pleasure!

[@m.montague5228]

Very informative and helpful thank you 😊

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kkay2000]

Excellent! About to go on a river cruise myself: Budapest. Hopefully ours will be just as enjoyable.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

We did a Viking Bucharest to Budapest cruise a few years ago. Budapest is amazing and one of our favorite cities.

[@adamnevis7636]

Wow what an incredible video and trip!!! Thank you!!! ❤️ You both are terrific!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks so much Adam.

[@markbondurant5639]

What was the sound track during the view of Colman? Beautiful

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

The music was titled "Old Europe" by Patrick Smith. I got the song through the video/music subscription "Storyblocks." Not sure where else the song would be available.

[@Pinchton]

The gondola lifts in Ruddesheim was made famous by Elvis Presley in the film G.I. Blues. Did you see the tower with the bells that play a tune? Also the large Christmas shop?

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Yes we did, Ruddesheim was great stop on our cruise.

[@bmayer79]

Thank you, this video was very helpful to fill in all the gaps of what we would want to know before taking the cruise.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it was helpful!

[@KylieKelly-m7g]

Thank you for sharing. We are doing the same cruise in Sept flying from Australia. Great overview. Loved Jennifer’s ice creams too. We leave from Basel. Sadly us Aussies pay so much more!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Yes we did get a good deal as we were coming out of COVID. Likely we will not see those prices again. Have a great trip.

[@dionisia5755]

Love very this video..thank you!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

You are welcome.

[@Starfish2145]

Wow, that was a tremendous value.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

We thought so, especially for Western Europe travel which can be very expensive in the summer.

[@jenniferaashiem6165]

I just came back from our Viking Cities of Light tour, Paris to Prague. We travelled on the river boat up the Moselle river to the Rhine. It was lovely, but a lot of people, including me, came home with Covid. Viking didn’t have anything in place to help.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Yes, COVID is still out there. Cruise lines are treating COVID more like the flu now. All the previous mandated precautions (vaccination, masking, health checks) are no more.

[@mrgoodwrench6969]

Thank you for sharing your trip. Just now planning our first ever river cruise in 2024 on the Rhine and hopefully a few days in Paris. You got a great value for sure!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

We did get a great deal as we booked coming out of the pandemic and Viking was looking to get their boats full again. I believe the Rhine Getaway trip during the same month is now running about $500-600 dollars more for the same cabin class that we had. Still, I think Vikings Rhine Getaway is value for the money compared to other European river cruises. We just booked a 7-night cruise for Portugal's Douro River and it was $3699 per person for lowest category cabin and did not include free air.

[@mrgoodwrench6969]

@@PrydeofTheVillages Just booked the Rhine 7 night cruise starting in Amsterdam for March 2024 with a Veranda state room for $2799 each (500 discount), no free air. Will fly in 2 days early to adjust and not feel rushed and do some touring. I found the same hotel Viking uses and can get a room for $140 per night and can walk to the ship. Headed to Paris for 4 nights via high speed train (Free Style Touring). Thanks again for sharing your experience!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Brian, sounds like you have planned well; especially having that time in Amsterdam on the front end of the cruise.

[@jobal403]

Excellent video! We are taking this cruise next year and i really enjoyed all of your footage!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad you enjoyed it and have a great cruise.

[@Dovergirl54]

We booked a cruise for the end of July. It was helpful to see how everyone was dressed for the summer. Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it was helpful! Luckily, we had no rain except a little while on our excursion in the Black Forrest. Have fun on your trip.

[@renatewilkinson974]

Thank you, very well done.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Our pleasure!

[@jilllovesbeegees70]

I think this is exact itinerary. My sister and I are doing November 2023 during Thanksgiving week. We leave from Amsterdam and go to Basel so this will be interesting to watch. Thank you. By the way, my daughter is just now home from the villages visiting her friend who just passed the bar and I think it’s going to become a attorney for the villages.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

The Villages continues to grow and I'm sure your daughter's friend will have plenty of work to do.

[@jimgray1094]

We did the same itinerary on the Hlin in August of 2019. Great memories watching your video!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad the video brought back the good times travelling the Rhine.

[@llmc317]

Thank you! I am looking forward to my Viking Rhine River Cruise in April & this will prepare me for that.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it helped. Have fun on your trip!

[@deannaking1131]

Good job with this video!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for watching!

[@MichaelKilby]

Well done!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for watching.

[@sheilalauffer9004]

Our trip is coming up. Except we start in Basel and end in Amsterdam. Any advise? I can't wait. Thank you for sharing your video.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

We opted for the Colmar France excursion, a beautiful town. If the weather is nice, view the Middle Rhine cruising from the sundeck as you will be able to hear the cruise director's narration and have a 360 view of both banks of the river. If you do have any time in Amsterdam, explore as the cruise ship docks in the city center. Have fun!

[@sheilalauffer9004]

@@PrydeofTheVillages covid rules? Thank you

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Best to check with Viking before travelling as rules for countries change. In August, the Netherlands required us fill out a form with our vaccine information before entering but they never checked it at immigration. The airline checked our vaccination status before boarding plan in US. Crew on Viking wore masks with the exception of when Captain/Cruise Director were speaking to a large audience. Masks were optional for passengers.

[@sheilalauffer9004]

@@PrydeofTheVillages oh wow. I thought mask etc. was not required. Thank you How was the weather?

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Weather was good, no rain until we got to Basel which was end of cruise and a travel day to the airport. No masks required for passengers. Crew was wearing masks on our August cruise, not sure what the crew is doing now.

[@johnstoutley7421]

Congratulations on an excellently produced video, full of good information, and well put together from start to finish. I applaud you. Not many I've seen have that sort of quality. We plan on going on a Rhine River Cruise with Amawaterways in August of 2023, starting from St Pancras Station in London, by train, to Basel, down the Rhine, ending in Amsterdam, and then taking the train again from Amsterdam back to London. Can't wait. We certainly didn't pay what you paid for your cruise, but the extra train journey probably makes up the difference. Thanks again for such an informative video. Keep up the good work.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thank you for the kind comments. Cheers!

[@freddanchenko5326]

Very informative ❤ Thank you!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gabrieleharmon4648]

Taking this trip just after Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing your trip

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Should be very festive with the start of the Christmas Markets. Have fun!

[@rhondabolten4514]

You two are great! This was such an informative video. Please share any info on dress requirements on Viking cruises. Thanks so much!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Very informal, as there were no formal nights as you might find on most ocean cruise ships. It was August for us so shorts/t-shirts during the day for breakfast/the tours/lunch and smart casual (collared shirts/slacks) for dinner. The most important thing is to have comfortable walking shoes as you do a lot of it on old cobble stone streets. We did not have any rain, but that is something else you would need to be prepared for.

[@DavidLivingOutdoors]

Great review

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for the comment!

[@kellytinsley7084]

Thank You for the great video...we are looking into the same or eastern cruise in May...hearing some negative things about the rivers being too low to operate on...BTW fellow Villager here---south of 44

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Yes, there can be issues with the European Rivers being too high (boat can't get under the bridges) and too low (not able to sail through the middle Rhine). Hard to predict those conditions so far in advance of your booking. We were fortunate to have enough rain occur up-river that we did not have to transfer boats.

[@kellytinsley7084]

@@PrydeofTheVillages Thank you...thinking of alternate plans--either by train or bus

[@DooWopKing2011]

Informative, helpful, delightful!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad it was helpful!

[@emiliaranta3858]

Looove this vlog! What a nice trip!!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@miketheretiredplowguy1834]

Wow what a great video and a great vacation. Thank you so much for sharing all the information in the video of such a beautiful place to visit. Right away I said to my wife let’s go. We really appreciate you videotaping this adventure as we do for all your videos. Thanks again😀

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Our pleasure Mike!

[@barrywalsh9417]

GREAT video, thanks for sharing. My wife and I are looking at doing same tour, but reverse direction, in August 2024. What time of year did you go for this trip?

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

We went in August 2022 and the weather was very nice, but there was a lack of rain prior to our cruise which dropped the river level. The ship was able to navigate through the middle Rhine, but just barely. Weather/rain fall/river level differs every year so not something you can plan for long term.

[@jimburow706]

Great video! Quick question: what was that first song? Where did we go… 🎵

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

The Artist is Humans Win and the song is "Where Do We Run" (featuring MMKAY). I downloaded the song from my "Storyblocks" subscription.

[@clomar58]

Excellent 🙂👍

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thank you 👍

[@noseyrosie2023]

Thank you for the information. Can you tell me how long the flight was , what seats were you assigned, etc? Thank you I also will travel from Orlando!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Viking flew us on Delta Airlines from Orlando to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Amsterdam. We departed Orlando at 5pm and landed in Amsterdam at 10:30am the next day. We were in the economy section in aisle seats across from each other, which we had requested. Our return from Basel to Frankfurt was on Lufthansa, then Frankfurt to Washington Dulles on United and Washington to Orlando on United. Departure from Basel was at 2:10pm and arrival in Orlando was at midnight. Again, we had aisle seats in economy. You can request what type of seat you want if Viking is making your flight arrangements.

[@hmack1234]

Fantastic video! We just got back from the same cruise and it was really cool to hear you reviewing all of the wonderful places we visited. Which cruise (Rhine/Danube) did you prefer better? just curious.😀

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

They were totally different cruises as our Danube cruise was through eastern Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary) and really focused on the countries coming out of their communist pasts. Therefore, I don't think there would have been much difference between the Rhine and Danube rivers had our Danube cruise been through Germany and Austria. We enjoyed both of our cruises, but there was certainly a different theme to them.

[@stevemardiros3323]

Good job brother. Bless you for the hard work putting this together ❤️

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for watching and the nice comment.

[@jilllovesbeegees70]

We signed up for all the tours that were included. Are the tours you showing the ones that were included?

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

The only tour that we showed that was not included was the one to Colmar France, we paid extra for that. Most of the included city/town tours started with a guide and then you had time to explore on your own. The only exception to this was Rudesheim where you explored on your own, but that was easy as it is relatively small.

[@kathycraig5942]

Wonderful and informative video!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad you liked it!

[@beautifulmom9816]

We are interested of going but we don’t know where to start. 😊

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

If it is to start planning the trip, then I would decide whether you want to book it directly with Viking or through a travel agent. If it is where to begin the cruise, I would recommend starting in Amsterdam versus Basel.

[@patrickpotier5349]

Looking at your video Again !!! We had our trip canceled Again !!! ( for the 3rd time) but plan to go again in Oct. Did you take the excursion Medieval Village of Colmar? I can't decide ...

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Yes we did and it was well worth it in our opinion. It was the only optional tour that we took.

[@patrickpotier5349]

@@PrydeofTheVillages Thank You....I booked it !!!!!

[@sharonsadowski5556]

Nice video 👍

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks for watching.

[@DeshanHoward]

Awesome video!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Thanks!

[@royellis4692]

Thanks for another great video! We especially liked this one because we were also fortunate enough to take a Viking cruise this summer starting in Amsterdam...We loved it! Can't wait to do it again🙂

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Glad you enjoyed it! Viking certainly puts together a quality product.

[@patrickpotier5349]

Enjoyed your video !!! We are taking this trip next year 2023, and will recognize so many things (Thanks to you) we would love to know if you remember the restaurants (I think was in Rudesheim or Speyer) the food and ice cream looked so good and we would like to try it if we get a chance (we are foodies !)

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

The restaurant we showed in the video was the Restaurant Ratsstube in Rudesheim. It is located at 26 Markstrasse in the middle of the town. Easy walk from the boat dock. Good wait staff with english menu available, food will not disappoint. The ice cream cafe was the Bromserhaus located at Rheinstrasse 25. This street runs along the river and has several ice cream shops on it.

[@patrickpotier5349]

@@PrydeofTheVillages Thank You...If you don't mind me asking you where was the Gondola ride?

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

In Rudesheim. If you are thinking of doing the gondola, watch your time because there was not a lot of leeway from the boat docking late afternoon and the gondola closing early evening. That is why we only got a one-way gondola ticket up to the monument and then the long walk down through the vineyards. Good exercise on the down-hill hike back into town.

[@patrickpotier5349]

@@PrydeofTheVillages Thank You...So, this is something we can do on our own???

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Yes, this would be something you would have to do on your own as we did. There is no Viking excursion for the gondola ride to the monument. This is the website for the gondola www.seilbahn-ruedesheim.de/en/

[@mmc9828]

Great video! Can you tell me which airport you used to fly out of Basel? I am confused because American Airlines offers 2 different options, EAP and BSL. We are taking the Viking river cruise "Christmas on the Rhine" and end in Basel. Thank you.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Here is the wiki explanation on this airport: Due to its international status, EuroAirport has three IATA airport codes: BSL (Basel) is the Swiss code, MLH (Mulhouse) is the French code and EAP (EuroAirport) is the neutral code. Which makes some sense as there is a Swiss side and a French side to the airport. Our itinerary provided by Viking air had us flying BSL to Frankfurt on Lufthansa and then United Airlines back to the US. Therefore, the Viking shuttle dropped us off on the Swiss side of the airport.

[@mmc9828]

@@PrydeofTheVillages Very helpful. Thank you!

[@kristelkeely828]

What time of year was this? I may have missed that in the video but it looks like perfect weather. Great video, so we'll done!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

This trip was in August 2022.

[@psjasker]

You guys live the way I’d like my wife and I to retire. This is why we work all our lifes … God willing we’ll be hanging our cleats up soon.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Good luck on that retirement; hopefully it is sooner than later.

[@ricklatouch2263]

I’m wondering how strict the River cruise lines are about taking aboard a bottle of wine coming back from a town visit? I know that ocean cruises are very strict.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

We never had our backpacks screened coming back from a town visit either on the two Viking river cruises we have done (Rhine/Danube) or on our recent Emerald (Douro) cruise and we have brought back wine. I believe the reason they would not care if you purchased or consumed your own wine is because they provide complementary wine during lunch and dinner to everyone. Cheaper for them if you drink your own vice theirs. Ocean cruises make big profits on having passengers purchase drink packages and most prohibit bringing any alcohol on board.

[@jamishthewanderer]

Thanks for The informative videos of your viking cruise. It helps a lot. I can see a lot of walking in this video, which I Love it. However, I am so curious if the cruise offer an electric scoter ? My family been wanting to do a viking cruise, but my Main problem, is my husband has a parkingson disease and cannot able to walk for 1 minute, so I dont know How we can manage to do this kind of trips? We were planning to go on summer, hopefully I can get an answer from you. Thank you!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Yes, there is a large amount of walking with a good portion of it on cobblestone streets and unfortunately these old towns are not the most handicap accessible. I can't remember anyone on our trip being in a scooter; but there was a lady that used a wheelchair. In fact, I helped get here up a steep hill in Koln. It would be best to reach out to Viking Cruise Lines to see what options are available to accommodate your husband's mobility.

[@Jason-rp4jh]

My father and I are doing a Rhine Viking cruise getaway basil to Amsterdam which side of the ship would you suggest we be on? We are going to do a balcony thank you Jason and my father.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Jason, since you are sailing down river Basil to Amsterdam, I would suggest the right side (starboard side) of the ship as the Captain will likely be hugging the right side of the river channel. A lot of the sailing will be done at night with daytime hours spent in the ports of call. One exception is when daytime sailing the Middle Rhine with all the castles and small towns on both sides of the river. On that day the best place to be is on the Sun Deck as you have 360 degree views. Enjoy your cruise.

[@peggywaters2589]

I was looking for a review of the Danube river cruise, but didn’t see one. If you had to choose, which river cruise would you take? Thank you

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

If this is your first European river cruise, Amsterdam-Basel on the Rhine and Regensburg-Budapest on the Danube are great first-time cruises and we would recommend either. We did an Eastern European Bucharest-Budapest Danube cruise years back and it focused on former communist times and the Yugoslavian civil war. A very interesting cruise history wise, but much less scenic than the first two mentioned.

[@peggywaters2589]

@@PrydeofTheVillages thank you, this is exactly the information that I was looking for!

[@elainetaps16]

Thank you for a great video. Please tell me if I should exchange the dollar for Euros before we leave on our cruise. Thank you.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

It would not be a bad idea if you can get a good rate without a big service charge. I would not do it at an airport exchange kiosk (bad exchange rates/big fees). We picked up a small amount of Euros from an ATM when landing in Amsterdam and before departing on the Viking Bus for the ship. There are also ATMs in the towns you tour. We primarily used our credit cards for any purchases in the port visited. Only exception was tipping the local guides which we did with cash Euros. So unless you plan to use paper Euros for all your purchases, you shouldn't need many (only for tips and small things). Have a great cruise!

[@ravnodinson]

How was the flight from Orlando? That's where I would be flying out of. That price is amazing.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Air was included so Viking made the flights and they were ticketed on US carriers. The connections were reasonable.

[@christopherm5958]

Is always funny to see these churches look similar in other countries. This looks like St Patrick's in NYC as I lived there. Of course not as grand.

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Very similar architecture. Although likely separated by several hundred years in building.

[@maryhartman5044]

Thank you. I really enjoyed your video.❤

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

You are so welcome!

[@lisatucker9096]

Suggestions for what to do in Amsterdam or does Viking do a walking tour?

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Unless you are really familiar with Amsterdam, I would start with the complementary Viking walking tour just to get oriented to where the boat is in reference to the central train station (a big landmark) and to get some local cultural tips from the guide. The guide will help you understand the rules of the bike paths, so you don't get run over. Make sure you pick up a map from the front desk, they will have maps for all the cities you visit. We started with the tour but then broke off on our own as the tour was heading back to the boat. Some other couples did the same. Now there are many great museums and the Ann Frank House in the city, but all those venues required reservations at the time as we were there during peak tourist season. So we leisurely strolled the canals, did some shopping and stopped in a cafe for some ice cream. We did have a required safety briefing/muster drill late afternoon onboard, but the boat did not cast off for Kinderdijk until 11:30PM so you have a good amount of time to explore. Also the next day is a very leisurely one, with the windmills in the morning and river cruising in the afternoon.

[@JamesKampfer]

Fantastic job. When I price it I'm at $20,000; no free airfare, and picking the Explorer Suite. Way to expensive. I'm curious about how much time you actually spent in your room, and what are your thoughts about cruising in mid-October. With the cool weather, can you actually take your meals outside? Thanks!

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Nice if you can afford the Explorer Suite. We went with the standard room as we spent very little time in the room other than to sleep (small with a window, but economical). Most of the cruising occurs at night and you are in the ports during the day. Sometimes in port you will have another Viking ship tied up next to you so no view. Best cruising day is the middle Rhine with the castles and most passengers go to the sundeck for that. Mid-October cruising you will avoid the summer tourist crush and weather will be cool. Not sure what they do about outdoor dining in October. During our trip in August we had lunch outside on the Aquavit Terrace once (Amsterdam) and dinner on the inside of the Terrace twice. They never offered outdoor dining in the evening.

[@JamesKampfer]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply. We will definitely downgrade our room choice. I suspected that you didn't spend much time in the room at all. Will probably switch to July or August as well. Thanks again!

[@jo-annr.1291]

We are considering a Rhine river cruise, also near Orlando: what airline did you use, and was it a direct flight, were you ok in economy, or would you move to business class .? Anything different if you went again regarding flights etc ? Thank you

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Free airfare was included by Viking as part of the Rhine Getaway cruise at the time of our booking and the dates we chose to travel. I estimated the airfare to be worth about a $1000 a piece if we had booked it ourselves. However, it was not a direct flight from Orlando. They booked us on Delta from Orlando-Atlanta-Amsterdam. We did not mind economy and were allowed to select asile seats across from each other. Our checked bags were also at no cost. Also using Viking for the air ensured Amsterdam Airport pickup and transfer to the ship. On return from Basel we were on Lufthansa and United from Basel-Frankfurt-Dulles-Orlando. All the flights were on schedule and we had no issues with air travel. Not sure Viking could have made the air travel any more streamlined as I believe there are no direct flights Orlando-Amsterdam and certainly none Basil-Orlando. In hindsight, I don't think I would have changed anything as it was a great trip at a very affordable price within our budget.

[@alexbaker7871]

Hi from Australia, I’m doing this Rhine River cruise same direction 3 August this year. Viking charge a singles supplement which is double the pp price, so I booked with Avalon, they also have a good reputation, and the cost for singles isn’t as prohibitive. My question if I may, were you able to travel on the river without being bused due to low water levels? I read some reports that it was the case with some cruises from the same time (July/August) last year! Thanks for the great information 😊and vlog

[@PrydeofTheVillages]

Yes, that time of the year the Rhine River level can get too low which means the boats cannot navigate through the Middle Rhine (castle viewing). We did not have that issue as it rained enough upriver two days before our passage through the area. However, the week prior to our arrival saw the boats having to switch its passengers. I can't speak specifically for Avalon's operation but I'm sure it is similar to Vikings in that they make the transition to the new boat seamlessly. Viking would have unloaded our luggage, placed us on a more shallow draft day boat to cruise the middle Rhine, then board the new boat with luggage on board in the same stateroom number. I understand that Viking would have only bused us the length of the Middle Rhine if no boats were able to cruise that section.

[@alexbaker7871]

@@PrydeofTheVillages many thanks for responding