Viking Ocean -- Normandy Excursion

My mother and I will be on the Viking Trade Routes of the Middle Ages cruise in September. We will dock in Le Harve and want to take a D-Day Tour. Has anyone taken the Viking D-Day excursion tour? Is it worth the cost? I also saw Overlord Tours were highly rated and that could be an alternative.

 

Just looking for advice on what D-Day tour company tour to use.

We have taken Overlord D-Day tours twice, and each time we were impressed buy the itinerary and knowledge of our guide. I have no experience with the Viking ship tour. Keep in mind that because of the distances involved (2 hrs to and from), you will get the equivalent of the Overlord half-day tour. Try and ask for a stop at the Bayeaux tapestry, very well done.

We took the Normandy excursion from the Viking River Cruise and we were very disappointed. For example, we spent 10 minutes on Omaha beach. I would recommend a private tour.

 

MT

Dear Mark Tapley,

 

We appreciate the honest feedback regarding your shore excursion in Normandy. While we regret that your tour was disappointing, we hope that this was a rare exception among your many experiences traveling with us.

 

In our continual effort to improve our offerings, we would appreciate the opportunity to have a conversation with you. To further address aspects of the excursion that were lacking, please feel free to share your experience with us at Tellus@vikingcruises.com. With more details, we look forward to addressing specific areas where we may improve.

 

Thank you, Mark Tapley, for giving us the chance to address your concerns. We are delighted to have you aboard some of our future cruises, and look forward to delivering an excellent cruising experience.

 

Best,

Viking Cruises

We took the Normandy excursion from the Viking River Cruise and we were very disappointed. For example, we spent 10 minutes on Omaha beach. I would recommend a private tour.

 

MT

My mother and I will be on the Viking Trade Routes of the Middle Ages cruise in September. We will dock in Le Harve and want to take a D-Day Tour. Has anyone taken the Viking D-Day excursion tour? Is it worth the cost? I also saw Overlord Tours were highly rated and that could be an alternative.

 

Just looking for advice on what D-Day tour company tour to use.

We spent 4 days in Normandy in advance of a river trip a few years ago. During that time, we took a 2-day Overlord D-day tour, and it was absolutely outstanding! However, since your time will be limited, you probably would only be able to do their 1/2-day tour, and I cannot comment on that specific tour. Whatever you decide to do, you will be quite impressed with the area!

We were on the Viking River cruise "Paris and the Heart of Normandy" in 2015. The main reason for taking this cruise was the excursion to the American cemetery, Omaha beach and Arromarches. My husband is a WWII buff, his father having been at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked (he was on a supply ship not attacked), and he was very impressed. We had time at Arromarches to see the museum there and we had a very nice lunch as well before driving out to the American cemetery. There was a lovely ceremony there which was very moving and then we had a good deal of time to explore the area there before heading down to Omaha Beach. We were at Omaha Beach for, again, a suitable period of time. It was also very moving, picturing those poor boys trying to make it to the beach, wearing all that gear in the water and fighting the wind. It is unforgettable. Our guide was wonderful. So knowledgeable.

 

Becki

Dear Mark Tapley,

 

We appreciate the honest feedback regarding your shore excursion in Normandy. While we regret that your tour was disappointing, we hope that this was a rare exception among your many experiences traveling with us.

 

In our continual effort to improve our offerings, we would appreciate the opportunity to have a conversation with you. To further address aspects of the excursion that were lacking, please feel free to share your experience with us at Tellus@vikingcruises.com. With more details, we look forward to addressing specific areas where we may improve.

 

Thank you, Mark Tapley, for giving us the chance to address your concerns. We are delighted to have you aboard some of our future cruises, and look forward to delivering an excellent cruising experience.

 

Best,

Viking Cruises

 

 

I most happily report that Viking seems to have really Improved their customer service. After their reply to my post, I called them and discussed the issue we had with our Normandy tour a few years ago. The person I spoke with couldn't have been more professional and was sincerely concerned about our experience. Thank you Viking!

 

MT