A Regent cruiser on Viking

[nearly there]

I've just posted this on the Regent board, but thought it might be of interest on River Cruising as well.

 

 

A Regent Cruiser on Viking

 

So, after 6 ocean cruises (1 Silversea, excellent; 1 Oceania, not so excellent; 4 Regent, all excellent), DH and I decided to do a Viking River Cruise. Romantic Danube, it was called, on one of Viking’s new heavily advertised long ships, the Viking Odin.

 

Dear Reader, it was not a good idea.

 

Let’s start with what was good about this cruise. The crew. They were a mix of people, mostly young and mostly from Eastern Europe and the Philippines with a few others from all over the world. In all of my travels, I have never met such a hard-working, relentlessly cheerful bunch of people. From the smiling cabin stewardesses, to the overworked waiters, to Marek the marvellous programme director, the staff did all they possibly could to make the cruise a success.

 

The other good thing was minor but nice; free Wi-Fi for all passengers. We’ve really appreciated the included Wi-Fi on Regent since we reached Silver; it was very nice to be a newcomer on a cruise liner and have free Wi-Fi right from the beginning.

 

Now, sadly, on to all that was problematic. These fall into two categories. Firstly, there are the things that we just didn’t like about river cruising but which are a matter of personal opinion and which other cruisers may well enjoy (to be fair, many of the other passengers were repeat cruisers on Viking and seemed much more content than we were). Secondly, there are the things that went wrong on this specific cruise and unfortunately coloured our whole experience.

 

The cabins: I never realised just how small how 205 square feet is. We had a Veranda Stateroom A, the biggest cabin that’s not a suite, with a full balcony. The cabin was beautifully furnished with one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever had on a cruise. However, with only 1 chair in the room and the space between bed and furniture/drawers so narrow that only 1 person could pass at a time, the feeling for 2 people was cosy, bordering on claustrophobic. The shower room, again while done to an absolute luxury standard, was miniscule. There was literally not enough room to stretch out your arms to wrap a towel around yourself after a shower.

 

The dining: Lots of the food was delicious. Breakfasts, especially, were lavish with lots of choices and a smiling cook who made eggs and omelettes to order. Breakfast timing was generous as well with breakfast available for several hours most mornings. A small continental breakfast was also served on the Aquavit Terrace.

 

Lunch was a bit more problematic. The main dining room lunch consisted of a salad bar that was mainly just salad, not really enough to make a lunch of. There was then a choice of 3 main courses, always a pasta dish, a sandwich and 1 hot dish. So if you just wanted a cold salad with some cold fish or meat on a very hot day, the main dining room didn’t work. There was a small buffet on the Aquavit Terrace as well, this varied very much day to day, some days excellent, others not as good. Lunch was served at different times each day depending on tours, etc. but as with dinner it was a very set time in both dining room and Terrace; lunch is at 12:45 means 12:45 not 1 or 1:15.

 

Dinner was a bit up and down. Again the set time announced each day felt very regimented. Dinner was at 7PM most days and this meant 7 sharp, a time earlier than we prefer to dine. As Regent regulars, we often thought longingly of the flexible dining times we were used to. I’m not sure why management thought this was the best idea; 187 passengers arriving at dinner at exactly the same moment meant a line to get in and wait staff under tremendous strain. There was no possible way to serve that many guests at exactly the same time and this meant that on the first evening, having been seated at 7, we waited until 7:45 for our starters. We made a bit of a fuss with the lovely maitre’d and on subsequent evenings we were served relatively promptly, but noticed that other tables had long waits.

 

The food was well-cooked and fresh (we often saw fresh food being loaded on to the ship at our stops) and each evening there was a choice of a meat dish, a fish dish and a vegetarian option. The problem came if none of these suited, as the “always available” steak, chicken breast or salmon were not very good. Between us we tried both the steak and chicken and they seemed to be frozen meat and not at all to the standard of the day’s choices. This was another area in which I suppose Regent has spoilt us; we found the choice of mains quite limited, but understood that this is a consequence of the small kitchens that river boats have. Wine was poured generously, but I think it was the same red or white every evening. I say “think” because we were never told which wine was being served and it seemed to have been chosen without thought about the food that it accompanied. Other wines were available at a price.

 

The dining room itself was quite unpleasant. The ceiling was extremely low, the tables were very close together, and the noise level was horrible. You literally had to shout to talk your tablemates. Speaking of tablemates, there are no small tables on the Odin; tables are for 6 or 8. As we were travelling with good friends we had hoped for at least a few dinners at a table for 4 so that we could catch up on family news, etc. but this was not possible.

 

There was no food available outside of the very strict meal times. The only other refreshments available were a water dispenser and 2 coffee/hot drink machines with some mini-muffins and cookies. There was no room service. There were supposed to be some kind of bar snacks in the evening, but other than a few potato chips/nuts we never saw any.

 

Public spaces: There were 2 public spaces; the lounge plus its outside Aquavit Terrace and the outdoor sun deck on the top of the ship. Halfway through the voyage, the sundeck was closed because we were passing under low bridges; absolutely unavoidable, but it meant that public space was very limited indeed. With a nearly full cruise, 187 out of a possible 190 passengers, this meant that at peak times every seat was filled in the lounge with standing room only. Also because there was only one indoor public space, it had to handle competing activities. This reached the height of absurdity on the penultimate night of the cruise when Euro 2102 football was shown without sound, while three talented opera singers performed their arias (funniest was the baritone sneaking peeks at the football in between songs). Really, the ship just felt crowded and we wondered if the passenger numbers on the new long ships are just too high for the service areas and public areas to cope with.

 

 

Excursions and problems with the ship: As with all river cruises, the excursions were included. They ranged from average to excellent. I can’t really discuss the excursions, though, without explaining the problems that affected this particular cruise. 3 days into the cruise, we noticed that the ship seemed to be moving extremely slowly. That evening we were told that the ship had a minor technical fault but that it would not affect our cruise. However, it most certainly did. In spite of best efforts, external engineers brought on board, etc., the fault was not fixed until the last day of our cruise. The practical effects of this were that each morning we were placed on coaches and transported to our destination (coach trips were generally about an hour long) for our tours. We then had “free time” whether we wanted it or not, before the ship finally arrived at the destination to meet us.

 

This meant that the tours were the only choice for seeing the destination city. One of the things we had most looked forward to on a river cruise, was the idea that the ship docked right in the middle of a town and that you could easily get on and off. However, because of the technical problems, there was no possibility to explore on your own. If you didn’t go on the coach and then the tour, you had to stay on the ship. You couldn’t even take the coach to the city and then go off on your own as you had to be met at the end of the tour by ship staff to be told when and where to meet the ship.

 

Things came to a head on the last full day of our trip. We awoke and began to get ready for the coach ride to Nuremberg, only to find that something had gone majorly wrong with the water system on board and there was no water at all. For everyone on board, this meant a quick wash with mineral water and then on to coaches at 8:30 for the drive into Nuremberg and the scheduled morning tour. We were told the ship would not be getting to Nuremberg until 6 PM (in the event it arrived at about 4:30) so the afternoon was again “free time” but with no option of going back to the ship. Marek, the amazing programme director, who had to cope with all of this, did find everyone at lunch (arranged by Viking) to tell us the water was back on.

 

To sum up, we learned that river cruising is probably not for us. Perhaps without the technical difficulties on this particular voyage, we might have found that leisurely cruising down the river and the chance to explore as we wished, compensated for the things we didn’t like. However, at a per diem rate similar to that of luxury ocean cruising, we found the experience simply didn’t live up to Viking’s hype and our own expectations.

[LHT28]

Thanks for your candid review

We were not impressed with our Scenic Tours river cruise,

I am glad I am not the only one that may not be a European river cruise candidate

 

It is a personal choice & many people love their river cruises but we are not one of them

 

Lyn

[ChatKat in Ca.]

We felt the same way about Viking. We went a year ago and felt there were a number of issues We're giving Tauck a try after several of our friends - also avid Regent fans - loved the cruise.

[tinylady]

Hi Lynn and nearly there, I am feeling very fortunate to have you both on the same thread. Lynn as you know we are booked on Scenic in August and, following your excellent and detailed review, I do have concerns regarding our trip, especially the food. It remains to be seen if we will enjoy the rest. Nearly there thank you for your, also excellent and detailed, review of your Viking trip. I must admit that we didn't consider booking Viking as it appears to have two many negative reviews on this and other sites. I narrowed my choice down to Tauck and Scenic as our main reason for getting on a boat/ship is to get to see different places, so excursions were the most important factor. Although most of the companies seem the same at first glance when you look at detail of these that is were you see the difference Tauck and Scenic offer. In the end the choice was based on the multinational mix of passengers. It remains to be determined if we made the right choice.

Now to the real point of this post. Nearly there you have traveled on both Oceania and Regent and if I read you correctly you much preferred Regent. Lynn you clearly love Oceania. Would you both mind telling what you loved or didn't love about both lines? We have always avoided cruises, thinking they were not for us. However, having gone to Alaska last year we now think it is a good means of transport. However, we now know for sure that large ship, 1900, cruising is not for us. We were not keen on the huge dining room and absolutely hated the casual dining area. It reminded me of a food court the week before Christmas. We had a suite so that was fine, not beautiful but fine. I know I'll never do a Carribean cruise. We are looking at arranging our next trip and are trying to decide between Regent and Oceania. I think by the time you add everything up you really aren't saving much by going Oceania vs Regent, so that is not really a factor.

 

Now that you both, or anyone else, know a little bit of what we are looking for would you mind giving me some thoughts as to what you think might suit us best?

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

Mary

[newfirsttimer]

Hi Mary

I think I mentioned before that I truly enjoy Oceania. I only started ocean cruising in 2008 the first few were on a 3000 passenger ship. Then on a 1900 pax doing the Panama Canal. When I did the Med it was with Oceania, 680 passengers. I loved Oceania, the smaller ship, the fewer people and the better food, and particularly the lounge in the front of the ship. The open air dining at Tapas was wonderful, casual, but wonderful. I have no desire to go back on a larger ship, although I am taking my grandchildren on Freedom of the Seas next year, chosen for their activities, not mine. Oceania had some good entertainment in the Theatre, but not much else. Certainly not an issue for me. Bet you love Oceania. I have not tried Regent but I am guessing it is much the same feeling.

[tinylady]

Just got back to the board, urgent diaper change required, granddaughter, in case you thought I was just a young thing.

 

Thanks for the input, I think we might be on the same page. I guess we are both waiting to see how Scenic works out for us. Forget when you are going, Sept. I think. I go 23rd August, three days in Prague first, but won't be back until mid Sept. if I have decent wifi I'll post and let you know how it is going.

 

Mary

[LHT28]

Mary

If you go to the Oceania or regent forums there are lots of comparisons on both

We love the small ship experience though we did try the Marina last year ..it was good in many ways but I think we prefer the R-ships

The food, the dress code, the passengers, the crew all seem to contribute to a great experience

 

Oceania is more inclusive than some of the other mainstream lines & if you like your drinks they now have a package to make your cruise more inclusive

 

I think you may enjoy either cruise

You could always try a 7day cruise & see if you like it

 

As for scenic others have had a great experience with them so hopefully yours will have a better outcome than ours

Maybe our expectations were a little high

 

Lyn

[alexandra cruiser]

discussed,,I have come to conclusion that trying to compare a river cruise to ocean one is very difficult,,so different.

 

I love them BOTH,,,but realize they re NOT THE SAME...just due to fact that river boats must be so much smaller to fit on river,,,and in locks..

 

But,,if you want to see the inland cities of Europe,,etc..its SO MUCH better than taking bus or driving(for us at least).

 

That s why I always recommend to only take 7 day river cruise FIRST..as it may not be for you..

 

Just got off the AMAcerto,,,one with 2 balconies...french and regular.Seemed larger due to longer cabins and whole wall of windows.Bathroom was larger too..but(of course) NOT like ocean ones.

I go on one river cruise then usually ocean one next time,,to vary itinerary and experiences.Sadly,,,as seen,,not for all.;)

[Paulinda]

Well said Alexandra Cruiser. I agree a shorter river cruise and 2 or 3 days pre and post is the way to go. We are actually thinking of just doing a 12 day independent Euorpean land trip next year. There are certain cities/areas that a cruise just can't do justice to.

 

We do however think that river cruising is a great way to sample different cities.

[Talisker92]

IMO, After the OP has cruised Regent and Oceania, going on a Viking river cruise would be like going on a cruise with RCI or NCL.

I also think the OP's expectations were a little high. The river ships do not have room for all the venues that an ocean cruiser does. The dining room is also limited to the three meals a day.

We just got off a river cruise on a very small ship- 70 pax as opposed to 140, but we knew what to expect. We had a mini fridge that we kept snacks, wine, soda, etc in.

Please do not give up on river cruising. Try Tauck or one of the high end lines and I am sure you will enjoy it.

[newlondon]

OP, We agree. DW and I loved Tauck and we are SS and Regent cruisers. SJ has it right you stepped way down in class; too bad, and in addition mechanical problems, wow:mad:

[alexandra cruiser]

Well said Alexandra Cruiser. I agree a shorter river cruise and 2 or 3 days pre and post is the way to go. We are actually thinking of just doing a 12 day independent Euorpean land trip next year. There are certain cities/areas that a cruise just can't do justice to.

 

We do however think that river cruising is a great way to sample different cities.

 

and getting harder for us to lug around our own suitcases anymore.We have sort of given up on driving in Europe.Plus,my DH said HE DOES ALL THE WORK and I just sit back and enjoy it.hahaha,,,after doing that for many years...and REALLY enjoying it(ME,,anyway).,he said NO MORE..

The last straw was England,,,car looked like "junk car racer" when we returned it...so now,,,just pre and post cruise stays,,,cruises...and lots of HOHO ...:o

[nearly there]

OP back here. Interesting to read everyone's comments (as well as all the thoughts on my thread on the Regent board), especially those that point out the downgrade in line compared to Regent/Oceania. Problem was, in spite of doing some research (obviously not enough) we didn't realise that this was the case. Here in the UK, Viking is clearly marketing itself as a luxury line and certainly charging luxury line prices.

[pacmom]

Nearly there, Like you we are Oceania crisers. We have taken 3 Viking trips--the first on the Elbe was wonderful--cabins so-so, food very good and CD and tours wonderful. Clara Schumann has since been redone. Oue second trip Antwerp-Basel was not great--plumbing noises, 200 pax, and inept young woman as CD. Then came Russia--don't even want to talk about it. On the Elbe there was a Page & Moy group from England--had their own tour director. Don't let this be your last river cruise--look into Uniworld and AMAwaterways--have had a great international mix of pax. In Oct, we will be going to China with Viking for 2 reasons--a very nice voucher from our Russia trip and 11 days on the river. After that -, we don't know where to find a river we haven't traveled. Pat

[newlondon]

Pat, Don't forget Tauck. Imo no line is better, but, they don't have the best itineraries, especially in France:)

[loum140]

Nearly there, Like you we are Oceania crisers. We have taken 3 Viking trips--the first on the Elbe was wonderful--cabins so-so, food very good and CD and tours wonderful. Clara Schumann has since been redone. Oue second trip Antwerp-Basel was not great--plumbing noises, 200 pax, and inept young woman as CD. Then came Russia--don't even want to talk about it. On the Elbe there was a Page & Moy group from England--had their own tour director. Don't let this be your last river cruise--look into Uniworld and AMAwaterways--have had a great international mix of pax. In Oct, we will be going to China with Viking for 2 reasons--a very nice voucher from our Russia trip and 11 days on the river. After that -, we don't know where to find a river we haven't traveled. Pat

 

Please post your impressions of the Viking China trip - it's the one we're considering for next year. BTW - recently returned from Viking's Ukraine and we loved everything about it. Room was on the small side but very comfortable, food was outstanding and itinerary and included tours were wonderful. Ninety passengers were returning Viking cruisers with as many as 8 previous trips.

 

PS - We're Oceania cruisers as well.

[pingpong1]

Nerely There - Hello, again. I first saw your post on the Regent Thread. That's where I've been mostly "hanging out" lately, due to an upcoming (first) Regent Cruise to Alaska (Navigator) on Aug 22. My fellow "river rats" are probably familiar with some of my posts (some probably viewed them as tedious) on this Board after coming back from an Avalon Cruise (European Splendor on the Imagery) in April. I have always enjoyed reading everyone's comments and experiences on this board.

 

I think my "problem", minimal as it was, with my first river cruise was in taking the marketing material just too literally - with the lovely picture of a couple seemingly dining in a romantic, solitary, and serene setting in what was portrayed as a quiet, private, and elegant dining venue at their own private table - in reality that simply doesn't exist, nor would it be possible on most any of the river boats - so why would it even be (falsely) implied in the brochure? To attract new customers, of course!

 

There was also quite liberal use of adjectives such as "elegant", "5-star", "exqusite", "inspired", and "spacious" that were liberally thrown about in the literature. No matter how many mirrors you might hang on a wall, you just shouldn't try to characterize (with a straight face) a 200+ square foot "suite" as something that is "spacious"! Even calling it a "suite" is a bit of a stretch of the English language. Although it might be larger than other staterooms on other similar river boats - 200 sq ft just isn't ever going to be "spacious". But again, the fault was mine in taking this advertising too literally. Having taken the cruise, I now know what it all really means.

 

Fortnately, we encountered no plumbing problems; no one went hungry; there were no shortages of wine at dinner or eggs at breakfast; and all the crewmembers and staff were quite friendly and helpful. The "jury is still out" with respect to whether future river cruising will be "my thing". I think I'll want to get a few "up-scale ocean cruses" under my belt (like Regent) before I contemplate whether to try another river cruise - maybe on the Mekong River - the last time I was there ('67), it was certainly no "pleasure cruise" ;). I've enjoyed your review/s of your trip and also continue to enjoy reading everyone else's comments. Regards to all.

[pacmom]

Newlondon, only could speak about Uniworld and AMA--have not cruised on Tauck. You who have experienced Tauck should tell the OP about them. Pat;)

[RvrCrzr]

First off, I'm sorry to hear about your cruise experience. Clearly your expectations were not met and that is too bad. I wish that on no one.

 

However, I do offer this opinion...

I cannot express how important it is to NOT skip (the most important step) in vacation planning: Seeking professional assistance. In your case, perhaps a river cruise specialsit would have been able to spare you this cruise experience. I could tell by the 3rd line of your review that you were not going to be a good candidate for the cruise you selected.

 

You can read reviews and forums day and night but you are only getting that persons experience with the product. (and you don't know that person from Adam) You can look at the cruise lines pretty pictures and claims that they are the best in luxury and end up with a learning experience rather than a vacation experience. IMHO, I'm not up to laying down $12,000 or more on what a perfect stranger has to say.

 

I hope your next cruise experience is a great one. Live, learn and move forward. Good luck.

[Babo02]

The river cruises sound a lot like our Galapagos trip on Celebrity Xpedition. On that trip there were less than 100 people on board and we sat at tables of 6 or 8. Our cabin was very small as were the common rooms, but we got to know the staff and other passengers well and had a wonderful time.

 

You obviously prefer larger ships with lots of room and privacy, while we love the frendliness of the smaller ships.

 

My husband and I are looking forward to our river cruise on Viking Legend in May 2013. We are going with a tour group and spending one week on the water and three days each in Prague and Budapest.

 

The best thing is that there is something for everyone.

[Ozjohnno]

The best thing IMO about CC is that you get wide and varied opinions and experiences on everything there is in cruising. We've been on a couple of Ocean cruises and one river cruise last September with Tauck on their Amsterdam to Budapest cruise. From our point of view we would never take another Ocean cruise where we always feel like we're part of a mob of sheep no matter where you went whilst on our Tauck cruise we felt like Royalty with only 108 passengers on board. We are making plans for another Tauck cruise in 2014 and this time we'll sail down the Rhone as we really like the look of that itinerary.

 

I agree that a good TA is important but in Australia I've found that TA's in general are all associated with one cruise company or another and "push" that product as the best. Down here Tauck is basically unknown but Scenic and APT, being Australian are the favoured lines by the majority of TA's. You can, of course, ask for details on any line as we did and the TA will make the booking but for our next Tauck adventure we'll book direct with Tauck.

 

We are all individuals and we all have different wants and needs and if you read all of the threads and reviews on river cruising the positives far outweigh the negatives. I found river cruising to be unique and I'm sorry that it took me so long to find this great way to holiday.

[Viking Cruises]

OP back here. Interesting to read everyone's comments (as well as all the thoughts on my thread on the Regent board), especially those that point out the downgrade in line compared to Regent/Oceania. Problem was, in spite of doing some research (obviously not enough) we didn't realise that this was the case. Here in the UK, Viking is clearly marketing itself as a luxury line and certainly charging luxury line prices.

 

Dear nearly there,

 

We also replied to your post on the other thread, so please excuse any repetitiveness, but we do want to make sure we can get in touch with you...

 

We very much appreciate you starting your detailed review (original post) with such kind praise for the crew of Viking Odin. We are immensely proud of them and always enjoy hearing positive remarks. You’ve provided some great feedback regarding river cruising in general and while your disappointment with some aspects of your cruise is disheartening for us to read, we do still appreciate it, as we are always working to improve the customer experience. The issues that Viking Odin had during your trip are unfortunate and we would like to take the opportunity to once again apologize.

 

Regarding your remark on the other post that you had not yet been contacted by Customer Relations, as the ship's staff told you would happen — this must be a mistake on our end, and for that we also apologize. We hope you will email us your name and contact information at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com so that we may have Customer Relations get in touch.

 

Sincerely,

Viking River Cruises

[nearly there]

Dear nearly there,

 

We also replied to your post on the other thread, so please excuse any repetitiveness, but we do want to make sure we can get in touch with you...

 

We very much appreciate you starting your detailed review (original post) with such kind praise for the crew of Viking Odin. We are immensely proud of them and always enjoy hearing positive remarks. You’ve provided some great feedback regarding river cruising in general and while your disappointment with some aspects of your cruise is disheartening for us to read, we do still appreciate it, as we are always working to improve the customer experience. The issues that Viking Odin had during your trip are unfortunate and we would like to take the opportunity to once again apologize.

 

Regarding your remark on the other post that you had not yet been contacted by Customer Relations, as the ship's staff told you would happen — this must be a mistake on our end, and for that we also apologize. We hope you will email us your name and contact information at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com so that we may have Customer Relations get in touch.

 

Sincerely,

Viking River Cruises

 

Nice of Viking to reply to the board. What started as a review will now hopefully be a dialogue I can have directly with Viking. I've contacted them and will await their response. Thanks to everyone who posted.

[RvrCrzr]

The best thing IMO about CC is that you get wide and varied opinions and experiences on everything there is in cruising.

 

I agree that a good TA is important but in Australia I've found that TA's in general are all associated with one cruise company or another and "push" that product as the best. Down here Tauck is basically unknown but Scenic and APT, being Australian are the favoured lines by the majority of TA's. You can, of course, ask for details on any line as we did and the TA will make the booking but for our next Tauck adventure we'll book direct with Tauck.

 

We are all individuals and we all have different wants and needs and if you read all of the threads and reviews on river cruising the positives far outweigh the negatives. I found river cruising to be unique and I'm sorry that it took me so long to find this great way to holiday.

 

I agree. Forums can be a great source of information. I've used them for decades and even though I don't always see eye-to-eye with this one, I continue to contribute as best I can.

[huntersyaya]

We went on the Romantic Danube River cruise in May on the new Viking Odin. We were a group of 8 professionals all in our early to mid 60's. One of our group picked the itenary and the Odin because it was a new ship. We had the BEST time and I don't think all 8 of us are easily pleased. River cruises are expensive but so unique. We floated down the Danube on water as smooth as silk as if we were on our own private yacht. We got to know most every one on the ship, if not by name, by face. We loved going on excursions with our new found friends. We found the staff to be extraordinary! Karl the chef was wonderful and so engaging with everyone on the ship. The food was always good and always served at the appropriate temperature.

The ship is brand new and sparkling clean. No the rooms are not very big BUT all we needed was a place to sleep and bathe and we were able to do both with no problems.

I had read lots of negative about Viking before I went on the trip and had low expectations about the cruise. I also read plenty of other negatives about AMA, Uniworld, etc. I guess the bottom line is that my group went knowing that we were going to have an experience of our life time one way or the other on the cruise. We have travelled a lot together and fortunately we all manage to enjoy ourselves. I hate to see Viking being bashed when my experience was totally awesome. Did I mention that Karl (the chef) took me and some other passengers on a shopping excursion (for free) in Vienna to watch him pick out cheeses, etc for us to eat on the ship. Come on....that was so much fun!

Our river cruise experience was not like a weekend at the Ritz but we never thought it would be. We thought it would be a nice way to see some of the interior or Europe without having to pack and unpack a suitcase every night. We were exactly right. I would not hesitate to try Viking again nor would I hesitate to try another line.