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Thanks @Kristelle for answering this question. The image I had of in-room dining The actuality 😁

@mommawest1 regarding dinners in Rudesheim, have you seen the remarks and photo's about this in the Roll Call forum, here and following: Rhine getaway Viking 2024 - Page 5 - Viking River Roll Calls - Cruise Critic Community Regarding Anne Frank House: I went decades ago (before it became a major tourist attraction). If you have a particular interest in Anne Frank by all means go, but otherwise don't bother. If you want to see tulips, then Keukenhof is a must. It's only open during the tulip season ( 20 March - 11 May in 2025) and you're guaranteed to see more tulips than you can dream of. See https://keukenhof.nl/en/ The Tulip Museum in Amsterdam is free to enter the ground floor where it sells everything to do with tulips, including bulbs certified for USA & Canada. https://amsterdamtulipmuseum.com/ Restaurants: all types at all prices. To get most out of Rijsttafel the bigger the party the better as more dishes are supplied. I took Mrs P and for just the two of us it was rather underwhelming https://www.amsterdamfoodie.nl/amsterdam-food-guide/indonesian-restaurants-in-amsterdam-rijsttafel/ There are some old traditional Dutch food restaurants, of which the premier is d’Vijff Vlieghen - which translates rather unappealingly as the Five Flies - you can read about it and see the menu here - https://www.vijffvlieghen.nl/en When in Amsterdam I like going an Argentinian steak restaurant. There are now many lookalikes, but the original, with cowhide seats, is Gauchos which has several branches around town. I love their tender flavoursome Argentinian steak and of course their Chimichurri sauce and their all Argentinian wine list. https://www.gauchosgrill.nl/en

I last went on this cruise in 2022 and my review is here https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=687006  And I've cruised on the Rhine several times. As what is a 'must' for me might not be of the same interest to you, and vice versa, why not state what your interests are? As it's your first river cruise, I'd recommend just going with the flow. Take the included excursions, look at the optional (extra cost) excursions and see if they are of particular interest, but doing a cruise is a full day and many people feel quite tired. There's an optional excursion on day 4 to a restaurant in Rüdesheim. I've not been on it myself but feedback is that it's a bit touristy and that Rüdesheim is a small place so its easy to stroll there from the boat and dine in a restaurant that you choose and be among locals. And save money. (but bear in mind that there are traditional dishes as an option every evening plus unlimited wine/beer and one night you'll have a Taste of Germany with local dishes and beers. Already paid for in your fare.) On Day 5 there's an optional tour to the Technic Museum. This is a short walk from the boat and it's easy to do on your own, there's a English language guide book and exhibits have English explanation boards. The Museum is plainly visible on Google Maps. (see Day 3 of my Trip Report - https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2939234-trip-report-rhine-and-mosel-discovery-viking-hild-25-april-1-may-2023 Day 7 is an included excursion the the Black Forest. I've been on it once, but I didn't go the next cruise which offered it . You drive to and through the forest and stop at a place where they make and sell cuckoo clocks, and there is a demonstration of making a Black Forest Gateau. Enjoy your cruise. I expect it'll be the first of many. Our first cruise, going with friends, was with Viking along the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam. We've now done 14 river cruises and are about to go on our 15th.

I might find out soon, but how is this done? The floor plans show only the 4 Royal Suites have chairs in the room. The other 58 cabins do not and don't appear to have space for them should the room attendant bring a table & chairs. And how do you get your wine/water glass topped up?

One doesn't have to have all the courses. You can select only what you want, e.g. just a soup from the starters. Going on excursions is not mandatory, you can decide at the last minute to duck out and stay on the boat or take a stroll. Rivers were the historic way of travel so many of the most historic sites are in a the town the boat docks in and a brief walk away. There are so many cruise options, especially on the Rhine and Danube that if one were to state one or other it wouldn't help you. For instance Danube cruises can go the length of the Danube (plus some) - e.g. Amsterdam to Bucharest or concentrate on a shorter stretch e.g. Budapest to Regensburg. Then, to multiply the complications, there are many places to visit on excursions so that some cruise line travel along the same route on different cruises stopping at different places and having different excursions. So, you need to select a cruise and see what excursions are available, then select what interests you. Then it's easy to use Google Maps or similar to see how far the attraction is from the mooring point. I too dislike long coach rides. What also needs to be considered is how close the start and end points are to airports. Budapest and Amsterdam, for example are less than half an hour. But Passau's nearest airport is Munich, almost 2 hours by coach, and Bucharest airport is fairly close to the city, but to get to the city from the mooring take a considerable time because of the distance (170km) compounded by the poor state of roads and weight of traffic.

I don't know how I missed this. Many thanks for posting such an exhaustive review. I am boarding Scenic Azure to cruise the Douro two weeks today. There doesn't seem much point in me taking photos as you have posted so many excellent ones! Two comments, both wine related. The only connection the Mateus Palace had/has with Mateus Rose wine is that the producer of the wine (Sogrape) paid for the image of the Palace on labels. It may have been a mistranslation or misunderstanding or perhaps they were 'bigging up' Dr Pereira's role, but he didn't invent the prophylactic to phylloxera. He was instrumental in saving Portugal's vineyards by importing American rootstocks and promoting grafting locally, but the French grape breeder Henri Bouschet demonstrated the technique in 1874 and it was adopted by the International Phylloxera Congress, held in Bordeaux. as the best solution to phylloxera in 1881.

Unfortunately someone on Scenic Azure's Douro cruise last September wasn't so lucky at avoiding rafting😁

Viking UK do not include the drinks package in their brochure or on the website for 2025 cruises, but.... They have a full page advert on the back cover of the U3A magazine that's headed EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT TO u3a MEMBERS AND FRIENDS QUOTE 'u3a' AND RECEIVE A FREE DRINKS PACKAGE Its small print says it applies to new bookings only on 2025 European river journeys. I'm a member, and if you consider me a friend then it's free drinks for you! (It doesn't seem very exclusive! I've bolded 'and friends')

I think the nub of the complain is that river cruising is not the same as ocean cruising, and that is true. So I don't think choosing another line to river cruise with will suit better. Ocean ships have theatres with shows, multiple bars, casinos, but European river ships don't, primarily because of space limitations. Viking breakfasts are available from 06:00, with hot dishes available at 06:30 to 09:00, as you'd know from the Viking Daily. I agree that if you get up later than 09:00 your choice of food is snacks at the coffee stations until lunch service start at 12:00, but it seems you are missing out on the excursions that set off in the morning after breakfast. Buffet lunch? That sounds like the Taste of Germany. I've not experienced the delay you describe, but the waiter will bring food from the buffet is you prefer. Dinner with family members? I'm a bit confused because you said you were on your honeymoon, so was it just dining for two or did you go with members of you family? Drinks policy is clear. If you didn't have the drinks package beer and wine is complimentary with lunch and dinner. Drink outside these times are charged to your room. The bar list and wine list have prices. They seem reasonable to me, especially compared with ocean cruises, but I bow to your experience of ocean cruises. In short, though the people who frequent this board could probably give you the info to make your next river cruise enjoyable, it feels to me like you'd be happier on an ocean cruise. I'm sorry your honeymoon was spoiled.

Perhaps they haven't on cruises you've been on, but I think you'd either have to be on the same table or very observant to see someone bring in their own wine. I've done it several times, and on an excursion in Germany the guide pointed out a wine shop where you could taste and which had good prices. Several people, including me, bought wine then for on-board consumption. All you need to do is take the wine into the dining room; the waiter will then offer to open the bottle, then they'll pour. Not in my experience. Yes, one get's one's wine glass filled right at the start if one takes the included wine as waiters come to the table bearing them to pour. But when one asks for a wine from the list the waiter just has to go to the back of the dining room to racks there to collect the wine. If one chooses a white they'll also bring an ice-bucket. The biggest delay is dithering over making one's choice from the list. But I study the list in advance so I know what I'm going to ask for. The delay in getting one's wine choice is the same or less than choosing in a land restaurant It would be strange to pay for the package and not choose one's own wine. I say 'pay' because I've sat with people who have the package but didn't choose. One couple just drank water, the other chap had one small glass of house beer which he didn't finish while his wife had one glass of included white. But none had paid for the package; it was included in thebooking

Which is one of the reasons why I've taken your advice and booked Scenic for our second Douro cruise. Our first one, ten years ago was with Viking and we were not rafted at all, but since then a great many more lines cruise this little river.

Me too. Using Quietvox I've changed channel to list to another guide and joined their group. There are a limited number of guides and they don't work exclusively for one cruise line. @mamakore some very good info there from @franski. Most people seem happy with the first line they book, and then keep rebooking. After your first river cruise you'll know if it's for you. If it is then you'll have a good idea what the basics are and what to look for if you think another cruise line would suit you better.

I'm not clear on this. Is there a separate 'Clear' line at security, or is it just using Fast Track? I'll be departing LHR 2 weeks on Friday for my Douro trip but it seems using T5 not T3 where the system is supposed to be.

😖

Thanks for the latest update. Nice wine glasses, BTW. Were they in your hotel room?

Now that is a car!

I'm European and I use a face cloth. The shops here sell face cloths.

Then you didn't read my 2022 trip report of my first Scenic cruise. They ran out of food one lunchtime and didn't have any butter or spread one breakfast, served cheap fizz instead of the advertised Champagne, and served cheap plonk and a Bordeaux red which actually came from the Rhone instead of 'wines from the region’s best wineries' in L'Amour restaurant. And more. Review of Beautiful Bordeaux 11 day cruise on Scenic Diamond from 17 August to 27 August 2022 with comparisons to Viking - River Cruising - Cruise Critic Community

@Daisi has given great advice. Draw up a matrix of what you must have and what you'd like and what each cruise line offers, and which offers what you wnat at a price you want to pay.. Basically the cruise ships on most routes are the same size, the port and lock fees will be the same, the wages of the crew comparable so the cost to cover this must be paid by the passengers. More passengers = lower cost, fewer passengers = higher cost, bigger rooms = fewer passengers=higher cost.* Viking has one included (=free) excursion at each stop, and there are additional optional excursions at a cost. All boats have a choice of cabin size, larger the cabin, higher the cost. As little time is spent in the cabin, size isn't a concern to us. But we are from a place where hotel rooms are small. *If you are flexible on when and where to cruise and can wait till the year of the cruise, there are (at least here) tremendous discounts that can make a usually higher priced line cheaper than a usually cheaper line. That's why we are taking two cruises with Scenic this summer 😁

It's hard, if not impossible, to think of a river cruise in Europe that doesn't go though wine country as rivers were used to transport wines to the rest of the world. On any river cruise the opportunity to visit wineries is dependent on the ships routine; self touring is nor impossible but what time - and if - the boat calls at a destination depend on river congestion and water levels. You could look at the various cruises and see which ones have excursions to wineries. Unfortunately cruisers generally don't seem to be wine enthusiast. Indeed on my 2022 Bordeaux cruise some passengers were grumbling about visiting too many wineries. So you could think about going on a wine cruise - a cruise aimed at wine lovers and emphasising wine. American Wine Society organises an annual one, details on their website, and Avalon have dozen 'Special Interest' wine cruises, including Douro and Provence. The Douro is spectacular, cruising inland from Porto one travel through increasingly narrow gorges lined with vines. As well as the fortified wines Porto has given its name to, there are an increasing amount of excellent table wines. I don't know if you get many in the USA yet, but they really are good, and inexpensive. Problem is the navigable part of the Douro is quite short, and most cruises are seven days in duration, going up the Douro to the Spanish border and back down to Douro. If you select Douro, I suggest you add on a stay in Porto where you can easily visit some port lodges on your own, and they have recently opened a wine museum complex The Rhone offers the chance to cruise through more famous wine regions, including Chateau Neuf du Pape. Although an excursion to Beaune is offered on some Rhone cruises, there's no river cruises in Burgundy of which I'm aware.

The quality is good, on Tulips & Windmills cruise earlier this year the included wines were German from Heinrich Vollmer in Pfalz - a Riesling and Cuvee HV - a red blend. On the Rhone last year they used different wines on some night, but the wines I have recorded as La Vieille Ferme Blanc & Rouge, from the Perrin winery on the Rhone. On Rhine & Moselle Discovery, also last year, they were German from Heinrich Vollmer in Pfalz - Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Heinrich Volmer Altum Meisterstuch, a red blend of unnamed varieties. We only drink wine, no spirits or cocktails, so haven't found the drinks package worth paying for. One can buy wines at places visited and the waiters will happily open and pour them at the table: there's no corkage charge. But for the recent trips Viking have included the drinks package in the booking and we've plundered the 4 page winelist, white at lunchtime and red with dinner. And we like a glass of Champagne before dinner, which is what we had very night. If one doesn't have the drinks package there are still drinks served at times. There will be a Explorers Society party. This used to be restricted to people who'd cruised with Viking before, but there are now so many it's held in the lounge and fizz & cocktails are available for all. Then there is the Aquavit presentation. The house sparkling wine is a German Sekt which I find much too sweet. It's a toss up. If you have the drinks package, it's got to be for the entire length of the cruise and everyone in the cabin must have it. For US cruisers that $50 a day. You can buy wine from the wine list some days, bring in your own wine..... Thing is, you don't have to decide now. You can wait till you join the cruise, look at the wine last (it's on the bar in the lounge - or ask for it) and make up your mind then Pre-dinner Champagne Veuve Cliquot in the lounge on Rhine

I've not bought the package but it's been included in bookings the past few years. We only drink wine so buying the package would be very borderline. With the package we pick a white from the list at lunchtime and a red with dinner. If - as many do - you want to drink cocktails or spirits, then it's worth it. But previously I've found (with one exception) that the complimentary wines were good - especially in our early days of cruising when the house wines came with Viking labels and were Austrian from the Morwald winery, Gruner Veltliner (white) and Zweigelt (red). I also bought from wineries and shops along the way. When we did Bordeaux with Viking in 2015 house wines changed each day so they were from the appellation we were in. But when we returned to Bordeaux with Scenic in 2022 we were surprised how few of the passengers were interested in wine. Although the wine list is included waiters went round with two bottles asking red or white and most people took them, and although Champagne was advertised, Limoux was poured instead.

I've only booked direct with Viking by phone. By talking nicely to real person I have been offered various incentives that I wouldn't have got booking on the website. As usual, @CDNPolar has made some cogent points. Check about incoming and homegoing flights and their times. Neither Amsterdam or Basel's airport are far from where boats moor. (Note if flying into Basel the airport serves both France and Switzerland so make sure you exit the baggage hall through the Swiss exit) I have been on the Basel>Amsterdam route several times and thinking about it I would say that Amsterdam>Basel would be better as the scenery gets better as the trip progresses, and the highlight for many is going through the Middle Rhine with all its romantic castles. This is closer the Basel so it's something to look forward to on the cruise. Some people say that rooms on the upper deck get noise from people jogging on the sun deck, some say rooms on the lower deck get scraping noises in low water if he ship scrapes the bottom, some say that rooms at the back get engine noise. I've stayed on all three floors and not suffered these noises. Biggest noise I find I people talking loudly in the corridor. I always get a room at the back so fewer people walk past. Of course, that's furthest to walk to the restaurant/lounge/exit Probably, but as Christmas market don't interest us I haven't looked. No. Just get to the incoming airport and Viking will look after you till it's time to check-in to your flight home. Then you'll be booking your next cruise.

Interested to see California (Wine Snobs) in your sig. Do you get the drinks package to pick from the wine list? PS - how come your river cruises don't appear in you sig?

Good points, @CDNPolar Different perceptions: I find the Viking Longships light, airy and spacious and I don't feel overcrowded. I found Scenic gloomy and less spacious; I'm hoping to get a better experience on my next two trips with them. Aren't we lucky we have such a choice? I really don't see how toiletries attached to the wall are green, and I loathe them.