Just off Viking Rhine Getaway - Ask Away

[librarylady19]

Is there any way to predict what times we will be in each town on the B to A (early July)  other than recent experiences from other guests? I know it might vary but would be helpful for planning my own explorations. Did the A to B Xmas markets in 2018 but missed several of the currently scheduled stops due to exceedingly low water levels. Koblenz & Speyer will be new to us!!

Edited May 9, 2022 by librarylady19

[pontac]

I don't think Viking post the times. The Viking Daily you get the evening before tells you the time of arrival and departure. I have given the Koblenz times in my previous post and the Speyer time earlier in this thread.

 

I am happy to give times of other stops.

 

On my trip we invariably arrived earlier than the estimated time, but I heard the Captain telling the Hotel Manager he was worried about some lock which were supposed to be open 24 hours, were closed during part of the night, so we may have left some moorings earlier than stated.

[librarylady19]

It would be great if you could post those times. Any pics of food/drink menus are a;ways appreciated of course☺️  Thank you!

[pontac]

1 hour ago, librarylady19 said:

It would be great if you could post those times. Any pics of food/drink menus are a;ways appreciated of course☺️  Thank you!

 Which ones?

[pontac]

On 5/3/2022 at 12:21 AM, patrickmoran said:

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.

 

@patrickmoran further to me previous reply to you. I don't want to mislead you, because I have just counted the passengers (by using the disembarkation info) and I see the boat had 88 passengers out of a 190 capacity, so my experience of having tables to ourselves will unlikely to be the same on a full boat.

[pontac]

On 5/2/2022 at 4:09 PM, Sun Lover said:

Were there any cases of Covid on the ship that you know of?

 

@Sun Lover Further to my earlier reply, our friend who were on the Viking Rhone tour at the same time asked me the same question, and were surprised I didn't know the answer because on their boat a daily announcement was made about the results of testing. On two occasions someone tested positive and they and their partner were transferred to 'a five star hotel'.

 

No such announcements were made on our boat.

 

I would prefer to be isolated in a hotel room rather than in a main deck, french window or veranda cabin.

[librarylady19]

41 minutes ago, pontac said:

 Which ones?

Basel - what time did you leave?

Strasbourg - what time were you required to get back to the boat? I recall there are shuttle buses. 
Kinderdyk - do you sail off after tours and what arrive in Amsterdam that day or just get in there in the morning to disembark ? 
 

As for menus, etc. - interested in anything recent!!

TY

Edited May 9, 2022 by librarylady19

[pontac]

Basel - departed 9pm

Strasbourg - the boat moored at Kehl at 04:00 am, included walking tour bus left at 08.30am - back at 12:30

 Shuttle busses from 2:00-5:30pm ( don't know actual times - schedule at reception) - boat leave Kehl at 11.00pm. The restaurant holds its German Night feast from 7pm

Kinderdyk - there's nothing to see there apart from the windmills, a few houses and a souvenir shop. Boat arrived there 4.:00pm departs 6:30pm

Amsterdam - boat arrives at 02:00am and stays there. However this was not the centre of Amsterdam by Centraal Station as it has done in the past. I am not sure where we were, we left by Viking arranged taxi for airport. I understand mooring places in Amsterdam are decided by harbour master so you may stop elsewhere.......... Anyway, if you are moored where we were and  want to make your own way to central Amsterdam you will have to arrange a taxi.

 

Meals - apart from German night the dinner menu had local starter/main/dessert plus the international  with a choice of starters, choice of mains, choice of desserts, plus the 'always available' menu, caesar salad starter, main choices of rib-eye steak, poached salmon or roasted supreme of chicken and choice of desserts. You could pick from any of them, eg have a 'main menu' starter, an 'always available' steak main and a 'local menu' dessert. Also the tiny kitchen is very open to passenger requests.

[librarylady19]

Very helpful! Thank you so much for this information. 

[pontac]

21 minutes ago, librarylady19 said:

Very helpful! Thank you so much for this information. 

 

A pleasure - many people demand info and never respond, let alone thank posters for their reply..

 

This was my favourite dinner menu

 

The Crispy Mediterranean Tart was so flavoursome and light, like a mini-ratatouille on a puff pasty disc and the Navarin of Lamb was also delicious, but I only took a photo of the starter:

 

The second page of the dinner menu (above)  had the 'always available' choices, also a reminder of the included white/red wines and a 'sommelier's' suggestion of wines from the wine list that cost as shown unless you are on the Silver Spirits offer. We were as we were given it but I never took the suggestions preferring to make my own choices from the wine list.

 

[notamermaid]

Schwäbische Maultaschen! Donauwelle! Heisse Liebe! Lovely German stuff.

 

Well done, Viking!

 

Wouldn't mind having that lamb either.

 

notamermaid

 

[sharkster77]

Also, they will bring you whatever you'd like---if both soup AND salad look appetizing, you may try both.

 

Folks with very hearty appetites have reported ordering two entrees, with no problem as well.

[librarylady19]

No problem;  I know it's a lot of work to post photos! Everything looks scrumptious! Being English, I always order lamb whenever I see it on a cruise menu (hard to get here and expensive too).

[notamermaid]

22 minutes ago, librarylady19 said:

Being English, I always order lamb whenever I see it on a cruise menu (hard to get here and expensive too).

I come from another geographical side and order lamb when I can, as it is not a standard offering on normal menus in Germany, apart from at Easter it being a favoured meat, and quite expensive here, too. I get it from Greek restaurants occasionally or cook it myself.

 

Wish I had some money in the kitty to go on a river cruise.

 

Anyway. Thank you pontac for all the info. Great for all prospective cruisers and I enjoy it, too.

 

notamermaid

 

[sharkster77]

We had chateaubriand on our Viking Rhine cruise and it was the best meal we have EVER had!!  It was so good it was unbelievable!   The waitstaff told us to wait for the osso buco, it would be even better.  It was very good, but came in a distant second to the chateaubriand.

[The Shrike]

On 5/8/2022 at 11:44 PM, 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.

We did the walking tour of Koblenz last November.  Our guide was great, and the Christmas markets were open so we got some free time in them; such wonderful food, gluhwein, and atmosphere. We really enjoyed the tour.  We'd been to Marksburg before so doing Koblenz with the Christmas markets was a no-brainer.  

So to my thinking, if I'd never been there before I would do Marksburg then explore Koblenz a bit on your own.  But if you were going when the Christmas markets were open I'd recommend the Koblenz walking tour.

 

[csherriff]

@pontac thank you for the menus and mouthwatering photos.  Made me hungry looking at them.  I am learning from all the posts in this group.  Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

 

Colleen

[pontac]

13 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

We had chateaubriand on our Viking Rhine cruise and it was the best meal we have EVER had!!

 

The chateaubriand was excellent - I always enjoy the meals on Viking. Although this time there seems to be overuse of cheese, and as a non-eater of cheese that limited my choices. Like 3 of the four starters at this meal contained cheese, and as I didn't fancy the fourth I went without a starter. But that was probably a blessing as I ate  and drank much more than when home....

 

@csherriff - a pleasure, Colleen.

@notamermaid - I'm sure you cook those German dishes better at your place...

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by pontac

[LucilleMS]

@pontac Thank you for all of your suggestions, tips, menus, photos, etc.  I keep coming back to the post to see what you have added.  Excellent resource. Cheers! 🍷

[notamermaid]

On 5/11/2022 at 12:48 PM, pontac said:

- I'm sure you cook those German dishes better at your place...

Not sure, I am not difficult to beat . Donauwelle is a lot of work and beyond my baking skills. Must say though that I think I would not serve the Almond Bee Sting Cake with berry sauce - if it is the Bienenstich like I know it.

 

notamermaid

 

[Sun Lover]

On 5/9/2022 at 1:19 PM, pontac said:

 

@Sun Lover Further to my earlier reply, our friend who were on the Viking Rhone tour at the same time asked me the same question, and were surprised I didn't know the answer because on their boat a daily announcement was made about the results of testing. On two occasions someone tested positive and they and their partner were transferred to 'a five star hotel'.

 

No such announcements were made on our boat.

 

I would prefer to be isolated in a hotel room rather than in a main deck, french window or veranda cabin.

When you say that people who tested positive were transferred to a five star hotel, did Viking arrange for that and/or pay for it, if you know?

[2017newcruiser]

53 minutes ago, Sun Lover said:

When you say that people who tested positive were transferred to a five star hotel, did Viking arrange for that and/or pay for it, if you know?

It is my understanding that if you have your insurance thru Viking they cover it...BUT in some cases they are covering the costs even if you have insurance with someone else.  My parents were put off a Viking Ocean cruise in late December & didn't have insurance w/ Viking but they still picked up the cost.

It seems there is no black & white answer.

[pontac]

2 hours ago, Sun Lover said:

When you say that people who tested positive were transferred to a five star hotel, did Viking arrange for that and/or pay for it, if you know?

 

Sorry, I don't know. I was quoting my friend who went with VRC down the Rhone at the same time as I was on the Rhine. I don't know if  anyone tested positive on out boat, or if they did, what happened to them.

 

For ourselves, we stayed in isolation for a week before the cruise, cancelling our attendance at any gathering. We had a negative LFT and got the certificate day before the cruise and we wore the supplied FFP2 masks as required during the cruise.

 

Knowing all the people on the boat had also tested negative before the cruise and everyday was a reassurance, and after the strangeness of spitting saliva into a plastic tube on the first morning it became routine and we didn't think anymore about it.

Edited May 13, 2022 by pontac

[loge23]

Very good thread, Pontac, much appreciated.

We're on the Swiss Alps to Paris run in July and it's always nice to reminisce about our past Viking River trips - all of which were excellent.

One of the best aspects of river cruising for us has always been the comradery aboard. Yes, it is a bit awkward at first as no one wants to make the first move, but by the last couple of nights, your dinner table - now occupied by your new friends - is awash in laughter, friendly banter, and the sounds of many clinking wine glasses.

On our first VRC on the Rhone, we met a couple from the UK whom have become life-long friends. We have visited them in the UK and they have stayed with us in Florida. On more than one ocean voyages, they have met us in Southampton (they live nearby) and taken us to lunch! So keep your options open - as Pontac put it correctly - the people you meet are PLUS! On every river cruise, we met the nicest folks and had a marvelous time with all of them.

On another river trip, we met a fellow yank who unfortunately was a victim of lost luggage. His bags finally arrived on the very last day of the cruise! Months later, I was walking in downtown Grapevine, Texas (there at a conference) and who do you think I ran into?! I asked him if his luggage arrived with him and he assured me that it did! Small world! 

On the Rhine cruise, be sure to join in for the singing on deck as you glide past the Lorelei. We were fortunate enough to take a land tour of the Rhineland some years before our Rhine cruise and we always enjoy passing the beautiful town of Boppard where we stayed in a flower draped room directly on the Rhine. Back in those days, the only river cruise was the KD boat!

Finally, I like your profile pic, Pontac. Bet you picked that off your pics from your Forseti Bordeaux cruise. I don't think that they do this anymore, but you and I both remember the incredible dinner at  Chateau Kirwin that Viking arranged for their guests. Outstanding, unforgettable night followed by Sauternes back onboard. We also did the optional Chateau tour in St. Emilion  at Paul Goldschmidt's (no, not the baseball player) place, Siurac. Mr. Goldschmidt was the perfect host - affable, warm, and welcoming.

We look forward to more adventures in July aboard the Hild!

 

 

 

 

[pontac]

15 hours ago, loge23 said:

I like your profile pic, Pontac. Bet you picked that off your pics from your Forseti Bordeaux cruise. I don't think that they do this anymore, but you and I both remember the incredible dinner at  Chateau Kirwin that Viking arranged for their guests. Outstanding, unforgettable night followed by Sauternes back onboard. We also did the optional Chateau tour in St. Emilion  at Paul Goldschmidt's (no, not the baseball player) place, Siurac. Mr. Goldschmidt was the perfect host - affable, warm, and welcoming.

 

You are correct! Kirwan picture from the Bdx river cruise we did with Viking in 2015. It was a highlight, especially as I had been slow with the early wines and was rewarded when the classed growth Ch Kirwan was poured with the main course. As most on the table had drunk their fill with the early wines and had little or no room for the wonderful Ch Kirwan I had - how shall we say - more than my fair share of the expensive claret. 🙂

 

Also really enjoyed visiting Ch Siaurac where we had lunch with the Chateau's wines. 

 

I recommended this trip to our good friends, and they went to Kirwan but they didn't get lunch at Siaurac. I am very interested in wine, and Bordeaux was the first wine region I visited (in the late 70s or early 80s and I've been several times since).

 

I wanted to go there again on a river cruise, but chose Scenic as I wanted to go to different wineries. That was scheduled for Sep 2020. Postponed till 2021, postponed again till August this year. It'll be interesting to see how Scenic compares with Viking. but I am very unimpressed with Scenic's travel arrangements.

 

(Below: Paul Goldschmidt, owner of Ch Siaurac in his vineyard)

Edited May 15, 2022 by pontac