Trade Routes or Viking Homeland?

[TMS_CT]

Curious if anyone has taken the Trade Routes of the Middle Ages cruise.  I'm interested - but I'm wondering if having as many as three days at sea in a 15-day  itinerary is going to take too much away from the experience of visiting interesting places ashore.

 

My alternative is Viking Homelands - and that has one day at sea.

 

Thank you.

 

-TMS

[Twitchly]

We went on the Trade Routes cruise a couple years ago and loved it. We appreciated the sea days; they provided a welcome respite from all the activity on land. We hadn’t visited most of Europe before so we appreciated the panoramic itinerary rather than focusing on just a few countries. It was our first real cruise. 
 

I’ll see if I can dig up my review. It was pretty extensive about all the ports.

[TMS_CT]

Great.  Thanks for the information.  Would like to see your detailed review.

[lackcreativity]

We have also taken the Trade Routes cruise, and in spite of some very challenging weather (which added another sea day when we could not dock in Falmouth) we really loved that cruise. On a fifteen day cruise, I want a couple of sea days, and two would be perfect. We were prepared for three, as there is  plenty to do on the ship, but the extra missed port was a disappointment.

 

I loved the variety of places we visited. Bruges was on our bucket list and it did not disappoint. We took Viking's Bruges On Your Own excursion and found the city really easy to navigate. From Le Havre we skipped the day in Paris as we have been there before, and expected to be there again last year ( grr Covid ). Instead we went to Honfleur, a nearby fishing village which was very charming. 

 

I'd love to go back to Porto, as it rained the whole time we were there and it did dampen our enthusiasm for what seems a great city. Malaga was a complete surprise to us, and one of my favorite stops of the cruise. In that port, we passed on the chance to go to Granada to see the Alhambra since we had seen it before, but that remains in my top five places visited of all our travels. (Though to be honest, I do have about twelve places in my top five. Not fair for a former math teacher turned bookkeeper, but my list, my rules.) And of course you finish in Barcelona.

 

Just writing about this trip makes me want to go again! On the other hand, I think Homelands is likely one of Viking's most popular itineraries. I don't think you can go wrong.

[Twitchly]

Here’s my verbose review: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2543001-review-viking-sky-trade-routes-of-the-middle-ages/ 
 

Other people chimed in with their reviews and advice as well in this thread. Makes me want to go again!

 

[Port Hope]

Thanks for posting your review Twitchly. We are booked on this cruise for April of 2022. Surely Covid will be under control by then! 

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, Port Hope said:

Thanks for posting your review Twitchly. We are booked on this cruise for April of 2022. Surely Covid will be under control by then! 

We are also on the Trade Routes in April 2022!

We did Homelands and thoroughly enjoyed it - but it was very port intensive. Having some more sea days would have helped.   Then we did the Jupiter's April 2019 transit from Barcelona to Copenhagen - same as the Trade Routes except we did the Kiel Canal and finished in Copenhagen instead of Bergen.  We absolutely loved that cruise - just the right amount of sea days.  Such a good trip that we want to do this again.   Sadly Viking doesn't do the Kiel Canal anymore - must be a financial thing.

[soundcruiser]

Yes, thank you , Twitchly! We are booked on Trade Routes for September 2022, back-to-back with British Isles.  We will definitely appreciate a sea day or two by then!!

 

[TMS_CT]

Thank you,  Twitchly - for the very detailed and personal review, especially the parts about Amsterdam.  My wife and I are planning a Christmas trip up the Rhine on Viking (Basel to Amsterdam) and planning to spend Christmas (about 4 days) in Amsterdam after we disembark.  But after your comments, maybe not.  Never been to Amsterdam and I'm wondering if we'd be better off spending Christmas somewhere else.  WRT the cruise:  Given all the comments people have made about the reprieve the 3 days at sea gives them, I'm thinking I'll opt for Trade Routes and postpone Viking Homelands until next year.  Of course, if Europe doesn't open up this year, the point is moot.  We're looking at a September 28th (2021) departure from Bergen.

 

Thanks again.

[Twitchly]

3 hours ago, TMS_CT said:

Thank you,  Twitchly - for the very detailed and personal review, especially the parts about Amsterdam.  My wife and I are planning a Christmas trip up the Rhine on Viking (Basel to Amsterdam) and planning to spend Christmas (about 4 days) in Amsterdam after we disembark.  But after your comments, maybe not.  Never been to Amsterdam and I'm wondering if we'd be better off spending Christmas somewhere else.  WRT the cruise:  Given all the comments people have made about the reprieve the 3 days at sea gives them, I'm thinking I'll opt for Trade Routes and postpone Viking Homelands until next year.  Of course, if Europe doesn't open up this year, the point is moot.  We're looking at a September 28th (2021) departure from Bergen.

 

Thanks again.

You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful.

 

You know, many people love Amsterdam. I think we just didn’t know what we were doing. My guess is it could be nice outside of the central area near the water. Best to consult someone who has spent more time there. 

[The Other Tom]

Lots of interesting things to do in Amsterdam.  We got the Rick Steve's book which directed us to the "good stuff".  My wife insisted we go the the Anne Frank museum and I'm glad we did.