wags

Thank you all for responding. I will be using that BR and I am an 88 yo Great-Grandmother! If the bed is on the floor it should be quite a show watching me try to get into it and out of it. I might end up using the sofa bed in the family room.

Peachypooh,   Was the bed in the small BR a sofa bed? If so did you leave the bed open all day so you could nap or did the steward close it and open it again at night?

Was there room to navigate with it open?

Thank you both very much. I could not find this video. I guess I'm  basically in an inside cabin but all the amenities should keep me happy.

We are booked on the Encore in an H4 2-bedroom family suite on deck 17. I have looked on several review sites, including NCL, but I cannot find one that describes the second bedroom.

They all show pictures of the family room and the master bedroom but not the second  BR.  I have heard it is quite small with a twin size bed and no window.

Because it cost me a lot and I will be sleeping in that room I would really like to know about it.  Any info you can give me will be very appreciated. Thanks.

I always wear a "Do Not Resuscitate" bracelet and carry a legal DNR form in my wallet. I do not want to be resuscitated or intubated if I have a stroke or heart attack. It is possible that the stricken  person had a DNR pendant or bracelet that you could not see from where you were standing. That might be the reason they stopped doing anything. Let's give the staff the benefit of the doubt.

We saw every kind of outfit at dinner. Instead of jeans and sweater I would suggest nice slacks and top. However, as I said, no one really seemed to care what anyone wore. Not even Viking.

We enjoyed it. A local orchestra with a soprano and tenor. We would have liked a little more orchestra music and a little less singing.

We just attended this concert and it was casual to chic casual wear.

The included tours were what you might expect. Quaint town, cobble stone streets, old churches, etc. Everything depended on your tour guide. Some were better than others.. We didn't have time on our own during the tour. After it was over you could stay in town to shop and eat and make it back to the boat on your own or return to the boat with the tour.The one we were very disappointed in was the 8 hour tour to Cesky Krumlov. It was a typical old town you could see in an hour. They leave you there "on your own to explore" for THREE hours! We felt it was a waste of time but others might disagree. I guess it all depends on your interests in what you visit. I'd say we enjoyed most of the tours. I hope you do too.

I, like you AF-1, am a picky eater. My daughters will try anything. They enjoyed the food very much. I had problems a few nights. As on most ships, for those that didn't like the evening's menu, they did have the usual choices every night; roast chicken breast, steak or some kind of fish. As a starter, I asked for a fruit plate. I had chicken three nights. As long as they had a good dessert I was happy. I know you will have a wonderful cruise!

We rafted with another Viking ship and went from lobby to lobby. That's why I found it "very easy'

TravelerThom, I was referring to my own experience. I’m sure there are other situations where it’s more difficult to cross through.

Health permitting I would love to cruise on the Rhine. When we first started cruising it was a different world. Smaller ships, people dressed nicer, etc. Now everything is family centered. It's more like an amusement park. That's why I really enjoyed the river cruise. It was more relaxing and laid back. I can't afford the luxury lines and I wouldn't want to go back to formal nights.  Well, we'll see what the future holds but I'm pretty sure it's river cruising..

We just returned from our 06/25-07/02 Viking Hermod cruise from Passau to Budapest.

I have been on 28 ocean cruises but this was my first river cruise and I loved it! The ship was small and clean, the crew was excellent and the cabin was a little smaller than  I 

expected. There is only one seating for dinner and it is sit where you want. The food was very good and  drinks, including soda, were free at meals. I would say that 75% of the diners adhered to the dress code. The others wore shorts, tees, flip-flops, etc. It didn't seem to bother anyone. There is no room service or 24 hour buffet. There is a 24 hour coffee,tea,cocoa nook with some cookies. The bathrooms are modern but small. I don't know how a grown man can fit in the shower. It is narrow and low .A WARNING! The hot water in the sink and shower gets scalding hot! Start with the cold and add the hot until it's comfortable. Warn your children and older folks. There is no grab-bar in the shower so it would be easy to slip with nothing to hold onto. The weather was almost perfect. We had sunshine everyday but the temps were in the high 80s into the high 90s. In Vienna it was 97! Walking around on shore excursions left everyone drained when they returned. I used an umbrella to keep the sun off me as did others. This is not a fun boat. There is no entertainment after dinner except a piano player. Some nights there might be a trivia game,etc. but there are no shows, casino, pools etc. No overhead announcements of coming events or annoyingly constant music. No art shows and, surprisingly, no shops. Bring your own snacks.  Sometimes a local entertainer will come on board.  All in all it was a happy experience for us. If I can answer any questions just ask.

We just returned on Tuesday from a Viking Hermod  Danube cruise. Budapest was our last stop and we docked right in town. No Problems.

I just returned from a Viking Hermod Danube cruise. I, too. use a rollator or cane. I also have weak leg muscles and have problems with stairs and hills. There was absolutly no rolling of the ship so I was able to use my cane on board. I did not see any motorized wheelchairs. You would have to check with Viking about that. There is an elevator between decks 2 and 3 but it does not go up to the sundeck. A small staircase takes you there. The problem was on excursions. Viking still offers the "gentle walkers" tours. These are led by a guide who walks slowly and avoids stairs and hills when possible. The big problem is the cobblestone streets. I could not use my rollator because the wheels would have been destroyed. I had to use my cane on all excursions. Fortunately, I had two daughters with me and they supported me when necessary. Because the ships are so much smaller than the ocean liners it is very easy to get around. It was a wonderful cruise and I enjoyed what I could and stayed on board when I felt it would be too much for me to go ashore. We did have to raft once but it was very easy  to do. If you have any questions I will try to answer them. 

"Gentle walkers" I like that!  Thank you all for your input.

I have heard that Viking used to have a separate excursion guide for "slow walkers". Can anyone tell me if they still offer this service

for the elderly and walking-impaired?

Thanks, everyone. Que sera, sera

Thank you cormike1 for your tips. Bake Apple mentioned getting queasy in the dining room if facing either shoreline. Did this happen to you?

Thanks everyone. It's reassuring to hear that it won't be an issue. 

Another thing I'm concerned about is the engine noise I've been reading about. We are in the last two aft cabins. 

Will noise be a problem ?

We have been on 28 ocean cruises but never tried a riverboat. We are booked on the Viking Hermod for the June 25th Danube Waltz cruise.

Some of us have to take something to avoid seasickness when ocean cruising so I was wondering if people get sick on the riverboats.

I haven't seen the topic discussed on these boards so I would appreciate any info you can give. Thanks

Sorry, I don't keep the Patters.

Debbo, the one I can definitely recommend is the Tracy Arm excursion. It was great! This is the one time we needed the warm clothing. It gets very windy and cold on the catamaran. I suggest hats, scarves, gloves and leg warmers.. I hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did.

We just returned from an Alaskan cruise on the Emerald Princess. Pre-cruise we read all the suggestions about what to pack; layers, rain gear, etc. We were prepared!!

We had seven days of sunshine and not a drop of rain. The temps were between high sixties and mid-eighties. The natives kept telling us they couldn't believe what was happening. It's the rainy season!! The water was like sailing on a lake every day.

We saw whales, bears, eagles, sea lions, etc. It was a dream cruise. I wish you all the same but still pack for normal weather. This was a fluke.:cool: