Just off Viking Rhine Getaway - Ask Away

[pontac]

Rhine Getaway goes Basel (Switzerland) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) -and vice versa- in 7 days. Got back home today, Saturday 30 April.

 

Situations change fast but currently Viking require passengers and crew to wear masks when walking around ship, and on coaches and tours. Depending on which country you are in, it's that nations law that you wear masks on public transport, and that incudes coaches. Masks not needed when sitting.

 

Viking supply FFP2 masks in your cabin, reception and bar -- just help yourself -they are free.

 

Every night you get a tube and envelope in your cabin and you have to supply a spit sample next morning before breakfast (spit in tube, seal it with screwcap and put in envelope) These are taken by a courier to a lab for a PCR test.

 

People who need a negative PCR test certificate before flying can collect one at reception their last day.

 

Netherlands require all passengers and crew in planes flying out of and into Netherlands to wear masks. Mask are required at Schipol airport; staff hand out free disposable masks.

Edited April 30, 2022 by pontac
to correct a spelling error

[Gourmet Gal]

They’re doing PCR tests?  With saliva?  Does the UK require PCR, not Anitgen?

Edited April 30, 2022 by Gourmet Gal

[meg1021]

What was your pre-cruise testing like?  I understand that as of now, you would need either a PCR test 72 hours before boarding, or a negative antigen test taken 24 hours before boarding an international flight.  We are planning on flying into Amsterdam a day before our cruise leaves.  We think that the rapid antigen test would be a better option for us, simply because it's more likely that we'll get timely results.  Our MedExpress sends out PCR tests to LabCorp, and Quest Diagnostics can sometimes take up to 72 hours to process PCR tests.

 

I have been told by my TA this week that there was a Covid outbreak on a Viking river ship, and that's why they've gone back to mandatory masking.  I don't really mind masking, as I've already been on a 2 week RCI cruise where masking was mandatory and strictly enforced.  It really wasn't problematic for me.  But are you required to wear your mask on the top sun deck?

 

Otherwise, how did you find the cruise?  Was it at max capacity? 

[pontac]

14 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

They’re doing PCR tests?  With saliva?  Does the UK require PCR, not Anitgen?

Yes, Yes and No, No

 

Yes they do daily PCR tests on your saliva

 

No, there are no Covid entry requirements to enter UK.

[pontac]

13 hours ago, meg1021 said:

What was your pre-cruise testing like?  I understand that as of now, you would need either a PCR test 72 hours before boarding, or a negative antigen test taken 24 hours before boarding an international flight. 

 

But are you required to wear your mask on the top sun deck?

 

Otherwise, how did you find the cruise?  Was it at max capacity? 

 

I live in UK, I didn't need cert to fly, only for Viking.

 

I could have got PCR test from local pharmacy  - do test in morning, get result certificate 12:00  on the following day, but I went there the day before flight for an antigen (LFT) test. Just a nose swab that you did yourself under-supervision. 30 minutes later had an 'all-clear'  paper certificate, with a PDF of it emailed to me. Viking required the certificate when boarding.

 

As stated, masks are required only when walking, It was too chilly to spend more than a couple of minutes on the sun deck. 

 

Plenty of people forgot to wear a mask at times - myself included. I don't know of anyone admonished.

 

The ship didn't seem full this time , but even   full ships don't seem crowded to me. 

Edited May 1, 2022 by pontac

[Jjg34219]

We are three weeks out, doing B to A, with a pre cruise in Basel. 
 

Are there umbrellas provided in the cabin?

On the tours, what was the average tour group size? Any of the included tours you would recommend not doing?

 

Any suggestions for first timers like us?

 

 

 

 

[pontac]

5 hours ago, Jjg34219 said:

 
 

Are there umbrellas provided in the cabin?

On the tours, what was the average tour group size? Any of the included tours you would recommend not doing?

 

Any suggestions for first timers like us?

 

Not in the cabin – there are an ample number of umbrellas in a bin by the boats’ exit which you can borrow. If it’s raining, or looks like it’s about to, the crew will be holding them out to guests as they depart for tours. In addition there are Viking umbrellas on the coaches in case it rains after you have left the boat.

 

The umbrellas are big enough to shelter two, but they are heavy. You may want to consider packing a small travel umbrella

 

Viking are currently practising ‘social distancing’ so coaches are less than half full. Included tours I went on had 11-16 people on them. But the number doesn’t really matter because you’ll have your own Quietvox ‘listening device’ with a comfortable earpiece which enables you to clearly hear the tour guide without the necessity to be close. So you can wander off if something takes your fancy and still hear the guide. Guides carry red paddles which they hold up. Each paddle has the number of the boat and a letter for your group, so you can see your guide from a distance. City tours have some free time for shopping, grabbing a coffee or beer or just sightseeing on your own.

 

I recommend taking all the included tours. I have done them all, but as I have travelled down the Rhine several times, and also done this tour before, I did not go on the Black Forest, Marksburg Castle or Kinderdijk tours this time as I  have done them before, some more than once.

Note that on Day One there are two time slots for the Basel Walking Tour, 1:30pm and 3:30pm. There is also an included wine and cheese tasting on board at 3:30pm, so if you want to do both, go on the 1:30 Basel tour.

 

I envy you as a first time traveller on Viking River Cruises. The Basel to Amsterdam cruise was our first 10 years ago. We’d never have gone on it if our best friends hadn’t persuaded us to join them. We love it, and Viking is great. Just relax, prepare to eat and drink too much, meet interesting friendly people and have a wonderful time. You won’t need to carry your cases on or off the boat; your bags will be taken from the transport to your cabin, and at the end collected from your cabin and put on your transport.

[Cisterna]

8 hours ago, Jjg34219 said:

We are three weeks out, doing B to A, with a pre cruise in Basel. 
 

Are there umbrellas provided in the cabin?

On the tours, what was the average tour group size? Any of the included tours you would recommend not doing?

 

Any suggestions for first timers like us?

 

 

 

 

Suggestions ~ Be very patient and kind. Also overpack ~ layer, layer, layer...waterproof your shoes.

[Jjg34219]

Great info…thanks so much!

We were originally booked 2 years ago…we know what happened!

The vouchers we received for that cruise we applied to an Alaska cruise this August. We booked this Rhine cruise a year ago as we were afraid to delay our travel any longer as we are both 70.

So we have a busy summer and we are ready to travel again.

and assuming we enjoy this as much as we expected, we like the looks of the Egypt river cruise

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by Jjg34219

[Sun Lover]

Were there any cases of Covid on the ship that you know of?  If so, were those people kicked off the ship and quarantined on land?

[Jjg34219]

Wife would like to know what the temperature is kept at inside the ship?

[patrickmoran]

What time was dinner? Did people share tables? Our September cruise shows being sold out so I  imagine we'll be sharing based on previous Viking cruise that we've been on.

[Haqdeluxe]

29 minutes ago, patrickmoran said:

What time was dinner? Did people share tables? Our September cruise shows being sold out so I  imagine we'll be sharing based on previous Viking cruise that we've been on.

Did France's Finest in March. Dinner is pretty regularly at 7pm. Seating in the dining room was pretty much back to a pre-covid configuration. As to the temperature in the common spaces, I'd guess around 72 degrees fahrenheit.

[pontac]

@Sun Lover I'm not aware of any. Whether people with Covid are confined to cabin or have to leave ship depends - I think - on the rules of the country the ship is passing through.

 

@Jjg34219There is a user controllable thermostat for your cabin air-con. I don't know what the temperature was in the public areas - I wasn't aware it it. It wasn't cold, it wasn't hot. (except on really cold days Aquavit lounge was chilly.

 

@patrickmoran dinners is usually 7pm, one day it was 7:15. In the main restaurant there were tables set for 6 at the windows and tables set for 8 & 10 down the middle.

 

In the Aquavit lounge there are two  tables for two and several for four. In good weather additional tables for 4 are set on the deck. On this trip only one lunch was pleasant enough for outside seating.

 

I quite enjoy meeting and chatting with new people from different locations, but I remember sharing tables was one of my worries when I first started cruising.

 

I never found anyone who was disagreeable. They are all PLUS --  People Like Us 

 

There were plenty of spaces at meal times - people eating off boat, on optional night tours to restaurants or in lounge, so we had table for six to ourselves several times. If you don't want to share either get to Aquavit lounge early to take a table for two, or 10-15 minutes late to main restaurant to see  if there are unoccupied tables

[bethellen71]

I have some questions regarding excursions.

Strasbourg - there are 3 "not included" tours available.  Wine tasting, Strasbourg from the top, Flavors of  Alsace.  None of them really grab my interest.  Do you have a recommendation for any of them?  Would we have enough things to see on our own after the included tour?

 

We would like to do the Dine in Rudesheim and the Cologne's Beer Culture and Tour.  Neither of us eat beef, pork or chicken.  (we eat fish)  Do you know if we'd have something we can eat on those two since they are both at the dinner time?

[pontac]

Sorry, can't help as we didn't do these optional tours.

 

People who went on the Dine in Rudesheim really enjoyed it, but I didn't quiz them on the menu choices.

 

Germans are great meat eaters. 

 

I don't know what to suggest, other than to wait till you get on board and ask the Program Director and then book on board if your wishes can be met. There's the risk the tours could be fully booked, so you'll have to decide if that's better than committing the money in  advance only to find that fish is not on option....

 

OR - phone a Program Director now. The PD on Tialfi was Sara and the PD phone number was on the foot of the Viking Daily, as here.

Edited May 3, 2022 by pontac
to correct a spelling error

[pontac]

42 minutes ago, bethellen71 said:

Strasbourg from the top,

 

I don't see that listed on Viking Daily; did you mean 'Top of Colgone' an afternoon excursion to the top of Cologne Cathedral which was highly rated by those with a head for heights that went on it.

[summerclouds]

35 minutes ago, pontac said:

 

I don't see that listed on Viking Daily; did you mean 'Top of Colgone' an afternoon excursion to the top of Cologne Cathedral which was highly rated by those with a head for heights that went on it.

I believe The Top of Strasbourg excursion was added as an optional excursion for the Strasbourg port on the Rhine Getaway last week (at least that's when I noticed it show up in My Viking Journey.)   Though we booked our upcoming September Rhine Getaway cruise several months ago and selected excursions then, I try to check My Viking Journey once a week as additional excursions have become available in several ports since our initial booking.   The Top of Cologne wasn't initially available when we booked, but we added it when it popped into My Viking Journey a couple of months ago.  We're probably going to add the Top of Strasbourg as well.  

[bethellen71]

Thank you so much for the helpful information.  We will probably go ahead and book the two excursions that are during dinner hour.  As mostly vegetarians, we are accustomed to figuring out what to eat - not sure why I asked as it usually never poses an issue.  

I love the picture of the viking daily.  Could you by chance post pictures of the other days?

Beth

Edited May 3, 2022 by bethellen71
spelling correction

[sharkster77]

4 hours ago, bethellen71 said:

I have some questions regarding excursions.

Strasbourg - there are 3 "not included" tours available.  Wine tasting, Strasbourg from the top, Flavors of  Alsace.  None of them really grab my interest.  Do you have a recommendation for any of them?  Would we have enough things to see on our own after the included tour?

 

We would like to do the Dine in Rudesheim and the Cologne's Beer Culture and Tour.  Neither of us eat beef, pork or chicken.  (we eat fish)  Do you know if we'd have something we can eat on those two since they are both at the dinner time?

After the included walking tour of Strasbourg, we just stayed in town, had lunch at a small bakery (Pain De Mon Grand-pere), and spent the afternoon strolling the streets of the very delightful city center.  Took a late afternoon shuttle back to the ship.  Strasbourg was by far our favorite town---strolling and window-shopping, munching on macarons--felt so very "French"!

[LucilleMS]

First time cruisers. I think we would enjoy exploring the cities on our own a bit, rather than packing each day with group excursions. (We look forward to meeting our fellow passengers, but also want some time on our own. And we prefer walking to motor coach/bus.) Are there particular stops that are better suited for this? In terms of access to a city center from the boat? Conversely, are there stops that we just need to bite the bullet and board the bus?

[pontac]

You don't need to go on any included tour you don't want to, but you should sign up for them online on Your Viking. That ensure you have a place if you want to go. See also what I said above about the listening device.

 

Walking tours either start on foot from the boat or use a coach to take you to city if it's a bit far to walk. You can go with the coach, when you get off the coach the tour guide will tell everyone where and what time the pick up back to boat is, so you can then explore for yourself. It would be courtesies to tell the guide so he doesn't think he's lost you during the walk.

 

The Viking Daily sheet  placed on your bed each evening   tells you when the boat arrives the next day, which destination and when boat departs, so you can have all that time the boat is at one location to explore then.

 

Basel  tour was - I think - enhanced by the local guide who pointed out things I wouldn't have noticed and explained meaning of things I didn't know.
The Black Forest is mostly a coach tour, which is one reason we didn't go on it and explored the town of Breisach by ourselves, However, it is rather small and on Sunday when boat is there nothing is open.

The Strasbourg walking tour used the coach to get to the old town, and to pass some of the sights on the way, e.g. the costly  EU parliament building used only 12 weeks a year!! There are free shuttle busses to/from boat so you can go with the walking tour, explore and come back much later, or come back for lunch on boat and return by shuttle bus in afternoon.

Speyer is 2 mins walk from mooring, so group take a leisurely walk to grand cathedral and old town HOWEVER boat departs mooring shortly after walk starts and those on walk take coach at end to go down river to meet boat at Worms

 Koblenz - boat arrives midday and doesn't depart till 3am next morning. Its right in city so easy to explore on your own all afternoon and night.

Cologne - boat arrives 9am and departs 10:30pm, you're in city so easy to explore by yourself.

Edited May 4, 2022 by pontac
to correct a spelling error

[pontac]

16 hours ago, summerclouds said:

I believe The Top of Strasbourg excursion was added as an optional excursion for the Strasbourg port on the Rhine Getaway last week

 Maybe it's available for the date you booked, but it's not shown on  last weeks cruise. I have no idea what it entails.

 

I believe Cologne suspended the trips to the top of the Cathedral during you know what because of the cramped spaces.

Edited May 4, 2022 by pontac
to correct a spelling error

[patrickmoran]

I am interested in your impressions of the walking tour of Koblenz. I am interested in visiting the Marksburg Castle but that tour conflicts with the walking tour.

[pontac]

6 hours ago, patrickmoran said:

I am interested in your impressions of the walking tour of Koblenz. I am interested in visiting the Marksburg Castle but that tour conflicts with the walking tour.

 

If you want to go on Marksburg Castle tour I suggest you do so, and on your return do your own walking tour of Koblenz. There are street maps on reception for you, and a few minutes research on the web will give you enough info on the sights of Koblenz.

 

Boat moors in Koblenz at 1pm and doesn't leave till 3am next morning so you have afternoon and evening to explore.

 

We took optional Mosel wine tasting which also clashes with included walking tour, so walked Koblenz on our own afterwards.

 

We have taken the Marksburg Castle tour on a previous Viking  cruise, and it is well worth going to.