I need to go to the bathroom (Viking River Cruise)

I am new to cruising, never did a river or ocean cruise. But I am going on one with Viking in September to celebrate my 50th birthday and my 25th anniversary with my partner. Usually we travel by ourselves and go with the flow. We're doing the Lyon-Provence tour, adding the French Riviera portion so we start in Nice and end up in Lyon.

I know there are daily activities planned, lots of walking tours etc. I'm someone who tends to drink a lot of coffee and makes a few (ahem) bathroom stops. Last year traveling in Paris I was expecting public toilets but never saw any. Instead I did OK using our hotel bathrooms or places where we stopped, restaurants, museums, etc.

How about these walking tours with Viking in particular? Do they make any accommodation for bathroom breaks or are you expected to stick with the group come heck or high water? I know there will be coach/bus tours and I assume (correctly?) that tour buses will have bathrooms?

Did most people just look around for a convenient restroom when the need arises? I have this image of 20 people trying to use one restaurant bathroom and being turned away. :)

I am new to cruising, never did a river or ocean cruise. But I am going on one with Viking in September to celebrate my 50th birthday and my 25th anniversary with my partner. Usually we travel by ourselves and go with the flow. We're doing the Lyon-Provence tour, adding the French Riviera portion so we start in Nice and end up in Lyon.

 

I know there are daily activities planned, lots of walking tours etc. I'm someone who tends to drink a lot of coffee and makes a few (ahem) bathroom stops. Last year traveling in Paris I was expecting public toilets but never saw any. Instead I did OK using our hotel bathrooms or places where we stopped, restaurants, museums, etc.

 

How about these walking tours with Viking in particular? Do they make any accommodation for bathroom breaks or are you expected to stick with the group come heck or high water? I know there will be coach/bus tours and I assume (correctly?) that tour buses will have bathrooms?

 

Did most people just look around for a convenient restroom when the need arises? I have this image of 20 people trying to use one restaurant bathroom and being turned away. :)

We were on Vantage, but I'd think it runs pretty similar. Most of the walking tours were 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Without any potty stops. Now, some tours had shopping stops, and several of the shops did have toilets that could be used. If you have a concern that the tour is going to be too long, you can give your guide a head's up as the group is getting together. They are usually very accommodating.

All the bus tours we took did have a toilet, but it was only for emergencies. Bus tours (1/2 day and longer) had "service stops" "pleasure stops" "potty breaks" about every 2 hours.

When we were on our Viking cruise. the tour guide usually advised us where the toilets were. Make sure you ask the tour guide before you leave the ship.

You will probably have QuietVox-type earpieces so you can hear the guide a block away. If you need a to visit a WC mid-tour, let the guide know and they can probably point you in the right direction and give you an idea where to head. Then your earpiece will let you know when you are "getting warmer."

IMO Viking makes quite a few potty stops, and the guides were always pretty good about telling you where the bathrooms were and how long before the next one. That being said, when they did stop, say in a shop or restaurant, I personally never let a potty go by without using it, "just in case."

And yes, sometimes a potty stop can take a while if it's a one or two stall stop. And the ladies lines always take the longest.

Don't run out of coins. ;)

We did this cruise (in reverse) in Nov/15. It is as others have stated. The guides will inform you of the WC locations. I don't recall needing to pay for the facilities in France; they were usually free. But, it's good advice to have coins just in case. In this case, if one is desperate, one can't afford to be frugal. But it might be a good idea to not drink quite as much coffee as you normally would.

It's a great cruise. We also did the Nice extension. The Viking hotel is wonderfully located. If you plan on staying in the hotel (rather than touring), do pay for an upgrade in the room. The Viking rooms all face the inner courtyard which leaves a little to be desired. We paid 45 Euros per night to get a huge balcony and a partial sea view (I think it was 90 Euros/night for a full sea view). Since it was after our cruise (and museums were closed in the post Paris attacks lockdown period), there wasn't much that we wanted to do in Nice. We ate some of our meals on the balcony and relaxed there a bit, too. It helped, too, that we had done the Monaco, Eze, St Paul de Vence tours a few years ago so didn't have to do them again.

Enjoy your cruise!

I am new to cruising, never did a river or ocean cruise. But I am going on one with Viking in September to celebrate my 50th birthday and my 25th anniversary with my partner. Usually we travel by ourselves and go with the flow. We're doing the Lyon-Provence tour, adding the French Riviera portion so we start in Nice and end up in Lyon.

 

I know there are daily activities planned, lots of walking tours etc. I'm someone who tends to drink a lot of coffee and makes a few (ahem) bathroom stops. Last year traveling in Paris I was expecting public toilets but never saw any. Instead I did OK using our hotel bathrooms or places where we stopped, restaurants, museums, etc.

 

How about these walking tours with Viking in particular? Do they make any accommodation for bathroom breaks or are you expected to stick with the group come heck or high water? I know there will be coach/bus tours and I assume (correctly?) that tour buses will have bathrooms?

 

Did most people just look around for a convenient restroom when the need arises? I have this image of 20 people trying to use one restaurant bathroom and being turned away. :)

Hi Zitsky...welcome to CC!! I had to laugh when I read your post because most river cruisers are seniors and let's face it between the blood pressure pills and other medications we don't need coffee to need a bathroom!! I haven't toured with Viking but have done 8 river cruises, 2 bus tours and a train tour and never had a problem with bathrooms, except once in Russia when the bus driver needed to be reminded of why the bathroom was on the bus. I think most TM's on these trips are well aware of the needs of their customers and it seemed like every 90 minutes or so we made a "comfort" stop. Like elizabeth and Arthur said: "Never pass up an opportunity to..." and a handful of coins is always a good idea. IME they won't take you into a restaurant unless you're eating there and sometimes there is a long line for the ladies, who have been known on occasion to take over the men's room after the men are finished. Usually the TM's have built in potty stops at places they know we'll be welcome.

We did this cruise with Viking in Sept 14. Most of the tours are about 3 hours long, including bus rides. We were always directed to a free public bathroom, at least once, during every tour. So one never had to hold it more than an hour. Since I'm on a "water pill" also, I always try to limit my intake of coffee during breakfast to not more than a cappuccino or two of the small cups of regular coffee, and drink more water and/or juice to remain hydrated.

Use the facilities when you can! Example being when you get to the tasting room at the winery, and then again before you get back on the bus for the ride back to the boat. ;)

Let me add, I haven't seen this as an issue on either Viking or Uniworld. The tour guides are pretty acclimated to this, perhaps even overly so.

However, where I have seen problems is on private tours off ocean cruises. I very well remember some very harsh words directed toward a fellow cruiser on such. He had told the group, after we got together he always drank a pot of coffee every morning at breakfast! :eek: Then he started yelling at our tour driver he needed to go to the restroom about every 30-40 minutes while we were trying to make a 2 hr trip to our first stop. On the third such stop, where he alone went, he came back to the van, after a lengthy absence, sipping on a huge 12+ oz cup of hot tea he had just purchased!

It got very unpleasant at that point, with several of us telling the trip captains we'd be dropping off all other private tours that this clown and his wife were scheduled along for. That, of course, started other issues and fights. :mad:

Bottom line, one should consider how important drinking all that coffee before tours really are to them.

Let me add, I haven't seen this as an issue on either Viking or Uniworld. The tour guides are pretty acclimated to this, perhaps even overly so.

 

However, where I have seen problems is on private tours off ocean cruises. I very well remember some very harsh words directed toward a fellow cruiser on such. He had told the group, after we got together he always drank a pot of coffee every morning at breakfast! :eek: Then he started yelling at our tour driver he needed to go to the restroom about every 30-40 minutes while we were trying to make a 2 hr trip to our first stop. On the third such stop, where he alone went, he came back to the van, after a lengthy absence, sipping on a huge 12+ oz cup of hot tea he had just purchased!

 

It got very unpleasant at that point, with several of us telling the trip captains we'd be dropping off all other private tours that this clown and his wife were scheduled along for. That, of course, started other issues and fights. :mad:

 

Bottom line, one should consider how important drinking all that coffee before tours really are to them.

WOW.....that is just unbelievably rude!!!! He's lucky no one "accidently" bumped his arm and spilled his tea all over him! :DI hope I don't have that problem on my Celebrity cruise next month, although I didn't have any problems on my last Celebrity cruise so I don't anticipate any this time.

Hydro kitty is soooo right and we have never had a problem with Scenic everything catered for including ha-hum comfort breaks, the river cruise companies do realise the demographic of their customers and act accordingly. I for one would be in a real pickle if they didn't but I must admit an extremely good question for those new to river cruising.

Happy cruising CA

The Tauck tour director always had plenty of coins. They would either prepay with the attendant at the WC or hand coins to the tour participants.

Now that's what I call all inclusive!;)

The Tauck tour director always had plenty of coins. They would either prepay with the attendant at the WC or hand coins to the tour participants.

 

Now that's what I call all inclusive!;)

This was our experience with Tauck, as well.

Thanks for all the replies! Nice to know I'm not alone! :p

We did this cruise (in reverse) in Nov/15. It is as others have stated. The guides will inform you of the WC locations. I don't recall needing to pay for the facilities in France; they were usually free. But, it's good advice to have coins just in case. In this case, if one is desperate, one can't afford to be frugal. But it might be a good idea to not drink quite as much coffee as you normally would.

 

It's a great cruise. We also did the Nice extension. The Viking hotel is wonderfully located. If you plan on staying in the hotel (rather than touring), do pay for an upgrade in the room. The Viking rooms all face the inner courtyard which leaves a little to be desired. We paid 45 Euros per night to get a huge balcony and a partial sea view (I think it was 90 Euros/night for a full sea view). Since it was after our cruise (and museums were closed in the post Paris attacks lockdown period), there wasn't much that we wanted to do in Nice. We ate some of our meals on the balcony and relaxed there a bit, too. It helped, too, that we had done the Monaco, Eze, St Paul de Vence tours a few years ago so didn't have to do them again.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Alberta Quilter, thank you. I can't seem to send you a PM. Maybe I haven't posted enough?

Did you like the Monaco tour? I have always wanted to go there. Guess I've watched too many movies, I suppose. I wouldn't mind seeing the casino but I'm not much of a gambler.

Alberta Quilter, thank you. I can't seem to send you a PM. Maybe I haven't posted enough?

 

Did you like the Monaco tour? I have always wanted to go there. Guess I've watched too many movies, I suppose. I wouldn't mind seeing the casino but I'm not much of a gambler.

We didn't go to Monaco on a river cruise, but we did go with Trafalgar when we were in France. It is beautiful and the casino is magnificent however: we were not allowed to enter the casino through the main entrance but were politely told we had to use the side entrance....we were also told that we were not allowed to go into the main casino because we were not properly attired.....this did not set well with us, so we didn't go inside. There are beautiful gardens and fountains in memory of Princess Grace, but the shops were all Rodeo Drive stuff and I had the distinct feeling that I would not be welcome if I went inside.....sort of like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman". But don't let that stop you from going....it's worth the trip.

We didn't go to Monaco on a river cruise, but we did go with Trafalgar when we were in France. It is beautiful and the casino is magnificent however: we were not allowed to enter the casino through the main entrance but were politely told we had to use the side entrance....we were also told that we were not allowed to go into the main casino because we were not properly attired.....this did not set well with us, so we didn't go inside. There are beautiful gardens and fountains in memory of Princess Grace, but the shops were all Rodeo Drive stuff and I had the distinct feeling that I would not be welcome if I went inside.....sort of like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman". But don't let that stop you from going....it's worth the trip.

How were you dressed that they thought you were not appropriately dressed?

How were you dressed that they thought you were not appropriately dressed?

Like a tourist....it was mid-afternoon and I was probably wearing capris and a blouse....I was younger then and jeans weren't as fashionable as today so I wouldn't have been wearing jeans.

Because DH takes a water pill I am always on the look out for a WC (Ocean or River cruise). I usually go up to the tour guide in the beginning and very quietly explain that when he's gotta go, he has to go! I've never had a tour guide act like that's a problem. However, I don't hold up the group either. I let the guide know we are making a pit stop, and don't worry, we will catch up.

Because DH takes a water pill I am always on the look out for a WC (Ocean or River cruise). I usually go up to the tour guide in the beginning and very quietly explain that when he's gotta go, he has to go! I've never had a tour guide act like that's a problem. However, I don't hold up the group either. I let the guide know we are making a pit stop, and don't worry, we will catch up.

We do the same thing and it's never been a problem (except that one time in Russia that I mentioned). One of the best things about the whispers or whatever your cruise line calls them, is that you can hear your TM's voice even when you're not within viewing distance. But it's also good to let TM know you're making a pit stop so at least they know you're not there....interestingly, once one person has to go......several others do too so you're never really alone.

I think most TM's on these trips are well aware of the needs of their customers and it seemed like every 90 minutes or so we made a "comfort" stop.

When we were in Russia, our guide at the Kremlin called it a "Shakespeare stop".... you know, to wee or not to wee?? (She was hilarious - truly added to our enjoyment of the tour!!).

Fran

When we were in Russia, our guide at the Kremlin called it a "Shakespeare stop".... you know, to wee or not to wee?? (She was hilarious - truly added to our enjoyment of the tour!!).

 

Fran

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outraged fellow-tourers

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, [pun intended]

And by visiting the WC end them. :D

Make sure you have euro coins on you. Also believe it or not many towns have a McDonalds but you need to purchase something in order to get a code for wc lock

When we were in Russia, our guide at the Kremlin called it a "Shakespeare stop".... you know, to wee or not to wee?? (She was hilarious - truly added to our enjoyment of the tour!!).

 

Fran

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outraged fellow-tourers

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, [pun intended]

And by visiting the WC end them. :D

That'll teach me to catch up on CC while drinking my second cup of coffee.....:D:D:D:D