Also Just Back from Viking Castles Along The Rhine - Forseti

[Wendalla]

Well, actually, we got back on July 16th, but better late than never! Our cruise departed Amsterdam on July 6th. If any of you out there were on the same cruise, I was the passenger with the broken nose, which I broke in Amsterdam while taking horse jumping lesson. Note to all: GET TRIP INSURANCE! However, I did not let a broken nose with black and blue eyes ruin the trip. When we departed in Basel we took the train to Lucerne and stayed there a few days (on our own and not with Viking's post excursion). We also used our own air.

 

This was our second river cruise with Viking, and again on a Longship. Our first cruise was last year, same time, on the Odin (Danube Cruise). I did notice minor improvements on the Forseti such as there was a shower door instead of a shower curtain, the color scheme was a slightly different and I could swear the acoustics in the dining room were improved as I noticed I wasn't yelling to my table mates to be heard.

 

As for the cruise, the scenery was, to me, spectacular and I enjoyed each stop, with Strasbourg and Heidelberg being favorites and touring the Marksburg (sp?) was great. I really liked the itinerary and especially enjoyed the late departures so that you could venture back into town after dinner and did not feel rushed during the day. I also loved that the locks we sailed through were at night and therefore did not prohibit us from using the sun deck the entire cruise. The tours we took were very good. We did not take any of the optional tours, but I understand the WWII tour was excellent. We did hike in the Black Forest which was a highlight, and quite frankly, Viking should consider making this an excursion all its own.

 

The food was very good, and the crew made an excellent effort to accommodate my husband's vegan diet. Our housekeeper (I forget her name) was outstanding. The cruise director (her name escapes me too) was very good. Truly, for the most part, the crew in every area of the ship were really top notch. Back to food, which to me, is important. I have to say I was hesitant before our first river cruise last year as I heard so many negative comments. However, I knew what to expect and to me, with pretty discerning taste, it was more than fine, although I think I preferred the menu offerings on last year's cruise, but really nothing to complain about. The breakfast spread was excellent. I can't imaging what else could possibly be included. I also noticed an improvement to the salad bar offerings on this cruise, but think they could still use a bit more options.

 

I also agree with TOLOK, who wrote an outstanding Rhine Cruise review, that more could be done on the sun deck in the evenings or even during the day. I also wish Viking offered bikes to use and had a small gym (my husband disagrees and says, "What, the 12 miles you walked today was not enough of a workout?"). When we take ocean cruises, we always have a balcony. But when we booked our first river cruise last year, the balcony staterooms were sold out so we ended up in an Aquarium Class stateroom, which I was not looking forward to. But, it really was not bad (and I am pretty picky), as we only were in there to sleep and change. And, for us, we didn't think the cost to upgrade was really worth it. I love the Longships and would rather be in the aquarium class on a Longship than a suite on a non-Viking Longship. Are the french balcony and regular balcony rooms nice? Absolutely, and if money were no object, we would probably go for it, but right now, again for us, we would rather put that money towards another cruise. The decor is great, and the ship is very open and airy. The Aquavit outdoor area for lunch, to me, really makes the ship, and the floor to ceiling windows in the dining room greatly contributes to the open feeling. I also find the staterooms to be well laid out with plenty of room for clothes and yes we WAY overpacked, AGAIN.

 

We are planning our next cruise and thinking about the Portraits of Southern France. I would be interested in hearing from those have taken this cruise as I have heard from others that if you are not into food or wine, it really is not the best cruise to take. However, we love walking around quaint towns, so if this cruise has those, I am sure we will like it. I am happy to answer any questions.

[travelgenie]

I am glad to hear another positive review! We will be on the Forseti in October and this too will be our second Viking cruise. We also have the Aquarium class cabin (the only ones left) but am hoping for the swan sighting that another poster mentioned. We have been to most of the German stops, having visited friends who lived there and am curious to what the tour of Heidelberg consists of, how long are you there, how much free time? We have toured the castle, inside and out and am possibly thinking of exploring on our own. Around what time did you get to Rudesheim and were the shops still open? Having been there before, I remember lots of shops with German Christmas items and I know I will be thinking of holiday gifts. We added the pre and post package in Amsterdam and Lucerne, so we are really excited for this trip. One other question, did the lock strikes have any affect on your trip?

[Wendalla]

Hi Travelgenie,

You will definately see swans! With regard to the Heidelberg castle, the tour did not really go inside the castle. We walked around the outside of it and then into one section to see the wine vat and cafe. If you have already been inside the castle, I would explore on my own. As I recall, we got into Rudesheim late in the afternoon and stayed until very late in the evening. The shops were open during the day, but think they were closed at night. The lock strikes, of which I was unaware, did not affect the trip at all.

[Viking Cruises]

Well, actually, we got back on July 16th, but better late than never! Our cruise departed Amsterdam on July 6th. If any of you out there were on the same cruise, I was the passenger with the broken nose, which I broke in Amsterdam while taking horse jumping lesson. Note to all: GET TRIP INSURANCE! However, I did not let a broken nose with black and blue eyes ruin the trip. When we departed in Basel we took the train to Lucerne and stayed there a few days (on our own and not with Viking's post excursion). We also used our own air.

 

This was our second river cruise with Viking, and again on a Longship. Our first cruise was last year, same time, on the Odin (Danube Cruise). I did notice minor improvements on the Forseti such as there was a shower door instead of a shower curtain, the color scheme was a slightly different and I could swear the acoustics in the dining room were improved as I noticed I wasn't yelling to my table mates to be heard.

 

As for the cruise, the scenery was, to me, spectacular and I enjoyed each stop, with Strasbourg and Heidelberg being favorites and touring the Marksburg (sp?) was great. I really liked the itinerary and especially enjoyed the late departures so that you could venture back into town after dinner and did not feel rushed during the day. I also loved that the locks we sailed through were at night and therefore did not prohibit us from using the sun deck the entire cruise. The tours we took were very good. We did not take any of the optional tours, but I understand the WWII tour was excellent. We did hike in the Black Forest which was a highlight, and quite frankly, Viking should consider making this an excursion all its own.

 

The food was very good, and the crew made an excellent effort to accommodate my husband's vegan diet. Our housekeeper (I forget her name) was outstanding. The cruise director (her name escapes me too) was very good. Truly, for the most part, the crew in every area of the ship were really top notch. Back to food, which to me, is important. I have to say I was hesitant before our first river cruise last year as I heard so many negative comments. However, I knew what to expect and to me, with pretty discerning taste, it was more than fine, although I think I preferred the menu offerings on last year's cruise, but really nothing to complain about. The breakfast spread was excellent. I can't imaging what else could possibly be included. I also noticed an improvement to the salad bar offerings on this cruise, but think they could still use a bit more options.

 

I also agree with TOLOK, who wrote an outstanding Rhine Cruise review, that more could be done on the sun deck in the evenings or even during the day. I also wish Viking offered bikes to use and had a small gym (my husband disagrees and says, "What, the 12 miles you walked today was not enough of a workout?"). When we take ocean cruises, we always have a balcony. But when we booked our first river cruise last year, the balcony staterooms were sold out so we ended up in an Aquarium Class stateroom, which I was not looking forward to. But, it really was not bad (and I am pretty picky), as we only were in there to sleep and change. And, for us, we didn't think the cost to upgrade was really worth it. I love the Longships and would rather be in the aquarium class on a Longship than a suite on a non-Viking Longship. Are the french balcony and regular balcony rooms nice? Absolutely, and if money were no object, we would probably go for it, but right now, again for us, we would rather put that money towards another cruise. The decor is great, and the ship is very open and airy. The Aquavit outdoor area for lunch, to me, really makes the ship, and the floor to ceiling windows in the dining room greatly contributes to the open feeling. I also find the staterooms to be well laid out with plenty of room for clothes and yes we WAY overpacked, AGAIN.

 

We are planning our next cruise and thinking about the Portraits of Southern France. I would be interested in hearing from those have taken this cruise as I have heard from others that if you are not into food or wine, it really is not the best cruise to take. However, we love walking around quaint towns, so if this cruise has those, I am sure we will like it. I am happy to answer any questions.

 

Dear Wendalla,

 

Welcome home from your cruise! We’re happy you enjoyed your time on board Viking Forseti and want to thank you for sharing such kind words about our staff and crew. It’s wonderful to hear that you found the service to be “top notch.” We did read the suggestions you posted and hope that you’ll contact us directly at TellUS@vikingcruises.com to share more feedback. Your thoughts about your experience are important to us, and we’d love to discuss your cruise with you in detail. In the meantime, we just want to say thanks for choosing to sail with us. We sincerely hope to welcome you on board another Viking vessel soon!

 

Best,

Viking Cruises