Viking Cities of Lights...

[NavyCruiser]

We have previously done both the Rhine & Danube rivers cruises separately on Gate 1, then we did the 2 week Viking Grand European cruise, which combined the Rhine, Main, & Danube together.  All great cruises.

We're now booked on Viking's Cities of Lights cruise for next year, which adds 2 nights each in Prague & Paris onto the 7 nights cruise on the Main river.  My wife is now hesitating on this one since she says we're redoing the same cities of Nuremberg, Bamberg, Wurzberg, & Heidelberg Germany again.  Maybe only Mainz, Cochem, Trier & Bernkastel Germany & Reims France that we haven't visited before on the Grand European before.  

I still like the trip for its' numerous river cruising experience, plus we got great pricing since we booked it on our last Viking ocean cruise, got great discounts, plus free (meaning included) international airfare.  
Since we plan to visit family in Amsterdam & London after the trip, figures it's a great value also.

 

So for those who has done the Grand European & Cities of Lights already, are there much overlap of the Cities on the Main river...?

Thoughts?

Thanks,

[Canal archive]

Enjoy Navy Cruiser sounds superb I say just enjoy. Oh and say hello to,Houston for me.

[SM77]

We just did the Cities of Lights river cruise.  We had a fabulous time - especially going to Prague and Paris where we add the two day extension to do Musee d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower on our own.  The Viking Heidelberg excursion might be different with the lunch with Heidelberg students - the restaurant was excellent that Viking uses: Kulturbrauerei - food, beer, wine were great.  You could skip the castle and spend more time in the Old Town.  Maybe skip the Residenz in Wurzburg and spend more time in the Old Town or on the Bridge drinking wine.  The other German towns you mentioned were great to visit(we didn't do Bernkastel)  - I will say this river cruise is very different from the Danube, Seine, and Rhone(which we have been on) in that on the Main, it is not a particularly pretty ride, there are a lot of locks to go through and low bridges so the top deck is closed most of the time.  Also there are a lot of bus rides to get to these towns, only Mainz you walk from the ship to get into the Old Town.  I will do a review on the ship we were on: Alsvin

[rcaruso]

No bussing needed in Wurzburg, you can walk right off. Go to the Residenz and enjoy the garden for an hour or sit outside at B. Neumann and have a Silvaner or any other cool drink  or hot depending on the month.  Walk to the old town and to the bridge and have a wine on the bridge.   Lots to look at in the town.  I love the Main river, but Viking usually sails at night and you miss some of the cute towns and castle ruins.  Aschaffenburg has a beautiful palace and the Pompeiijanum (a replic of a roman villa from Pompeii) all right by the river, beautiful sailing by that.  Lohr is where the Snow White House is and the tale was written.  Mespelbrunnen Castle may be an optional excursion outside of Wertheim.  Neat castle and history. Also you may stop in Karlstadt to let folks off for the Rotenburg Tour.  That is a walled city and has quite some charm, worth checking out the church and spital church.  We stay there quite often.  Lots to see and do on the Main.