Review Viking Freya - Heart of Germany Christmas Markets - December 16-24 (w/pics)

[WarEagle76]

Overview

We sailed on Viking Freya for the Heart of Germany Christmas Market cruise with the two day Cologne extension the week prior to Christmas. This was our fifth Viking River cruise but first on a Longship. If you have a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit, enjoy exploring medieval towns and castles in the comfort of a beautiful well-run ship supplemented by delicious food and a great crew, this trip is for you. Our journey to Nuremberg via Amsterdam and return from Frankfurt booked through Viking went without a hitch.

 

The crew led by Captain Rosen Nedkov, Program Director Mieke Bakker and hotel manager Roy Schumacher, were friendly and helpful throughout the trip. Our cabin attendant Elena was efficient and kept our cabin spotless and stocked daily. Chef George Pereira provided some excellent culinary delights throughout the day and our dining room waiters Rado and Petar were efficient and never bothered by the requests made by our table. We enjoyed a lighter dinner one evening in the Aquavit Terrace and found it provided a nice option after a long day that had included a full lunch while touring.

 

We had a balcony cabin and never rafted or “double docked” throughout the journey. You could tell a lot of attention to detail was paid when designing these cabins. We had plenty of storage space, a large safe, and the bathroom while small had great lighting and plenty of space at sink level as well as below for toiletry items. Large TV with lots of viewing options and information provided for the cruise. From Nuremburg to Frankfurt we went through 38 locks and being on the balcony provided a different perspective during the journey as well as a nice place to sit and watch the scenery on a sunny day when temps were not too cold.

 

95% of those on board were American with a few Canadians and South Africans on the journey with us. There were several extended families traveling with “young adults” on this cruise, and there were more adults in their 30’s and 40’s than we’ve seen in the past. There was also a fun group of 20 from Texas on board. All made for a great mix of people on this journey.

 

All excursions were included on this trip (no optional tours offered) and all were on large, clean buses with restrooms. Regular tours as well as tours for those who enjoyed a more leisurely pace were offered. All of the local guides we were paired up with were excellent, and our shipmates were very cooperative in being on the bus at the appointed time to continue to our next destination.

 

Onboard entertainment included several local musicians, a very entertaining glass blowing demonstration by a local artist, and various talks on local topics throughout the cruise.

 

We booked the post-cruise extension to Cologne through Viking and enjoyed it immensely. Markus, our guide for Cologne met us on the ship in Frankfurt, rode with us on the two hour journey to Cologne, gave us a great walking tour upon arrival in Cologne and was available for several hours in the morning and afternoon at the hotel which was the Marriott Cologne. The hotel is in a great location for see the city of Cologne and the seven Christmas markets the city offered.

 

 

The Ship

 

Viking Freya is a beautiful vessel, one of Viking’s new longships. There is a lot of wood and glass letting in the light and providing a sleek look.

 

 

We really liked the Aquavit Terrace and can see even greater possibilities for its use during warm weather.

 

 

 

The new longships provide an elevator for those who need it, a big plus over the older ships.

There were two coffee stations, one on either side of the ship which provided coffee, specialty coffees and teas on a 24 hour basis. Cookies were provided at these locations in the afternoon.

There were several hand sanitizers located throughout the ship and the Hotel Manager and staff greeted you at dinner time as you entered the dining room with hand sanitizer as well.

 

 

Except when going in and out of locks, we never felt any kind of movement at all. In fact, sometimes you had to look outside to see the passing scenery to realize you were moving. Freya was a very quiet, smooth moving ship.

[WarEagle76]

The Cabin

Our balcony cabin on middle deck was comfortable and well appointed.

 

We found the beds comfortable, firm but not hard. A large TV provided a large number of viewing options and informational channels for weather, trip information and our favorite, a lounge cam to view and listen to presentations if you were still getting ready or just wanted to relax in your cabin. There was also music available on the TV.

There were several 110 volt outlets at desk area and one behind bed. A large safe was provided (could hold a larger laptop) and utilized a four digit code to lock. A small refrigerator is provided and is large enough to hold a bottle of wine and several soft drinks while keeping them good and cold. A small closet, four shelves and 8 drawers was provided plenty of storage space for us and there was plenty of room under our beds to store our 25” suitcases. Bottled water was provided and replenished daily. The bathroom was small but well designed. Excellent lighting and lots of above and below counter storage along with a couple of shelves. Water pressure in shower (a pet peeve of mine) was excellent. L’Occitane shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion were provided and replenished daily.

 

A nightlight was also provided in the bathroom. The much discussed changeable bathroom glass wall was interesting but we left it frosted for the journey.

 

 

[WarEagle76]

The Crew

Mieke Bakker the Program Manager and Roy Schumacher the Hotel Manager ran an efficient ship. Chef George Pereira and his staff provided excellent meals throughout the cruise. The dining, bar and front desk staff were friendly and helpful and Elena, our cabin attendant was efficient without being intrusive. One additional nice touch was every day upon leaving the ship, bottled water was handed out and arriving back at the ship we were provided a treat such as a cup of hot gluhwein or fruit.

 

[WarEagle76]

The Food

 

This topic is my least favorite as is always so subjective. For our part, however, we thought the food on this cruise was excellent. There were plenty of choices at breakfast including a station where you could get omelets or eggs cooked to order. There was also a continental breakfast available in the Aquavit Terrace.

 

We always ate lunch in the lounge (Café Lunch) which was served buffet style and lunch was also offered in the dining room daily. Dinner provided a choice of three or four first course, main course and dessert selections as well as a different cheese plate every evening.

 

 

 

 

There were also the “always available” items to choose from as well. We found the beef selections to be very tender and fish selections properly cooked with an inventive array of soups and salads provided throughout the week. Here is a day’s worth of menus for the two lunch options and dinner in the dining room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WarEagle76]

The Journey

 

Day 1 - Nuremberg

 

We booked our flights and two-day Cologne extension (transfers included) through Viking. Flights assigned were those we would have chosen ourselves, connecting through Amsterdam to Nuremburg using Delta to KLM City Hopper with a two hour connection, and nonstop home from Frankfurt via Delta. Note when connecting in Amsterdam, you have to go through passport control and security check prior to your connecting gate. The last time we made a connection through Amsterdam, this area was chaos, this time there were maybe 10 people in front of us, you just never know what you’ll run into. We were met by a Viking representative in Nuremburg and waited about 15 minutes for another flight to arrive from Frankfurt and we were on our way to the ship. We were escorted directly to our cabin upon arrival at the ship and didn’t even stop at the check-in desk, can’t get more efficient than that! Our “Viking Daily” telling us of the day’s events was waiting in our cabin, and one for the following day was always in our cabin prior to retiring for the evening.

For those who had arrived earlier, since docked outside the city center, Viking provided free shuttles into the city center on embarkation day as well as the following afternoon when free time was available. An orientation was provided in the lounge prior to dinner. Expectations were set for the cruise by the Hotel Manager and Program Director. One item mentioned was the internet. Since we were going through 38 locks on this journey, we were advised that when in the locks we could lose internet service. For the most part, internet access was fine during the trip, accessible from our cabin with faster access in the public areas and had no problem accessing email or the internet.

 

Day 2 – Nuremberg

 

A morning tour via bus took us by the former **** SS Barracks, through the interior of the **** Congress Hall, and to a stop at the **** parade grounds. Our guide provided an excellent history of the importance of Nuremburg to the **** party, showed pictures of the parade grounds in use during the 1930’s, and discussed what happened to all of the structures built by the ****’s after the war ended. An excellent if sobering history lesson for the morning.

 

 

 

 

Then on to the Christmas market and back to the ship for lunch.

 

 

 

During the afternoon, shuttle busses were offered back to the city center, while onboard, there was a Gingerbread demonstration with audience participation in the lounge. At 6PM we set sail for Bamberg. Tonight was the Viking Society get together for those who had sailed Viking previously. In 2010 we had five individuals at this gathering, last year there were twelve. Tonight there were 60+!

[WarEagle76]

Day 3 – Bamberg

Today we visited the medieval city of Bamberg. A walking tour was offered followed by a visit to the Christmas market. Since we were leaving Bamberg at 1:30PM, Viking added a third walking tour called “Fast and Furious” for those who wanted a brief overview of the city and more time in the Christmas Markets. Fast and Furious is what we chose and thought nice addition by Viking for this particular stop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the afternoon of sailing there was a Stollen (Christmas Cake) demonstration followed by German tea time and a galley tour. Prior to cocktail hour was a discussion about Bavaria and prior to the Daily Briefing, a discussion about other Viking River and Ocean cruises offerings.

[WarEagle76]

Day 4 – Wurzburg & Rothenburg

This was a busy day! We docked overnight in Shweinfurt, cruised to Gerlachshausen in the morning and boarded a bus for a visit to the Bishops’ Residenz in Wurzburg. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the Residenz (hate when that happens), but the tour was interesting and enjoyed the grand staircase, the chapel, and the grand salon.

 

 

 

Then on to Rothenburg where a lunch of Franconian potato soup, home-made bratwurst, wine-sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and Apple strudel with vanilla sauce was served at a local restaurant. There was also a choice of wine or beer with lunch. After lunch we visited the Christmas market then bussed back to the ship awaiting us in Wurzburg.

 

You could tell a lot of effort went into scheduling this day to include all of the activities, get the ship through the locks, and keep us on schedule. Because we had the large lunch and were tired after the busy day, this is the evening we decided to eat in the Aquavit Terrace. Also, due to the long day the daily briefing in the lounge followed dinner, and a nautical talk and Q&A with the captain followed the daily briefing.

 

[WarEagle76]

Day 5 – Wertheim

This morning was spent sailing so we could sleep in a little. While going through one of the docks, we picked up a hitchhiker who turned out to be our morning’s entertainment. We were provided with a very entertaining glassblowing demonstration by a local Wertheim artist who was both talented and funny.

That was followed by a “Taste of Germany” café lunch in the lounge area which was a delicious hit. We arrived in Wertheim around 2PM and docked in town so were off on a walking tour.

 

 

We nicknamed our tour guide Udo the “Mayor of Wertheim” as he seemed to know everyone. He even rang the doorbell of a local citizen who took the time to chat with us from his window.

 

We then had free time until 6PM to enjoy the Christmas market of Wertheim, and yes, sip more Gluhwein (mulled wine) a traditional German Christmas drink.

 

 

The daily briefing included our disembarkation information and later in the evening was the Captain’s cocktail reception and Farewell Dinner.

[WarEagle76]

Day 6 – Frankfurt/Heidelberg

 

We arrived in Frankfurt in a great docking location just minutes from the Christmas market.

 

 

 

Then we were off travelling the autobahn (and boy did some cars go by our bus at a high rate of speed) to Heidelberg. We first toured the 12th century Heidelberg Castle that overlooks the city and then journeyed down to the Christmas market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch was on our own today and we noshed at the vendor stalls located throughout the market. Back to the ship and a final dinner and packing. If you wanted, you could easily walk to the Christmas market in Frankfurt which closed at 9PM. We didn’t make that one but those that did not make the trip to Heidelberg who went to the Frankfurt Christmas market said it was huge. Beginning at 9PM tonight until 9AM tomorrow morning you could settle your account at the front desk.

[WarEagle76]

Day 7 – Depart for Extension to Cologne

Departures for those flying home began at 4AM and went until 2PM. If on a later departure, Viking would hold your bags so you could go visit the Frankfurt Christmas markets. We were on the Cologne two-day extension and our bus left at 8:30AM for the 2 ½ hour ride to Cologne. Markus, our guide for Cologne met us on the ship and escorted us to Cologne and provided dialogue along the way. Our hotel was the Cologne Marriott, very well located a short walking distance through the train station to the cathedral. Our rooms were not ready so we checked our luggage and went on a walking tour.

 

 

 

[WarEagle76]

Day 8 - Cologne

 

Upon arriving back at the hotel, our rooms were ready at 3PM and we were on our own, but Markus was available from 4-6PM, as well as 8-10AM and 4-6PM the following day. Markus also saw us off at 4:45AM our morning of departure to the Frankfurt airport. Markus was a great guide and would hire him in a minute for a private tour should we ever return to Cologne. During the rest of our stay in Cologne we went back and toured the inside of the Cathedral, had dinner at a local brew house, and visited the seven Christmas markets in the city.

 

 

There was a hop-on hop-off shuttle train we caught across from the cathedral that provided transportation to four of the markets, the cost was 8 Euros.

 

 

Cologne is also an easy city to walk around and was very busy as was the Sunday and Monday prior to Christmas.

 

 

 

We had a 2 hour bus ride to the Frankfurt airport for our departure and were met by a Viking representative who escorted everyone to their proper terminal and check-in. Three hours later we were on our 10 hour flight home with many great memories, souvenirs, and new friends from this wonderful trip.

 

More pictures can be found at: https://smengelt.shutterfly.com/3357

[Barrheadlass]

Great review and lovely, lovely pictures! Thanks for sharing.

[Rufusk]

WarEagle76,

Sounds like you had a truly wonderful time....that's great! Thanks for posting the great review and images. The pictures and locations allowed my mind to wander back to our cruise in the fall. Thank you for bringing up these very pleasant memories.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Rufus

[deec]

Thanks so much for the very thoughtful review and fantastic pictures...

[H2Otstr]

Great review and great photos. I need to cruise on one of the new long ships :).

[Bet & Peg]

Fabulous review and photos!!! We were on the Viking Rinda on the Rhine River in early December - your photos of Cologne bring back wonderful memories!!! We spent a day there - would love to go back!!!!

 

The Freya looks very similar to the Rinda - some decorations are different but mostly the same! We had a great time on the ship - really enjoyed it!!

[jiminyC_fan]

Great review! Well put together. Made me miss our cruise! I'm having withdrawl and your report didn't help, LOL.

[WarEagle76]

Great review! Well put together. Made me miss our cruise! I'm having withdrawl and your report didn't help, LOL.

 

Thanks to all for the kind remarks. JiminyC, we're having withdrawls too! Keep going to the kitchen at home looking for the posted menu and there is nobody that greets me when I return home with a cup of hot gluwhein:)

[joanne2]

Thanks so much for your wonderful review and pictures. I'm starting to plan a river cruise and have been reading so much negative stuff on the boards and you returned me to my original positive thoughts about a trip. I want to go tomorrow! All the towns look so inviting for a stroll. Thank you.

[tml1230]

thanks for a really informative review…wonderful photos too…we are even more excited about our March cruise with viking!

 

PS: best wishes for a national championship! (go gators)

[Bet & Peg]

joanne2 ~ we've had 2 fantastic trips on Viking - 2012 on the Rhone River and this past December the Christmas Markets on the Rhine River. But, I add, in both situations we had good weather, no river-level problems, no lock-worker strikes!

 

I'm not sure how I would feel about Viking or river cruising if I had encountered the problems some people have talked about on CC. But I also want to add that "problems" - especially weather related - can occur on any cruise or any vacation for that matter. I always feel that it's how a problem is handled that counts.

 

On a RCCL cruise out of Galveston in 2010 we couldn't get into port in Jamaica because of high winds. So the Captain changed course, got us out of the bad weather and within an hour all sorts of extra activities had been announced - sports events, backstage tour, special cooking demonstration, etc.!

 

This past spring saw 500-year record high floods on some European rivers - something no one could have foreseen. Companies handled it situation differently, some good, some not so well.

 

We have another trip this fall - just beginning to really get into planning details! And wondering where after that!!! We fell in love with RCing on our first one much for the reason you mentioned - usually docking in town and not some commercial port. Just love the European cities and walking around them!

 

Hope - whatever you choose - you have smooth sailing!!!

[H2Otstr]

joanne2 ~ we've had 2 fantastic trips on Viking - 2012 on the Rhone River and this past December the Christmas Markets on the Rhine River. But, I add, in both situations we had good weather, no river-level problems, no lock-worker strikes!

 

I'm not sure how I would feel about Viking or river cruising if I had encountered the problems some people have talked about on CC. But I also want to add that "problems" - especially weather related - can occur on any cruise or any vacation for that matter. I always feel that it's how a problem is handled that counts.

 

On a RCCL cruise out of Galveston in 2010 we couldn't get into port in Jamaica because of high winds. So the Captain changed course, got us out of the bad weather and within an hour all sorts of extra activities had been announced - sports events, backstage tour, special cooking demonstration, etc.!

 

This past spring saw 500-year record high floods on some European rivers - something no one could have foreseen. Companies handled it situation differently, some good, some not so well.

 

We have another trip this fall - just beginning to really get into planning details! And wondering where after that!!! We fell in love with RCing on our first one much for the reason you mentioned - usually docking in town and not some commercial port. Just love the European cities and walking around them!

 

Hope - whatever you choose - you have smooth sailing!!!

 

Take a look at the City of Lights tour. Wonderful cities on this cruise.

[Kohola]

Enjoyed your review and the opportunity to compare the Viking Freya to the Tor. Everything was almost identical with the exception of the glass wall separating the bathroom from the living quarters of our room. Our Veranda cabin on the middle deck separated the two spaces with a solid wall; the heated tile floor in the bathroom was a nice touch.

[Francis M]

What a wonderful review. My wife and I are about to book this same cruise for the 1st week of December. All of the details you provided really help fill in the blanks.

Thanks so much and happy you had a wonderful cruise.

Frank

[melody hounddog]

Fantastic review. Thanks for sharing.

 

What type of food is served in the Terrace?