Viking French vs Actual Verandah: Basel to Amsterdam -- HELP!

[In Retirement]

Calling any past passenger on a Viking Longboat. Even better, passengers who have cruised Basel/Amsterdam!

 

French balcony cabins are 135 square feet vs verandah cabins at 205 square feet -- the difference is just the balcony?

 

Looking at this itinerary going north, 5 towns/cities left side 3 towns/cities right side. However, going north, the right side of the ship are verandahs, the left side of the ship are french balconies? From pictures, you stand to look out (no chairs). With french balconies, if you are on the middle level, the folks above you do not block your view (versus issue of height of river bank?), while if you are on a middle level verandah, is your view blocked by the verandah above you?

 

Hope I have made some sense. From my perspective, there are issues of cabin size and cost ($1,000 more) to be on the right side of the ship, where there are fewer towns/cities? For us, the verandah represents the opportunity for some private time, not knowing if we'll want this privacy. I guess that this is the reason we will go with a 7-day itinerary for our first river cruise experience (versus 15/16 days).

DJ:)

[TravelBugM]

We've opted for a Veranda Suite for this same cruise next year. We had a French Balcony on our last cruise (no Veranda Suites on the ship we were sailing) and enjoyed sitting with the "window" open watching the scenery go by.

 

The problem we found with the long ships' French Balcony suites, there aren't chairs where you can sit due to the size of the cabin. Our French Balcony suite on our recent cruise was larger and therefore there was room for chairs by the "window".

 

So, we've opted for a Veranda Suite hoping to enjoy our coffee or a drink as we sail down the Rhine.

[2onboardagain]

Calling any past passenger on a Viking Longboat. Even better, passengers who have cruised Basel/Amsterdam!

 

French balcony cabins are 135 square feet vs verandah cabins at 205 square feet -- the difference is just the balcony?

 

 

 

DJ:)

 

As I think you noticed, because the corridor was moved in the Longboats the depth of the cabins is different on the port and starboard sides. Thus the interior space of the french balcony cabins are, as you say, 135 square feet vs the 205 square feet in the verandah cabins. Our Amsterdam to Budapest cruise was in a veranda suite so we got a taste of both a french balcony (in the bed room) and a verandah balcony (in the sitting area) As the vessels tie up on different sides of the river in different cities we found no real benefit from being on one side of the vessel or the other.

Our personal preference as to french vs verandah balcony was that with the veranda we were able to "step out" of our cabin and close the door which kept the interior of the cabin warm on the cool/cold days and of course preserved the air conditioning when we got to the hotter weather. I hope this helps!

[In Retirement]

As I think you noticed, because the corridor was moved in the Longboats the depth of the cabins is different on the port and starboard sides. Thus the interior space of the french balcony cabins are, as you say, 135 square feet vs the 205 square feet in the verandah cabins. Our Amsterdam to Budapest cruise was in a veranda suite so we got a taste of both a french balcony (in the bed room) and a verandah balcony (in the sitting area) As the vessels tie up on different sides of the river in different cities we found no real benefit from being on one side of the vessel or the other.

Our personal preference as to french vs verandah balcony was that with the veranda we were able to "step out" of our cabin and close the door which kept the interior of the cabin warm on the cool/cold days and of course preserved the air conditioning when we got to the hotter weather. I hope this helps!

 

[somehow lost post as I was finishing/please forgive.]

 

Currently all upper left cabins (french balcony, verandah suite) are sold, so maybe there is something about a west-facing cabin on the northbound Basel/Amsterdam voyage? So, the choice is basically a Middle deck french cabin facing west or a verandah cabin facing east? Any ideas? What about the effect of a verandah above either a french balcony or another verandah?

 

Another issue (beyond keeping perhaps cabin cool) is the week of this cruise: 21-28 June, with the longest days of the year. Will there be an issue of west-facing cabins and perhaps glare from late afternoon/evening sun?

 

Thanks for your experiences, opinions!

DJ:)

[ingo_e]

The balcony on the longships is approximatly 1m (3ft) wide and the length of the cabin. So maximum 10-15squarefeet? I can try to measure it tomorrow :) But it definitely does not explain the 70ft. difference between a french balcony and a real balcony.. The reason is the asymmetrical layout of the central walkway through the ships interior.

 

Looking at this itinerary going north, 5 towns/cities left side 3 towns/cities right side. However, going north, the right side of the ship are verandahs, the left side of the ship are french balconies?

 

Besides of what I have mentioned above (they had to pick one side) maybe the figured out, that most of their cruises (or itineraries) are benefitting from this layout, and yours is just the minority. BTW, there are Viking longships with baloncies and french balconies mixed.. E.g. the Odin (took some pictures: http://www.rivercruiseinfo.com/content/windows-and-balconies - scroll down)

 

With french balconies, if you are on the middle level, the folks above you do not block your view (versus issue of height of river bank?), while if you are on a middle level verandah, is your view blocked by the verandah above you?

 

No, as the balconies are rather narrow. You'll easily see everything of relevance.. Keep in mind, while cruising, the ship usually stays a bit away from the banks of the river..

 

And any side might get problems due to double docking..

[2onboardagain]

So, the choice is basically a Middle deck french cabin facing west or a verandah cabin facing east? Any ideas? What about the effect of a verandah above either a french balcony or another verandah?

 

Another issue (beyond keeping perhaps cabin cool) is the week of this cruise: 21-28 June, with the longest days of the year. Will there be an issue of west-facing cabins and perhaps glare from late afternoon/evening sun?

 

Thanks for your experiences, opinions!

DJ:)

Our only experience was that one time on Njord in a Veranda Suite so I can only offer an opinion on your questions but we did find it useful to keep the drapes closed while we were ashore to keep the cabin cooler during the hot weather portion of our trip and as we also traveled in June, I would expect that the afternoon sun would be stronger so given your choice I would most likely choose an east facing cabin. As to the issue of being on the middle deck I can only add that on our next year's cruise on Odin we will be in a middle deck veranda cabin (as an economy move after our last trip in the upper deck veranda suite) and I don't anticipate any issues from our upstairs neighbors.

[cbb]

In Retirement,

"And any side might get problems due to double docking.."engo_e is correct. All of your planning won't matter if another ship ties up next to yours. View, sun, private time....won't matter.

 

All of that said, river cruising is wonderful and I hope you have a great time!

[2onboardagain]

 

BTW, there are Viking longships with baloncies and french balconies mixed.. E.g. the Odin (took some pictures: http://www.rivercruiseinfo.com/content/windows-and-balconies - scroll down)

 

 

.

 

Just to clear up any confusion that may arise from your comment, the "mixed" balconies that you refer to in the photo are the Veranda Suites which have a French balcony in the bed room and a veranda in the sitting room. None of the longships "mix" veranda and French balcony cabins. As the OP correctly said, veranda cabins are starboard and French balcony cabins are port side.

[rich4karen]

Because of floods we spent 2 days on Var with a balcony and the rest of the days on the Legend with a French balcony. French was just fine, and when squeezed at dock between ships it does not matter. We would not pay extra for a balcony after our experience .

[In Retirement]

Because of floods we spent 2 days on Var with a balcony and the rest of the days on the Legend with a French balcony. French was just fine, and when squeezed at dock between ships it does not matter. We would not pay extra for a balcony after our experience .

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. Is the Legend an older ship and the Var a "longship" as perhaps the cabin size of the Legend (if french balconies on both sides of the ship?) might be bigger. Did you have room for two chairs by the french balcony and did you sail in the summer? Issue of cabin temperature (in July) may be an issue?

 

richforkaren: do I assume that you sailed on the Danube this summer? Can't imagine that situation (if you paid for a verandah, did Viking do a partial refund?). I would anticipate a verandah would be of little value when the vessel is docked, rather when on the go and during long days when the sun sets very late? Haven't researched the Rhine in July, or even the direction of its current, but see that Viking has/will placed a considerable proportion of its resources on this route. (Not only do we want to take a shorter experience as our first river cruise, but wonder how we would take to such a long exposure to multiple German towns (maybe wound prefer extended time in Vienna, Prague, and Budapest as we are mainly city folks?) I've spent the week trying to plan time in Switzerland and in Belgium and have done a great job of compounding complexity and MDW's anxiety level (just look at hotel room prices in Zurich and Lucerne and start to panic). Have decided to invert and simplify our plan: start with a fairly comprehensive cruise of Norway from Amsterdam on a ship we have enjoyed before, and then (4 or 5 days later: possibility of some day trips from Amsterdam and/or return to an art museum or two and an afternoon date with a washing machine) take an Amsterdam/Basel cruise with an immediate return to the US from Basel. (A little over three weeks.)

DJ:)

[2onboardagain]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Is the Legend an older ship and the Var a "longship" as perhaps the cabin size of the Legend (if french balconies on both sides of the ship?) might be bigger. Did you have room for two chairs by the french balcony and did you sail in the summer? Issue of cabin temperature (in July) may be an issue?

 

 

DJ:)

 

According to the deck plans, the french balcony cabins are larger on Viking Legend (170 sq. ft) than they are on the Viking longships (135 sq. ft)

[MarkBearSF]

We saw no reason to pay for a full balcony. When we looked at the TINY cabin sizes for french balconies on the longships, we decided to avoid that design. Ultimately, we went to AMA - and had a wonderful cruise with a delightful cabin.

[keenmolly]

Perhaps you should cruise with Avalon as our suite on the Panorama was 200 square feet with wall to wall windows creating an open air balcony. Just fantastic. Couldn't have asked for anything better.

[Ozjohnno]

I loved the french balcony and the opportunity it gave us to see the river from another aspect. These days when we look at a river cruise we're much more concerned whether we'll be sharing our boat with 100 or 200 other passengers.

[peterdkiwi]

Have to agree with Keenmolly, just back from 8 days on Avalon Artistry II, all staterooms 200sq ft with French Balcony, plenty of room for 6 of us to sit and have a glass of wine in the room with the glass doors wide open 2/3 of total width of room. Mid July with very hot days, air con kept room cool even when doors open. Sun not a issue, no side better than other, no control over which side was double docked with another boat.

About to book another cruise for 2014 with Avalon after such a great trip.

[In Retirement]

Greetings!

 

(1) Have rearranged/redesigned our June/July vacation to increase structure and reduce my "creativity" to a manageable degree by (a) selecting a Norwegian cruise RT Amsterdam (to which we can fly non-stop) and (b) select a Viking Rhine cruise that also leaves Amsterdam 3-4 nights after (a), allowing a return to some of our favorite art museums, or taking one or two daytrips from Amsterdam. By cruising in Norway, I'll get (for now) my dose of landscape and avoid the challenge of designing a week across Switzerland (just look at hotel prices! the value of train travel does not compensate?).

 

(2) Visiting some comprehensive web sites allows me to compare some basics among River Cruises, and my comparisons suggest that Viking comes out to be better than competitive. Also, have simplified post-cruise travel (just to airport) and I can select from availability of two longboats that leave Amsterdam on two consecutive days. Will be taking Viking in July, so am leaning towards a verandah cabin to maintain the airconditioning?

 

Am greatly appreciative of all the information and observations that you have contributed, thank you.

DJ:)

[Host Jazzbeau]

I don't know what comprehensive web site showed you that Viking is "more than competitive." Their fares are cheaper, but they don't include as much, they require full payment very early, and they seemed this summer to be less able to cope with problems and much less willing to do right by their customers.

 

Meanwhile, have you checked airfares for your new itinerary? I don't think you mentioned where you will be flying in from, but there is a recent thread about someone from Boston who was shocked at the cost of flying to Amsterdam and home from Basel:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1894667

[ingo_e]

Just to clear up any confusion that may arise from your comment, the "mixed" balconies that you refer to in the photo are the Veranda Suites which have a French balcony in the bed room and a veranda in the sitting room. None of the longships "mix" veranda and French balcony cabins.

 

2onboardagain: Thanks very much for the clearification, had it right in the database, but didn't check it when I wrote the comment :)

[franski]

I don't know what comprehensive web site showed you that Viking is "more than competitive." Their fares are cheaper, but they don't include as much, they require full payment very early, and they seemed this summer to be less able to cope with problems and much less willing to do right by their customers.

 

Actually, I think that Viking's inclusions are very similar to both AMA and Avalon, although they are the only company to require payment in full at time of booking.

 

I also don't know that they are "much less willing to do right by their customers" - as many companies have been slammed for their responses to the flooding. It seems as if Tauck and Uniworld might be the only companies that haven't had CC posts about their handling of the crises this summer.

 

In Retirement - you won't get the "luxury" experience with Viking, but they do have a good product. If they have a cruise that meets your needs as far as itinerary and pricing, then book it. I can't speak to the issue of a veranda (we always travel aquarium class) - but there is air conditioning on all levels. As an fyi - the A/C shuts off when the balcony doors are opened on the Viking Longships.

 

If you do book with Viking - and it is your first cruise with them - look for someone to "refer" you... it does give you $100 off your cost.

 

Enjoy your trip!!

 

Fran

[peterdkiwi]

In Retirement

Each to there own but Viking is not comparable to some other for the price, they were also the worst of handling problems with river closures and treat customers extremely badly over the last 2 months.

Info, Avalon only requires $500 deposit and balance of payment 3 months prior to sailing, I understand some other also operate a similar payment plan.

[Ozjohnno]

The same can be said for Tauck. I've booked their French Escapse cruise for late August next year and all I was required to pay was $600 p/p deposit with the remainder to be paid 60 days prior to sailing. I wouldn't give any company the full amount prior to the cruise as my business accountant wife said "that smells of a cash flow problem" but I may be in the minority.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Ditto for AMA on payment: for our Aug. 30 cruise, final payment was due June 1.

[2onboardagain]

2onboardagain: Thanks very much for the clearification, had it right in the database, but didn't check it when I wrote the comment :)

 

Thank you for your effort in putting together that page with the photos of the various riverboat balconies and windows. It is a wonderful resource.

[Mark_T]

The same can be said for Tauck. I've booked their French Escapse cruise for late August next year and all I was required to pay was $600 p/p deposit with the remainder to be paid 60 days prior to sailing. I wouldn't give any company the full amount prior to the cruise as my business accountant wife said "that smells of a cash flow problem" but I may be in the minority.

 

... and the same can be said for Viking in the UK oddly enough :)

 

Small deposit up front, balance 90 days prior to sailing.

[tulok]

I did your exact cruise from Basel to Amsterdam this last July on Viking Forseti. The boat does turn at some of the ports, so it is not always docked the way it travels. Plus you are not in the room as much as you are on an ocean cruise. The city tours start approx. 830a until lunch. Then optional tours start right after lunch until evening (approximately). There is a wonderful sun deck that everyone will sit out on in the evenings if the weather permits, and in July our weather was wonderful. We were in our room to change and sleep and that is all. Because of the small boat size, you meet a lot of passengers and want to sit outside with them or in the lounge.