id est

It really depends on what countries/cities you'd like to visit. Let's say it is Paris, then Seine river cruise would be a perfect match. Ours first one was Rhine river cruise with Viking and it was great.

For a first try I'd suggest something short (7 days is fine) and affordable, so you'll know if you like it or not. It is totally different from an ocean cruising by the way...

Thanks for a nice review. We are doing this cruise later this year. Hopefully the dining service will get better by that time.

We never had OBC, just paid less for the cruise utilizing TA discount. Try to ask your TA to provide you with a refund instead of an on-board credit.

Also, be aware river cruises tend to book up early. It's possible that there may not be many openings this close to cruising.

 

Not impossible, but limited choices.

They tend to, but there is always something available. We booked our recent Elbe cruise only 2 months before it. Same with "Tulips and windmills": only 1 month before the cruise and exactly the cabin we wanted.

Any tips on airport transportation in Budapest and Prague?

We used bus 119 in Prague and metro after: very convenient, quick and cheap.

http://www.pragueairport.co.uk/public-transport.htm

No need to do a private tour. We just got back from Elbe cruise with Viking and visited Terezin concentration camp. It was included 3 hours tour, about 15 minutes drive from Litomerice.

You can't use regular magnetic strip credit cards a lot of places in Europe these days. I found out the hard way three years ago in Denmark. Since then I have procured a chip and pin card from visa, I would strongly not recommend going to Europe without a chip and pin card.

Never had any problems with regular magnetic strip cards in Europe and we just got back from Check Republic, Germany and Switzerland. I agree it may not work in an unattended kiosk in a train station, but you can always use cash if needed.

I guess cancel for any reason is worth it then. I hope you guys don't have to use it.

It is worth it if you have extra $400 - $800. That's an average premium increase... :eek:

We never bought it and wouldn't buy under any circumstances...

No worries: the ground transfer won't be late in Switzerland. Just like in this famous joke :D

------------------------------------------------------------

Heaven is where the police are British, the lovers French, the mechanics German, the chefs Italian, and it is all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the police are German, the lovers Swiss, the mechanics French, the chefs British, and it is all organized by the Italians.

------------------------------------------------------------

We flew out of Zurich about 2 weeks ago and everything was just perfect. The airport is also very easy to navigate.

I am a CPA and my husband is a dentist. We have been on two Viking cruises...the Danube in 2012 and the Rhine in 2013. We enjoyed the first trip so much, we booked the second one and we enjoyed it so much we're booked on the Viking Star Ocean liner. We had read things about Viking on cruise critic and would probably not have booked our first cruise with them but another couple asked us to go with them and four other friends. The eight of us had a wonderful trip! The cabins, the food, the service were wonderful! If what we have experienced on Viking is " near the bottom" then I would love to experience what is the top. On my birthday, our chef took me with him on a shopping trip and I got to select the cheeses the ship would enjoy that night for dinner. Maybe all the cruise lines do that...I wouldn't know because like you, I have only cruised with one line and that is Viking. I would never try to compare Viking with other lines because I have not cruised with them but I have no problem vouching for the Viking experiences we have had. I don't think my friends and I are " near the bottom" of river cruise passengers and that is what was implied by the statement you made...we are neither easily impressed nor easily fooled.

It is a real disservice to offer opinions on a product you have never used.

I totally agree with you.

Our only question .... for now... ;) is that of the flights offered. We are using Viking Air and were wondering how far in advance they will notify you as to which flights they've booked you on....

About 2 months in advance. But no worries: the flights are usually good with at least 2 hours layover if there is one.

... I know they offer Custom Air. Do you sign up for that once they give you their flight arrangements and you wish to change that, or do you sign up for Custom Air way before you even know what Viking is offering?..

Need to sign up not later than 50 days before departure. The flights schedule is usually available 8-10 months before the cruise.

Our cruise is in December and we already have flights arranged using Custom Air. Good Luck!

.the trip was almost identical (Smartours was a day longer) and little more than 50% of the price of Viking!

It is about the ship, not the trip. They added balconies and totally refurbished Viking Lomonosov this winter. Last year Viking's Ukraine cruise price was 50% less than this year.

JFYI: no need to use an ATM for swiss franks in Zurich. US credit cards (no chip & pin) are accepted everywhere. We just got back from Zurich and never used an ATM there.

Third party travel insurance in the US often includes coverage for Financial Default of the carrier... .

Yes and not all of them. It is usually included in the middle price range. The lowest option sometimes does not have "financial default of a travel supplier" option.

Yes, the connection is pretty stable except of maybe the locks. However it could be very slow and I think it depends on an area the ship is sailing.

I do not think being one deck higher in the same size cabin is much better. However if it was aquarium cabin (Main deck) and Middle deck then definitely makes sense to pay extra for a higher deck.

I personally prefer Middle deck: no stairs and closer to the entrance, reception and restaurant. Accordingly less time needed to get to/from the bus.

But that's just my 2 cents. :)

We just got back from Elbe and I have to admit almost all ports are very good for walking and exploring on your own. Viking now offers an option to choose an included tour and those could be walking only. We did such tours in Dresden, Litomerice, Meissen...

Just googled them, they pop right up. This is a NEW US company out of Boston to market Leftner/Amadeus Cruises to Northern American passengers. This company in the past has been strictly marketed to European clients. This is a for real company with I believe a good reputation.

 

 

Use the Cruise Critic search function and look for Leftner and many threads come up...

Yes, found them too. The website is done perfectly and online booking feature is available which is pretty good. However itineraries are tricky: 7 days are being advertised but in fact are 6 days cruises. E.g. in case of "Christmas Markets on the Danube" Budapest is out of scope. :eek:

Wellcome to cruisecritic river forum.

I've never heard of Amras Cruises. Viking allows smoking outside: on an open deck or a balcony.

I have been to Russia on 2 different cruises. One was in the Baltic and the other was the Black Sea. I did not get visas for either one. They were not needed if you were on a ship sponsored tour. You were also OK if you booked a private car with driver through the ship, or prebooked a local tour guide and had proof of that booking when went through immigration. So why would you have to have a visa? You can't walk around own your own but you certainly can go on tours.

It is not exactly true. Here is the quote:

-------------------------------

Cruise ship passengers

Since May 2009 international tourists have been able to stay in Russia visa-free up to 72 hours when entering Russia through the ports of Anadyr, Sochi, Novorossiysk, Vladivostok, Korsakov, Kaliningrad, Vyborg or St.Petersburg by ferry. This applies only to persons who travel within an organised group and do not intend to explore the cities on their own.

--------------------------------

As you see Crimea is not in the list. However they may change it anytime, so I'd not make any conclusions.

If you asked me what would I do in this situation: I'd simply wait... Viking may cancel the trip or may alter it or may provide a credit to cover a visa fee etc...

Nobody knows now including Viking. The ship is operated by Ukrainian company and who knows what they decide...

Julie, we use tripinsurance.com

I just played with the numbers: the rough quote for 2 weeks in September 2014, $10K trip total cost starts from $482. InsureMyTrip.com starts from $600. I hope it helps.

I still think it is too early for any conclusions and hopefully your trip won't be cancelled. Look at other cruise lines: SilverSea is scheduled for Yalta on 04/30 and Sevastopol on 05/01. So far they haven't provided any updates about visas either.

Too early to guess. There is a thread about Ukraine cancellations: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1999957

I would like to visit the beaches of the Normandy invasion. My question is concerning the day tour in Vikings above river cruise. Is the emphasis on the American sector?

Not really, we visited Gold beach before lunch and Omaha after.

I am Canadian and would favor seeing the Canadian landing areas. Or any other cruise that would serve better. I favor Viking as we have a credit. Thanks

For the afternoon they give an option to visit either Juno/Sword or Omaha beach. I was told the Canadian/British option is done regardless of # of people willing to take it.