Viking Rhine cruise

[luluwoof]

I am flying to Basel and sailing to Amsterdam down the Rhine this August. I can not find any review about out ship Helvitia ANYWHERE!! I can't even find the ship listed on other sites as of yet. Can anyone help???

[H2Otstr]

Hedre is one link that I found on the River & Barge threads. You might want to go there and search Viking Rhine.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1222489&highlight=viking+rhine

[gaelsail]

I am flying to Basel and sailing to Amsterdam down the Rhine this August. I can not find any review about out ship Helvitia ANYWHERE!! I can't even find the ship listed on other sites as of yet. Can anyone help???

Was on her sister ship, Viking Sun at the end of 2010

 

Was in lowest price/deck cabin- perfectly adequate because we spent little time there.

 

Lounges/Bar. Comfortable with plenty, varied seating. Tea/coffee/water & fruit available all day on upper deck (self serve).

 

Restaurant. Buffet breakfast & lunch with served dinner (set time). Food was good, varied and well prepared. Very helpful if you didn't want what was on the menu.

 

Excursions. included in the price and well organised. One word of warning- several include lots of walking so check before leaving. Lectures the evening before.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation very well organised and timed to your travel arrangements, not for the ship's convenience. Some of the next cruise passengers arrived before we left.

 

We didn't have much opportunity to use the sun deck because we were there in the ice & snow. The bar on the upper deck & the library were best for watching the scenery. (the window in the cabin was great for a different view of the scenery too)

[pabloj]

We just finished late last year the Viking river cruise and it was amazing. So much fun. The staff is amazing and so friendly. The excursions were well thought out and gave enough time to see everything. It will be a trip you will never forget. I agree with one of the posters who said get lowest category because it is not worth the upgrades since you will be in hotels most of the time. - This is for the China

 

For Rhine if you want information on it let me know because we are scheduled to take that one this year.

 

We love viking and if you have questions I would love to help with information on it you can contact me at pjrodrigu@hotmail.com

 

We are a couple from Florida who have been on several viking cruises and just like to share our experiences.

[TULIP9]

We were on Helvetia in early December on this cruise and found the whole experience very good . The ship, crew and organisation were all exceptional. We had a mid deck cabin and fiund it of adequate size and comfortable. Only slight downside is engine noise if travelling at night, but we are very sensitive sleepers. Food was plentiful and of good standard. A nice touch was the inclusion of wine at dinner.

The included excursions were interesting and again well organised.

[attart]

we also are booked on the Viking Helvetia in late August. Does anyone have any comments, recommendations, or suggestions?

[16maymaggie]

We have just returned from a trip on Helvetia - staff were friendly and helpful, tours were wonderful.

Really enjoyed the first class train travel as I don't fly any more.

 

We have river cruised before and we did miss cruising through the day - most of it is done at night so that you get the most out of the stops during the day. Also we cruised through the 'castles' section from 7.0am when it was sooooo cold and foggy that we had trouble spotting the castles - shame as that was what my husband had booked the cruise for. The noise of the engines can be disturbing when travelling at night but I wear earplugs (husband snores) and only woke up when the noise stopped!

The Entertainment Director and his staff were excellent at their jobs - never lost anyone on the tours and made sure that we were all on the coaches at the right time and the right place. Plus the guides engaged to show us around were first class. Minor point - had to be on the coach at 8.30am for 5 of the 6 tours! Not my idea of a holiday I'm afraid.

 

Food was a bit hit and miss as I have a dairy allergy and the staff didn't seem to understand it; another lady had a lactose allergy (similar) and she too had trouble with the food. They serve wonderful desserts - which neither of us could eat - and eventually they realised that we could manage sherbet (sorbet) or a fruit plate and they provided those. But main courses were sometimes difficult - chicken, steak or poached salmon were on offer some days but not all. We tended to sit at the same table, although this is not necessary, and our waitress did understand the allergy and provided alternatives we could eat. Lovely lady. Husband appreciated the wine with the meals - something we didn't expect.

[dpendl]

We found ourselves engulfed in a winter wonderland. Our trip from NYC was well scheduled and the flight that Viking had arranged on Lufthansa was very comfortable. We logged into the Lufthasa web site occasionally to upgrade and check our seating. (party of 4). On Our arrival in Basel we were quickly met by Viking representative and transported to the ship. We had flown all night so we were some of the first cruisers to arrive which meant we had the opportunity to speak with those that had just finished te cruise from Amsterdam. We spent a fabulous day in the sunshine of Basel taking tours and visiting our first Christmas markets. On departure the snow began to fall and this seemed to set the stage for a trip through winter wonderland.(see pictures at www.pendls.com) Every port of call was well planned and lead by very knowledgeable guides. The service on board was impeccable and with all our wants fulfilled. It should be noted there is not much to do in the ship as compared to other ships but our time was well spent at the Christmas markets. We were disappointed that Viking charged a fee for us to spend extra time in Amsterdam on our own. (well worth it!) This cruise will allow you take in a number of different cities of Europe and still not feel rushed. It is cold so appropriate clothing is a must to maximize your enjoyment.

[Trombone Lover]

We are cruising from Basel to Amsterdam on the Viking Helvetia August 28, 2011

 

I see several posts from people making the same trip (like luluwoof and attart). Not sure how to communicate with them.

[attart]

Yes, we are going on the same cruise. Sorry about my delay- two birthdays and a graduation have kept me busy. This is our first Viking cruise- I went on one in the Mediterranean years ago as a student, and our room was in the bowels of the ship, so I expect this to be a huge improvement! We are from California-not originally, but for many years- and are sending our last child off to college before the cruise. This is a celebration! :)

 

I will try to pm you, but am new to this site so I'm not sure if I can......

 

Cindy

[attart]

OK, maybe I am stupid, but I searched under FAQ, and this is what I found:

 

"Can I email other members?

 

Yes. To send an email to another member, you can either find them on the member list, or click the email user button on any post they have written.

 

This will usually open a page that contains a form where you can enter your message. When you have finished typing your message, press the 'send email' button and your message will be sent instantly."[/color]

 

However, there are no email user button on your messages, and there is no link by your names on the Member List either. Sooooooooooooooo......................

[pflorio994]

If you are a member of facebook, check out the discussion board on viking. They also have comments and reviews of trips and roll calls. Been on 2 VRC and headed on my 3 Elegant Elbe in November.