VistaRio

I just thought I would chime in as the OP on this one. My River experiences and perceptions are 180 degrees opposed to the outcomes you have implied are predestined. I guess one could say, "one of the benefits of River cruising, especially with Viking, is that you really don't need to do any research about the destinations." Fun, huh? One of the primary reasons I like River cruising (and viking specifically) is that one can build the framework of an incredibly active and compacted learning experience in to a very short number of days. By doing minimal research, I get to learn and experience things in real time as Viking curates a few hours for me; THEN I can spend the rest of the time in port on my own, diving deeper in to interesting things I may want to pursue, or have heard about, even if I have not "researched them" beforehand. In this manner, I have experienced things like EL DE Hause in Cologne, the Hospital in the Rock in Budapest, or that town's collection of Ruin Pubs, or even the most quaint local bier joint and it's Football fanatics in the town of Breisach. Sometimes, you don't want to research 8 points on the curve .... but you sure enjoy experiencing them. The information that ports may not be as accessible on an Ocean voyage is valuable however. It's good to understand the docking schedule and situation for every visited port, River or Ocean. Side note, the Ocean sailing I lean toward seems to be port intensive, almost a upsized river cruise.

Thanks to all who took the time for thoughtful response. It's very helpful. One interesting item, we have sailed Rivers both before and after Covid - and I noticed absolutely no distinction between the two*. Perhaps it is because we just got off the boat, and things have returned to "normal" for this season. (*maybe aquavit menu availability was different, if it was I did not notice, it seems they often experiment with meal service levels there. On one Rhine trip, they operated as Manfredis in the River Aquavit. I think it was an experiment and was brief.)

That's helpful, thanks.

Thanks for all the feedback so far. How large are the largest tables in the dining room? I think there are 8 tops on a Longship in the middle.

As the title says, we are experienced VR cruisers, and in particular like the small ship experience. Specifically, no matter where you go on the ship, despite it's small size, it never feels too crowded. Most times on the top deck, we are the only guests. Even dinner service, where (almost) all the patrons are in the same place at the same time, the crowding is bearable mostly because it quickly disperses. Specifically, the bar and lounge are never full - never more than a one person wait for service. Likewise, disembarking for daily excursions takes literally a minute even at the most crowded time. So, thinking about an Ocean Cruise, but concerned about the changes that a ship 4 times the size naturally requires. Not saying either is "good" or "bad" but certainly they must be different. A viking ocean ship is certainly as large as we would consider, however. Would anyone that regularly does both like to compare the ship board experience of a Longship vs. an Ocean Ship? How is bar service and crowds there and generally in the public spaces?